I Said You're Worse Than an Animal

-This is a recording set. Isn't making her kneel and apologize too cruel?

-Gu Luosheng is a girl, after all. There's no need to be so aggressive, is there?

-What a turnoff. I'm not a fan of his anymore.

-I never thought my dream guy would humiliate a girl in public. Boohoo, this hurts so much.

-Did his public image just crumble?

-Shen Zhe really went a bit too far. She only spilled a little coffee, and it wasn't intentional. She even apologized, yet he still insulted her.

-Shen Zhe, you're so handsome! I agree with what you did. You have to teach these people a lesson, or they'll think you're an easy target. I'll always stand behind you. Whenever you turn around, you'll see me.

Uh... comments like that clearly came from elementary schoolers and could be automatically filtered out.

"Mr. Shen, why don't we get your clothes cleaned up first?" After receiving instructions from Shen Zhe's manager, the host hurried forward to intervene.

Those words suddenly brought Shen Zhe back to his senses.

"I..." Shen Zhe froze. Only after coming to his senses did he realize he had lost control of his emotions again.

One glance at the live comments turned Shen Zhe's face green.

But he had already said it, and there was no taking it back now. He could only leave the aftermath to the PR department. Recording was suspended, and the host politely announced that this episode would end there.

The first episode had only been a brief round of introductions anyway, letting everyone know who the regular cast members were. Everything that would move things along came later.

After what had happened, Shen Zhe was furious.

Gu Luosheng skipped out from backstage.

But she had barely taken two steps when she spotted Shen Zhe, his face full of hostility.

"Gu Luosheng!"

"Why are you shouting? You scared me." Gu Luosheng frowned, looking at him with distaste. "My ears work perfectly well."

"Did you do that on purpose onstage?" Shen Zhe demanded furiously. "You deliberately provoked me to ruin my public image, didn't you?"

"See? You already have a bad temper. Why would I need to provoke you?" Gu Luosheng spread her hands innocently.

Shen Zhe stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. "Everything you've done was just to get my attention. Gu Luosheng, you've succeeded."

Gu Luosheng was speechless.

She used all her strength to shake his hand off. "You're really overthinking this..."

"I wasn't trying to get your attention. I just wanted everyone to see your true colors." Gu Luosheng blinked, the corners of her mouth lifting to reveal a little dimple.

For a moment, Shen Zhe actually thought this woman was beautiful.

"If you think I did it to get your attention, I think... you'd be better off believing I provoked you on purpose..." Gu Luosheng pressed a finger between her brows.

"Why?" Shen Zhe paused, suddenly unable to figure out what she meant.

Gu Luosheng chuckled. "Because I think liking you is an incredibly stupid thing to do."

"Gu! Luo! Sheng!" Shen Zhe forced each syllable through gritted teeth. "What are you pretending for? Everyone knows you like me and will do anything to ride on my popularity."

"No, no, no. I think you're trying to ride on mine," Gu Luosheng said confidently.

"Me? I need to ride on your popularity?" Shen Zhe almost laughed himself to death. He felt as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Gu Luosheng nodded. "That's right. Everyone calls me a Has-Been, which means I've left a lasting impression. You think your follower count has stalled with no chance of growing, so you're trying to use a Has-Been like me to gain more fans."

Gu Luosheng delivered her argument with sound reasoning and evidence.

Even Ye Nanshen, who had just walked over, thought she had something of a point.

"You're completely unreasonable. I think you've really gone insane." Shen Zhe scoffed.

"Right, I shouldn't argue with an idiot. Otherwise, I'll become one too," Shen Zhe sneered after collecting himself.

Gu Luosheng clicked her tongue. "Look at you, resorting to personal attacks because you can't win an argument. Is that all the generosity a heartthrob like you can muster?"

"I used to think you at least looked decent and were somewhat handsome. Now... even my dog is easier on the eyes."

"If you ask me, you should stop putting on an act and pretending to be everyone's dream guy. Go play a dog instead. You act one way in public and another behind closed doors. You'd make a great animal."

"When I have some free time, I could even come feed you now and then."

Gu Luosheng hadn't used a single swear word, but telling him off felt fantastic.

"Oh, right, there's no need to thank me. I'm beautiful and kindhearted, after all, and I love rescuing little animals. I just wonder how upset those adorable little creatures would be if they knew you were joining them."

"Gu Luosheng, how dare you call me an animal!" Shen Zhe was livid. Something felt wrong. Why did Gu Luosheng seem like a completely different person today?

Nearby, Chen Yu couldn't help laughing when he heard her tirade. "Miss Gu Luosheng acted so pitiful while filming, but I never expected her to be this entertaining off camera."

Only now did Chen Yu realize that public comments were completely unreliable. All that talk about Gu Luosheng chasing clout, having no acting skills, and being a Has-Been was false.

Most likely, none of them had ever seen the real Gu Luosheng.

Ye Nanshen raised a brow. "Go buy two bottles of water."

"Sure thing."

"Wait, get a cup of milk tea instead." Ye Nanshen remembered that this little one seemed to like milk tea.

Chen Yu froze. "Sir, don't you hate milk tea more than anything?"

The moment he said it, Chen Yu regretted it. Why did his stupid mouth have to run off without a shred of awareness? Obviously, the drink was for Gu Luosheng.

"I'll go right now!" Chen Yu quickly added, then dashed away.

"Well, after listening all this time, you finally got the gist. But you're not quite there yet. What I actually meant was..." Gu Luosheng paused, then enunciated each word. "You're worse than an animal!"

"You Has-Been! How dare you look down on me? I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget today." As he spoke, Shen Zhe rolled up his sleeves and moved to strike Gu Luosheng.

Gu Luosheng blinked.

[System, he's about to hit me. Do you have any weapons?]

Even now, Gu Luosheng was calmly questioning the system.

[Dear, we recommend that you dodge it yourself.]

Gu Luosheng: ???

Not a single actual protective measure?

Gu Luosheng took a deep breath. As she watched the slap coming down, she realized she might not be able to dodge it.

Damn it, I'm going to get hit again.

She swore she would get her revenge next time.

Just then, the slap she had expected never landed. Instead, she caught a familiar scent.

Gu Luosheng opened her eyes, and her heart lurched.

Ye Nanshen!