LABMY CH130

Jian Yuanbai held the 700,000 he had won after deducting the principal he had borrowed and the interest accumulated over that short period of time, then began to think about what he should do next.

He did not go to Pei Yao immediately. Instead, he sat on a park bench and started using the internet to learn about how the entertainment industry operated.

His old Xiaolingtong phone dinged once, showing a new text message.

Jian Yuanbai opened it and was momentarily stunned. It was a reply from his aunt to the message he had sent earlier.

[Child, I know you’re feeling bad about your sister’s death, but people still have to move forward.]

[Pei Yao is doing really well now. Just tell him that your sister raised him back then. If he doesn’t help you, then go on TV and make a fuss. Don’t they all say that big celebrities care about their reputation?]

[No matter what, your sister was his foster mother. Who knows what kind of people Pei Yao might end up in the hands of?]

Jian Yuanbai replied with a simple “okay” and put his phone away. Looking at things now, it seemed that Pei Yao had indeed been raised by his sister for a period of time, and his life had not been good back then.

He tried searching for Pei Yao’s parents, and surprisingly, he actually found some results.

In the photo, Pei Yao’s mother looked dignified and elegant, but her temples were graying, and her eyes held an unshakable sorrow. His father appeared solemn and steady, dressed in a suit, with noticeably graying hair as well.

The news stated that Pei Yao’s parents had both passed away three years ago. His mother had been a renowned musician, and his father a university professor.

With parents like these, why had Pei Yao been raised by his sister for a period of time?

The room he had woken up in, the crumpled banknotes, the yellow woven sack with the words “urea” written on it—all pointed to the harsh living conditions of his original self’s family.

For some reason, the words “human trafficking” suddenly surfaced in Jian Yuanbai’s mind.

After thinking for a moment, he sent another text to his aunt.

“What was Pei Yao called when he was with us?”

His aunt replied quickly, likely because there was no farm work to do at night.

“He was called Pei Yaonan. Don’t you remember?”

“Your sister adopted him back then because he had the same surname as your brother-in-law. She thought it was fate.”

“But since you’re looking for his help now, it’s best not to call him that anymore.”

Pei Yaonan.

Seeing this name, Jian Yuanbai couldn’t help but frown.

The system suddenly spoke up.

“Some places have superstitions that raising a boy in the house can help the family have a biological son.”

“So, Pei Yao was most likely trafficked there.”

Jian Yuanbai stroked his chin. “This is a bit tricky.”

If Pei Yao had really been trafficked back then, yet still gave Jian Yuanbai money upon their meeting and even politely asked if he needed a job introduction, then his temperament was truly remarkable.

Good-natured, soft-hearted, and a little too naive for his own good.

After understanding the situation a little, Jian Yuanbai disappeared from Pei Yao’s sight for three whole months.

During those three months, a newly established investment company made a powerful debut among emerging enterprises, attracting countless people eager to get involved. Jian Yuanbai’s business ventures always went smoothly—anything he wanted to do would inevitably bring in massive profits.

His luck was so ridiculously good that the system, which had been following him from the start, went from being shocked to completely numb.

“At this point, I’d believe it if someone told me he was the reincarnation of the God of Wealth.”

Three months after the founding of Obsidian Investment Company, its first major investment was in a reality dating show featuring three celebrities and three ordinary people.

With same-sex marriage rights recently legalized, this was also the first dating show with a male-male romance theme.

A unique twist in the show’s format was that among the six participants, one was secretly heterosexual. Aside from finding their romantic match and completing tasks assigned by the production team, the contestants also had to identify the straight man.

The straight participant, on the other hand, had to hide his true identity and avoid being discovered.

The director who planned the show sat nervously in an empty office. His project had never received support from investors and had been stalled due to a lack of funding. He hadn’t expected Obsidian Investment Company to suddenly approach him, saying that their boss was very optimistic about the show.

The director rubbed his pants anxiously and drained the water in his cup in one gulp. Just as he was about to pour himself a third refill, the door opened.

A man entered, dressed in a formal suit and wearing a tie.

The director immediately stood up. “You must be President Bai?”

“I’m just the assistant to our boss. You can call me Assistant Li.” The man, who appeared to be in his thirties and had neatly combed hair, said this with a calm expression.

Assistant Li pushed a contract forward. “You can take a look at this contract.”

“Obsidian Investment is willing to fund this variety show, but under one condition.”

The director immediately asked, “What condition?”

Assistant Li replied, “Two of the participants must be chosen by us—one ordinary person and one celebrity. The celebrity must be Pei Yao, the movie star.”

The director looked troubled. “Finding an ordinary participant is no problem, but Pei Yao… given his current situation…”

Assistant Li smiled. “The more controversy there is, the more attention it will attract, don’t you think?”

The director hesitated. “But Pei Yao’s situation really isn’t suitable for appearing in a variety show right now. Anyone else would be fine.”

Assistant Li shook his head. “Then there’s no deal.”

He continued with a serious expression, “I’ll be blunt—without Pei Yao, there is no show. Understand?”

Faced with a massive funding gap, the director had no choice but to accept the condition.

The next day, the director personally brought the contract to Pei Yao.

Pei Yao looked at it and furrowed his brows. “Although I really want to be back on screen… I’m not gay. Sorry.”

The director was momentarily stunned. “But didn’t that actor, Wan Yuda, previously…”

Pei Yao took a deep breath and said, “Whether you believe it or not, I am not gay, and I don’t like men.”

This situation was beyond the director’s expectations. He hadn’t anticipated that Pei Yao, who had no chance of landing any contracts, would actually reject his variety show invitation.

The assistant director’s words—”Without Pei Yao, there would be no show”—seemed to echo in the director’s ears. He suddenly remembered the special feature of this variety show: one of the six participants could be a straight man.

“It doesn’t matter,” the director persuaded earnestly. “Our show has a unique feature—out of the six people, one of them is straight. You can join in.”

Pei Yao was stunned. He stared at the cover of the physical contract for “Chasing Love! Brother” for a long time before picking it up and carefully reading through its contents.

Are variety shows really playing like this nowadays?

The director said, “This copy was prepared with some issues. If you’re willing to participate, I’ll give you the contract designated for the straight contestant.”

With the investors having deep pockets, “Chasing Love! Brother” launched an overwhelming promotional campaign across all platforms before its official debut.

The first two announced celebrity guests were both shocking choices.

The first was Wan Yuda, a traffic-star idol hailed as the “god-tier beauty” of the entertainment industry. His face was no bigger than the palm of a hand, and fans even called him a “Barbie doll”.

After Pei Yao was accused of se-xually harassing him, Wan Yuda gained a wave of sympathy and goodwill through public relations efforts and playing the victim.

His inclusion in the show was already surprising enough, but the next reveal was even more jaw-dropping.

The second guest was Chu Caiyang, a veteran actor with both film and television emperor titles. With a high status in the entertainment industry and fans spanning all age groups, he had achieved remarkable success—all at just 35 years old. What shocked people the most was that no one had ever heard any rumors about his se-xual orientation before.

As for the third guest, the show’s official Weibo account remained tight-lipped, merely teasing that the identity would be revealed when the show aired. This only heightened everyone’s curiosity.

On “Chasing Love! Brother”, the six guests had to spend seven days and six nights together on a remote island. The program was broadcasted live, ensuring no scripted moments.

On the day of filming, curious viewers flooded the streaming channel early, eager to see how the nation’s first gay romance variety show would kick off.

A long table was set up on the open shore, with six chairs placed behind it.

The first to walk in from the distance was Wan Yuda.

The director asked, “Yuda, how are you feeling right now?”

Wan Yuda gave a shy smile. “Very nervous, and a little anxious.”

The live chat was flooded with messages, mostly from his fans.

—”Hug hug! Our baby is so cute!”

—”Aww, is he shy? So adorable!”

—”You can tell he’s really nervous, hahaha. I wonder who could possibly be worthy of our Barbie?”

Next to arrive was a non-celebrity participant—a tall man wearing a clean button-up shirt. He had a well-built physique, with visible muscles stretching the fabric of his shirt.

Following him was Chu Caiyang, the highly respected actor. He was around 1.8 meters tall, wearing a perfectly tailored suit. He first smiled at Wan Yuda and the other contestant before greeting the director and crew. “Hello, everyone.”

Wan Yuda immediately stood up and shook his hand. “Hello, senior.”

Chu Caiyang chuckled warmly. “No need for formalities in a setting like this—otherwise, how are we supposed to chase love?”

He made a light joke, playfully referencing the show’s name, which eased the atmosphere. The second non-celebrity participant then walked in.

“Following this order, the next to appear should be the mystery celebrity guest, right?”

“Yeah! I’m so excited!”

“Who could it be? The suspense is killing me!”

A figure slowly emerged in the distance, wearing white sneakers, light-washed jeans, and a fresh white T-shirt.

The two non-celebrities immediately sensed that something was off. They stared at the newcomer, recognized who he was, and instinctively turned to look at Wan Yuda.

Not only did they react this way, but the cameras also zoomed in, giving a dramatic close-up shot of Wan Yuda’s face.

When the director learned that Pei Yao had to be invited, he immediately decided on the perfect counterweight: Wan Yuda.

If they were going to stir up drama, they might as well go big—controversy meant traffic, and heated discussions meant popularity.

As expected, the chatroom exploded.

—”WTF?! Does this production team have a death wish?”

—”Do they not know what a trash person Pei Yao is? And they invited him to a romance show?”

—”This is disgusting. Poor Yuda has to deal with this?!”

—”Pei Yao, do you have no shame? Do you not realize what you’ve done?”

—”How thick-skinned do you have to be to join a romance show after a se-xual harassment scandal?”

—”Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting.”

On set, the director spoke directly. “Let’s welcome our third celebrity guest—Pei Yao!”

Everyone clapped, even Chu Caiyang, who seemed genuinely intrigued—everyone except Wan Yuda, whose expression darkened.

Pei Yao said, “Thank you—”

Before he could finish, Wan Yuda suddenly stood up, walking out from behind the long table. The cameras zoomed in again, capturing every movement.

Wan Yuda: “Pei Yao, how can you still act like nothing happened and come to a romance show?”

“A person like you, who se-xually harasses others—who would dare film a romance show with you?”

Pei Yao calmly looked at him. “I know exactly what I did and didn’t do.”

“My conscience is clear. Why wouldn’t I dare join a romance show?”

With that, Pei Yao directly took his seat as the fifth participant.

At that moment, Jian Yuanbai—who had yet to appear—suddenly heard a chime in his head.

The system said, “Please ensure that Long Aotian delivers the designated line within the specified time.”

“The dirty water you splashed on me will eventually become the mud that allows me to bloom. A lotus grows in the mud yet remains pure and beautiful. Even amidst rumors, I can still be reborn from the ashes.”

Jian Yuanbai stared at Pei Yao in the distance. After some thought, he could only come up with one way to make Pei Yao speak at this moment.

He sent a message to Assistant Li. As per his duty of keeping a close eye on the boss’s situation, Assistant Li dutifully relayed the request to the director through the mic.

The director was so shocked upon hearing it that he nearly lost his composure. He pressed the other mic hanging by his ear and signaled to the back, connecting Pei Yao’s earpiece.

The audience wouldn’t know that the mic clipped near the guest’s mouth and tucked behind their ear, which seemed to be only for capturing sound, actually allowed them to hear the program team.

While the viewers behind the screen were cursing nonstop, Pei Yao, at the filming site, widened his eyes in disbelief and looked toward the director team behind the cameras.

The director urged, “Pei Yao, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up! It’s all for the show’s effect.”

Pei Yao gritted his teeth, thinking: What kind of nonsense program effect is this? Are they trying to paint him as a Grade-10 cringe-worthy, Mary Sue-brained fool?

Under the director’s urging, Pei Yao stood up, clenched his fists tightly, and looked at Wan Yuda.

Since the show was being broadcasted live, every movement Pei Yao made was captured clearly by the cameras and presented to the audience.

The bullet comments exploded:

—”What the hell? He’s clenching his fists so tightly—is he going to hit someone?”

—”He won’t even admit to his se-xual harassment, and now, in front of all these people and cameras, what does he think he’s doing?”

—”Shit, has Pei Yao lost his mind? What is he thinking?”

Wan Yuda watched him warily and said in a grave voice, “There’s no need for you to argue. Just because you say you didn’t do it doesn’t make it true. Ridiculous.”

“I have evidence. Where’s yours?”

“The only reason I haven’t called the police to have you arrested is because we’ve worked together before. I used to see you as a senior, but I never thought you’d turn out to be this kind of person.”

Wan Yuda’s mix of wariness, fear, and forced toughness instantly made his fans feel distressed. One after another, they flooded the comments with sympathy and began demanding an apology from the production team.

—”Can we get this Pei Yao off the show immediately?”

—”Just seeing him is disgusting, and so is this production team.”

—”Apologize! You dumbass production team, get out here and apologize right now!”

At this moment, the director urged again, “Pei Yao! Say it now!”

Seeing Pei Yao still hesitating, he added bluntly, “I’ll be honest with you—these lines are what the show’s investors want you to say. If you don’t, the show might lose its funding and get canceled.”

Pei Yao clenched his teeth even harder, fists tightening as he stared at Wan Yuda, took a deep breath, and said, “Do you dare to call the police?”

“If you report me, your attempt to frame me with false accusations won’t be able to stay hidden.”

“The dirty water you splashed on me will eventually become…”

Pei Yao’s jaw tensed as a deep sense of shame made it hard for him to continue.

“…will eventually become… become… the mud that allows me to bloom.”

“A lotus grows in the mud yet remains pure and beautiful. Even amidst rumors, I can still be reborn from the ashes.”

As soon as these words came out, Pei Yao’s ears turned red and burned with embarrassment. He struggled to suppress his mortification. Across from him, Wan Yuda was dumbfounded. Next to him, Chu Caiyang was also frozen in place. One of the two ordinary contestants even reached up to rub their ears.

Wait—were they really at the recording of a dating reality show?

Or was this actually some over-the-top, cringe-filled Mary Sue TV drama set?

The people on set were stunned, and so was the barrage of bullet comments.

—”I thought he was clenching his fists to throw a punch, but now I wish he had!”

—”If he hits someone, Pei Yao goes to jail. If he doesn’t, my worldview shatters.”

—”What the hell is Pei Yao doing?!! What kind of sacred lotus nonsense is this? He’s rising from the ashes? What the f*ck?”

—”Who understands this? I’m losing brain cells.”

—”Are they really filming a dating show? This isn’t some outdated, melodramatic, Mary Sue drama?”

—”Pei Yao has once again broadened my perception of reality.”

At this moment, Jian Yuanbai stepped forward. However, as an unknown contestant, his presence didn’t divert the audience’s attention from Pei Yao’s speech. Most of them were still obsessing over what had just happened.

Only a few people sporadically commented on how strikingly handsome this new contestant was.

Both the live audience and those watching from behind their screens were still in shock. The director continued diligently following the script, but only he knew how much Pei Yao had sacrificed for this show.

When Pei Yao forced himself to say those lines, the director almost wanted to rush over, pat him on the shoulder, and praise him with: “What a real man!”

But he couldn’t. All he could do was move forward with the show’s agenda.

“Before we head to the island, let’s do a quick introduction. Let’s go in order of appearance. Wan Yuda, you go first.”

Wan Yuda, still in shock from Pei Yao’s words, stood up dazedly. “Oh, oh. Introduction.”

“Oh, I’m Wan Yuda.”

His bewildered, deer-in-the-headlights expression immediately endeared him to the audience.

—”Look at our poor Barbie, traumatized like this.”

—”In all the years since his debut, has Yuda ever looked this flustered except for his very first time in front of the camera?”

—”I’m dying, he looks like he’s afraid of being blinded by the lotus’s holy light.”

The next contestant was a corporate CEO. Under normal circumstances, such a status would have drawn massive attention from the audience. But at this moment, they could only focus on one person.

When it was Chu Caiyang’s turn, he blinked and smiled. “Hello, everyone. I’m Chu Caiyang. As for my profession and experience, I don’t think I need to elaborate, right?”

The second unknown contestant was a gym owner. After him, it was Pei Yao’s turn.

Sitting in his chair with a “fu*ck it all” mentality, Pei Yao stood up and said only one sentence:

—”Hello, everyone. I’m Pei Yao.”

The bullet comments immediately flooded the screen:

—”Got it, got it. Pei Yao, huh? The dazzling ‘Yao’ of Mary Sue brilliance.”

—”Nonsense! Clearly, it’s the radiant purity of a lotus ‘Yao.’”

—”I disagree! Our grand movie star Pei Yao literally said he would be reborn from the ashes, okay? I’m voting for the ‘Phoenix Glow’ instead.”

Even though Pei Yao couldn’t see the comments, he could guess what kind of ridiculous image the audience now had of him. Face still burning with shame from his cringeworthy lines, he let out a bitter laugh.

Caught up in a se-xual harassment scandal, and now he’d somehow become a national joke on top of it.

Jian Yuanbai stood up and introduced himself. “Hello, everyone. I’m Jian Yuanbai.”

He paused briefly. “I’m a bodyguard. My last job was working as Pei Yao’s bodyguard.”

His words snapped Pei Yao out of his spiral of humiliation. He turned in shock, eyes wide.

—”A bodyguard? This handsome?!”

—”Who gets it? As soon as he said ‘bodyguard,’ all I could think about was Pei Yao acting this dramatic around his own staff.”

Suddenly, a comment flashed by:

—”Guys, check out Big Eyes!!! Wan Yuda’s accusation against Pei Yao for se-xual harassment just got overturned!!!”