Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 24

Chu Xiyue easily found Su Yan’s plaster doll.

The doll’s creator was clearly skilled, capturing even Su Yan’s expression with lifelike accuracy. Though designed in a chibi style, it perfectly conveyed the woman’s commanding and alluring presence. Each doll was unique; Chu Xiyue even glanced at her own, which, like the others, was based on a promotional photo and bore a striking resemblance to her, evoking an immediate sense of affection.

Clean condiment trays were arranged on the table, each accompanied by a fine-bristled brush, awaiting the participants’ readiness.

Before they began, Lu Rujin rubbed her hands together in anticipation, while Zhao Fei looked troubled.

“What am I going to do? I’m so clumsy with my hands. I should have learned some crafting skills from Youyou earlier.”

Youyou was a host on their TV station’s children’s channel, practically a master of handicrafts.

Meng Qin, who had been slightly embarrassed during the earlier card-flipping game, had recovered her composure. Glancing at the plaster doll, she rallied her spirits and smiled, “I have faith in Teacher Zhao’s skills. The dolls are already molded, so it can’t turn out too badly.”

Half an hour later, Meng Qin stared at the vividly colored, gaudily painted doll in Zhao Fei’s hand, and she couldn’t bring herself to repeat her earlier words. Watching Zhao Fei earnestly coloring the doll’s dress—”her” dress—her hand trembled, nearly smearing the paint beyond the lines.

While the others weren’t exactly master artisans, none were as earnestly terrible as Zhao Fei. Yet he remained completely absorbed in trying to do well, meticulously dipping his brush and applying the paint, oblivious to everyone around him.

Lu Rujin nearly collapsed with laughter. After a moment, she whispered to Yao Tian beside her, “Teacher Zhao’s painting looks like it could ward off evil spirits, right?”

Yao Tian quickly nudged her with her elbow, signaling Lu Rujin to watch her words—the cameras were still rolling.

Chu Xiyue had initially shared Meng Qin’s assumption that painting the dolls would be simple. She soon realized how wrong she was. Accidentally painting outside the lines was impossible to fix, and unlike digital art, there was no undo button or color-picker tool. Every mistake was permanent.

After two blunders, she was in a frantic mess, sneaking glances at Su Yan beside her. When she saw Su Yan’s painting was equally mediocre, she finally relaxed.

At least it wasn’t one beautiful and one ugly. That… could be considered even, right?

Only after the final stroke did Chu Xiyue finally breathe a sigh of relief. Then she heard the Director, never one to miss a chance for drama, ask:

“This is your last chance to mingle! After seven whole days together, has anyone figured out who the straight girl is?” The Director, wearing a hat and mask, grinned as she approached the group, holding out a ballot box. “Now, everyone write down the name of the person you think is straight. You only get one guess, and the winner gets a small prize!”

Earlier, when they were painting the plaster dolls, there had been no task—just casual conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. But now, with a one-minute time limit, everyone grew anxious, exchanging conflicted glances.

Chu Xiyue twirled her pen between her fingers, knowing she couldn’t write Su Yan’s name, especially since they might need to collaborate later.

She mentally checked her life value. In just seven short days, it had doubled to three months—a very good return.

Sigh.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Xiyue finally wrote “Lu Rujin” and submitted her ballot.

Many people claim that lesbians possess a “Lesbian Radar,” but for Chu Xiyue, it had proven remarkably unreliable.

This might be due to Miss Chu’s almost entirely blank romantic history from childhood onward.

Raised in the liberal Chu family, she discovered her sexuality early on, realizing she was only attracted to beautiful women. While male celebrities on television might be hailed as divine, to her, they were merely “handsome” at best, failing to spark any genuine interest.

Later, around middle school, she developed a secret crush on her class monitor—a fair-skinned, kind-hearted girl who was universally liked.

Perhaps that crush barely qualified as such, but it solidified Chu Xiyue’s realization that she was indeed drawn to women. Even in her early teens, she kept her distance from those awkward boys. By the time she reached university and entered the entertainment industry, both men and women flocked to her, drawn by her family connections and striking looks.

The only real difference in her treatment of the two genders was her gentler approach toward women. She would offer them polite excuses like, “This isn’t the right time for romance, with my career on the rise.” Men, on the other hand, faced the full force of Miss Chu’s aloof, aristocratic demeanor.

The answer was submitted, and the live broadcast cut off with the Director’s final line. The correct answer would be revealed when the recorded episode aired. Immediately afterward, Chu Xiyue heard the Director call her over to receive her prize:

“Congratulations, Xiao Chu, for getting the answer right! The hidden straight girl this episode was Lu Rujin. Congratulations on winning a ticket to Lu Rujin’s concert! Please collect it from her personally!”

Before Chu Xiyue could even process her shock, Lu Rujin’s radiant, smiling face appeared before her. She gave Chu Xiyue a warm hug before handing over the concert ticket, her sweet voice ringing out:

“Sister Yueyue, you absolutely must come! I’ll personally reserve the best guest seat for you, with the clearest view!”

The filming had wrapped up, and the cameras were being shut down. Yao Tian, however, deliberately wore a wounded expression, dramatically exclaiming in mock surprise:

“Jin Jin, you’re straight?! All this time I’ve been pining for you in vain!”

While reattaching her shark clip, which had come loose, Lu Rujin flashed Yao Tian a sunny smile:

“Big Sweetie, if you really want, I could bend for you.”

Yao Tian wisely chose to shut her mouth, ending the slightly dangerous topic.

The staff collected their plaster dolls to air-dry, and their luggage, already packed upstairs, was ready for immediate departure.

Everyone chatted and laughed as they went upstairs to retrieve their belongings. Su Yan’s room was next to Chu Xiyue’s, and as Su Yan passed by, she could almost catch a faint, lingering fragrance. She paused for a moment, but when she returned after tidying up, there was no sign of activity from Su Yan’s room. The others were still saying their goodbyes downstairs while the Director oversaw the wrap-up. When Yao Tian asked about Su Yan’s whereabouts, he casually replied:

“Teacher Su had to leave early. Something came up at her agency, I think.”

Unlike Yao Tian, who spent nearly every month of the year on set, Su Yan typically produced only one or two projects annually, mostly films. Sometimes she would even take time off to study and refine her craft. Her output was small but refined, and at just twenty-five or twenty-six, she carried the gravitas of a seasoned actor in their mid-thirties. Yet even with this measured approach, her fanbase remained fiercely loyal, far surpassing that of typical young actresses.

What could have happened at her agency? Yao Tian wondered. She’s so busy, she didn’t even say goodbye.

After exchanging pleasantries with the others, Chu Xiyue’s manager arrived with the driver to pick her up. She dragged her suitcase out of the villa. As the car slowly pulled away, she inexplicably felt a sense of loneliness emanating from the villa bathed in the brilliant sunlight.

Her manager, Yao Xin, sat in the front seat. Though she hadn’t watched the entire livestream, she had closely monitored the data. Seeing Chu Xiyue, she smiled warmly and praised:

“The response to your CP with Teacher Su has been excellent. The ‘Morning Dew, Evening Bloom’ hashtag still has incredibly high daily activity. Once the later episodes air, the hype will skyrocket. Right now, it’s just the livestream, and many people can only catch clips. Yet the reaction is already this strong—the subsequent buzz will definitely be more than enough.”

“You and Teacher Su seem to get along well. Take these next few days off, but if necessary, you can still contact her. Is she easy to work with?”

After Yao Xin finished her rapid-fire questions, Chu Xiyue finally snapped out of her daze. She mumbled a couple of vague replies, then leaned back in her seat and began scrolling through her phone. Yao Xin assumed she was tired and didn’t press further.

Chu Xiyue scrolled through the trending topics, but found nothing about any trouble at Su Yan’s company. Assuming it couldn’t be anything serious, she checked Su Yan’s homepage, but there were no new posts. She closed the app.

Soon after, her manager dropped her off at the company. After a brief meeting, everyone dispersed. Since Chu Xiyue lived in B City and had nothing to do until her next shoot in a few days, she decided to go home and relax. Of course, she remembered to call her mother.

Due to the matchmaking topic, Chu Xiyue hadn’t contacted Madam Chu much lately. But that didn’t stop Madam Chu from repeatedly @-ing her in the family group chat, carefully avoiding the subject. Their relationship wasn’t strained.

Moreover, both Madam Chu and Mr. Tian maintained a deliberate ignorance of her entertainment career. After all, the gossip could be messy, and people around them tended to believe rumors. It was easier to turn a blind eye; not asking questions was their greatest form of support.

However, Chu Xiyue suspected that since she was now on a dating show, Madam Chu would inevitably ask about it. She had already prepared her answers, but when the call connected, her mother asked:

“When’s your next shoot? Have you had any rest lately? Why don’t you come over for a visit?”

Chu Linxiu preferred directness and disliked beating around the bush. Even when she arranged blind dates for her daughter, she was straightforward about it. This time, she clearly just wanted Xiyue to come home for a visit.

Chu Xiyue usually spent most of her time at her own place. She only visited her parents when she had long-term shoots, staying for at least three to five days until they had to part ways again. Their family relationship was warm and harmonious.

After agreeing to Madam Chu’s invitation, the call ended abruptly, likely because Madam Chu had other matters to attend to.

Chu Xiyue typically carried two phones. During variety show shoots, she only brought her work phone, which contained essential contacts and simple, mindless games to avoid overstimulation from external information. Now that she was back to her normal life, her phone buzzed incessantly with notifications, including messages from her friend Yu Xian.

Yu Xian, a freelancer with plenty of free time, had been religiously watching Heartbeat 3 live streams. Sensing that Xiyue was about to be released from filming, Yu Xian’s voice crackled with excitement as she sent a voice message:

“Yueyue, wanna hit up Constant Star tonight?”

Constant Star was B City’s most famous lesbian bar, renowned for its well-managed order and vibrant atmosphere. Many women loved to spend their weekends there, dancing and relaxing. But Chu Xiyue had just emerged from the pink-tinted world of a dating show and desperately needed sleep. She immediately declined without hesitation.

Yu Xian, who had been waiting for Xiyue to come online, was shocked by the immediate rejection. She immediately called, her voice rising to a dramatic wail:

“I knew it, Yueyue! That little vixen from the dating show has stolen your heart! You’re abandoning me, even refusing to go to Constant Star, your favorite place!”

Chu Xiyue, fresh from her shower and applying a face mask, felt her brow twitch violently at the accusation. She instinctively retorted:

“There’s no ‘little vixen’! That’s Su Yan!”

“Even worse! She’s the Spider Queen of the Spider Cave! Yueyue, you can’t honestly tell me you feel nothing for Su Yan. Honestly, I was stunned when I saw her on the dating show.”

Though she couldn’t see her friend’s expression over the phone, Yu Xian clicked her tongue in admiration:

“Don’t pretend you don’t know! Su Yan has been voted the top ‘waifu’ in the lesbian community for three years running! Her portrayal of that motorcycle girl drove everyone wild. You rarely see such charisma in young, up-and-coming actresses. What was she like up close? Was she as breathtaking as she seems?”

“You know it was just acting,” Chu Xiyue said, applying a face mask. The icy coolness that spread across her skin felt like it could completely calm her mind. “The things in the script are completely different from real life. This dating show was just about pretending to be a couple for seven days—basically, faking a relationship. Only a fool would actually fall for it.”

“Besides, she’s as cold and aloof as a block of ice. To date her, you’d probably have to learn how to hug a refrigerator to stay cool.”

Though her words sounded somewhat insincere, Chu Xiyue saw Su Yan and herself as two ships drifting at sea. Aside from occasional accidental encounters and fleeting moments of playacting, there was little chance of any deeper connection developing.

Moreover, Chu Xiyue had never wanted to play the “turn a straight girl gay” game, nor did she want to be the only one obsessively clinging to a fleeting infatuation. From the start, she had nipped any potential feelings in the bud.

Yu Xian, unaware of the depth of her friend’s thoughts, had only meant to tease her casually. But hearing Chu Xiyue’s clear lack of interest in pursuing things with Su Yan, Yu Xian, who had actually started shipping the two, could only sigh in exasperation.

“Alright, alright, Yueyue, you’re so heartless. You’ve never been this serious when I told you about other celebrities’ scandals before.”

Chu Xiyue felt a sudden, inexplicable guilt at her words, and awkwardly changed the subject:

“You mentioned going to Constant Star earlier. Do you still want to go? I’ve suddenly changed my mind.”

Half an hour later, the two long-separated friends met at the bar.

Constant Star Bar, B City’s most renowned establishment, was located in the city center’s prime real estate, just two blocks from a grand commercial building with massive foot traffic. Though somewhat difficult to find for first-timers, its exclusive three-story layout—a blend of open-air and enclosed spaces—made it particularly appealing.

At midnight, the exquisitely designed “Constant Star” overhead would rotate, casting a dazzling glow that signaled the start of business. Since its opening, Constant Star Bar had become a lesbian hotspot, known for its all-female staff, from security to bartenders, all strikingly beautiful.

Constant Star had no private rooms, but it offered secluded booths. The semi-hollow, cyberpunk-inspired metal partitions partially obscured patrons’ faces while allowing clear views of the outside, making these booths highly sought after.

Chu Xiyue didn’t care for strong liquor, so she casually ordered a low-alcohol yogurt-lime cocktail. As soon as she sat down, her friend teased her:

“What’s with the gloomy mood lately? Did your mom force you into another blind date?”

With a thump, Chu Xiyue took an angry sip of her drink. The yogurt bubbles surged upward from the vividly colored bottom of the glass, mirroring the owner’s agitated state of mind.

Arranged marriages were Chu Xiyue’s Achilles’ heel—mentioning them always set her off.

Born into a wealthy family, Chu Xiyue had grown up carefree and wild until she turned twenty. Suddenly, she was informed that she was to be married off for political gain. According to insiders, her betrothed was a rigid, unimaginative bore—as dull as they come.

Though same-s3x marriage was only on the agenda and hadn’t yet been officially approved, the public debate had already turned the world upside down. Chu Xiyue’s mother’s generation was quite progressive on this front, so her arranged partner was also a woman.

But what difference did it make that she was a woman? Chu Xiyue couldn’t marry someone just because they were female. The thought of a life stretching out before her like a barren landscape, even if her partner were a breathtaking beauty, filled her with utter indifference.

Her mother was particularly stubborn on this point, driving Chu Xiyue to flee into the entertainment industry overnight. Her striking looks catapulted her to fame with her very first appearance. While her acting skills were merely above average for a rising star, she had few glaring flaws. Combined with her powerful family background and exceptional looks, she had already begun to position herself as a top-tier celebrity within just two years.

During this critical period of her career, celebrities with large fan bases couldn’t afford to be seen dating casually, lest they lose followers. Chu Xiyue had been a magnet for scandal since her debut, with several previous rumors of being exploited by less popular figures. Her manager now maintained a strict, defensive posture.

Madam Chu, however, remained unmoved. She seemed to secretly hope her daughter would fail in the entertainment industry and return to inherit the family business, insisting she meet her arranged marriage prospect.

Chu Xiyue, naturally free-spirited and rebellious, loathed being controlled, even by her own mother. Learning that the marriage candidate had voluntarily agreed to meet her only deepened her aversion.

“What if he’s really handsome? You won’t even give him a chance? That’s so heartless!”

Her friend Yu Xian, equally outgoing and cheerful, playfully nudged Chu Xiyue’s shoulder in the dimly lit, noisy bar. Chu Xiyue’s sharp hearing picked up the words clearly, her delicate brows furrowing almost into a single line.

“Marrying a guy who buttons his shirt all the way up, wears a permanent scowl, and is as romantic as a block of wood? That’s practically a life sentence! Let whoever wants him have him—I’d rather die than settle for that.”

Though Chu Xiyue wore a pitch-black mask, her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with captivating allure. Her fair skin contrasted sharply with the delicate silver choker adorned with black leather around her slender neck. The revealing camisole she wore was veiled by a layer of black mesh, the sheer fabric both concealing and accentuating her snow-white skin, creating an alluring and provocative effect.

Since she’d sat down, a steady stream of people had approached to flirt, until she lowered the privacy curtain, signaling her disinterest. At Constant Star Bar, where security was tight and order was maintained, few dared to intrude on a closed booth.

Chu Xiyue sucked on her straw, the screen of her phone dimming from inactivity. Amidst the refreshing citrus scent of her drink, her gaze drifted aimlessly until she noticed a drunk being helped to his feet, bumping into someone and causing a minor commotion.

Such scenes were commonplace in bars, hardly noteworthy. Just as she was about to look away, her attention was abruptly captured by a figure striding through the entrance.

Although the person was fully armed with a hat, mask, and sunglasses, just like herself, their tall stature and aloof demeanor made it clear: this was the woman they had mentioned earlier, the one who had played Su Yan’s fake girlfriend for seven whole days.

After exchanging a few words with the bartender, the woman took the petite, tipsy girl by the arm and led her out. Even amidst the dazzling lights and vibrant sounds of the luxurious venue, she remained unfazed, showing no sign of lingering.

Why would Su Yan come here?

Although lesbian bars were flourishing, official approval for such establishments was still pending. Most operated under a tacit understanding, without openly advertising their nature. Constant Star was essentially a gathering place for lesbians, but welcomed all women. Adults occasionally visiting bars to unwind was perfectly acceptable, but to Chu Xiyue, this didn’t seem like the kind of place Su Yan would frequent.

As a prosperous municipality with an open cultural atmosphere, B City had become accustomed to seeing celebrities and internet influencers everywhere. Even the presence of cameras filming was no longer a novelty. Constant Star Bar thrived precisely because it had cultivated a reputation as a haven for influencers, with exceptional security and privacy measures. Even when celebrities occasionally came for a quiet drink, it was rare for them to be photographed and gossiped about online.

Ever since Su Yan appeared, Chu Xiyue’s gaze had remained fixed on her. Unfortunately, her friend, who had nothing better to do, was constantly monitoring her movements. Noticing Chu Xiyue’s unusual focus, she followed her gaze to the same spot.

The two women left under Chu Xiyue’s watchful eyes.

Chu Xiyue finally withdrew her gaze.

Yu Xian refilled her glass. Chu Xiyue, who had been listlessly watching the wine trickle into the tall, transparent glass, suddenly received a message. When she saw Su Yan’s name on the notification, her spine straightened slowly.

Su Yan’s communication style was always concise and to the point:

“Send me your current address. I’m leaving B City tomorrow, and I’ll have a courier deliver something to you.”

Chu Xiyue instinctively assumed she had lost something. Lost items were usually handled by the Production Team, not Su Yan. But she didn’t bother asking what it was and simply sent her address.

Su Yan replied with a curt “OK,” and the conversation ended there.

Chu Xiyue typed several lines on her phone, then deleted them. She wanted to ask if Su Yan had been picking up a friend earlier, but the question felt too abrupt. She had never been one to overthink things before, and this sudden hesitation left her inexplicably annoyed. After realizing her hesitation, she decided to say nothing at all.

In the past, Chu Xiyue used to visit Constant Star Bar when she was bored, enjoying the sight of beautiful people—a feast for the eyes, though not for the sake of seduction. But now, the bustling crowd and lingering perfume suddenly felt less lively than she remembered. Seizing the opportunity, she excused herself from her friends and headed home early.

Upon arriving, she received the package Su Yan had sent via courier.