Bai Jin put down her phone and rubbed her temples in slight helplessness. She guessed that Su An’an had called her because of what happened at the villa last time.
Thinking of this, Bai Jin felt a bit regretful. She hadn’t expected that helping Gu Zhan out of kindness would cause so much trouble.
Still, going to see Su An’an and explaining things clearly might be for the best. She was just a minor supporting character anyway — there was no need to make things unpleasant with the female lead, especially someone protected by a “heroine halo.”
That night, inside a towering luxury building in the city center, Su An’an stood by the window with a gloomy expression.
Her mind kept replaying the scene of Bai Jin and Gu Zhan’s “ambiguous” interaction that night. What was supposed to be their home had been brought into by a third woman — the thought broke Su An’an’s heart.
For so many years, she had been Gu Zhan’s underground lover, yet the man she loved had hurt her again and again. She couldn’t accept it.
“Miss Su.”
Bai Jin walked calmly into the restaurant and offered a polite smile.
“Miss Bai.”
Su An’an quickly adjusted her expression, afraid her true emotions would show.
But that subtle shift didn’t escape Bai Jin’s eyes. Internally, she felt even more helpless.
“Please order.”
The waiter placed two elegant menus on the table.
“A cappuccino, thank you.” — Bai Jin
“Black coffee.” — Su An’an
After the waiter left, Su An’an went straight to the point.
“Miss Bai, what is your relationship with President Gu?”
Bai Jin replied calmly, “I only helped send a drunk Mr. Gu home. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Her indifferent tone instead made Su An’an more uncertain. She quickly changed the subject.
“Next month, Hengshi Entertainment will launch a variety show. I’d like to invite Miss Bai to participate.”
She placed an invitation letter in front of Bai Jin.
Of course, Su An’an wasn’t being kind — she intended to make Bai Jin embarrass herself on the show.
“Hengshi Entertainment?”
Bai Jin tried to recall the original novel’s plot, feeling that something didn’t quite match up.
“Miss Bai, all the male guests on this show are top-tier figures in the entertainment industry. If you build connections with them, it will be extremely beneficial to your career.”
Su An’an spoke as if Bai Jin had no room to refuse. She left the invitation and stood up to leave.
In truth, Su An’an’s thinking was simple: Bai Jin was just a small-time actress. If she interacted with outstanding men, maybe she would stop paying attention to Gu Zhan.
But remembering how Bai Jin had helped her out during the last variety show, Su An’an’s expression softened slightly before she left.
Back home, Bai Jin carefully read through the program details.
The show was a romantic reality program called “Heartbeat Lover.”
When she saw the list of male guests, her mood instantly sank.
Gu Zhan?
Why was he participating too? For Su An’an?
But recalling the villa incident, Bai Jin instinctively shook her head.
Whatever — Gu Zhan and Su An’an had nothing to do with her. She just needed to be a low-key background character.
She then decided to review the original host’s acting skills.
She opened the first drama:
“Cold-Blooded Prince Falls for the Playful Concubine.”
Within minutes, Bai Jin’s expression went from mild interest → stiff → completely blank.
What was this acting?
The facial expressions didn’t match the plot, lines were poorly delivered, and the styling was disastrous.
Watching it felt like psychological torture.
This wasn’t just “bad acting” — it was unbearable to look at.
She then opened the second drama:
“The Cold Prince’s Little Bride.”
It was no better.
While cleaning her room later, Bai Jin accidentally discovered two notebooks left behind by the original host.
Inside were detailed notes on films, character analysis, and acting reflections.
Bai Jin’s expression softened. She could see herself in the original owner — hardworking, serious, and passionate.
Others thought Bai Jin was a naturally gifted actress, but they didn’t see how much effort she put in behind the scenes.
She practiced lines in front of the mirror countless times, perfecting even the smallest expressions.
That night, Bai Jin thought a lot before falling asleep late.
Before 6 a.m., a rapid doorbell woke her up.
“Heartbeat Lover” was filmed in live broadcast format to boost popularity and fan interaction.
To avoid clashing with top celebrities’ schedules, filming was set for the weekend, starting with a surprise “home visit.”
“Wow — Bai Jin is going on camera with no makeup?”
“Boring, let’s switch to Su An’an’s stream…”
The barrage of comments flooded in instantly — praise and criticism mixed together.
Bai Jin rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked at the cameraman.
Heartbeat Lover?
The moment she realized what was happening, she jolted awake.
“Miss Bai, the live broadcast has started,” the cameraman reminded her kindly.
“Sorry — I’ll be ready right away.”
She quickly freshened up, grabbed her suitcase, and headed downstairs.
“Miss Bai, your elevator is under maintenance, so we’ll have to take the stairs.”
Bai Jin nodded. “Then let’s take the stairs.”
She immediately picked up her suitcase and started descending quickly.
In reality, her elevator wasn’t broken — this was a deliberately set obstacle by the production team.
No staff helped her carry the suitcase. Bai Jin understood the game.
This was how variety shows worked.
On the bullet screen:
“Wow, Bai Jin is strong — that suitcase looks heavy!”
“Much better than those celebrities who throw tantrums.”
“Don’t praise too early — who knows if there’s anything inside that suitcase?”
Online opinions were split.
While other guests’ live streams were calm, Bai Jin’s room was already in heated debate.
Director Wang Ming paid extra attention to her.
Seeing viewers question whether her suitcase was actually heavy — and remembering Su An’an’s request — he immediately instructed staff to “help” Bai Jin carry it.