As a third-tier starlet ridiculed across the internet, the netizens’ evaluation of me is: my face is sculpted to perfection, while my acting skills are cobbled together.

One day, I participated in a live variety show.

The host asked each guest to express a secret crush using only their eyes.

I am confident about this.

After all, I had a secret crush for six years without ever being discovered.

As a result, the top star looked puzzled after watching.

“Are you sure you don’t hate him?”

I was completely bewildered.

The comments went wild:

[Those who understand know you’re secretly in love, while those who don’t think you’re going to stab him.]

[The other party is so confused, he can’t figure out where they offended you.]

[You understand secret crushes.]

[In the entire realm of secret crushes, this is quite explosive.]

[How many years do you get sentenced for being discovered in a secret crush there?]

Overnight, I shot up to trending topics.

01

I am a third-tier little star in the entertainment industry.

I have reached this position today not relying on acting skills, but entirely thanks to the backing of online fans.

I also thank my peers for the contrast.

Compared to the self-reliant little flowers, glamorous leading ladies, and cool jade girls in the industry, I came crashing in like a mudslide.

My acting is poor, and I don’t want to put in the effort.

Not only do I not want to work hard, but I also don’t speak nicely.

After finishing my first film, when reporters asked me what I wanted to say to the director, everyone thought I would say something emotional like “Thank you, director, thank you, crew.”

Instead, I thought of that old man in his fifties, short and chubby, with a sleazy, greasy look, who even wanted to use unspoken rules on me on the first day of filming.

I sneered, “A toad marrying a frog, ugly but plays around.”

As soon as I finished, the room went dead silent.

The reporters didn’t expect me to be so bold.

The director forcibly ordered the interview to be canceled.

The next day, the on-site recording was leaked by someone unknown.

It trended that day.

The director himself was beaten into the hospital by thugs on his way to meet his lover.

My bold words are still circulated in the industry today.

This was my first film, and also my last.

Everyone says I was blackballed from the film industry for my big mouth.

What a joke.

Who can blacklist me? I just don’t want to act.

With my lousy acting skills, I can’t even express emotions as well as they can read the alphabet.

I can handle shooting TV dramas, but I’m afraid filming movies would hinder the development of the film industry.

The reason I get mocked online isn’t just that I lack a filter; it’s also because my life is pretty wild.

While others do girl group dances, I do community square dances.

Others sing love songs, while I whistle like a delinquent.

Other female celebrities head abroad for the New Year, while I go home to tend to the cows.

I was caught by paparazzi bickering with a pig and bargaining with a vendor at the market.

Maybe netizens are tired of the same old routine, and encountering someone like me, who doesn’t follow the script, feels novel to them.

They praise my face as finely crafted, while joking that even dogs wouldn’t watch the dramas I’m in.

So, while they mock me, they frantically support me and rally their families to vote for me.

Just like that, after two years since my debut, I quickly climbed to the second tier.

Of course, I’m still wandering in the third tier for now.

As netizens say, “The taller the tree, the harder it falls.”

02

My agent, Quinn, lined me up for a live variety show.

“Naomi, this show has been very popular lately, but Luke will also participate. You…”

Before she could finish, I jumped at the chance.

The person on the other end was still puzzled as to why I was so enthusiastic about this job.

The day before the recording, Quinn earnestly advised me.

No matter how much I disliked Luke, I shouldn’t offend him.

I found her reasoning quite baffling.

Turns out I spoke too soon.

On the day of recording, I got an earful from the Luke’s fans.

The reason was that the variety show director was causing a stir.

It was agreed that we would gather at nine in the morning.

At seven, the doorbell rang.

I figured it was my agent, so I opened the door looking like a hot mess.

But when I opened the door, a whole crowd was gathered, the director, producer, and cameraman all smiling at me.

The leading guy was tall and dreamy, with deep features and slightly drooping eyes, looking lazy and carefree.

His gaze casually swept over my cheek and lingered on the top of my head.

Leaning down, his voice laced with laughter said, “Good morning, Naomi.”

Only then did I realize the person standing in front of me was Luke.

At just twenty-four years old, he was the youngest grand slam top actor in history, known as the walking hormone of the entertainment industry.

The loose black shirt hung on him precariously, his skin porcelain white and delicate.

Below that was a hint of his chest.

Suddenly, I felt a warmth creeping up my face.

The next second, I sighed in relief and slammed the door shut.

That was close; I almost embarrassed myself.

Outside, Luke was caught off guard by the closed door.

A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.

He smiled helplessly and then discreetly adjusted his shirt.

He reassured everyone, “Naomi hasn’t woken up yet; she was scared.”

Meanwhile, the live stream room had already exploded.

[Ah ah ah! So handsome!]

[How dare Naomi act so high and mighty, what a deadbeat.]

[What’s their deal? Why does Naomi always seem to have it in for the Luke?]

[Am I the only one who thinks she looks drop-dead gorgeous without makeup?]

[Why’s her face all flushed?]

I had no idea about any of this.

03

Once we got to the venue, I discovered that Luke was a special guest for this episode.

The director team let him pick one of the other five guests to wake up.

I shot a quick glance at the person across from me, then quickly looked back.

Inside, I was buzzing with sweetness, but I kept my face expressionless.

This got the live stream buzzing with criticism again.

[Not knowing the blessings while in them.]

[I’m tired of scolding.]

[Really ungrateful.]

There were six guests total, including Luke: three guys and three gals.

Luke, cute puppy idol Chris, and the handsome regular guy Richard.

Up-and-coming actress Linda, second-tier star Naomi, and Bella.

The show was filmed over three days with no script, broadcast live throughout.

To get the vibe going, the host asked each guest to team up and express a crush just through their eyes.

The live stream audience would vote right then and there.

The winning team would score a free fancy lunch.

As soon as the host finished speaking, everyone jumped into action.

I was the only one standing there like a statue.

I knew no one would pick me; they were all scared I’d lose it.

Oh, and Luke was just standing there too.

He was totally unfazed, and everyone wanted him.

Actress Linda shot me a disdainful glance, then sashayed over with confidence, flashing a charming smile.

“Luke, wanna team up?”

“What?”

The guy put his left hand to his ear.

Linda repeated it with a grin.

“Fart? Sorry, I don’t fart, at least not now.”

Luke said it seriously.

The smile on Linda’s face turned awkward and stiff.

The whole thing was hilarious.

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Luke was known as the king of mishearing in the entertainment biz.

He often made ridiculous comments, but he always looked sincere.

Eventually, everyone just had to roll with it.

But I knew he wasn’t mishearing; he was totally doing it on purpose.

It was the same back in high school when we were desk buddies.

Whenever he heard something he didn’t like, he’d just pretend he didn’t hear it.

When the professor asked me to tutor him, I said geography, and he replied with physics.

We went back and forth for half an hour without getting anything done.

Before the exam, the professor said to chill out, and he said veggies should be garnished with scallions.

The most embarrassing moment was when I tossed him a thick reference book and told him to catch it.

He repeated with a strange look, “Kiss?”

I: …

Just like that, he had me fooled for an entire semester.

When I found it, Luke seriously asked me, “Don’t you think this will reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble?”

I: “Isn’t that just shifting the burden?”

At that moment, if looks could kill, I would have been stabbed by Linda a dozen times.

Luke subtly indicated to me that there was a camera.

I got the hint right away.

I held my breath and pretended to bray like a donkey.

“Ah uh, ah uh.”

Then I put on an apologetic face and said, “Sorry, I have asthma.”

After a moment of surprise, Luke smirked, a clear hint of amusement in his eyes.

Linda looked like she had just bitten into something foul and couldn’t spit it out.

The comments came pouring in:

[Who gets it? I’m dying of laughter.]

[One’s a case of mishearing, the other’s just neurotic—how did they end up matching?]

[Naomi, do you even remember you’re a star?]

[Take my Linda away, I feel bad for her.]

[Why do I get the feeling they both did that on purpose?]

[Upstairs, Naomi’s acting is just too fake; Luke isn’t like that.]

04

In the end, Chris fawned over Linda, and they teamed up.

The ordinary handsome guy and girl, while not professionals, were still entertaining to watch.

When it was Luke’s turn, he leaned in closer, his deep gaze locked onto me, the faint red at the corners of his eyes swirling with tenderness, as if there was some fateful connection.

I held my breath.

He was so handsome, it was overwhelming.

My lips couldn’t help but want to curl up.

I had to bite my lip hard.

The thin lips approaching were sexy, both alluring and comforting.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling with mischief and seduction.

My mouth was about to bleed from biting it so hard, and I could only furrow my brows to hide my squinting eyes.

I didn’t notice Luke’s eyelids fluttered slightly.

He quickly averted his gaze, as if everything was just my illusion.

An indescribable sense of loss.

Comments:

[Wow wow, no wonder he’s the top actor!]

[Can someone tell me what Luke did to offend Naomi? Faced with such a gem, she actually showed a look of disdain!]

[This is too real! If I were Naomi, I’d be head over heels for him right now!]

[It doesn’t seem fake.]

[This is what a crush feels like—wanting her to know but not daring to tell him.]

[Naomi! What are you frowning about? What’s bothering you?]

Finally, it was my turn.

I was feeling confident.

I might not excel at other things, but I can portray a crush authentically.

After all, I’ve had a crush on Luke for six years without being discovered.

When I finished my performance, everyone’s expressions were momentarily hard to describe.

Linda smiled at me genuinely for the first time and said, “Naomi, are you here to be funny?”

Chris scratched his head: “Naomi, I originally thought I performed badly enough.”

The two ordinary people said nothing, but their shocked expressions said it all.

The complexity in Luke’s eyes was something I had never witnessed before.

“Are you sure you don’t hate him?”

I panicked: “No, I’ve had a crush on him for six years.”

The comments exploded:

[Those who understand know you’re crushing, those who don’t think you’re going to stab him.]

[The other party has been confused for six years and can’t figure out what exactly offended you.]

[You understand crushes.]

[In the entire crush community, this is quite explosive.]

[Crush or assassination?]

[But you don’t seem to like him very much.]

[How many years do you get for being discovered in a crush?]

[Guys, I think I’ve discovered a major secret!!]

[Same here, same here.]

[The first female celebrity in the entertainment industry to self-disclose.]

In an instant, the terms “Naomi’s crush” and “Naomi reveals relationship” surged to the hot search.

Netizens were discussing who the “lucky one” that Naomi had a crush on was.

My mouth ran ahead, and my brain followed.

It was only after I finished speaking that I realized.

The entire venue fell into dead silence.

Even the director’s team was dumbfounded.

Luke propped his chin with one hand, his gaze probing.

It’s over, I’ve just exposed myself.

My face turned ashen as I closed my eyes, my mind only had one thought: pack up and retire.

I’m better off going home to inherit the family business.

My story with Luke begins in my sophomore year.

My dad is a geologist, and my mom is a successful businesswoman.

I’ve heard that my mom was the one who pursued my dad back in the day.

Once they got married, my dad couldn’t stay put and always wanted to travel.

My mom couldn’t stop him, nor did she want to.

So, wherever my dad went to study geology, my mom would follow to expand her business.

I didn’t have any grandparents, and they were uneasy about leaving me with strangers.

As a result, I ended up following them around the world from a young age.

The same was true for school; I had to switch schools almost every couple of years.

I had many classmates, but they constantly changed.

At first, I was curious and interested in new environments and new classmates, trying to fit in.

But later, I found that they had already formed fixed social circles, and I was just an outsider knocking at the door.

I felt no sense of belonging and didn’t like being rejected.

So, I often found myself taking on the role of an observer, not taking the initiative or participating, just a temporary passerby.

Until my senior two year, when I transferred to the school Luke attended.

He broke through this self-imposed barrier.

By the time I finished the enrollment process, school had already been in session for two or three days.

Our homeroom professor, Old Simon, was a sweet old man.

He insisted I go up on stage to introduce myself.

Even though I was used to it, I still felt awkward every time.

Facing the sea of eyes in the classroom, I took a deep breath.

I silently reminded myself, they’re all just people, just people.

I put on a smile and said, “Hello everyone, my name is Naomi, nice to meet you all.”

There weren’t any empty seats in the classroom.

Old Simon had me sit all by myself in the last row.

Just as I was about to reply, a voice suddenly piped up beside me.

“Professor, I’m not satisfied.”

The boy lounging on the right side of the podium lifted his head, his eyelids drooping, clearly just woke up.

My eyes widened in surprise; is there another person?