Chapter 79: The First Flower
His movement was so smooth and natural that the others were left momentarily stunned, watching as he pocketed his phone and casually walked up the footbridge steps.
The cameraman was the first to snap out of it, lifting his camera and following close behind up the stairs.
His best friend’s advice actually worked—once he let go, he really didn’t move and stayed there obediently, waiting for them to come over.
From his vantage point, he could definitely see the phone camera from earlier. A staff member in a raincoat stepped forward, subtly eavesdropping to hear what he would say.
Chen Yi Bai didn’t say much. He was calm and accepting. As the two umbrellas drew closer, he turned his head and asked, “Did Comrade Old Xu just take a photo?”
Comrade Old Xu responded directly, “Yes.”
Chen Yi Bai then said, “Remember to send a copy to Sister Qian. She’s been complaining about not having enough stock.”
Old Xu nodded and tapped on his phone, agreeing to do so.
[Wait, is it normal for friends to casually take pictures like this? Chen Yi Bai, why are you so calm about it?!]
[Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m falling down this rabbit hole. I’ve never shipped anyone before, but I’m about to dive headfirst into this deep CP pit. Wish me luck!]
[Chen Yi Bai, you’re really not treating us as outsiders! Is “stock” something you can just casually mention?! (So those past photos were really part of the stockpile!)]
[So, were those previous photos taken from Xu Sinian’s photo album? I have a friend… Okay, it’s me, I want to see Xu’s photo album (blushing).]
[Manager sister, please release the photos! We beg you!]
The manager was quick to respond this time. After the viewers flocked from the livestream to Weibo, furiously tagging her for photos, it only took a few minutes before the account, which had last updated by sharing a post from Wechat Moments, posted something new. No text, just a picture—clean and simple.
In the photo, someone holding an umbrella stood under the light. As they turned their head, water droplets fell from the ends of their hair, and their white shirt fluttered in the wind.
[!!! She posted it right away! Manager sister, you’re amazing! And wow, they look so good!]
[I can’t believe this was taken by Xu Sinian. In my mind, he’s always been the super-cool guy who refuses media interviews and photos (wide-eyed).]
[This angle is so perfect (in the best way). So, this is how Chen Yi Bai looks through Lao Xu’s eyes! What kind of perspective is this?! They look so good, help me!]
[Not sure if I should say this, but there’s a term called “boyfriend’s perspective” (whispers). If you go back and check the previous photos, it’ll be obvious which ones were taken by Xu Sinian.]
The fans obediently went back to review the old photos.
At first, they thought it would be hard to identify which pictures were Xu Sinian’s, since angles always change. But when they looked at all the photos together, strangely enough, they really could tell which ones were taken by Xu Sinian.
After some sorting, it became clear that a lot of the photos were his—enough to account for a significant portion. Most of the pictures they had used as backgrounds or profile pictures were actually taken by this unnamed photographer.
[Let me be the first to say it: Old Xu, you’re acting suspicious.]
[I can’t believe it, most of my wife’s pictures were actually taken by my husband—tears in my eyes.]
[So, we’ve been seeing photos that go from Xu Sinian’s photo album, to the manager’s stockpile, and finally into our hands (wide-eyed).]
[I’m guessing Xu Sinian still has a bunch of private photos stored away! For example, video call screenshots that we’ve never seen! We haven’t even seen any selfies together!]
[I knew watching the livestream would reveal something! Old Xu, you really can’t hide your feelings!]
[Am I the only one who noticed that Xu Sinian already switched to a new phone? Maybe his old one ran out of storage from all those pictures (just kidding).]
Holding his 30-yuan umbrella, Chen Yi Bai arrived at the hotel, where the director was waiting at the entrance. He watched as the staff handed the 60 yuan they had taken from his wallet directly to the director.
Embezzling the hard-earned money of the people—there was clearly something suspicious going on.
The director offered no explanation for the embezzlement and led them into the hotel.
Meeting the other guests again after a day apart, the social butterfly, Chen Yi Bai, made sure to greet everyone equally. The atmosphere was lukewarm at first, but as soon as he joined the group, cracked a joke, and flashed a smile, the warm water quickly turned into boiling water, and the atmosphere instantly heated up.
He was like a walking gas stove, perfect for spicing up any lukewarm scene.
After greeting everyone equally, he sat down in the same seat as before, with the same people. The variety show expert next to him turned and asked, “Did you guys get extorted today?”
Thinking about his 60 yuan, Chen Yi Bai’s eyes suddenly became sharp. He leaned over and said, “Tell me more.”
The expert glanced at his co-star and then at the cameraman, explaining, “Today, when we left, we accidentally bumped into the camera and were fined 1,000 yuan.”
To be fair, it wasn’t really a bump—more of a brush. But as soon as they brushed past the camera, they were stopped and fined 1,000 yuan.
Chen Yi Bai thought about it and asked, “So, in a fit of rage, you gave them 1,000?”
The expert confirmed it.
Chen Yi Bai suddenly felt that his 60 yuan wasn’t so bad.
At least he got an umbrella out of it, which he could use again. The money wasn’t completely wasted.
The actress next to them joined the conversation, glancing at the director with a chuckle. “The director came to talk to me today, and when I went over, I accidentally brushed his shoulder. He fell to the ground and demanded 2,000 yuan in compensation.”
A bigger victim had appeared.
Hearing this, Chen Yi Bai glanced at the director, leaned back in his seat, and said to his good neighbor, “Look at this director—thick eyebrows and big eyes, yet he goes down at the slightest touch. He’s really fallen down the path of extortion.”
The only group that hadn’t been extorted was the one led by the celebrity who resembled the old version of Zhou Jing.
They weren’t extorted—they were straight-up robbed, fined 1,500 yuan for stepping out with their left foot first.
At this point, it wasn’t just about being victims—it was like being plaintiffs in court.
At first, Chen felt like his 60 yuan wasn’t too bad compared to the four-digit sums. But then he remembered he didn’t even have four-digit sums to be extorted, and he fell silent.
Finally, the director, who was at risk of becoming a defendant, finished his business and came over to talk to them.
He didn’t mention the extortion, but instead seriously explained the upcoming plans for the next few days.
The filming was scheduled for a week. Originally, they planned to work for four days and spend the remaining three days enjoying some peaceful time, promoting the local economy and boosting tourism. But the rain had disrupted the plan, so they had to switch to Plan B.
The cultural and tourism scores still need to be done, which will happen tomorrow. For today, the main task is to tally up the remaining money each group of guests has. From today onward, they will settle accounts every day, and the group ranked at the bottom will randomly draw a task card. Tasks could range from answering questions to performing specific tasks.
Chen Yi Bai understood and said to his good neighbor, “’Uh oh, they’re coming for us.”
They were the only group at the event that couldn’t produce a four-digit sum of money.
Even though the other groups had been fined four-figure amounts, thanks to the living funds they drew earlier, they still had four-digit sums remaining, plus their wages. No matter what, they had more than Chen Yi Bai’s group.
From the program’s viewership perspective, the production team did want to target Chen Yi Bai’s group. However, in the interest of fairness, after a round of extensive extortion, all the groups’ funds had been reduced to surprisingly similar three-digit amounts.
Chen Yi Bai glanced at the other groups, whose funds were about as small as his own, and said, “You guys…?”
If he remembered correctly, one group had even drawn the highest amount of 5,000 yuan in living funds during the initial draw.
The group that drew the 5,000 yuan was the variety show expert sitting next to him. The expert scratched his head and laughed, “It’s a long story; we lost it all at the store.”
He had been working as a cashier in a bakery and made a mistake on the books, miscalculating 2,000 yuan one day and 4,000 yuan over two days, having to pay back every yuan.
The other two groups had similar bad luck—one accidentally knocked over several bottles of wine in a restaurant, and another misread a decimal while calculating bills. There was also a group that toppled an entire shelf while restocking in a convenience store.
Their “paid work” basically meant they brought their own salaries to cover any losses to the businesses.
Chen Yi Bai “…”
It turned out that, during these seemingly ordinary two days, the others’ lives had been quite eventful. Chen Yi Bai finally understood why, despite the program covering three meals and accommodations, they still gave the contestants living funds. It wasn’t for the contestants’ sake—it was mostly to safeguard the store owners’ sanity.
After the tense money-counting session, Chen Yi Bai and his friend narrowly escaped last place by a two-yuan margin, beating out the actress’s group and securing second-to-last place.
The staff quickly brought out the drawing box and, being very considerate, pushed it forward so the actress’s group could easily draw their task card.
This time, the production team had no script—most of the drawing process was fair, and none of the guests knew what card they would get beforehand. The tension in the air was very real.
Chen Yi Bai sat to the side, watching. As he reached for the water cup on the table, he remembered something and cautiously looked at the staff behind the camera, asking, ‘This water isn’t charged, right?’
The staff “…”
The staff assured him that it was free.
With the camera recording audio proof, Chen Yi Bai finally felt at ease and took a sip of water. As he held the cup, he saw the actress draw the first card.
The folded card opened, and the others leaned in to see it, while the cameraman moved closer to capture the moment.
“Are you still in contact with your ex?”
It was a question card, and the actress’s partner read it out loud so those who couldn’t see the card would know.
It was a bold question, instantly turning the lighthearted variety show into a dramatic urban relationship setting. Someone even gasped audibly.
The question was sharp, but it had no impact on Chen Yi Bai, who had no exes. He didn’t sense any tension and, seeing the shocked yet understanding expressions around him, looked around more carefully, feeling like he was missing something.
Just as he was about to turn to ask his neighbor what was going on, the variety show expert noticed his confusion. Covering his small microphone, he leaned over and quietly explained. The actress had once been in a high-profile relationship, known all over the internet. But the breakup happened fast. Just three months after wrapping a movie with her ex-boyfriend, they announced their split.
Though the internet has no memory, the brief yet explosive romance between the two stars had left a lasting impression, one that people could recall easily.
Chen Yi Bai had no memory of this but indicated that he understood. Despite his “understanding,” he still seemed out of the loop, so the expert kindly added that her ex was Chu Mingyuan.
Chu Mingyuan—a name he hadn’t heard in a while, both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.
Chen Yi Bai “…”
Chen Mingyuan suddenly remembered. When watching Chu Mingyuan’s earlier movies, he had seen the actress’s face. With a different makeup style, she had looked like a completely different person, so he had only found her vaguely familiar without recognizing her.
Hearing an unexpected name in an unexpected place, he lowered his gaze and slowly took a sip of water.
Choosing not to comment, Chen Yi Bai quietly reflected. The variety show expert, sensing his contemplation, casually asked, “Didn’t you collaborate with him on a project once?”
Chu Mingyuan’s relationships were so notorious that even people outside the industry knew about them. Those in the industry, especially his collaborators, were certainly aware.
The expert added, “Luckily, he wasn’t dating anyone during your shoot.”
With the film’s promotional tour, premiere, and potential awards ceremony coming up, there would inevitably be encounters. It would’ve been awkward if they had dated and broken up before then.
“Ah,” Chen Yi Bai slowly closed his eyes and nodded. “Right.”
Thanks to the expert’s reminder, Chen Yi Bai finally recalled that it had been quite a while since that film wrapped. He had taken on a new project afterward and had mostly forgotten about it until now.
The only good news was that, according to his assistant, Chu Mingyuan’s relationships and breakups happened so frequently that by now, he should have a new girlfriend… or boyfriend.
With new partners in the picture, the drama of the past was likely over, and any future encounters should be back to normal.
After pondering this, Chen Yi Bai slowly took another sip of water.
The person sitting next to him quietly glanced at him before turning their attention back to the scene.
Meanwhile, the actress, who had drawn the card, gave a straightforward and swift answer without much thought. “No.”
The matter had long since passed, and she no longer cared, her expression unbothered.
With that question over, it was now her partner’s turn to draw. After nervously laughing earlier, they no longer found the situation funny and extended a trembling hand to draw their card.
He didn’t draw anything too strange—his task was to spin in place 20 times. Though it left him dizzy, he managed to complete it successfully without any accidents.
For the first three days, they experienced working jobs, and for the last four days, the show moved to various scenic spots in the city. The filming location approvals had already come through, so even if it rained, they’d continue shooting.
Continuing to work at the scenic spots would only make the situation worse for the groups of guests, so the production team, showing some mercy, decided not to make them work anymore. Instead, the guests played some small entertainment games and quizzes at different locations, earning coins based on their rankings for the day.
The scenic spots were large and open—perfect for someone like Chen Yi Bai to bounce around freely. Finally, the guests, the production team, and the audience got to see what ‘unstoppable chaos’ really meant. It also became clear why the shadow emperor, Xu Sinian, always seemed to be chasing or looking for someone—his quick reflexes, honed by repeatedly grabbing Chen Yi Bai, were no mystery anymore.
Chen Yi Bai wasn’t just any friend—he was a handful. Most people couldn’t predict his actions or manage to catch him in time.
Over the course of a few days, the different groups took turns coming in last. While they enjoyed themselves during the day, they had to endure the random punishment draws at night.
Though luck couldn’t change, Chen Yi Bai was good at games, quick-witted, and decent at quizzes. With his partner, they went from a disastrous start to becoming the undisputed leaders, pulling far ahead of second place. Each night’s routine involved watching the other groups nervously drawing punishments.
By the final day, after finishing the last entertainment game, the two remained undefeated in first place. Those most eager to dig up some dirt on them had to admit defeat, as they had perfectly avoided every punishment draw. After tallying their coins for the last time, both the production team and the live-stream audience gave up on trying to catch them.
The filming schedule concluded on the afternoon of the last day.
The weather had been gloomy for the past few days, but today the skies finally cleared. As they sat in the van on the way back, the clouds stretched endlessly across the sky.
On the way to the location, each group had traveled in separate vehicles, but on the way back, they all shared a single minibus. After spending several days together, the guests had grown familiar, leaning over their seats to chat.
Though he hadn’t done much, Chen Yi Bai, having bounced around outdoors all day, felt exhausted. He leaned back in his seat, half-opening his eyes. Even though he was clearly sleepy, he made an effort to stay part of the conversation. His body might be tired, but his mouth was still in action.
The conversation shifted to the fact that today was the final shoot, and they would all part ways tomorrow. Someone suggested having a small gathering at the hotel tonight, in the large suite that the variety show expert’s group had won.
Chen Yi Bai, who had lost his right to stay at the hotel due to bad luck, was surprised to hear that he might get to return to the hotel room after all. He opened his eyes slightly and perked up, thinking it sounded like a great idea.
As long as he wanted to go, his friend Xu Sinian had no objections.
They settled on the time—after everyone had returned to the hotel and tidied up. To make communication easier, Chen Yi Bai shared his contact info—a QR code for everyone to scan.
In theory, only one person needed to scan it, but silently, all the other guests pulled out their phones. In a few seconds, the sound of multiple successful scans filled the air.
Even the staff member responsible for them, who had grown quite familiar with them over the past few days, spoke up and asked if they could add him as well.
The social butterfly Chen Yi Bai had no problem with that. He slightly turned his phone to let the staff, the cameraman, and even the director scan the code too.
A few more beeps sounded. After putting their phones away, Chen Yi Bai had several new contacts.
The live stream continued, and while the audience couldn’t see the QR code, they could hear the repeated sound of scanning.
[The cameraman’s chicken leg is gone! Why won’t they let me see the code! They didn’t treat us like outsiders before, but now they’re keeping secrets from us. Heartbreaking (Chen Yi Bai tone).]
[My love’s contact info! So close yet so far. I equally despise everyone who added his contact.]
[Hahaha, adding one after another. Even Xu Sinian next to him is staying quiet.]
[I don’t want to accept this reality. How did time fly by so fast? Can’t they become regulars?]
The van arrived at the hotel. The two non-hotel residents crossed the overpass and returned to the guesthouse. It was time for the staff to switch shifts, so the live stream paused, and the cameraman didn’t follow them. For once, they were alone.
Judging by the level of excitement during the earlier discussion in the van, tonight’s gathering would likely be a late-night affair. Chen, already nodding off during the ride, planned to pack his luggage first upon returning to the guesthouse. However, his friend Xu Sinian had other plans and promptly shoved him onto the bed.
Chen Yi Bai’s passive ability to fall asleep immediately activated. Without any resistance, he closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow, shutting down faster than 99% of players worldwide.
The weather was mild, and no air conditioning was needed. The room was silent, except for the sound of steady breathing. In this quiet space, Xu Sinian organized the luggage, putting away Chen Yi Bai’s usually scattered earbuds and wristbands that he rarely used after wearing long sleeves. He also took out the new pajamas that Chen Yi Bai would wear tonight.
The bed was already occupied by the sprawled-out, occasionally kicking Chen Yi Bai. Xu Sinian placed the pajamas on his own bed. Just as he straightened up, there was a knock on the door.
He went to answer it.
It wasn’t the returning cameraman from the shift change; it was the director, with a cameraman behind him, carrying a box. The box was elegantly wrapped with white ribbon and two light pink roses.
Stepping out into the hallway, Xu Sinian left the door ajar and asked in a low voice, “What’s the matter?”
His voice was softer than usual, though not because of himself. The director seemed to realize something and also lowered his voice, asking, “Is he asleep?”
Xu Sinian nodded.
Though his demeanor hadn’t changed, there was a subtle shift in his presence. His expression remained polite, but a cold distance lingered, making him seem more imposing.
Xu Sinian was tall, and though he often bent slightly when speaking to Chen Yi Bai, the director and cameraman now felt the full impact of his height and presence. It was a bit intimidating.
They had always known Xu Sinian was like this, but after seeing him so approachable around Chen Yi Bai, it took them a moment to readjust. The director hesitated briefly before saying, “This is a farewell gift for the guest.”
The production team had a tradition of giving farewell gifts to the guest stars, and they had always given two separate gifts. However, this time was special, so they combined the gifts into one.
Xu Sinian accepted the gift box, thanked them, and promised to pass it along.
Since Chen Yi Bai was asleep, there was nothing else to do. The director and cameraman left quietly, not wanting to disturb him.
The hallway returned to silence. Xu Sinian glanced at the light pink roses pinned to the ribbon on the gift box.
Xu Sinian “…”
When Chen Yi Bai woke up again, it was already evening.
Opening his eyes, he noticed that the room, which should have been bright, had darkened. Only the reddish-orange light from the sunset streamed in through the window, casting shadows on the windowsill and floor.
Still groggy, he instinctively called out to Xu Sinian, but received no response. After lying in bed for a while longer, he tried calling again, this time using Xu’s nickname, but still, no reply.
Chen Yi Bai sat up, and the blanket that had been barely covering his stomach slid down. Half-awake, he fumbled around the bedside table until he found his phone and checked the screen.
He had slept for two hours. Time wasn’t a concern—he struggled to keep his heavy eyelids open and, without clearly seeing the screen, dialed a number by muscle memory.
The other person picked up quickly; after just two rings, the call connected. Ruffling his messy hair, Chen Bai groggily mumbled, his voice hoarse, “You abandoned me and ran off?”
The person on the other end chuckled softly, and at the same time, Chen Bai heard footsteps in the hallway outside. The voice on the phone said, “Open the door.”
