Chapter 35: Preview

Chapter 35: The Pilot Episode

The broadcast of the pilot episode gave *Rebirth Challenge* a significant boost, its novel theme sparking audience anticipation. Even more unexpectedly, the dramatically awkward, zero-interaction dynamic among the cast magically drew in a wave of casual viewers—an effect even the director hadn't foreseen.

Naturally, a torrent of criticism was inevitable. Within the show's moral framework, these were "disgraced artists," including Zhou Yun, despite his massive fan base. Yet, the public's inherent love for spectacle proved universally applicable: the more dramatic the show, the more viewers flocked to it, eager for something different, something thrilling, to break the monotony of their mundane lives.

Many sharp-eyed viewers also noticed that Chu Yan, the disowned heir of a wealthy family, had unexpectedly captivated everyone after the scandals of his broken engagement and family estrangement.

"How did I never notice how handsome Chu Yan is before?"

"It must be the styling. This stylist is a genius!"

"No way, it's clearly the filters. Look how unnaturally pale his skin is. And that smooth face—totally airbrushed, right? Is that even normal?"

"Sounds like jealousy. If it's just filters, then why are Li Wenzhang's deep lines still so obvious when he stands next to Chu Yan? And Chu Yan looks just as flawless and delicate when he's with Goddess Xu and Second Young Master Zhou. Is it really that hard to admit someone's good-looking?"

"Rigged! Chu Yan must have someone in post-production, only giving him airbrushing and filters. It's disgusting how he uses others to make himself look good."

"Tsk tsk, then that post-production team must be incredible if they can even make Second Young Master Zhou a mere backdrop for Chu Yan. Some people need to shake their brains before speaking, lest they insult the audience's intelligence."

[...]

The audience plunged into heated debates in the most bizarre fashion, and the show's popularity surged in an equally strange direction—something neither the production team nor Chu Yan had anticipated. To his surprise, he even trended on social media because of it.

It was utterly absurd.

***

Chu Yi had been swamped with company affairs lately, leaving the usually refined and elegant man looking visibly haggard. Typically meticulous about his appearance, he had even forgotten to shave for two days, a fine layer of dark stubble on his chin casting a shadow over his entire demeanor. Gone was his usual grace, replaced by an inexplicable, somewhat sinister aura.

Finally, after a grueling two-hour high-pressure meeting, he managed to sit down for a few minutes of rest—just in time to see Chu Yan trending.

#ChuYanSilverHair#, #ChuYanFilters#, #ChuYanAndRebirthPostProduction#, #ChuYanSoHandsome#...

Chu Yi clicked on the trending topics in surprise, and there—Chu Yan, with his silver hair tinged with a faint pink hue—suddenly appeared in his vision. Chu Yi froze.

This person, so confident and witty in conversation, so effortlessly charming and dazzling… was this truly the younger brother he had watched grow up?

Another person was equally stunned. Fu Hongan had clicked on Chu Yan's trending topic purely on a whim, as if possessed. Lately, Chu Yan's image kept surfacing in his mind, especially the scene from that night when Chu Yan tearfully recounted his years of bitter unrequited love. It haunted him relentlessly.

He didn't understand why. For fifteen years, this person had clung to him like an inseparable shadow, yet he had never truly registered anything about Chu Yan. But ever since Chu Yan's attitude had shifted, every single one of his actions seemed to be etched into Fu Hongan's mind.

Every night, Fu Hongan vividly recalled Chu Yan's angry glares, his articulate insults calling him a scumbag, and even the furious expression when he kicked him in the crotch remained crystal clear in his mind. It was bizarre; Fu Hongan felt as if he were under a spell.

He found himself thinking about Chu Yan with increasing frequency, paying him more attention than in the past fifteen years combined. Logically, he knew it was absurd, yet he couldn't control it. Just like now, he clearly remembered that these days were when the *Rebirth Challenge* pilot episode was airing.

So, as if guided by an unseen force, his hand would unconsciously open Weibo from time to time, and his eyes, without conscious thought, would instinctively search for *Rebirth Challenge*-related topics.

The most annoying part was that he hadn't even noticed this unconscious behavior until he saw Chu Yan's name in the trending topics, which sent a jolt through him.

*What the hell am I doing?*

"Why...?" Why was he paying attention to him? Why did that name make him pause? Before, even if Chu Yan stood right in front of him, he wouldn't have spared him a second glance, would he?

But Fu Hongan quickly found a plausible excuse for his perplexing behavior.

He just wanted to see Chu Yan's downfall. He had been waiting for Chu Yan to come back and beg him for help, to see Chu Yan regret the broken engagement and pay the price for his impulsive outburst that day.

That was it.

With this excuse, Fu Hongan felt much more at ease. Clicking on Chu Yan's topic no longer felt like such a burden—though he hadn't anticipated the immense impact Chu Yan would have on him.

In the video, Chu Yan's silver hair shone brightly, a faint pink glow under the lights giving him an almost ethereal, unreal aura. His already fair and clean face became even more dazzling under this glow. As he interacted with the host, Chu Yan smiled charmingly, his voice, as he spoke, flowing into the ear like a spring breeze—so melodious it stirred a pleasant longing in one's heart.

He had never known Chu Yan could be so captivating, every gesture impossible to look away from.

Fu Hongan had opened a ten-minute solo cut of Chu Yan, edited from the show. Without realizing it, he watched the entire video. And despite the many people in the clip, Fu Hongan's gaze never left Chu Yan. By the time the video ended, his mind was filled with nothing but Chu Yan; he couldn't even recall any of the other guests.

*I'm cursed.* Fu Hongan was convinced he had fallen under a spell.

At the same time, Fu Junhang had just concluded a fierce battle. Drenched in blood, the man leaned against a large tree, panting heavily. The staccato of gunfire still echoed around him. His entire being exuded an intense killing aura. Sweat-soaked bangs clung to his forehead, giving him an even colder appearance, and his deep-set eyes resembled those of a demon crawled from hell, sending shivers down one's spine.

Reinforcements had arrived, and the battle was nearing its end. Thanks to Fu Junhang's participation, the advance team had completed their mission smoothly and swiftly. However, facing a ruthless mercenary squad, injuries were inevitable for some. Yet, Fu Junhang, this formidable figure, gave them immense confidence—though his chilling demeanor kept everyone at a distance. Even his own comrades instinctively maintained a two-meter radius, having witnessed firsthand how this madman single-handedly turned ten opponents into sieves.

And when he ran out of bullets, they watched him tear enemies apart with his bare hands, dismembering limbs like a butcher at a pig stall. Crucially, even with blood splattered across his face, he remained unfazed, a hint of excitement even flickering in his eyes.

What they didn't know was that this time, Fu Junhang had reined himself in considerably compared to before—a change only Jiang Lvshen, who had known him for years, truly understood.

"You've changed, Old Fu. You're not as crazy as you used to be."

While Fu Junhang was still ruthless and decisive, he was no longer as reckless. The old Fu Junhang seemed to fear death not at all, nor did he care about being injured; all he wanted was the outcome. Life and death, to him, seemed to hold little distinction.

There had always been a calmly unhinged quality about Fu Junhang.

But these past few days, Jiang Lvshen noticed that while Fu Junhang was still unleashing his aggression, he was also protecting himself while completing missions, rather than acting completely without regard for consequences. So, what had happened?

Only those with no attachments acted so recklessly, without concern for life or death. So, did Fu Junhang now have something, or someone, he cared for?

Fu Junhang smirked at his old friend, a rare warmth flashing in his bloodthirsty eyes. "Being too crazy isn't good. It might scare people."

His little benefactor was timid.

"Since when do you care about scaring people?" Jiang Lvshen looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost.

But Fu Junhang was already happily wrapping up. He had to get back. The relentless, continuous high-pressure state did make his thoughts clear and sharp, and his longing for a certain someone grew even stronger. For the first time in so many years, he felt such an urgent desire to see someone.

Not for any particular reason, but simply to see him.

***

In the blink of an eye, the first day of filming arrived. The first location was a remote village called Puli Village.

The group gathered at the airport, endured a two-hour flight, then transferred to a three-hour bus ride, and finally boarded the production team's minivan. By the time they reached the filming site, it was already noon the next day.

The village chief and a group of villagers had been waiting eagerly at the village entrance. As they stepped out of the vehicle, they were greeted by villagers with warm, genuine smiles. They enthusiastically helped carry luggage and move filming equipment.

It was at this moment that the first episode's filming officially began. All staff were ready, and as the guests disembarked, the livestream went live.

Each guest had a dedicated livestream channel, alongside a main channel featuring all guests. Following brief introductions from the accompanying crew, the livestream officially commenced.

The production team had made prior arrangements for them to gather at the village hall, a public building typically used for banquets, which was conveniently spacious enough.

Chu Yan looked at the simple yet warm villagers, inhaling the unique fresh scent of the countryside, and a wave of mixed emotions washed over him.

In his previous life, he had spent half his childhood living in a village. But he was too young then, and his memories were mostly unpleasant: his grandmother's arduous toil in the fields, his own embarrassment from secretly going hungry to spare her, and the resentment he felt when bullied by other village children...

His childhood memories didn't seem pleasant. Yet, after his grandmother passed away and he lived alone in the city, it was those very childhood memories that often sustained him.

As a child, he always secretly prayed to grow up quickly, but upon truly reaching adulthood, he couldn't help but yearn for the past—those lonely days, yet protected by his grandmother; the familiar plants and trees of the village; even that large white goose that always chased and pecked at him on his way to school.

Perhaps his childhood memories weren't entirely pleasant, yet as the familiar scents enveloped him, Chu Yan's emotions surged uncontrollably.

Stepping from the village entrance into the village, Chu Yan's drifting thoughts were abruptly pulled back by an unexpected sight.

A clean, wide concrete road stretched from the village entrance all the way to its end, with branches leading to every household. What met their eyes were not crumbling mud-brick houses, dilapidated buildings, or ubiquitous animal waste. Instead, rows of stylish, beautiful two-story houses stood before them, with even several luxurious, modern villas entering their view.

It was... quite unexpected.

The guests exclaimed in surprise, and even Zhou Yun couldn't help but look around in amazement. After enduring a two-hour bus ride, everyone had already had a bad feeling. Then, the production team's minivan bounced them around for another two hours on rugged mountain roads, which grew increasingly difficult until the final stretch became a bumpy, potholed path. By then, all the guests looked pale, and Zhou Yun nearly demanded to turn back on the spot.

If not for the fear of being dragged home by his elder brother to get married, Zhou Yun would never have set foot in such a godforsaken place. Yet who could have imagined such a stark contrast upon actually entering the village? Along the way, they had passed several other villages—so poor and backward they were beyond anything Zhou Yun had ever seen.

"Looks like this village is quite prosperous. At least I won't have nowhere to stay."

Viewers in the livestream also expressed their astonishment. The village was far more affluent than their perceptions of a remote mountain settlement, almost resembling a holiday resort.

Chu Yan wasn't so delicate, but a comfortable filming environment was always a pleasant thing. Still, he was curious: why was this village so wealthy? And if the village was so rich, why hadn't they repaired the roads leading into it?