Chapter 5

The moment she stepped out from under the umbrella, scorching heat enveloped me.

My eyes widened in astonishment.

Wait…

I was holding the umbrella, wasn’t I?

I looked up at it.

Yes. It was right here in my hand.

So why had it suddenly become so hot?

Gritting my teeth, I stayed where I was.

I refused to believe it!

The sun kept beating down.

The umbrella did a good job of blocking it, but this was nothing like when Zhu Tian had been here.

Soon I was sweating all over.

My face burned, and sweat soaked my clothes. I wanted to take off my sun jacket, but I didn’t dare.

If my skin darkened by a single shade, my manager would scream.

The sun shone so fiercely on the beach that even the light reflected off the sand felt hot.

The umbrella blocked the sunlight, but heat rose from the sand beneath my feet. Trapped under the canopy, I felt as though I were in a steamer.

No… I… I couldn’t breathe.

Without thinking, I ran toward the figure on the pier.

The camera operator chased after me, camera on her shoulder.

I couldn’t worry about that.

My feet pounded against the wooden boards.

“Zhu Tian…!”

Panting, I reached for her.

She caught my arm.

I hadn’t imagined it.

The moment I got close to her, a refreshing coolness drove the heat away. My head cleared almost at once.

Only then did I realize what I’d done.

I’d reached out to this woman for help of my own accord.

I tried to pull my arm back, but she held it firmly. No matter how I tugged, it wouldn’t move.

Timidly, I looked up at her.

I flicked my eyes sideways, warning her that a camera was following us. Nothing out of line, please.

Her expression didn’t change. Her gaze stayed on me.

She raised her other hand and gently touched my cheek.

I meant to dodge.

But I realized that, in this situation, dodging would only make things worse.

I had to let her touch my face.

So cool!

I stared at her in surprise.

Her hand… was wonderfully cool against my skin.

I covered the back of it with my own and pressed my cheek hard into her palm.

By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.

The livestream comments had already exploded.

“Holy SHIT! That escalated fast!”

“They’ve only just met, and… Oh my God. Is this what they call physical attraction?”

“Wang Zige is so into her. Just look at her face. She’s in heaven.”

“Can’t blame her. Zhu Tian’s ridiculously handsome and charming. Who could resist?”

“LOL. A traditional woman, huh? And she starts going lesbian the moment they meet?”

“What’s it to you? Zige doesn’t live off your money! She can be traditional if she wants, and she can be a lesbian if she wants. Mind your own business!”

“I’m just waiting to see whether Zhu Tian will pay a billion to marry her.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How many lifetimes would a girl need to earn a billion? And then spend it all on Wang Zige? With that kind of money, wouldn’t hiring a few male models be more fun?”

“Why does having money mean she has to want men? Are men’s * made of gold? Zhu Tian already said she’s here for Wang Zige. Why do you keep dragging men into it? Where is there any room for a man here?”

“Seriously, how do people still not know that Wang Zige only called herself traditional and demanded a billion to piss off that male fan? Anyone who’s watched the video knows. Did your village only just get internet?”

“Exactly. What traditional woman fights her way to the top of show business? Wang Zige’s always been the heroine of her own story. Ironic that a ‘billion-yuan betrothal gift’ is what finally makes her known outside the fandom.”

“Oh, please. If she hadn’t already been thinking about a billion-yuan gift, would it have popped out at the crucial moment? People dream about what they think about all day. She wants to marry rich and get a billion. She’s said it herself, and her fans still make excuses. Stupidity has officially come home to roost.”

“If she wants a billion, she’d better ask her sugar daddy first. He’s kept her for years and must be bored by now. Doubt he’d cough up a billion.”

“Sexual slander. Reported.”

“What’s wrong with you? Who’s being kept? Were you hiding under her bed? Opening your mouth just to spread sexual rumors about women. Reported!”

The livestream descended into another shouting match.