Chapter 86

After careful consideration, the production team decided not to reveal Su Xingyao in order to surprise the audience. They only hinted on Weibo that a mysterious guest would return for the final episode.

The audience was intrigued, and they began to speculate which of the previous guests was most likely to return. Su Xingyao was the most talked about.

"If you can bring Su Xingyao back, you will be the best in variety shows!"

"What? The production team actually invited Su Xingyao for the final episode!"

"Pass it on, Su Xingyao is returning to 'Exit with Grace'!"

"Got it, Su Xingyao is already making waves in the final episode of 'Exit with Grace'!"

"I’m already on the live stream, waiting for the broadcast to see Su Xingyao."

"???? There are still 12 hours until the show starts, and you're already camping in the live stream??"

As netizens flocked to the official live stream of the production team, Su Xingyao also arrived at the location the production team had notified him about.

This time, the recording was a bit different from before. The production team used a mix of set builds and on-location filming.

For this on-location shoot, the production team chose a mountain.

Upon arriving at the shooting location, Su Xingyao noticed something intriguing.

This mountain happened to be the same one he had filmed a show on before.

And it was the very mountain where Chu Zian had pushed him off.

Revisiting the place, Su Xingyao raised an eyebrow, amused.

After going through so many experiences, he didn’t have PTSD from this place.

Although many unpleasant things had happened here, in a way, it marked the start of his new life.

Therefore, Su Xingyao’s first thought wasn’t of Chu Zian, who had pushed him off the cliff.

But rather, it was Lu Jiuxu who saved him here.

Now it was winter, and the weather was freezing.

Even though Su Xingyao was wearing a thick down jacket, he still felt the cold wind biting his face.

He wasn’t sure if it was the sudden change from a tropical climate or if he hadn’t slept well last night.

At this moment, he felt a bit dizzy.

Su Xingyao's skin was already pale, and with his discomfort, his face looked even more pale.

The production staff noticed and quickly checked on him.

When they learned Su Xingyao was unwell but could still record, they quickly got him some cold medicine and let him rest in the lounge.

Su Xingyao was the first guest to arrive. Seeing that the recording time was still early and he was really dizzy, he decided to take a short nap.

Su Xingyao didn’t rest well. Perhaps because of the cold, even with the heater on, his hands and feet stayed icy cold, no matter what.

After a short nap, Su Xingyao got up.

Stepping out of the lounge, the sky outside had already darkened, and more people had shown up.

Su Xingyao figured the guests were likely all here, so he headed to the restroom.

The facilities at this filming site were pretty basic, and even in winter, the water was freezing cold.

Su Xingyao's hands were already freezing, and after rinsing them with icy water, they turned even colder.

The restroom didn’t have a hand dryer, and just as Su Xingyao dried his hands with a paper towel, he noticed someone rushing into the restroom.

There was a puddle of water by the sink, and the person didn’t see it and slipped, falling to the ground.

Su Xingyao was nearby and quickly stepped in to help.

The person groaned in pain a couple of times, one hand on the ground and the other reaching toward Su Xingyao.

As their hands touched, the person looked up.

Immediately, it was like they’d seen a ghost, yanking their hand back, looking terrified.

As the person looked up, Su Xingyao also recognized who it was.

It was truly a case of enemies crossing paths.

The person who had slipped and fallen was none other than Chu Zian himself.

"Su... Su..."

Chu Zian looked utterly terrified, barely managing to choke out two syllables.

Seeing the fear in the other's eyes, Su Xingyao smirked.

"It’s you."

His voice was ice-cold.

"It’s been a while."

Chu Zian, already shaken by the sight of Su Xingyao, started trembling uncontrollably at those words, like he’d been hit by a freezing gust of wind.

He had just arrived at this place and already felt it was inauspicious.

After all, it was here last year that he had pushed Su Xingyao off the mountain.

From such a height, falling would almost certainly mean no return...

Yet, against all odds, Su Xingyao had miraculously reappeared in everyone's sight.

That period was extremely tormenting for him.

On one hand, he was worried that Su Xingyao would report him to the police and have him imprisoned; on the other hand, he couldn’t understand how Su Xingyao had survived.

He even began to wonder if Su Xingyao was still human, given the drastic changes in him...

Under such immense torment, he was constantly on edge during that time, even afraid to sleep alone at night.

Later, since Su Xingyao never brought up the incident and never came to trouble him about it.

His anxious heart finally settled a bit, thinking that perhaps Su Xingyao had lost his memory after falling off the cliff and forgotten everything, letting him off the hook...

But just now, Su Xingyao's words sent chills down his spine.

He still remembers!!

He remembers everything!!

Chu Zian's eyes widened in fear, and he scrambled back a couple of steps.

Is Su Xingyao... coming after me for revenge??!!!

In such a scene of the incident and under immense fear, Chu Zian was losing touch with reality.

He only felt that the hand he had just touched from Su Xingyao was cold as death, with no warmth at all.

And the face he saw now was ghostly pale, devoid of any color.

Chu Zian screamed in terror, too terrified to even think straight, and bolted in panic to run to his manager.

As soon as he returned to the lounge, Chu Zian yelled hysterically that he wouldn't record the show anymore and wanted to leave immediately.

The manager initially thought he was just being cowardly, scared of recording on the mountain at night, and brushed it off.

But after a while, seeing his emotional state deteriorating, the manager began to feel that something was wrong.

He pulled Chu Zian onto the sofa and finally asked, "What's wrong?"

Chu Zian kept his head down, his mind still on Su Xingyao's icy hand.

The manager asked several times before Chu Zian finally heard his voice.

"Su, Su Xingyao..."

"I just saw Su Xingyao!"

The unsettled Chu Zian's words were filled with anxiety.

Hearing this, the manager didn't think much of it and went along with his words.

"It seems the show really invited him this time."

"But what’s the big deal if he’s here? Why are you so nervous?"

After a few words from the manager, Chu Zian finally snapped out of it a little, but he was still on edge and resistant.

He questioned the manager, "Why didn't you tell me Su Xingyao would be here before?"

The manager was at a loss, "How could I know? The show keeps these things under wraps."

The thought of having to record the show with Su Xingyao made Chu Zian uneasy all over again.

"If he's here, I won't record. I want to go back."

The manager wasn’t having it.

He felt Chu Zian was just being dramatic, and his tone became a bit impatient.

"Even if you had a falling out with him over Jiang Xunche, it's not a big deal. This kind of thing is par for the course in showbiz. Su Xingyao doesn't care, so why should you?"

"Besides, if you two appear together, we can use this opportunity to create some buzz and get more screen time and attention. Any publicity is good publicity, and traffic is what matters most."

Chu Zian, who has already become a has-been, understands this principle all too well.

But he still insists, repeatedly saying, "I’m not doing this, I’m not doing it," and prepares to call the driver to take him home.

His manager takes his phone away and warns, "Do you realize how long it’s been since anyone cared about you?"

"And do you even get how tough it was to land this gig?"

"At first, we bent over backwards, but they didn't want you. Now that they've finally changed their minds, you’re not even appreciating it?"

"Look at the stars who came tonight, they’re all bigger names than you. You don’t even know how to milk this golden opportunity."

"Whatever the reason, quit being so melodramatic. No matter what, you’re doing this show today!"

Just as the manager finishes scolding Chu Zian, a staff member from the production team comes to notify him to pick a character card and then go get ready.

More than two hours later, all the participating guests gather at the foot of the mountain.

Chu Zian, who comes out of the makeup room, is reluctant but forced to suck it up and go.

With every step, he keeps reminding himself that Su Xingyao is just a person, not some ghost, and he must have forgotten everything that happened back then.

With a knot in his stomach, Chu Zian arrives at the gathering point.

He nervously walks over, full of anxiety.

But when he actually meets Su Xingyao again, he finds that the other person acts like it’s no big deal.

The earlier moment must have just been in his head.

Chu Zian's tense nerves finally relax a bit.

Su Xingyao hasn't been on the show for a long time, but his fans on the show are still as enthusiastic as ever.

Luo Yiyuan comes running from across the way and gives him a big hug.

"Su Su!!!"

"Ahhhhh it's really you, Su Su!!"

"You have no idea how miserable I've been in the episodes you weren't here."

Luo Yiyuan tightly hangs onto Su Xingyao, the all-powerful golden ticket, while whining about the "brutal treatment" he has suffered from the production team during this time.

Su Xingyao smiles and returns the hug, then ruffles his hair to comfort him.

As Luo Yiyuan clings to Su Xingyao, the other guests also walk over.

"It's so great that Su Su is here, I really miss the times we recorded the show together."

"I miss you so much, Su Su."

The guests chat with Su Xingyao.

After a brief reunion, Wu Ningning innocently complains to the director.

"You guys are really sneaky, not even telling us in advance that Su Su was coming."

Luo Yiyuan echoed the sentiment, "Exactly, had I known, I wouldn’t have prepared so many props."

After saying that, he unconsciously patted his collar.

The director, seeing this in the camera: Huh??

He immediately gave a look to the staff, "Go and search his collar right now."

Two minutes later, a peace talisman hidden under Luo Yiyuan's collar was found by the staff.

Looking at Luo Yiyuan, who looked devastated, Gu Feiyang couldn’t help but tease him, "Man, you really gave yourself away."

"Ahhhhhhh!!"

Luo Yiyuan was devastated.

He had finally learned some skills from Su Xingyao on how to hide things and wanted to show off today, but he didn’t expect to give himself away...

However, Luo Yiyuan hadn’t even been devastated for thirty seconds when the director announced to all the guests, "Now all guests will be searched. No carrying other strange props!"

After that, the staff came to search all the guests.

The director’s eyes were fixed on Su Xingyao, not daring to move, fearing that this ancestor had snuck something in again.

But surprisingly, this time, Su Xingyao was clean.

The director was incredulous, "What about inside the cuffs? Have you checked?"

The staff nodded, "Checked, no hidden layers or tape."

The director was still suspicious, "Anywhere else?"

The staff continued, "Searched, no lighting objects."

After double-checking, the director finally relaxed.

At this moment, the live stream also happened to show this scene.

"Hahahahaha, look at our little Su Xingyao making the director paranoid."

"I’m dying of laughter. The director’s cautious and repeated confirmation is hilarious every time."

"Ahhhhh Su Xingyao!! It’s really Su Xingyao!!!"

"Finally, you’re here!!! It was worth the 48-hour wait!!!"

"Su God!!!!"

"Welcome back, Su Xingyao!!!"

"Seeing Su Xingyao in the final episode made my day."

Su Xingyao had been off the radar for several months and made his comeback in the finale of *Escape Unscathed*.

Hearing this good news, many fans and casual viewers flocked to the live stream.

As a result, the number of online viewers rose at an extremely rapid pace, surpassing 40 million shortly after the stream began.

While the audience was flooding the chat, the staff completed the security checks.

Then, as usual, blindfolds were placed on the guests, and they were led to the car.

Having experienced it before, Su Xingyao was less afraid of the dark this time.

Although there was still a fear of the dark in his heart, Luo Yiyuan’s thoughtful chatter helped ease the tension.

With voices around, the lively atmosphere eased the fear quite a bit.

This episode included on-site filming, and it was indeed on a somewhat eerie mountain, so the spooky vibe was more intense.

On the way up the mountain with their eyes covered, Luo Yiyuan couldn’t stop talking.

"Why did they choose this place for the recording? Coming here at night is honestly pretty creepy," he said, hugging his arms and shivering.

Xie Jin, sitting in front of him, sat upright and replied briskly, "You haven’t done anything bad, what are you afraid of?"

Luo Yiyuan retorted, "I haven’t done anything wrong, but I’m scared of ghosts, sis, you know that!"

Chu Zian, who had been sitting in the corner, felt the air around him grow colder as he listened to their conversation.

Among the people present, he was probably the only one feeling guilty...

Naturally, Chu Zian, feeling guilty, didn’t dare join the conversation, but Xie Jin chuckled.

"There are no ghosts in this world," she said.

Wu Ningning, who was also afraid of the dark and ghosts, whispered beside Xie Jin, "Sister, fearing ghosts is just a feeling..."

"Just like a husband is a feeling too... it’s not about gender."

Wu Ningning’s quirky association made everyone pause, and then they couldn’t help but laugh.

Finally, Gu Feiyang, who had more experience in filming, offered Luo Yiyuan a more serious explanation.

"Lots of film crews shoot here for the setting, and the program team probably chose this place for easy scene setup as well."

As they chatted, time passed quickly.

Soon, the staff took them to their destination.

Once everyone was seated, the director announced the official start of today's recording.

Su Xingyao removed his blindfold.

He was met with a blinding light.

Having gotten used to the darkness, his eyes struggled to adjust to the bright light.

After a few seconds, he could see where he was.

It was an extremely luxurious hall.

In front of him was a long dining table.

Besides him, the other five guests were also seated across the table.

Everyone looked at each other, all equally clueless.

Luo Yiyuan glanced at the prop in front of him, picked up a cherry, and popped it into his mouth.

"I’ll check if the props are safe to eat for everyone."

The chat exploded with laughter.

"OMG! Did that pop star just swipe a prop from the set?"

"Classic Yiyuan, always going for the props!"

"I thought these props were fake, but they’re actually real?"

"No kidding, those cherries look super sweet."

The cherry was really sweet. After tasting it, Luo Yiyuan handed one to Su Xingyao beside him.

"Su Su, give it a try, it’s delicious."

Su Xingyao took a bite, and a robotic female voice came from above.

"Welcome, honored guests, to the Blissful Manor."

"I’m your butler, Xiao Ai."

At the sound, everyone glanced up. All they saw was the fancy circular ceiling and some paintings—no one was there.

The voice kept going, ignoring the guests’ reactions.

"After your long trip, feel free to dig into the dinner I’ve prepared just for you."

"Of course, if the dinner’s too boring, you can also introduce yourselves to each other~"

After saying this, the robotic voice let out a creepy laugh.

Luo Yiyuan got the chills, and suddenly the cherries didn’t look so tasty.

"After that, who’d want to eat?"

"That voice totally freaked me out."

Even with the complaints, the guests got the hint: it was time to introduce themselves.

Xie Jin, looking the most professional tonight, was the first to introduce herself.

"Hey everyone, I’m Xie Jin, a lawyer."

She pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, looking cool and collected.

Next, Wu Ningning raised her hand, "What a coincidence, Xiao Jin—our jobs are connected. I’m a judge."

Then, Gu Feiyang introduced himself, "Hi everyone, I’m a bestselling author."

Luo Yiyuan, decked out in designer clothes, jumped up and busted out some street dance moves.

Gu Feiyang watched and then asked, "Wait, you’re a street dancer?"

Luo Yiyuan nearly botched his final pose, scrambled to his feet, smoothed his clothes, and cleared his throat.

"Nah, I’m the real deal—a bona fide rich kid."

Once Luo Yiyuan wrapped up his intro, Gu Feiyang wanted to ask Su Xingyao about his job right away. But to be nice to the new guy, he held back and turned to Chu Zian, who hadn’t said a word.

"What about you, Zian?"

Chu Zian, who was almost spacing out, tried to keep his cool in front of the camera. But being suddenly prompted, he forgot every word of the intro his manager had prepped him on.

All he could get out was four words, "I’m a journalist..."

When Chu Zian spoke up, the audience finally noticed him.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

"I was so busy watching Su Xingyao, I didn’t even see this guy."

"Isn’t this the guy who was spreading rumors about Su Xingyao?"

"How does he even dare to be on the same show?"

"Guess he’s got no shame."

"Why’d they bring this loser on?"

"Ugh, I’m so mad Su Su has to deal with this creep."

"Can Chu Zian just disappear already?"

The chat was absolutely roasting Chu Zian.

On set, the other guests weren’t exactly friendly either. Everyone knew about his past smear campaign against Su Xingyao. Of course, they sided with the decent Su Xingyao over this petty jerk.

Once Chu Zian said his piece, Gu Feiyang quickly turned to Su Xingyao.

"What about you, Su Su?"

Su Xingyao smiled, didn’t make any flashy gestures, and kept his words brief.

"I’m just a regular working stiff."

The guests, all with their own unique backgrounds, were shocked. "Wait, what???"

Su Xingyao nodded, "Seriously, I just clocked out of overtime before showing up."

As he spoke, the camera focused on Su Xingyao. His face was still stunning, but his makeup wasn’t as polished as the others—it was kinda messy.

Luo Yiyuan scrutinized Su Xingyao’s look and was about to say something when the female voice chimed in again, "Hehehe, it seems everyone has gotten to know each other better. Now, please enjoy the wonderful night~"

Everyone frowned, wondering what challenge was coming next.

Suddenly, the brightly lit hall plunged into complete darkness.

"Ahhh, why did it suddenly go dark!!"

"I can’t see anything!!"

"Who turned off the lights!!"

"No way, it’s starting off this intense already…"

As the guests screamed in fear from the sudden darkness, that voice echoed again in the shadows.

"Oh no, looks like the power’s out. Xiao Ai can’t fix it. If you want light, you’ll have to fix it yourselves, dear guests~ hee hee hee."

In the pitch-black night, hearing that eerie voice again, the guests got goosebumps.

After the initial panic, everyone finally settled down.

"So, should we go find the circuit breaker now?"

"Where’s the circuit breaker?"

"No clue, she didn’t tell us."

"Looking’s one thing, but we can’t see a thing. Even if we find it, we might not know what it is…"

The guests stumbled to their feet in the dark.

Luo Yiyuan squinted, trying to get used to the dark.

Then, out of nowhere, a beam of light lit up the pitch-black hall.

The director, about to take a tea break, froze: "What the…?"

"What’s happening here?!"

As the director spoke, the guests turned toward the light in shock.

They saw the light coming from Su Xingyao.

The guests were ecstatic.

"Oh my god, light!!"

"Su Su, where’d you get that?! Didn’t they search us?!"

Su Xingyao calmly took off his watch and used it as a flashlight.

"Uh… I bought this smartwatch online."

"The seller mentioned it has a flashlight."

The director, tea still in his mouth, was speechless: …

The audience, snacking on melon seeds and loving the drama: Hahahahahaha!