The Stand-in Side Character Only Wants to Make Money – CH75

Chapter 75 – Let’s Live Together!

After nearly half an hour on the video call, Xu Sinian finally managed to calm Chen Bai down so that the tears weren’t flowing as heavily.

As the call was wrapping up, Chen Bai, still sniffling like a child, promised they’d meet in two weeks. But as he said it, his tears started to well up again.

This call had turned into an endurance marathon, complete with overtime.

After soothing Chen Bai’s tears back into place, Xu Sinian finally saw him smile as the call ended, with a small wave and a soft “goodbye,” just like always.

Once the call ended, the room went quiet.

Holding his now dark phone, Xu Sinian turned the screen back on, scrolled through some messages from earlier, and quickly sent a reply.

[Sure.]

[But there’s a condition.]

The response came quickly, and they reached an agreement.

Over half an hour later, the assistants finally saw Xu Sinian emerge from the room, phone still in hand. They quietly perked up their ears again.

Then they heard him say, “I have work next week.”

—

After staying at his dear aunt and uncle’s place for a few more days, diligently eating his medicine, meals, and fruits, Chen Bai fully recovered from his cold and was once again his lively self.

This time, his agent came to pick him up in person. Auntie Jiang and Mr. Xu, who happened to have the day off, saw him off as he got into the car.

The sun was shining brightly, and the yard was filled with greenery. Standing in the shade of the trees by the roadside, Auntie Jiang and Mr. Xu watched as the messy-haired young man climbed into the car. Before he left, they reminded him, “Remember to eat on time. If you’re not feeling well, be sure to call.”

Ms. Jiang said, after thinking for a moment, “Also, remember to call when you have some free time.”

Mr. Xu handed over a bag of freshly cut fruit from the kitchen and a bag of freshly baked cakes and cookies, saying, “Share these with everyone on the way.”

Chen Bai reached out to take them, feeling as though he was a little kid about to go on a spring outing with his friends.

The agent, sitting on the other side of the car, couldn’t help but smirk, her eyes twitching slightly. She turned to the assistant sitting in front and said, “Isn’t this just a family of three?”

The assistant, who was seeing the friends’ parents for the first time, nodded. “It really is.”

If they hadn’t been told ahead of time that these were his friend’s parents, they would’ve easily believed they were his real parents, without a doubt.

As the car finally pulled away, everyone in the car waved goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Xu together.

The fruit and baked goods were given for a reason. The filming location this time was set in City D, a few districts away, which meant several hours of driving. They would pass by some highway service areas, but the things sold there couldn’t compare to the fresh fruit and baked goods.

Each type of fruit was packed separately, filling the car with a fresh aroma, and the air seemed noticeably cleaner.

After eating her fill, the agent leaned back and began scrolling through her phone.

She often checked online news to stay updated. Initially, she was the only one looking, but soon assistant Xiao Meng joined her, and the two started browsing together.

Chen Bai, unless he was chatting or handling something important, rarely looked at his phone while in the car. He quietly ate his fruit until he suddenly heard them mention his name. Still chewing on a piece of watermelon, he finally turned around and asked, “What’s up?”

Xiao Meng said, “We’re looking at your negative press.”

The agent added, “For example, the narrative about you being stingy… maintaining a frugal image despite actually making lots of money and not needing to be that frugal.”

“Wait,” Chen Bai said, eyes wide, “To protect my mental health, aren’t you supposed to be hiding this kind of stuff from me?”

The agent looked at him and asked, “So, are you upset?”

“Not really.”

He casually speared another piece of watermelon and continued eating, saying, “It’s pretty normal for people to think this way—most people don’t owe millions in debt.”

Only someone who truly understood the importance of building something great from the ground up would know how crucial every little piece of effort is.

Curious, he leaned over to see what other kinds of negative news were out there.

The stylist and assistant Liu, standing nearby, couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows. It was the first time they had seen someone so actively and eagerly wanting to read their own bad press.

Having only been in the public eye for two years, Chen Yibai’s fanbase had skyrocketed, with highly active and oddly loyal followers. Every endorsement he took on resulted in a significant boost in sales for the brand, but he had also attracted a fair number of detractors, including some from his peers in the industry.

While no one questioned his acting ability or his personality, the negative comments mostly revolved around how quickly he had risen to fame. Many found it suspicious, assuming that he had some powerful backer behind him, as such a meteoric rise seemed unnatural.

In addition, there were rumors about him acting like a diva or snatching roles from others. Some had even turned his frequent mentions of his friend into a joke, assuming he only brought up this so-called “friend” as part of some manufactured persona.

It wasn’t that these comments were entirely false; it was more that none of them were grounded in reality.

In a way, these criticisms actually benefited Chen Bai’s mental health. As he scrolled through his phone, he found the comments so absurd that they made him laugh.

Clearly, he was someone whose mental health didn’t require delicate protection, in every sense.

The fun didn’t last long, though. Halfway through reading the comments under one gossip account, news broke from the official account of ‘Let’s Live Together’, and the agent logged in to share the post.

With the switch from leisure to work, Chen Bai immediately pulled his head back from the phone.

At exactly 10 a.m., the ‘Let’s Live Together’ official Weibo account announced the guest lineup for the next episode.

[Let’s Live Together Official: See you tomorrow at 9 a.m. [Livestream reservation link][image]]

The guest lineup wasn’t as drastically changed as some netizens had speculated. The production team had managed to retain half of the regular cast with the help of their hefty budget, while bringing in a new batch of celebrities. The new guest stars were all well-known figures, and at first glance, they didn’t seem too bad.

There were two guest stars in total, but only one was revealed alongside the regular cast.

One was enough.

[What’s this? Chen Yi Bai! Am I sure? Better check again! What’s this? Chen Yi Bai! Am I sure? Better check again!]

[I thought the show was doomed when they changed the lineup, but seeing Chen Yi Bai… well done!]

[I’ve rewatched ‘Ask Fate’ and ‘Youth Journey’ several times already. Chen Yi Bai, how did you know I was starving for content?!]

[Personally, I think the production team made a mistake. Why isn’t Chen Yi Bai a regular cast member?!]

[I hope when I close my eyes and open them, it’s already tomorrow. I’ve made my reservation—don’t disappoint me.]

[This is an incredible lineup!]

…

Chen Bai had set off in the morning, arriving in the late afternoon, just before dusk.

The show had already arranged his room and sent people to pick him up. As soon as he arrived, he could settle in. The other regular cast members had arrived earlier, so there were six in total, and with him, they made seven. That evening, they had a simple meet-and-greet.

Having never had time to watch variety shows or other entertainment programs, Chen Bai had manually searched for information about the other cast members before coming. By the end of the evening, he had successfully matched all the names with faces and felt like he had known them for 800 years.

Among the six, three were regular cast members from the previous seasons and were already well-acquainted. The new guests included an actress who had once won a Best Actress award, a professional variety show star who had been on numerous shows, and a celebrity who resembled a previous cast member named Zhou Jing.

The next morning at 9 a.m. sharp, the livestream began. Each person had their own dedicated camera and a cameraman following them. That night, back in his room, Chen Bai took the opportunity to catch up on the previous episodes of the show.

The content of each episode of the variety show varied, but the general process remained the same: two people were paired up to experience a life different from their usual one. The format of the experience changed every episode, and he wasn’t sure what it would be this time.

Even the guests themselves didn’t know what would happen next. The production team had certainly made things exciting, both for the audience watching the livestream and the guests participating.

With the broadcast starting at 9 a.m., preparations began early, and all the relevant staff were up by 6 or 7 a.m. to get ready.

Chen Yi Bai didn’t need much preparation. The only battle he faced was his stylist’s struggle with his messy bedhead, which looked like a fighter jet had flown through it.

The sun was already up, and usually, he’d be sipping soy milk with enthusiasm. But now, sitting in the chair with a straw in his mouth, he looked half-asleep and completely lifeless.

When the assistant walked into the room and saw his empty gaze, they put down the items they had brought and asked the agent, “What’s going on with him?”

The agent waved it off. “Don’t worry, he’s only depressed for a little while.”

The reality was that if he wasn’t working, he would have been meeting with his friend by now. After waiting for over a month, their plans had fallen through, and his “friend brain” had now entered silent mode.

So the assistant stayed quiet.

The stylist finally tamed his unruly hair, clapped their hands, and said, “All done.”

With his hair fixed, his moment of gloom passed. He took a big sip of soy milk, tossed the empty packaging into the trash, threw a few meaningless punches and kicks, then sighed, “Let’s go.”

When he said it’d only take a minute, he meant it. He was instantly revitalized, precise to the second.

The group was gathering by the hotel’s fountain in the lobby. When he arrived, the others had just shown up as well.

Yesterday, he hadn’t seen many staff members, but today, it was like they had descended from the heavens—suddenly there were people everywhere.

After exchanging some polite greetings with the friends he had met the night before, he was introduced to the cameraman assigned to follow him and had a brief, friendly conversation with him as well.

A staff member approached to attach a small microphone to his collar, and he smiled and thanked them.

It was almost 9 a.m., but the other guest hadn’t arrived yet. The director, holding his signature megaphone, announced, “The other guest is still on their way, but we’ll start for now.”

At 9 a.m. sharp, the livestream began.

The stream was divided into one main room and several smaller rooms, each corresponding to a different guest, allowing viewers to switch between them. The default setting took viewers to the main room, though the smaller rooms were already open, except for one corner that remained dark.

[The early bird gets the worm!]

[Chen Yi Bai looks stunning on camera. You can’t miss him—he’s practically glowing!]

[Why haven’t they revealed the last guest yet? Ugh!]

[What? They still haven’t announced the final guest? Are they hiding it because it’s Xu Sinian? [cat-question-face.jpg]]

The last comment was followed by a string of *“hahaha”* responses.

Xu Sinian was known as the least likely person in the industry to accept an invitation to a variety show. Since entering the entertainment industry, he had never appeared in any variety show, earning him the nickname “variety show-proof.” Anyone making this kind of joke clearly had an above-average sense of humor.

Even though it was 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, a time when most people were still in bed, the popularity of the show’s livestream kept rising, with the number of viewers increasing by tens of thousands every time the page was refreshed.

Though unaware of what was happening in the livestream, the guests on set were about to begin their first activity after the usual introductions.

The director, hiding behind the camera with his megaphone, played the role of host, saying, “The first round is a drawing-lots segment. This will decide who you’ll be paired with for the next part of the experience. Draw the same number, and you’ll be paired together. Please get ready.”

Chen Yi Bai, with his usual calmness and peaceful demeanor, approached the draw as if he had already made peace with his notoriously bad luck. His expression was serene, as though he had seen through the mundane world.

Fortunately, for him, it didn’t matter who he was paired with, as there was no “bad” match. The drawing sequence went from left to right, and since he stood all the way on the right—his chosen position—he was the last to draw.

His bad luck played out as usual. When it came to his turn, since only two lots were left, he ended up drawing for both himself and the still-unseen guest.

At the reveal stage, the other guest hadn’t arrived yet, so everyone else revealed their numbers one by one. Each reveal was thrilling, making it an exciting moment every time someone opened their lot.

But when it was Chen Yi Bai’s turn, the excitement vanished.

Chen Bai “…”

What could he say? Not only was his luck bad, but it also seemed that he was fated to be a loner. The six other guests had already paired off, two by two.

It seemed like he should reveal his number, but it didn’t seem necessary either. The missing guest didn’t need to bother revealing theirs at this point.

Normally, this would mark the end of the drawing segment, but not today. As the first box of lots was taken away, a second box was brought out. Standing nearby, Chen Yi Bai had a bad feeling about this.

His intuition was right. The second box was placed down, and the director picked up his megaphone again, saying, “Due to various reasons, the show’s budget has been overextended, so we can’t afford to have everyone stay in this hotel.”

The accommodations were divided into four tiers now: the hotel suite they were currently staying in, a deluxe double room, a standard double room, and a discounted double room at the hotel next door.

Each pair would send one representative to draw their accommodations. With his partner still not present, Chen Yibai, feeling a faint sense of impending doom, bravely stepped forward.

After drawing the lot, he didn’t even need to look at the result. The expressions of the others were enough to tell him everything.

After the thrilling and nerve-wracking second draw, the pace of drawing lots didn’t slow down. Chen Bai’s infamous bad luck quickly brought him to the dreaded third draw.

The third draw was for the living expenses, which would cover all their costs for the duration of their stay.

Chen Bai “…”

Glancing quickly at the number on the slip, Chen Yi Bai closed his eyes, then opened them again, turning to the cameraman beside him. “My partner’s going to kill me the moment they arrive.”

Based on the things he had drawn so far, it wouldn’t be surprising if his partner really did lose their temper and finish him off.

“…” The cameraman wanted to comfort him but, looking at his unbelievably bad luck, couldn’t think of anything encouraging to say. So he simply muttered, “Good luck.”

Luck didn’t come, but his partner finally did. Arriving at such a time, it was hard not to think they had come to end him. As they were all still processing their fate, out of view of the camera, some staff members started running toward the road outside the hotel, with the cameraman following close behind.

A car approached slowly and stopped at the side of the road.

Before the door opened, everyone curiously turned to look, except for Chen Yi Bai, who nervously gripped his slip of paper, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to avoid being “killed.”

…There was no way to rationally avoid it!

Still thinking as fast as he could in his life, someone let out a “wow,” interrupting his thoughts, and he looked up.

A tall man stepped out of the car, dressed simply in a black shirt, his muscular arms visible under the sleeves. As he bent down to exit the car and then looked up, the sunlight didn’t quite reach the depth of his dark eyes.

It was someone no one had expected.

The people present hadn’t yet reacted, and even the livestream chat paused for a moment. The previously dark small livestream room finally lit up, with the name clearly displayed in the bottom left corner: [Xu Sinian].

[Wait, I was just joking earlier. Brother Xu, are you actually here?!?]

[It’s really Xu Sinian. My first thought is that Chen Yibai’s going to get ‘killed’ a hundred times over with this guy, hahahaha!]

[How did the production team manage to get Xu Sinian on the show?! I’m impressed!]

[That said, brother Xu, you’re about to enter the hell that Chen Yibai has painstakingly prepared for you.]

[Hahaha, Chen Yi Bai looks like he’s about to cry.]

As Xu Sinian walked straight toward them, Chen Yi Bai stood there wide-eyed. Even when Xu Sinian stood right next to him, he hadn’t quite processed what was happening. He pointed at himself, then at the male guest, and finally at his unlucky hand.

He was trying to express something complex, but Xu Sinian understood. Chen Bai was wondering why Xu Sinian was here and why his luck had paired them together.

Still on camera, Xu Sinian didn’t say much. He simply lowered his head and quietly said, “I’m here.”

Chen Bai handed him the slip for their pairing, a small piece of paper resting in his pale fingers. Feeling the fingers move in his palm, Xu Sinian noticed something was off. Recalling the tears he’d seen welling up in Chen Bai’s eyes earlier, he bent down to check his expression and softly asked, “Were you crying?”

“No.”

Chen Yi Bai, still mindful of his image, had already held back his wide teardrop-like tears. He cleared his throat and calmly explained the situation: “So, here’s the deal—we just drew two rounds of lots.”

He pointed to the hotel, which gleamed in the sunlight, then to the small motel across the street. “We’ll be staying there for the next few days.”

Then, he opened Xu Sinian’s palm and placed another slip of paper in it. “And we have exactly 100 yuan as our living fund.”

After revealing their “spoils,” Chen Bai patted Xu Sinian’s hand and looked up with a smile. “But hey, we’re the only ones with a small kitchen.”

[Hahahaha, ‘the only ones with a kitchen.’ You conveniently left out the reason for that, Chen Yi Bai!]

[Because you guys are the only ones who don’t get catered meals, hahaha. Of course, you’d need a kitchen.]

[Exactly 100 yuan, when everyone else got at least four digits, you really know how to spin things, don’t you, Chen Yi Bai?]

[No matter how good your smile is, it won’t cover up the fact that you’re trying to deceive Xu Sinian, Chen Yibai!]

[Has brother Xu ever had to fight such a poor battle in his life, hahaha?]

[Am I the only one who feels like these two don’t seem like strangers? Was brother Xu always this gentle when he talked?]

Chen Bai tried his best to stay optimistic, but Xu Sinian already had a good read on him. After glancing at the others, who were all struggling to hide their smiles, he asked, “Last place?”

Chen Yi Bai closed his eyes. “Last place.”

Xu Sinian lowered his gaze, chuckling. “Great, we’ve got a kitchen.”

Chen Yi Bai instantly grinned. “Right?”

He smiled, his eyes curving in an easygoing way, completely different from the person who had been dreading getting “killed” by his partner just moments ago. Now, he seemed full of sunshine.

The manager, standing behind the camera with the crew, wiped her face and looked away.

After several rounds of drawing, the accommodations were set. The rest of the morning was spent moving their luggage, with plans to regroup in the afternoon.

The ones who had the most to move were, of course, the “honorable residents” of the motel, who had to transfer their things from their hotel rooms across the street to the motel.

Xu Sinian turned and asked, “What’s your room number?”

“603,” Chen Yi Bai replied.

Xu Sinian nodded, “Let’s go.”

Returning to the hotel room, which they had only stayed in for one night, Chen Yi Bai hadn’t expected to have to pack up and move again. His suitcase was still sprawled open in the bedroom.

The suitcase was filled with ordinary clothes, nothing too personal, so he didn’t mind letting the cameraman wait outside for a moment.

Having packed many times before, Xu Sinian was familiar with the process. Knowing exactly what belonged to Chen Bai, he bent down and picked up the pajamas that had been left on the bed.

The pajamas were white, with a small, fluffy puppy head on the chest.

He paused. Chen Bai, who was busy packing, noticed and glanced at the puppy design before smiling. “Auntie Jiang bought it for me. Cute, huh?”

Xu Sinian carefully folded the pajamas, smiling as he replied, “Yeah, it looks good.”

“…”

Even the cameraman could sense that something wasn’t quite right and asked the question burning in the minds of the livestream viewers: “Do you two… know each other?”

Chen Yi Bai nodded without hesitation, smiling as he said, “Friends.”