Chapter 10: A Cold

Chapter 10: A Cold

The call was answered.

The car window slid down, allowing the cacophony of rain to flood into his ears. The assistant saw the slim figure standing by the roadside pick up the phone in an odd manner.

He observed for quite some time before he strangely realized that the posture seemed intended to protect the phone from getting wet.

A person could withstand the rain, but a phone couldn't.

The corner of the assistant's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly before he spoke out.

"..."

Through the phone came incessant sounds of rain and faint human voices. The person on the side of the road, holding the phone, finally directed his gaze this way.

The assistant opened the car door.

"Splash—"

The car door opened and closed, sealing out the sound of rain from outside.

The assistant who had gotten off the vehicle for a moment patted the rainwater off his clothes before turning around to hand a towel to the person seated in the backseat. He had used an umbrella when he stepped out, but some things were destined to get wet regardless.

Chen Bai accepted the towel with a word of thanks.

The car started up again, merging into the traffic flow.

In the quiet interior, the person whose eyes had been slightly closed now opened them, looking at the individual sitting beside him who was drying his hair.

The man with disheveled hair from the haphazard drying had moist ends, and water droplets clung to his long eyelashes, poised on the brink of falling.

Those droplets were eventually wiped away by the towel.

Huochuan instructed the driver to turn on the car's heater.

A considerate god of wealth.

Knowing that this consideration wasn't directed at him, Chen Bai didn't comment further. He casually draped the hair-drying towel over his neck and simply asked, "Where are we headed?"

Huochuan: "Let's go home."

After a moment of silence, he glanced at the person beside him, whose clothes were now thoroughly drenched, and added, "The place I'm staying happens to be quite close by."

It sounded like an explanation.

Chen Bai smiled slightly, softly agreeing.

The assistant in the front seat couldn't help but momentarily lose focus as he watched them through the rearview mirror.

...They were too similar.

The last time he had met this individual was during the contract signing. Back then, he merely thought they shared a resemblance; but upon seeing them again, both their aura and tone of voice were so alike that it was easy to slip into confusion without caution.

Or perhaps, falling into confusion was inevitable.

Shadows and light flickered past the window, receding behind them.

President Huo wasn't exaggerating when he said 'close'. Indeed, it was very near.

The company was located in the heart of the city, and the wealthy man had purchased a luxurious duplex nearby for convenience.

Stepping out of the car, as the elevator ascended, Chen Bai silently calculated how many of his small goals of 3 million Cai Shen's apartment could cover. His chest began to ache slightly from the calculation, and he slowly pressed a hand to his heart.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing his gesture, the man standing beside him looked down, asking, "Are you unwell?"

Chen Bai lowered his hand, assuring him that there was nothing to worry about.

The elevator halted and the doors slid open, revealing Mr. Huo's duplex apartment. Just as Chen Bai had anticipated, it was a monochrome spectacle of grey and white, exuding an aura of emotional detachment and impeccable tidiness, akin to a showroom.

It was hard to fathom that such a man could have a lingering affection for a white moonlight, an unattainable love.

The house spanned two floors, with the private assistant and chauffeur's quarters on the ground level. After parking downstairs, the driver promptly escorted Chen Bai to the guest room on the second floor upon entering the house.

While there was indeed a guest room, it had never actually hosted any guests. The room was functional for sleeping and staying, but it lacked any spare change of clothes. Thus, Chen Bai was provided with a new set of clean shirt and trousers as a contingency measure.

This ensemble was sourced from the wardrobe of none other than Mr. Huo, the god of fortune.

With the outfit in hand, he couldn't shake off an unease, so instead of grabbing it right away, he first asked his assistant, "I don't have to pay for this, do I?"

The assistant, who had anticipated this question, reassured him that no payment was required; the clothes were a gift approved by CEO Huo.

Chen Bai proceeded with caution. "And if there's any creasing, damage, or stains, I won't be liable for compensation."

The assistant, exasperated, rubbed his face and acquiesced.

Only then did the man, sporting a head of unruly hair, accept the clothes with a courteous thank you.

After a hot shower that washed away the clammy feeling, the world welcomed a freshly minted, crisp version of Chen Erbai.

Upon exiting the bathroom, Crisp Chen Erbai didn't immediately leave the room but first busied himself by rolling up his sleeves, followed by his pant legs—a task that required considerable effort.

Standing out in a crowd due to his height, this God of Wealth, much like his neighbor, towered above others, elongated limbs necessitating multiple rolls of his shirt sleeves for comfortable movement.

Having rolled up both his sleeves and pant legs, he seized the opportunity to pull out his phone.

Clearly, tonight was a night shift ahead, so he logged into his livestream account to post a one-day break notice. Returning to the phone's home screen, he discovered messages waiting for him.

The message was from his neighbor, sent half an hour ago.

"Did you bring an umbrella?"

A simple sentence that made him smile as he lifted his hand to type:

"No"

"Staying at a friend's place nearby tonight."

As soon as he sent the message, he noticed that the other party was typing. The typing indicator disappeared right after he sent his response. A while later, he received a "Good."

The number of characters in the reply was not proportional to the length of time spent typing. It was clear that Brother Neighbor had originally intended to say something else.

Curious, but with a major boss worth 120,000 outside, Chen Bai put away his phone and opened the room door.

Directly across from the guest room was the second floor living room, where he could see the person sitting on the sofa at a glance.

Having taken off his suit jacket, Huochuan was wearing only his shirt on top, his dark blue tie loosened halfway. One hand held a wine glass loosely, while the phone placed on the table was lit up.

Chen Bai cast a glance at the call log on the phone, displaying professional decorum by not prying further and promptly redirecting his gaze.

Noticing the commotion, the man seated on the sofa turned his attention over. His hand, holding a glass of wine, paused momentarily before he took a sip, gesturing for Chen Bai to take a seat beside him.

But Chen Bai did not sit down.

Instead, he leaned over to pour some lukewarm water from the table, offering it to the man in front of him.

His wrist, peeking out from beneath his voluminous sleeve, was slender and pale, with the tips of his fingers slightly reddened—a surprising move indeed.

Huochuan's eyebrow barely twitched, his expression remaining unchanged as he lifted his head and spoke in a soft tone, "You're not him."

Chen Bai did not retract his outstretched hand, only smiling faintly as he said, "It's better not to drink alcohol before bed."

The man on the sofa, with his deep brown eyes, stared straight back at him. Unfazed by the intense gaze, Chen Bai continued his motion, adding, "I hope this can be quick, I can't hold this position for too long."

"..." The silence hung in the air, heavy with unspoken words and unsaid intentions.

"Click."

In the silence, the man on the couch set down his wineglass, the soft sound of glass meeting wood echoing in the room.

The hovering glass of water was finally received.

Chen Bai withdrew his hand and slowly poured himself another glass of water.

It was a somewhat risky move he had just made, but he went through with it nonetheless.

Huochuan had previously sought out a few individuals who resembled Brother Baiyuèguāng, but without exception, they were all let go within a few months.

Having finally landed a high-paying job, their predecessors cherished it dearly and treaded carefully, striving to avoid any misconduct.

It was precisely this caution that led to their dismissal.

Brother Baiyuèguāng, however, would not be one to tiptoe around; being overly cautious wouldn't make for a good actor, nor did he intend to be let go after just a few months on the job.

As it turned out, his gamble paid off.

After handing over the water cup, Chen Bai leaned back on the sofa of his own accord and turned to look at the windowpane continuously drenched by the rain, saying, "The rain seems to have gotten heavier."

His tone was ordinary, as if he were having a casual conversation. The other person, holding the water cup, took a sip and replied, "Yeah, it's really coming down now."

The lights in the second-story living room remained on until late into the night. Outside the window, raindrops relentlessly pelted the glass, blurring the light.

The next morning, the rain that had fallen all night showed no signs of stopping.

Waking up in an unfamiliar bed, his brain cells slowly came back to life. As soon as his consciousness returned, Chen Bai reached for his phone to check the time.

"9:36"

Great, half of the morning was already gone.

After chatting with Caishen the previous day and feeling it was still early, he had looked through the piano score of a new piece upon returning. However, he failed to keep track of time.

Closing his eyes and opening them again, he performed a sort of reboot action, finally accepting the reality. Only then did Chen Bai prop himself up to sit on the bed.

As expected, his white shirt was now wrinkled and rumpled, but since he didn't have to take responsibility for it, it didn't matter. He rolled up the sleeves that had slipped down and swung his legs off the bed to stand up.

Something was off, in every sense of the word.

The sensation under his slippers was like treading on cotton, and when he stood up, his vision wavered slightly.

"..."

Without even taking his temperature yet, Chen Bai had a feeling that he was in for a rough time.

Exiting his room, he found the second floor deserted as he made his way downstairs.

Down below, an assistant sat, who upon hearing movement, quickly turned around; it seemed they were specifically waiting for him.

The assistant informed him that Mr. Huo had already left for work, adding that his clothes had been sent to the dry cleaners, with new ones delivered this morning.

After a brief moment of thought, the assistant added, "The cost of the clothes won't be deducted from your salary."

The quick-witted had learned to anticipate questions before they were asked.

Chen Bai acknowledged the information, only realizing something amiss as he did so.

The throat was parched and hoarse, and it hurt a little when he spoke.

Even a good throat had given out.

After confirming that his throat was indeed shot, Chen Bai's movements visibly quickened. He swiftly changed into the clothes handed to him by his assistant, politely declining the assistant's suggestion of having breakfast before being taken to the hospital. Borrowing an umbrella, he left immediately.

The neighborhood led straight to the subway, no need for GPS navigation.

On the train back, he first called the director. When the call connected, he got straight to the point: "Director, it's me. I've caught a cold."

"..." The director on the other end hadn't encountered such straightforwardness before. After a moment's pause, he said, "It's Little Chen, isn't it?"

Then asked, "Are you calling in sick? It's raining outside, your outdoor shoot for today has been conveniently canceled. The notification should have already..."

"That's not the case."

Chen Bai said, "Don't you think my voice is perfect for filming those two scenes where A Huai's condition worsens and he speaks?"

Those two scenes had been put on hold, but with his throat giving out, it was now perfectly fitting.

Director: "?"

Having confirmed multiple times that the person was indeed available for shooting today, the director hung up the phone and swiftly rearranged the schedule with a complex mixture of feelings he couldn't quite articulate.

The journey from the city center back to the old district remained an hour-long drive.

The director moved quickly, and the shooting arrangements were soon set. Returning to the old neighborhood, there was still some time before the shoot began, so Chen Bai decided to drop by his home, giving him the perfect opportunity to change his outfit.

Slipping back into his affordable yet durable loungewear, he grabbed his keys and opened the door.

Simultaneously, the door next door swung open as well, revealing the familiar figure of his good neighbor within sight.

Surprised by the coincidence, Chen Bai, despite his hoarse voice, greeted out of habit, smiling as he said, "Good morning."

This time, however, his good neighbor didn't reciprocate the greeting as usual.

It wasn't early anymore, and he didn't look too well either.

Xu Sinian lowered his head, his dark pupils focusing on the person in front of him as he asked, "Did you get caught in the rain?"