Everyone in the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Flirty Diva [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 81

Gu Mingjing held the weeping Chu Xi in his arms, his gaze icy as he took in her battered appearance, her cheeks swollen and red.

Assistant Gao rarely saw such an expression on Gu Mingjing’s face. Even after working by his side for years, he couldn’t help but shiver in fear.

Seeing that the hostage was safe, the surrounding police officers immediately gave chase.

Chu Xi hadn’t noticed it earlier in her heightened state of tension, but now that she relaxed slightly, she felt a throbbing pain in her head, her cheeks burning, her ears ringing, and her wrists aching from being bound. Her ankles, injured when she jumped down, hurt even more. Perhaps due to the lingering effects of the sedatives, her vision blurred again, and her legs gave way as she fainted in Gu Mingjing’s arms.

Chu Xi remained unconscious. The doctor assured them that her injuries were mostly superficial, but the sedatives used during the kidnapping had a severe neuroparalytic effect, potentially causing irreversible damage to her brain. Coupled with the immense shock she had endured, they would only know the extent of her recovery once she woke up.

When Gu Mingjing heard the words “potentially irreversible damage,” his frown deepened so much it could have crushed a fly.

Assistant Gao arrived at the hospital straight from the police station and nodded to Gu Mingjing. “Mr. Gu, all the perpetrators have been apprehended.”

Gu Mingjing gave a quiet “Mm,” his eyes never leaving the unconscious Chu Xi on the hospital bed. The thought of those responsible darkened his expression further.

“Are the lawyers ready?” Gu Mingjing asked.

Assistant Gao nodded immediately. “They’re top-tier lawyers specializing in such cases. You can rest assured.”

“Good,” Gu Mingjing replied, as if discussing something trivial. His gaze remained fixed on Chu Xi’s face as he gently brushed her forehead.

Assistant Gao took one last look at the pale-faced Miss Chu Xi before quietly exiting the room.

Yuanjing’s legal team specialized in commercial cases, but this was a criminal matter. Gu Mingjing had replaced them with a new team of lawyers, each with a dazzling résumé—lawyers who could turn black into white and life into death in the courtroom.

Most of the culprits had been caught. Shortly after apprehending the two kidnappers, the police followed leads to a rented apartment in the city, where they found Le Shan and another man.

The room was littered with needles, and the two had been high on drugs when the police burst in, barely reacting before being handcuffed.

The driver was also captured.

The kidnappers’ target had been Chu Xi. Assistant Xiao Yan had been tied up and left in a corner of the factory, later rescued by the police.

Le Shan confessed to the crime without hesitation.

The last time, the scandalous love video involving Chu Xi was entirely orchestrated by her. However, Chu Xi managed to clear her name from the dirty accusations of the x-rated video. Not only was she not ruined, but her career soared to new heights after her new drama aired. Perhaps it was the drugs that had completely corroded her mind and spirit, turning extreme jealousy into pure hatred. In the end, Le Shan even conspired with her “gangster” boyfriend to plan a kidnapping.

“If the last video wasn’t you, then this time we’ll make one where you’re the star—and completely destroy you.”

Assistant Gao shuddered at the memory of seeing Le Shan’s haggard appearance in the police station.

Once a beautiful actress, she had now become a shadow of her former self, barely recognizable as human.

She had no one to blame but herself.

The new legal team hired by President Gu was already preparing for action—composed of the most elite lawyers, each one difficult to secure under normal circumstances. Now, assembled as a team, these people would spend the rest of their lives in the darkness of prison.

Hospital: The private ward was exceptionally quiet.

Chu Xi felt as though she had been swimming in darkness for a long time. By the time she found the shore, she was utterly exhausted. With great effort, she managed to open her eyes a sliver, and the first thing she saw was the beige wallpaper.

Her entire body ached as if it had been taken apart and reassembled, and her throat was parched. She stirred slightly and let out a faint murmur.

Gu Mingjing, who had been peeling a snow pear, immediately looked up at the sound and saw Chu Xi staring blankly at the ceiling.

“You’re awake?” His voice was thick with emotion as he set down the pear and knife.

“Mmm.” Chu Xi struggled to sit up, and Gu Mingjing quickly placed a pillow behind her back for support. Once settled, she glanced out the window and realized it was already dark outside.

Still not in the mood to speak, she sat there dazedly. Gu Mingjing leaned in, touching her forehead, his eyes filled with concern at her vacant expression. He called for the doctor.

Not long after waking, Chu Xi was surrounded by a team of doctors and nurses and wheeled away for tests.

By the time she returned, she was sitting on the hospital bed, nibbling on the pear Gu Mingjing had cut into small pieces while listening to him speak.

The TV was on, with the entertainment channel replaying Our Little Cabin—the very episode Chu Xi had guest-starred in.

It was unclear whether she was watching the show or listening to Gu Mingjing, but when he finished speaking, she finally asked, “What do you mean?” Gu Mingjing patiently explained again.

This time, after hearing him out, Chu Xi’s mind was completely occupied by one phrase: “May cause irreversible damage to brain neurons.” She even forgot to swallow the piece of pear in her mouth.

No wonder… no wonder most of the tests earlier had focused on her head. She stared blankly at Gu Mingjing. “Does that mean… I might become stupid?”

Gu Mingjing tried to reassure her with his gaze. “We still need further observation, but these are rare cases. Most people recover without issues.”

Chu Xi didn’t register his last words, her mind entirely consumed by the terrifying thought: “My brain is damaged. I’m going to be stupid.”

Her phone had been retrieved by the police and placed by the bedside. Chu Xi immediately picked it up and took a mock driving test for Subject One.

She got eleven wrong, scoring eighty-nine.

Before the kidnapping, she could score ninety-eight, but now it was only eighty-nine.

Clearly, her IQ had taken a hit.

Staring at that glaring “89,” Chu Xi was instantly plunged into despair.

She buried her fingers in her hair, muttering, “What should I do? What should I do? Wuwuwu…”

Gu Mingjing immediately regretted telling her those things. “Nonsense,” he said. “You just woke up. Of course, your score isn’t ideal when you take the test right away. None of that other stuff is true—those are probably one-in-a-million possibilities.”

Chu Xi kept her head down, seething with hatred for her kidnappers. Just thinking about that day made her heart uneasy, her whole body restless. Gu Mingjing sat by the bed, gently stroking her back.

Chu Xi wrapped her arms around Gu Mingjing’s waist, burying her face in his chest. The pleasant scent of him filled her nose, and she felt the steady, strong beat of his heart. Finally, she calmed down.

Sniffling, she asked in a muffled voice, “If I really become stupid later, will you still like me?”

Gu Mingjing chuckled. “No matter how stupid, I’ll still like you.”

Chu Xi smacked his chest in frustration. “You should say I won’t become stupid at all! What do you mean, ‘no matter how stupid’?!”

Gu Mingjing held her small fist, letting her vent.

Chu Xi huffed twice, pouting. Women sometimes loved being petty. She pressed on, “Then what if I become ugly? Will you still like me?”

Instead of answering directly, Gu Mingjing softly countered, “What if I go bankrupt? Left with nothing.”
“What does bankruptcy matter?” Chu Xi mumbled, quoting a classic movie line: “I’ll take care of you!”

Gu Mingjing smiled. “How?”

Chu Xi hadn’t expected him to be so nitpicky. Glancing at the TV, the program happened to show her driving a stylish motorized tricycle down a country road, hauling corn with flair.

Pointing at the screen, she declared, “I’ll take care of you by driving a tricycle! I might not have my license yet, but I’m great at driving tricycles. I promise I can support you!”

Gu Mingjing was both amused and touched. He lifted Chu Xi’s chin, gazing at her beautiful face, her delicate features. He answered her earlier question: “In my eyes, you’ll always be the most beautiful version of yourself.”

“Too cheesy, too cheesy!”

Chu Xi shuddered at the corniness, but before she could tease him, his warm lips covered hers. He kissed her carefully, even more cheesily.

News of Chu Xi’s kidnapping had trended online, causing an uproar. But while the internet was in chaos, Chu Xi had been unconscious. By the time she woke up, the hashtags had shifted to “#StayStrongChuXi” and “#PrayForChuXi.”

Her fans, the “Brick Squad,” had been terrified out of their wits upon hearing about the kidnapping. When they learned she’d been rescued and hospitalized, they cried their eyes out every day.

[Our Xi Bao must be okay, wuwuwu…]

Knowing that Chu Xi only had her elderly grandmother at home and that Gu Mingjing was her sole support, the usually critical Brick Squad softened their stance toward him.

[President Gu, please take good care of our Xi Bao!]

[We beg you, President Gu, wuwuwu…]

[Why does our Xi Bao, such a delicate girl, have to go through this? Wuwuwu… The bad guys deserve to die!]

Chu Xi woke up and immediately posted a Weibo update after seeing her fans’ concern: “Just minor injuries, I’m fine.”

The post quickly trended, and though the specifics were unclear, everyone felt slightly relieved.

A few days later, the police released details about the extremely heinous kidnapping case.

People were stunned by the report: “The victim, Chu Xi, freed herself from the ropes, slid down from the third floor to escape, and encountered the arriving police during her escape, diverting their attention…”

Wait, wasn’t this the exact scenario from Brave Heart before? Back then, it was for a show—but this time, it was real kidnappers.

Far from being a damsel in distress, what a brave and determined girl she must have been to recall her past experience and escape on her own in such a situation.

Everyone was amazed, moved, and heartbroken, their eyes welling up in the end. “Xi Bao, mommy loves you!”

Chu Xi rested for over a month, during which she took and passed her driving theory test with a score of 99—much better than her previous practice score of 89.

Gu Mingjing kept Chu Xi under tight protection every day, while Fu Bai hesitated over the stack of invitations piling up in his hands. He wasn’t sure when Chu Xi would resume work.

Fu Bai sent her a WeChat message to ask.

Gu Mingjing also saw Fu Bai’s question on Chu Xi’s phone and said, “No rush. Rest a while longer.”

Chu Xi bit her lip.

Back when she was filming Blood of the Mountains and Rivers on the campus of Haicheng University, a seed had been planted in her heart. After the kidnapping, during her recovery, that seed seemed to have sprouted, itching unbearably.

Chu Xi took a deep breath and said, “Gu Mingjing.”

Gu Mingjing: “What is it?”

Chu Xi lowered her head. “I want to go to university.”