Chapter 62 â What Are You Trying to Do?
Everyone was utterly mesmerized by Chen Huaiâanâs "beauty."
Several makeup artists in the crew stared blankly at him, their professional instincts kicking in.
They worked with celebrities daily and knew better than anyone how much "adjustments" went into those facesâplastic surgery, contouring, strategic lighting. Many stars looked like entirely different people before makeup.
But this guy?
Flawless.
Rosy lips, white teeth, and though his complexion was a bit pale, it only added to a natural, serene, Zen-like aura.
The most shocking part? He wasnât even wearing makeup.
A pure, naturally perfect face.
And he was bald.
If he had hair, how godly would he look?!
"...Am I really that handsome?"
Even Chen Huaiâan, slow as he could sometimes be, felt something was off.
He had always considered himself "moderately handsome."
Sure, he had a noticeable edge over regular people, but if he were truly drop-dead gorgeous, wouldnât he have had a girlfriend by now?
But now, with the program director personally confirming it, things were different.
People in the industry were practically half-scoutsâthey had a keen sense for good-looking, camera-ready faces.
If they said he was handsome⊠then he really was.
"...Could my 'potential activation' have improved my looks?"
Chen Huaiâan fell into deep thought.
Maybe⊠vampires were just people who had mastered cancer cell mutations?
That would explain why they were all ridiculously good-looking.
Too bad vampires didnât exist.
Otherwise, heâd definitely go and exchange notes on "cancer cell management."
Who knewâmaybe then he wouldnât have to die.
"Perfectly handsome. Absolute god-tier visuals," Director Zhang said as he turned the live chat toward Chen Huaiâan.
The chat, which moments ago had been singing praises for Cai Yifan, had completely flipped.
ăAHHHHHHH!!! The mystery guest is TOO HANDSOME!!ă
ăOh my god, Iâm a sinner, but⊠he really is hotter than Fan-ge!ă
ăIâm sorry, baby! Mommy shouldnât have been mad at you for being lateâtake as long as you want next time~ă
ăDoes anyone know his name?! Is he a celebrity?! How come I donât recognize him?!ă
ăWait⊠he looks kinda familiarâŠă
Chen Huaiâan took it all in and finally accepted reality.
"Looks like I really am that handsome."
This time, it was a statement, not a question.
Director Zhangâs eyes glowed like he had struck gold.
"Alright, now that our mystery guest is here, letâs continue⊠Xiao Chen, why donât you introduce yourself?"
Cai Yifan had been watching quietly all this time.
And he could feel itâhe was no longer the center of attention.
Him! Cai Yifan! The star of the show!
Now pushed to the sidelines?
Unacceptable.
He noticed Chen Huaiâanâs braced right leg and the cane tucked under his arm.
Without thinking, he blurted out:
"Director Zhang, my schedule is packedâI barely get two hours of sleep a night. I had to squeeze out time to come here."
"And weâre night hiking, right?"
"If we bring a disabled guy along, wonât we be hiking until tomorrow afternoon?"
"I donât mean to look down on disabled people, but⊠shouldnât someone in his condition be resting at home instead of slowing down a variety show?"
The moment he finished speaking, he felt sure of how the chat would react.
Theyâd feel sorry for himâpitying his exhausting schedule.
Then, theyâd slam the production team for forcing a cheap publicity stunt.
No matter how handsome this guy was, what did it matter? Cai Yifanâs fanbase was unbeatable.
âŠ
Except, thatâs not what happened.
Silence.
Every single person looked at Cai Yifan in shock and outrage.
Even the live chat froze for a moment.
Only Chen Huaiâan remained calm.
He even looked at Cai Yifan with the kindly patience of an elderly monk.
Then, he smiled gently.
"Youâre absolutely right, brother."
"A disabled guy like me would only hold everyone back."
"But I didnât want to miss this opportunity."
"Because this might be my only chance to reach the top of Tianmen Mountain in this lifetime."
He turned to face the camera.
He bowed slightly.
Then, he flashed an effortless, carefree smile.
"My name is Chen Huaiâan.
A late-stage bone cancer patient, with my life in its final countdown.
I hope that in these dying embers of my existence, I can still burn brightly.
To those watchingâthank you for sharing this moment with me.
Bearing witness to my journey.
I⊠am on my way."
Dead. Silence.
The only sound was the wind rushing through the mountain pass.
Thenâ
Sniffles.
A few makeup artists wiped away tears.
Su Xingchenâs eyes were red.
She looked at Chen Huaiâan with pure maternal tenderness.
Cai Yifan?
His mouth hung open.
A cold sweat ran down his back.
"Bro⊠what are you trying to do?!"
Meanwhile, in Cai Yifanâs DMs:
Agent:
ăXiao Fan, are you trying to kill yourself?! Youâre DONE FOR!ă
ăYour competitors are ALL roasting you alive! Theyâre saying you mock disabled and terminally ill people!ă
ăDO YOU EVEN HAVE BASIC HUMAN COMPASSION?!ă
ăWhat were you THINKING saying those words just now?!ă
ăThe public persona we built for youâyou destroyed it in one sentence.ă
âŠ
Agent:
ăFind an opportunity to apologize to Chen Huaiâan.ă
ăAnd it has to be sincere.ă
The first few messages, Cai Yifan could barely tolerate.
But the last line?
His blood boiled.
"Apologize?!"
To a nobody?!
He was the future megastar.
Soon, A-list actors would share the screen with him.
Even at his company, third-tier actors called him senior, and top celebrities gave him face.
And nowâhis agent wanted him to bow his head to a cripple?!
He furiously slammed his response:
ăWhy the hell should I?!ă
ăHeâs just a regular person! And Iâm a future superstar!ă
ăI donât care what they sayâI wonât apologize to some cripple!ă
He hit send.
Then, he shut off his phone.
He didnât check the live chat.
He already knew his fanbase would have his back.
They could twist white into black, flip haters into fansâif he played the victim, theyâd instantly attack Chen Huaiâanâs page.
ButâŠ
As they continued hikingâŠ
Cai Yifan noticed something strange.
Despite the physical exertion, despite the two female guests and two other young male celebs starting to sweatâŠ
Chen Huaiâan looked completely fine.
No sweat. No labored breathing.
Apart from his slightly limping gait, he didnât seem like a disabled person at all.
A suspicion formed in his mind.
"...Is this guy faking it?"
Was this all an act?
Some productions did pull stunts like thisâhiring people with âspecial conditionsâ for publicity.
But someone this handsome?
That would be hard to come by.
If Chen Huaiâan was actually just a normal person acting pitifulâŠ
Then he, Cai Yifan, could expose the fraud.
Not only redeeming himself but also teaching this show a lesson.
Andâmost importantlyâshutting down this scene-stealing nobody.
His gaze darkened.
Time to set a trap.
âŠ