The Stand-in Side Character Only Wants to Make Money – CH4

Chapter 4 – 2 AM, Sleepless Night

With impeccable timing, Chen Bai successfully landed a trial job.

He removed his cardigan, tied the manager’s loaned necktie, and sat at the piano, looking quite the part.

Not only did he look the part, but his skills were surprisingly good. His repertoire was extensive, covering everything from challenging classical pieces to popular tunes guests would enjoy.

—His skills were to be expected.

Before arriving in this world, Chen Bai had done this kind of work plenty of times and was highly proficient.

A couple had just sat down, and when the man presented a bouquet of sunflowers, Chen naturally transitioned into playing the song *Sunflower*, smoothly and effortlessly.

The person who received the flowers recognized the song and smiled even more brightly, looking over with surprise while holding the bouquet.

Chen Bai met their gaze and gave a polite smile.

His smile was courteous and gentle, completely different from his previously quiet and reserved demeanor.

With strong musical skills, a wide repertoire, adaptability, and the ability to pleasantly surprise guests, the manager standing nearby hadn’t expected that someone found at the last minute would be this capable.

Initially, the manager hadn’t held high expectations. Usually, those with equal social standing belonged to the same class. This person knew Huo Chuan, so he likely wasn’t short on money. For various reasons, the manager allowed him to play, but had mentally prepared to treat it as a casual experience for the guest. Now, it turned out to be an unexpected delight.

Typically, the pianist’s working hours were two hours long, but today had started slightly later, so the session was about an hour and a half. The person playing the piano hadn’t moved from the bench once.

A truly dedicated worker.

After the trial session, Chen Bai successfully secured a job with a four-figure hourly wage. The manager was thrilled to have hired someone so smoothly, and Chen Bai was just as pleased.

The restaurant didn’t require piano performances every day, only on weekends during lunchtime or dinner, with prior notice. Payment would be settled monthly.

Not only had Chen Bai gotten a free meal, but he had also landed a new job. Deep down, he was grateful to the boss, Mr. Huo, who had conveniently left midway through the meal, giving him this opportunity.

Grateful, but also thinking about how he should end his current role as a stand-in for this particular client.

After this meal, he had finally realized that he wasn’t suited for this job in any respect.

When his workday ended, he changed back into his wool cardigan, said goodbye, and left the restaurant to take the elevator. As the elevator descended, he began searching for the boss’s phone number in his contacts.

Before leaving, Huo Chuan had mentioned that if anything came up, he could call this number directly.

That had been said just earlier at lunch, and now Chen Bai was putting it to use. After a brief moment of consideration, he dialed the number.

“Beep—beep—”

In the quiet space, only the sound of the ringing phone filled the air. As the elevator reached halfway down, and just as he was about to hang up, someone answered.

However, the voice wasn’t the one he had heard at noon.

It was Huo Chuan’s personal assistant, who politely asked, “May I ask who is calling?”

Chen Bai gave his name.

“Oh, it’s Mr. Chen.”

The assistant already knew who he was and, after hearing the name, responded promptly with a greeting and said, “Mr. Huo is currently occupied, but if you have anything to discuss, feel free to tell me, and I will pass it on.”

Chen Bai thought that would work. Whether he was ending his contract or not, it didn’t matter who he spoke to, so he decided to test the waters.

“I…”

He had barely uttered the first word when the assistant seemed to remember something and said, “Your payment for today’s lunch is 120,000 yuan. It will be transferred to your account in the next few days, so please keep an eye out.”

120,000 yuan for a single meal.

“…”

Chen Bai stood in awe, his casual posture straightening noticeably against the elevator wall.

The assistant then asked again, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?”

“Actually, yes,” Chen Bai replied. “I’d like to know more about Mr. Huo, such as his habits, preferences, or interests—the more specific, the better.”

The more he spoke, the straighter his posture became, and his tone grew increasingly serious.

He formally retracted his earlier thoughts. While this job might not have been a perfect fit, it was certainly something he could adapt to.

It wasn’t about the 120,000 yuan—mostly, he just wanted to offer the boss some comfort.

The assistant, likely surprised by Chen Bai’s dedication, paused before agreeing to gather the information for him.

After that, Chen Bai had one final question. He asked carefully but boldly, “By the way, is the 120,000 yuan before or after tax?”

Assistant: “…”

Momentarily at a loss for words, the assistant replied, “After tax.”

With that, the call ended.

As soon as the call was over, Chen Bai quickly updated the boss’s contact name from “Huo Chuan” to “God of Wealth” in his phone, with a sense of reverence.

Just as he finished, the elevator doors opened.

On his way home, he made a stop at the library.

From the city center to the familiar old neighborhood, he now had a book in hand, An Actor Prepares.

In today’s highly competitive world, even being a stand-in required top-tier professionalism. Chen Bai, well aware of the challenges of survival, decided to start with this.

Carrying the book, he passed by a locksmith shop that was open, though no one was inside. Glancing to the side, he spotted the landlord chatting with a few other shop owners nearby, with his eldest grandson by his side.

The landlord noticed him and waved him over to join the conversation, and the other shop owners also greeted him warmly.

After the incident a while back, his nickname in the neighborhood had changed from “the guy who doesn’t seem to work” to “the young man who ended up in the hospital.”

Chen Bai joined the group, patting the landlord’s grandson on the head, and learned that they were discussing something about the nearby area.

Apparently, half of the old street had been blocked off, including the now-defunct factory. There were rumors that two different film crews were coming to shoot nearby.

The shop owners, who had been around for years, had never encountered anything like this before. They were quite intrigued, joking that they might even spot some celebrities.

Chen Bai laughed along, and after the conversation, the landlord mentioned something else. He told Chen Bai that the vacant apartment next to his had finally been rented out, and the new tenant had asked him to change the locks today, which meant they might be staying for a while.

Though Chen Bai sensed something odd in the landlord’s expression, he didn’t pay it much mind and just responded casually.

Behind those simple words lay a more complicated story.

Last time, his neighbor had locked himself out and asked him to unlock the door, but this time, the neighbor had the lock changed, likely having lost the key for good.

“Here are the two spare keys he asked for,” the landlord said, momentarily letting go of his grandson to take two keys out of his pocket. “I had them made, but if he returns tonight while I’m not around, I’ll leave it to you.”

The landlord wasn’t around much, and after today, it was uncertain when he’d be back, so it was best to hand over the keys as soon as possible.

Chen Bai took the keys and didn’t linger. With the landlord present, he didn’t need to mind the shop. After patting the landlord’s grandson again, he exited the chat with the other shop owners. Since he had time, he planned to go back and read the new book he had just borrowed.

Back at his apartment, as he took out his keys, he glanced at the door next to his. Sure enough, the lock had been changed. It wasn’t much different from the previous one, but having seen it up close, he could tell.

Poor neighbor.

His sympathy lasted only a second before he turned and entered his apartment, closing the door smoothly behind him.

He had a livestream to do that night, and since he had eaten dinner early, there was only a short time in the afternoon to read. It was nearing his usual streaming time, but the neighbor hadn’t returned yet. Not waiting any longer, Chen Bai put on his headphones and opened his game.

He hadn’t rested much all day, and by now he was feeling tired. Before starting the stream, he poured himself a cup of his usual black coffee.

The game was still loading, but his livestream was already up, and quite a few people had joined as soon as it started.

Over the past couple of days, the number of viewers in his stream had skyrocketed. He wasn’t sure what had happened but figured he must have made it onto some ranking list, gaining more exposure than before. With more viewers, he kept his usual demeanor but extended his stream time by half an hour.

“Alright, alright, hello everyone… What am I drinking? Black coffee.”

His light grayish eyes glanced at the constant flow of messages in the lower left corner. After greeting everyone, he took a sip of the black coffee from his cup. Unable to hide his distaste, he grimaced and muttered, “Disgusting.”

[Most relatable episode yet]

[Who even drinks black coffee? Every time I try, I just wanna gag!]

[How can anyone not love black coffee?! *shock.jpg*]

[If you’re drinking coffee this late, can you still sleep, Bai?]

Chen Bai put down the coffee and glanced at the chat. “I’ll be fine. I’m the type who can fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.”

The game finally finished loading, and he moved his mouse to the friends list, saying, “Let’s see if any buddies are online today.”

[Buddies = Bait]

[Who’s the unlucky one getting dragged in as bait this time, lol]

[Chen Bai and his cheerful bait crew (light a cigarette for the poor buddy who’s about to be caught)]

Randomly selecting an online “bait,” Chen Bai started the game.

The coffee had kicked in, and he was feeling pretty good. His gameplay was sharp tonight, and his ranking rose quickly, almost reaching the highest tier that his “role model” had previously paid someone to achieve. Chen Bai didn’t push further and stuck to his usual plan, ending the stream after extending it by half an hour.

Close to 2 a.m., the sky outside was pitch black, save for the faint light of a streetlamp peeking through the corner of his window.

After checking his earnings, he took off his headphones, shut down the computer, and quickly got ready for bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

The lights went out, and the room plunged into darkness, with only the soft sound of breathing.

“…”

A few minutes later, the supposedly fast-asleep person rolled over.

Soon after, there was the rustle of fabric as he sat up in bed, his hair disheveled. After sitting there for a moment, he lay back down again, trying to sleep.

Falling asleep… falling asleep… He couldn’t sleep.

Lying in bed, his overly active brain kept churning, and Chen Bai calmly came to a conclusion.

He had probably drunk too much black coffee today.

He couldn’t sleep—and now he was starting to feel a bit hungry.

Dinner had been too early.

“…”

Torn between continuing to lie in bed and getting up to find food, Chen Bai decided to sit up, wide-eyed, in the darkness.

——

Meanwhile, it was already 2 a.m., but the film set was still brightly lit, with people bustling around.

The final scene of the night had just wrapped up, and the crew collectively breathed a sigh of relief. In the rush to meet deadlines, no one had had time to eat dinner. The director, the cameraman, and a few of the prop team were already conspiring to get a group together for a late-night snack at a nearby food stall.

Most of the crew, hungry, agreed to go. One person, glancing at the actor who had just stepped out of the break room with a hat on, finally mustered the courage to ask, “Teacher Xu, are you coming for a late-night snack?”

Xu Sinian casually put on his mask, his dark eyes shifting slightly as he glanced over. “No, I’ve got something else to do. Enjoy yourselves.”

His deep voice, slightly muffled by the mask, sounded a bit distant. The group watched as his tall figure left, followed by a few of his assistants who also exited the set.

It was a natural rejection. The actor who had invited him looked a bit disappointed, and the director gave him a pat on the shoulder. “It’s normal for him to say no. He never joins these things, so don’t take it personally.”

Xu Sinian, a natural-born actor from a prestigious family, had swept through the major film awards in just a few years, earning the coveted Triple Crown. Though he appeared approachable, with a slightly aloof demeanor, he was generally well-mannered and never caused any public discomfort.

But that was just good upbringing. The more people worked with him, the more they realized that he kept an unbridgeable distance from everyone.

Things like joining for a late-night meal were beyond the scope of work, and he never participated or accepted any such invitations. Outside of work, his connections with other actors were minimal. The only gathering he attended was the wrap party, and anyone who had worked with him more than once quickly learned to read the room.

After all, they couldn’t imagine someone so aloof sitting with them on a plastic stool at a street-side food stall.

Once he had left the set, Xu Sinian’s assistants headed in a different direction. With night shoots piling up recently, any bit of rest was precious, so they opted to stay at a nearby hotel. They waved goodbye to the person not staying with them as they parted ways.

Walking through the now-deserted, quiet streets, Xu Sinian headed straight up the stairs of the apartment building.

The hallway was dimly lit, but there was enough light to see the way clearly. He stopped in front of the door and pulled out his keys.

Click-

Before he could insert the key into the lock, a sound came from the side. He turned his head and found himself looking directly into a pair of light gray eyes.

Chen Bai hadn’t expected to run into his friendly neighbor at this late hour.

Unable to sleep and feeling hungry, with no 24-hour convenience stores in the old neighborhood, Chen Bai had gotten up to make some steamed buns. Just as the buns finished steaming, he heard footsteps in the hallway, stopping right by his door.

To be honest, if he hadn’t known that his neighbor liked to dress this way, the sight through the peephole might have made him think a burglar was trying to break in.

The steam from the kitchen continued to pour out, but Chen Bai had no time to deal with it. He quickly returned to the kitchen to check on his buns and called out to his tall neighbor standing at the door, “Your keys are ready. Leaving them at the store wasn’t safe, so the landlord asked me to give them to you. They’re on the table in the living room. I can’t leave the stove right now, so you’ll have to grab them yourself.”

As Chen Bai lifted the lid of the steamer, the kitchen filled with even more steam. From the fog, he added, “Just come on in. I’ll be cleaning tomorrow anyway, so no need to take off your shoes.”

From a short distance, Xu Sinian could see the two keys lying on the living room table. The person in the kitchen, fully immersed in cooking, had clearly lost track of him after speaking. Xu Sinian said a quick “Excuse me” and walked in.

Crossing the threshold felt like stepping into a different world, the kitchen’s heat and steam immediately filling the air. He retrieved the keys from the table, and by the time he turned around, the kitchen window had been opened, allowing the steam to slowly dissipate.

“Just got off work?” Chen Bai asked while using chopsticks to carefully lift the plump buns off the steamer.

Xu Sinian pocketed the keys and replied with a simple “No.”

Off work at 2 a.m. and still hadn’t eaten. Chen Bai gave his neighbor a sympathetic look and asked, “Want some buns? I just made them.”

The good neighbor politely declined, as usual. “I’ve still got work to do when I get back.”

Working even after finishing a late shift past 2 a.m.!

Having worked eight jobs in a day before, Chen Bai deeply understood the struggle of being overworked. He patted his neighbor on the shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

His neighbor was a bit too tall, so Chen Bai had to raise his arm higher than usual. Not wanting to make things difficult for himself, he gave two quick pats before pulling his hand back.

In the end, the good neighbor left with a plate holding two buns.

“Take these with you and eat while you work,” Chen Bai said after a moment of thought, adding, “Remember to return the plate next time.”

In his nearly empty kitchen cabinets, every plate was precious.

Knowing that his neighbor still had work to do, Chen Bai didn’t waste any more of his time. He handed over the buns and let him go, tossing in a quick “Get some rest” before the door closed.

It wasn’t so much a concerned reminder as a general wish, hoping that all the hardworking people in the world could go to bed early.

Once the door shut, standing in the dimly lit hallway, Xu Sinian glanced at the unexpected plate in his hand, and silence finally settled around him.

The kitchen noise was gone, the steam had disappeared, and the hallway was quiet. Outside, the night was pitch black. Only then did he fully realize that it was, indeed, 2 a.m.

At 2 a.m., his neighbor was awake—making steamed buns.

“…”

He inserted the key into the lock, opened the door, and then softly closed it behind him, restoring the hallway to its peaceful state.