Chapter 56: Big Brother, Can You Step Out for a Moment?
Could Shen Xi really fall for this scripted setup? They just want to make her turn evil, go against the female lead, and then repeat the ending where she's disfigured and sold off.
She had no interest in getting tangled up with this two-faced actress. Lin Yueyue’s "green tea" act was Oscar-worthy, and to outsiders, it would only look like Shen Xi was the one bullying her.
There was no need to waste her breath explaining anything to others. Just like in her past life, she had never cared about pleasing anyone, nor would she ever bow down to them.
Shen Xi had always had a bad temper. Because of it, she was isolated at school, and even in the workplace, her career remained stagnant.
The only exception… was that man. It was as if he was destined to counter her. No matter how much Gu Hanling suppressed her, it somehow seemed like it was only natural.
Shen Xi looked at Lin Yueyue coldly, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
"Go ahead and keep acting. As long as it makes you happy."
"If you’re this good at acting, why aren’t you an actress instead of trying to be a singer?"
With that, she lazily stood up, brushed off imaginary dust from her clothes, and headed straight for the dressing room.
Lin Yueyue was stunned. She had expected Shen Xi to lose her temper like before, get blinded by rage, and continue the drama with her. But now, Shen Xi was calm and completely ignoring her.
For a moment, Lin Yueyue didn’t know how to react. She could only glare venomously at Shen Xi’s confident, unbothered figure as she walked away.
Once Shen Xi left, a few female staff members immediately gathered around Lin Yueyue to console her. She quickly switched to a pitiful expression, her eyes brimming with tears.
"What’s her problem? How could she treat sweet, gentle Yueyue like that?"
"She’s just some small-time internet celebrity who went viral with a singing video. Even top-tier judges don’t act as arrogant as she does!"
"Don’t be sad, Yueyue. Someone like that isn’t worth your kindness."
Shen Xi was undeniably beautiful, the kind of beauty that made men unable to look away. Even the A-list celebrity judge, Feng Weiwei, paled in comparison.
Her looks alone were enough to spark jealousy among the other women.
And when a group of jealous people gathered, they would say the most ridiculous things just to make themselves feel better.
Especially with Shen Xi’s naturally cold and distant aura, she gave off an air of superiority that made others feel small in her presence.
Standing next to Lin Yueyue, whose looks were, well… average. Shen Xi inevitably looked more like the villain in this story.
Since it was just a rehearsal, Shen Xi wasn’t in full costume. She only wore a "Moon Goddess" mask that covered the upper half of her face, revealing only her delicate jawline and soft, alluring lips.
Each contestant’s outfit and mask were custom-made, especially for the female contestants. After all, the producers knew exactly what the audience wanted to see. They just had to keep things conservative enough to pass the regulations.
"Shen Xi, you’re up next."
Director Chen’s voice rang out through the loudspeaker.
Without hesitation, Shen Xi walked past Lin Yueyue and her group, heading toward the stage with effortless confidence.
That calm, composed expression made Lin Yueyue feel sick. It instantly brought back the suffocating humiliation she had felt that day at the Yunding Hotel’s Starry Sky Restaurant.
As Shen Xi stepped onto the stage and stood in the center, all eyes in the audience turned to her.
Some were waiting to see her fail, others were simply curious, and some were skeptical.
Of course, she was nervous. That was only natural. After all, in her past life, she had just been an ordinary girl from the mountains.
She could hear the whispers from the audience, but she closed her eyes, shutting them out. In her mind, she imagined that the entire crowd was nothing but a field of cabbages.
Slowly, she let herself sink into the emotions of the song "I Know". A song filled with the bittersweet regrets of youth.
A faint, almost sorrowful smile formed on her lips.
As the familiar intro began to play, it was as if a voice whispered to her:
"Go."
🎶 I never thought we’d have to let go of our hands…
🎶 No longer by my side when I’m hurting inside…
🎶 It was my fault for being too selfish, thinking you’d understand…
🎶 I kept forgetting to say just how much you meant to me…
Her voice carried a powerful emotion that pierced straight through the audience’s hearts.
The ones who had been waiting for her to fail suddenly fell silent. They couldn’t help but be drawn in. One thought crossed everyone’s mind:
"So this is the full version."
🎶 I know you still love me…
🎶 Even though we’ve both accepted our reasons for parting…
🎶 I know how much it must hurt for you…
🎶 So even in the end, you still smiled and told me to keep going…
…………………………………………
Hearing a song live feels completely different from watching a video. It’s much more intense and emotional.
Many people in the audience swayed gently to the rhythm. Some even had teary eyes, fully immersed in the emotions Shen Xi’s lyrics conveyed.
Meanwhile, Lin Yueyue discreetly held up her phone, recording Shen Xi on stage. However, her expression darkened.
Originally, she had planned to capture an embarrassing moment to watch and laugh at later. But now…
After a brief pause, a sly glint flashed in her eyes as a new idea formed.
In the audience, Shi Jingyan had come at Lin Yueyue’s invitation. She had wanted him to see her shine on stage.
But now, as he listened to Shen Xi sing, he couldn’t hide the pleased smile on his lips. The gloom he had been feeling for days seemed to disappear.
See? This woman still couldn’t forget him.
Wasn’t this song obviously written just for him?
Shen Xi was clearly still holding on to the memories of their past relationship. She had just been selfish and left the country, changing everything.
And now that they were meeting again, she was only pretending to be cold and distant. It was just one of her little tricks to get his attention.
Shen Xi sang the final note, and as her voice faded, a brief silence filled the studio.
Director Chen was the first to start clapping, followed by a wave of applause from the audience.
This was an original masterpiece, completely different from a cover.
People are like that sometimes. Even if they doubt someone's character, as long as that person has exceptional talent or wealth, their biases tend to fade, and they start seeing them in a different light.
Just as the audience was still discussing the song with those around them, they suddenly realized Shen Xi was already gone.
The moment she finished singing, she immediately spoke with Director Chen and left.
Without noticing, time had slipped away, and she was about to be late for her meeting.
After removing her stage makeup, she quickly hailed a taxi to the hotel.
…………………………………
Arriving at the top-floor suite, she found two female attendants at the door. They gave her a slight bow before opening it for her.
Inside, the man she hadn’t seen in days stood with his back to her, dressed in his usual black custom-tailored suit. The precise fit emphasized his tall, commanding figure.
He was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the city below.
"You’re late, Madam."
His familiar, cool voice rang out as he turned to face her, his expression slightly displeased.
Shen Xi's lips twitched into a forced, uncomfortable smile.
"Uh… well… It was hard to get a taxi near the TV station, you know… I don’t have a car…"
What she didn’t say was, she didn’t even know how to drive.
"Change into this."
The man frowned slightly and tilted his chin toward the table, where a black evening gown lay neatly on a tray.
Shen Xi followed his gaze. The dress was made of luxurious fabric, finely tailored, and adorned with sparkling diamonds.
Yeah… definitely not something she could afford. She picked it up and glanced at him with a strange expression.
"Uh… Big brother, can you step out for a moment?"
Gu Hanling let out a faintly mocking laugh, as if he found the idea ridiculous.
"You think I’d be interested in you?"
Shen Xi instantly crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"Hah. Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Gu. I’m not interested in you either. Guess we’re even."