The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 3

“You have the wrong person,” Lin Zhiyu said nonchalantly.

“Stop pretending, buddy. I would recognize this face even if it were burned to ashes.” Tony excitedly patted his shoulder and began to ramble. “Life is full of strange coincidences. My ex-girlfriend was obsessed with Jiang Yubai back then. Every time we met, she would rave about how handsome and cool he was, and then she would curse you for being shameless. She hated how you constantly harassed Mu Yunji and acted like a spoiled diva during the finale night. I told her it was all just an entertainment persona, but she insisted I was only arguing with her because I did not love her anymore. We had a huge fight and broke up over it.”

Lin Zhiyu rubbed his forehead, feeling helpless. “Well, thank you for that.”

He really did not need to hear a play-by-play of the original owner’s world-shakingly embarrassing deeds from the talent show.

“But seeing you now, you really do not have the typical celebrity ego. Otherwise, you would not have come to a shop like this to dye your hair. I knew the stuff on TV was just an attention-grabbing persona. A normal person could not be that crazy,” Tony added.

“I think you two were right to break up,” Lin Zhiyu sighed. “Your judgment of people is a bit off. Next time, do not try to reason with your partner.”

Tony assumed he was being self-deprecating and continued, “I do not know what your team was thinking, giving you such a terrible persona. It is impressive that you have not been blacklisted yet.”

Lin Zhiyu chuckled. “I am wondering the same thing. Honestly, anyone who wants this job can have it.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” Tony said. “But honestly, the pink hair actually suited you. My ex-girlfriend started liking you a little bit after your first dyed-hair performance. Are you sure you want to go black? Your fans might not recognize you.”

Lin Zhiyu thought about the original owner’s pitifully small fan base and shook his head firmly. “Black. Completely black. A real man survives on his own strength.”

In reality, he just wanted to lie at home, collecting his three-hundred-thousand-dollar monthly allowance and living his dreams.

Seeing that he could not be swayed, Tony shook his head, muttering something about “wasting good looks,” but his hands moved quickly.

Two hours later, Lin Zhiyu finally sat before the mirror, admiring his fresh black hair. Although Tony had insisted on keeping the wolf-cut style, it looked clean and sharp. The subdued color suited his natural features better, and his complexion looked much healthier than before.

He shook his head with satisfaction. Although the wolf-tail hair resting on his shoulders felt unfamiliar, Tony was right; his face suited hair that fell past his shoulders.

Before he left, Tony specifically asked for a photo together to send to his ex-girlfriend.

Lin Zhiyu suspected Tony still held a grudge against her and wanted to use a celebrity she hated to annoy her. After a moment of thought, he agreed to the request.

By the time Lin Zhiyu rushed to the company, it was past noon. Before he could even step through the door, he ran straight into Xu Dongdong, whose face was green with rage.

“Our Zhiyu is truly something! You certainly have the temperament of a young master. An entire team of people is waiting for you, and you do not even pick up your phone.” Xu Dongdong’s voice was incredibly loud, as if he wanted everyone to know exactly how Lin Zhiyu had wasted their time.

As soon as he spoke, everyone nearby turned to stare.

Lin Zhiyu’s eardrums throbbed from the noise. He rubbed his ear, took the live-stream script from the assistant, Xiao Qi, and whispered a quick thank you.

While he was getting his hair dyed, he had tried his best to recall this minor plot point from the original novel. Years ago, Lin Zhiyu had entered the entertainment industry to chase his love and signed with Infinite Entertainment—the same company as Mu Yunji—without even reading the contract.

He guessed it was an all-encompassing management contract, which gave Xu Dongdong the power to sign him up for these jobs without his input.

Initially, Xu Dongdong might have treated him with respect, but he had likely discovered that Lin Zhiyu was not a biological child of the Lin family. That explained his sudden change in attitude.

Although Lin Zhiyu had only worked for a year, he had seen many people like this. With an eight-million-dollar penalty hanging over him and his current reputation being in the gutter, he could not afford to pick a fight. He decided to use his specialty: playing dumb and acting oblivious.

He scanned the script quickly and followed Xu Dongdong toward the live-stream room.

A makeup artist stopped him. “Brother Lin, you have not had your makeup done yet.”

“No need. I will go like this.” Lin Zhiyu signaled for her to stop and gave her a sorry smile. “I was delayed on the way and arrived late. My apologies to everyone.”

The makeup artist, who had worked at Infinite Entertainment for two years, was stunned. It was the first time she had ever heard Lin Zhiyu speak to her so gently.

Perhaps it was the new hair, but she felt that today’s Lin Zhiyu was unexpectedly approachable.

Lin Zhiyu was undoubtedly handsome, but he used to dress in a garish, flamboyant style. During the talent show, he often wore heavy, theatrical makeup and clothes that were either too revealing or simply bizarre.

Now, with black hair, he looked clean and bright. When he smiled, his dimples were visible, making it hard to look away. As he turned to enter the room, the makeup artist shook herself out of her daze. She warned herself not to be fooled by his harmless appearance; he would probably cause trouble in the next minute.

The live-stream room was small, containing only a table stacked with yellow bottles of cold-pressed lemonade—the product Lin Zhiyu was supposed to sell. The script did not list a sales target. Lin Zhiyu suspected the commission details were in the contract, but Xu Dongdong clearly did not intend to share them. That villainous manager was likely planning to pocket the kickbacks himself.

The center seat was reserved for him, while several other obscure artists sat behind him to fill out the room. As the staff adjusted the equipment, Lin Zhiyu took his seat.

As soon as the stream started, the viewer count in the top right corner began to jump rapidly. Unfortunately, most of them were his anti-fans.

Look, it is our international superstar, Lin Zhiyu! I cannot believe he has stooped to selling lemonade. Did he run out of work?

I thought this guy had disappeared for good. I did not expect to see this annoying face again.

Some people are selling juice while others are walking the runway in Paris. I hope the young master does not go crazy with jealousy.

The comments flashed across the dark screen. Lin Zhiyu glanced at them once and looked away. They were insulting the character in the book; it had nothing to do with him.

He took a nervous sip of the sample lemonade. The sour, bitter taste hit him instantly, causing him to cough repeatedly.

A second later, the camera turned on without warning, capturing his bare face.

Lin Zhiyu’s features were perfectly proportioned. Without any makeup, the red mole under his eye was particularly striking, like a captivating finishing touch on an ink painting. When he looked directly into the camera, the impact was breathtaking. His black hair gave him a clean, almost ethereal quality.

The anti-fans who had rushed into the room were stunned to see him without makeup. This face—both strange and familiar—made them wonder if they were in the wrong place. The insults they had been typing froze in the input boxes. The once-frenzied comment section went silent.

Finally, someone commented: The host is so handsome! For the sake of this face, I will buy a whole basket of whatever he is selling today!

The username for that comment was “Has Lin Zhiyu Kicked Himself Out of the Industry Yet?”

Wake up, sister! You came in late and did not realize this IS Lin Zhiyu!

He is so handsome. It feels like he is on a different level from everyone else. Is the host an actor?

Lin Zhiyu? You mean the shameless Lin Zhiyu who chases Mu Yunji?

Yes! The one who was lazy on stage, harassed the mentors, and acted like a diva during the finale!

Xu Dongdong watched the viewer count rise and felt delighted. His sour expression vanished. He spoke through Lin Zhiyu’s earpiece: “Zhiyu, do not worry about the negative comments. This traffic is great! Just play along. Infamy is still fame. Sell well, and you will get your commission.”

Lin Zhiyu frowned, thinking that Xu Dongdong was quite the storyteller.

“Thank you for the comments,” he said, deciding to just let go. “It is true that when I was twenty, I heard Mu Yunji sing ‘Anicca’ and fell in love at first sight. I did give up my studies to enter the industry for him and followed him to ‘Youth Create’ like I was under a spell, which caused a lot of controversy.”

“This is not in the script!” “Brother Xu, should we cut the feed?”

Lin Zhiyu ignored the whispers in his earpiece. He watched the comments debating whether he was “lovesick” or “just plain bad” and took a large gulp of the lemonade.

“But now, I have woken up. My obsession with Mu Yunji has vanished. I only stayed focused on him because I had a narrow worldview and had never seen anything better. Once I have enough money to pay my cancellation fee, I will leave the industry immediately. I will find a few tall, handsome college students to date, and I will probably forget his name entirely.”

Is this fake?

Is the host really Lin Zhiyu? Did someone take over his body?

I have to admit, his face is incredible. If he had chosen the right path, he might be as famous as Jiang Yubai.

Who would believe you? Is Mu Yunji some kind of joke to you?

Lin Zhiyu gave a harmless smile. “I know many of you find it hard to believe. The reason I can officially say goodbye to my past today is because…”

He paused, took a bottle of the lemonade, and held a glass to his face.

“I just drank XX Brand Cold-Pressed Lemonade.”

“XX Brand Cold-Pressed Lemonade. One bottle wakes you up, two bottles restore your beauty, and three bottles cure your lovesickness.”

“Buy it for your lovesick friends and help me achieve my dream of retiring!”

The comments: ???

The artists behind him were caught off guard by the sudden turn. Their stunned faces were captured on screen. Before Lin Zhiyu could read the fast-moving comments, Xu Dongdong spoke in his ear: “We have sales. Keep going.”

Lin Zhiyu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “If the juice does not wake them up, just hit them over the head with the bottle.”

I do not believe it unless you promise never to harass Mu Yunji again.

“Fine. For every few hundred orders, I will make the promise again.”

Lin Zhiyu smiled and said clearly, “I will absolutely never harass Mu Yunji again.”

Immediately, sales skyrocketed.

The live-stream was an unexpected success, reaching tens of thousands of orders by the end. Xu Dongdong happily called the client. Lin Zhiyu rubbed his aching shoulders, his throat so dry he could barely speak. He dragged himself out of the room like a dead fish.

Before he could find a place to rest, the elevator behind him opened with a ding.

Then, a familiar voice called out, “Stop right there.”