Chapter 63: Exposing You

"Brother An, is your cancer really incurable?"

"It's incurable."

"Even with money, it can't be treated?"

"No, it can't."

"I'm sorry." Su Xingchen lowered her head in apology.

"It's fine, haha~"

Su Xingchen felt deeply sympathetic toward Chen Huaian.

But seeing the calmness and confidence on Chen Huaian's face, she felt she had no right to pity someone who radiated such light and warmth.

He didn't need sympathy.

His life was more vibrant than anyone else's at this moment.

Perhaps this was heaven's envy of talent.

She secretly thought to herself.

Heaven had given Chen Huaian an unparalleled appearance but had also taken away his lifespan. This should have been a tragedy, but Chen Huaian's optimistic attitude had turned it into an inspiring comedy.

The entire conversation between Chen Huaian and Su Xingchen was broadcast live.

The barrage of comments was almost entirely filled with "tears" instead of the usual cheers for Cai Yifan.

Director Zhang curled his lips.

People are often hypocritical, and online hypocrisy is amplified endlessly.

Just moments ago, they were screaming to kick Chen Huaian out of the show, and now they're "tearing up"?

But no one knew that while Chen Huaian appeared calm on the surface, he felt as if countless ants were crawling inside him.

He wanted to check his phone!

He wanted to know if Li Qingran had successfully entered Lingxi Valley and what she was doing now.

After entering Lingxi Valley, would she be bullied by other disciples as a newbie?

Unfortunately, he couldn't play the game until the recording at the mountaintop was over.

Even glancing at his phone had to be done in an instant, and only when the camera wasn't on him.

But could the cameraman stop intentionally or unintentionally focusing on him all the time?!

Chen Huaian felt like he was about to fall apart.

"Hey, I suddenly feel full of energy! Can I lead the team?" Cai Yifan bounced to the front and asked the team leader if he could take charge.

"You want to lead?" The team leader glanced at Cai Yifan's thin arms and legs, feeling speechless. "That might not be a good idea. This path isn't the tourist route of Tianmen Mountain, and it's nighttime. If something unexpected happens, like encountering a wild animal, you'd need to make the best judgment immediately to avoid provoking it. Can you handle that?"

Cai Yifan thought to himself, it's 2034—where would you even find wild animals?

Even if there were wild animals in Tianmen Mountain, would they dare to approach such a large group?

This was just the retired mountaineer trying to make money.

If he handed over the lead to someone else, his salary might be docked.

Hmph, a mere worker bee, especially a retired one, couldn't compare to a rising star like him.

"Don't worry, uncle. I trained in Shaolin as a kid and still have my 'childhood essence' intact—I'm super strong! Even if a bear shows up, I can take it down!"

Cai Yifan flexed his "impressive" muscle lines.

He had indeed trained in Shaolin, but he left after less than a month.

Before he became famous, he didn't think this experience was worth mentioning. But after gaining fame, his agent and company packaged him as a Shaolin lay disciple, instantly attaching a bunch of positive labels to him.

Like being from Shaolin, pure-hearted.

Like having trained in martial arts since childhood, physically strong.

Like being disciplined and resilient…

To make the packaging more convincing, the company even trained him in martial arts moves for a month—not to make them powerful, but just to look good enough that his fans wouldn't notice.

By now, even Cai Yifan himself was a bit confused.

Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, smoking after a performance, he'd genuinely feel like some martial arts master.

So every time he initiated a team fight in games, he'd tell the support: "Be good, I'm strong. Just endure it."

But in reality, even if he farmed for a month, he'd still die within five minutes.

Yet, Cai Yifan still felt good about himself, frequently initiating fights.

The team leader knew Cai Yifan wasn't someone to mess with, so he shot a questioning look at the director.

The director was the one paying him, so if the director agreed, he'd let Cai Yifan lead.

Director Zhang pondered for a while but couldn't figure out what Cai Yifan was up to.

He assumed Cai Yifan just wanted to prove himself and rebuild his image.

Pineapple TV and Cai Yifan's company, Star Shadow Entertainment, had a cooperative relationship. As the director of Pineapple TV's show, he naturally had to give Cai Yifan the chance to shine, even if he didn't want to.

'Let him.' Director Zhang gave the team leader a look.

The team leader nodded and silently moved to the back of the group.

This was the second most important position.

Animals like wolves, when spotting a large group of prey, would follow from behind and call for their pack, only attacking when they felt confident. But the production team clearly lacked this awareness, hiring only one professional.

Meanwhile, the live chat started rolling again:

[Is Brother Fan leading the team? Wow, so brave, though not as handsome as the bald brother～]

[Are Brother Fan and Brother Huaian teaming up? So sweet～]

[Brother Huaian is the most handsome in the world! Don't let the stinky Fan fans come near!]

[What do you mean don't come near? I'm a fan of Fan and Brother Huaian too～]

[Yeah yeah, Brother Huaian, we love you too～]

…

Chen Huaian didn't know he was starting to gain a massive female fanbase.

And these fans were already clashing with Cai Yifan's fans.

The weird part was that the clashes were more like light scratches.

Because even Cai Yifan's fans were hesitant to fight back.

After all, this guy was just too ridiculously handsome.

He had all these glowing, Buddha-like buffs.

Flawless, impossible to criticize!

And they couldn't bring themselves to criticize him.

Just looking at his face dissipated any anger, leaving them wanting to quietly watch and admire, without even a hint of impure thoughts.

Meanwhile, Cai Yifan, having gained the lead, began his performance.

"Let's go, everyone!" He spread his arms and shouted with a sunny smile. "At this rate, how long will it take us to reach the summit? Don't you want to see the first sunrise on Tianmen Mountain?"

"One, two, three, follow me!"

Cai Yifan walked ahead at a brisk pace.

The cameraman, not wanting to miss his shots, gritted his teeth and followed.

The other celebrities, seeing the cameraman moving ahead, had no choice but to push through their fatigue and keep up, or else they'd get no screen time at all.

Su Xingchen was about to follow when she turned and saw Chen Huaian leaning on his crutch. Her heart softened. "Brother An, are you okay? Do you need me to support you?"

"No need." Chen Huaian waved his hand and smiled. "I'm used to this crutch. I might even walk more easily than you normal people. I'll keep up, don't worry!"

What a joke!

He was a superhuman who had unlocked his genetic potential!

Did he need someone to support him??

With that, Chen Huaian picked up his pace.

For some reason tonight, his right leg felt like it had a motor, full of endless energy, and he didn't feel tired at all. He wasn't afraid of being exposed either, since the bone tumor in his leg was real, not some special effect.

Su Xingchen was stunned as Chen Huaian overtook her in a few steps.

Is this the speed of a disabled person?

A hint of doubt crossed her mind, but it was quickly smoothed over by guilt and admiration.

'He must be doing this so we don't worry, right?'

'Isn't it painful for him to walk like this?'

'He's already disabled, already in the late stages of cancer, yet he's still so considerate of everyone's feelings!'

'I'm really… crying QAQ…'

…

Meanwhile, up ahead, Cai Yifan noticed Chen Huaian keeping up and a sly glint flashed in his eyes. "Hmph, couldn't sit still, huh? Trying to steal the spotlight and the hype, are you?

Well, I'll expose you! I'll ruin your reputation!"

Everything was going as he expected.

Soon, someone would notice Chen Huaian's anomaly without him even needing to push.

How could a disabled person keep up with the group's fast pace?

Definitely fake!

At the same time—

On the side of the mountain path,

In the canopy of a tree unnoticed by anyone.

A leg dangled down, a shoe hooking a backpack.

Looking up, a middle school girl in uniform lay with her hands behind her head, pretending to sleep.

The night breeze blew, and a few leaves fell.

She sniffed the air, her eyes opening with a cold glint.

Damn it! There's a demonic aura!

…

···