Chapter 1

The Day the Sky Collapsed

“Boycott Xiao Chen!”

“Get him out of the industry!”

“He’s disgusting!”

“Apologize!”

“Shameless!”

The screams rose like violent waves beneath the

building, crashing endlessly against the glass windows of the twenty-third floor.

Outside, hundreds of reporters and angry fans crowded behind metal barricades under the cold evening rain of Beijing.

Flashlights burst continuously through the darkness while giant LED screens on media vans replayed scandal headlines over and over again.

“RISING ACTOR XIAO CHEN EXPOSED IN INDUSTRY CONTROVERSY

NETIZENS DEMAND REMOVAL FROM UPCOMING DRAMA”

“FAKE IMAGE” CELEBRITY UNDER FIRE

The internet was exploding.

And inside the silent apartment above the chaos,

Xiao Chen stood motionless beside the window, staring down at the crowd below.

The city lights blurred faintly in his eyes.

Or maybe that was because he had not slept properly in three days.

Rainwater slid slowly across the glass in uneven lines, distorting the world outside into something unfamiliar.

Strange.

Just a few months ago, those same people had screamed his name with love.

Now they screamed it like hatred tasted good in their mouths.

Xiao Chen tightened his grip unconsciously around the curtain beside him.

His fingers trembled slightly.

The fabric slipped from his hand.

For a brief moment, he looked as though he might lose balance completely.

“Careful.”

His manager’s voice broke the silence behind him.

Liang Wen stood near the living room table with two phones in one hand and an iPad in the other. Dark circles rested heavily beneath his tired eyes as endless notifications continued flashing across every screen.

Another article.

Another accusation.

Another trending hashtag demanding Xiao Chen disappear.

Liang Wen turned one phone face-down with frustration.

“It’s getting worse.”

Xiao Chen said nothing.

The apartment felt unusually cold tonight despite the heating system running quietly in the background.

Or maybe emptiness simply made places colder.

The television remained muted, but subtitles moved rapidly beneath another entertainment news broadcast.

Scandal.

Rumors.

Speculation.

Everyone wanted a piece of him now.

Not because they cared.

Because destruction entertained people more than success ever could.

Xiao Chen slowly walked toward the sofa before sitting down heavily.

The exhaustion in his movements no longer looked physical.

It looked deeper than that.

Like something inside him had quietly cracked.

Outside, another wave of shouting rose from the streets below.

“XIAO CHEN APOLOGIZE!”

“LEAVE THE INDUSTRY!”

Someone threw something toward the building entrance downstairs.

Security guards immediately rushed forward.

Liang Wen rubbed his forehead.

“Don’t look at social media tonight.”

Xiao Chen finally spoke softly.

“Give me the iPad.”

His manager hesitated.

“Xiao Chen—”

“The iPad.”

Reluctantly, Liang Wen handed it over.

For several seconds, the room remained completely silent except for rain tapping softly against the windows.

Then Xiao Chen opened the screen.

The comments flooded endlessly beneath every article.

I always knew his smile was fake.

Trash actor.

Cancel him immediately.

He used people to climb upward.

Disgusting.

I regret supporting him.

He should disappear forever.

This words keep ringing in his ears his shut his eyes andd then he keep scrolling….

Chapter : 2

Xiao Chen kept scrolling.

And scrolling.

And scrolling.

Each sentence felt strangely unreal.

Like strangers discussing another person entirely.

Not him.

Not the Xiao Chen who survived on instant noodles for years.

Not the Xiao Chen who practiced acting alone at night after supermarket shifts.

Not the Xiao Chen who spent half his income paying hospital bills for his mother.

Not the Xiao Chen who smiled until his cheeks hurt because people liked “sunshine personalities.”

None of those people online knew him.

Yet somehow they all sounded certain.

Liang Wen moved forward immediately and grabbed the iPad gently.

“That’s enough.”

Xiao Chen didn’t resist.

He simply leaned back against the sofa slowly before covering his eyes with one hand.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

His voice sounded quiet.

Too quiet.

Liang Wen looked away briefly.

In the entertainment industry, truth was often the least important thing.

“I know.”

Outside, thunder rolled across the city sky.

Xiao Chen lowered his hand again before staring toward the rain-covered windows.

“How did things become like this?”

No answer came.

Because neither of them truly knew.

Or maybe they both did.

Fame was fragile.

People loved idols like temporary dreams.

And dreams were easy to destroy.

—

At the exact same moment, across the city inside another towering entertainment company building, someone else was also reading those comments.

The office remained dim except for the cold white glow of computer screens reflecting across polished black furniture.

Wang Yu stood silently beside the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the rainy city below.

On the tablet resting across the desk nearby, Xiao Chen’s scandal headlines remained open.

The comments continued updating rapidly.

Cruel.

Mocking.

Relentless.

Assistant director Chen Hao stood carefully near the doorway, clearly nervous.

“Should we release a statement regarding the collaboration rumors?”

No response.

Wang Yu’s expression revealed absolutely nothing.

That was the frightening thing about him.

People inside the industry often described Wang Yu as unreadable.

Cold.

Controlled.

A man who hid thoughts so deeply nobody could predict his next move.

But tonight the silence surrounding him felt heavier than usual.

His gaze remained fixed on one particular photograph displayed online.

Xiao Chen leaving a studio two nights ago.

Head lowered.

Flashlights surrounding him from every direction.

Looking painfully alone.

Chen Hao spoke again cautiously.

“Public opinion is turning ugly very quickly.”

Still silence.

Then finally—

“Who started it?”

The question came calmly.

Too calmly.

Chen Hao swallowed slightly.

“There are suspicions another company pushed the rumors first, but nobody has confirmed anything yet.”

Wang Yu picked up the tablet slowly.

The article reflected faintly in his dark eyes.

For several long seconds, he simply stared at Xiao Chen’s picture.

Then quietly—

“Find out.”

Something in his voice made Chen Hao straighten immediately.

“Yes.”

The office door closed softly afterward.

Wang Yu remained standing alone beside the rain-covered glass.

Outside, the city lights blurred beneath the storm.

And somewhere beneath all the noise of the present, an old memory surfaced quietly.

Two years earlier.

Before scandals.

Before fame.

Before the world became cruel.

Back when Xiao Chen still smiled like nothing could truly hurt him.

—

Two years earlier.

Summer sunlight filled the narrow streets of an older neighborhood in Shanghai.

The apartment building looked worn down from years of rain and faded paint, but the small home inside carried warmth that expensive places often lacked.

Laughter.

Cooking smells.

Music from an old radio near the kitchen.

“Ge! Hurry up or you’ll be late again!”

Xiao Jun’s voice echoed through the apartment while running between rooms with one shoe untied.

“I’m coming!”

Xiao Chen emerged from the bedroom while struggling to button his shirt properly at the same time.

His mother stood near the stove cooking noodles while smiling helplessly at the chaos around her.

“You two act like the world ends every morning.”

“It does,” Xiao Jun replied dramatically. “School is suffering.”

Xiao Chen laughed immediately before stealing a dumpling from the plate beside the kitchen counter.

His mother slapped his arm lightly.

“That’s for your brother.”

“I’m also someone’s child.”

“You’re twenty-two.”

“I’m still emotionally young.”

The apartment filled with laughter again.

Small.

Simple.

Real.

Back then, life was difficult.

But happiness still existed in ordinary moments.

Episode : 3

The apartment itself barely had enough space for all three of them comfortably.

The wallpaper peeled near the corners.

The kitchen sink leaked occasionally.

During winter, cold air slipped through the old windows no matter how many blankets they used.

But Xiao Chen loved this place fiercely.

Because it was home.

Because every exhausting day ended here.

Because his mother smiled more here than she ever did after his father left years ago.

Xiao Chen grabbed his backpack before checking the small clock near the door.

Late again.

Perfect.

“I’ll work after class tonight,” he said while putting on his shoes.

His mother frowned slightly.

“You barely slept yesterday.”

“I’m young. My organs still believe in me.”

“That’s not how health works.”

Xiao Chen grinned before kissing her cheek quickly.

“Trust me.”

Then he looked toward his younger brother.

“And you. Study properly.”

Xiao Jun rolled his eyes dramatically.

“You sound forty.”

“Respect your hardworking older brother.”

“You ate my dumpling.”

“That’s unrelated.”

Another laugh escaped their mother softly.

Xiao Chen memorized that sound without realizing it.

Years later, he would miss mornings like this more than anything.

—

University classes ended at four.

His supermarket shift started at five.

And afterward he still had dance practice near midnight for backup performance work.

Most days felt endless.

The supermarket manager liked yelling.

Customers liked complaining.

The pay barely covered rent and bills.

But Xiao Chen never complained seriously.

Because he had already promised himself something years ago.

One day—

he would give his family a better life.

A real home.

A kitchen that didn’t leak.

A bedroom for his brother.

Medicine for his mother without checking prices first.

And maybe…

maybe someday…

his own name on a movie screen.

The thought alone kept him moving forward.

Even during exhausting nights.

Even during rejection after rejection.

Even when casting directors barely looked at him during auditions.

“Next.”

“Too inexperienced.”

“We’ll contact you later.”

Nobody ever contacted him later.

Still, Xiao Chen kept trying.

Because dreams were stubborn things.

And so was he.

Late that night, after finishing supermarket work, Xiao Chen arrived breathlessly at a small underground dance studio.

Sweat already clung to his shirt.

His legs ached horribly.

But the moment music started playing, something inside him changed.

Alive.

That was the only word for it.

Under cheap fluorescent lights, surrounded by exhausted dancers chasing impossible futures, Xiao Chen smiled brighter than he had all day.

The instructor shouted counts loudly.

Bodies moved in rhythm.

Mirrors reflected ambition endlessly.

This world was hard.

Cruel sometimes.

But Xiao Chen loved performing too much to let go.

After practice ended near one in the morning, he remained behind alone briefly.

The empty studio reflected quietly around him.

He stood before the mirror breathing heavily.

Then softly—

“One day.”

Not arrogance.

Not fantasy.

Just determination.

One day people would know his name.

One day he would stand beneath real stage lights.

One day his mother would never worry about money again.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly at his own reflection.

Tired.

Hopeful.

Still dreaming.

Outside, distant city lights glowed against the dark night sky.

And somewhere far ahead in the future—

someone named Wang Yu had not yet realized this bright, stubborn boy would eventually become the most dangerous thing in his life.