I'm Rich - 1
Winter had arrived. The moment she stepped outside, the bitter cold cut straight through her.
Guan Zhiyi zipped her down jacket all the way to the top, burying the lower half of her face beneath the high collar.
Ding.
The elevator reached the twenty-sixth floor. As the doors slid open, she stepped inside.
The elevator stopped several times on the way down as more residents gradually filed in. Pulling the brim of her cap lower, she lowered her gaze to the screen of her phone.
Displayed on it was the official account for the drama Heartbeat Ten Thousand Times. She had filmed the web series last year, and it had only just premiered this year. It was her second time leading a drama, yet just like the first, she was once again playing a hopelessly naive heroine. Worse still, this one wasn't even particularly lovable.
The story itself was painfully cliché, and after it aired, it barely stirred any interest. As if that wasn't bad enough, Guan Zhiyi still had to endure the wrath of the original novel's fans, who declared her portrayal of the heroine as stupid and hopelessly dense.
The more she read, the more exasperated and amused she became. It wasn't as if she'd insisted on playing the character that way. Honestly, she found many of the heroine's actions just as baffling as the audience did. But the script was written that way. The screenwriter wanted those changes, what could she do about it?
With a quiet sigh, Guan Zhiyi scrolled down to the comments.
The last top comment read:
"You can tell GZY is just playing herself. A natural-born ditzy sweetheart."
After reading that, Guan Zhiyi locked her phone.
The screen went dark, leaving only her reflection staring back at her. Truthfully, she'd always been self-conscious about her appearance. Her agency constantly told her she looked too pure, too youthful. Add in her round face, and on camera she fit the textbook image of an innocent, ditzy sweetheart.
Because of her looks, since she started acting, no one had ever approached her for roles other than the ditzy sweetheart or the innocent flower.
Being boxed into one type of role frustrated her more than anyone could imagine. But with her level of fame, she wasn't exactly in a position to be choosy.
Having any roles at all was already something to be grateful for.
Bzz...
Just then, her phone vibrated. The caller ID flashed one simple words.
Dad.
Snapped out of her thoughts, Guan Zhiyi answered the call. "Hello."
"Xiao Wu, you didn't forget you're meeting the young master of the Hua family today, did you?"
The elevator reached the lobby. Guan Zhiyi stepped out, lowering her voice as she replied, "You even called specifically to check, so afraid I wouldn't go..."
"What do you think?"
She muttered under her breath, "I'm already on my way."
"Then make sure you're there on time. Being late is rude."
"I know."
"You. Try living a normal life for once instead of throwing yourself into the entertainment industry. You're never going to make much of yourself there..."
Her father had slipped back into another lecture. Guan Zhiyi let out a quiet sigh, a familiar melancholy settling over her.
Today, Guan Xinghuai had arranged for her to meet someone. His name was Hua Hongxi, the sole heir to the Hua Corporation and the pampered young master everyone doted on.
Meeting him was, to put it delicately, getting to know a new friend. To put it bluntly, it was a blind date.
She was only twenty-three. By entertainment industry standards, she was still young, nowhere near the stage of life where marriage should even be on the horizon.
But in the upper circles of the imperial capital, influential families all had carefully considered suitable matches of equal status for their children. And because of her mother, her father harbored a deep-seated loathing for the entertainment industry and had spent years trying to pull her back out of it.
Yet she truly, deeply loved acting.
During her freshman year's break, she'd secretly auditioned for an idol survival program. Against all expectations, she'd made it through and debuted as a member of a girl group.
The group had never become popular, but later the company picked her for acting projects, and she eventually found her way into the film and television industry.
Her father, however, hated every minute of it. When he discovered she'd secretly begun filming dramas, they had a massive fight. He insisted that without the family's backing, she'd never amount to anything in show business. Back then, she had been every bit as stubborn as he was. Right there in the middle of the argument, she'd declared that from that day forward she wouldn't take a single cent from the family, nor rely on any of their connections. She would make a name for herself entirely on her own.
Her father had been furious. For a long time afterward, he refused to speak to her and forbade anyone else in the family from helping her.
And she, just like him, was a mule who kept her word.
From her sophomore year until now, she'd paid her own tuition and covered all of her living expenses with the money she earned from acting. More than anything, she wanted to prove to her father that she could support herself through the career she loved.
It had been four years since she first stepped onto a set, and in that respect, she had succeeded. She could take care of herself.
The only regret was that she still hadn't made a name for herself.
Still, over time, her relationship with her father had thawed. That is, until a few days ago, when he once again brought up the idea of her returning to the family company instead of wasting her time in the entertainment industry, they found themselves at odds all over again.
When things were about to completely fall apart, they finally decided to each take a step back.
Her father reluctantly gave her two more years to keep acting, to keep chasing her so-called dream. In return, she had to do as he asked: make friends with people he deemed suitable, and date someone he considered a match from an equal social standing.
Guan Zhiyi had no intention of dating.
But to keep her father from putting an end to her career altogether, she had no choice but to agree. If she truly pushed him past his limit, she knew he could make it impossible for her to stay in the industry.
**
The young master of the Hua family had set their meeting at a Western restaurant. By the time Guan Zhiyi arrived, rain had just begun to fall. She hurried out of the car and jogged through the drizzle to the entrance.
A waiter opened the door for her and asked if she had a reservation.
Guan Zhiyi nodded. "I'm meeting someone under the name Hua Hongxi."
The waiter checked the list and led her inside. "Right this way, please."
Hua Hongxi hadn't reserved a private room, but Guan Zhiyi didn't mind. Hardly anyone recognized her on the street anyway, especially not when she was bundled up this thoroughly today.
She waited for half an hour, the agreed time had long passed, but Hua Hongxi still hadn't shown up.
The longer she waited, the brighter her mood became.
She secretly hoped he wouldn't come at all.
Another ten minutes ticked by. Deciding she'd waited long enough, Guan Zhiyi happily picked up her phone and prepared to leave. Just then, someone beside her suddenly called out hesitantly.
"G... Guan Zhiyi?"
Guan Zhiyi froze for a moment before turning around.
The woman who'd called her name was a complete stranger. The instant Guan Zhiyi looked over, the woman's earlier hesitation instantly melted into pure delight. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately set down her fork. "It r-really is you! Hi, hi! I'm your fan!"
Guan Zhiyi blinked in surprise, instinctively glancing down at what she was wearing. To show how casual she was about this, she'd thrown on a shapeless down jacket, then wrapped herself up with a scarf and pulled on a cap so no one would recognize her.
Logically speaking, someone at her level of fame, dressed like this, should have been impossible to identify. And yet this girl had called her by name?
This... a true fan.
"Ah... h-hi." Guan Zhiyi quickly nodded with a smile.
The girl could barely contain her excitement. "I never thought I'd run into you here! I really like you. I watch every vlog you post on Weibo. They're all so much fun."
When you've seen too much hate, hearing sincere praise, even just once, was enough to brighten anyone's day.
Warmth spread through Guan Zhiyi's chest, and she smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"I wasn't completely sure it was you at first. I noticed you'd been sitting here for quite a while. Are you waiting for someone, or..."
"Hey! It's you, right?" A male voice suddenly interrupted them.
Guan Zhiyi turned around to see a young man in a grayish-blue jacket settling into the seat opposite her. He had fair skin, striking features, and an untamed confidence about him. He looked exactly like the photo her father had sent her.
"Hua Hongxi?"
"That's me." Hua Hongxi gave her a quick once-over and flashed a wide grin. "Hey there, blind date."
"A b-blind date?" The fan at the next table stared at them in shock.
Guan Zhiyi stiffened and hurriedly shook her head at the girl. "N-no, it's not..."
Not what?
She stopped herself. There really wasn't any convincing way to deny it.
Unable to explain, Guan Zhiyi simply picked up the glass in front of her and took a sip of water to steady herself. Whatever. She wasn't some huge traffic star or an A-list actress. Whether she went on a blind date or got married wasn't exactly headline material.
Only then did Hua Hongxi seem to realize something. Lowering his voice, he said, "Oh, right. I heard you're an actress. Should we keep this a bit more low-profile?"
Guan Zhiyi lifted her eyes over the rim of her glass and shot him a glare.
Wasn't that realization just a little late?
Hua Hongxi was momentarily stunned by the look.
He'd only recently returned from overseas and knew next to nothing about celebrities back home. When he'd first seen Guan Zhiyi's photo a few days earlier, he'd thought she looked cute enough.
Now, being glared at by her in person... it was ridiculously cute.
Her big eyes, round cheeks, and delicate features made her look like a porcelain doll. No wonder she'd become an actress.
Though she looked much younger than her age.
"Sorry I'm late," Hua Hongxi said, sounding anything but apologetic. "Traffic was terrible." There wasn't a trace of guilt in his voice. As the spoiled young master, making someone wait clearly didn't bother him in the slightest. "Seriously though... are you really twenty-four?"
"In a few more months." Guan Zhiyi lowered her voice. "Look, I don't blame you for being late. I know your family forced you into this too. We've met now, so I'd say we've completed the assignment. Why don't we just call it a day?"
"Huh? But we haven't even eaten yet."
Guan Zhiyi had no desire to continue this blind date under the watchful eyes of her fan. "Something came up all of a sudden. How about we make it up another time?"
"Oh... Alright, that works, I guess."
The moment Hua Hongxi agreed, Guan Zhiyi waved goodbye to her fan and immediately hurried toward the exit.
She disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Hua Hongxi stared after her, thoroughly bewildered. He truly hadn't wanted to come on this blind date, so he'd deliberately shown up late.
But how unappealing was he? This girl looked even more unwilling than he was.
**
The restaurant was spacious. After coming downstairs, Guan Zhiyi walked along the corridor toward the exit, her steps were hurried. As she rounded a corner, she collided head-on with two men coming the other way.
With the brim of her cap pulled low, she didn't even look up to see who she'd bumped into. Mumbling a quick apology, she sidestepped, intending to slip past them.
But halfway through her escape, someone suddenly grabbed her by the back of her collar.
The fabric tightened instantly around her throat.
Startled, she reached up to tug at her collar. But the moment her fingers brushed it, she was hauled right back.
"Huh?"
Guan Zhiyi looked up in surprise, her slightly irritated gaze finally emerging from under her hat brim.
The instant she saw who was standing before her, that irritation vanished like a wisp of smoke.
She hadn't expected to run into Guan Yuanbai here.
He was her older brother. Since she hadn't been home in such a long time, it had also been a long time since she'd seen him. Seeing him now in a rather formal suit, he probably just came from the office for a meal or something…
"What are you doing here?" Guan Yuanbai asked, his brows knitting together.
Apparently, her brother had no idea their father had sent her out on a blind date.
Guan Zhiyi pried his hand off her collar and took an awkward step backward. She was just about to explain when her eyes suddenly landed on the man standing next to Guan Yuanbai.
The moment their gazes met, she froze.
He was dressed in a black suit, though he'd left his tie off and casually undone the top button of his shirt. He looked less stern than her brother, yet there was an effortless elegance about him, restrained and unmistakably refined.
As Guan Zhiyi looked at him, he was looking right back at her.
The lighting in the restaurant was dim. Warm amber light fell across his face, softening his features and casting a gentle glow over the clear, tranquil eyes that held hers.
An exceptionally handsome man.
And somehow...
Both unfamiliar and strangely familiar at the same time.
For several long seconds, Guan Zhiyi simply stared, then her heart gave a violent jolt.
She glanced sharply at Guan Yuanbai, then pointed in surprise at the man beside him. "Ge...ge, he's..."
Before Guan Yuanbai could answer, the man let out a quiet chuckle.
It was soft, low, and pleasantly rich, carrying the calm confidence of someone completely at ease.
The smile reached his eyes, sweeping away the faint veil that had seemed to shroud them only moments ago.
Then, in an even, unhurried voice, he asked,
"Xiao Wu... who exactly are you calling 'gege'?"
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