The sacrificial lamb script

"Stars, Boldly Charge Ahead" was the variety show Shen Lian had signed on for. He had spent the three days in between watching its previous two seasons and concluded that it was nothing special.

It went for a jungle-adventure theme: fallen trees, rushing rapids, insects and snakes, prowling beasts. It sounded interesting, but in practice, the guests barely made any progress.

They were all so fragile that every bump or stumble sent the production crew into crisis mode, leaving them no room to really do anything.

Ultimately, its main selling point was making fans suffer over their favorites.

They couldn't get any big-name stars. Most of the guests were familiar faces from film and television-even if viewers couldn't name them, they would recognize them-or internet-famous singers. Failing that, there were always newcomers shoehorned in by investors.

As for those obstacle courses, Shen Lian chuckled. How were they any different from a match-three game?

On the day of filming, Shen Lian got up at seven. He came out and found no sign of Chu Yilan. Aunt Fen told him that he had left for the office a little after five.

Exactly what I'd expect from the man I've set my sights on, Shen Lian thought.

He was a workaholic himself, after all.

Over those three days, Shen Lian had tried to get Chu Yilan's contact information, but Master Chu hadn't indulged him. He told Shen Lian to contact his assistant if he needed anything.

As usual, Shen Lian took a taxi to the filming location himself.

"Stars, Boldly Charge Ahead" had three regular cast members: two men and one woman.

Zhao Lin: thirty years old, 178 centimeters tall, and a graduate of Capital University's film school. He had appeared in numerous television dramas and had considerable acting talent. Unfortunately, his looks didn't suit the tastes of young people these days. With his square face and honest appearance, he was the team's big brother.

Li Jiabo: twenty-seven years old and 180 centimeters tall. His fresh-faced looks and cheerful personality had made quite a splash when he debuted, earning him the label of "sunny college boy." But he hadn't found a good agency, and all his subsequent gigs had been variety shows. That spark had quickly burned out, so he gradually shifted toward comedy. These days, his career was neither hot nor cold.

The regular female cast member was Zhu Yingyu, twenty-five years old, 170 centimeters tall, and pretty in a delicate way. She had once enjoyed a burst of fame thanks to her song "Dream in a Winter Night," but every album she released afterward had performed only so-so. Fortunately, she could both sing and dance, and her agency had recently been considering pairing her with a newcomer for another shot.

Besides the regular cast, they would invite another three or four guests.

The filming location was a well-preserved, semi-pristine jungle. The investors had sunk a great deal of money into the land back then, so naturally, they now hoped to make more from it.

A lounge and a row of staff accommodations had been temporarily set up in the safe area outside. The conditions really weren't great.

It was pretty far away, too. Shen Lian's taxi fare came to almost two hundred yuan.

From the original owner's pile of clothes of questionable taste, he had found two wearable pieces: dark gray cargo pants and a blue T-shirt. He also carried a backpack containing only a jacket and a few toiletries.

When a staff member saw Shen Lian get out of the taxi, he assumed he was a colleague. Then he took a closer look and froze.

He led Shen Lian to the lounge.

The regular cast members were all there. Shen Lian stood backlit in the doorway, revealing only a handsome, upright silhouette, and greeted the three of them in turn.

Shen Lian had a pleasant voice, the sort people online called a "gentleman's voice." When he spoke slowly, listening to him felt as soothing as a spring breeze.

Zhao Lin and the others had been all smiles until they heard the name "Shen Lian." Then their smiles stiffened.

After all, only a month ago, abuse directed at Shen Lian had flooded the trending charts, frightening both him and his studio into suspending all activity on their Weibo accounts. Most of his fans had fled, and he had seemed on the verge of fading into obscurity.

Who would have thought he would turn around and appear on this variety show?

Zhao Lin and the others said nothing, but Shen Lian didn't care. With his backpack slung over one shoulder, he walked in, surveyed the room, and found a spot in the corner. There was just one armchair there, which suited him perfectly.

In the distinct light and shadow, the young man's features and presence came into clear focus.

The trace of concealed schadenfreude in Li Jiabo's eyes suddenly vanished.

Shen Lian sat at ease, his right leg bent across his left knee. Every casual movement exuded the air of a big shot.

The three regulars exchanged looks, all appearing somewhat confused and bewildered.

But he's so handsome, Zhu Yingyu thought.

Soon, the other three guests arrived one after another.

At the same time, the camera crew came in.

To generate buzz, the introductions before the show officially began were streamed live. The point was to show the guests at their most authentic.

Almost as soon as the stream started, viewers flooded in.

[Long time no see, Three Musketeers! Yingyu, sending you cuddles.]

[Hurry, hurry, hurry! My Fang Ke!]

Guest Fang Ke was twenty-three. He had shot to fame through two web dramas, and his career prospects were excellent, with a loyal fanbase to match. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and boundless energy.

[You've got this, Susu!]

Feng Susu, twenty-seven, was the other female guest. She was 168 centimeters tall, with a neat crop of burgundy hair, and an internet celebrity with over ten million followers. Her character cosplays frequently reached audiences beyond her usual circles, and lately, she had shown signs of moving into the entertainment industry.

[Who's the last one? I'm really looking forward to this.]

To whet the audience's appetite, even the assistant director came forward himself, beaming as he said, "We've also invited a heavyweight guest this time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the camera turned toward the door.

A young man in a white tracksuit walked in with a smile. Every inch of him, from head to toe, had been carefully groomed. He had well-defined features and fair skin, with especially fluffy eyelashes. He stood around 178 centimeters tall, and two little dimples appeared when he smiled. He made a likable impression at first glance.

He was, one could say, rather cute.

[Holy shit! Zheng Ge???]

Well, well! Shen Lian raised an eyebrow.

He finally understood why Qian Gao had relented at the café that day.

Were these fuckers seriously planning to throw me to the wolves?

Zheng Ge's fans had only just finished tearing the original owner apart. They hadn't even cooled down yet.

Besides, no matter when it happened, everyone always condemned the "other man."

True, Zhou Tangsi had been the one to summon the original owner every time. But in the end, for the sake of Zheng Ge's reputation, Zhou Tangsi could sacrifice the original owner without hesitation to build up his beloved.

Fine. Now they had every ingredient: sensational hooks, publicity bait, vicious fights.

How could they possibly fail to draw viewers?

Sure enough, Zheng Ge's studio had kept the news under such tight wraps that his fans only found out now and rushed over.

[I'm gonna murder his studio! How could they not tell us?!]

[It's an adventure show! Ge just got out of the hospital after spraining his ankle. Won't this make it flare up again? I'm really worried.]

[Paging President Zhou! Come take your Ge home!]

Plenty of people online shipped the two of them. Zheng Ge had been on an incredible lucky streak lately, and the comments were uniformly full of praise. His looks also overshadowed both Fang Ke and Li Jiabo.

[Are there only three new guests?]

"Ahem." The assistant director cleared his throat. "There's one more guest."

At that point, the assistant director paused strangely. It wasn't deliberate; he, too, found it difficult to say the name.

Finally, as though the words burned his tongue, he blurted out, "Shen Lian!"

[???]

[???? Say that again. Who?]

[Is the production team fucking stupid? Are they doing this on purpose?]

[Aaaah, I'm taking a taxi over there to kill Shen Lian! Why does that bastard keep clinging to Ge? He's like a ghost that won't go away!]

The camera duly turned toward him.

At some point, Shen Lian had stood up and was now leaning beside the chair, his long legs on full display. He didn't look particularly pleased-he had been handed the sacrificial lamb script, after all. But without his usual bangs covering his eyebrows, the young man's looks became strikingly powerful when paired with that arrogance.

With both hands in his pockets, Shen Lian met everyone's gaze and gave a slight nod. "Hello."

Fawning and flattery were out of the question. He would play however he pleased. He wasn't going to indulge anyone.