Ring, ring-
"Jiang Nuo! You little brat! This is your last chance! The director called personally to hurry you along. Are you going or not?"
Jiang Nuo blinked.
"Ah... I'll go."
"I'm telling you, this is a great chance to win over fans... What? You're going? Hey! I'll go tell the director right now!"
The call ended quickly, as though he was afraid Jiang Nuo would change his mind.
Jiang Nuo sat on the bed for a while as his memories returned.
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar decor of the room, he still felt a little dazed.
"I'm back."
The countless years spent clearing stages in that world, the bloodshed, slaughter, and danger lurking everywhere-all of it was actually over.
He remembered that he had turned down this variety show before. The next day, he had been hit by a car when he went out, and when he woke again, he was in an infinite stage-clearing world.
After clearing every instance, he had met a system called Lingduan, which said it could bring him back and help him find the missing parts of his soul.
The clues lay in a horror variety show called "Weird and Strange Adventure."
"Does this show have something to do with my soul?"
Jiang Nuo muttered as he changed.
He put on his jacket, flashed a brilliant smile at the mirror, and touched his left eyelid.
The young man in the mirror was tall, slender, and handsome. However one looked at him, his looks were enough to carve out a place in an entertainment industry teeming with beautiful men and women.
Unfortunately, he was hated across the internet.
Even casual onlookers knew he was wooden and taciturn, dull and ill-mannered. As an actor, the role that suited him best was a wooden puppet.
But that was hardly his fault. Only after entering the infinite stage-clearing world had Jiang Nuo learned that his soul had been incomplete, missing one hun and two po.
While clearing stages, he had recovered his life hun and desire po. Now he only needed the final po to become a complete person.
Ten minutes later, his manager, Cui Ming, arrived with the contract.
He had the contract tucked under one arm and breakfast dangling from his other hand, looking every bit like a long-suffering father.
"Jiang Nuo!"
"Morning, Cui."
Jiang Nuo poked his head out of the bedroom. When he saw the soup dumplings on the table, his smile became much more genuine.
Watching him happily eat the dumplings in single bites, Cui Ming let out a deep sigh.
"I just spoke to Director Song. I've already submitted your name."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Jiang Nuo narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. It felt so good to eat delicious food again.
"Good, my ass! They've given you the sacrificial lamb script! They just want to cash in on your hate traffic! You'll be kicked out after the second episode!"
Cui Ming slapped the table, clearly furious. He had thought this was Jiang Nuo's chance to turn his luck around, only to find they had been outmaneuvered again.
His brows knitted tightly, his face full of worry. "The company has issued its final ultimatum. If you can't turn things around on this show, we're both getting the boot!"
By the time Jiang Nuo heard this, he had finished the plate of soup dumplings. He patted Cui Ming's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Cui. I won't let you end up on the streets."
That Lingduan system had said there were real ghosts on the show. If all else failed, he could catch a few to scare the director.
Cui Ming had worked with Jiang Nuo for nearly two years and had personally scouted him. It took only a few words for him to notice something was off.
He gave a little huff. "Why do I feel like you woke up a lot smarter today? You're not even dull anymore."
Jiang Nuo adopted a solemn expression, looking perfectly serious. "An expert gave me guidance last night. I've been completely transformed."
"...Keep dreaming, you little brat."
Cui Ming rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, no matter what, you have to do well in the first two episodes. The show might be a little sinister, but it's livestreamed from start to finish. Winning over even a few fans would be something."
"Mm, got it." Jiang Nuo nodded obediently, but his mind was on something else.
If it's livestreamed, finding my soul seems like it'll get troublesome.
At three that afternoon, the official Weibo account for "Weird and Strange Adventure" released the guest list for its first episode and announced that livestreamed filming would begin the next day.
The variety show had drawn considerable attention ever since its promotional campaign began.
Each episode featured a different adventure: escape rooms, wilderness survival, jungle exploration, and more. Everything was livestreamed, with thrills and authenticity as its selling points.
It was now in its second season. Interestingly, the first season had never finished airing. By the fourth episode, every guest had reached their limit and refused to keep filming, preferring to pay hefty penalties for breach of contract, simply because it was too frightening and too real.
So netizens had never expected the show to return with an even more explosive spirit-chasing season.
After the various fandoms rushed to control the comments, the netizens' comments finally rose to the top.
[Stars over rice: Wait... who did you tag?! Who? Jiang Nuo?]
[Cherry soda: Does a variety show need a wooden post standing around too?]
[Boozy peanuts: Damn it! But seriously, Jiang Nuo's face is top-tier. Looking through those celebrity photos, he's the most eye-catching one besides Best Actor Si!]
[Remember to drink water: @Boozy peanuts Get some better taste. What good is a pretty face? Are you completely ignoring all the crap he's done?]
The reason Jiang Nuo was so widely disliked was not entirely down to his wooden acting.
When he first debuted, his looks had won him plenty of fans, but within six months, almost all of them had left and turned against him.
First, he had splashed two cups of hot milk tea all over a popular actor's face. Later, he had bluntly accused a famous director on a show of shamelessly exploiting the casting couch.
He had even appeared alongside an idol and asked why he claimed he had never had plastic surgery when the implants in his face were so obvious.
Single-handedly, Jiang Nuo had made Weibo's trending searches hit explosive levels every day during that period. He attracted anti-fans at an astonishing rate, and their abuse was truly heartfelt.
Everyone in the entertainment industry played along for appearances. No matter how badly they fell out behind the scenes, they still had to show each other a little courtesy on camera.
Of course, some people spoke without sparing anyone's feelings, but they either had powerful backing or were top stars, like Si Yan, the child star turned Best Actor.
Jiang Nuo was neither, so naturally, all he could do was get cyberbullied.
[Twinkle twinkle: I was really looking forward to Best Actor Si's variety show debut. The original lineup was so good. Why did Jiang Nuo have to show up?!]
[What's for lunch: Jiang Nuo is literally this show's shit-stirring stick! I can't!]
"All right, stop reading the comments and upsetting yourself. Just repost it and be done with it. You won't find any praise even if you stare a hole through that tablet."
Watching Jiang Nuo silently scroll through Weibo, Cui Ming could not help feeling sorry for his boy and tried to persuade him.
But Jiang Nuo moved the tablet aside, his handsome eyes brimming with laughter. "Huh? Who's upset?"
Cui Ming was utterly baffled. "You're happy watching people insult you?"
"I just saw someone call me a shit-stirring stick." Jiang Nuo really could not hold it in and laughed again. "He's actually pretty nice. At least I'm the stick."
Cui Ming: "..."
He wiped away a bitter tear and resigned himself to packing.
What a waste of worry! This heartless little brat!