Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 72

The production team of Peach Blossom Promise probably never imagined that all their meticulously planned marketing—centered on the epic, tragic love story between the male and female leads—would ultimately be overshadowed by the buzz around Chu Xi’s acting.

The premiere ratings for Peach Blossom Promise were decent, but the trending topic about Chu Xi’s acting drew in many passersby who had once suffered through her performances.

Seeing the flood of exaggerated praise in the hashtag, they scoffed. How dare Chu Xi boast about her acting? Just because of a few GIFs, she’s sending out press releases claiming she’s improved? Do they think we don’t watch the show?

Then, holding their noses, they tuned in.

After one episode…

Damn, it actually seems like she’s acting pretty well.

After a few more episodes…

Though the seductive concubine Liuli was undeniably wicked—especially in the early episodes, where she made viewers grit their teeth in frustration—the further they watched, the more her villainy tugged at their hearts.

She had once been kind, only to be brutally betrayed by those she’d treated with kindness. She endured the most humiliating torment just to protect her family, only to witness her parents’ horrific deaths. She had offered the world her utmost goodwill, only to be repaid with endless malice. She clawed her way out from a pile of her family’s corpses, her spirit twisted beyond recognition. From then on, she seized every opportunity to climb higher by any means necessary. Everyone saw the seductive concubine Liuli whispering slander to the foolish emperor, urging him to execute loyal ministers—but no one saw that the old minister she had condemned had, just days before, pointed at Liuli’s nose and cursed her as a vile, scheming harlot—even though she had done nothing wrong.

The only warmth this world might have spared for Liuli was the doting and unconditional affection of the infatuated emperor, but alas, his arrival came far too late. By then, her heart had long grown numb, incapable of feeling anything.

This character was both detestable and heartbreaking, truly wringing countless tears from the audience.

In the end, Liuli became almost obsessively determined to be with the male lead, the prince. It wasn’t that she truly loved him—rather, it was a stubborn fixation in her heart. Yet, time and again, the male lead cruelly and mercilessly rejected her. Though he loathed the female lead to the point of wishing he could tear her flesh apart, he still spared Liuli’s life out of some lingering mercy. However, when he mistakenly believed she had killed the female lead, he drove his sword deep into her shoulder, all while she stared back at him in dazed confusion.

Perhaps the scene where Chu Xi performed best in the entire series was when the male lead stabbed her with an arrow. She might have given herself a passing score of sixty, but in the audience’s eyes, her sixty-point performance was already perfect. The shot of her smiling at the male lead despite her blood-soaked shoulder left viewers utterly devastated.

[Liuli, I’ll marry you, wuwuwuwu!]

[Forget that scumbag male lead, he’s not worth it, really not worth it!]

[The infatuated emperor is the one who truly loves you—why can’t you ever see him, Liuli? Wuwuwu!]

[Damn, this is so heartbreaking. He loves her, she loves him, he loves her… I’m crying to death!]

[Liuli, don’t cry! I’ll give you all my money, marry me, let’s be together!]

[This scene is so emotionally powerful, wuwuwu!]

[I wasn’t even planning to cry, but the moment I remembered this scene was actually performed by Chu Xi, I burst into tears.]

Chu Xi: “………………”

Peach Blossom Promise consistently ranked in the top three in its time slot. Compared to the clichéd storyline of the sweet, naive female lead and the domineering prince—along with their superficial acting—Chu Xi and Li Yuanxin’s pairing as the seductive concubine and the infatuated emperor, with its unrequited love and tragic longing, proved far more compelling. Unexpectedly, their chemistry took off, and fan-made edits of their scenes dominated Bilibili’s video rankings.

Additionally, Li Yuanxin, who played the infatuated emperor, also gained significant attention amid the buzz around Chu Xi’s acting.

Beyond sympathizing with the emperor’s devotion to the seductive concubine, viewers noticed that Li Yuanxin’s acting was clearly a cut above the rest of the cast. In several scenes, it was evident that he was guiding Chu Xi, making their performances together all the more electrifying.

He had been in the industry for years, and his Weibo painted a picture of a happy family life. Chu Xi had repeatedly praised him in interviews as kind, approachable, and refined. So why had such a talented actor remained under the radar for so long?

As Peach Blossom Promise aired, Baidu and WeChat search indices skyrocketed—not for the leads, but for Chu Xi and Li Yuanxin.

Yet another drama where the supporting actors outshone the main leads.

Li Yuanxin’s career took a leap forward, with many high-quality scripts coming his way. Meanwhile, Chu Xi’s forty-point performance (by her own standards) reassured production teams. Previously, she had only been offered low-quality, gimmicky roles meant to exploit her popularity. But after Peach Blossom Promise, she finally began receiving serious offers from reputable projects.

In no rush to join another production, Chu Xi nibbled on an apple while browsing scripts. She noticed that the “Brickhead Brigade” fan group had welcomed many new members.

While most of her fans had initially been drawn to her looks and personality, this time, quite a few newcomers cited “being captivated by Chu Xi’s acting” in their membership applications.

Chu Xi was moved to tears.

It seemed Fu Bai was telling the truth—with a decent work under her belt, why worry about not having fans?

It might be hard to believe, but even Chu Xi’s acting skills could now attract fans.

After much deliberation with Fu Bai, Chu Xi finally chose a revolutionary war drama commemorating the victory in the War of Resistance, titled “Blood of the Mountains and Rivers.” In it, she played the role of a progressive female university student from a wealthy family during the revolutionary era.

In her costume test photos, Chu Xi wore a school uniform similar in style to the one Lin Huiyin wore in old photographs, her hair pinned behind her ears with a white hair clip, looking both beautiful and scholarly.

Chu Xi gazed at her costume test photos, her eyes dimming slightly.

After her role as a police officer in “Misty Abyss,” driven by her personal obsession, it seemed fate had intervened once more—now she was playing a university student again, a progressive young woman from a wealthy family of that era.

She also recalled her experience of reliving high school life in “We Are Classmates” and smiled.

With some time left before the filming of “Blood of the Mountains and Rivers” began, Chu Xi had a gap in her schedule. She turned down several offers for regular variety show appearances and decided to return home for a while to spend time with her grandmother, filling the rest of her schedule with guest appearances on variety shows.

When Gu Mingjing heard Chu Xi was going home, he seemed momentarily confused: “Home?” In his mind, wasn’t Chu Xi’s home the apartment they were currently in?

Chu Xi shook her head: “No, I mean my hometown.”

Only then did Gu Mingjing vaguely remember that Chu Xi had a grandmother.

His most recent memory of the elderly woman was from before, when Chu Xi’s contract with him hadn’t ended yet. She had been crying uncontrollably, clutching his sleeve with her small hands, begging him to take fake wedding photos and accompany her back to see her grandmother.

At the time, she thought she was dying and pleaded with heartbreaking humility. What had he said? That she shouldn’t covet what wasn’t hers to covet.

Gu Mingjing cursed himself inwardly for being such a bastard.

He grabbed Chu Xi’s hand and said with a smile, “I’ll go back with you to see her too.”

Chu Xi immediately shook her head: “No, that’s not necessary!”

Her grandmother didn’t follow entertainment news, and Aunt Chen, who occasionally did, had been specifically instructed by Chu Xi not to mention anything about her romantic life in the news. As a result, Grandma Chu’s understanding of her granddaughter’s love life remained stuck in the “single” phase after her breakup with “Xiao Gu.”

Chu Xi didn’t know why, but she didn’t want to tell her grandmother that she and Gu Mingjing were back together.

Even though everything before had been fake, this time it was real.

It was as if, back when she had shown Gu Mingjing’s photo to deceive her grandmother, or when she had planned to beg Gu Mingjing to go back with her to continue the charade, all her hints to her grandmother had been about him being her future grandson-in-law.

Bringing someone home means you’re already considering marriage. What’s the point of bringing a boyfriend home?

Gu Mingjing didn’t know what Chu Xi was thinking, but he hadn’t expected her to resist so strongly this time. The smile gradually faded from his face as he asked, “Why?”

Chu Xi pouted slightly and said weakly, “My grandmother doesn’t know I have a boyfriend.” She added, “She only watches TV and doesn’t know how to use the internet.”

Gu Mingjing’s throat tightened. “…And before? Why did you let me go with you then…”

Chu Xi lowered her head at the memory. “I’m sorry. My grandmother didn’t know about our… previous relationship. She wouldn’t be able to accept it. If she found out about us back then, she really wouldn’t be able to go on living. Please don’t ever tell her. I used to secretly take photos of you and lie to my grandmother, saying you were my… boyfriend.”

Chu Xi knew what she’d done wasn’t right—no sugar daddy would want to be bragged about as a boyfriend by their kept woman to family. She quickly explained, “I didn’t tell many people you were my boyfriend back then, only my grandmother and the auntie who takes care of her. After we broke up, I told my grandmother we’d separated.”

Gu Mingjing felt as if something had pinched his heart, the ache spreading sourly. He vaguely remembered that when Chu Xi was first brought before him, she’d been wearing a pair of faded canvas shoes. He asked slowly, “And now?”

Chu Xi was silent for a moment. “Like I said, my grandmother still doesn’t know I’m with you again.”

Gu Mingjing didn’t press further. He knew what Chu Xi was afraid of and gave a bitter smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

It was at this moment that the thought occurred to him—if there were any hardships in life ahead, he didn’t want Chu Xi to face them alone with her frail frame.

He should be there for her.

Chu Xi had no idea what Gu Mingjing was thinking, but she felt embarrassed about the whole thing. She leaned over and planted a somewhat appeasing kiss at the corner of his lips.

Gu Mingjing didn’t react.

Chu Xi kissed him again, then tried a little trick.

Still no reaction from Gu Mingjing.

Finally, Chu Xi sighed in apparent defeat and remarked, “You’re being such a gentleman today.”

Only then did Gu Mingjing respond with an “Hmm?” “What?”

Chu Xi: “I think you’re being very gentlemanly today.”

“Is that so?” Gu Mingjing raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. Then, with utmost gentlemanliness, he kissed her back and, with equal decorum, carried her into the bedroom.

In the end…

Chu Xi: F***ing beast!!!

——

Chu Xi returned home, spending her days accompanying her grandmother on walks, occasionally playing a few rounds of Gomoku, and when she had time, studying the script for “ Blood of the Mountains and Rivers.” For some parts, she even dug out her old modern history textbooks.

She took a photo of her four thick script volumes and sent it to Gu Mingjing, playing the sympathy card.

Gu Mingjing responded with a photo of his desk piled high with documents.

Chu Xi: “…………” Touché.

After finishing the script, Chu Xi browsed Weibo before bed, logged into her alt account as usual, venting her grievances about someone’s endless list of crimes.

Fans: “Aww, so sweet!”

Chu Xi exited Weibo expressionlessly and checked a few WeChat messages.

Fu Bai had sent her details about a variety show he’d arranged for her as a filler.

The large-scale celebrity couples reality show Charming You is a star-studded romance program that primarily broadcasts the daily lives of real celebrity couples. Each episode invites a different celebrity couple—essentially, it’s a platform for public displays of affection.

Chu Xi’s expression mirrored the classic “confused old man on the subway” meme as she asked Fu Bai: [Did you send this to the wrong person?]

Fu Bai: [Nope, I think this show is fantastic.]

Chu Xi: […And who exactly am I supposed to go with?]

Fu Bai: [Who else? President Gu, of course! sparkling eyes emoji]

[Announcing your relationship and then flaunting your love—isn’t that perfect?]

[You even get to travel and vacation on the show’s dime. Super awesome, right?]

Chu Xi cringed at the saccharine tone. There was no way she believed Fu Bai would willingly sign her up for such a show under normal circumstances. The mastermind behind this was obvious. No wonder Gu Mingjing had been so composed lately, not even hinting that he missed her. He’d been setting her up all along.

Chu Xi: [Did Gu Mingjing threaten to turn the studio into a pig farm again?]

Fu Bai: [Huh? What? President Gu didn’t threaten me at all! Though, pork prices are rising these days, so turning the studio into a farm might not be a bad idea…]

Chu Xi: [……………………]

What a business genius.