Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 7

The Pocky stick snapped quickly between their teeth.

Su Yan’s dark eyes radiated an intense pressure as she leaned aggressively toward Chu Xiyue, tilting her head to block the cameras and other guests from seeing whether their lips actually touched. In the dim light, the ambiguity created an ambiguous, suggestive atmosphere.

Only Chu Xiyue knew that their lips hadn’t made contact. Yet her heartbeat pounded with a reckless rhythm, completely beyond her control—utterly pathetic.

A blush crept up her earlobes, cheeks, and even her neck, suffusing her skin with a feverish warmth.

The room fell silent, save for the flashing numbers on the heartbeat monitor, a stark reminder of their overheated intimacy.

While the studio remained hushed, the live stream chat exploded like fireworks.

This has to be fake! Why are their heart rates spiking so fast? I’m reporting this show for having a script!

They’re still calling each other “Teacher Su” and “Teacher Chu,” but I just want to smash their faces together!

So did they kiss or not?! Why are the guests staring so wide-eyed? Give us some reaction! Show some emotion!

Where’s the bottom line? Where’s the morality? And where’s the button to force them to kiss?!

The veteran player just arrived today, and the intensity of this episode… tsk tsk, it’s as extreme as ever.

I just came to see the official announcement photos for a glimpse of their faces, but I didn’t expect my CP to score so high so quickly! Ahhhhhh!

“Morning Dew, Evening Bloom” is going wild! Is there anything a VIP like me isn’t allowed to see? Zoom in with a microscope on their faces for a closer look!

The cameraman finally got it right in the last few seconds, capturing

Chu Xiyue didn’t dare look at the heartbeat monitor, desperate to get through this round quickly. She forced herself to appear nonchalant as she sat down, but then Lu Rujin gasped:

“Sister Chuchu’s heartbeat is already so high—!”

Shut up! Chu Xiyue mentally roared, itching to rush over and clamp Lu Rujin’s mouth shut. But before she could react, Lu Rujin’s clear, melodious voice continued, revealing her earlier remark as mere setup:

“But Sister Su Yan’s heartbeat is even higher!”

Chu Xiyue froze.

Before she could glance at the monitor, someone else had already moved. In front of everyone, Su Yan snatched the small device, flipped it over, and concealed the suggestive numbers with her palm.

Su Yan’s expression remained nonchalant as she idly fiddled with the prop. The dark backdrop accentuated her long, slender fingers, which glowed like polished jade. Though she had just acted like a thief, her smile was gentle, her coffee-colored eyes deep and enigmatic, almost hypnotic.

“Sorry, Rujin,” Su Yan said. “I think I’ll claim this for now. Is that okay?”

When Su Yan wasn’t smiling, her demeanor was cool and aloof. But now, her playful smile bloomed like spring blossoms, utterly charming Lu Rujin. The younger woman abandoned her teasing and instead grabbed a nearby cushion, shrinking into Yao Tian’s embrace.

As the atmosphere grew more relaxed, the truth-telling game intensified, culminating in a lesbian essential: an arm-wrestling match. The stakes? Making breakfast tomorrow. The contenders were Chu Xiyue and Zhao Fei. Zhao Fei, despite his gentle demeanor and soft-spoken voice, proved surprisingly strong.

Chu Xiyue, distracted, lost the dare and yawned conspicuously. Meng Qin, realizing she had spoken out of turn earlier, had been treading carefully all evening. Seeing Chu Xiyue’s fatigue, she suggested everyone retire for the night.

Chu Xiyue’s head was swimming, her rationality melting into mush. She desperately wanted to slip away unnoticed. But as she climbed the stairs, the memory of the earlier scene made her face burn hotter with each step.

Her steps faltered slightly.

Reaching the top, she saw Su Yan opening her door. In a rush of heat, Chu Xiyue darted into Su Yan’s room, declaring bluntly under Su Yan’s surprised gaze:

“Teacher Su, you’ve gone too far!”

The young heiress had clearly been holding back for a long time. A hint of displeasure simmered in her bright eyes, yet it lacked any real edge, like a clawless cat trying to look fierce. Her complaint sounded more like a playful scolding, almost a flirtatious tease.

Su Yan’s expression flickered slightly.

Su Yan’s heart softened inexplicably.

The other woman seemed to harbor resentment, but in truth, she was merely embarrassed and annoyed. Her attempt at a fierce tone fell flat. Su Yan’s fingertips twitched, suppressing the urge to ruffle the hair of the person before her. Her voice tightened with cold detachment:

“Just completing the mission. I’m straight.”

To Chu Xiyue, these words sounded like feigned aloofness. She was about to retort when Su Yan suddenly rebuked her in a measured tone:

“Chu Xiyue, you’re being unprofessional.”

This was a rare instance since they’d met where Su Yan addressed Chu Xiyue by her full name. Though her voice remained melodious, it struck Chu Xiyue’s heart like a smooth stone from a clear mountain stream. Having spent over two years in the industry, Chu Xiyue had long grown accustomed to rumors and gossip, maintaining her composure. Yet the words “unprofessional” jolted her into seriousness, clearing some of the fog from her mind.

A moment of silence hung between them.

As scenes from the day flashed through her mind, Chu Xiyue gradually realized the true climax had been that evening, when they sat in the bar chatting and playing games. Truth or dare was only fun if you were willing to go all in, and Su Yan had simply been fulfilling her duty to promote their collaboration.

To be honest, she was the one who benefited more. Just considering the buzz, tonight’s trending topics would undoubtedly be dominated by their field.

Chu Xiyue couldn’t explain why, but as a young and beautiful actress, idol dramas were naturally her forte. She’d filmed scenes with simulated kisses before, where actors naturally leaned close. Yet, only when facing Su Yan did her heart begin to race uncontrollably.

Perhaps it was because she knew this wasn’t a set. Even if they were playing up the drama, she was still herself, with no character to hide behind.

And though she hated to admit it, Su Yan’s face was undeniably her type.

“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

Despite her somewhat spoiled demeanor, Chu Xiyue wasn’t unreasonable. After mentally reviewing the situation and realizing her mistake, she apologized promptly. She then subtly glanced at Su Yan’s expression, relieved to find the woman’s gaze still clear and calm, showing no signs of disturbance. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and casually change the subject, asking:

“What time do you wake up every morning?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“And go to bed?”

“When I’m not filming or have other commitments, usually around midnight.”

Well, that’s certainly a senior cadre’s schedule, Su Yan thought.

She countered with a question of her own: “What about you?”

Chu Xiyue, with her erratic sleep patterns—the epitome of a modern young person—couldn’t give a straight answer. Su Yan then asked proactively, “Do you need help with cooking tomorrow?”

“No, thank you,” Chu Xiyue replied.

For a contemporary young person, sleeping at midnight and waking up at seven was almost absurdly healthy. Seeing that it was already past eleven, Chu Xiyue bid Su Yan goodnight and returned to her room next door.

Watching Chu Xiyue’s figure disappear and hearing the soft click of the closing door, Su Yan, who had been standing motionless in the doorway, finally walked toward the bathroom.

She hung her outer garment, which carried the unfamiliar scent of another woman’s perfume, on the outer rack, separate from her other clothes, to preserve the faint fragrance. Chu Xiyue’s perfume style was the polar opposite of Su Yan’s; the heiress preferred pure, refreshing scents. Today’s fragrance was the classic English Pear & Freesia, subtly sweet without being cloying, much like the person’s sunny disposition.

Did I make her angry today?

Su Yan casually shed her clothes and stepped into the shower. As the warm water cascaded over her body, she allowed herself a rare moment of introspection.

Su Yan still remembered the first time she met Chu Xiyue. The young woman’s smile had been radiant and bright, her voice gentle and soft, like a red rose just beginning to bloom in all its delicate beauty. It was the carefree joy only a girl without worries could possess.

Chu Xiyue was like a scorching sun, burning fiercely and unattainable, yet Su Yan yearned for her warmth. Even after all these years, that fiery intensity had never faded.

During their first encounter, they had exchanged a few playful jabs, but Chu Xiyue took it seriously. She had been reluctant to meet Su Yan that day, but when Su Yan heard Chu Xiyue was joining the variety show, she immediately signed up, despite her manager’s confusion and opposition.

The luxurious villa, from its state-of-the-art renovations to its advanced amenities, spared no expense. The perfectly calibrated showerhead cascaded warm water over Su Yan’s shoulders, tracing the graceful curves of her body. Her slender fingers gathered the water-soaked strands of hair and swept them back, shaking off the lingering droplets.

Yet she turned the showerhead on even higher.

Su Yan’s water-slicked lips parted slightly, full and lush like a blooming rose. Her usually clear, daytime eyes gradually loosened their restraint, becoming hazy and unfocused as she gazed uneasily at the empty ceiling. She closed her eyes, as if searching for something, but all her trembling secrets were quickly swallowed by the increasingly dense steam filling the bathroom.

Chu Xiyue returned to her room next door, scrolled through her phone for a while, set an alarm, and forced herself to lie down early. Perhaps due to the few Mojitos she’d had, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She slept quite well, but waking up at this hour was still a struggle for someone accustomed to sleeping late and waking up late on vacation.

However, since they were filming a show and it wasn’t a true vacation, Chu Xiyue lingered in bed for only a moment before getting up, doing a quick warm-up stretch, and leaving her room.

She wandered through the lobby downstairs but found no one else awake. The sense of accomplishment instantly dispelled her morning grumpiness.

The production team had informed the guests that the cameras would activate precisely at 6:00 AM. Though early-rising viewers were few and far between, the bullet screen finally began to scroll as the first person woke up.

I never expected Chu Xiyue to be the first one up! Who knew she was so disciplined?

Trying to build a persona, are we?

LOL, yesterday before the broadcast ended, they deliberately left a cliffhanger, making everyone bet on who would wake up first. Everyone was betting on Meng Qin, Zhao Fei, or Su Yan. Who could have predicted this?

As expected, early risers get rewarded. Having a beauty accompany me at 8 AM is more than enough.

Ahhh! She’s looking at the camera!

Unless she had a scheduled event, Chu Xiyue never bothered with makeup in the mornings. She simply applied moisturizer and toner for basic hydration, appearing before the camera with her natural beauty on full display.

A moment later, Chu Xiyue noticed the camera. Her radiant face suddenly filled the frame, her pores appearing delicate and translucent. The corner of her face that leaned closer looked like a plump, glistening boiled egg.

The livestream audience immediately transformed into screaming chickens, turning the quiet morning broadcast into a frenzy of simping. Though Chu Xiyue couldn’t see the Bullet Screen comments, she could guess their content. She smiled radiantly at the camera, her beauty dazzling.

But soon, the morning’s protagonist had to leave. Before departing, she cleared her throat and deliberately returned to the camera to interact with the audience:

“Time to face my punishment. I’m not the type to welch on a bet. I’m a professional, so you all need to vouch for me.”

She hadn’t forgotten the suspicious look someone had given her yesterday as she left.