The Stand-in Side Character Only Wants to Make Money – CH74

Chapter 74: When Will You Return?

“…”

Oh no.

The group of friends didn’t dare to speak. Zhang Wenxuan was momentarily lost for words, and the others nudged him to say something. But after a long pause, none of them had the courage to speak.

With the silence on their end, the person on the other end of the phone asked again, “Hello?”

It was unmistakable—it was the sound of someone who had been crying!

No one in the group dared make a sound, and all of them nudged Zhang Wenxuan.

If they didn’t say something soon, the call would likely be hung up as a prank. Zhang Wenxuan had no choice but to step up. Clearing his throat, he tried to make his voice as gentle as possible. “Ah… it’s me.”

Now that he’d finally spoken, the person on the other end, despite everything, was still polite and asked what the call was about.

What was the call about?

He was the type of person who could expertly find something to say, even when there was nothing to talk about.

After placing the clothes in another tote bag, Chen Bai finally freed up his hands, stretched his shoulders, and asked, “Do you have time in the next couple of days?”

This sudden question made the person on the other end of the call sit up straight, and all the friends around him tensed up as well.

Asking if someone had time at a moment like this was probably about Yang Shu’s situation.

Cursing Huo Chuan under his breath again, Zhang Wenxuan responded with a surprisingly calm voice, “Yeah, I’ve got time. What’s up?”

Gathering up the tote bags, Chen Bai said, “I need a favor from you.”

He continued, “I’ve just packed up some of Mr. Huo’s things. When you have a chance, could you help pass them along?”

These were work-related items that he never intended to keep. No matter how good the workstation setup was, you couldn’t take anything with you after quitting.

Knowing the “God of Wealth” would be busy with his old flame, the considerate Chen Bai didn’t want to bother him. Since shipping the items would cost extra for insurance, which seemed unnecessary, he decided to deliver them through a trusted friend.

Zhang Wenxuan “…”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

After a moment, Zhang Wenxuan cautiously asked, “Wait, what do you mean?”

Something didn’t feel right—he wasn’t sure, so he wanted to double-check.

Chen Bai replied, “Since we won’t be seeing each other much anymore, I thought I should return these things now.”

This time, it wasn’t just a vague feeling that something was off. It was clearly not right.

Feeling restless, Zhang Wenxuan stood up, and the others followed suit. He asked, “What do you mean by ‘won’t be seeing each other much anymore’?”

Then they heard a soft laugh from the other side of the phone, followed by, “It’s over. We won’t have many chances to meet again.”

It’s over.

“…” Oh no.

This wasn’t facing the situation head-on; this was letting go entirely.

That simple statement sent a chill through everyone.

Whether or not he could help pass along the items was now secondary. Zhang Wenxuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Let’s not worry about returning stuff just yet. There’s a reason for everything that happened today…”

Though he didn’t really know what reason there could be, he just wanted to keep things under control for now.

In his brightly lit room, Chen Bai carried the tote bags from the bedroom to the living room and answered softly, “I know.”

He then asked, “Will you have time before tomorrow night?”

Auntie Jiang, who rarely stayed up late, had called him earlier. As soon as they talked, his cold became impossible to hide. Auntie Jiang and another person were attending the God of Wealth’s birthday banquet tomorrow, and they had already agreed to bring Chen Bai back home to recover afterward. He’d probably stay there until his next job started, so it wouldn’t be convenient to return the items later.

The friends on the other side were frantically shaking their heads, knowing that accepting those items would mean the relationship was truly over. Zhang Wenxuan understood this too and said, “About tomorrow…”

“Is that not possible?” Chen Bai’s voice was soft and hoarse, with even more nasal congestion than before. The usual clear and cheerful tone was almost unrecognizable.

Meeting the anxious gazes of his friends, Zhang Wenxuan blinked and, with a small movement of his mouth, finally replied, “…Yes, I can.”

With that, they agreed on a time. After saying goodbye, Chen Bai hung up. He casually placed the phone on the table and then realized he still didn’t quite know why Zhang Wenxuan had called in the first place.

Since Zhang Wenxuan hadn’t mentioned it, it probably wasn’t important.

On the other side, after the call ended, Zhang Wenxuan held his phone, immediately facing criticism from his friends: “Why did you agree to that?!”

Anyone with common sense would know not to agree!

Zhang Wenxuan put down his phone, his neck stiff with tension, and said, “Then why don’t you try saying no?”

He looked at another friend and asked, “Would you dare say no?”

One wasn’t enough—he turned to another friend and asked, “Would you dare?”

“…”

The friends he questioned couldn’t say a word.

In a situation like this, hearing the other person’s voice, no one had the heart to refuse.

“That’s what I thought,” Zhang Wenxuan said, clapping his hands. “You don’t want to be the bad guy, and neither do I.”

He tossed his phone onto the table. “Forget it. This is Huo Chuan’s problem. I’m done with it.”

A friend asked, “But are you really going tomorrow?”

He opened his eyes. “What else am I supposed to do, stand him up like Huo Chuan?”

So yes, he would definitely go—he had to.

Now, suddenly cast as the brave one facing the storm, his friends patted him on the shoulder.

—

The next day was overcast, and the rain finally stopped in the afternoon. Small puddles still dotted the roadside, reflecting the clouds and streetlights. Leaving the banquet early, Zhang Wenxuan headed to the agreed meeting spot.

Not wanting to make Chen Bai go too far to deliver the items, they agreed to meet at the entrance of his residential complex—a location Zhang Wenxuan had suggested.

At night, a few people occasionally passed by the entrance. Zhang Wenxuan got out of his car and immediately spotted someone squatting near the side of the road, wearing a hat and a mask.

In this summer evening, there were only a few people who would need to wear a hat and mask outdoors—only those in his profession. After not seeing him for a while, and perhaps because summer clothes are thinner, he looked even skinnier.

As Zhang Wenxuan approached, Chen Bai sensed the movement, lifted the brim of his hat slightly, and looked over.

His eyes, under the brim, caught the light and appeared faintly red. The corners of his eyes drooped, clearly showing exhaustion. He stood up and greeted Zhang Wenxuan with a hoarse voice.

The moment he saw him, all the words Zhang Wenxuan had prepared on the way over evaporated. He quickly returned the greeting and reached out to take the tote bag, daring only to ask, “Are you feeling any better now?”

As the tote bag passed from hand to hand, it carried with it nearly two years’ worth of memories. It was light, not heavy—gone in an instant.

Chen Bai sniffed and, with wide eyes, said, “Probably.”

Zhang Wenxuan had called to check on him and say something reassuring. But now, he didn’t need to check his condition—it was clear enough—and there was no need for comforting words, as it was obvious Chen Bai already knew what was going on online.

The post was undeniably true, without any misunderstanding.

Unable to think of anything to say, Zhang Wenxuan’s mouth opened and closed before he awkwardly asked, “Were you crying?”

It was a dumb question, and it had the potential to make things worse. One of his friends smacked him on the head.

The person on the other end said, “No.”

But as they spoke, there was a faint sniffle.

Zhang Wenxuan: “…”

The group of friends: “…”

Chen Bai really hadn’t been crying—he just had a cold that had gotten much worse in a short time.

After his agent had dropped him off at home, Chen Bai had taken a hot shower. It was late—not quite the right time to start a livestream, but too early to go to bed—so after finishing the call with Aunt Jiang, he had started sorting through the gifts he’d received from the “God of Wealth.” Just as he started, the phone rang.

Including the agent, this was the second person today to mention that he sounded like he had been crying.

Not wanting to admit that he’d gone out in the rain, he simply said it wasn’t the case.

After a few exchanges, he still didn’t quite understand why Zhang Wenxuan had called but didn’t ask further, just assuming he was keeping him company.

As he chatted, he wandered around the living room, realizing the gifts weren’t here, so he went back to the bedroom.

The watch he had bought earlier was still sitting on the cabinet, unopened, alongside a keychain.

His keys already had a keychain on them from a previous event, so this new one didn’t serve much purpose and stayed where it was.

Thankfully, the gift bag from the last time a brand sent him clothes was still there, so he packed the watch and keychain into the bag and then went to check the wardrobe.

…Not great.

His nose was itching again, and he turned mid-task to grab some tissues.

Hearing the rustling sounds from Chen Bai’s side, the people on the other end of the phone didn’t dare make a sound. It wasn’t until they heard the sound of a wardrobe opening that Zhang Wenxuan found a way to make conversation and nervously asked, “What are you doing?”

His voice was quieter than when getting scolded by his elders.

With the phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, Chen Bai replied while sorting through clothes he had received from the God of Wealth after another rain-soaked visit to his place: “I’m packing things.”

Packing was a good way to shift focus. The fact that he was actively finding something to do showed he was dealing with the situation positively.

There was still hope.

The group of friends exchanged glances and felt that things didn’t seem quite as bad as they’d feared.

After nearly two years of knowing each other, even if they didn’t quite understand what had attracted him, they knew he was genuinely in love. Things might be better than they had imagined.

Zhang Wenxuan couldn’t think of anything else to say, so after a moment, he simply responded with, “That’s good.”

It probably hadn’t gotten any better at all. Last night, thinking that he wouldn’t be staying here for a while, he cleaned his entire place in the middle of the night. Today, when he woke up, his head felt even foggier.

Zhang Wenxuan figured that was the case. It wasn’t something that could just get better overnight. Knowing that now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things, he changed the topic and asked, “What’s your plan for later?”

“Rest for a few days,” Chen Bai thought for a moment before saying, “then probably back to work.”

His business partners were still discussing work-related matters, and they would likely contact him in the next couple of days to go over things.

Rest and work. Simple, straightforward, and with no time left for anything else. Looking at the blue and white mask covering Chen Bai’s face, Zhang Wenxuan didn’t say much more, simply reminding him to take care of his health.

Chen Bai handed over several tote bags, still holding one in his hand. Thinking it might have been missed, Zhang Wenxuan looked down and asked, “What about this one?”

“I’m heading to a friend’s house,” Chen Bai smiled, “this is for them.”

Zhang Wenxuan glanced at the time. “You’re going right after this?”

Chen Bai nodded. Zhang Wenxuan replied, “That’s good.” Going to a friend’s house was better than staying alone.

Not wanting to take up too much of his time, Chen Bai waved goodbye after handing over the bags and said, “Thanks, see you.”

There was indeed no reason to linger. So, Zhang Wenxuan replied, turned halfway around, but then looked back and said, “If anything comes up, let me know.”

Chen Bai smiled and nodded.

Zhang Wenxuan left, carrying the burden of several bags like hot potatoes. Once in the car, he tossed the bags aside and let out a sigh.

His friend, who had been acting as the driver, was curious about the situation but too afraid to face Chen Bai directly. So, while starting the car, he asked, “So, what’s the deal?”

“What do you think?” Zhang Wenxuan said, “I couldn’t even look him in the eye.”

At such a critical moment in their relationship, the other person bailed to chase after his old flame. Even hearing about it gave Zhang Wenxuan a heartache every time, let alone the person involved.

“So what’s Huo Chuan’s deal?” his friend asked. “Is he really going to let things end like this?”

Zhang Wenxuan replied, “He said he wants to sort things out with Yang Shu first, then deal with everything else.”

Just hearing those two names made Zhang Wenxuan’s head hurt, but after a day of cooling down, his emotions were less intense, and he could discuss it more calmly.

At least Huo Chuan hadn’t decided to abandon Chen Bai and run off to get entangled with Yang Shu again. He finally said he’d sort things out with Yang Shu.

Zhang Wenxuan let out a laugh and said, “Sort things out and then what? He really thinks Chen Bai’s going to wait around for him.”

Never having been loved that deeply himself, he didn’t know what it felt like and refrained from commenting further. Leaning back in his seat, he said, “By the time he’s finished sorting things out, someone else might have swooped in already. Then he’ll just have to cry about it.”

—

As soon as Zhang Wenxuan left, Auntie Jiang and Mr. Xu arrived, and they took Chen Bai along in the car.

Still muffled by his mask, Chen Bai tried to cheerfully show Auntie Jiang and Uncle Xu the little cake he brought.

While working yesterday, his assistant had bought a small cake from a hotel nearby with a unique flavor, and his first thought was to share it with his good neighbors, Auntie Jiang and Uncle Xu.

After searching, he found a chain store nearby that sold the same cake. It was a bit far, but he didn’t mind. He bought it before Zhang Wenxuan arrived.

The little cake received unanimous praise, but his cold was unanimously scolded.

It wasn’t about getting scolded for getting caught in the rain, but rather for not telling Auntie Jiang sooner. She had repeatedly stressed that if anything was wrong with his health, he had to inform her immediately. If she hadn’t called him out of the blue this time, he might have kept hiding it.

Scolding, in this case, meant that the two of them once again reminded him not to hide it when he was sick.

Failing to keep his illness hidden, Chen Bai nodded repeatedly like a little chick pecking at rice and offered them more cake.

As soon as he handed over the cake, Auntie Jiang’s stern expression melted, and she couldn’t help but laugh. She accepted the cake and ruffled his messy hair.

Lowering his head to let her do it, Chen Bai squinted and smiled.

After four days away, he took his medicine and made history by going to bed early that night.

The next day, as expected, his agent called to discuss his upcoming work.

When the call came, he was standing in the yard, watching Auntie Jiang and Mr. Xu leave for work. Since it wasn’t sunny, he squatted in the yard to take the call.

His work partner, considerate as always, first asked about his cold. Once confirming he was still alive, they got down to business.

Chen Bai thanked them for their concern and reassured them it was just a cold, not life-threatening.

His agent said, “There’s a variety show coming up. Would you be interested?”

Whenever she phrased it like that, it usually meant she thought he would be.

Feeling a bit tired from standing, Chen Bai squatted down again and said, “Tell me more.”

The details were that the show’s production team had recently reached out, offering a historically high payment, hoping he would join as a guest.

The show, called ‘Let’s Live Together’, was pretty much what the title suggested—a group of guests living together and experiencing life in roles different from their usual. The show had already filmed several episodes and remained very popular.

As a guest, he wouldn’t be a regular on the show, just appearing for one or more episodes depending on his schedule.

The high pay made sense. His agent explained, “The show used to be scripted, but now they’ve gone big and switched to a live, unscripted format. Most of the previous guests couldn’t handle the change and dropped out. Starting with your episode, the guest lineup will be almost entirely new. They want you to anchor the show and bring in some buzz.”

Much like in dramas, variety shows usually followed a script to save on production costs and time. This also made things easier for the guests.

This time, ‘Let’s Live Together’ found a big investor with deep pockets. Once the money was in hand, they swiftly made changes, switching to a “broadcast first, edit later” format.

The downside of having no script is that the amount of unusable footage skyrockets. You might film for an entire day and end up with very few usable clips. It’s also easy to capture awkward moments where the guests, who might not be very talkative, have nothing to say, leading to boring and uneventful scenes.

Since there’s little personal benefit to the artists and a high risk of them ruining their public image, combined with the many uncontrollable factors in live broadcasting, not many celebrities were willing to take the offer. The production team had to throw money at the problem, offering high pay to attract guests who would bring attention and were naturally suited to variety shows.

Objectively, even though Chen Yi Bai mainly pursued film roles, his personality made him a great fit for variety shows. He could get along with anyone, always had something to talk about, and didn’t need to put on a facade. He was a natural-born variety show star.

After explaining the situation, his agent mentioned a seven-figure sum.

Chen Yibai, who had been plucking weeds from the corner while on the phone, froze in place and stopped pulling at the grass. Cautiously, he asked, “Seriously?”

The agent patiently confirmed, saying, “Definitely.”

The human weed-pulling machine finally stood up, sparing the few remaining weeds from further destruction.

Taking on a variety show didn’t require much thought. As long as the money was right, this worker agreed in a snap.

The agent had expected this outcome. Knowing what was important, she mentioned the potential filming locations and the approximate timing only after giving the price.

Part of the reason for the high payment was that the production team needed him urgently—they wanted him on set next week.

Next week.

Comparing the date with the time next week, Chen Bai finally couldn’t hold back his tears.

Sensing something was off despite not being able to see him, the agent asked what was wrong.

The “friend-obsessed” Chen Bai, in full elementary school mode, wiped his tears and said, “I miss my friend.”

Gao Qian “…”

The agent suddenly remembered—this friend of his was just about to finish work next week. Timing-wise, they would completely miss each other.

They hadn’t seen each other in over a month, and for someone as hopelessly obsessed with their friend as Chen Bai, he must have been at his breaking point.

After a brief pause, the agent tried to comfort him, saying, “Once ‘Record of Blossoms’ is released and you win Best Supporting Actor and a few other awards, maybe you’ll get to work with your friend in the future.”

The movie wouldn’t release until the Lunar New Year, and the awards wouldn’t come until next year, if at all. While her words offered some comfort, it wasn’t enough, and the tears continued to flow.

Realizing there was no stopping him, the agent knew the problem wasn’t hers to fix. So, she said, “I’m hanging up now. If you miss your friend, just call and tell him honestly. Talking to me won’t help.”

True to her word, the call ended with a beep, and the screen went dark.

As the screen dimmed, Chen Bai squatted back down beside the bushes, unlocked his phone, and through his tears, found his favorite contact at the top of his list.

He thought his work partner was absolutely right and decided to follow her advice.

Since his friend was probably still at work, he didn’t call but sent a voice message instead.

Meanwhile, in a break room across several districts…

Having just finished a scene, Xu Sinian took a sip of water handed to him by his assistant. Another assistant pointed out, “Mr. Xu, I think you’ve got a message.”

After setting down his water, Xu Sinian wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and picked up his phone.

With just one glance, he lowered his head slightly, brows furrowing as he opened a voice message that was only two seconds long.

“When are you coming back?”

The voice was hoarse and soft, yet it inexplicably tugged at his heart, causing a lump in his throat.

In the room, the assistants who had been busy with their own tasks instantly perked up their ears.

They watched as Xu Sinian stood up, phone in hand, and walked towards the side room, saying, “I need to make a call.”

With his back to them, they finally dared to openly stare as he dialed the number, the phone’s glow illuminating his face.

He walked quickly, his tall figure disappearing behind the door. Just before it closed, they overheard one faint sentence: “What’s wrong?”

The door clicked shut, and his voice vanished. The assistants, eyes wide, stared in shock at each other, their pupils trembling with the realization of what they had just witnessed.

—