The Stand-in Side Character Only Wants to Make Money – CH80

Chapter 80: White Moonlight Brother

Chen Bai went to open the door.

“How did you sneak out behind my back?” He was still holding his phone as he walked, tossing accusations playfully as he went. By the time he reached the door, he had already placed two metaphorical ‘hats’ of blame on the person.

When the door opened, the first thing that entered the room was a gentle breeze carrying a light, pleasant fragrance.

Still holding his phone, the glow from the screen illuminated his face and the strands of hair by his ear. Chen Bai looked over, and the first thing to catch his eye was a large bouquet of blooming flowers.

It was a bouquet of roses, with colors ranging from pink and white to pale lavender, and it was quite vibrant. In the center were two Pink Snow Mountain roses, surrounded by a variety of Menta roses, all in full bloom, held steadily by a large hand.

Chen Bai “?”

Having just woken up, Chen Bai was momentarily startled to see his good neighbor holding flowers. He looked past the bouquet at the person behind it. His brain tried to process, but in his sleepy state, he gave up and simply used his gaze to ask what was going on.

Meeting his eyes, Xu Sinian lowered his head slightly and said, “These are flowers from the production team for you.”

The cameraman, now back on duty, arrived just in time to capture the scene for the live audience.

[No way! The director definitely didn’t send those flowers! Xu Sinian, what excuse are you trying to make here?]

[Well, technically, the director did send flowers… just those two in the middle. If you look closely, you can tell (.)]

[Last time we saw those flowers, there were only two on the gift box. How did they turn into this giant bouquet? They’ve been drowned in the other flowers! Xu Sinian, you totally added these yourself!]

[The mysterious flowers from the production team…]

[“Friends” theme music plays]

The bouquet was huge, and ever-considerate, Chen Bai took it. It wasn’t until he held it that he realized how heavy it was—despite how easy Xu Sinian had made it look, he needed both hands to carry it.

“Flowers from the production team, huh?” Holding the bouquet in his arms, Chen Bai lowered his head in thought for a moment before looking up with a mischievous grin and saying, “I could probably make some good money selling these at a stall, enough to treat you to hotpot with the extra.”

Xu Sinian lowered his gaze.

Then Chen Bai remembered, “Oh right, the shoot is over.”

Chen Yi Bai’s reputation for playful extortion was well established. His dynamic with the production team and other guests was such that receiving flowers could easily turn into a casual remark about selling them.

With the filming over, there was no need to diligently collect coins anymore—the flowers were safe.

The comment, which had almost shattered the hearts of the audience, was softened by his casual, lighthearted delivery.

[Wow, I almost lost my breath! Chen Yi Bai, you need to finish your sentences all at once! (deep breath)]

[Classic Chen Yi Bai! (opens eyes)]

[Why am I nervous? I’m not Xu Sinian, but my heart nearly stopped when he mentioned selling the flowers.]

[On one hand, you think he’s terrible for almost selling the flowers, but on the other hand, he still remembers to treat Xu to hotpot. (closes eyes)]

The flowers were spared and carried into the room. As Chen Bai passed by the window, the setting sun bathed the petals in a reddish glow, reflecting softly in his pale eyes.

The cameraman didn’t capture the sound of a phone camera shutter clicking quietly nearby.

Though he had initially joked about selling the flowers, once Chen Bai decided to keep them, he handled them carefully, placing them on the table and pondering whether they’d last long enough to bring home and put in a vase.

After putting the gift box, now two roses short, on the table, Xu Sinian said, “They should be fine.”

He glanced at the gift box and added, “This is from the production team.”

“Really? This too?” Chen Bai took another look at the box. “They’re being quite generous this time.”

Xu Sinian nodded but didn’t elaborate.

Checking his phone and seeing there was still some time, Chen Bai intended to pack his things but then noticed his suitcase had already been neatly packed and placed aside.

After a brief moment of thought, he turned to Xu Sinian, raised his thumb, and gave his diligent and kind-hearted friend a thumbs-up.

Since there was no need to pack anymore, Xu Sinian took Chen Bai straight to the hotel.

From the modest guesthouse to the luxurious hotel suite, Chen Bai let out a soft “how extravagant” as they arrived.

Everyone else was already there. Although the main filming had finished, the live stream was still running. Someone had originally suggested having a few drinks, but that idea was quickly shut down. By the time they arrived, the table was already filled with fruit juices and soft drinks.”

“The juice didn’t have a sponsor, so everyone was very cautious and removed the outer packaging, making it unrecognizable.

A bit of cautiousness and self-restraint from the variety show participants.

The timing was perfect. As soon as they arrived, so did the director, which meant it was time for the surprise draw for the ‘Last Place Team’ of the day.

The ‘Last Place Team’ was made up of the variety show veterans. The two of them were laughing initially, but when it came time to draw, the smiles disappeared. They quickly closed their eyes, drew a card, and opened it right away.

Just like the last time when the movie star pulled the card, they once again drew the “Urban Relationship Problems” card, and both of them did.

They began to share their love life stories, which were met with great enthusiasm by Chen Yi Bai, who had no relationship experience of his own. He was naturally good at reacting and playing along, making him a perfect fit for the show’s atmosphere.

Originally just part of the background, Chen Yi Bai suddenly became the center of attention when someone grabbed a juice and shifted the topic toward him. One of the variety veterans asked, “Yi Bai, have you ever been in a relationship?”

Yi Bai replied that he had never been in a relationship.

Curious, the movie star asked, “So, when do you plan to have one?”

As she asked, the others unconsciously glanced at the quiet man sitting beside him.

Although Xu Sinian wasn’t drawn into the relationship discussion directly, it felt like he was part of the scene. Fortunately, Chen Yi Bai didn’t mind and answered all questions. After taking a sip of juice, he honestly said, “I plan to stay single for life.”

The movie star: “Huh?”

Everyone else: “Huh?”

Not expecting such a big reaction, Chen Yi Bai was confused: “Huh?”

He looked genuinely puzzled, and it didn’t seem like a joke. Now everyone else was truly confused and glanced a little more carefully at the two of them sitting together.

Xu Sinian “…”

Under the weight of everyone’s gaze, Xu Sinian, the ever-stoic and quiet figure, just silently drank water, showing no visible expression.

“If you were to get into a relationship,” one of the variety show veterans said, trying to lighten the mood, “and I mean if, when would that happen?”

Swirling the juice in his glass, Chen Yi Bai replied, “After achieving financial freedom.”

Financial freedom, clearly referring to paying off his debts.

Given his current level of popularity, it seemed unlikely he would be able to pay off all his debts anytime soon. It must have been a staggering amount, and from the looks of it, he was determined to do it on his own.

…No matter how you look at it, that didn’t seem like a good situation.

So, it turned out that a friend was just a friend after all. Leaving aside the lack of desire for romance, his financial freedom appeared to be a distant dream as well.

That night, Xu Sinian, who had spoken the least, received the most silent attention.

In the end, Xu Sinian didn’t just drink water the whole night. Generous as ever, Chen Yi Bai recommended a juice he found particularly tasty, and Xu Sinian tried it.

It was destined to be a late night. Though the live stream officially ended at 10 PM, the group stayed up talking until the early morning, and by the time they actually went to bed, it was already 1 AM.

Though they finally went to sleep, their fans and the brand managers running various official social media accounts didn’t. Upon learning that Chen Yi Bai didn’t plan to date until after he’d paid off his debts, enthusiastic netizens began tagging brands left and right with playful comments like: [Hello, sponsorship money, please.]

Late into the night, the brand managers logged in to respond.

Unaware of the online buzz, Chen Yi Bai went to bed at 1 AM, which was considered early for him, and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed.

Going to bed at 1 AM counted as an early night, and by morning, Chen Yi Bai was his energetic self again. After changing out of his pajamas, he was ready to head home.

As usual, Xu Sinian carried his suitcase, and Chen Bai’s task was to carry the bouquet of flowers left on the table.

Holding the large bouquet in his arms, Chen Bai inhaled the light fragrance filling the air. He lowered his head and lightly touched the petals with his nose—it felt soft, like velvet.

Xu Sinian asked him, “Do you like them?”

Smiling as he hugged the flowers, Chen Bai replied honestly, “I like them.”

The production team had surprisingly gotten his aesthetic preferences right this time.

His good neighbor smiled and said, “I’m glad you like them.”

Chen Bai “…”

The manager standing at the door closed her eyes silently and chose to look away.

On their way back, it was the same as when they had arrived: Chen Bai left with his small team, and Xu  Sinian helped load his suitcase into the car.

Having enjoyed the past few days, Chen Bai wasn’t particularly bothered by the thought of going their separate ways. He sat quietly in the car, holding his bouquet, and waved through the window at Xu Sinian.

Chen Bai’s car drove off first, and Xu Sinian, standing by the roadside, lifted his hand slightly in response, his figure gradually fading from view until it was completely out of sight.

Sitting next to him, the manager watched as Chen Bai kept glancing back through the window. She said, “Excuse me, sir, please keep your head and hands inside the vehicle.”

Passenger Chen Bai obediently turned his head back inside.

While checking her phone, the manager asked, “Are you heading back to your uncle and aunt’s place, or to your own apartment?”

Chen Bai replied that he was heading to his own place since it would be more convenient, as he had work in a couple of days.

After sending a message, the manager glanced back at him and asked, “Is your friend going to your place too?”

“No, he’s not.” Chen Bai placed the flowers in the back seat and asked his assistant to help fasten the seatbelt for them. “He’s heading back to A City for work. He’s going straight to the job site.”

“He’s that busy, huh?” Finally finished with her messages, the manager put her phone away and said, “You’ll be busy for a while too, after this.”

Chen Bai gave her a questioning look.

“In addition to the work I mentioned earlier, there’s an invitation for a charity short film, which is expected to start shooting in the second half of the month.”

The manager added, “Do you remember that watch you had at home, the one given to you by a sponsor?”

There was only one watch at his home—the one given to him by the previous sponsor, the God of Wealth. Chen remembered it and said, “I already returned it. Why?”

The fact that he had actually returned it surprised the manager.

Normally, people wouldn’t just return an unopened, brand-new watch. The only explanation she could think of was that the sponsor had some special interest, and she thought it was a shame that they had encountered someone as oblivious as Chen Bai.

But it turned out the sponsor really just meant to lend it, and when it was time to return it, Chen Bai did.

Putting the sponsor’s matter aside for now, the manager said, “Yesterday, your fans helped secure you a new endorsement. It’s with Veent.”

Veent had originally intended to communicate with the company, but their stance wasn’t very clear. Then yesterday’s buzz about securing a sponsor caught their attention, and they decided to respond favorably to the trend.

They’ve already made a public response, so the collaboration is basically confirmed, leaving the rest to her and the company to finalize.

Veent is positioned as a high-end brand, and Chen Yi Bai’s well-known debt situation doesn’t quite align with their brand image. However, his refined demeanor when he’s not speaking, combined with his skills, cultured personality, and rare proficiency in piano, ultimately helped seal the deal.

Chen Bai “…”

Listening to this, Chen Bai raised his hand like a student, wide-eyed, and asked, “What does it mean that I have a refined demeanor when I’m not speaking?”

The manager, having let something slip, gave a short laugh and quickly deflected, “It just means you have a good presence.”

Chen Bai wasn’t entirely convinced and raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling something was off.

The assistant, sitting in the back, looked around, still puzzled as to how someone as easygoing as Chen Bai could ever have been rumored to be difficult or diva-like.

The drive took several hours. They left in the morning and returned to the city by the afternoon.

It had been half a month since they last came back. After helping with the luggage, the assistant and manager left. Closing the door, Chen Bai placed the bouquet of flowers he had brought back into a vase filled with shallow water.

That marked the end of his unpacking. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the evening sky was a soft pink. With no other plans, he returned to his room with a cup of water, bent over to turn on the computer, and slowly sipped on some freshly brewed black coffee.

With nothing else to do, he decided to start a live stream. His streaming hours were packed and took up quite a bit of time.

Waiting for the computer to boot up, he leaned back in his chair with the water cup in hand, his eyes drifting over to his desk. Something felt off, like something was missing from the corner.

Then he remembered—the box that used to hold the watch had been sitting there for a while, and his eyes had grown accustomed to its presence.

Finally, it had been returned.

The watch had been sitting there, and if it had been lost, it would’ve been his financial ruin. Now that it was sent back, his funds were safe, and his mind felt at ease.

Though he couldn’t help but wonder how things were going between the former sponsor and his ‘White Moonlight’ friend.

“Bzzzz—”

The computer whirred to life, and at the same time, his phone buzzed.

The sound was faint, easily drowned out by the computer, but Chen Bai noticed it and glanced at the screen.

It was an unknown number.

Holding the mouse in one hand to open the game interface, he picked up the phone with his left hand and answered.

When it came to unknown numbers, Chen Bai was always cautious about avoiding phone scams, so his usual approach was to stay silent and let the caller speak first.

His silence worked. The person on the other end spoke first: “Hello, this is Yang Shu.”

The voice was calm, with a steady tone.

Chen Bai’s hand on the mouse paused slightly, and he raised his eyebrows a bit.

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but not enough to fully recall.

Polite as always, Chen Bai responded courteously, even though he wasn’t quite sure who he was talking to.

Adjusting his posture in the chair, he listened to the person on the other end while continuing to click through the game. When something caught his attention, his eyebrows arched slightly.

Chen Bai “…”

As the person spoke, Chen Bai logged into his game and opened his streaming account, adjusting his equipment settings. He even typed a quick message to find his online friends—multitasking at its finest.

The phone call wasn’t long, just about three minutes, ending right on time.

It seemed like whenever he planned to start streaming, something always came up. The moment the call ended, and before he could put his phone down, another notification popped up—this time a message from his manager asking if he had any plans for tomorrow.

He glanced down and typed a quick reply: [Just made plans to meet someone tomorrow afternoon.]

Once there were no more notifications, he finally set the phone aside, adjusted his headphones, and opened his live stream.

——

Chen Bai had arranged to meet the person from yesterday’s phone call.

It wasn’t until halfway through the conversation, when the other person mentioned the name Huo Chuan, that he finally realized why the name Yang Shu had sounded familiar.

It made sense—he had heard the name from Mrs. Jiang and Mr. Xu before.

He had always remembered that his ‘White Moonlight’ friend’s surname was Yang, but now he knew the full name was Yang Shu.

Little did he expect that after all his work was done, he’d still find himself caught up in this kind of soap opera drama. His ‘White Moonlight’ friend had gotten his contact information from mutual acquaintances and wanted to meet, claiming there was something important to discuss.

Even though the other person was ‘White Moonlight,’ cautious as always, Chen Bai wasn’t about to meet up with someone he’d only spoken to once over the phone.

But ‘White Moonlight’ had arranged to meet at Yeba, a well-known spot.

Only good people choose Yeba as a meeting place—and it was in the afternoon, so no need to wake up early.

Chen Bai figured it wouldn’t hurt to go.

The place was inside a nearby mall, just a few subway stops away.

The weather had been fluctuating recently, and today it was rather cold, with cloudy skies. The lighting difference between inside and outside the mall was noticeable. Pulling his hat down slightly, Chen Bai stepped into the mall.

By the time he arrived, ‘White Moonlight’ had already gotten there. Yeba had private rooms, usually used for playing games with friends, but they were perfect for someone like Chen Bai who preferred to stay out of sight.

The private room door was a sliding one. While petting a dog that had come up to greet him, Chen Bai knocked. After hearing a “Come in” from inside, he opened the door.

Before he could step in, the dog darted inside first, so Chen Bai followed, cradling the dog as he entered the room.

Inside, there was only one person—a man. He wasn’t sitting in a regular chair but rather in a wheelchair. As Chen Bai entered, the man turned his gaze toward him.

This was ‘White Moonlight.’ He was slender, with a noticeable air of frailty, and his eyes were a lighter shade.

Swiftly catching the overexcited dog, Chen Bai wiped away his non-existent sweat and greeted him.

Yang Shu greeted him back and, using his wheelchair, moved slightly to help close the door.

Drinks were already on the table, along with some freeze-dried snacks for the dog—thoughtful and considerate.

Chen Bai took off his hat and mask, revealing his tousled hair. Straightforward as always, he asked directly, “What did you want to talk about?”

He asked directly, but it wasn’t off-putting; it felt more like the casual straightforwardness between friends, as if they had known each other for years.

“Just like they said.”

Yang Shu glanced over, his lips curling slightly, and responded just as directly, “I wanted to talk to you about Huo Chuan.”

The matter of the former benefactor.

Temporarily putting aside the “they” Yang Shu mentioned, Chen Bai, while petting the dog, thought for a moment. He figured all issues related to work and pay had been settled, so there shouldn’t be anything left to discuss.

Yang Shu said, “I hope you can leave him.”

Whoa.

It was a classic line that Chen Bai, though never having heard it before, found surprisingly familiar. His hand paused mid-pet, as he processed the situation.

After a few seconds, his brain kicked into gear. With his limited knowledge about relationships, he finally realized that the ‘White Moonlight’ figure, whom he had assumed had no interest in Huo Chuan, actually seemed to care about him.

A good thing! Even though Chen Bai had no experience in relationships himself, he was happy to help others out. Immediately, he raised his hand to clarify that he had no relationship with Huo Chuan whatsoever.

No relationship, so there was no question of leaving.

As he spoke, some dog fur floated into his nose, making him want to sneeze. But thinking it impolite, he held it in, exhaling quietly instead.

Yang Shu “…”

He responded so quickly that the man in the wheelchair across from him didn’t have time to react. The rest of what Yang Shu had planned to say remained stuck in his throat.

Yang Shu lowered his gaze, looking carefully at Chen Bai, who was still bent over petting the dog, his eyes now meeting Chen Bai’s moist pupils and slightly reddened nose.

…This doesn’t seem like someone with no connection.

Indeed, just as others had said, Huo Chuan had found someone who truly liked him.

After returning, Yang Shu had frequently heard Chen Bai’s name from others, always accompanied by descriptions like “interesting,” “good personality,” “handsome,” and “deeply in love with Huo Chuan.”

He had thought those comments were exaggerated, but now he realized they were true.

Chen Bai was wearing a white hoodie, which matched the color of the dog’s fur. The whole scene looked cozy, warm, though his nose was slightly red. Yang Shu said, “You and he aren’t right for each other.”

Still petting the fluffy dog, Chen Bai didn’t understand why the conversation had turned in this direction, but out of habit, he nodded and said, “True…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yang Shu smiled gently and added, “He doesn’t deserve happiness.”

Chen Bai’s nod came to a sudden halt: “Huh?”