CHAPTER 57 – The Original Female Lead Arrives
Just as the tension between Gu and Shen peaked, the main entrance door opened again, and a girl stepped in with a soft, undeniable glowing presence.
Ling Qiuyue.
She practically sparkled.
She was the kind of ethereal beauty that made the world seem brighter, softer, and more perfect simply by her existence.
Fate's darling.
The moment her gaze swept the room and landed on Xiao Xi, Ling paused, her smile freezing for a split second.
Then the smile returned, gentle and perfect.
"Hello, Xiao Xi~ I've heard so much about you.
It's lovely to meet the famous rising star."
Her tone was gentle, innocent, every syllable pitched to charm—but her eyes were too perceptive, too curious, too knowing.
They seemed to look past Xiao Xi's clothes and skin, searching for the internal code.
Xiao Xi offered a polite, shallow bow.
"Welcome to the show, Miss Ling."
Ling Qiuyue's gaze drifted pointedly to Gu Yanzhou's unmoving arm around Xiao Xi's waist.
"Oh? So… you're really dating President Gu. That's quite the public statement, Yanzhou."
Again, it wasn't genuine jealousy in her voice.
It was narrative confusion—like a deeply ingrained script she had memorized was suddenly being rewritten by an amateur.
Shen Yichen immediately joined her side.
They stood together like a perfect, destined couple, their combined magnetic presence pulling the entire set's focus.
But the world… flickered visibly around them.
The overhead lights dimmed for a sharp second, then surged back.
A camera near the railing short-circuited with a faint crackle of smoke.
The System screamed an internal, chaotic warning:
[Protagonist proximity destabilizing local reality.]
[Narrative force field accumulating around Original Protagonists.]
[Maintain Bond with Gu Yanzhou to stabilize fate pressure! Reinforce the Anchor!]
Xiao Xi instinctively tightened her grip on Gu's sleeve, leaning into his solid side.
He looked down, acknowledging the subtle signal, and brushed a thumb over her knuckles in silent reassurance.
"I'm right here, Xiao Xi."
Ling Qiuyue blinked, her head tilted slightly. For the first time, a flicker of genuine surprise cracked her gentle façade.
The heroine wasn't used to being ignored by fate, and she certainly wasn't used to seeing the supposed side-character anchored by the CEO.