Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 11

“Hiss!”

The violent collision made Chu Xiyue clutch her chest and stumble back, gasping for breath.

Immediately afterward, the faint, cool scent of mint drifted through the air. Without even looking, Chu Xiyue knew who she had bumped into. Her ears burned as she quickly withdrew from the lingering warmth of the contact.

Su Yan also came to a graceful stop at the same moment.

The collision had been rather awkward. Chu Xiyue’s chest still throbbed faintly from the impact—the sudden force against her sensitive skin had been far from pleasant. In contrast, Su Yan remained composed, as if she had anticipated Chu Xiyue’s hasty pursuit and deliberately waited here, maintaining her elegant posture.

“What’s your problem?”

Miss Chu’s temper flared despite her embarrassment. Though she refrained from rubbing the sore spot in front of Su Yan, her tone sharpened, like a hissing cat. Her gaze swept quickly over Su Yan, devoid of any ulterior motive—just a cursory glance. She couldn’t help but grumble inwardly:

Is this person made of iron? We’re about the same size, so why does it hurt so much when I bump into her?

Su Yan, however, replied with a non sequitur:

“Chu Xiyue, do you want to go to the haunted house?”

At her mention, Chu Xiyue looked around and noticed a building with a chillingly eerie architectural style nearby. The street’s layout was deliberately narrow, with artificial rock formations concealing pale skulls and ghostly hands in the crevices. The shaded path leading to the main entrance was covered by a ceiling designed to resemble a spiderweb, its details remarkably lifelike.

Chu Xiyue feared nothing—except ghosts. This stemmed from an incident in her childhood when she got lost while visiting the countryside with her family. She spent two hours alone in a small forest, crying until her voice went hoarse.

She still remembered the kind young woman who had spoken to her earlier that day. When the woman realized she was missing, she alerted the adults, who quickly found her. Seeing the child’s distress, her parents immediately took her home, where she remained indoors for a long time afterward.

While it wasn’t quite a childhood trauma, Chu Xiyue had grown up safe, sound, and healthy. Yet she still instinctively disliked dark, eerie places like haunted houses.

“So, Miss Su, you brought me over here just for this?”

Chu Xiyue felt she understood Su Yan less and less. A strange intuition flickered in her mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. As for admitting defeat, she absolutely refused.

Su Yan readily denied it:

“No, it’s purely for the sake of the show.”

Chu Xiyue scoffed inwardly, thinking she didn’t believe a word Su Yan said. But then, those gemstone-like eyes suddenly met her gaze. Unlike the panicked look from the roller coaster, Su Yan’s gaze instantly softened, like sunlight melting into flowing honey, involuntarily setting off fireworks in Chu Xiyue’s mind.

Su Yan’s melodious voice, rich with texture, murmured in her ear:

“I was teasing you just now, Chu Xiyue. Don’t you think you’re—”

So cute.

The words nearly slipped out.

But the camera crew quickly caught up, and their private moment lasted only about thirty seconds. Seeing Chu Xiyue listening so intently, Su Yan couldn’t resist. She curled her slender fingers and lightly tapped Chu Xiyue’s forehead, then casually smoothed the stray strands of hair at her temples, tucking the small mirror she carried into Chu Xiyue’s hand.

When the cameras reappeared, the live stream’s viewership numbers were skyrocketing.

What could have happened during those few seconds when the camera lost them that we’re not allowed to see?!

Xiao Chu’s hair is a mess, her clothes look rumpled, and her face is flushed. What’s going on?

Seriously, don’t you guys get the feeling these two are getting weirder and weirder?

Tsk tsk tsk, they ditched the camera just for a brief moment alone. Playing it too cool, huh?

As if anticipating the Bullet Screen’s frenzy, Su Yan smoothed her slightly disheveled hair from their recent sprint, restoring her usual meticulous composure before approaching the camera. She flashed a radiant smile, then, before the viewers could react, swiftly raised her hand to block the lens.

The two cameramen each raised an arm to block her, while Chu Xiyue quickly checked her reflection in the small mirror and tidied her appearance.

The Bullet Screen erupted in a chorus of lamentations.

You’ve only been around Chuchu for a short time, and you’ve already picked up her bad habits!

Are they actually wives?! Aaaaaah!

Help! Before Su Yan joined this reality show, I had my doubts. Now I’m starting to think Teacher Su is the real hidden pervert!

So possessive she won’t even let the audience watch! She stormed off in a huff! doge

The camera remained blocked for only a brief moment. Chu Xiyue quickly composed herself, and Su Yan calmly lowered her hand, acting as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, let’s go eat.”

The production team spared no expense, renting out the entire amusement park and keeping all its restaurants open. Chu Xiyue and Su Yan headed to the nearest one and ordered black truffle beef noodles, scallion-grilled fish, and a milkshake each.

The milkshakes were served in magical-looking bottles, their pinkish-purple hues swirling through the creamy white liquid, with tiny bubbles rising slowly like a dream. The generous portions of black truffle and tender beef strips draped over the noodles were enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Chu Xiyue proactively grabbed a pair of serving chopsticks and arranged the dishes, deliberately avoiding the cameras to give the cameramen instructions. She asked them to adjust their shots, leave their cameras in place, and grab some food themselves, completely dispelling the rumors of her arrogance.

Perhaps she did have some arrogance, but she never directed it at the hardworking staff.

Chu Xiyue naturally exuded the refined air of someone raised in a wealthy family. This wasn’t manifested as arrogance, but rather in her graceful demeanor, sunny disposition, and genuine warmth. She had a touch of temper, but no malice, and retained a childlike innocence that made her particularly fun to tease.

Su Yan wasn’t usually talkative, but Chu Xiyue always felt an irresistible urge to engage her. Now that Miss Chu was likely hungry, she had also quieted down. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the grain of the wooden table in the treehouse and casting a warm glow on the young woman sitting opposite her. The light gilded her raven hair, accentuating her striking beauty with a fiery intensity.

The newly crowned Pear Orchid Award-winning Best Actress wasn’t just exceptionally vivid on screen; she also possessed remarkably nimble hands. With effortless coordination using chopsticks and a toothpick, she deftly removed fish bones while barely disturbing the original presentation.

Su Yan neatly stacked the bone plates to the side. Chu Xiyue had initially wanted to refuse the offered food, but the sight of the glistening white fish meat, saturated in savory broth, proved too tempting. Her pride crumbled before the irresistible aroma.

It’s just business, after all… she reasoned. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Might as well enjoy it.

If all else fails, I’ll return the favor and peel shrimp for Su Yan next time!

After a period of internal conflict, Miss Chu began to eat with increasing peace of mind, savoring every bite. In contrast, Su Yan’s dining etiquette remained consistently elegant.

Chu Xiyue preferred to eat slowly and deliberately, stretching the meal to over half an hour. Su Yan had finished long ago but deliberately slowed her pace to match Chu Xiyue’s. When Chu Xiyue finally set down her chopsticks, satisfied, she noticed a damp tissue being offered to her lips. She paused instinctively, allowing Su Yan to gently wipe the corners of her mouth clean.

So meticulous, she thought.

Not even a trace of makeup had been smudged.

Without realizing it, Chu Xiyue had grown accustomed to such physical contact. When she finally registered it, she offered a hesitant thank you.

“No need to thank me. Shall we go now?” Su Yan replied casually, as if their interaction had been nothing more than a natural, platonic touch.

After all, this legitimate opportunity wouldn’t last forever. It was a case of “once this chance is gone, it’s gone for good.”