Chapter 28 – The Misunderstanding
The physical and emotional distance between them grew sharper, colder, fueled by silence and external interference.
Their joint public appearances were meticulously avoided, replaced by terse corporate statements about focusing on separate projects.
During a live recording of the reality show's final group challenge, the production company, sensing the mounting drama, brought in "support guests."
Lin Yueran arrived with a massive bouquet of lilies, beaming sweetly as the cameras zoomed in.
She moved straight toward Xiao Xi, the picture of radiant, supportive camaraderie.
"I came to support Xiao Xi! We're such good friends now that we've shared this journey together," Lin gushed to a nearby camera crew.
Xiao Xi wanted to laugh—a sharp, hysterical sound.
Friends? Not even in hell.
But she was a professional.
She accepted the flowers, forced a wide, grateful smile for the cameras, and played the part of the gracious veteran.
Then, as the cameras paused for a lighting adjustment, Lin leaned closer, her voice dropping to a poisonous, saccharine whisper that only Xiao Xi could hear.
"I heard Gu Yanzhou's mother paid you a little visit.
An urgent meeting, I believe? Such a shame.
She doesn't want you near him, does she? Apparently, he agreed to keep a 'respectable distance' starting this week."
Xiao Xi's fingers tightened around the bouquet, crushing the delicate stems.
Gu Yanzhou agreed?
The sudden silence.
The abrupt, cold distance.
His immediate lack of pursuit after her confession.
His mother's cold eyes and veiled insults.
It all made horrible, agonizing sense.
He hadn't pulled back because she had hurt him; he had pulled back because he had been ordered to, choosing his legacy over her truth.
The System, sensing the immense emotional spike, beeped weakly, like a dying machine.
[Warning: Host emotional capacity exceeding threshold. Critical stress levels detected.]
"Shut up," she whispered, her voice rough, her eyes burning with unshed tears and sudden, fiery rage.
Not now.
Not when I finally understand the betrayal.
Lin smiled, a satisfied, serpentine curl of her lips.
"You're cannon fodder, Xiao Xi.
Know your place.
The male lead always returns to the right kind of woman."
Xiao Xi walked away before she utterly crumbled, the forced smile freezing on her face. She discarded the lilies in the nearest trash can, the symbolic gesture feeling tragically appropriate.
Watching the entire strained exchange from a monitor off-set, Gu Yanzhou took one involuntary step toward the back entrance, intending to run after her, to demand an explanation for the sudden rift.
But his own mother, Madam Gu, who had conveniently stationed herself near the director's tent, intercepted him with an arm around his elbow, her grip surprisingly strong.
"Let her go, Yanzhou," she stated flatly, her gaze unwavering.
"You've caused enough of a spectacle. She's too volatile for our family.
It's better for both of you this way.
Focus on your engagement with Miss Li."
He watched Xiao Xi disappear backstage, the pain of the forced inaction tearing at his conscience.
He wanted to tell her he hadn't agreed to anything, that he was fighting his mother, that he was terrified for her safety.
But the System's warning held him frozen: the closer he got, the more vulnerable they both became.