Chapter 59: The White-Cut-Black Him

Chapter 59: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

"Ah, the plot is getting more and more convoluted! Who on earth is the murderer?!"

"I think it's the eldest young master. Didn't you see the hatred in his eyes when he mentioned his mother? And his jealousy toward his younger brother? A scumbag father like that must have made him wish for his death."

"I think it's the Countess. That woman has been driven mad by the scummy Count. What couldn't a madwoman do? The fruit knife might have been her doing."

"Is no one suspecting the butler? Compared to the wife and the lover, the butler is the one the Count trusted the most. If he wanted to poison the Count, it would've been way too easy."

"Just throwing it out there—I think it’s the lover. He gives off a faintly unhinged vibe."

"Raising my hand too! I also think it’s the lover. There’s no love in his eyes when he looks at the Count, only disgust. Maybe he was forced into it by the Count?"

"Why is no one suspecting the young master? Manslaughter is still murder!"

"Upstairs, stop joking around."

"Hey, I’m different. I think it’s Chu Yan. Haven’t you noticed the sickly pretty boy’s eyes are a bit terrifying? He seems so low-key and innocent, but think about it—the young master and the little master are fighting tooth and nail over him. I don’t believe he’s innocent!"

...

As the plot gradually unfolded, the discussions in the livestream grew increasingly heated.

The live chat was filled with endless speculation about the murderer, even sparking debates that trended on social media. Topic after topic was created about who the real culprit was, and netizens even started a murderer poll.

What was supposed to be a cringe-worthy celebrity scandal variety show had somehow turned into a nationwide whodunit craze.

Thanks to the guests’ stellar performances and the live format, the audience felt a real sense of participation—not only immersed in the setting but also easily getting invested. As a result, the livestream’s popularity skyrocketed.

Wave after wave of new viewers flooded in, especially those interested in crime, suspense, and mystery-solving. Even several official police accounts quietly followed along, clipping segments to use as real-time legal education online.

It was… reaching new heights of fame.

Thus, the expected scenario of being completely overshadowed by the heavyweight guests of the neighboring dating show didn’t happen. Instead, the dating show’s livestream was utterly crushed—not only failing to meet expected viewer numbers but also losing many viewers who inexplicably switched to the neighboring livestream midway.

This made Fu Hongan, who was already grim-faced, even gloomier. The male model scandal had been boiling over, casting a dark cloud over Fu Hongan, and Chu Xiuyi had been giving him the cold shoulder for days.

Even today, when the dating show started filming, Chu Xiuyi only pretended to be affectionate in front of the cameras. The moment they were off-screen, his expression turned sour.

At this point, forget about love—the two were so visibly estranged that even their own shipper fans couldn’t stand it. Chu Xiuyi’s fans were cursing Fu Hongan as a scumbag, while Fu Hongan’s fans accused Chu Xiuyi of being hypocritical and materialistic. The two sides were at each other’s throats, and the CP fans, disgusted by recent events, were abandoning ship—some even turning against them.

In short, the dating show’s production team was in a total disaster. The on-set atmosphere was awkward and tense due to Fu Hongan’s bad vibes.

Compared to *Rebirth* next door, the director could only admit they were screwed.

"It’s over," fans in the livestream bluntly declared. "The other side has already won."

"It’s all the production team’s fault. Why schedule it at the same time as the other show? Isn’t this just asking for humiliation?"

"Pfft, trash-talking about crushing the competition, only to end up humiliating themselves. Hilarious."

"It’s all Fu young master’s fault. Who told him to be so reckless with his messy private life? Now all the guests are suffering because of him."

...

The two variety shows had completely different atmospheres in their livestreams. While the dating show’s fans were busy blaming each other—eventually sparking heated arguments that trended on social media—none of the topics were about the actual show. Instead, they were all about mutual accusations and insults. Many people even got so caught up in the drama that they were lured away by the thrilling plot of the scandalous show next door.

Unaware of all this, the guests—fully immersed in their roles—retired to their respective rooms to rest after the first round of on-site investigation.

The mysterious castle once again fell into eerie silence.

Then, suddenly, slow footsteps echoed through the seemingly endless, empty corridor.

*Tap… tap… tap…*

The sound of high heels, each step pressing down on the audience’s hearts.

The previously lively livestream abruptly fell silent as everyone held their breath.

The next second, the audience’s eyes widened in shock.

It was the Countess. She pushed open the door to the Count’s lover’s room and, under the stunned gaze of the viewers, walked step by step toward Lu Zhaoyang.

Lu Zhaoyang stood by the window with his back to the audience. The Countess embraced him from behind in an intimate gesture.

"Holy sh*t, this is wild! The Count’s wife and his lover are hooking up?!"

"My mom asked me why I was grinning so creepily at my phone."

"Count’s double betrayal."

But contrary to what the audience expected, Lu Zhaoyang’s eyes flashed with disgust the moment he felt her hands on his waist. Without hesitation, he shook Xu Meng off.

"What are you doing, Countess?"

Xu Meng stumbled but caught herself. Instead of getting angry, she pressed closer again.

"Zhaoyang, you still love me, don’t you? I know you’ve always loved me."

Lu Zhaoyang scoffed. "Have some self-respect, Countess. Don’t flatter yourself."

"Playing hard to get," Xu Meng sneered. "You can’t honestly say you didn’t come here for me?"

"I didn’t."

"Hahaha," Xu Meng’s face twisted into the Countess’s deranged expression. "Then what, are you going to say you fell in love with the Count?"

"Hahaha, that’s hilarious! Falling for a rotten, stinking old man? Or falling for his long-useless body?"

*Damn.*

That’s a lot of information.

So no one actually wanted the Count, that old creep? And he was already "useless" down there—guess that part didn’t matter anymore.

Lu Zhaoyang remained unmoved by Xu Meng’s mockery, only countering coolly:

"You abandoned me for wealth and status, throwing yourself into his rotten embrace. Why can’t I become his lover for wealth and status?"

"After all, no matter how rotten and stinking he is, he’s still the master of this castle—the high-and-mighty Count."

Xu Meng’s eyes instantly turned manic.

"Impossible!"

They had once been a picture-perfect couple—inseparable, deeply in love. But then, the Lord Count took a liking to her.

She was certain she loved her boyfriend, but she couldn’t refuse the chance to become the high-and-mighty Countess. After all, they were both commoners. Missing this opportunity meant she’d never cross class barriers to reach such heights or live the high life.

So in the end, she abandoned her boyfriend and became the ninth wife of Count Andra.

But she never expected her former lover to reappear before her as her husband’s lover.

“Are you taking revenge on me? You must have come for me. I regret it—I regret choosing the Count. I love you,” the Countess shrieked hysterically, rushing forward to embrace Lu Zhaoyang. “You killed the Count, didn’t you? It must have been for me.”

Yet Lu Zhaoyang pushed her away again, his gaze cold and full of disgust.

“My love for you ended the moment you chose the Count.”

The live chat exploded with criticism—the Countess wants everything—yet she’s still scheming? And wasn’t she already involved with the butler?

So her regret was all fake. Even worse, she pinned the murder on her lover, subtly framing him. How vicious!

Just as the audience heatedly debated whether the Countess was the real killer, another scene was playing out quietly in a different room.

Young Master Zhou Yun slipped into the room of his elder brother’s fiancé.

The moment Andra Yun saw Chu Yan, his dumbstruck eyes lit up. Excited, he rushed forward and grabbed Chu Yan’s delicate hands.

“Yan Yan, don’t you worry. I won’t let you marry my brother.”

Chu Yan instinctively tried to tug his hands free, but Andra Yun only tightened his grip, oblivious to the resistance in Chu Yan’s eyes.

Soon, red marks appeared on Chu Yan’s slender, pale wrists from the rough handling. He wore an expression of suppressed delight and pained fluster.

“Don’t do this… If your brother sees, he’ll get the wrong idea.”

“Misunderstand what? What I feel for you is real! He can’t make you happy!” Andra Yun snapped angrily.

“I know,” Chu Yan murmured with a faint smile, though his eyes reddened. “I know he doesn’t love me… but he won’t let me go either.”

Andra Yun’s eyes brightened again.

“You went to see him? Did he give you trouble?”

Chu Yan didn’t speak, only shook his head slightly.

Andra Yun assumed he meant the latter, overjoyed that the one he loved also returned his feelings—even silently fighting for him.

“I see! He’s just jealous of me. He’s always trying to steal what’s mine, but Father dotes on me. He can’t win against me, so he’s keeping you just to hurt me!”

The more Andra Yun spoke, the angrier he became, his hatred growing more apparent.

“Andra Zeyu! He won’t get away with this! I’ll make sure he dies!”

After his furious declaration, Zhou Yun stomped off.

The live audience, initially engrossed, burst into laughter at his dramatic exit.

“How does Second Young Master Zhou manage to say ‘Andra Zeyu’ with such seriousness? It’s so edgy yet so funny!”

“The best part is neither actor broke character. I can’t—I can’t take it!”

“Hahaha—wait, look at Chu Yan’s expression!”

“Holy crap, that shift! One glance, and his whole demeanor changed.”

The moment Zhou Yun turned away, Chu Yan’s eyes shifted.

From a pitiful, fragile victim to an eerily blank stare—then, with just a slight lift of his brow, his calm, deadened eyes suddenly blazed with a madness that seemed ready to drag the whole world into destruction.

“Oh my god, that look! Like a deranged lunatic—what a contrast!”

“Two extremes in one glance—perfection.”

“A delicate, unhinged beauty—I love him even more!”

Just then, another person entered Chu Yan’s room—Andra Zeyu himself.

The moment Andra Zeyu stepped in, the distorted madness in Chu Yan’s gaze vanished as if it had never existed.

“Xiao Yan?”

Chu Yan quickly hid his hands behind him, avoiding eye contact.

But it was a weak attempt to hide—especially when his mesmerizing, beautiful eyes were still faintly red.

A sickly, tearful beauty—even a stray dog would pause to pity him for three seconds. How could his fiancé, Andra Zeyu, resist?

Andra Zeyu rushed over in a panic and seized Chu Yan’s hands, only to see angry red marks on his pale wrists.

“Who did this?” Andra Zeyu’s chest heaved with rage. “Was it Andra Yun?”

Chu Yan remained silent, only shrinking back in distress—yet his reaction confirmed the elder brother’s guess.

The eldest young master’s eyes turned bloodshot, brimming with homicidal rage.

“Did he force himself on you?”

Chu Yan trembled, quickly shaking his head.

He said nothing—yet his silence spoke volumes.

“That bastard… He should die!”

“I’ll never forgive him! I’ll kill him!”

The live audience was stunned. Without uttering a single word, Chu Yan had turned the two brothers into mortal enemies.

“Damn it, this isn’t some fragile beauty—this is a poisonous, black-hearted schemer!”

“The younger brother is a wolf in a lamb's skin—I love it!”

“Obsessive pretty boy…”

As the audience buzzed with excitement, Chu Yan watched Andra Zeyu leave, his face blank once more.

The slender youth leaned against the window, his gaze calm. Outside was darkness—just like the abyss in his eyes, bottomless and inescapable.

Moonlight spilled through the glass onto his expressionless face, lending an eerie pallor over his already ghostly complexion. Even the tears in his eyes seemed like the eerie stillness before a storm—a deathly calm sea.

A silence so deep it chilled the bones.

“Such incredible acting!”

“Perfect!”

"I'm officially declaring Baby Yan as my new obsession!"

The live chat went wild again over Chu Yan's mesmerizing gaze—his mastery and seamless transition of emotions had even seasoned performers raving.

Soon, Chu Yan's acting chops started trending alongside the intricate plot developments.

The dating show in the same time slot got totally eclipsed.

………………………………

At the same time, Fu Junhang stared at the screen, his pulse pounding like a hurricane as he witnessed the unhinged intensity in Chu Yan's eyes.

His possessiveness toward him reached its peak at this very moment.

It was precisely this kind of madness—the kind that dragged everyone down into destruction—that stirred the hidden sickness in Fu Junhang's heart.

He understood him. His sugar daddy just had to get him.

Fu Junhang realized his love for Chu Yan was spiraling out of control, especially now—raw and all-consuming.

That look Chu Yan just gave... it straight up murdered me.