CHAPTER 56 – Back to the Show
The set director, Mr. Chen, a man known for his unflappable composure, nearly fainted when Xiao Xi walked back onto the brightly lit soundstage.
"Xiao Xi! Good heavens! We heard you were critically hospitalized! We assumed—"
"I'm fine, Director," she said, offering a small, polite, practiced smile.
She felt the immediate need to resume the mask of control.
Her System hummed low and steady—a constant background vigilance that was now her new normal.
[Warning: Story protagonists nearby. High density of narrative power.]
[Host must stay alert and monitor emotional feedback loop.]
Gu Yanzhou walked just one step behind her, a colossal presence who ignored the swirling cameras, the crew whispering frantically into headsets, and the stunned expressions of the producers.
His focus was solely on the two-foot radius around Xiao Xi.
He didn't care about public opinion; he cared only about her survival.
The moment she stepped fully into the main filming hall, the ambient conversation died.
Because standing at the exact narrative center of the room—where a hero should be—Shen Yichen, the original male lead, turned slowly toward her.
His gaze landed on her like a physical shockwave.
It held an intense mixture of recognition, profound confusion, and sharp curiosity.
It wasn't a look of attraction, but of narrative recognition—like finding a powerful error code in a crucial program.
"So you're Xiao Xi," he said softly, his voice carrying a magnetic warmth that instantly drew the attention of every camera and crew member.
His presence exerted a subtle, powerful force that pressed against the stability of their rewritten reality.
This was pure, inherited fate—his plot armor.
She forced her brightest, steadiest smile. "Yes, Mr. Shen.
Nice to finally meet you."
Shen Yichen took a slow, deliberate step closer.
Too close.
The narrative force around him seemed to pull the air itself toward her.
Gu Yanzhou's arm instantly slid around her waist, pulling her flush against his side, his body a solid, immovable barrier.
The gesture was possessive, protective, and immediate.
Shen Yichen blinked, his perfect composure briefly cracking.
"Oh? You're… together? I was under the impression you were just business partners, President Gu."
The entire room buzzed with electrifying gossip.
Gu answered unflinchingly, his voice low and utterly final.
"Yes.
We are together."
Xiao Xi's heart slammed against her ribs, the intimacy of the declaration shocking even her.
Shen Yichen's expression shifted again—not angry or jealous, but deeply intrigued.
As if the central love story of the novel had just violently hiccupped and was refusing to proceed