Chapter 7: Trouble is Brewing

[Hahaha, this is killing me! Jiang Mi’s comebacks are top-notch.]

[I’ve just witnessed the legendary “treating others as they treat you” in action.]

[I knew Jiang Mi would say something like that—so funny!]

[It’s strange—Jiang Mi used to be so sharp-tongued, and it was really annoying, but now she’s got this arrogant vibe that’s kind of likable!]

“Oh dear, don’t waste any more recording time,” Jiang Mi shot back at Shen Mingxuan, word for word.

Shen Mingxuan’s face darkened instantly, and he angrily shouted, “Jiang Mi, you’d better stop!”

“Please, I hadn’t even said a word when someone pointed at my nose and started scolding me. Who exactly needs to stop?”

Shen Mingxuan was so furious that his face turned pale, unable to find words to respond.

Chen Wanru’s face turned red with frustration, wanting to retort but not knowing how.

Jiang Mi let out a cold laugh, about to continue her attack, when she suddenly noticed the tall, stern figure of Gu Chuan at the door.

The cold and sharp look in her eyes softened with a touch of laughter.

The woman, dressed elegantly in a red gown, darted toward the man like a swift swallow.

“Brother Gu, look…” She clung to his arm, her delicate fingers pointing at Chen Wanru as she coquettishly complained, “She bullied me. No, they all did—they all bullied me.”

The onlookers: “…”

Who was bullying whom, exactly?

Chen Wanru, Shen Mingxuan, and Bai Ruoruo together couldn’t even manage to fight back against Jiang Mi!

But when they looked at the two people intimately leaning against each other, they suddenly felt that nothing else mattered. These two looked so damn good together! The height difference alone was something to swoon over!

Jiang Mi clung to Gu Chuan tightly.

Through the thin layer of fabric, their body temperatures seemed to meld together.

Gu Chuan’s muscles were taut, his face growing colder, as he stared at the group with icy, intimidating eyes that demanded submission.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the director finally stepped in to smooth things over.

“Ahem, the last guest has arrived. Next, we will…”

“Apologize.”

Those two simple words hit like a boulder smashing into a lake, sending waves crashing everywhere.

[Holy crap, those who said Mimi was clingy, come out and apologize. This is clearly mutual!]

[Even if it seemed forced, that whole hero-saving-the-damsel act was insanely swoon-worthy!]

[I don’t care; these two are the real deal!]

Bai Ruoruo’s eyes reddened as she looked at Gu Chuan, softly calling out, “Brother Gu.”

Gu Chuan’s expression didn’t change a bit.

Bai Ruoruo’s eyes reddened further, clutching the hem of her clothes as she looked at Gu Chuan with teary, pitiful eyes.

Jiang Mi raised an eyebrow, “Comrade Bai Ruoruo, have you fluttered your eyes enough?”

“I didn’t,” Bai Ruoruo bit her lip, silently frustrated. Why wasn’t Gu Chuan like other men? Why didn’t he feel sorry for her when she cried?

“Whether you did or didn’t, hurry up and apologize. Everyone’s waiting.” Jiang Mi was unapologetically ruthless when bullying the heroine.

Bai Ruoruo glanced around, realizing that no one was speaking up for her.

Even Shen Mingxuan, after Jiang Mi mentioned her flirtatious behavior, lost the urge to defend her.

Wiping her tears, Bai Ruoruo whimpered, “Mimi, it’s all my fault. I just wanted to help you get more screen time, but I didn’t expect… boohoo, I’m so sorry.”

Jiang Mi sneered, “Miss Bai Ruoruo, if you’re going to apologize, do it properly. Don’t cry about it. I didn’t cry when I was dragged into online hate because of you, so why are you crying? Are you trying to win sympathy?”

Bai Ruoruo’s face turned pale, “I’m not.”

“The way you’re sniveling makes it look like I’m bullying you. Why don’t I apologize to you instead? Will that stop your tears?”

[Hahaha, Jiang Mi is incredible—so cocky, so shameless!]

[This is hilarious! Celebrity catfights are too much fun!]

[No! Only Jiang Mi! Other female celebrities might be shady, but none of them dare to fight so openly!]

Bai Ruoruo was at a loss whether to cry or not, lowering her head with eyes full of hatred.

In the end, Shen Mingxuan couldn’t bear to see Bai Ruoruo suffer and harshly scolded, “Jiang Mi, that’s enough!”

Jiang Mi instantly turned pitiful, acting coy as she said, “Brother Gu, he’s being mean to me. Won’t you hit him for me?”

Gu Chuan: “…”

Shen Mingxuan: “…”

The director, finally unable to take it anymore, stepped in.

“Ahem, now that all the guests are here, let’s introduce ourselves and get to know each other. At the same time, the voting link will open. The winner will have absolute control over the next phase.”

[This “absolute control” sounds intriguing!]

[I heard this season of the show is going all out, like borderline getting taken down! I’m excited!]

Bai Ruoruo collected herself and thoughtfully asked, “But Director, we have non-celebrities here. Won’t the voting be unfair?”

The director smiled mysteriously, “Celebrities do have an inherent advantage, but in the end, it comes down to talent and personality. Besides, love is never fair.”

The self-introduction rule: Introduce yourself with a talent that highlights your profession, skills, or hobbies—any type is acceptable.

Jiang Mi lazily lifted her eyelids. In the original storyline, this segment was designed to spotlight the heroine. The other guests’ introductions were pretty standard—singing, giving speeches, and so on. Only the heroine made a stunning impression by performing a breathtaking dance, earning her the victory.

“You have two minutes to prepare!”

Everyone started quietly discussing among themselves.

The system, Bunbun, began chattering away, lecturing Jiang Mi.

[Mimi, you were too mean to the heroine. That’s not right.]

Jiang Mi started to coax it, “I wasn’t bullying her, I was helping her.”

[You’re lying. I saw you make her cry—it was so pitiful!]

“Tears are the stepping stones to success. The heroine is supposed to reach the top of the entertainment industry. On her way to the top, she’ll meet many bad people, but if she stays this pure and kind, she’ll only be bullied more harshly in the future.”

“My bullying is just training her, leveling her up so that in the future, she can bully the bad guys instead of being bullied by them.”

[That… that actually makes sense.]

“Bunbun, as villainous side characters, we’re not just tools—we have blood and soul. Our purpose is to help the heroine grow. Without rain, how can one see a rainbow? No one can succeed without facing challenges!”

Suddenly, the situation seemed much more profound!

Bunbun was filled with enthusiasm, nodding excitedly!

[Mimi, you’re right!]

“Good, now go play.”

[Okay!]

After sending Bunbun off, it was time for the self-introductions to begin.

Unexpectedly, the heroine didn’t go last but seized the opportunity to go first.

Could her small butterfly effect have such a big impact?

Bai Ruoruo had somehow already changed into a long dress with flowing sleeves, looking as delicate and graceful as a jade beauty.

“Hello everyone, I’m Bai Ruoruo. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m always a bit clumsy and don’t have any special talents, so I’ll just perform a simple dance for everyone.”

Everyone politely clapped for her.

As the melodious sound of a guqin filled the air, Bai Ruoruo gracefully began her dance.

From Jiang Mi’s professional-level perspective on classical dance, Bai Ruoruo’s performance was perfect—her posture, her expression, everything was spot on. She truly deserved to be the heroine.

But perhaps because of the earlier confrontation, most people hadn’t yet fully adjusted, so the reaction to the heroine’s dance wasn’t as enthusiastic as expected.

Bai Ruoruo noticed this too, and as she left the stage, she looked aggrieved, which naturally led to Shen Mingxuan comforting her.

“Ruoruo, I’ll play a song on the violin for you. Don’t be sad.”

“Brother Xuan, you’re so sweet.”

Shen Mingxuan, being an actor, always maintained a high-class image.

His prepared performance was also quite sophisticated—playing the violin.

The male lead came from a prestigious family, and had been learning the violin since childhood. His skill was very high, enough to pull off an elegant performance without any mistakes.

But the problem was, the violin is best suited for solemn concert halls or luxurious Western restaurants.

Yet here they were, in a rural suburban area, surrounded by green grass, crammed with cameras and crew members, all cluttered and noisy.

Not far off in a corner, there were even domestic animals…

The scene was a bit out of place, but given Shen Mingxuan’s status, everyone still gave a round of enthusiastic applause.

Bai Ruoruo, seemingly to deliberately provoke Jiang Mi, began praising Shen Mingxuan extensively. This led Shen Mingxuan to walk over and ruffle her hair, the two of them practically oozing sweetness.

Jiang Mi felt nothing in her heart, just four simple words: Respect, Blessings.

It was as if Bai Ruoruo was worried Jiang Mi hadn’t noticed their lovey-dovey moment, so she intentionally called out, “Mimi, what do you think of Mingxuan’s violin performance?”

Just at that moment, the system, Bunbun, issued a task.

[Mimi, passionately praise the male lead!]

Jiang Mi: “???” Things are getting interesting!