Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 42

Seeing his daughter’s temper flaring, Mr. Tian dared not tease her further, let alone ask any more questions. He obediently shut his mouth, leaving the battlefield to the two “mountain kings” of the family.

The journey home was unusually silent. It wasn’t until they reached the villa’s gate and saw the gardener watering the front garden that Chu Xiyue took a deep breath, realizing she shouldn’t have vented her anger on her poor father.

The observant driver immediately took the car keys from Mr. Tian and parked the car in its designated spot. By the time they had both stepped out, Chu Xiyue called out:

“Hey, Comrade Tian, can you talk Mom out of this idea?” She walked toward the house as she spoke, her beautiful eyes filled with exasperation. “I’ve already told her it doesn’t matter whether I’m single or married. If nothing else, I’ll just stay single. What’s the big deal?”

Chu Linxiu’s insistence on setting her up with a complete stranger for marriage was beyond absurd. What could she possibly find amusing about that?

“Daughter!”

While Chu Xiyue was mentally grumbling about her, Chu Linxiu had already been waiting at the door for a long time. Despite her complaints, Chu Xiyue actually loved her mother deeply. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have rushed home the moment her vacation started. If she were truly annoyed, she could have simply stayed at her own place and avoided coming here altogether.

Seeing Madam Chu waiting at the door, Chu Xiyue’s heart softened inexplicably. This was precisely why she had urged her father to communicate with her mother earlier. She mainly wanted to avoid being the one to cause conflict. Chu Xiyue always found it impossible to say harsh words to Chu Linxiu, so Madam Chu never realized how unwilling her daughter truly was. After all, no one knew where her daughter’s stubborn and proud personality came from.

“Filming outside must have been exhausting. You’ve suffered so much and lost so much weight. Hurry, the hotpot is already heated up. Let’s just add the ingredients!”

Although the couple both had busy schedules and their own commitments, over the years they had developed an unspoken agreement: whenever their daughter had free time, at least one of them would be home, preferably both.

From the moment Chu Xiyue started high school, she attended boarding school. The school didn’t allow day students, so every weekend when she returned home, she would find her parents waiting for her. Even after she entered the entertainment industry, this tradition remained unchanged.

That’s why Su Yan could immediately guess, upon seeing those bright, sparkling eyes, that Chu Xiyue’s carefree and confident personality stemmed from her upbringing in a loving and financially secure family.

The three family members gathered around the table, where a hot pot prepared by the housekeeper was already simmering. The dual-flavored broth—one side with morel mushrooms and the other with beef tallow—bubbled invitingly. Both broths were specially prepared, their aroma alone enough to whet the appetite, a far cry from those made with pre-packaged seasoning packets.

Chu Xiyue couldn’t resist the enticing aroma. She quickly sat down and began cooking, dropping slices of lamb into the bubbling broth. Mr. Tian helped her cook meatballs, while Chu Linxiu poured drinks for everyone. It wasn’t until they had eaten for a while and were starting to feel full that Chu Linxiu finally revealed her true intentions.

As Chu Xiyue’s biological mother, Chu Linxiu shared her daughter’s strikingly beautiful and expressive peach blossom eyes. When she smiled, there was no hint of aggression; instead, her gaze felt inescapable.

“Any plans after this, my pretty girl?” Chu Linxiu asked gently, not rushing straight to the point. Yet, the moment she spoke, Chu Xiyue already had a good idea of what was coming. Having never lied to her parents, she immediately shared her upcoming schedule:

“I’ll probably rest for about a week, then shoot a local magazine cover. There’s a promotional event in a couple of days, but I definitely won’t be joining any new film sets for at least the next six months.”

Yao Xin had previously analyzed Chu Xiyue’s situation. As a rising star still establishing her footing, her projects since her debut had primarily focused on increasing her visibility, with only moderate attention paid to the quality of the dramas. The main goal was to get her face in front of audiences.

But now that she had reached her current status, even receiving film offers—especially with Su Yan as her co-star—Chu Xiyue’s market value had skyrocketed.

The film’s box office performance remained to be seen. Chu Xiyue’s immediate priority was to refine her skills and deepen her craft. Although Yao Xin hadn’t been on set, feedback from the acting coach and director indicated that Chu Xiyue still had room for improvement.

To ensure Chu Xiyue’s future career versatility, Yao Xin planned to immerse her in intensive training for the rest of the year. Even if it meant turning down roles, it wouldn’t matter. This year’s In Character was projected to perform well at the box office—a well-produced commercial film that had successfully capitalized on its initial buzz. There was little to worry about.

Chu Linxiu listened silently as her daughter clearly outlined her plans. A sudden wave of relief washed over her.

But this didn’t change her mind.

Before she could speak, Chu Xiyue interrupted:

“Mom, my life will revolve around this industry for the next few years. With constant filming and travel, I won’t have time for romance—in any form. I can’t lead anyone on, can I?”

Though she smiled, her eyes held an unwavering certainty. Chu Linxiu stared back at her daughter, seeing that same resolute gaze that mirrored her own. A flicker of doubt stirred within her.

She hadn’t introduced this blind date candidate to Chu Xiyue with marriage in mind. She simply hadn’t known how else to broach the subject with her daughter. But since Chu Xiyue had so firmly rejected the idea, pushing further would only breed resentment and risk straining their relationship. With this realization, Chu Linxiu softened her stance and nodded.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

The “later” Chu Linxiu referred to was undoubtedly far off. She wasn’t one for empty promises, and Chu Xiyue had inherited her mother’s straightforward nature. Seeing her mother back down, Chu Xiyue’s smile returned.

The meal at home, once the tension had eased, turned quite pleasant. Chu Xiyue stayed for another two or three days, coinciding with a visit from relatives who came to see her.

Chu Xiyue had always been close to her mother’s side of the family. Chu Linxiu had a younger sister whose daughter, a few years younger than Chu Xiyue, was still in university. The cousins always had endless stories to share whenever they met.

Now that Chu Xiyue had entered the entertainment industry, her cousin, Min Taole, was always subtly probing for gossip, even during this visit. Though close to her cousin, Chu Xiyue knew what she could and couldn’t share. With someone as loose-lipped as Min Taole, she couldn’t reveal anything at all.

“Sis, you’re such a tightwad!” Min Taole, whose name meant “Peach Joy,” lived up to her name with her adorable looks and lively personality. “But what about you and Sister Su Yan? You can tell me that, right? I won’t tell anyone, not even Auntie or Uncle!”

Min Taole blinked her beautiful, peach-blossom eyes—a family trait—and nudged Chu Xiyue with her shoulder, leaning in eagerly as if waiting to hear the juiciest gossip.

Chu Xiyue couldn’t understand why she and Su Yan were such a source of fascination. She could understand Yu Xian, the gossip fiend, but even her younger cousin was asking about it.

At least the adults were more mature. During dinner, Mr. Tian and Madam Chu didn’t bring up the topic at all.

Chu Xiyue decided to cut to the chase:

“You know my orientation, right? Su Yan is straight. There’s no chance between us, okay?”

Chu Xiyue expected Min Taole to look disappointed and give up after hearing this. Instead, Min Taole gave her a strange up-and-down look, clicked her tongue, and said:

“My roommate, who’s a lesbian, said the same thing last year when she met a freshman in the student council.”

“And less than half a semester later, that so-called ’24K pure straight girl’ was holding hands with her in bed.”

Chu Xiyue felt something was off but couldn’t quite find a rebuttal. She almost lost her composure, but managed to retort:

“Two girls holding hands and sleeping together isn’t normal?”

She gave Min Taole a look that seemed to say, “Have you never had female friends?” and took a sip of her tea. Min Taole calmly replied:

“Why are you getting so defensive? I wasn’t finished. They weren’t just holding hands—they specifically booked a hotel room for the weekend.”

Now it was Min Taole’s turn to give Chu Xiyue a peculiar look.

Chu Xiyue nearly choked on her tea, barely suppressing a cough. Her instincts told her this conversation was getting dangerous, so she tried to change the subject:

“I still have that Lego set someone gave me that I haven’t built yet. Want to take it out and work on it? We’ve got nothing else to do anyway.”

Min Taole, a Lego enthusiast, perked up at the suggestion. She immediately forgot all about Chu Xiyue’s romantic gossip, pretended to kiss Chu Xiyue on the cheek, and dashed off to find her Lego set.

Leaning back on the soft sofa, Chu Xiyue idly twirled her car keys, pondering whether to take a short trip to some quaint town for a change of scenery during the next week. Suddenly, a notification popped up on her phone.

Su Yan: You have it, right? I’ll come get it later.

Su Yan: If you mail it, make sure it’s packaged properly. Not a single trace of it can evaporate. Can you handle that?

Chu Xiyue was exasperated. Su Yan had carelessly left the item behind, yet she was making such demanding requests. I’m almost impressed by her audacity, Chu Xiyue thought.

Who’s going to mail it? I’ll just take it home with me, and you can come get it yourself.

Before Min Taole returned, Chu Xiyue sent a curt voice message in response.