Chapter 2: You Hurt Me

At the staircase.

A woman in a white long dress, pure and beautiful, was climbing the stairs backward while introducing herself to the live-streaming camera in front of her.

“The live broadcast of Heartbeats at Ten starts at 4 PM. Please give us your full support. It’s now 9 AM, and we’ve come to Mimi’s house for a surprise live stream. Can you all guess what she’s doing right now?”

[Reality shows always have a script. Who knows, maybe we’ll soon see a certain brainless woman posing and flaunting herself in front of the camera.]

[Heh, only Jiang Mi gets a surprise live stream. Think about that for a moment.]

[Jiang Mi is so annoying. She sings off-key, can’t dance, and acts with wide eyes. She abuses her power in the industry because of her backer. Can this piece of trash just get out of the entertainment industry?]

[My darling Softie arrived at the filming location at 7 AM and didn’t even have time for breakfast before she had to follow the crew to Jiang Mi’s house for a surprise stream. Are they bullying her because she doesn’t have connections?]

[Poor Softie! Jiang Mi, get out of the entertainment industry!]

[WTF, WTF, WTF!!!]

[What is happening???]

Morning light streamed through the windows, casting a soft, golden glow over the entire room.

A tall, cold man, dressed in a black suit, was kneeling on one knee.

An elegant, seductive woman sat there, propping up her chin with a smile.

He gently slipped a silver butterfly high heel onto her delicate, white foot. The morning light reflected off it, creating a dazzling brilliance.

Tender, romantic.

Intimate, lingering.

[A knight presents his queen with her crown.]

[OMG, this looks like a classic scene from an idol drama!]

[This is so sweet, I’m definitely following this romance show!]

[Ahhh, it’s a beautiful scene, but why does it feel so sensual?]

[You’re not alone. I also feel like it’s so steamy, like the next moment the man will throw away the shoe and start kissing her toes…]

Jiang Mi noticed the sudden intrusion of the crowd, a flash of surprise in her pretty eyes, followed by a brighter, more sparkling smile.

Her fair, long leg lifted slightly.

Her toes lightly brushed against the man’s palm.

Rough.

Scorching.

In the next moment, the man grasped her ankle, his voice low and tinged with anger. “Miss!”

He raised his chin, his sharp eyes cold and hard, like an enraged lion, his aura so powerful it was terrifying, wild, and untamed.

Jiang Mi’s toes unconsciously curled, and it felt like her whole body was heating up under his gaze, soft and powerless.

She lightly licked her dry lips.

Her voice was pitifully soft and sweet.

“You hurt me.”

Gu Chuan lowered his gaze, and sure enough, her delicate, white ankle was reddened from the rough handling.

But he hadn’t used much force—it was just a few slight rubs from the calluses on his palm.

How fragile.

Gu Chuan exhaled lightly, suppressing the fire surging within him, and carefully put on her shoe. He then stood up, stepped back, and resumed his role as a dutiful bodyguard.

Jiang Mi pouted her red lips and let out a dissatisfied hum. “You hurt it, and now you’re not even going to say anything? So cold.”

Gu Chuan glanced coldly at the group standing at the door, reminding them, “The filming crew has arrived.”

Jiang Mi acted as if she had just noticed the group at the door, waving and smiling at them, though her eyes were icy. “Director, are you aware this is trespassing?”

Despite the sweet smile on Jiang Mi’s face and the sugary tone of her voice, the director broke into a cold sweat, looking in disbelief at the stunningly beautiful woman in front of him.

“J-J-Jiang Mi, are you Jiang Mi?!”

[How could someone this beautiful be Jiang Mi?!]

[Jiang Mi is supposed to be tacky and ugly! How could this gorgeous, seductive woman possibly be her?!]

[No, I don’t believe it!!!]

Jiang Mi raised an eyebrow as she looked at the innocent-looking woman standing next to the director.

The original Jiang Mi was a wealthy heiress, exuding an aura of nobility, boldness, and beauty. However, the female lead had claimed that the male lead preferred simple, down-to-earth people.

So, the original Jiang Mi insisted on using foundation two shades darker, manually tanning her skin.

She kept thick bangs that covered her stunning and regal features.

She abandoned haute couture dresses, opting instead for loose white T-shirts and wide-legged pants that hid her impressive figure.

Despite her natural beauty, the original Jiang Mi’s deliberate downgrading, though still passable among ordinary people, made her look terrible in the entertainment industry filled with beauties!

Yet, the Jiang family was wealthy and powerful, constantly showering her with top-tier resources, which triggered a backlash among the public.

Rumors about her relying on sugar daddies became rampant, turning Jiang Mi into a despised figure in the entertainment circle!

But today, Jiang Mi had just gotten up and washed her face, not yet applying her usual “ugly” makeup, leaving her striking and sophisticated features exposed to the camera.

No makeup.

Her beauty was pure and natural.

Stunning everyone.

“Hi~ I’m Jiang Mi~”

[Oh my God, I can’t believe it!!!]

[She’s so beautiful, so fair-skinned, help, she’s literally glowing!]

[Wearing pajamas and no makeup, yet still this gorgeous, what kind of enchantress is she?!]

[Why on earth did she ever think of covering her face with thick bangs? A beauty like her should show off her features openly!!!]

[Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous—my heart, which used to hate Jiang Mi, is starting to waver!]

Bai Ruoruo’s face turned ashen, filled with regret. She had deliberately urged the director to start the surprise live stream to slander Jiang Mi, not to clear her name!

If she had known, she would have waited another half hour to bring the crew over—by then, Jiang Mi would have “dressed up!”

But even now, there was still a way.

Bai Ruoruo’s eyes darted around before she spoke up, “Mimi, Brother Gu is your bodyguard, not your servant. You shouldn’t be bossing him around like a servant all the time, okay?”

With just one sentence, she highlighted the ugly, domineering nature of Jiang Mi, the capitalist heiress.

Everyone, who had just been mesmerized by Jiang Mi’s beauty, suddenly remembered her seven deadly sins. No matter how beautiful she was, with such a bad heart, she couldn’t be a good person!

But the next moment, Jiang Mi looked at Bai Ruoruo with a hurt expression, her eyes glistening with tears, pitiful and fragile.

“Ruoruo, how could you think of me like that? I sprained my ankle, and he was just helping me.”

“Impossible!” Bai Ruoruo blurted out.

“Why not?”

Because under Bai Ruoruo’s instigation, Jiang Mi had always hated Gu Chuan, never letting him get close to her. Now that she allowed him to put on her shoes, it was clearly an intentional humiliation!

But she couldn’t say any of this, or it would expose her!

Bai Ruoruo clenched her teeth in frustration, her voice trembling with tears, “Mimi, I, I misspoke…”

Jiang Mi, looking even more aggrieved, wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “Ruoruo, it’s okay. Just apologize, and I’ll forgive you. After all, we’re best friends.”

Bai Ruoruo nearly lost her composure. What had happened to Jiang Mi? She used to fight back, but now she was pretending to be pitiful!

But when she glanced up at the live camera, Bai Ruoruo had no choice but to squeeze out a pitiful smile, “Mimi, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

“Mhm, I know, I forgive you.” Jiang Mi smiled sweetly. She had traversed through thousands of worlds doing tasks, winning numerous Best Actress awards. When it came to acting, she was a professional.

Bai Ruoruo couldn’t keep smiling. “Thank you.”