Chapter 33: Public Execution

Chapter 33: Public Execution

The scandal surrounding the disgraced film emperor, which had dominated headlines for days, finally drew to a reluctant close. It cost him a public apology, endorsements worth hundreds of millions, and a promise to withdraw from the industry for a year of self-reflection. Yet, the internet’s attention span proved short-lived as a new sensation emerged: the highly anticipated premiere of *Rebirth Challenge*.

This variety show captivated audiences with an unprecedented premise: fallen celebrities attempting a "rebirth." It was the kind of spectacle that made even casual passersby stop and stare. Its live-broadcast-plus-recorded format further drew in a massive public audience.

Moreover, the production team boldly declared it a "national variety show" with full public participation.

This slogan alone piqued curiosity not just among the guests’ fans, but also among those who typically ignored variety shows. Everyone wanted to see how this "participation" would unfold.

Thus, *Rebirth Challenge* exploded onto screens with a popularity that defied all expectations.

Before the official premiere, the show released a special pre-recorded teaser introducing the guests, allowing both the audience and the participants to get acquainted.

Though mentally prepared, Chu Yan still underestimated the show’s audacity. The director was truly fearless—and utterly shameless. On set, a colossal screen displayed each guest’s most notorious scandals in bold, enlarged text during their introduction, accompanied by a scrolling feed of the internet’s most vicious comments.

This wasn't an introduction; it was a public execution.

Chu Yan arrived early with the other four guests for pre-recording preparations. However, during makeup, he only encountered three: Lu Zhaoyang, accused of being a homewrecker; Xu Meng, rumored to be a delinquent; and Li Wenzhang, exposed for alleged domestic violence.

Lu Zhaoyang was indeed as strikingly handsome as the internet claimed. Before the scandal, he had been known for his sunny, outgoing image, but the man Chu Yan saw was withdrawn and gloomy. After a brief glance at Chu Yan, he left without a word, not even giving Chu Yan a chance to greet him.

As for Xu Meng, she was a knockout in a white sundress, embodying the "good girl" persona she was known for online. When their eyes met, Chu Yan clearly saw a spark of admiration in hers—her eyes visibly brightened.

"Hello, Ms. Xu," Chu Yan greeted politely. Every guest here was his senior; he was the youngest.

"Hi," she replied, her voice as lovely as her appearance. "Wow, you’re even more gorgeous in person! And your hair color is killer! You—"

*Cough.*

Her manager cut her off with a cough, subtly tugging at her sleeve and shooting her a warning look. Xu Meng immediately composed herself.

"Sorry, I need to go finish my makeup."

"Take care, Ms. Xu."

Chu Yan thought to himself that this woman seemed nothing like her online persona.

"Just stay polite. You don’t need to get close to any of them," Liao Jian advised. "The entertainment industry is full of half-truths, but it’s best not to get involved if you can avoid it."

Mistress, abuser, wild child—none of these labels painted a flattering picture. Whether the rumors were true or not, keeping his distance was the safest bet. In Liao Jian’s eyes, Chu Yan’s own scandals were the most trivial and easiest to clean up, so he repeatedly warned Chu Yan not to associate with the others.

"Got it, bro."

Chu Yan encountered Li Wenzhang in the shared makeup room. The older man was already there when Chu Yan arrived.

True to online descriptions, Li Wenzhang was of average looks and humble origins. After over a decade of minor roles, he finally gained recognition at 35 for a standout supporting performance. His solid acting skills and old-school professionalism eventually made him a respected figure among middle-aged actors, earning him steady success as a go-to actor for imperial roles. He was a late-blooming star.

But just as his career peaked, allegations of domestic violence surfaced. Though unproven, the scandal still dealt a heavy blow.

Honestly, Chu Yan was surprised to see someone of Li Wenzhang’s stature on this show. Unless forced, no one of his age and reputation would willingly stoop to this level.

"Hello, Teacher Li."

Given that Li was more than twice his age, Chu Yan greeted him with utmost respect. To his surprise, the man was far more approachable than expected.

"You must be Chu Yan. Nice to meet you. This is my first time on a variety show, and I’m not too familiar with how you young folks do things. I might need your help during filming."

"You’re too kind, Teacher Li."

Domestic violence? He seemed nothing like it—warm and approachable. Yet, for some reason, his friendliness made Chu Yan slightly uneasy.

Before the preview recording, Chu Yan had met these three guests. As for the infamous time-management master Zhou Yun, he reportedly had his own hair and makeup crew and hotel arrangements, so Chu Yan didn’t see him until the actual shoot.

In preparation, Chu Yan had spent days researching his fellow guests. He belatedly realized they were all quite famous—Lu Zhaoyang and Xu Meng had once been on the cusp of A-list status, Li Wenzhang was a respected veteran, and Zhou Yun, despite his notorious reputation, had looks and popularity rivaling top-tier idols. This was absurd.

Chu Yan remembered that in the original novel, *Rebirth* had attracted little attention before filming. Rumored to have a shoestring budget, it was later hailed as the dark horse of variety shows that year.

Given that, the original cast couldn’t have been this high-profile—let alone someone like Zhou Yun. Stars of his caliber wouldn’t touch an obscure, low-budget show, nor could the production afford them.

It was baffling. And then there was the rumored "A-list mystery guest." Even more absurd.

Was this all because of the butterfly effect caused by Chu Yan’s unexpected presence?

He couldn’t figure it out, but it didn’t stop the show from rolling.

"Alright, let’s welcome our first guest!"

As the host’s enthusiastic voice echoed through the studio, the guests backstage exchanged uneasy glances.

"Please give it up for the embodiment of elegance and purity, our pure as gardenia, goddess of grace—Ms. Xu Meng!"

Chu Yan: *Gotta say, the production team really knows how to stir up drama.*

Dressed in a pristine white dress with her waist-length, straight black hair cascading down her back, Xu Meng stepped onto the stage. Simultaneously, the giant screen displayed her scandal blown up in bold, unmissable text:

*Xu Meng—Once hailed as the "Pure Goddess," her image crumbled after being photographed smoking on the streets like a pro, a stark contrast to her on-screen persona.*

The screen showed the incriminating photo—enlarged and crystal clear. Beside it, a barrage of hateful comments scrolled:

"Fake persona! Hypocrite! Liar!"

"Rumor has it she was a delinquent in middle school—smoking, drinking, skipping class, fighting, even bullying!"

"School bullying is a crime! Xu Meng belongs in jail!"

"She terminated a pregnancy in middle school. Karma will get her!"

"How dare a total menace like her play the innocent angel? What else in this world isn’t fake?!"

...

*Yep. This is definitely an execution.*

Despite her preparations, Xu Meng’s lips went pale as she read the vitriol on screen. Her hands trembled around the microphone, but she forced a smile and greeted the audience.

Backstage, the remaining four exchanged glances. Aside from Zhou Yun’s indifferent expression, the others looked visibly uncomfortable.

Next up was Li Wenzhang. The troll host, ever the provocateur, went all out for another dramatic introduction:

"Let’s welcome our second guest—the humble, hardworking, unwavering pillar of diligence, a paragon of virtue and talent: Teacher Li Wenzhang!"

*Domestic violence and "virtuous"? This host has no fear.*

The screen showed a photo of Li Wenzhang accepting a Best Actor Award years ago—flanked by a torrent of online abuse.

"Ugh, disgusting wife-beater, shameless old creep!"

"He looks decent but who knew he was a wolf in sheep's clothing? Wife-beaters deserve the death penalty."

"What a hypocritical face, you shameless old bastard!"

"So much for 'virtuous and accomplished' old artist—what a joke! LOL, what a disgrace."

...

Talk about irony—some comments were even censored for being too vulgar.

But gotta hand it to him—this "virtuous and accomplished" Mr. Li didn’t show a hint of anger at the insults. Instead, he kept a professional smile, as if he were really filming some serious variety show.

"Next, let’s welcome our third guest—the golden boy idol, the full-package rising star with both talent and looks, Mr. Lu Zhaoyang!"

Chu Yan cringed. *Rising star?* That description expired years ago.

Lu Zhaoyang was indeed handsome. Compared to the sunny boy from years past, he now carried a shadow over him. His face was still striking, but the sunshine was long gone.

And what did the show pair with his introduction? A viral photo of him being caught cheating, eggs splattered on him as he crouched with his face covered, surrounded by hands trying to yank off his cap.

Now that’s salt in the wound. Chu Yan thought the production team must be certifiably unhinged—no sane person would pull something like this.

"No-shamed homewrecker! If I were Lu Zhaoyang, I’d off myself in a ditch. Trash!"

"Homewreckers deserve to die—they should be jailed. How dare you still show your face, Lu Zhaoyang? Denying it just makes it worse. The poor spouse must’ve had the worst luck running into you two scumbags."

"Trash mates with trash. Classless—apple didn’t fall far from the tree."

"What kind of trash-tier family raised such a lowlife like Lu Zhaoyang?"

The comments on the screen were brutal. Chu Yan could clearly see Lu Zhaoyang’s hesitation and tension before stepping on stage. His movements were stiff, his jaw clenched tight. He didn’t even glance at the screen as he passed it, deliberately avoiding the cameras.

The years of online abuse had clearly taken their toll.

Chu Yan was the fourth to appear. He’d been nervous earlier, but after witnessing the trainwrecks before him, he figured he’d be fine.

"Now, let’s welcome our fourth guest—the ultra-pretty rich boy, the talk of the town, the dumped rich-kid husband, Mr. Chu Yan!"

*What kind of humiliating intro is this?! Do you even have souls, production team?!*

Chu Yan’s accompanying image was just as ruthless—a collage of screenshots: Fu Corporation’s official Weibo announcing the annulment of his engagement, Chu's Entertainment terminating his contract, and Chu Shuo liking a post about Chu Yan severing ties with the Chu family.

Chu Yan was *so* grateful: *Thank you, thank you, thank you—for grinding my dignity to dust.*

"The rich family’s joke arrives right on schedule—the pathetic lapdog chronicles, LOL!"

"Chu family: We don’t want this trash. Fu family: Oh, so you think we do? HAHAHAHA!"

"Disastrous acting, painful to watch—an insult to my vision. Trash of the entertainment industry, LOL!"

"Lapdog + drama queen—this show knows how to pick ‘em. No shortage of laughs here, HAHAHA!"

Chu Yan: *What kind of demonic variety show is this? Just end me already.*