Chapter Summaries

Song Shi'an’s cast finished filming the earlier instance, and leaked set photos sparked online speculation about his role. As the production reached its final scene, the actors began filming the last stage, where Lu Ci led the survivors through a bright white door.

• Cheng Zhiwei collected the reagents with Qu Lingzhou while Lu Ci arrived too late to save Mo Zhao, then the director called an end to the instance shoot.
• Song Shi'an fell asleep on set, and a paparazzo photographed him among the cast, prompting online discussion about the clean-looking newcomer.
• Lin Fan recognized Song Shi'an in the leaked photos, while fans argued over whether the newcomer resembled him.
• Lin Fan told Song Shi'an that Endless Summer and The Invisible Bystander would premiere on December twelfth, and the director prepared him for the final scene.
• Lu Ci led the battered survivors through the door to the last stage, where they encountered a dazzling white light.

Qu Lingzhou forced the contestants into a final battle in which only one person could survive, and Lu Ci emerged as the winner. Qu Lingzhou revealed that Lu Ci’s sister, Lu Wei, had been beside him all along before vanishing.

• Qu Lingzhou announced that the final stage allowed only one survivor and killed the fat man after he challenged him.
• Qu Lingzhou sent the remaining contestants into darkness, where they hunted one another while he watched from the control room.
• Lu Ci and Cheng Zhiwei became the last two survivors, and Lu Ci killed Cheng Zhiwei after she attacked him.
• In a pink bedroom, Qu Lingzhou declared Lu Ci the winner and awarded him control of Tianquan and its assets.
• Lu Ci demanded that Qu Lingzhou return Lu Wei, but Qu Lingzhou said she had been by Lu Ci’s side all along and vanished.
• A server-wide announcement named Lu Ci the ultimate winner.

After filming wrapped, Song Shi'an prepared for the crew’s barbecue while He Minglou and Wen Qing greeted fans outside. Song Shi'an eventually met his own fans, who were captivated by the smell of barbecue clinging to him.

• After Qu Lingzhou dissolved into pixel data, the director had Song Shi'an film a brief post-credits scene in which a figure said the game was not over.
• The director announced a wrap dinner, and He Minglou gave Song Shi'an a bag of his favorite snacks while Wen Qing and He Minglou playfully fought.
• He Minglou and Wen Qing went outside to greet fans, and Wen Qing told Song Shi'an's waiting fans that he was still with the crew.
• Song Shi'an left Lin Fan in charge of the grill and went out to meet his fans, thanking them for making the difficult trip and signing their banners and letters.
• Song Shi'an's fans noticed the barbecue aroma on him, and other fans teased them for swallowing as they watched him.

After wrapping the film, Song Shi'an treated his fans and castmates to barbecue before returning to school. The movie’s cast poster sparked speculation about his unusually clean-looking character.

• Song Shi'an reassured his fans that he would someday stand on an awards stage and asked them to post on Weibo once they got home.
• Song Shi'an found Lin Fan eating the grilled meat and asked him to post a check-in message on Weibo for the fans.
• Song Shi'an’s fans responded to the post, and Wen Qing and the rest of the crew gathered around his barbecue and praised his sauce.
• The crew filmed staged behind-the-scenes footage, then Song Shi'an left for school early the next morning after filming officially wrapped.
• The movie’s cast poster appeared on Weibo, where viewers debated Song Shi'an’s spotless appearance and guessed at his character’s role.

Song Shi'an's popularity drove Fengtu's winter collection to sell out, while his former manager Ge Qin began plotting to ruin his reputation. After a packed weekend of minor roles, Song Shi'an agreed to attend Pei's birthday banquet and prepared for the event with his dormmates.

• Song Shi'an fell asleep immediately after Lin Fan brought him home, while Fengtu's advertisements launched and its featured styles sold out.
• Ge Qin watched Song Shi'an's rising fame and decided she could destroy his reputation using old photos.
• Song Shi'an worked on several productions over the weekend, playing multiple characters who died or appeared only briefly.
• Jiang Ye persuaded Song Shi'an to attend Pei's twentieth birthday banquet by mentioning the elaborate food, and Song Shi'an eagerly agreed.
• The next afternoon, Song Shi'an found Jiang Ye and Chi Xun dressed in suits and opened the tailored outfit Pei had sent him.

Song Shi'an dressed for Pei Zhiyan's birthday banquet and was stunned by the scale of the Pei family estate. At the banquet, he exchanged greetings with Pei Zhiyan, registered his gift, and went looking for food.

• Song Shi'an, Jiang Ye, and Chi Xun left the dorm for Pei Zhiyan's birthday banquet, and students photographed Song Shi'an as he walked through the corridor.
• Song Shi'an was amazed when their car reached the Pei family estate and saw its towering gates, sprawling grounds, and extravagant guests.
• Song Shi'an arrived at the banquet hall, where guests noticed him and Pei Zhiyan acknowledged him across the crowd.
• Song Shi'an registered his gift and then went to look for food because he had skipped breakfast and lunch.

At Pei Zhiyan’s birthday banquet, Song Shi'an watched Shen Lingshu confront Tang Manni, who accused her of keeping him and disrupting Pei Zhiyan’s engagement. Shen Lingshu and Pei Zhiyan turned Tang Manni’s outburst into a demand for a Serenoir brand ambassador deal, while Song Shi'an was left fielding attention from business guests instead of enjoying his food.

• Song Shi'an and Chi Xun found an untouched dessert table and ate in a corner until the banquet hall fell silent.
• Tang Manni accused Shen Lingshu of tripping her, and Pei Zhiyan told Tang Manni to get up and apologize to Shen Lingshu.
• Tang Manni claimed Shen Lingshu had brought Song Shi'an as a lover, prompting Song Shi'an to deny the accusation and threaten to sue without evidence.
• Shen Lingshu demanded an Asian brand ambassador deal from Tang Manni’s company, Serenoir, as compensation, and Pei Zhiyan agreed.
• Tang Manni stormed away, and Pei Zhiyan reassured Song Shi'an before leaving; guests then crowded around Song Shi'an to exchange business cards while his food went cold.

Song Shi'an secured Serenoir's Asian endorsement at the banquet and returned home to find old photos being used to spread rumors about him. The images revived his memories of Ge Qin's betrayal, and he resolved to settle the debts left by the original owner's past.

• Song Shi'an received Serenoir's Asian endorsement, and Pei Zhiyan sent him home with extra food from the banquet.
• Chi Xun and Jiang Ye found a trending post accusing Song Shi'an of gaining roles through a rich woman, using old photos as supposed proof.
• Song Shi'an recognized the photos as being from a business dinner arranged by Ge Qin after he signed with Cloud-Watching Entertainment.
• Song Shi'an recalled how Ge Qin had led him into a degrading meeting, after which he cut contact and faced a huge termination penalty and debt alone.
• Song Shi'an felt the original owner's anger and helplessness and decided it was time to repay the debts.

Song Shi'an faced a growing online smear campaign, but Ji Shuyao backed him and released evidence of Cloud-Watching Entertainment’s abuse. Ge Qin was detained, and Song Shi'an’s scandal was resolved within two days, though he suspected the company’s other artists were still trapped.

• Song Shi'an left for the company after Ji Shuyao called, while Chi Xun and Jiang Ye watched false rumors about him spread online and brands began canceling deals.
• Song Shi'an sent Ji Shuyao evidence of Cloud-Watching Entertainment’s threats and contract abuses, and Ji Shuyao promised to handle the case and mobilized the company’s legal team.
• Lili received Stars Entertainment’s evidence, and Gossiping Roe Deer published it at midnight, shifting public attention toward Cloud-Watching Entertainment’s silence.
• Ye Jianhao tried to make Ge Qin take the blame, but she said the company had approved her actions; police then detained her for investigation.
• Stars Entertainment sent lawyer’s letters to rumor-spreading accounts, and further allegations against Cloud-Watching Entertainment surfaced as Song Shi'an stayed at the villa cooking and studying.
• Song Shi'an saw that the scandal had been resolved in two days and wondered whether Cloud-Watching Entertainment’s other artists were still afraid to speak out or leave.

Qi Muyang’s skiing footage and the rescued skier’s thank-you video cleared Song Shi'an of the endorsement scandal, and Song Shi'an used his compensation to help his parents rebuild their house. As two dramas featuring him prepared to premiere, Ji Shuyao offered him a role in a popular IP that he could finish before the New Year.

• Qi Muyang posted drone footage of Song Shi'an skiing, and Xie Hanzheng welcomed him to the World Championships.
• The rescued skier thanked Song Shi'an and Xie Hanzheng in a video, ending the backlash over the endorsement.
• Song Shi'an received 400,000 yuan in compensation and sent 200,000 yuan to his mother to help rebuild the family house.
• Song Shi'an cooked a huge meal, while fans mistook his small plated serving in a Weibo photo for all he had to eat.
• The platforms announced that Endless Summer and The Invisible Bystander would premiere simultaneously on December 12.
• Ji Shuyao visited Song Shi'an and offered him a role in a popular IP that could be filmed before the New Year.

Song Shi'an learned that he had been cast as Si Qinglan in the adaptation of God's Demise, then accepted the backlash for the five-million payment. On the day his dramas premiered, he woke with a fever and asked Lin Fan for medicine.

• Ji Shuyao told Song Shi'an that he would play Si Qinglan in the screen adaptation of God's Demise and sent him the script and promotional event notice.
• Song Shi'an read the script, saw netizens criticize his possible casting, and worried that fans would attack him.
• Ji Shuyao told Song Shi'an the role paid five million, and Song Shi'an eagerly accepted the prospect of being criticized.
• Song Shi'an celebrated through the night, then woke with a fever on the day his dramas premiered.
• Song Shi'an messaged Lin Fan asking whether they had any fever medicine, while worrying that he would miss the premieres.

Song Shi'an woke with a fever and was surprised when Shen Lingshu came to arrange a doctor for him. After recovering enough to watch The Invisible Bystander, he saw his character appear in the drama’s opening arc as a mysterious figure connected to a girl’s apparent suicide.

• Shen Lingshu visited Song Shi'an, called a doctor, and stayed until he had taken medicine for his low-grade fever.
• Lin Fan arrived with supplies and told Song Shi'an he had been shopping when he got the call; he reacted with surprise that Shen Lingshu had come.
• Song Shi'an watched The Invisible Bystander with Lin Fan and saw the opening crime investigation conclude that the girl’s death had been suicide.
• At the girl’s funeral, a man in a dark gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses offered her grieving older brother his condolences.

After Song Shi'an's new drama made him a breakout star, he returned to school and immersed himself in reading the novel for his upcoming role. A request to care for two cats drew him away from his book, leaving his roommate wondering where he had gone.

• Song Shi'an watched viewers praise his performance as Su Wenli, and his drama surpassed 30,000 on the popularity index, narrowly beating "Endless Summer."
• Lin Fan asked Song Shi'an to choose promotional gifts for fans, and Song Shi'an suggested plushies, skincare products, and snacks.
• Song Shi'an returned to school, attracted attention from fans, and reread the original novel of "God's Demise" while marking passages about Si Qinglan.
• Song Shi'an accepted a part-time job caring for two cats and left the dorm before Chi Xun could bring him his meal.
• Song Shi'an arrived at the owner's home, petted the ragdoll and British shorthair, and prepared their carefully measured food.

Song Shi'an took Bring Wealth and As You Wish to a pet store, where he discovered the cats would only let him brush them. A customer recorded him grooming them and posted a video saying he looked like Su Wenli, leaving viewers debating the resemblance.

• Song Shi'an brought the cats to a pet store after finding grooming services online.
• At the store, the groomer explained that Bring Wealth and As You Wish resisted brushing, but both cats calmly let Song Shi'an handle them.
• Song Shi'an brushed Bring Wealth while soothing As You Wish, and Bring Wealth purred contentedly.
• A customer recognized similarities between Song Shi'an and Su Wenli in the drama she was watching.
• The customer posted a short video of Song Shi'an brushing the cat on Xiaohongshu, prompting comments about his resemblance to Su Wenli.

Song Shi'an returned two groomed cats to their owner, while a viral post about him brought a surge of customers to the pet shop. After he and Chi Xun found a mother cat and her kittens on campus, Pei Zhiyan agreed to adopt them, and Song Shi'an left the next morning to get styled for the drama.

• Song Shi'an took Bring Wealth and Glutinous Rice to their owner's home after grooming them, and the owner's Xiaohongshu post about him went viral.
• The viral post drew crowds and unusual pets to the pet shop, while fans bought out the cats' collars and Chi Xun showed Song Shi'an the online commotion.
• Song Shi'an explained to Chi Xun that the cats were not his, and they went around campus with cat food to feed the senior cats.
• Jiang Ye pointed out that a mother cat and her two kittens might not survive the coming campus break, so Song Shi'an posted a request for adopters.
• Pei Zhiyan offered to raise the cats, and someone soon collected the mother and kittens with carriers and warming pads.
• Song Shi'an was picked up the next morning to get styled like Su Wenli for the drama.

Song Shi'an attended a crowded promotional event for The Invisible Bystander, where fans praised his looks and discussed his role as Su Wenli. After Su Wenli's true nature was revealed in the next episode and public opinion turned against the character, Song Shi'an headed to the airport and joked with Pei Zhiyan about becoming a cat.

• Song Shi'an arrived at the mall promotion and was greeted by a huge crowd of fans.
• Song Shi'an described Su Wenli and Jiang Shuyue's relationship as "each gets what they need" and avoided spoilers about Su Wenli's secrets.
• Lu Shiyue took a commemorative photo of Song Shi'an with his fans, and high-definition photos of him spread across social media.
• Fans edited Xia Yu and Su Wenli into a popular video imagining Su Wenli saving Xia Yu from jumping off a rooftop.
• The next episode exposed Su Wenli's true character, and online comments shifted from calling him "My husband" to "Your husband."
• Song Shi'an saw Pei Zhiyan's photo of the cats in their new home and asked whether Pei still needed a human-speaking cat.

Song Shi'an arrived at the filming set for his new role as Si Qinglan and met the cast before being styled in elaborate immortal robes for promotional photos. After the shoot, he learned the Moon-Embracing Sword was a heavy prop, and Old Zhang assured him a lighter version would be used for action scenes.

• Lin Fan brought Song Shi'an to the set, where he met Zhou Yiyang and the other lead actors, who praised his performance as Su Wenli.
• The director sent the cast to prepare for promotional photos and the kickoff ceremony, and Song Shi'an discovered that more than twenty costumes had been made for him.
• The stylist dressed Song Shi'an as Si Qinglan in silver-white hair and ornate immortal robes, and Lin Fan photographed him from every angle.
• Old Zhang mistook Song Shi'an for Si Qinglan and jokingly asked him to summon his divine artifact, then took him to the studio for the poster shoot.
• Song Shi'an finished the photo shoot and asked Old Zhang about the Moon-Embracing Sword's weight; Old Zhang explained that the solid prop weighed eight jin and four liang and that a lighter version was available for fight scenes.

Song Shi'an attended the filming kickoff for the drama and faced backlash and support after fans learned he was playing Si Qinglan. He delivered Si Qinglan's painful dragon marrow extraction scene in one take, impressing the director and crew.

• Song Shi'an watched Old Zhang's sword flourishes and wondered whether he might be opening a sect and taking disciples.
• Lin Fan told Song Shi'an that Zhou Yiyang's fans had filled the kickoff ceremony, where the cast offered incense.
• Fans debated Song Shi'an's casting as Si Qinglan online, while Lin Fan used three alternate accounts to promote positive comments.
• Song Shi'an studied Si Qinglan's dragon marrow extraction scene while Zhou Yiyang filmed the opening battle against demons on a green screen.
• Song Shi'an performed the extraction scene, giving his dragon marrow to preserve the Divine Lord's soul before collapsing onto the scorched earth.
• The director called cut and praised Song Shi'an's performance as an excellent one-take scene.

Song Shi'an finished filming Si Qinglan's scenes and discovered that his appearance in the newly released drama had won viewers over. After his coworkers invited him to play cards, he unexpectedly won repeatedly and learned He Zeyu only wanted his skincare secrets.

• Song Shi'an finished filming his scenes with Zhou Yiyang and returned to the hotel, where he noticed Pei Zhiyan had recalled a message.
• Song Shi'an saw that viewers were praising his portrayal of Tushan Yan and Si Qinglan after the drama released eight episodes.
• Zhou Yiyang and He Zeyu invited Song Shi'an to play cards, with the loser drinking fruit beer.
• Song Shi'an learned the game and won several rounds, while He Zeyu drank most of the beer.
• He Zeyu asked Song Shi'an about his skincare routine, and Zhou Yiyang took the drunk actor back to his room.

Song Shi'an arrived at the remote set and filmed Si Qinglan’s arrival in the mortal realm, where he rescued Little Ling Yan from villagers and a false immortal. Ling Xuan collapsed after seeing Si Qinglan save his brother, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Song Shi'an woke at nine, learned filming had been delayed until the afternoon, and went to the remote location with Lin Fan.
• Song Shi'an greeted He Zeyu on set and learned that He Zeyu played Ling Xuan, Ling Yan’s older brother.
• Villagers attacked Little Ling Yan and Ling Xuan, accusing the child of being a demon because his wounds healed quickly.
• A black-robed man seized Little Ling Yan, claiming he would take the child to his immortal sect for execution, and threw Ling Xuan aside when he tried to stop him.
• Si Qinglan appeared, immobilized the villagers and the black-robed man, and comforted Little Ling Yan as Ling Xuan lost consciousness.