Chapter 9 – A Dangerous Invitation
Later that evening, while the set was winding down and the remaining contestants were retreating to their trailers, a young staff member, looking noticeably nervous, approached Xiao Xi.
He handed her a crisp, sealed, heavy invitation card.
The sender: Gu Yanzhou.
Xiao Xi held the card, its embossed script feeling like a strategic document in her hands.
She hesitated.
Why would a man of his stature—a man who owned multinational corporations and was currently navigating a complex financial rebirth—bother with a temporary contestant on a reality show, let alone a disgraced D-list actress?
The System chimed softly, confirming the importance of the event:
[New Event Detected: Fate Intersection. High-Risk/High-Reward.]
[Recommendation: Attend.]
She looked at her reflection in the trailer mirror, adjusting her plain clothes.
This was it—the moment the plot deviated entirely from the source material.
Her destiny was no longer about hiding from the protagonist; it was about negotiating with the reborn male lead.
The meeting place was a quiet, luxuriously appointed tea lounge, located just far enough from the filming site to ensure privacy.
When she arrived, led discreetly by a member of Gu Yanzhou's personal security detail, the CEO was already waiting at a secluded table.
He wasn't drinking tea;
he was reviewing documents on a tablet, the glow illuminating his focused,
intense face.
He looked up as she entered.
His eyes, dark and penetrating, took in her appearance—the simple clothes, the lingering exhaustion—but settled quickly on the focused clarity of her gaze.
"You seem calmer than most people who almost died yesterday," he observed, his tone a measured blend of question and statement.
"I've had worse days," Xiao Xi said dryly, taking the seat opposite him.
She met his gaze directly, refusing to be intimidated by his aura or his reputation.
He studied her for a long, quiet moment, his expression unreadable, calculating.
Then, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
"I think we can help each other."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"I'm planning to significantly invest in Stars and Survival and its parent company.
I'm not interested in reality television.
I'm interested in narrative control and media influence.
I want to partner with someone who knows how to not just attract attention, but redirect it and survive its worst effects."
Xiao Xi blinked, momentarily stunned.
The proposal was brazen, direct, and completely accurate.
He hadn't seen a washed-up actress; he had seen a survivor and a strategic asset.
"You mean me?"
she asked, a spark of pure ambition igniting within her.
Gu Yanzhou simply nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.
"You have a unique kind of potential, Xiao Xi. You defied a life-threatening incident, and you immediately leveraged the outcome into public favor, strategically neutralizing your competitor.
And you saved my life.
I have resources.
You have foresight and the ability to execute public strategy. Work with me."
A torrent of alerts flooded her System display:
[System Alert: Partnership Route unlocked. High-Value Collaboration Detected.]
[Warning: Acceptance of this route accelerates plot progression and increases potential risk.]
Her pulse quickened, not from fear, but from the thrill of the sheer potential.
The novel never mentioned this route.
The original Xiao Xi wouldn't have even been invited to this table.
By accepting, she was officially off-script, turning a dead-end destiny into a path of powerful, collaborative survival.