Chapter 12: A Small Gift

Chapter 12: A Small Gift

The regular viewers who frequented the live stream noticed something unusual: Erbai wasn't playing his usual bait game with his regular buddies.

Unbeknownst to them, Chen Erbai had acquired a new wild companion, and by the time the broadcast began, he was already teamed up with this newcomer on screen.

The wild companion's name was Qing Zhou—the very same Qing and Zhou they were familiar with.

In an instant, the chat exploded with messages, scrolling at breakneck speed.

Chen Bai glanced at the comments and said, "Due to certain irresistible circumstances, we now have a new companion... My voice? It's fine, just a slight cold."

The irresistible circumstance in question was a cash prize.

He had accepted Qing Zhou's invitation. Many streamers belonged to guilds and naturally grouped with their guild members, so Zhou, as an independent streamer without a guild, approached him. Given the current situation, Qing Zhou seemed to be the best match for him.

Though the recruitment challenge was merely a competition among streamers, not an official tournament, anyone participating in it had some skills since they earned their living through streaming. This kind of contest not only tested one's skills but also the teamwork among team members. Teamwork could only be honed through repeated collaboration, and before the competition started, he would likely spend most of his time gaming with Qing Zhou.

While the bait game was important, the cash prize was too tempting to pass up. The small games would have to wait until after the competition.

The stream viewers initially thought Qingzhou was just like the other occasional companions, a random pick for each live session. However, they soon realized that these two had become regular fixtures in the stream, and whenever one of them went live, the audience knew the other wouldn't be far behind.

It turned out that the potential for chatter was boundless. Within just a few days, a certain Erbai had transformed. From being someone who rarely spoke while engrossed in gaming, he evolved into a multitasker who could snipe opponents while simultaneously engaging in banter with his companion and the stream's audience, adeptly weaving conversation into every available moment.

Initially, Qingzhou's fans assumed this recurring guest was a taciturn master, but they eventually recognized his true nature. They grew accustomed to hearing precise and rapid quips over the team voice chat, even joining in on the jesting themselves.

In a short span of days, Chen Erbai's concurrent viewer count doubled and continued to rise steadily.

Despite the growing audience, the streaming schedule had to be maintained.

The rain had ceased, and the recent weather was perfect for outdoor shoots. It was an ideal day for location filming, specifically at night in the neighboring city B, where he would be staying at a hotel arranged by the production crew for the evening. Since he wouldn't be able to return, the stream had to be paused.

On the eve before the outdoor shoot, after ending his stream, he added Qingzhou's WeChat.

Though he couldn't stream during the day of the shoot, if he wrapped up early, he could find a nearby internet cafe to practice. Adding WeChat made communication easier than sifting through a mountain of private messages on his streaming account.

By the time he added WeChat, it was already late. Chen Bai put down his phone and promptly fell asleep.

He went to bed at 2 AM and woke up at 7 AM.

The day after, Chen Bai woke up with no time to spare for the breakfast shop downstairs. In a race against the clock, he sprinted to the main road outside the old street where the film crew was stationed, just in time to catch the production's bus before the director arrived.

The neighboring city wasn't too far, yet an unexpectedly large number of people were heading out for location shooting, along with various equipment. A single bus was perfectly suited for the task, capable of transporting everyone and everything in one trip.

As the bus roared to life, the breathless man who had barely made it onto the vehicle finally caught his breath. He pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of the window, sending it to his neighbor to share his early morning feat and success at catching the seven AM departure.

At seven in the morning, a time when even the birds in the trees hadn't yet awakened, his neighbor surprisingly replied promptly, acknowledging receipt of the message.

Slouching in his seat, Chen Bai lowered his gaze and began typing: "Put it differently."

Then the phone showed "the other party is typing," followed by a brief silence before the message popped up:

"Very impressive."

Chen Bai flashed a contented smile, sending a small rose emoji before finally putting his phone away.

He utilized the duration of the journey to catch up on sleep.

This marked his final outdoor shoot, and upon its completion, all filming commitments would be fulfilled. The director, who attached great importance to these scenes, had accompanied them on this trip to personally oversee the process. He needed to ensure he was at his best, for he couldn't afford to let any issues arise from his performance.

He adjusted his condition, meaning he slept well and ate well, maintaining his mental health.

Departing in the morning, they arrived near the shooting location around one in the afternoon, barely making it for mealtime. The group had their lunch at a hotel, then those with work to do hopped back into their vehicles to head towards the shooting location to make early preparations.

This outdoor shoot was by the seaside, lacking any suitable location for a makeshift dressing room. The makeup artists and stylists stayed behind at the hotel, responsible for applying makeup to the actors as others went ahead to prepare the shooting site.

They claimed to handle makeup and styling for all the actors, but in reality, only two actors were present for this shoot, so they were simply arranged in one room to have their makeup done together.

Chen Bai's makeup was the simplest, requiring minimal time. It was the leading actress's styling that needed more attention, as both her face makeup and hair required ample time to complete.

The styling time was essentially the room's chitchat time, recounting all the ins and outs of the production crew. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the two stylists declared their work complete.

With their task accomplished, it was time to head to the filming location.

Today's shooting schedule was tight, only feasible during the golden hour when the sun sets over the sea. Departing now would get them there just in time.

City B, with its coastal charm, offered a glimpse of the blue sea even from the road leading away from the hotel. Known for its many beaches, they were headed to one of the less frequented small stretches of sand.

To their surprise, this typically deserted beach was bustling with people, the periphery of their filming site encircled by a crowd.

Fortunately, there were security personnel on site, allowing the people disembarking from the bus to swiftly pass through the crowd.

The director, who had been adjusting the camera angles alongside the cinematographer, waved them over upon their arrival. Once they were closer, he explained, "The permit for the shooting location has indeed been approved, but as you can see, we can't erect any barriers here. We'll have to make do with this setup for today."

The area outside the designated filming zone wasn't under their jurisdiction, so they couldn't disperse the onlookers. All they could enforce was a basic rule: no photography and no loud talking.

With the leading lady present, it was expected that the number of bystanders would only increase throughout the day.

Filming under these conditions posed significantly more pressure than usual, even for seasoned actors. The best the director could do was to give them a heads-up, allowing them to mentally prepare themselves.

Chen Bai turned his head to glance at the sea of dark silhouettes in the distance. He finally began to grasp the reality that the person he often chatted with about gossip was actually a well-known celebrity.

As the sky gradually darkened, the crowd predictably swelled in size, and the atmosphere on the set grew increasingly tense. The crew members' movements became noticeably faster.

The fiery sunset inched closer to the horizon, its reflection shimmering on the sea.

The leading lady, seated beside someone dressed casually in a simple shirt, turned to the director, who was bustling around, and asked, "Is this your last scene for today?"

Chen Bai smiled and affirmed that it was.

With his remuneration on the horizon, this smile came from the depths of his heart.

The female lead also smiled, saying, "After today's shoot, the director should have a small gift for you."

Chen Bai tilted his gaze slightly, "A small gift?"

The female lead explained, "He does this for all actors with named roles when they wrap up their scenes. You'll see what it is soon enough."

The middle-aged director, known for his love of little surprises, began calling for the actors to take their positions.

Today's scene was about A Huai's moments before death.

A Huai, who had spent almost his entire life in the square room of an old street house, ended up under the vast expanse of the sky.

His name carried the essence of water, yet he had never seen the sea, the broadest body of water among rivers and lakes. At this point, he was unable to speak, weakened and worn out by illness, and even his habit of reading had been disrupted. Yet one day, he suddenly found the energy to scribble on paper, in front of the visiting female lead, his wish to see the sea.

Everyone sensed the gravity of the situation. A Huai's father supported his unsteady mother as they watched the pair leave the courtyard.

The female lead brought A Huai to the seaside.

Dressed in a light-colored knitted sweater over a simple white shirt, under the vast crimson sunset, the wind tousled his fine, soft hair as the slender figure slowly approached the shore.

---

The setting sun cast a red glow over the street, and inside the florist's shop, the lights shone brightly.

After gathering the flowers displayed outside and bringing them into the store, Li Qingzhou casually wiped his hands on the custom apron he wore for work, then undid it, saying as he did so, "Sis, everything's been moved inside. I'm off now."

The woman behind the counter, who was busy putting the finishing touches on a bouquet, didn't look up as she said, "Two more young ladies asked me for your contact information today."

Pausing in the act of removing his apron, Li Qingzhou asked, "You gave it to them?"

"No," his good sister replied, pushing the completed bouquet forward, "Help me deliver these flowers. There are two more orders here, and I can't manage them all by myself."

She continued, "They're near the beach, close to the crossroads, not far at all. It won't take long, leaving you enough time to go back and start your live stream."

With no choice but to halt his action of taking off the apron, Li Qingzhou reached out to take the flowers.

It was a sunflower bouquet, wrapped in pale yellow paper, giving off a bright appearance. He asked, "What's the customer's phone number?"

The person who had already started working on the next bouquet said, "The one receiving the flowers seems to be someone from the film crew. They mentioned that all phones are on silent and calls can't get through. If you just stand there, someone will find you."

Then, as if recalling something else, she added, "Don't ride your motorcycle; it makes too much noise. The shop's vehicle is sufficient for this round trip."

It sounded somewhat unreliable, but Li Qingzhou still went, using the shop's car.

The location was easy to find; he didn't even need to look hard—the place with the most people was it.

This didn't seem like a situation where he could just stand there. Unless he pushed his way into the crowd, it was unlikely that anyone from the crew would spot him.

He wormed his way through the crowd, uttering "excuse me" all along, until he finally made it to the very heart of the gathering.

First shielding the flower in his hand, he followed the others' gazes and saw a pair of pale irises reflecting the sunset's afterglow.