Chapter 66: Big Brother, Don’t Be Like This, I’m Scared!
What? You’re going to bankrupt the Shi family?!
Surprise! What does real surprise mean? This is it!
Big brother, if you say things like that, I’m not sleepy anymore!
Hearing such explosive good news, Shen Xi struggled to keep from laughing. But in Gu Hanling’s eyes, her twisted expression only made her look even more heartbroken.
She had to keep up the act, she couldn’t break character now.
"No! Big brother, please don’t go after the Shi family!"
(Big brother, hurry up and do it! I can’t wait to burn paper money for the male lead’s funeral!)
The coldness in Gu Hanling’s gaze deepened. Did she really think anyone who displeased him could walk away unscathed?
He leaned in closer to Shen Xi, slowly closing the distance between them.
"Don’t want me to?"
"Shi Jingyan annoyed me. He has to pay the price."
With her good acting, Shen Xi blinked, her eyes quickly welling up with a thin layer of mist, looking as if she was genuinely worried.
His voice remained deep and cold.
"What price?"
She bit her lip, trying so hard not to laugh that tears actually formed in her eyes. Her heart was practically singing with joy.
(Big brother, just say it! Whatever price you want him to pay, just name it! Let me enjoy this moment!)
But before she could savor the moment, Gu Hanling suddenly reached out.
His fingers gently tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, revealing the delicate skin of her slender, porcelain-white neck.
His fingertips brushed against her earlobe for just a second. Shen Xi instantly shuddered, reacting like a startled little rabbit.
Her whole body tensed, every hair standing on end as alarm bells rang wildly in her mind.
Wait… what?!
Wasn’t he talking about making Shi Jingyan pay the price?!
The icy look in Gu Hanling’s eyes sent chills down her spine.
His sharp, handsome face drew closer, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.
"If you want Shi Jingyan and the Shi family to be safe, you have to pay a price, don’t you?"
"What can you possibly offer to a man?"
"Huh?"
Shen Xi felt like she had just been struck by lightning.
Wait… wasn't he talking about dealing with Shi Jingyan? How did she suddenly become the price?!
She had always assumed that someone like Gu Hanling, a cold and untouchable CEO at the top of the pyramid, was walking the path of absolute indifference, completely devoid of emotions or desires.
The "cold and heartless" part was true. But as for his basic biological needs as a man...
Well, turns out those were very much intact.
Shen Xi suddenly felt like she had wasted her past life living as a man for over twenty years. How did she not see this coming?
But she absolutely did not want to be some man's tool for relieving stress!
Especially when she recalled the accidental glimpse she had of Gu Hanling’s "little brother" that one time.
That size would literally kill her!!
Panic surged through her as she pressed both hands against his chest, trying to stop the man, who seemed on the verge of losing control, from coming any closer.
Her voice trembled with genuine fear.
"B-big brother, please don’t do this, I’m scared... Even Jingyan has never touched me! You can’t force me!"
"Please, have mercy and let me go, I was wrong, you can do whatever you want with him."
Her words seemed to have an effect. Gu Hanling paused.
"What did you just say?"
Shen Xi kept her arms up defensively and cautiously repeated,
"H-have mercy?"
"The sentence before that."
She hesitated, then reluctantly said,
"Uh… Jingyan has never touched me, so you can’t—"
As she spoke, her eyes subtly glanced toward the door, ready to escape at any second.
She completely missed the faint, fleeting smile that flashed across Gu Hanling’s lips. A light flickered in his dark, deep eyes.
"How do you know?"
"It’s my own body. Of course I know."
Shen Xi internally rolled her eyes.
She had read the original novel, had god-level perspective, and knew every detail.
The original Shen Xi and Shi Jingyan had only ever held hands during their first year of college. That was it.
The original Shen Xi was supposed to be the cool and unattainable white moonlight. A beauty admired from afar but never truly possessed.
And of course, only those who couldn’t have her would give her such a title.
Just then, as a high-pitched climax echoed from the room next door, Shen Xi’s own room fell into an eerie silence.
Gu Hanling let out a low chuckle.
"Hah, I have no interest in little girls."
"Go to sleep."
With that, the man decisively turned away, returning to his side of the bed. He shut his eyes as if nothing had happened at all.
Shen Xi let out a deep breath. Finally, it was over. That was way too scary.
For a moment there, she really thought she was about to lose her dignity and become nothing more than an outlet for a man’s physical needs.
But… does that mean Big Brother prefers experienced older women? Damn, CEO tastes really are different, huh…
Maybe it was because Gu Hanling hadn’t been sleeping well lately. He seemed exhausted.
Shen Xi sneaked a glance at him and was shocked to see that in just a short moment, the man was already drifting off.
She sighed in relief and turned off the lights.
Lying on her side with her back facing him, her eyes remained wide open, just in case he was faking it.
But nothing happened that night.
………………………………………
The next morning.
Shen Xi slowly woke up.
She had planned to stay up all night guarding her dignity, but somehow, she had ended up falling asleep with the man.
Looking around, she realized the room was already empty. Gu Hanling was gone.
She rubbed her eyes and checked her phone.
6 AM.
No wonder he was a true boss, way more hardworking than the male lead Shi Jingyan.
After leaving the hotel, Shen Xi grabbed a steamed bun and a cup of soy milk, casually eating as she walked toward the TV station.
Today was going to be a busy day. No time to care about flavor. She just needed to fill her stomach.
As soon as she stepped into the dressing room, she was greeted by the sound of cheerful laughter.
Looking up, she saw none other than Sister Na, the legendary diva and competition judge, sitting in front of the makeup mirror, with a stylist making the final touches on her look.
Shen Xi quickly greeted her politely.
"Good morning, Sister Na!"
She really wanted to ask for an autograph.
After all, this was one of the rare real-life superstars that existed in both this world and her past life!
That’s just how talent shows work. On stage, they pretend not to recognize each other and play guessing games, but behind the scenes, everyone knows exactly who’s who. It’s all just a performance for the audience. As long as the viewers are entertained and happy, that’s all that matters.
Hearing a voice, Sister Na turned her head. When she saw it was Shen Xi, her eyes lit up. She smiled and waved her over.
“Oh, little girl! Finally seeing you in person today! Come, come, sit.”
Shen Xi obediently stepped forward. Sister Na gave her an appraising look, nodding in approval.
“Not bad, not bad! You’ve got a great presence, and you’re even prettier in person. I saw your rehearsal videos online, your singing is really impressive! That voice, that style, it’s got a natural charm to it!”
“Those trolls online are just talking nonsense, they're just trying to scare you. Don’t pay attention to them.”
The more Sister Na spoke, the more fired up she got, even gesturing in the air as she talked.
“No matter if you win or lose today, are you interested in signing with our company? Last year, I mentored the champion, you know!”
Shen Xi liked Sister Na’s straightforward personality, but she still couldn’t help twitching at the corners of her mouth.
This woman was just like she remembered from her past life, words just flying out of her mouth.
She let out an awkward laugh and politely declined, “Hehe, I just started in this industry, so I’m not in a rush to sign anywhere yet. Maybe next time, Sister Na.”
Not far away, Director Chen overheard their conversation loud and clear.
Watching Sister Na enthusiastically trying to recruit Shen Xi, he shook his head and muttered to himself,
‘So what if she’s a superstar? Does she really think she can poach someone from President Gu? That’s a death wish. +1’
Still, he wasn’t about to be the one to warn her. Since that Boss Gu was deliberately keeping Shen Xi’s identity a secret, there was no way he’d stick his neck out to spill the secret.
That’s just asking to die. +2.
At that moment, another judge, Liu Ran, walked into the dressing room.
Last night, he had received a strange text from someone claiming to be Shen Xi, saying she wanted to meet him to “discuss” today’s competition.
As someone who prided himself on staying clean and professional, Liu Ran immediately saw through it.
Another newbie trying to use underhanded tricks to get ahead? How laughable.
He rejected it outright.
Upon stepping into the dressing room, he spotted Director Chen and approached him. With a displeased expression, he lowered his voice and said,
“Director Chen, I need to talk to you about something.”