Chapter 28 – Joining the Cast
Since his good neighbor said no need, then it was no need.
After sending the photos, it was close to the time for the live stream, and his break was officially over.
His good neighbor took the magazine with him when he left.
That evening, after the live stream, the pink-haired boy sat on the living room sofa, unboxing nearly half an hour’s worth of clothing gift boxes, finally separating the clothes from the bags and boxes.
With the free new clothes, Chen Erbai’s livestream room remained simple as ever. The 39.9 yuan clothes still held their ground, standing tall and unwavering.
His money-making partner acted quickly, and as always, they were generating gold coins. Within half a month, they completed all processes and secured the contract, along with the complete script.
The second male lead was consistent with what the director had said; most of the scenes involved sitting or lying down—he was a genuine sickly character.
Sickly, but he was a cheerful and wealthy sickly character. The second male lead was named Si Yang, a laid-back prince who had a good relationship with the male lead, a young scholar, or rather, he got along well with everyone. He could laugh and chat with anyone, living a life of plenty with many friends.
Aside from being wealthy and sickly, Chen Bai felt that this character setup was somewhat familiar.
By the time he received the news, it was nearing the start of his livestream, and he hadn’t finished reading the script. He used the last bit of time to glance at the crew’s organizational arrangements.
Taking a sip of water from his cup, he lowered his eyes to a short line in the document, his brows furrowing slightly.
He discovered a very important issue.
Unlike the previous character A-Huai, this time Si Yang was one of the main leads, which meant he had a significant role and needed to stay with the crew.
The filming location was in a film and television city in the suburbs on the other side of the city. The crew arranged accommodation at a nearby hotel.
The hotel was a large one, capable of providing internet access, and the speed shouldn’t be too slow. He could disassemble his computer and equipment in advance and bring them along, allowing him to stream whenever he had time.
The crucial point was that his streaming time would be significantly reduced. Streaming earned gold coins, and so did acting; objectively, he was considering his streaming hours.
He had just briefly skimmed through the script, noting that there were quite a few night scenes, which would likely conflict with his streaming schedule.
“……”
He didn’t expect there would be a day when he might need to make up for streaming hours.
Although it was said that filming would start two months later, in reality, nearly a month had passed from the audition to securing the contract. He would also need to go for costume fitting a week before filming began, leaving him little time.
From that day on, the viewers in Chen Erbai’s livestream noticed that his daily streaming hours suddenly increased; he streamed at night and also during the day.
They didn’t quite understand but were pleased, feeling that good times had arrived.
Whether good times truly came or not was uncertain, but Chen Bai was certain he had to go to the film and television city tomorrow to take promotional photos.
He ended his livestream an hour later than usual, finishing at three o’clock, and began disassembling his equipment and main unit.
It wasn’t the first time he moved his computer, so he was quite adept at it. He wrapped the disassembled components in bubble wrap and placed them in a box that had also been lined with thick foam.
Since the promotional photoshoot was just a few days away from the opening ceremony, he felt the gap wasn’t long, and making trips back and forth would waste time, so he planned to stay directly at the hotel without returning after the shoot.
After spending a few minutes packing up his computer, the pink-haired boy took another two minutes to rummage through a few pieces of clothing. After freshening up, he lay down peacefully.
He slept at four and woke up at seven. When he opened his eyes that morning, the first thing he saw was blinding light, like he had glimpsed heaven.
Relying on his usual reflexes, he mechanically went through his morning routine. After washing up and feeling a bit more awake, the pink-haired boy glanced at his phone.
His manager was already on the way, waiting at a traffic light, and would arrive downstairs in a few minutes.
At the first opportunity, Chen Bai picked up his important computer. Just before stepping out the door, he remembered something and hurried back to grab the clothes he had nearly forgotten, taking the keys from the entryway.
At that moment, his good neighbor should have already woken up and was still at home.
He knocked twice on the door next door and quietly waited.
As expected, his good neighbor was indeed home. Only a short moment after he knocked, the tightly shut door opened.
As the door opened, a wave of humidity rushed in.
His good neighbor was just finishing up in the bathroom, with wet strands of hair clinging to his forehead. Water dripped down his nose and the side of his face, passing over the protruding adam’s apple.
Looking down at the cardboard box in front of him, Xu Sinian asked, “Are you ready to leave?”
“Yeah,” the pink-haired boy pulled out the keys and handed them over, saying, “I was afraid I’d forget them, so here they are.”
His good neighbor replied, “You don’t need to give them back yet. Just hold onto them for now.”
Chen Bai had a good memory but poor note-taking skills, so he felt he would likely forget.
His good neighbor insisted he keep the keys.
So he took them, though not hesitating much, he put the keys back in his pocket. With the box in his arms, he couldn’t wave properly, so he simply gave a small wave and said goodbye before taking it upon himself to close the door without anyone seeing him off.
After saying goodbye to his good neighbor, he went downstairs just as his manager was pulling up.
After quickly settling his beloved computer in place, he relaxed in the passenger seat, slumping down.
His manager glanced over and asked, “Did you stay up late last night? You fell asleep after three?”
That was a spot-on observation!
The passenger perked up a bit and asked, “How did you know?”
Thanks to his good genetics from his parents, he didn’t break out from staying up late and had no dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t even get nearsighted from staring at the computer for long hours. If he didn’t mention it, no one should have been able to tell he had stayed up.
His manager replied, “Your eyes look dead; anyone can see it.”
Exposed for staying up late, the pink-haired boy didn’t bother to hide it and instead began to catch up on sleep openly.
The journey to the film and television city took over an hour. The person who had gone to sleep at four in the morning seemed completely unconscious in the car, feeling no bumps at all, remaining completely still.
From the city to the suburbs, they drove into the film and television city. The car gradually slowed down and finally stopped by the roadside.
The manager called out to the slumped passenger, but he didn’t budge.
Letting out a breath, the manager said, “The goddess of wealth has arrived.”
The pink-haired boy woke up instantly, his eyes wide open and clear, showing no signs of sleepiness.
“…” The manager wiped her face and said, “We’ve arrived. I’ll find a place to park. You can leave your things in the car for now, and go find the crew in the hotel lobby.”
Not finding the goddess of wealth, the pink-haired boy’s eyes drooped again as he pulled his hat down over his head and replied, “Okay.”
When he got out of the car, an invisible force held him back for a moment. He turned around and finally remembered to unbuckle his seatbelt, successfully exiting the car.
The film city was unexpectedly crowded, with people constantly coming and going. The person who had just gotten out of the car squinted at the surrounding area and spotted the hotel where the crew was staying.
There were quite a few people gathered at the hotel lobby entrance, looking around as if they were waiting for someone. As he approached, he overheard someone in the crowd mention ‘Ask Fate.’
He stopped and asked, “Is this the crew for ‘Ask Fate’?”
The guy he asked nodded and said, “Yeah, we’re waiting for people from ‘Ask Fate’ crews. Not many actors have arrived yet, so we still have to wait a bit.”
Having found the group, Chen Bai said, “Okay,” and squatted down to wait.
The guy was kind enough to make room for him and, after glancing at him, remarked, “You look kind of familiar, bro.”
Chen Bai tugged at the brim of his hat. “Really? I have a pretty generic face.”
The parking lot was packed that day, and Gao Qian finally found a spot after a car pulled out. She glanced at the time on her phone as she quickly headed toward the hotel lobby.
The film city wasn’t just for crews; it was also a tourist attraction, and with several big productions in progress, the area seemed much busier than usual.
The crowd outside the hotel included a mix of fans hoping to see actors and entertainment reporters looking to snap some exclusive photos. The big production schedules couldn’t be kept secret, and these people had already gotten wind of it.
In a rush to find someone from the crew who should’ve already arrived, she didn’t pay much attention to the crowd and quickly walked into the lobby in her low-heeled shoes.
“…”
Something didn’t feel right.
Something flashed by in her peripheral vision, causing her to stop mid-step and turn to look at the crowd again.
In the middle of the group, the pink-haired boy, who blended perfectly into the crowd, was lifting his hat slightly to look at her.
Gao Qian: “…?”
For a moment, she thought she had seen wrong.
After a brief pause, she found her voice and asked, “What are you doing here?”
The pink-haired boy glanced at the man next to him, who looked back at him.
Then, the pink-haired boy, wearing a hat, was dragged away.
As she dragged him along, Gao Qian wiped her face with her free hand and said, “The crew is inside the lobby, not out here.”
She mentally kicked herself for forgetting that this guy, apart from last time, didn’t have much experience officially joining a crew.
“…”
It wasn’t until they had both walked straight into the hotel that the guy squatting down finally realized something.
After watching their figures disappear into the lobby and seeing them surrounded by staff, the guy furrowed his brows, piecing things together.
That guy might actually be part of the crew.
—Was he asking if ‘we’ were waiting for someone from ‘Ask Fate’ crew?
Turns out, he was asking if they were part of the ‘Ask Fate’ crew, literally.
He had answered “yes,” unknowingly holding him there for almost ten minutes without even realizing it.
After nearly ten minutes of waiting, Chen Bai finally made it to the actual ‘Ask Fate’ crew, where he met the director, assistant director, and the resident scriptwriter.
The other main actors hadn’t arrived yet; they were still on flights. The staff led him to a room set up as the makeup area, where he met the specially appointed stylist, makeup artists, and art director.
One of the makeup artists seemed familiar. After a quick glance, he recognized them as the makeup artist he had exchanged WeChat info with from the previous crew. The other person’s eyes lit up when they saw him.
Happy to reunite in a new crew, the two exchanged some friendly banter.
By friendly banter, it meant that the makeup artist whispered that they’d tell him some fun gossip about the crew next door when they got a chance later.
The pink-haired boy nodded, feeling like his life suddenly had something to look forward to.
The costume designer then took him to try on his clothes.
The crew’s costumes were stored in a dedicated room, carefully preserved. Various accessories were neatly lined up, dazzling under the light.
Luckily, since he was playing a patient, he didn’t have too many accessories, and his clothing was chosen to match the character’s identity.
While there weren’t many accessories, the outfit was complex, consisting of several layers, and it took a few costume designers to help him get dressed.
Putting a naturally sociable person in a room full of people was like throwing someone into a pile of treasure—there was no way the room would stay quiet.
As the pink-haired boy held up his arms for them to tie his belt, he chatted with the others, learning in the process that the outfit he was wearing had been designed by professionals, referencing a large number of ancient garments and then modified. It was handmade, and the embroidery had been done by someone hired specifically for that.
In short, it was worth five figures.
“…”
The guy, who had been casually moving his wrist, froze instantly and didn’t move again.
Any extra movement would be disrespectful to the value of the outfit.
Once the outfit was finally in place, with the dark blue silk belt hanging down from his waist, an assistant took out a jade pendant with a deep blue tassel and carefully attached it to his waist.
The pink-haired boy cautiously asked, “Is this the real deal?”
His worry was written all over his face, completely unguarded. The people around him couldn’t help but laugh, and someone said, “No, don’t worry.”
Chen Bai let out a breath of relief.
After changing into his costume, he was taken to the makeup room.
The makeup room was crowded, not just with makeup artists but also with stylists. The makeup artist was at least the deputy head of the team, so there was no room for casual chit-chat while working. Instead, they had to pretend to be serious.
Chen Bai cooperated with their pretense, but due to lack of sleep, his eyelids grew heavy. It was only his sheer willpower and professional dedication that kept him going.
He strained his neck to get through the makeup session, then endured while the stylist fussed with his hair. At one point, he fiddled with a Ludo game to distract himself.
After rolling several ones in a row, he suddenly became more alert.
Just as they finished his hair, the manager returned to the makeup room after handling other tasks. It had been a long time since she had done assistant work, so when she came in, she didn’t immediately check on him and was instead tiredly gulping down water.
In the noisy room, the stylist tied a cloud-patterned silver ribbon around his hair, stretched out their sore hand, and said, “All done.”
The person who had undoubtedly come in last in the Ludo game put away their phone and stood up, catching the side glance of the manager who was still drinking water. Curious, the others around also leaned in to check out the result.
A fleeting glance.
Long hair tied up loosely with a single ribbon, naturally cascading over the shoulders.
Underneath the white inner garment was a dark blue satin robe, embroidered with clouds and flying cranes in gold and silver threads. With the slightest movement, the patterns shifted subtly, only to be obscured again by the draping sleeves.
The person standing there slightly raised their eyes, and under those long lashes, pale gray pupils gazed out. For a brief moment, it was as if one had glimpsed greenery reflecting off red walls.
The costume designer nodded toward the stylist and complimented, “That face definitely tells a story.”
The director and photographers would be thrilled to see this.
When they first heard that the director had cast another newcomer, people were a bit skeptical, especially when they saw the pink-haired boy, which made them even more nervous. But surprisingly, the effect turned out to be exceptional.
No wonder the director had been so firm in their casting decision this time.
Barely making it in time for the scheduled photoshoot, they did a final check on the costume, and the staff escorted him to the studio.
The studio was set up inside the hotel, so there was no need to go outside. On the way, the photography assistant mentioned that the director originally wanted to shoot on location outdoors, but with people lingering around the hotel for a glimpse, they opted for indoor shooting to maintain secrecy.
Chen Bai, almost a part of the waiting crowd himself earlier, nodded but didn’t say much. He was entirely focused on his five-figure outfit, being extra cautious not to get it stepped on or snagged.
As the costume designer and stylist had predicted, the director was quite pleased when they saw him and turned to the script supervisor beside them, saying, “I told you he fits this role perfectly.”
There was even a faint hint of pride in their voice.
The script supervisor, too busy to care much, just nodded along.
The photographer and the director had a final chat while the manager stood next to Chen Bai, who was wearing the five-figure outfit, and said, “Character photoshoots are different from magazine shoots. Don’t chase the camera, just act like you’re filming a scene.”
Chen Bai nodded and stepped forward when the director gestured.
Some people are just born for this, understanding things immediately with little explanation.
The photoshoot went faster than expected, and with it done, his main task for the day was complete.
Although it wrapped up earlier than planned, it wasn’t particularly early either. By the time Chen Bai had changed out of the outfit and returned to his regular clean and tidy pink-haired self, half the afternoon had already passed.
Still remembering his computer, he left the hotel with his manager to retrieve his precious box.
Surprisingly, the people waiting outside were still there, showing unexpected dedication. They had been there in the morning and were still lingering when he stepped out.
Having briefly been part of the group himself, Chen Bai spotted the guy he had spoken with earlier and casually asked as he passed by, “Did your friend arrive yet?”
The guy responded, “We got one person; they just went in.”
At least they got one, Chen Bai congratulated them with a smile, waved, and then walked away.
Successfully retrieving his computer, Chen Bai’s manager had other things to attend to, so she didn’t accompany him any further.
After picking up his room key from the hotel front desk, Chen Bai carried his box onto the elevator.
There were quite a few people inside, and the person standing in the back with gray hair stood out.
One elevator, six or seven people, five different hair colors.
Chen Bai glanced around and thought to himself that they were only two colors short of having a full rainbow.
Just as he looked away, the person with gray hair at the back, who had been looking at their phone, lifted their eyes and glanced at him.
They looked somewhat familiar, like he’d seen them somewhere before.
Despite their cold and aloof appearance, the gray-haired person was surprisingly polite, nodding slightly and saying, “Hello.”
Then they asked, “Did you just arrive too?”
—This person seemed to know him.
Chen Bai’s brain worked at full speed, trying to recall where he had seen that face before, but his mouth responded before his mind could catch up. He smiled and greeted them back, saying he had arrived a while ago.
—Still couldn’t remember where they had met.
Typical of his “two-mode” brain—things he cared about were crystal clear, but if something didn’t register, no matter how many times he saw it, it wouldn’t stick.
The elevator slowed to a stop at his floor.
To his surprise, the gray-haired person got off on the same floor and happened to be staying right across from him.
After politely saying goodbye, Chen Bai closed his door, placed the box on the table, and instantly forgot all about the gray-haired person as he eagerly unwrapped the layers of bubble wrap.
Once all the packaging was dealt with and the components neatly laid out, he sat cross-legged and began assembling everything.
The computer that had originally been perfectly set up in his bedroom at home was now perfectly reassembled in the hotel.
The production crew certainly had money. In every aspect, really. His room was a suite, with a living room, bedroom, and a balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking part of the film city. The computer was set up on the desk in the bedroom, which was about the same size as his desk at home, making it easy to get accustomed to.
Today’s task was just to shoot the character photos. Tomorrow, after all the main actors had their photos taken, they’d move on to script reading.
With nothing else on hand, he took a shower and sat down at the computer, putting on his headphones.
After connecting to the internet, adjusting the equipment, and opening a game, he decided to stream.
His audience, excited to catch an unscheduled stream, flooded in, only to notice a few subtle changes.
[Huh, did the desk get a new look?]
[No, the whole desk is different, and the chair’s not the same either.]
[But Er Bai’s classic setup is still here (.)]
[Another super long stream today! My superhero Er Bai!]
[Did you move? It looks fancier here (?)]
“Work-related stuff, I’m staying in a different place temporarily. I won’t be streaming for too long today, I’ll end around midnight—got some other things to take care of after.”
At this time, his friends were busy helping at their family’s shop, so Chen Bai started to shake up some of his other friends. Glancing at the chat, he added, “I’m staying at a hotel, so yeah, it’s definitely fancy.”
[Er Bai moved, what about your friend next door QAQ]
That one came from Yu Shui Ri Qing.
“My friend is still living in the same place.”
Chen Bai smiled and said, “Don’t worry, he’s doing well.”
[Hahaha, Sister Qing is still standing by their friend]
[Aren’t you cold, friend? Do you need a jacket?]
[I suggest investing in some porridge, to embrace a wider world]
[Sis, even the South Pole is warmer than the circle you’re in! (shakes)]
The comments were flying by, but the pink-haired streamer didn’t see them. He managed to connect with a friend who happened to be online and started a game.
Tonight felt like a relay race. As soon as one friend logged off, Qingzhou logged in, so there was no need to reach out to anyone else.
Along with them, other viewers who usually tuned in when the stream went live also rushed in.
They joined quickly, thinking they had an early start, only to realize they had missed most of it. The stream’s duration in the top-right corner, showing several hours, stung their eyes.
[What did I miss!]
[No way, he’s been streaming this long? My notification didn’t even tell me!]
[The freshly made noodles in my hand suddenly don’t taste as good anymore]
Chen Bai glanced at the comments and said, “No notification?”
He remembered the streaming platform should automatically notify followers when a stream starts.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work,” Qingzhou chimed in, having probably seen the comments as well. “The platform’s notifications can get lost. If the stream time isn’t consistent, you can notify people on Weibo beforehand. That method usually doesn’t fail.”
Such a professional tip, no wonder Qingzhou is the top streamer on the platform.
This was the first time Chen Bai had heard of that. Once the game finished, he picked up his phone, opened an app he hadn’t touched since last month, and decided to give it a try.
The app interface popped up, and the first thing he saw was the red “99+” notification icon in the bottom right corner. Without getting a clear look at the number next to it, Chen Bai immediately leaned back in his chair.
[So Er Bai actually has an account! And never told us!]
[I didn’t even get a good look at the screen before it disappeared. Er Bai, your speed is unmatched]
[What are you hiding from us?!]
“That’s not my account,” the pink-haired streamer quickly logged out and sat up straight, pretending to be serious. “That’s my friend’s account, I forgot to log out.”
He added, “My friend can be quite forgetful.”
Author’s note:
? The truly forgetful one forgot they were logged in.
Our main character is such a good neighbor! (shakes)
