Chapter 78: The True Photographer
The drive from the milk tea shop to the hotel wasn’t too long, but it took a bit of time. While chatting with his friends for a few minutes, Chen Bai eventually put his phone away.
That morning, he had been too busy chatting and eating breakfast to pay attention to his surroundings. Now that his phone was put aside, he turned to look out the window.
They were already nearing the hotel, though it wasn’t visible yet—only the taller buildings of a nearby hotel could be seen.
Seeing the hotel meant they were close. The sun hadn’t fully set yet, and the remaining light filtered through the rose-colored clouds, just enough to make out the buildings outside.
Something caught his eye for a moment, and he turned to the staff member, who was also looking out the window, and asked, “Was that a marketplace we just passed?”
Surprised he could notice in such a brief moment, the staff member paused before nodding, “Yes, it was.”
The production team had carefully chosen the location, making sure to understand the surrounding area before settling on it. They had become familiar with the layout and knew there was indeed a marketplace nearby.
The marketplace wasn’t far from the hotel. Chen Bai turned his head and seriously told his good neighbor, “We must get up early tomorrow morning.”
Dinner would be another simple affair tonight, but whether they could eat a proper meal tomorrow depended on breakfast.
“…”
For some reason, everyone’s eyes suddenly turned to him.
This morning, there was someone who, despite it not being that early, repeatedly lay in bed pretending to be a corpse. Everyone else knew, but no one said anything.
Finally, the habitual late-riser realized what they meant and, with wide eyes, exclaimed, “You all don’t trust me!”
The cameraman casually added, “It’s truly heartbreaking.”
“?”
Sensing that all his actions had been predicted, Chen Yi Bai slowly pointed at the cameraman, then at himself, and finally turned to his good neighbor.
The good neighbor said, “You’ll wake up tomorrow morning.”
Finally hearing some support, Chen Yi Bai nodded vigorously. “Definitely.”
The staff up front started placing bets on whether he’d wake up early the next day. The stakes were high—a sweet red bean bun from breakfast.
The majority bet he wouldn’t make it out of bed. Feeling slighted, Chen Yi Bai took a big gulp of his milk tea.
In a fit of anger, he fumed a little.
That night, determined to redeem his reputation, the self-proclaimed night owl reluctantly put down his game challenges and went to bed with a strong resolve to sleep early and wake up early.
He lay down to sleep, but… couldn’t fall asleep.
To aid his efforts, the lights in the room had already been dimmed, with only the sound of the air conditioning filling the quiet.
After tossing and turning once more, Chen Yibai opened his peacefully shut eyes and said, “Xu Sinian, I can’t sleep.”
His tone was calm, without a trace of emotion, but tinged with a faint sense of defeat.
Thanks to the pure tea with milk he had drunk tonight, he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t even bother calling ‘Comrade Xu’, simply using his full name instead.
Xu Sinian, who had been called out, obediently got up to keep him company.
The night was long, and the city was quiet.
The next morning, at the promised wake-up time, the staff knocked on the door right on schedule, with the cameraman diligently holding the camera.
Three knocks on the door—no answer.
“…”
Sensing a likely victory, several staff members exchanged glances, each seeing the same triumphant smile in the others’ eyes.
On the second knock, the door opened.
To their surprise, it wasn’t Xu Sinian who opened the door, but someone with disheveled hair.
The person with the messy hair squinted half-open eyes that couldn’t fully open, and although their hair was a tangled mess, they were already dressed, with water droplets hanging from the strands on the side of their face—clearly having washed up.
Although he looked half-dead, he had indeed gotten up early.
With low blood sugar and blood pressure, he was weak and unsteady on his feet, but Chen Yi Bai still stood firmly leaning against the doorframe and said, “I’m up.”
His voice was a bit hoarse and soft, likely because he had just woken up.
He struggled to open his eyes a bit more and looked at the staff members who were peeking in. “Your red bean buns are gone.”
It sounded like a defiant statement, but in reality, it had no bite to it.
True to their bet, the staff handed over a red bean bun, neatly wrapped in a food-grade plastic bag, to the person who had bet on him waking up, now grinning victoriously.
After receiving their bun, the winners didn’t stop there—they pulled out their phones and sent messages to inform the others who weren’t present.
Chen Yi Bai asked what they were doing.
Someone replied, “The directors made a bigger bet—on whether you’d eat chicken drumsticks for lunch. We’re just reporting to them so they can brace themselves.”
“…”
Feeling utterly betrayed, Chen Yi Bai wiped his face and turned back into the room.
Unusually, he was already fully prepared, while Mr. Xu wasn’t. Xu Sinian had just entered the bathroom and hadn’t even started washing up yet.
The cameraman found it hard to believe, turning to Chen Yi Bai in disbelief. “Yi Bai, you really got up early today.”
Not only had he woken up, but he had already dressed and washed up.
After a day of filming, even the staff’s address for him had shifted from “Teacher Chen” to just “Yi Bai.”
Chen Yi Bai didn’t say anything, merely offering a small smile. Out of the camera’s view, he glanced at Xu Sinian in the bathroom, noticing that his shirt was already wet before he’d even started washing up.
The truth was, after staying up too late, he only truly woke up when the knock came at the door. He vaguely remembered someone waking him and helping him dress, but the memory was foggy, as if he were still dreaming.
Choosing to hide part of the truth, he handed a towel to the now-busy Mr. Xu.
In no time, they were ready to head to the marketplace, which would determine their dinner that night.
It wasn’t noticeable in the room, but once outside the hotel, it was clear that today’s weather wasn’t as bright as yesterday. The clouds were noticeably thicker.
Chen Yi Bai took a few extra glances, and the cameraman said, “The weather forecast mentioned that it might rain these next few days.”
He added, “The production team said that if it rains, the filming plan might change.”
Rain made running back and forth inconvenient, and outdoor shoots would be difficult. Moreover, guests would have to queue in the rain, sometimes for hours, which wouldn’t be ideal.
With his pocket money already secured, Chen Bai didn’t care either way and didn’t offer an opinion. He pulled out his phone to check the shopping list in his notes.
Having been unable to sleep the previous night, he had listed all the ingredients he needed to buy today. All he had to do was follow the list.
His memory was decent, and his sense of direction wasn’t bad either. Following the faint memories from the evening before, he successfully found the marketplace.
By the time he arrived, the morning rush had already passed. The vendors were still there, but there weren’t many customers left.
The previous day, a joint statement had been issued by local authorities, urging citizens without real shopping needs to avoid crowding the market to help maintain order. The statement had been effective—everything looked normal.
With so many people, the area could get crowded, so the rest of the crew stayed outside while only one cameraman followed the two of them into the market. Another cameraman stayed outside to set up his camera.
As soon as Xu Sinian, the famous actor, stepped into the market, he was prohibited from speaking and became a designated bag carrier.
Chen Yi Bai casually explained to the cameraman, “He doesn’t ask for prices when he buys things—he’s a favorite target for vendors who overcharge.”
This rule was based on past experience, and forbidding him from talking was a lesson learned.
When it came time to actually shop, even the remaining cameraman kept his distance, filming from a moderately far-off position.
The viewers, who had gotten up early to watch them grocery shop, initially thought this was a simple shopping trip. But as time went on, they realized it wasn’t just about buying groceries—it was a thrilling bargaining session.
Unreasonable prices were skillfully bargained down to reasonable ones. By the end, Chen Yi Bai and the vendor were calling each other “friend” as a sign of respect, and he even scored a free side dish.
[8.91 yuan? You never fail to impress]
[Haha, Xu Sinian really didn’t say a word the whole time, quietly carrying bags. Why does he suddenly listen to Chen Yi Bai in such random situations?]
[I can’t hold back any longer—Chen Yi Bai, you really have no shame! The neighbor from next door wakes up fully made up, while your bedhead is still sticking up! You really don’t see us as outsiders, huh?]
[Surprisingly, it kind of suits him. Also, he’s quite the chatterbox (gently)]
[Wait for it, he’ll soon realize that if they keep wandering around, they won’t make it to work on time.]
After buying the last item on the list, Chen Bai glanced at the time and finally realized it was almost time for work.
Rushing to the car with two green onions in hand, the day’s work was no different from the previous one. He was back behind the counter making milk tea, but today, the manager and staff were filled with reluctance.
By the afternoon, the sky had completely darkened, and it was almost certain that it would rain. If nothing unexpected happened, something unexpected was bound to.
Their shift ended in the afternoon, and the rain fell that evening.
It was the kind of weather where, if it didn’t rain, the sky would be clear, but if it did rain, it would pour. The wind picked up too, and as soon as they got off the bus and returned to the hotel, the heavy rain came pouring down.
It was a torrential downpour, with the rain so dense it was hard to see the road. The hotel across the street disappeared entirely from view.
“…”
It was time for their dinner break, and a few staff members stood under the hotel’s awning, watching the trees by the road bend in the wind and random bottles and cans flying about. They fell into silence, contemplating whether to brave the rain for dinner or just go hungry for the night.
Rain wasn’t the issue—they weren’t afraid of getting wet—but they were worried about getting hit by flying debris on the way.
It was a tough choice, but they had to make a decision. The desire to eat was winning out, and just as one brave soul was about to take a step outside, Chen Yi Bai reappeared from the hallway. From a distance, he waved and asked, “I’m cooking—want to join?”
In an instant, several heads turned toward him.
The staff decided to stay.
They had seen Chef Chen’s cooking over the past couple of days—simple dishes, but still different from the hotel’s dinner offerings. They weren’t picky; having something to eat was good enough for them.
The tiny kitchen was still the same, but today it was filled with the spoils of Chef Chen’s morning shopping trip, looking packed with ingredients.
Two people’s meal quickly became a small team dinner. With the growing number of people, the staff jumped in to help, peeling vegetables and contributing to the meal preparation.
It was reasonable help, not considered cheating. The small kitchen soon became crowded with people.
They vaguely remembered Chen Yi Bai once mentioning that his best friend was the best cook in the world. Thanks to the rain, the staff got to stay, and now the live-stream viewers would finally get to see this amazing cook in action.
They watched as the “best friend” washed the rice, added water, placed the white rice into the rice cooker, and pressed the start button.
And that was it. The best friend then informed a hard-working Chef Chen that the rice was ready.
[Wait, hold on. When you said he’s a great cook, did you mean literally just cooking rice well?]
[I thought there’d at least be one good cook here, but okay, this meal’s doomed]
[Well, to be fair, Xu Sinian’s rice-cooking skills are pretty smooth x]
[Are they really not treating us like outsiders? Are they really discussing schedule changes and shift swaps in front of us?]
[I’m nearby, let me come over and stir-fry something for you. On a rainy day, you should eat something nice (seriously)]
The viewers online weren’t optimistic, and even colleagues aware of the situation sent messages with sympathy, along with the hotel’s dinner menu, hoping they could imagine enjoying a better meal.
“…”
It was truly a situation where they deserved a scolding, and their relationships with coworkers were on thin ice.
Tying on the apron kindly provided by the hotel, Chen Yi Bai turned and asked for everyone’s flavor preferences. Surprised that they could make requests, the staff, knowing they were freeloaders, politely said they’d go with whatever he liked.
With that, Chen Yi Bai had free rein, and the helpers retreated.
The kitchen bustled with activity, and as the fragrance began to fill the room, the quietly seated staff lifted their heads.
When they saw Chen Yi Bai expertly flipping a wok, they slowly straightened up. Something felt off—they looked again, unsure.
Outside, the rain continued to beat against the kitchen window, making a rhythmic sound, but it was drowned out by the sizzling of food being stir-fried in the pan.
Marinated ribs were fried until crispy, still sizzling with oil when removed from the pan. Then, chili peppers and seasonings were tossed in the wok, stirred with the ribs, and garnished with chopped cilantro and scallions before serving.
There was a round dining table outside the kitchen, big enough for the group. The once empty table gradually filled with dishes.
The table was by the window. Outside, the sky was overcast with slanting rain, while inside, the warm yellow light glowed. Steam rose from the dishes, filling the space with the aroma of food.
The final dish was placed on the table, and Chef Chen removed his apron, modestly concealing his culinary skills. The two cameramen, considerate of the viewers, brought each dish in front of the camera before the meal, kindly saying, “Let the viewers eat first.”
[Suddenly, my instant noodles don’t taste as good anymore (stunned)]
[Wait, I just stepped out to throw away some trash, and when I came back, everything changed? What happened?]
[Chef Chen, you’ve been hiding your skills! Xu Sinian, you’ve been eating this well all along! You’re such a tease! Even if you share, we can’t actually eat it (crying)]
[I was talking big earlier, but can I come over to eat now? I’ll bring my own bowl [serious cat.jpg]]
[If nothing else, why can’t I be Xu Sinian? I want to eat the food my spouse makes too, sobbing]
Since the viewers couldn’t taste the food, the staff gladly ate on their behalf, saying it was delicious.
What started as an unremarkable meal turned into a feast. The freshly stir-fried dishes from the small kitchen tasted even better than the hotel’s beautifully plated meals.
Halfway through the meal, one staff member, who had quietly gone for a second bowl of rice, received a notice in the group chat. It said that the truck delivering food supplies to the hotel had stalled halfway due to the rain, and they would have to wait for the rain to ease before continuing. Dinner would be delayed, and everyone was instructed to head to the restaurant for some hastily made snacks to hold them over.
At the top of the notice was the same photo of the hotel menu sent earlier by a helpful colleague.
Someone, still eating, took the time to snap a picture of their meal and tagged the colleague who had sent the menu photo.
The response came quickly: [So, can I come crash the meal?]
There was no sign of the rain letting up, and since the hotel staff couldn’t make it over, the crew jokingly replied that although they couldn’t come, they could at least watch the livestream of them eating, which might make their steamed buns taste a little better.
Not many words, but each one hit right in the heart.
Ignoring the humorous bickering among coworkers, Chen Yi Bai and his best friend went to wash the dishes after the meal.
There were a lot of dishes, but since they couldn’t make it to the hotel and the originally planned activities had been canceled, all that was left was free time. They could take their time.
The heavy rain lasted all night, and by the next morning, it still hadn’t stopped—just lightened a bit.
The shooting schedule changed. The three-day job experience plan was cut short to two days, and they moved on to the feedback and reflection session earlier than planned. All the guests gathered at the hotel in the morning.
With the rain came a drop in temperature. Chen Yi Bai ditched his signature short-sleeved shirt and wristbands, opting for a button-down instead.
Today, he didn’t have to wake up early, so he finally looked more alive, carefully buttoning his shirt, leaving only the top button undone to let his neck breathe.
He rarely wore shirts unless for work or as a jacket. His thin arms didn’t quite fill out the sleeves, leaving some extra fabric and giving him a loose, casual look.
This time, they stepped out before the cameramen came knocking, meeting them at the hotel entrance. The two cameramen were already suited up in raincoats, fully geared up, with their cameras protected inside, only the lens exposed.
Without an umbrella and with his assistant and agent still at the hotel because it was too much hassle to run back and forth, Chen Yi Bai turned to the umbrella-holding staff, looking for a kind soul willing to share.
There were umbrellas—two, in fact. One was handed over, along with a playful comment: “Small business, 30 yuan.”
It was 30 yuan per umbrella, which was about an hour’s wage.
Chen Yi Bai: “?”
He calmly pulled out his phone, pretending to report the crew for extorting an ordinary citizen’s hard-earned money.
The report didn’t go through. Outside assistance was forbidden, and calling his agent for help failed. In the end, his wallet was down 60 yuan.
It was a very stingy crew. The umbrellas were single-use, meant for one person, preventing the option of sharing. After paying, Chen Yi Bai handed the second umbrella to his neighbor and cautiously asked the staff, “Are you guys running a scam?”
Thirty yuan wasn’t even enough to cover one meal for a crew member. No matter how he looked at it, something seemed off.
The staff responded with smiles.
Feeling puzzled, Chen Yi Bai glanced at them a few more times but couldn’t figure it out, so he opened his 30-yuan umbrella and walked into the rain.
In a downpour like this, an umbrella could only block most of the rain. Raindrops still clung to his hair and face. While his neighbor was still carefully holding his umbrella, Chen Yi Bai jumped a few steps forward, diving headfirst into the rain.
Some people can’t be let loose, because once they are, you’ll never catch them again.
Before Xu Sinian could even reach out, Chen Yi Bai had already predicted his move, darting up the footbridge steps two or three at a time, moving like a firecracker, even with an umbrella.
The cameraman’s eyebrow twitched nervously, afraid Chen Yi Bai might slip.
Thankfully, the “firecracker” was stopped by his neighbor, halting just in time at the top of the last step. He leaned against the railing, umbrella in hand, standing in a safe spot before turning around and flashing a smile.
On the footbridge, a streetlight shone down. Its warm yellow light pierced through the heavy rain and filtered through the transparent umbrella handle, casting a glow on the ends of his damp hair and his light shirt. The soft light passed through his eyelashes and scattered in his smiling gray eyes.
His sudden glance back was so unexpected that the cameraman barely managed to point the camera in his direction. The rest of the crew stood frozen, instinctively reaching for their phones.
“Click.”
A sound came from the rain, like the shutter of a camera. The others turned toward the noise and saw a man standing nearby, holding an umbrella with one hand and slowly slipping his phone into his pocket with the other.
Author’s note:
The real cameraman for Chen Yibai has appeared (just kidding).
