The Stand-in Side Character Only Wants to Make Money – CH61

Chapter 61: The Outcome

Tag-along Xu Lang had been drafted into kitchen duty once again, continuing his life of washing vegetables after coming back from school.

Luckily, he didn’t have too many vegetables to wash this time. His brother had already done most of the work. Xu Lang wandered around the kitchen, completing a few symbolic tasks before happily sitting down for the meal.

As they sat down to eat, Chef Chen used his poor photography skills to take a picture of the morning’s hard-earned results. After snapping the shot, he casually tossed his phone aside. Madam Jiang also took pictures, mainly to enrich her social media feed. Her photography skills were objectively much better than his, making her pictures look quite presentable.

Despite Chef Chen’s abysmal photography, the efforts of him and his assistant received high praise.

They chatted as they ate, and only then did Chen Bai learn from the high schooler that winter break was fast approaching.

Winter break—a time that should have been something to celebrate—but the high schooler didn’t seem all that excited. Wiping his face, he said, “I have to attend extra classes during the break.”

These classes were called “Winter Camp” and were only for the top 100 students in the grade.

Chen Bai asked, “How long is the extra class?”

Xu Lang replied with a pained expression, “One week.”

With winter break being only four weeks long, that meant losing a quarter of it. Though Xu Lang had survived the much longer summer break, losing just a week didn’t seem so bad in comparison. The main issue was that summer break had brother Bai around, while winter break had nothing, which made it feel harder to bear.

For a high schooler, every day of break was precious. Sensing his younger brother’s mood, brother Bai offered some long-distance comfort: “At least you still have three—”

Before he could finish, his phone, which had been left aside, started ringing. Glancing down, he saw it was his business partner calling.

At this hour, the caller had likely gotten drunk last night and was only just waking up to call him.

Pausing the conversation, he put down his chopsticks, picked up the phone, stood up, and answered, “Sister Qian, what’s the—”

“Did Chu Mingyuan confess to you last night?”

The raspy yet forceful voice instantly silenced the dinner table.

Chen Bai “…”

Chen Bai’s brow furrowed, and after a quick greeting, he swiftly walked into his room with the phone.

The sound of his slippers tapping on the floor and his voice on the call faded into the distance. The dining table remained quiet for a moment. Once he was in the room, Madam Jiang and Mr. Xu immediately turned their gaze to the person calmly drinking water—Xu Sinian.

Madam Jiang leaned over and quietly, but quickly, asked, “Last night? Did you know about this?”

She hadn’t been chatting with him for just one night, and in that short time, something like this had happened.

Mr. Xu didn’t speak but straightened up slightly, the glasses over his eyes focusing on the situation. The high schooler even stopped eating, staring wide-eyed.

Facing all these eyes, Xu Sinian calmly put down his water cup and simply said, “I know.”

Madam Jiang understood.

No wonder he seemed a little off when she was in the kitchen earlier—she had been right after all. She lowered her voice and asked, “Did he reject him or accept?”

Xu Sinian replied, “Neither.”

Madam Jiang exclaimed, “Whoa.”

The eavesdropping high schooler echoed, “Whoa.”

Xu Sinian was telling the truth. He hadn’t given Chu Mingyuan a clear answer. Instead, he had just let him give up on his own.

Madam Jiang couldn’t quite figure out how he had handled the situation without rejecting or accepting, but she found it surprising how composed her son was.

The fact that he could stay so calm meant the matter was already resolved, probably in person. She asked, “Were you there when it happened last night?”

Xu Sinian hummed in affirmation.

That explained it. Madam Jiang turned her attention back to her meal, deep in thought.

After the brief conversation ended, Chen Bai returned from his phone call.

He put his phone down and sat back in his seat, facing the curious gazes from the table. He said, “Sister Qian—my agent—was just telling me something.”

She had only just woken up. After hearing from Chu Mingyuan’s agent, she called to confirm what had happened last night. Still groggy, she hadn’t asked too many questions, just whether the situation had been resolved. After he assured her it had, she hung up and went back to sleep.

Without mentioning that loud, raspy voice from earlier, the people at the table nodded in understanding. They resumed eating, picking up the conversation about the high schooler’s winter break.

The bad news was that Xu Lang would have to attend extra classes during his break. The good news was that he had improved from being ranked 99th to 49th. With the homework assignments divided by ranking, he would finally be spared from the massive load of basic homework he used to have, meaning he could enjoy his remaining three-quarters of the break a little more.

Or rather, he was already enjoying today.

After lunch, Xu Lang used homework as an excuse to escape dishwashing duty and earned himself one free tutoring session from brother Bai.

The simple, dumb questions Xu Lang used to struggle with were now replaced by more complex competition-level questions, but brother Bai still explained them with ease, casually remarking, “The problem types haven’t changed much.”

Finally, after some time, Xu Lang asked a question he had been curious about for a while: “Brother Bai, you seem really familiar with these problems?”

Chen Bai spun the pen in his hand and replied succinctly, “I did a lot of them before.”

Winning in competitions meant earning awards. After progressing to the national level, there were national prizes, followed by city bonuses, and then school awards. Altogether, it had been a fast way to make money back then.

Since it made money, he dove into it for quite some time, which was why it still left a lasting impression.

His good neighbor sat down beside him, glanced at the draft paper sprawled across Xu Lang’s lap and the pen in his hand, and passed him a plate of freshly cut fruit.
The sweet and fragrant fruit made the high schooler, who was doing homework, look up and ask, “What about me, bro?”

His brother replied, “It’s on the table, help yourself.”

Not having the luxury of it being handed to him, Xu Lang was still satisfied with having something to eat. He shifted over and grabbed some of the fruit from the table.

Madam Jiang and Mr. Xu didn’t like to eat anything after meals; they preferred tea. It had been about an hour since they finished eating, so it was about time for tea. Holding their cups, they sat nearby, watching with a smile.

The weather had been nice all day, with the same warm sunshine in the afternoon as in the morning. Chen Bai moved over to the carpet near the floor-to-ceiling window to sit in the sunlight while explaining problems.

Joining him was his “human cushion” – his good neighbor. After explaining a problem, Xu Lang had to think for a while. As the high schooler pondered, Chen Bai and his neighbor basked in the sun together.

Ms. Jiang “…”

As the sunlight slowly shifted, the once lively living room grew quiet.

“I think I figured it out…” the high schooler said.

In the quiet room, only the sound of the pen scratching against the paper could be heard. After using up three pieces of scrap paper, Xu Lang finally solved the problem and was free from its confusing twists. Looking up, he was met with the sight of a pair of eyes closed under white messy hair.

Brother Bai had fallen asleep.

The warm sunlight fell on the white jacket draped over his pajamas, illuminating his cool, pale skin. Leaning against the person next to him, he appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

The high schooler quietly remained still.

On the sofa, Madam Jiang gently put down her teacup and whispered to Mr. Xu, “He must be really tired these days.”

The human cushion didn’t move, and no one disturbed the peaceful moment. Chen Bai had somehow fallen asleep while sunbathing, and he slept for quite a while. By the time he woke up, the sun had shifted to the other side.

Waking up feeling both sore and refreshed, he stretched lazily, only to bump into something. He then realized that his cushion was still sitting beside him.

That night, Comrade Xu, who had spent half the afternoon as a human cushion, was rewarded with a special treat of freshly grilled shrimp by Chef Chen.

After dinner, Madam Jiang and Mr. Xu excused themselves, saying they had matters to attend to at home. Despite the high schooler wanting to stay and play, they bid farewell and left without asking to be seen off, heading straight to the elevator.

Chen Bai waved at them from the door as the elevator doors closed, sighing in disappointment. “I thought they’d stay a little longer to play.”

His good neighbor said, “They had something to do; they’ll come play again next time.”

Chen Bai could only nod.

After the trio left that evening, Chen Bai went downstairs to clean the apartment he hadn’t lived in for months.

His good neighbor helped out, and they managed to finish quickly enough to move in that very night.

When faced with the choice of either staying in his newly cleaned apartment or going back upstairs to spend one last night playing a board game with his neighbor, Chen Bai chose the latter without hesitation.

After a night of intense gaming, the next morning, he woke up half-asleep, downed a cup of soy milk, and went downstairs. Chen Bai, now fully awake, transformed from lazy Chen Bai to his sharper self—Chen Er Bai. He logged into his gaming account and called for his teammates online.

The viewers in his livestream, who hadn’t seen him in months, called him a “missing person” making a comeback.

Having rested for over a week, his business partner contacted him just in time to have him sign a contract the next day. That evening, he adjusted his stream end-time from 2 a.m. to midnight—a much healthier schedule.

Even though he was going to bed earlier, waking up in the morning was still a challenge.

The next morning, it was his agent who had to drag him out of bed. After swapping his pajamas for an overcoat, washing up, and putting on a hat, his agent handed him a cup of black coffee and ushered him into the car.

This time, they had a driver, Zhao Ge, so his agent no longer had to play chauffeur, which visibly brightened her mood.

As the car left the neighborhood and headed onto the main road, Chen Bai, sipping his coffee through a straw, turned to look out the window. Only then did he notice how crowded the streets were with people coming and going.

Seeing him staring at the crowd, his agent asked, “How long has it been since you last went out?”

Chen Bai held up one finger.

“One day?” she guessed.

Chen Bai modestly replied, “One week.”

Gao Qian “…”

That meant he hadn’t really gone out much since returning. His agent paused for a moment before saying, “People have been gradually going on vacation. It’s been this crowded since last week.”

When they reached the school district, the car got stuck in traffic.

The driver, Uncle Zhao, said, “Schools are on break today. Parents are all here to pick up their kids, so it’ll be a while before we can move.”

Chen Bai turned to look outside.

Indeed, the street was lined with a never-ending stream of cars, especially near the school. Students were constantly entering and exiting the school gates, and traffic police were going from car to car, knocking on windows to keep the traffic moving, albeit slowly.

Turning his gaze back, Chen Bai remarked, “So it’s vacation time already.”

Having been caught up in work, he hadn’t really kept track of time. It wasn’t until now, seeing the students on break, that he realized what time of year it was.

From the day he arrived until now, an entire year had passed.

His agent turned to him and asked, “What’s your plan for this year?”

She added, “I’ve cleared your schedule for the Lunar New Year.”

It wasn’t that she was particularly humanitarian—she herself needed to take a break and didn’t want to be working while everyone else was on holiday.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Bai took a sip of his black coffee and said, “Let’s see.”

With some free time, he would likely stay home and make up for his four-month deficit in streaming hours. It would take some time to catch up.

Curious, his agent asked, “Aren’t you spending it with your friends?”

Chen Bai took a deep breath, finally finishing the last of his coffee. Letting out a satisfied sigh, the white-haired man replied, “He’s got a last-minute job.”

A director they knew had asked him to step in for an actor who couldn’t continue filming due to an injury.

They would prioritize filming over there and try to wrap everything up within a month. Although the schedule would be compressed, it was clear that he would be spending the Lunar New Year with the crew.

The manager nodded understandingly, “That’s pretty common.”

With production costs running in the hundreds of thousands or even millions every day, a crew that could afford Xu Sinian would surely have a daily budget starting at least at a million. Taking time off during the New Year was a luxury they couldn’t afford.

After saying that, she pulled out her phone and opened an electronic spreadsheet, saying, “I’ve left some time free around the New Year, but until then, you’ve got quite a bit going on.”

Chen Bai glanced over.

He couldn’t make out much of the content at first glance, but what he did see was a long list of packed arrangements for the upcoming weeks.

Chen Bai “…”

He thought his manager’s description of “quite a bit” was a bit too modest.

His money-making partner smiled.

The traffic slowly moved forward, and they finally broke free from the school-bound traffic as the car ascended the overpass and headed smoothly toward the company.

This time, the contract he was signing was for an endorsement, but unlike previous deals, it wasn’t just the company and the brand signing. He had to sign it personally as well. It wasn’t a big deal—everything was in order, and all they had to do was go over the contract before signing.

Once the contract was signed, the client didn’t stick around long. After quickly sipping some tea, they left, but not before complimenting him on his good looks.

Chen Bai smiled.

His manager also smiled, and after the client left, she patted him on the shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief. “Good thing you wore a hat.” And good thing he had a good face.

He had only managed to wash his face in the morning, not bothering much with his appearance. Although he looked put together, underneath the hat was a chaotic mess of hair that could easily house a family of birds.

Chen Bai chuckled and tilted his hat slightly upward.

With the contract business finished, the manager had other tasks to handle. She sent him into an empty meeting room, telling him to wait there.

Sitting down on the sofa in the meeting room, he noticed a small drink that someone from the company had prepared for him. Since he had already downed a whole cup of black coffee in the car earlier, he didn’t feel like drinking it. Instead, he pulled out his phone and finally took a proper look at the schedule his manager had sent him.

His work was scheduled from the day after tomorrow up until the last day before the holidays. His money-making partner wasn’t taking on too many gigs, focusing more on quality than quantity. Instead of doing multiple endorsements, he was mostly booked for year-end galas and celebrations.

He skimmed through the entire schedule, gaining a rough idea of what was coming up. After closing the spreadsheet, which had made his eyes ache from the sheer amount of text, he was about to send a random message to his neighbor. But just then, his phone vibrated, and a message popped up.

It wasn’t from his neighbor, who should have already started working, but from Zhang Ling, also known as Aunt Zhang, a long-time and steady online friend.

Aunt Zhang asked if he had time to take a call.

Glancing at the time on his phone and estimating that his manager would still be busy for a while, he typed a reply, saying he had time.

A video call came through, and the face of someone he hadn’t seen in person for a while appeared on the screen. Aunt Zhang smiled and greeted him.

Older folks tended to prefer video calls, and he was used to it by now. He smiled and greeted her back. Like many times before, Aunt Zhang asked about his recent life, and he gave her selective answers.

This time, however, the conversation took a turn. She uncharacteristically asked about his work, “Yibai, are you busy with work in the coming weeks?”

“Not too busy.”

As they chatted, Chen Bai noticed a familiar type of candy among the snacks on the table, reaching for it as he casually mentioned, “I won’t have any work during the New Year.”

Aunt Zhang then asked if he had any plans for that period. Her voice was light, as though she was being unusually cautious.

Chen Bai replied, “Not really.”

Streaming was an option, but it was still up in the air. As long as he hadn’t announced a stream, anything could happen.

Just as he finished speaking, the image of Aunt Zhang on the phone screen broke into a visible smile, her crow’s feet deepening at the corners of her eyes. She then gently asked, “Would you be able to come visit for a few days during that time?”

Chen Bai was momentarily stunned, his hand, which had been reaching for the candy to wash away the bitter taste of coffee, froze in mid-air.

His mind raced, trying to grasp the meaning behind her words. Before he could respond, Aunt Zhang continued with a soft smile, “It’s been a while since we’ve met, and since you’ll have the time, I’d love to chat with you more.”

Lowering her gaze, she added, “During the New Year, the house is much quieter than usual. Most of the family will be away. It’ll just be Xiao Qing, her brother, and me. We won’t even have enough people to fill the dinner table.”

Chen Bai “…”

Chen Bai hadn’t expected to be invited to spend New Year’s with someone else’s family, and a polite refusal was on the tip of his tongue. However, his mouth opened slightly, but the words failed to come out.

“Mom, what are you saying!”

Before he could say anything, another face squeezed into the screen—it was Huo Qing, pressing her face next to Aunt Zhang’s. With wide eyes and excitement, she asked, “Is Brother Bai coming over for New Year’s?”

Chen Bai “…”

“Here’s the thing,” Chen Bai finally got his hands on the candy he had been reaching for earlier, holding it but not eating it, as he carefully thought through his words. “I’ll definitely visit, but I might not stay for long. Maybe just for a bit…”

While he was speaking, his phone vibrated again, showing two more messages on the screen.

This time, it was a message from the God of Wealth a.k.a Huo Chuan, sent at just the right moment. His light-colored eyes glanced at the messages briefly before looking back up.

The idea of “visiting” suggested he’d come over for a short while, not stay for several days.

Aunt Zhang’s eyes lowered in what seemed like disappointment, though she tried to hide it, still smiling gently. She seemed about to say something when Chen Bai added, “…but staying for just a bit might not be enough. A few days sounds better.”

He nodded slightly, smiling sincerely, “I’ll be spending the holiday alone too.” His smile was warm and genuine.

On the other end of the call, Huo Qing let out a strange exclamation, her eyes lighting up as she gave a thumbs-up.

Unexpectedly, the situation had taken a turn, and Aunt Zhang was momentarily stunned. Then, she smiled, reached for a decorative desk calendar from a shelf, and asked a nearby caregiver to hand her a pen. She started asking Chen Bai about the time his work would be finished.

Remembering the densely packed schedule he’d just looked at, Chen Bai told her the date.

Aunt Zhang, now in high spirits, seemed energized. She asked about a few other things as she quickly jotted down notes on the calendar. She wrote so fast, it reminded him of students frantically copying homework, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

Huo Qing was also delighted, listening and pointing out anything Aunt Zhang missed.

After the Q&A session was over and realizing he was still at the company, Aunt Zhang put away the now fully filled-in calendar. Since she had preparations to make, they ended the call with goodbyes.

Chen Bai “…”

Once the call ended, the room returned to silence.

Chen Bai finally popped the candy he had been holding into his mouth and opened the chat with the God of Wealth.

The saying about welcoming the God of Wealth during the New Year was proving true. Even though it wasn’t yet the New Year, God of Wealth had already arrived.

The message from Huo Chuan was timely. In simple terms, it was a request for him to accept Aunt Zhang’s invitation, which had been thought through for a long time. If he agreed, it would count as work hours, earning him one million yuan per day.

The rule about triple pay during holidays had been generously exceeded by the God of Wealth, who offered five times the normal rate. Three days would bring in the previous target of three million.

He had initially wanted to decline because he didn’t have a reason or status to stay at their place for several days. But with Huo Chuan’s generous offer, now he had both.

After replying to the generous God of Wealth, he was still in the chat window when new messages popped up from another contact.

Today, it seemed like all the messages were arriving at once.

This time, it was from another kind aunt, Mrs. Jiang. She assumed he was probably working at this time, so she sent a text message.

[I heard Xu Sinian will be working this year.]

[Do you have any plans for the New Year? If you have time, come visit Uncle and me. Xu Lang also wants you to come, it would liven things up.]

She even attached a video.

It was a video of their house, with Mrs. Jiang showing him a row of rooms. She opened each one, asking which one he liked and saying she’d reserve it for him.

Chen Bai “…”

After watching the video, Chen Bai rubbed his face.

When his manager returned to the meeting room, she saw him sitting on the sofa with a blank expression.

Closing the door casually, she didn’t know what had happened in such a short time. Holding some documents she had gotten from the company executives, she asked, “What’s up?”

The person slumped on the sofa half-opened his eyes and said, “You know how cells can divide? People should be able to as well, right?”

Gao Qian: “…?”