Witch, Please Open Your Eyes

The two of them had arranged with the program team to wait for the program’s vehicle in the airport parking lot.

Fang Daichuan was still carrying his two large suitcases, diligently and without complaint, dragging them back to the parking lot. Zhou held an umbrella for him from behind.

The rain poured down heavily around them, the umbrella swaying wildly in the wind, and in just a few moments, both of them were soaked inside and out. The sky in the distance looked ominously gloomy. Fang Daichuan placed his suitcases on the steps, afraid that the wheels would get soaked, and obediently stood in the water below the steps to make it easier for Zhou to stand on the steps and hold the umbrella for him.

“Hey! Is that the car?!” Fang Daichuan, with his sharp eyes, spotted a nanny van with a Shandong¹ license plate slowly approaching through the rain curtain. The van passed in front of them, its black body painted with four bright red characters: “Werewolf Game.”

As soon as Zhou saw the words, she shouted, “Yes, yes! That’s the program! Driver!” She ran over and shouted, “Driver, wait! Please stop!”

The driver glanced back at the rear seat, hesitated for a moment, but still stopped in front of them.

Zhou shoved the umbrella into Fang Daichuan’s hand, then dashed back to get the suitcases, bowing and scraping to the driver, “Driver! You’re from the Werewolf program, right?! Our Fang Daichuan has signed up to participate, could you please take him along?”

The driver was taken aback, “But… I was informed to pick up one person, and we’ve already picked them up…”

“I just contacted your program team!” Zhou patted the driver’s shoulder, “Your program team told us to wait for you, Shandong license plate! The Werewolf program! It’s correct, just give us a ride!”

The driver turned to ask the person in the back seat, “What do you think…”

The door of the back seat slid open with a swish.

The interior of the nanny van was spacious, with two rows of seats facing each other. A young man in a three-piece black suit sat there, expressionless, looking up at them. His features were much more pronounced than the average person, appearing as if he had foreign ancestry, probably a mixed-blood. Sitting across from him was a middle-aged man in casual clothes, looking about forty years old, an unfamiliar face.

Two cameras were set up inside the van, their indicator lights dutifully on, showing that they had been recording all along.

With the cameras there, there was no mistake! Zhou, soaked to the bone in the rain, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The mixed-blood guy scrutinized Fang Daichuan for a moment, his expression a mix of hesitation and surprise. “…It’s you?”

Fang Daichuan was a bit confused. As a Z-list internet celebrity, being recognized was a rare occurrence, especially by someone as good-looking as this guy. Feeling flattered, he nodded eagerly. “Yeah, it’s me. I signed up for this ‘Werewolf’ program. Did you too?”

The guy was undeniably handsome, with the kind of mixed-blood looks that were currently all the rage. Fang Daichuan guessed he might be a newcomer with connections, using this program as a launchpad. Or perhaps he already had some acting experience, and Fang Daichuan just hadn’t heard of him. After all, in this day and age, there were far more platforms for exposure than before. The new generation of young idols and rising stars, especially those crossing over from modeling, music, internet fame, or fashion, were all making their way into the entertainment industry. It wasn’t surprising if Fang Daichuan didn’t recognize him. The awkward part was that the guy had recognized him, and Fang Daichuan didn’t dare ask for his name.

The mixed-race guy furrowed his brows. “You signed up for the game too? I wasn’t informed that I’d be picking you up.”

Zhou, who had been in the industry long enough to recognize when someone might have more clout than her own Z-list internet celebrity, quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Oh, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself with that! The nanny van for Daichuan must still be on its way. This car is yours, but with such heavy rain, maybe Daichuan could ride with you? After all, you’re in the same group! Thank you so much!”

The middle-aged man across from the mixed-race guy remained silent.

“Fine, get in,” the mixed-race guy said after a moment of thought, pulling the door open fully.

Zhou immediately smiled and said, “Thank you, thank you!”

Fang Daichuan nodded and quickly got into the car, turning to grab his luggage and pull Zhou in with him.

“No luggage or unrelated personnel allowed,” the mixed-race guy reminded him with a frown. “And no phones either. Didn’t you read the contract when you signed it?”

Fang Daichuan froze. He had skimmed the contract when he signed it, but relying on his agency to handle the details, he hadn’t gone through it line by line. He honestly couldn’t recall this particular clause.

“Alright, alright, no luggage!” Zhou, seeing his hesitation, quickly gave him a meaningful look and pinched his waist. “I’m not coming. I’ll take your luggage and wait for the next car, or maybe take a flight once the rain lets up. You go ahead and don’t delay their plans!”

Fang Daichuan obediently nodded and handed his phone over to Zhou.

“Be careful! Stay sharp!” Zhou shouted after him.

Fang Daichuan rolled down the window, waving at her with a smile.

The car steadily exited the parking lot, turned onto the highway from outside the airport, and sped through the rain curtain, heading east.

The atmosphere in the car was somewhat awkward.

None of the three knew each other. Fang Daichuan glanced at the camera positions, weighed his options, and then plopped down next to the middle-aged man, sitting face-to-face with the mixed-race guy. Their eyes met inadvertently, and they sized each other up.

Fang Daichuan scratched his nose, feeling a bit awkward, and forced himself to start a conversation: “Do you know me?”

The mixed-race guy glanced at him but didn’t respond.

Feeling embarrassed, Fang Daichuan pressed on: “Sorry, I haven’t seen you before. Did you also sign up to participate in ‘Werewolf’?”

The mixed-race guy shook his head and gestured toward the middle-aged man across from him with his chin: “I’m here to pick up Mr. Chen.”

“Oh, you’re staff!” Fang Daichuan felt relieved. No wonder he hadn’t seen him before-he wasn’t a celebrity. He then sighed inwardly, thinking that the Pitaya Channel really had deep pockets. Even their staff were this handsome. It seemed Zhou wasn’t bluffing when she said they could easily find a replacement young idol for the program.

Mr. Chen was also an unfamiliar face, a man in his forties with unremarkable looks and an ordinary demeanor. He wore an oversized shirt and didn’t seem familiar. However, Fang Daichuan didn’t know many veteran actors from that era anyway. Back then, there wasn’t much of a concept of “celebrities,” and actors were often known for their roles rather than their personal fame. Perhaps this Mr. Chen was one of those seasoned supporting actors.

Thinking this, Fang Daichuan turned and shook Mr. Chen’s hand with both of his own: “My apologies, so you’re Mr. Chen!”

Mr. Chen was clearly caught off guard by the gesture but quickly shook hands in return. The two stared at each other for a moment before Mr. Chen suddenly slapped his forehead: “Hey! I think I recognize you! Aren’t you… the guy who played Chen Xiaolu in Anti-Japanese Extraordinary Team? What’s your name again? You were great at tearing enemies apart with your bare hands!”

Fang Daichuan’s face turned red with embarrassment. He thought to himself, I’d rather you’ve seen me as the martial arts supporting actor in some cheesy Mary Sue drama than bring up the “tearing enemies apart” bit! How am I supposed to survive in a variety show with this kind of reputation?!

He quickly waved his hands: “You’re too kind, it’s nothing compared to your work.”

“Not at all!” Mr. Chen laughed and patted his hand. “Every time I take on a new project and head to some remote place with no signal, I download a bunch of anti-Japanese dramas on my phone. I’ve seen you several times! You’re really good at those scenes-tearing enemies apart, jumping over walls, dodging bullets. It’s thrilling to watch!”

This old gentleman’s taste is quite down-to-earth, Fang Daichuan thought to himself, perhaps he used to film model operas like “Tunnel Warfare” or something, no wonder I don’t recognize him.

Fang Daichuan stuck out his tongue at the cameras, silently rehearsed his character setting in his mind, and then took the opportunity to promote himself: “Actually, I’ve been practicing martial arts since I was a kid. I came to participate in this ‘Werewolf’ game because I heard it requires strong physical strength and athletic talent. My parents always said I was clumsy, and I’ve never won a single game of Werewolf. My hands shake as soon as I touch a werewolf card, and anyone with eyes can see it. I’m here to turn the tables with my combat power. By the way, Mr. Chen, why did you come to participate in this game?”

The mixed-race staff member sitting across from them suddenly looked up, focusing intently on Mr. Chen’s expression. Mr. Chen’s face showed a brief moment of discomfort, then he forced a smile: “Me? I’m here for the big prize! Twenty million!”

There’s a prize?! Fang Daichuan was stunned, tilting his head to look at Mr. Chen, then at the cameras, and finally suspiciously at the mixed-race guy across from him. The mixed-race guy was no longer looking at Mr. Chen, assuming a meditative posture, eyes fixed on his nose, sitting upright.

“There’s… there’s money?!” Fang Daichuan regretted not carefully reading the script and contract.

Mr. Chen found his reaction strange: “Did you really sign up for the Werewolf Game? How come you don’t know anything? Do you even know how the game is played?!”

No matter how dumb Fang Daichuan was, he couldn’t admit in front of the cameras that he hadn’t read the script carefully! He quickly said, “I know, I know, it’s just Werewolf, right? Taking the card game to real life. I’m not that stupid.”

Mr. Chen nodded.

“Mr. Chen, you better watch out. Although I’m not smart, my combat power is pretty good. We might be teammates or opponents!” Fang Daichuan joked, trying to lighten the mood.

But Mr. Chen didn’t respond.

His face darkened, he nodded, turned to look out the window, and didn’t say another word to him.

How petty, Fang Daichuan thought, making a face at the camera. It’s just a reality show, not a matter of life and death, is it? He knew that veteran actors from that era often looked down on young idols to some extent. He decided not to bother with the cold shoulder and also turned to look out the window.

The car sped along, stopping once at a service station for the driver to refuel. The mixed-race guy accompanied Mr. Chen and Fang Daichuan to the restroom.

The sky gradually darkened, and the scenery on the highway was monotonous, with fields of unclear crops on both sides. There were fewer cars on the road, and their van with the bright red slogan “Werewolf Game” looked quite ordinary. There were no big stars on board, so it didn’t attract any attention.

In the distance, the clouds piled up in layers. After the three of them returned from the restroom, the atmosphere in the car once again fell into silence.

Footnote: