Chapter 2: You Hurt Me

On the stairs of a grand mansion, a woman in a white dress with a pure, delicate demeanor was walking backward. She faced her livestream audience, smiling brightly.

“Heartthrob Moments starts its live broadcast at 4 p.m. this afternoon! Be sure to show your support. It’s nine o’clock now, and we’re doing a surprise visit to Mimi’s house. What do you think she’s up to right now?”

The barrage of comments exploded.

[Reality shows are all scripted. Just wait—soon we’ll see a certain brainless big-chested woman striking poses for the camera.]
[Funny how only Jiang Mi gets the surprise livestream treatment. Think about it. Let that sink in.]
[Jiang Mi is so annoying. She can’t sing, can’t dance, and acts like a robot. She’s just throwing her weight around in the industry because of her sugar daddy. Can this rotten apple get out of showbiz already?]
[Our Softie was on set at 7 a.m. today, didn’t even have breakfast, and now the show crew is dragging her to Jiang Mi’s house for this surprise? Just bullying Softie because she doesn’t have connections!]
[Poor Softie. Jiang Mi, leave the industry!]

Suddenly—

[Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!]
[What’s going on?!]

The morning sunlight streamed through the large windows, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.

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

Before him was an elegant and enchanting woman, propping her chin on her hand with a faint smile.

The man carefully slipped a shimmering silver high heel, adorned with a butterfly embellishment, onto her slender, porcelain-white foot. The light reflected off the shoe, scattering dazzling brilliance.

It was gentle, romantic.

Intimate, almost sensual.

[A knight offering his queen her crown.]
[Oh my god, this is straight out of an idol drama!]
[This is too sweet. I’m hooked on this couple already!]
[Ahhh, but why does such a beautiful scene feel so…sensual?]
[You’re not alone. I feel it too—like the next moment, the man might throw the shoe aside and kiss her toes…]

Jiang Mi noticed the group suddenly barging in through the door. Her stunning eyes flickered with surprise, but it was quickly replaced by a brighter, more dazzling smile.

Her fair, long leg lifted slightly, her toes brushing playfully against the man’s palm.

Rough.

Scorching.

The next moment, the man’s hand clamped firmly around her ankle. His voice was low, hoarse, and tinged with restrained anger.

“Miss!”

He raised his sharp, angular chin, his gaze icy and piercing, like a provoked lion brimming with untamed energy. His overpowering aura was enough to make anyone freeze.

Jiang Mi’s toes instinctively curled, and the fiery look in his eyes made her whole body feel hot and weak, like molten lava coursing through her veins.

She licked her dry lips lightly and spoke in a soft, petulant voice, tinged with grievance.

“You hurt me.”

Gu Chuan lowered his gaze. Sure enough, her delicate, pale ankle was red, as if it had been rubbed raw.

But he hadn’t even applied any real pressure—just the light friction of his calloused palm.

She was impossibly fragile.

Gu Chuan exhaled softly, suppressing the irritation bubbling within him. He helped her put on the shoe properly, then stood and retreated a step, resuming the stoic role of a professional bodyguard.

Jiang Mi pouted her rosy lips, letting out a dissatisfied hum.

“You hurt me, and now you’re just going to stay silent? So cold-hearted.”

Gu Chuan cast a frosty glance toward the group at the door, his voice calm but pointed. “The film crew has arrived.”

Jiang Mi turned her gaze to the group, feigning surprise as if only now noticing their presence. She waved at them, smiling sweetly, though her eyes glimmered with a frosty undertone.

“Director, breaking into someone’s house uninvited—how very professional of you.”

Her smile was saccharine, her tone sweet to the point of cloying.

Yet, the director broke out into a nervous sweat, unable to believe the breathtakingly beautiful woman before him.

“Jiang… Jiang Mi? You’re Jiang Mi?!”

[No way! How can someone so stunning be Jiang Mi?!]
[Jiang Mi is supposed to be plain and tacky. How can this gorgeous, sultry beauty be her?!]
[No! I refuse to believe it!]

Jiang Mi glanced at the pure, innocent “white lotus” girl standing beside the director, her brows arching slightly.

The original Jiang Mi was a pampered heiress with a stunning figure and noble bearing. But the female lead had claimed the male lead liked “down-to-earth” and “ordinary” women.

So, the original Jiang Mi had gone to absurd lengths—

She used foundation two shades darker to manually tan her complexion.

She grew thick bangs to hide her striking features.

She swapped her haute couture gowns for loose, shapeless T-shirts and baggy pants to conceal her enviable figure.

With her natural beauty deliberately dulled, she still looked decent compared to the average person. But in an industry filled with dazzling beauties, Jiang Mi appeared woefully inadequate.

Yet, the Jiang family’s immense wealth funneled top-tier resources into her career. The public’s backlash was inevitable.

Scandalous rumors of her relying on sugar daddies ran rampant, and Jiang Mi became the entertainment industry’s most despised figure.

Today, Jiang Mi had just woken up and washed her face. She hadn’t had time to apply her usual “tacky and dark” makeup, leaving her naturally radiant, elegant features fully exposed to the camera.

No makeup.

No filters.

Yet her beauty was effortless, breathtaking, and mesmerizing.

“Hi~ I’m Jiang Mi~” She greeted the audience casually, her tone sweet and carefree.

The comment section went wild.

[Oh my god, I can’t believe this!!!]
[She’s stunning, so fair-skinned, someone save me! She’s practically glowing!]
[She’s in pajamas and makeup-free, yet she’s this gorgeous. What kind of sorcery is this?!]
[What was she thinking hiding this face under thick bangs? Beauties should show off boldly!]
[Danger, danger, danger—my resolve to hate Jiang Mi is crumbling!]

Standing to the side, Bai Ruanruan’s face turned ashen. Her heart twisted with regret. She had deliberately convinced the director to launch this surprise livestream to smear Jiang Mi, not help her stage a comeback!

If she had known this would happen, she would have arrived thirty minutes later. By then, Jiang Mi would have surely “dressed up” into her usual unflattering look.

But even now, all hope wasn’t lost.

Bai Ruanruan’s eyes darted cunningly as she quickly said, “Mimi, isn’t Gu big brother your bodyguard, not your servant? You shouldn’t treat him like a personal errand boy all the time.”

The words were laced with venom, subtly painting Jiang Mi as an overbearing, spoiled capitalist heiress.

The audience, still dazzled by Jiang Mi’s beauty, was suddenly reminded of her infamous “seven deadly sins.” Beauty aside, wasn’t she still a bad person?

However, Jiang Mi’s reaction shattered their expectations.

Her expression turned hurt, her bright eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at Bai Ruanruan, aggrieved and pitiful.

“Ruanruan, how could you think so badly of me? My ankle is sprained, and he was just helping me out.”

“That’s impossible!” Bai Ruanruan blurted out.

“Why not?”

Because, under Bai Ruanruan’s constant provocation, Jiang Mi had always detested Gu Chuan and never let him get close to her. Letting him help her put on shoes now? It had to be an intentional humiliation!

But none of this could be said aloud without revealing her own scheming.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Bai Ruanruan forced herself to look contrite, her voice trembling as she said, “Mimi, I—I said something wrong…”

Jiang Mi, looking even more aggrieved, wiped the corner of her eyes with delicate fingers. Her lips curved into a faint, fragile smile.

“It’s okay, Ruanruan. Just apologize, and I’ll forgive you. After all, we’re besties, right?”

Bai Ruanruan’s carefully maintained expression almost cracked. Jiang Mi seemed like a completely different person—she wasn’t arguing back but playing the victim instead!

Still, the unblinking gaze of the livestream camera left her no choice. She forced a weak, pitiful smile and muttered, “Mimi, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“Mm-hmm, I know. I forgive you.” Jiang Mi’s smile was radiant, sweet as honey.

After all, she had traveled through countless worlds completing tasks and winning Best Actress awards until her hands grew tired. Acting? That was her forte.

Meanwhile, Bai Ruanruan could barely keep her smile from slipping. “Thank you,” she forced out through gritted teeth.