Chapter 27 – Magazine Release
Gao Qian subconsciously felt that this person’s words weren’t entirely credible, but she didn’t sense anything wrong.
The pink-haired boy lowered his hand from the gesture of illustrating a small universe, glancing at his phone for the time.
Gao Qian looked at him sideways, asking, “What’s up?”
Chen Bai said objectively, “I should probably head back to make dinner.”
That statement felt a bit out of place in this glamorous environment, subtly floating with the scent of excess and indulgence. It was too plain and simple, instantly bringing everyone present, who were eagerly anticipating a leap to stardom, back to reality.
Others silently began to pull out their phones to check for lunch options.
The manager raised an eyebrow and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s find a place for lunch first.”
She then added the key sentence: “You don’t have to pay.”
The pink-haired boy nodded quickly, without any hesitation.
To hesitate for even a second would be a disrespect to something free.
“…”
Gao Qian felt she had nearly grasped this person completely.
There wasn’t much to eat inside the cultural park, but there were a couple of shops, and the two people who weren’t picky found a nearby place to settle their hunger.
During lunch, the manager suddenly remembered something, swallowing her food and saying, “In a few days, the photos you shot for EV will be released.”
Chen Bai slightly raised his eyes, “So soon?”
He worked every day and didn’t feel much of a change in time; he hadn’t realized so much time had passed.
The manager nodded, saying, “The magazine will handle its own publicity; the star on the cover has quite a big name, so sales and exposure shouldn’t be a worry.”
Sales were something the magazine and the cover star should concern themselves with; they just needed to focus on their own tasks. She took a sip of water and said, “I’m temporarily managing your account. You can post anytime, and if you have free time, remember to check the comments section. Just be cautious about what you say.”
Chen Bai then remembered that he had created a Weibo account earlier.
Though he didn’t quite understand why a seemingly content-less account could attract followers, he nodded nonetheless.
This meal couldn’t be described as delicious; it was just enough to fill their stomachs.
After eating, the pink-haired boy was dropped off at home by his manager, and upon arriving, he also took a job unlocking doors.
Today, the landlord had come over again, bringing his grandson with him. The neighborhood folks adored the little boy, petting him left and right, and as he passed by, he joined in and patted him a couple of times too.
A couple of days later, in the evening, just before he was about to go live, Chen Bai received a delivery from his manager. The package was light, thin, and when he opened it, it turned out to be a magazine.
It was the current issue of “EV,” featuring a person on the cover whom he didn’t recognize but looked quite handsome.
So it was already released at this time. The magazine had always been followed up on by his professional manager a.k.a money-making partner ; he hadn’t paid much attention to it, only knowing that his partner was very satisfied.
It was already time for the live broadcast, so he didn’t open the magazine. He turned around, closed the door, returned to his room, and casually set the magazine aside before booting up his computer.
*
B City.
The roaring sound echoed across the street as a motorcycle stopped in front of a flower shop bathed in warm light. The person dismounted, swinging one leg over and stepping off, then lifted their hand to remove the black helmet, revealing tousled hair.
Li Qingzhou casually ruffled his messy hair, holding the helmet in one hand as he walked into the shop, saying, “The flowers have been delivered. I’m heading back to prepare for the live broadcast now.”
The people in the shop didn’t respond to him, nor was anyone standing by the racks arranging flowers as usual. He looked around and spotted someone behind the counter.
When he looked over, the other person finally noticed his presence. They lifted their head and said, “You’re back so soon.”
Li Qingzhou took off his apron and asked, “Should I go deliver another round?”
Sister Li replied that there was no need and excitedly waved him over, her face still glowing with a lingering blush. “Come over and take a look!”
The person taking off the apron paused for a moment and walked over to take a look.
Sitting behind the counter was a magazine. The person on the cover was someone whose face had become familiar to him, even if he didn’t follow the celebrity. He kept his expression unchanged, having become accustomed to such things, and said, “Congratulations, your favorite star is on the cover again.”
His voice was steady and calm, clearly numb from seeing this kind of news frequently.
“I’m not showing you this,” Sister Li flipped through the magazine, quickly finding the page she had been looking at before. “I saw someone really good-looking.”
She handed the magazine over, saying, “Look.”
Li Qingzhou took the magazine and glanced down at it, planning to hand it back immediately as he looked.
“…”
As his gaze met the light-reflecting pale eyes under the pink messy hair, he froze in the action of handing it back.
The person in the photo was holding flowers, walking toward the camera, with light breaking through the clouds beside him. His dazzling smile was full of undeniable vitality and warmth, reminiscent of the sun in March.
—It was a gaze similar to looking at someone he liked.
The smile, filled with life just like before, made his heart skip a beat.
Although the hair color had changed, and his clothing style was different, Li Qingzhou recognized him—it was the person he had delivered flowers to before.
He hadn’t seen that person since the last flower delivery and hadn’t heard any news about him. He had thought he would never see him again, but unexpectedly, he encountered him in this way.
“…?”
Noticing that Li Qingzhou was still staring at the photo in the magazine and showed no sign of returning it, Sister Li seemed to discover something amusing. Her eyes widened with a smile as she asked, “So you like this type?”
Hearing the voice from the side, Li Qingzhou came back to his senses and instinctively denied it, saying, “No, that’s not it.”
He continued, “I was just thinking that the flowers were for him during that last shoot.”
He denied it, but his ears unconsciously flushed a bright red, especially noticeable against the surrounding skin.
This was the first time Sister Li realized that her brother was unexpectedly easy to understand.
She had only asked casually, intending to joke, but her brother rushed to explain, unable to hide his blush.
As if there really was something.
“So the flowers were for him back then.”
A good sister knew when to stop, so she didn’t mention his red ears. Instead, she said, “He’s also acting in a TV show.”
She smiled and added, “If it airs, you must remember to watch it.”
Li Qingzhou looked down at the magazine again.
There was a line of small print under the photo, in addition to the photographer and editor, it also noted the name of the person in the picture:
[Chen Bai]
He averted his gaze and decisively said, “Sister, I’m taking this magazine.”
Sister Li looked at him.
“You always buy two copies of these magazines. I’ll take one; you still have one left,” he said. “I ran three trips this afternoon, the farthest being six kilometers.”
Sister Li waved her hand, quickly letting him take it.
Li Qingzhou took off his flower shop apron and headed home with the magazine.
He got home a bit earlier than usual for the live broadcast, so he decided to start streaming ahead of schedule.
As usual, he connected on the phone, loaded the game, and when he saw the familiar name on the game list, he asked, “Why is Erbai called Chen Erbai?”
The voice he had grown accustomed to replied in his headset, “Because his surname is Chen, and ‘a one and a white one’ sounds bad, so he’s called Chen Erbai.”
A simple and easy-to-understand naming convention. Afterward, the other person asked, “What made you think of this?”
Li Qingzhou exhaled and smiled, “Oh, nothing, just a bit curious.”
It turned out that such coincidences didn’t exist in this world; Erbai had indeed mentioned working in A City.
A simple explanation of his name revealed the bitter reality of his impoverished condition.
After casually explaining the origin of the name, they formed a team with their friends, and when Chen Bai checked the comments, he noticed someone had already started to change their username live.
[Then I should be called Zhen Meiqian]
[My surname is Bai, I love reading, so I’m called Bai Dushu.]
[Today I came across a handsome guy named Chen Bai, and my first reaction was Chen Erbai x]
[I know who the person upstairs is talking about! I saw it too, EV finally released a stunning picture after a long time! It’s so beautiful I can’t help but roll on the ground!]
[Where is that handsome guy! Let me see! Let me see!]
“…”
Upon seeing the previous comment, Chen Bai wanted to say that his name was quite common.
But when he saw the subsequent messages, he silently pushed the magazine that had almost come into the frame back out of view, completely cutting it off from the camera.
It was yet another ordinary, uneventful live stream. Aside from seeing his real name in the comments and feeling a bit complicated about it, everything else was very normal.
He ended the stream at two o’clock. Thanks to the black coffee he drank midway through the broadcast, the pink-haired boy couldn’t fall asleep immediately. Instead, he chose to log into the account he had registered previously but hadn’t touched in a while, amidst reading and messaging his friendly neighbor.
It had been a while since he last checked, and besides the still-familiar God of Wealth avatar and the three characters [Chen Yi Bai], the entire account felt quite foreign.
There was a small yellow V mark he didn’t know where it came from, the follower count, which had originally been zero, had surged, and the activity feed had reached double digits; the only thing still showing zero was the following section.
His money-making partner said this was his account, so he hadn’t followed anyone in his name.
It was hard to imagine what had happened to the account in such a short time. He clicked into the activity feed for a quick look.
There were over a dozen posts to date, with the highest number of likes being a recent simple repost, racking up hundreds of thousands of likes, which increased even more rapidly upon refreshing.
The repost was from the official EV account, featuring several photos of him.
Remembering what his money-making partner had said about checking the comment section when he had the chance, the pink-haired boy turned over in bed and clicked into the comments.
It was a comment section with an atmosphere completely different from the usual barrage of messages.
Typically, the comments would be filled with frenzied laughter at his baiting fails or light applause for his gaming skills, and the most common address was “Erbai.”
However, in this comment section, at a glance, the screen was filled with terms like [hubby] and [wifey]. It had been years since he had seen these words, and the usually busy pink-haired boy took a moment to realize that “wifey” was referring to him.
“…”
After years, he still couldn’t keep up with internet trends. A social butterfly like Chen Bai ultimately couldn’t think of how to respond to these comments, so he chose to put down his phone and pick up the book on his nightstand.
After more than an hour of cultivating sleepiness, the pink-haired boy finally managed to fall asleep.
He fell into a deep, peaceful slumber, while others remained online in the late-night internet world.
Once the pictures were released, they quickly gained traction and went viral, with the hashtag #EV Releases Stunning Photos climbing the trending topics, its popularity continually rising.
A multitude of netizens traced their way to his personal account through the official blog and successfully found the handsome newcomer’s personal Weibo.
The account was as new as the person, but fortunately, there were a few photos, and as netizens browsed through the archives, the comment numbers soared.
After sleeping in until the morning, the pink-haired boy struggled to get out of bed. He casually threw on a jacket and headed to his usual breakfast spot, reading a book while keeping an eye on the shop.
It was strange.
Today, there were inexplicably more people in the shop than usual, most of whom were young, likely university students from a nearby college, along with some other locals.
These customers had no need for key replacements; they mostly just wanted to buy a keychain and then asked if they could take a picture together.
Taking pictures didn’t take much time, so the pink-haired boy didn’t refuse these small requests.
By the end of the morning, he had only taken two orders, but had sold quite a few keychains. In the evening, he had a shift at the restaurant, and during lunch, Chen Bai switched shifts with his landlord. After returning home to eat, he started making up for his streaming hours in the evening.
The person guarding the shop had changed, and the number of customers buying keychains plummeted in the afternoon.
The audition results would be out in a week, and a week later, Chen Bai met with his money-making partner again.
This time, they met near the company, in the city center shopping district.
The pink-haired boy had splurged on a hat for this outing.
His partner seemed genuinely busy, arriving in a flurry each time they met, and the first thing she did upon sitting down was to catch her breath.
The hat-wearing person kindly handed her a cup of water.
After downing half a cup in one go, the manager finally came back to life, setting aside the documents and a pile of paper bags, turning to look at the person across from her.
At first, she didn’t recognize the familiar pink-haired boy, and she was momentarily stunned. After realizing who it was, she didn’t say much more. After ordering a drink, she got straight to the point, saying, “I have one bad piece of news and two good pieces of news for you.”
She didn’t play the game of “Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?” Instead, she cleared her throat and directly stated, “The bad news is that the roles for the male third and male fourth have already been decided, and they’ve chosen other people.”
She was very straightforward, giving no time for anyone to mentally prepare.
Chen Bai slightly raised his eyes, waiting for her to continue.
The manager smiled and shook a document she had picked up, saying, “The good news is that Director Zhang wants you to audition for the male second role.”
The male second role was a significant step up from the male third and fourth roles, and the pay difference was substantial.
The sudden change in role made Chen Bai ask, “What do you mean?”
“Director Zhang’s exact words were that the male second character has poor health and often sits or lies down,” the manager suppressed a grin that was about to burst out and said, “That fits your precarious old back perfectly.”
Based on practicality, this decision certainly had other considerations behind it; the director just chose to inform him in this manner without elaborating further.
Some directors appeared serious and had sharp tongues, but in private, they also liked to crack little jokes.
Unexpectedly, the words from audition day were remembered until now. Chen Bai wiped his face and said, “Thank you for saving my old back, Director.”
The manager laughed and took a sip of her drink, saying, “Once the contract details are finalized, they will send the complete script to you so you can look it over before you join the cast.”
Zhang Zhi was both the director and producer, and his words carried weight. He was well-known in the industry for using newcomers, and once he made a decision, he wouldn’t go back on it. He could also withstand pressure from other parties. Once he nodded, it was basically set in stone.
Chen Bai responded affirmatively and asked about the other good news.
“The other good news is that your photos in ‘EV’ received a very positive response, getting off to a great start,” the manager thought for a moment, recalling something, and added, “Do you remember the last outfit you wore while filming?”
The pink-haired boy, who had a decent memory, recalled it.
The manager said, “The seasonal new arrivals similar to that outfit from EV sold out.”
This was just a week after the magazine came out, and it would likely continue selling well; the profits were substantial. Everyone from the magazine to the brand was delighted.
The pink-haired boy’s eyes brightened for a moment. Sensing what he was thinking, the manager quickly added, “But we don’t get a commission.”
Chen Bai responded, “Oh.”
His previously bright eyes returned to their usual demeanor.
—This person was just too easy to read.
The manager raised an eyebrow, tapped on a pile of paper bags beside her, and said, “No commission, but they sent these over.”
EV sent over the seasonal new arrivals. Because they didn’t have his address, they sent everything directly to the company. She had been panting heavily when she entered the shop earlier because she had been busy unpacking and sorting the clothes.
She felt that the pink-haired boy really needed these items.
Previously, she had seen netizens share photos with him online, and she noticed that in every picture, he was dressed extremely simply, especially when compared to fans who were dressed exquisitely; the contrast was striking.
Fortunately, this face was striking enough to carry an entire aura with it.
Though he wasn’t given any money, having these clothes meant he wouldn’t have to spend on new ones, saving him some cash in the process. Chen Bai silently thanked his wallet.
In addition to the two previous good news items, there was one more piece of good news as an added bonus.
The previous filming had wrapped up, and they were entering the editing phase. In a few months, they would begin promotional activities.
Once his drink was finished, the manager glanced at her phone and then looked up, saying, “The next arrangement has been canceled. I happen to have some free time, so I’ll give you a ride home.”
The pink-haired boy agreed.
The two of them left the drink shop.
As they descended the escalator, the pink-haired boy, wearing a hat and holding two paper bags, gazed out at the layout of the mall and the flow of people.
Suddenly, a light turned on in one section, and he glanced over.
His light-colored pupils met the large electronic screen beside the glass window, and he slightly lifted the brim of his hat.
The person on the screen looked very familiar.
Noticing his movement, the manager turned her head to look as well, raising an eyebrow in understanding. She asked, “Are you watching Xu Sinian?”
The pink-haired guy nodded straightforwardly and turned to ask, “Could you help me take a picture?”
He wanted a photo with the electronic screen in the background.
The manager noticed the familiar peace sign.
“…”
This time, she chose to forgo correcting him and willingly took the picture.
Standing in front of the electronic screen, he slightly lifted the brim of his hat, revealing a small tuft of light pink hair. He smiled, eyes narrowing into crescents, and, holding onto his bags, proudly made the peace sign.
After taking the picture, he dropped the peace sign and ran back with his bags.
The manager handed him back his phone, surprised, and asked, “You like Xu Sinian?”
He looked like someone who had no romantic interests and was completely focused on work, so it was unexpected for him to have a hobby of being a fan.
Chen Bai took the phone, glanced at it, and nodded, “He’s really nice.”
He put his phone away and smiled in thanks.
On the way back, it was already evening, just around dinner time.
Gao Qian had some downtime and had made plans to go out for a big meal with friends. After dropping off the pink-haired boy, she hit the gas and drove off quickly.
Chen Bai strolled home with his bags in hand.
Today was quite fortuitous; he just happened to run into his good neighbor, who was also heading home.
The good neighbor seemed to have finished work early, carrying the ingredients for tonight’s dinner, so he didn’t need to make a trip to the supermarket.
The helpful good neighbor took the bags from Chen Bai’s hands, transforming them into one hand carrying dinner ingredients and the other holding paper bags.
With a couple of light bags dangling from his fingers, the pink-haired boy walked in behind his good neighbor.
After dinner, while resting, the good neighbor asked about the pile of paper bags.
Chen Bai replied, “These were given by the brand from the magazine I collaborated with, for free.”
Each piece of clothing came with its own paper bag and packaging, so he could probably sell the packaging for some pocket change.
While talking, he suddenly remembered something and said, “Did I not tell you about the magazine?”
The good neighbor gave him a look that spoke volumes.
Chen Bai got up, slipped on his slippers, and headed to his room.
When he came out again, he was holding a magazine. He handed it over, saying, “Sister Qian gave me a copy. I don’t really need it; do you want it?”
Xu Sinian accepted it.
Chen Bai watched as he flipped through the magazine and said, “I haven’t looked at it, so I don’t know what page it’s on.”
Xu Sinian flipped through the pages, stopping on a new one, and his finger unconsciously moved as he pressed down on the page.
Chen Bai, feeling satisfied after his meal, lounged on the chair, leisurely sipping from his cup of water. After noticing that the person across from him had been still for too long, he looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Xu Sinian closed the magazine and said, “You look great in the photos.”
The pink-haired guy’s eyes brightened slightly.
His good neighbor rarely used strong adverbs like “very,” so if he said something was “great,” it must be genuinely good.
He squinted and smiled, bringing up the incident of taking the photo with the electronic screen.
Simply put, it meant that after the manager took the picture, she remembered that their photo inventory was running low, and she came to stock up.
His photography skills were so atrocious that he was self-aware; his album contained few photos, but he remembered that his good neighbor had plenty.
And indeed, his good neighbor had many.
From the recent gatherings to just a while ago, there had always been one or two photos taken each time they met.
Quickly shifting positions to sit beside his good neighbor, Chen Bai leaned over to look at the photo album and gave a thumbs up to the diligent Xu photographer.
His good neighbor could probably become a photographer.
Every photo was quite good, at least significantly better than the ones he took himself. Unable to choose, he bundled all the photos and sent them to his money-making partner.
—Although he couldn’t quite say he sent every single one; he kept one.
It was a group photo taken casually at the recent gathering.
Xu Sinian looked at him.
Meeting the gaze of his good neighbor, the pink-haired guy swiftly set the photo as his chat background and said, “I want to keep this one for myself.”
Afterward, he glanced at the album filled with his own photos and suggested objectively, “I’ve saved all the photos, and keeping them just takes up memory space, so you can delete them.”
Xu Sinian narrowed his eyes, raised his hand to turn off the screen, and his cool gray watch flashed for a moment as he said, “No need.”
*
Author’s Note:
No need, keep it as a family heirloom x
Good neighbor, a man whose silent photo inventory far exceeds that of the goddess of wealth (nodding).
