Chapter 71: What Does Chen Er Bai Have to Do with Chen Yi Bai?
How could anyone not worry?
Mrs. Jiang turned off the overhead light. In the dimness, she whispered, “I wonder how he managed all these years.”
When the Chen family fell apart, she was abroad. After learning that he had been alone, she did some digging and found out about the tragic events in his family. It was then that she realized the weight carried by someone who always seemed so cheerful.
Mr. Xu didn’t say much, only suggesting, “Let him rest for a few days.”
The car drove on through the night, gliding down the road into the vast darkness.
When Chen Bai awoke again, the car had already come to a stop. Outside the window, the familiar lights of a courtyard illuminated the area, though everything remained somewhat blurry. Yet, he faintly recognized the layout.
In his ears, he heard Mrs. Jiang’s voice, “Yibai, we’re home.”
His brain slowly began to process. Opening his eyes slightly more, he finally understood what she meant. Propping himself up on the seat, Chen Bai quietly tried to gather his thoughts.
Or rather, it wasn’t really thinking—just an attempt to fully wake up.
In mere seconds, the groggy and drowsy Chen Bai suddenly leaped out of the car in a flash. Fortunately, Mrs. Jiang had already anticipated this and grabbed his hand just in time before he bolted out.
The Driver “…”
The driver, who had been standing by the door, watched the whole exchange in wide-eyed disbelief.
With his “escape” thwarted, Chen Bai was forced to exit the car more calmly. He then remembered his luggage. Looking back, he saw that Mr. Xu was already holding his suitcase, and the butler, who had just arrived, was politely taking it, wearing white gloves.
Judging by its value alone, Chen Bai mused that his suitcase probably wasn’t even worth as much as those gloves.
It was late and hot, so no one lingered in the courtyard. They went straight into the house.
The temperature immediately dropped once inside, and Chen Bai glanced around but didn’t see the high school student anywhere. He asked, “Where’s little brother?”
It was August, and even if he had summer classes, they should’ve ended by now, and the boy should have been back home.
Mrs. Jiang waved her hand, “He’s at a summer camp at A University. He won’t be back for a couple more days.”
Chen Bai vaguely recalled something and said, “Only the top 100 students in the city can attend that, right?”
Mrs. Jiang nodded, smiling. “Your Uncle Xu let it slip that you were coming back, and the kid was practically clinging to the door, refusing to leave.”
Her bluntness in exposing a high schooler’s tantrum made Chen Bai chuckle.
Since it was late, Mrs. Jiang escorted him to his room on the second floor. The room had been updated since his last visit. The computer had undergone a major upgrade—what had once been a business-like office setup now featured a gaming keyboard, mouse, and chair, as if the room were prepped for an esports championship.
Noticing where his attention went, Mrs. Jiang explained, “Your uncle didn’t know before, but recently he learned from the younger employees at the company that you young people prefer specialized gaming gear.”
Her “learning” involved casually overhearing her staff discuss gaming accessories and then grilling her younger son to extract every detail. In the process, she also discovered the reason why “Chen Er Bai” existed, and learning that live streamers, often need to sit for long periods, which isn’t good for their spines.
Their status made it inappropriate to directly give him money to help with his debts, and they didn’t want to interfere in his life choices. So, all they could do was provide a more comfortable chair and any equipment he might need.
The gear was neatly placed next to the computer, though Mr. Xu, with zero technical know-how, had fiddled with it to no avail and eventually left it for someone else to handle.
Objectively speaking, Chen Bai thought this place no longer felt like a guest room. Or rather, it had never been just a guest room—it was only after his visit that he realized his good friend’s room was right next door.
Neighbors both inside and outside the home.
Mrs. Jiang smiled and immediately presented him with a fresh set of pajamas, asking him to pick one to wear first.
Out of the pile of brightly colored pajamas, Chen Bai picked out a white set, not for any particular reason other than that it had a small, embroidered dog head on the chest.
The dog’s design was simple but fluffy and cute. Mrs. Jiang couldn’t remember buying it and stroked her chin, saying, “Did I buy this?”
Chen Bai glanced over. “Hmm?”
Mrs. Jiang took another look at the little dog, thought for a moment, then smiled, “Never mind. I must have bought so many that I’ve forgotten.”
After a long day, she didn’t linger in his room, telling him to wash up and get some rest. She closed the door behind her as she left.
Ms. Jiang left, and Chen Yibai lowered his head to pull out his phone, sending a message to his money-making partner that he had arrived home safely. After sending the message, he placed the phone by the bedside and, wearing his puppy pajamas, headed toward the bathroom.
In the hallway outside the room, Ms. Jiang descended the stairs, taking out her phone from her pocket as she walked. One hand on the railing, she tapped a few times on the phone, found the contact she was looking for, and began typing:
[Did you buy Yibai a pair of pajamas?]
Although she bought a lot of clothes, each one was carefully chosen, and she could remember all of them. There was only one person in the house who could so accurately pick out what he liked.
After a while, the other person replied briefly: [Yes.]
—
After several months of continuous work, Chen Yibai finally took a short vacation. From the first day back at Aunt Jiang’s house, he started living a highly nutritious life.
In the morning, he’d be dragged out of bed to eat breakfast, and after eating, he’d be stuffed back into bed. By the time he got up again, it was almost noon. He would then stretch a bit in the yard before having lunch, go live-streaming in the afternoon, and in the evening, Ms. Jiang and her husband would return from work, making it a pleasant time spent together.
His days became regular and fulfilling, with a balanced intake of meat, dairy, protein, fruits, and vegetables. He felt healthier than ever before in his life.
After two days of this, one more day would mark the end of a summer camp. That evening, before the camp ended, a high school student called.
The call came while the three of them were watching an animated movie in the living room. Ms. Jiang put down her fruit, answered the call, and placed the phone on the table on speaker, continuing to watch TV while talking.
The high school student always called to make sure his “Brother Bai” was still there. Only after confirming that, would he talk business.
Finally sinking his teeth into a watermelon slice, brother Bai chewed away and responded, “Yeah, still here.”
The student on the other end was reassured and then started talking about coming home the next day. He said, “So, yeah, my classmates from the summer camp are coming over tomorrow to hang out.”
Apparently, just half an hour earlier, the group had been discussing where to go after the camp. No one wanted to do anything too tiring or outdoors in this heat, so they decided to go to one lucky classmate’s house.
The lucky one, of course, was the younger brother of a certain “luck king.”
Ms. Jiang swallowed a bite of fruit and asked, “What time tomorrow? Will there be a ride?”
The student said it would be in the morning. The camp would dismiss at 9 a.m., and afterward, the school-appointed teacher would accompany them, with transportation provided, but only to the school gate. They wouldn’t be dropped off at home.
“Dismiss at 9?” Ms. Jiang drank some water, calculating the time they would arrive home. “At that time, Uncle Xu and I—well, your dad—won’t be home.”
She had almost disowned her own son, but that wasn’t important.
Finally peeling his eyes away from the TV, Chen Bai said, “I should be awake by then.”
Though maybe just barely awake, with his brain not quite functioning yet, half-capable of being a responsible adult.
Mr. Xu, sitting nearby, asked, “How many people?”
Xu Lang replied, “Including me, four.”
“Four? That fits perfectly in one car,” Ms. Jiang said. “We’ll have Uncle Sun come pick you up—no, wait.”
Mr. Xu timely reminded her, “The forum at the center is tomorrow. All the drivers are booked.”
Ms. Jiang simply said, “You’ll have to get a cab then.”
In a matter of seconds, the transportation arrangement went from a private car to “take a taxi,” with no reimbursement either.
The student on the other end of the phone, indignant, said, “Fine.”
That settled it. There seemed to be someone calling for him on the other end, and the student hung up.
The phone screen went dark, and the student’s voice disappeared. Ms. Jiang passed an extraordinarily delicious grape to Chen Bai and said, “This is really good.”
Then she added, “This is the first time Xu Lang has ever brought classmates over to play.”
Putting the grape in his mouth, Chen Bai raised his eyes slightly. “The first time?”
He remembered that Xu Lang had plenty of friends and often hung out with them. It seemed surprising that he had never brought anyone home before.
Ms. Jiang chuckled and said, “Before, they always went to internet cafés.”
Chen Bai finally remembered that his now top-100 student brother used to be a rebellious high schooler obsessed with video games.
—
The next day, early morning, at A University.
The closing ceremony for the summer camp was held in the main auditorium. Suitcases, already packed, were lined up against the wall outside. As the ceremony ended, more and more people trickled out of the previously empty entrance. Though it was still early in the morning, the sun was already blazing, casting dappled light under the trees outside the door as shadows of students crisscrossed each other, all in different school uniforms.
Each school wore their own summer uniforms to distinguish themselves, making it easy for the supervising teachers to spot their students.
While some schools had moved on to white shirts and ties, First High School still stuck with its traditional blue and white uniforms, easily recognizable in the crowd.
After finding their suitcases and informing the teachers that they’d be leaving independently and not on the school bus, Xu Lang and his classmates gathered by the road outside the auditorium.
His desk mate from the previous summer class was also there. Wiping sweat from his forehead and looking at the blue and white uniform he wore and the elite-looking students in shirts and ties not far away, the desk mate said, “Nice.”
Folding his certificate from the ceremony and stuffing it into his pocket, Xu Lang glanced over and said, “Nice?”
The desk mate honestly thought the uniform looked cooler, standing out in the sea of school uniforms. Another classmate, squeezing through the crowd, overheard and said, “That’s a private school uniform for the rich.”
“In this heat, wearing a tie is torture. Our short sleeves are way better.” Finishing his message, Xu Lang put away his phone and asked, “Where’s Old Lin?”
The classmate called Old Lin arrived and casually joked, “You’re talking like you’ve actually studied there.”
He asked, “Where’s your certificate?”
Xu Lang replied, “It’s a hassle to carry around, so I folded it and stuffed it in my pocket.”
His attitude was very nonchalant.
Out of the four, three played basketball and were tall. Only the deskmate was short, so while the others chatted, he squatted down, taking advantage of their height to hide in their shadows.
Once everyone was there, they left the school, hailed a cab, and as soon as they got into the air-conditioned car, they instantly felt revived.
Under the scorching sun, the car drove out of the school, passing tall buildings before entering a familiar, more deserted area. It was just after 10 a.m., earlier than expected. Xu Lang turned to the others and said, “My brother might still be sleeping, so let’s keep it down.”
The deskmate raised his hand, “Isn’t your brother the kind who always sleeps and wakes up early?”
Xu Lang corrected himself, “No, that’s my actual brother… The early riser is my biological brother, not this one.”
He felt like the more he explained, the more confusing it got, so he waved it off, “Anyway, this brother is basically the same as my real brother.”
Putting aside the brotherly confusion, Old Lin, sitting next to the deskmate, asked, “How much longer until we get to your house?”
It wasn’t just their imagination. It felt like they were getting further away from the city. They had seen tall buildings earlier, but now there were none, only walls and large courtyards occasionally appearing.
Before Xu Lang could answer, the GPS chimed in, saying they were 500 meters away from their destination.
They had arrived. Under the blazing sun, the large stone bricks on the manor’s walls glistened, almost blinding them. Behind the gate, the green lawn was lush.
The students “…”
Xu Lang stood by the car, confirming the ride with the driver, while the other three lined up in front of the gate, lost in thought.
After paying and seeing the driver off, Xu Lang turned around, only to hear his deskmate ask, “Is this your house?”
He nodded, and was immediately put in a headlock by all three of them. One of them exclaimed, “You’ve been hiding the fact that you’re a young master from us!”
The young master, burdened by three people hanging off him, struggled to move forward.
Fortunately, the gate opened, and the butler appeared. In front of the butler, the classmates pretended to be well-mannered, quickly letting go and greeting him properly.
Xu Lang immediately asked, “Is Brother Bai awake?”
The butler’s mustache twitched as he suppressed a smile and said, “He’s working on it.”
That answer was a bit hard to understand, but somehow Xu Lang got it.
From the yard to the front door, they walked from the sun into the shade. The mansion doors were already open, and cool air flowed out, instantly refreshing everyone.
The high schoolers quickly entered the mansion, feeling reborn.
Their timing was perfect. As they stepped into the hall, a figure appeared on the staircase.
Wearing pajamas and with messy hair, the person held onto the railing, slowly making his way down one step at a time. Judging by their movements, it seemed he hadn’t fully woken up. His body was moving, but their brain hadn’t caught up.
…Under these circumstances, making it downstairs was a real effort.
Xu Lang didn’t dare make a sound, afraid that if the person got distracted, they might trip. The group watched in silence as the figure stopped halfway, then slowly turned around and headed back upstairs.
“…”
Watching the figure disappear, one classmate asked, “What just happened?”
Xu Lang couldn’t figure it out either. He blinked and said, “Maybe… he’s going back for a nap?”
But no, the person wasn’t going back to sleep. Halfway down, he had a brief moment of clarity and remembered he hadn’t changed out of their pajamas, so they went back to their room to change into more appropriate loungewear.
By the time the high schoolers had settled down in the living room, they heard movement from the stairs again.
This time, the person walking down was moving more energetically. They were now wearing a white lounge outfit, though their hair was still as messy as before.
As they descended the stairs, they glanced over at the group. Seeing them, they paused for a moment, waved, and with a smile asked, “You guys are here?”
Their voice was husky from just waking up, still carrying traces of sleepiness, but at least their words were clear. It seemed they were fully awake now.
The group finally recognized why this person had seemed familiar earlier. Turns out, the person hadn’t been fully awake during their first encounter in the hall and didn’t even remember that they had already met.
Staring at the very noticeable messy hair, Xu Lang didn’t say much. Since the person thought they had just arrived, he went along with it and stood up immediately, calling out, “Brother Bai.”
As he got closer, he noticed the person’s gaze shift upward. Chen Bai first glanced at his own messy hair, then ran a hand through the stray locks, laughing, “I already tried to fix it, but it’s no use. You’ll have to bear with it.”
For a moment, the messy hair was tamed, revealing his gentle, smiling eyes. The others finally recalled where that sense of familiarity came from—memories from last year rushed back, and they remembered exactly who Brother Bai was.
They knew Xu Lang was close to this person, but they hadn’t expected the relationship to be so close that he’d be staying at his house. No wonder Xu Lang had been eager to get home for the holidays.
This person clearly lived a good life!
The high schoolers quickly followed suit, calling out, “Brother Bai.”
Suddenly, Chen Bai had a bunch of new little “brothers.” Ever the diplomat, he greeted each of them warmly, and then remembered something. He reminded them, “Don’t forget to report to your supervising teacher that you’ve arrived safely.”
The usually indifferent Xu Lang nodded and said he had already reported. Then he fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper that had been folded into a strange shape. After trying hard to unfold it, he handed it over, saying, “This is what I earned today.”
Like a well-behaved elementary school student, Xu Lang stood there, waiting for Chen Bai to take it. His expression was the same as usual, but there was a hint of tension in the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were filled with expectation.
—This was the same Xu Lang who had earlier called the certificate a hassle and complained about carrying it, no doubt about it.
The deskmate’s eyebrow twitched violently: “Xu Lang, you…”
The others gasped and squinted at him: “You…”
Such a grown person, suddenly acting more like an elementary school kid than an actual elementary school kid.
Xu Lang pretended not to hear them and obediently stood there, waiting for Chen Bai to read the certificate.
Chen Bai finished reading. His brows relaxed, and a smile touched the corners of his eyes. He raised his hand, gently patting Xu Lang on the head, showering him with praise without repeating a word.
His light gray eyes reflected the light, and when he looked at people seriously, the emotional value was off the charts.
“…”
The three high schoolers quietly edged closer to their backpacks, pulling out their own certificates.
By the time Xu Lang, having endured all the praise, turned around, the people who had been watching him with a strange look were no longer standing there. Someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Turning around, he saw the three of them holding their certificates, lined up behind him. The one tapping his shoulder was his deskmate, who said, “Once you’re done, it’s my turn.”
The two behind nodded.
Xu Lang: “…?”
First, they doubted him, then they understood him, and now they had become like him.
Successfully receiving praise, the three high schoolers transformed into elementary schoolers themselves, basking in the compliments. Even after sitting down on the couch, they felt like little flowers blooming all over.
Understanding that high schoolers need their own space and don’t like being interrupted too much, Chen Bai had originally just come to say hello and ask if they needed anything. But somehow, he ended up staying and sitting on the couch with them.
The kitchen sent over some fruits, as they routinely needed to eat something nutritious. Chen Bai ate as he casually chatted with the energetic high schoolers. Somewhere along the way, the conversation shifted to video games, and then, unexpectedly, to him.
The high schoolers wanted to play games with him, but since the conditions weren’t right, the suggestion was immediately vetoed by Xu Lang. The high schoolers sighed in disappointment.
Passing the fruit platter over, Chen Bai asked, “Why did you suddenly bring that up?”
As far as he remembered, Chen Yi Bai wasn’t really into video games.
The one who often played was Chen Er Bai, which had nothing to do with him.
The deskmate ruffled his hair and praised him for being good at games, saying he wanted to experience what it was like to play with a master.
Chen Yi Bai “?”
Chen Bai asked where this idea of him being a “master” came from.
The deskmate honestly replied that he saw it on TV.
TV, referring to ‘Youth Journey’, a show many people at school loved to watch. Even those who didn’t usually watch TV knew a bit about it. There were a few scenes of him playing video games.
Chen Bai’s eyes twitched, and he calmly stated, “A few scenes can’t show much.”
It was clear he had no idea about this whole thing. The considerate Xu Lang added, “Brother Bai, during the internet cafe scene, you happened to run into a streamer who was live at the time.”
Their cameras were rolling, and the other side’s camera was rolling too, with a whole team of professionals recording and uploading every episode. After that particular episode aired, the full unedited version was quickly dug up, and people got to see the whole thing from another perspective.
Xu Lang casually mentioned, “The streamer was called ‘Qingzhou’ and gained a lot of followers because of it.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Chen Er Bai, casually munching on fruit, just said, “What a small world, huh?”
