Romance Allergy [Book Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Was this the legendary “hero saves the beauty” scenario?

Dou Anyao carefully looked up, but she only caught a whiff of a faint, cold fragrance and saw a well-defined jawline and neck, along with two nostrils pointed directly at her.

This is what it feels like to be protected!

Being held halfway in someone’s arms for the first time, Dou Anyao’s heart couldn’t help but leap with a bit of joy.

Who was she?

The scent on her body was wonderful, like an invisible barrier cutting off the smell of sweat from the crowded mob.

“Um… this is the gold-medal manager of Huaqiu Entertainment, Qiu Shili, the woman you said yesterday you would only have a simple manager-artist relationship with from now on.” The voice of the Uphold Purity System was always so timely.

Dou Anyao: “…”

At that moment, her heart was very calm, very peaceful. Yes, she felt absolutely nothing at all.

It wasn’t until they passed through security and the fans were blocked off that the group was finally liberated.

Before Qiu Shili could even make a move, Dou Anyao had already catapulted herself two meters away as if she had been pricked by a hedgehog.

Qiu Shili, feeling the sudden loss of warmth beside her: “?”

Was that “spring-loaded” girl really the same Dou Anyao who used to rub against her like a cat in heat whenever she got the chance?

Gao Xiaoshu was very good at reading the room. Having been by Dou Anyao’s side for so long, she naturally knew the nature of their relationship. Seeing the stiff atmosphere, she quickly spoke up to break the silence. “Sister Shili, are you coming to Hong Kong with us too?”

She hadn’t heard any news about Qiu Shili taggging along.

Qiu Shili managed many artists. Aside from Dou Anyao, she had an award-winning Best Actress, a Best Actor, and several popular “Traffic Flowers.”

Logically, for an event like Dou Anyao’s variety show filming where she wasn’t strictly needed, a busy manager wouldn’t follow along.

“Yes. It just so happens I have some business to handle over there.”

Qiu Shili brushed off her suit, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and replied in a cold, aloof tone.

Then, with her red lips slightly pursed, she stared straight ahead, not granting the slender figure beside her even half a glance.

Over there, Dou Anyao, who had secretly stolen several glances at her, was talking to the System in her head. “What do I do, what do I do? Why is she here? What does she want? Is she here to settle the score? System, I’m so scared, boohoo.”

Looking at Dou Anyao, who was practically shrinking into a ball of cowardice, the System’s mechanical voice carried a hint of disdain. “Steady yourself. What are you afraid of? Everyone is an adult.” It’s not like you’re going to start a fistfight.

Dou Anyao bit her lower lip. “But, you didn’t tell me she herself was so…”

Hard to resist.

Thinking this, Dou Anyao stole another glance at Qiu Shili.

She had black hair that nearly reached her shoulders, smooth and lustrous. Her eyes were dark, her gaze peaceful yet cold, and her rose-colored lips were as beautiful as a flower.

Her back was straight, her exposed collarbones were sharp and defined, and even the folds of her sleeves were perfectly neat. She carried an air of steady composure that made her stand out even in a crowd.

This wasn’t just a manager; this was a “dream girl.”

System: “…”

Calculated as it was, the System hadn’t expected the Host to be such a sucker for a pretty face.

The System could only emphasize coldly, “Host, while money is precious and love is dearer, if it’s for the sake of your life, both should be cast aside. Don’t overthink it. Show the spirit of someone who has been single for years!”

The spirit of being single?

Dou Anyao took a breath and told herself the System was right. In the face of survival, everything else was a minor detail.

After boarding the plane, Dou Anyao had just sat down in the window seat of first class when another figure occupied the seat next to her.

Dou Anyao immediately leaned past Qiu Shili and looked toward Gao Xiaoshu and the bodyguard, Brother Wang, on the other side of the aisle. She raised her hand. “Brother Wang, let’s swap seats. I have something to discuss with Sister Xiaoshu.”

Yes, that was right. She wasn’t intentionally avoiding Qiu Shili; she really had things to discuss with Gao Xiaoshu—like matters concerning the variety show filming.

As soon as she finished speaking, Qiu Shili, who had just pulled out a file folder, let out an almost inaudible scoff. It was so light it seemed like a figment of Dou Anyao’s imagination.

But Dou Anyao knew it wasn’t.

Dou Anyao turned her head and, for the first time, looked at her directly and openly. Facing that cold and proud face, she asked with deep concern, “Sister Shili, is your nose uncomfortable? Do you have a cold? Do you need a tissue?”

As she spoke, she pulled a packet of tissues from her small bag and handed it over.

With such heartfelt words and such a timely, considerate gesture, Dou Anyao was almost moved to tears by her own thoughtfulness.

As they say, sincerity is always the ultimate move.

Looking down at the hand stretched out in front of her and the green-packaged tissues sitting in the palm, Qiu Shili: “…”

Very well, Dou Anyao. Regardless of what you are trying to do, at this moment, my emotions are indeed fluctuating because of you. Qiu Shili felt that Dou Anyao had succeeded.

Sitting on the other side of Qiu Shili, the bodyguard Wang Zhengjin pretended he knew nothing and kept his head down, focused on a movie.

Qiu Shili appeared very calm as she flipped through the materials in her hand, but no one knew how much of it she actually absorbed.

The distance from Xiangdu to Hong Kong was considerable, taking about two hours by plane. Dou Anyao only talked to Gao Xiaoshu for less than ten minutes before putting on an eye mask to sleep.

When she was woken up by Gao Xiaoshu, she didn’t even have time to look at the scenery out the window before the plane was about to land.

Qiu Shili packed up her documents and spoke. “There will be people taking airport photos of you in a moment. Pay attention to your image.”

Although she didn’t name names, she was undoubtedly speaking to Dou Anyao.

“Understood!”

Dou Anyao responded loudly, adopting the serious attitude of a professional worker. She even had Gao Xiaoshu carefully check her makeup and appearance for any flaws.

Qiu Shili pursed her lips, and her movements as she put the files into her handbag even faltered for a second.

Dou Anyao’s response was so loud that even a distant flight attendant turned to look. Qiu Shili couldn’t resist using her peripheral vision to glance at Dou Anyao.

She saw the girl holding her phone with the front camera on, snapping selfies. Looking at her expression, she seemed quite satisfied with her photos.

“…”

Why does she seem so silly and dorky today? So dorky that it made one want to smack her.

When they exited the station, Dou Anyao realized that Qiu Shili’s mention of “people taking photos” was an understatement.

Looking at the forest of cameras in front of her, Dou Anyao almost thought she was holding a press conference.

“Miss Dou, are you here to film the dating show Heartbeat Above All?” “Miss Dou, what made you decide to join a dating show? I recall you don’t have any troubles in the romance department?” “Miss Dou, are you currently single? If not, how do you dare to film a dating show?” “Miss Dou, given your reputation as a ‘Beauty Harvester,’ do you think any guests will actually choose you?”

The Weibo post Dou Anyao had shared before boarding the plane had successfully exploded across the internet over the past two hours.

After all, the live filming was starting at 3:00 PM today. While the production team hadn’t officially announced the guests, that didn’t mean there was no promotion. Having the guests post on Weibo at a specific time, hinting at their participation, was one such promotional tactic.

This “surprise-style” announcement generated much more hype than a standard official lineup reveal.

Especially for Dou Anyao; as soon as she posted, she went straight to the trending searches with a “New” tag. Within two hours, the tag changed from “Hot” to “Bursting.”

Netizens stopped working, skipped lunch, and gave up on naps.

“WTF? Dou Anyao is going on a dating show? How is that different from letting a wolf into a sheepfold?”

“Damn, the production team knows how to stir trouble. This is intentional, right? A player going on a dating show? Isn’t that just her returning to her nest?”

“Omg, it starts at 3:00 PM today? Everyone, stop working, I’m going home to watch.”

“I just want to know who else is going besides Dou Anyao!”

The original owner had shot to fame in her sophomore year of college with a “voice kissed by an angel.” Later, she won a professional singing competition and debuted.

She not only had a naturally gifted voice but was also a graduate of a prestigious music university with high musical literacy and talent. After several years in the industry, her popularity had only grown.

Standing at 168cm and weighing less than 50kg, she looked thin and tall with a pure face that could lead a tragic youth romance movie, yet her singing was explosive.

Especially when she rapped; she could set the whole stage on fire. Fans joked that her main appeal was the “contrast.” Tickets to her concerts were always hard to get.

Because her singing was truly beautiful, fans continued to love her even more so despite years of rumors linking her to various people.

Fans: “I know she loves a new person every time she sees one, but she raps with that little cherry mouth of hers!”

Of course, the main reason was that over the years, no one had actually come forward to “hammer” the original owner with proof of a messy private life. It was all just rumors.

Fans then became even more confident: “Rumors are just rumors. If she were really a scumbag, why hasn’t anyone come out to curse her?” There was some logic to that.

However, while fans loved her, anti-fans hated her to death. They repeatedly brought up unflattering photos and black materials, regardless of whether they were true, and labeled her a “calculating green tea.”

Dou Anyao, just off the plane, was unaware of the online frenzy. She couldn’t even handle the scene in front of her.

Fortunately, Qiu Shili was there. She would answer a few questions casually to deal with the reporters and ignore the rest. Dou Anyao just had to follow obediently in her footsteps.

The May weather was already turning hot. While it had been sunny in Xiangdu, it was pouring rain in Hong Kong. Despite the rain, the heat remained, and the humidity made it incredibly stifling. With the crowds, the airport air conditioning seemed non-existent.

As they walked, Dou Anyao vaguely felt someone watching her. It was a strange feeling, as if she were being stared down by a debt collector.

She looked around, but everyone was either a fan or a reporter; it seemed everyone was looking at her.

Just as Dou Anyao was wondering about it, Qiu Shili’s pace in front of her suddenly faltered.

Dou Anyao realized a moment too late that she seemed to have stepped on the heel of Qiu Shili’s noble, polished sandal. She didn’t know if she had caught her actual heel as well.

In an instant, Dou Anyao forgot about the staring. Her mind was filled with one thought: I’m doomed. I actually stepped on my boss’s foot and made her lose face. She’s definitely going to give me a hard time now.

Finally reaching the car, Dou Anyao peeked at Qiu Shili. Her face was completely dark. She was slowly and methodically using a tissue to wipe the back of her heel which didn’t even look dirty.

The way she did it made it look like she wasn’t wiping a shoe, but sharpening a knife.

Dou Anyao swallowed. “I’m sorry, Sister Qiu. I didn’t mean to step on you just now.”

The title “Sister Qiu” just slipped out of Dou Anyao’s mouth, perhaps as an attempt to get on her good side.

But those words made Qiu Shili pause.

Sister Qiu…

What the hell kind of title is that?

In the past, she used to shamelessly call her “Qiuqiu” or “Baby.” Are her wings fully grown now?

She could tolerate “Miss Qiu” or “Sister Shili,” but “Sister Qiu”? It sounded like a middle-aged woman selling vegetables at the market.

Dou Anyao didn’t know about the whirlwind of thoughts in Qiu Shili’s head. She felt she had apologized, and Qiu Shili looked like a high-class, broad-minded person who shouldn’t be that petty.

But why did her expression look even worse?

The heart of a gold-medal manager was impossible to guess. Ultimately, she stopped trying to figure it out.

The filming started at 3:00 PM, and since it was still early, the group went to a hotel near the filming location to rest, eat, and touch up their makeup.

Hong Kong was a highly developed city, and in recent years, it had become a famous tourist destination for its seascapes. Consequently, the hotel facilities were excellent.

Even though she was hard to read, Qiu Shili was generous. She booked a suite for Dou Anyao in a five-star hotel and arranged rooms for the assistant and the bodyguard. It was pure luxury.

Once filming began, Dou Anyao would live in the house arranged by the production team, while Gao Xiaoshu and Brother Wang would stay at the hotel in case, she needed anything.

However, looking at Qiu Shili following her with a bag, Dou Anyao asked, “Is there anything else, Sister Shili?”

Qiu Shili looked up at her expressionlessly. “Nothing.”

Then, she took the lead, swiped the room card to open the suite door, and walked in on her low heels, leaving a bewildered Dou Anyao holding her own room card, staring blankly at the open door.

Dou Anyao looked at the number on her card and then at the room number.

Wait. Was the manager supposed to stay in the same suite as the artist?

She didn’t believe it!

Just as Dou Anyao was considering whether to go and swap rooms with Gao Xiaoshu, a voice sounded from behind her.

“Sister?”

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