Chapter 19: Pink and Erbai

Chapter 19: Pink and Erbai

The umbrella holder glanced at Pink-haired walking beside him.

After the stairs came the usual street. Entering the residential building lit by a dim yellow glow, they left the rain's patter outside its walls.

Xu Sinian closed his umbrella and ascended the stairs with his companion.

Chen Moubai, destined to be out of luck in romance, had completely forgotten their previous conversation. Halfway up the stairs, he suddenly remembered something and turned to say, "I learned a new way to make small cakes today. Let's give it a try together sometime."

The person following agreed.

Having successfully found a partner for making small cakes lifted Chen Moubai's spirits immensely. Arriving at his doorstep, he gave a small wave and said goodbye, his face aglow with a radiant smile.

Xu Sinian stood at the door, slowly retracting his dripping umbrella.

Back home, Chen Bai's first move after dropping his keys was to power on his computer. Once it booted up, he launched his gaming and streaming software. While waiting for the game to load, he grabbed a towel from the bathroom, draped it over his head, and gave it a few casual rubs.

The day's heavy rain made the umbrella's role to keep one from looking too bedraggled. It shielded most of the downpour, but the rest was inevitable, requiring manual removal upon returning home.

The game finished loading, and as he dried his hair, Chen Bai sat down in his chair, started his livestream, and contacted his buddies to log in.

Though he had returned earlier than expected, it was still past his usual streaming time, and some fans had already been waiting for a while. The moment he went live, the chat filled up with messages.

"Sorry for being a bit late today."

Glancing at the constant stream of comments, Chen Bai switched to using one hand to dry his hair while holding the mouse with the other, explaining, "I just got back from work."

"What kind of work? I meant playing the piano, and I just completed a gig today."

"Not that someone actually made a date!"

"You look great today! So, Erbai, you do have normal clothes after all!"

"Did the folks from the livestream room invite you! Quickly, tell us what Erbai really looks like!"

"Well, you've indeed managed to get a job."

Chen Bai smiled, "Indeed so."

On the light boat, the two men skillfully dialed each other on WeChat, beginning to discuss which map they should practice today.

They chatted enthusiastically, and so did the live stream's chat, though in terms of content, they were completely in their own worlds.

The curiosity of the audience in the live stream was thoroughly piqued. They continued to try calling out to the person who had made an appointment with Erbai, shifting from initial calls to guesses, and finally started randomly tagging those at the top of the donation list, completely changing the nature of their engagement into pure fun.

It wasn't until everyone in the top ten of the donation chart had been tagged, and all confirmed they weren't in City A, that the viewers could only sigh in disappointment, guessing that the person Erbai had accepted a job from might not be someone from the live stream.

After having their fun, when the group was ready to follow the live stream's content again, a person quietly entered the live stream. After boosting their donations to the top spot, they peeked in and said, "Me."

The game didn't start well for Chen Bai, who was wearing a towel on his head as he discussed strategy with his buddy. He didn't pay attention to the chat until he stealthily attacked from behind, eliminating several enemies and acquiring rich loot. Only then did he have a moment to glance at the live stream.

At this point, the live stream seemed to be discussing something interesting, with chat messages flying by rapidly, the various colors of fan tags dazzling the eye.

The rest of the content moved too quickly for him to see clearly, but he noticed many people were tagging "Yuzhai Riqing".

Guessing what they might be discussing and knowing Huo Qing wouldn't say much, Chen Bai merely chuckled and continued playing the game.

The chat messages kept popping up incessantly.

"Today, I'm camping out right here!"

"How's it going, friend! No need for specifics, just give us the gist."

"[Praying Hands Emoji]"

"Now my curiosity's been piqued, please, I can't concentrate on my homework until this is resolved."

Shouldering everyone's expectations, Yu Zhirong simply responded, "The video of Erbai playing the piano will be a cherished heirloom passed down in my family [Heart]."

"You even have a video!"

"What video? Send it over for me to check."

"I'm dying of curiosity!"

This time, no matter what the people in the live stream said, they received no response. In summary, they came to two conclusions: first, Erbai could really chat, ignoring the time, place, and audience whether online or offline; second, the other party played the piano very well.

Someone speculated that the other party must look quite good, but this received no response, nor was there any substantial evidence.

The hands that once played the piano beautifully now tapped on the keyboard, making crisp sounds as they struck with gusto.

Despite starting with a bang, the game was ultimately won in the end.

Returning to the main screen, Chen Bai finally had the chance to pay more attention to the comments. He noticed they were filled with all sorts of messages, mixed with the colorful special effects from gifts, resembling the bustling scene of a vegetable market.

"Taking orders? Not recently, I'm quite busy for the foreseeable future."

"Curious... everyone has one nose and two eyes, we all look pretty much the same to me."

While chatting with his audience in the live stream, Chen Bai started another game with his friends.

For some reason, tonight had struck a chord with the viewers, making the live stream exceptionally lively. From the start to the end of the broadcast, the comments flew by at a rapid pace.

He still signed off at his usual time, quickly taking a shower and jumping into bed after the stream ended.

Tomorrow he had work—a job for a magazine he'd previously accepted. His agent would come to pick him up directly in the morning; not getting enough sleep would only result in another struggle to get out of bed.

—Going to bed early didn't necessarily lead to better outcomes either.

The next morning, Chen Bai managed to drag himself out of bed, purely fueled by his desire to make money.

As he finished washing up and descended the stairs, his agent's car conveniently pulled over by the roadside nearby.

After greeting people with his bedhead asking if they had eaten breakfast, he generously splurged on a steamed bun for his companion.

Gao Qian thanked him for the bun and suggested he should tidy up his messy hair a bit.

The photo studio was located at the opposite end of City A, with the plan being to start the official shoot in the afternoon, requiring preparations to begin in the morning.

By the time they arrived on set, the crew in the photo studio had been working for some time already.

The photo studio wasn't just a studio; it was an expansive white building covering a large area, divided into three levels. He was headed to the second floor. This level, besides the main shooting area, was equipped with lounges, dressing rooms, and costume departments.

A worker finds it hard to appreciate artistic ambiance, only sensing the scent of money in every brick of this place.

Gao Qian shared this sentiment, remarking, "Only EV can afford to maintain such a studio."

EV is the name of the magazine that has arranged this photoshoot, backed by a major fashion brand. To her, its most prominent feature is its wealth.

The liaison in charge of today's shoot steps forward, signaling the end of their conversation.

Chen Bai is delighted to receive a pass that grants him access to the photography building and partial privileges.

Everything else is handled by his agent, leaving him to sit quietly in the dressing room, at the mercy of the stylists.

Halfway through the styling, his agent returns, glancing him over from side to side, nodding in approval, saying, "Much better than that bird's nest you had this morning."

Indeed, it takes a skilled stylist to bring someone back from the dead, able to salvage even the most disheveled hair.

The chief editor has indeed kept his promise; today's makeup artist and styling team are all well-known in the industry, working in collaboration with him, ensuring the makeup and style fit perfectly.

Chen Bai suspects the makeup artist must be one for encouraging education, lavishing praise throughout the process, never repeating a compliment.

Coincidentally, Pink-haired is quite the chatterbox as well.

The two engage in a volley of compliments, politely taking turns, causing those around them to shake with laughter.

Upon the conclusion of their round-robin match, they are evenly matched, prompting the stylist to have the seated person stand up to inspect the final result.

There were a total of three outfits prepared for this photoshoot. The first one Pink-haired is wearing now is a loosely tailored, pink shirt with a distinct cutting style, designed by a high-profile fashion house that the magazine often collaborates with. It complements his fair skin perfectly.

A group of people couldn't help but take a few extra glances, and soon the project supervisor was called over. His eyes lit up upon seeing the ensemble and began to shower praise.

The styling was impeccable, beyond any criticism, even surpassing expectations.

Everything was going so smoothly that it elicited laughter. The supervisor left to check on the progress in the photography studio.

With nothing else to do, Chen Bai decided to follow and take a look as well.

The studio was packed to the brim, bustling with people weaving in and out amidst a labyrinth of cables snaking across the floor for various machinery.

The scene appeared to be nearly set up, exuding a simplicity that belied the considerable effort it had actually taken to arrange.

Pink-haired surveyed the scene, only to find regrettably that there was no suitable job for him here other than being the subject of photos. He could only let out a silent sigh.

"... "

Upon hearing an inexplicable sigh, the agent standing aside turned his head to give him a second look. After a moment of pondering, realization dawned on him, and he offered reassurance, "Don't be nervous, just follow what the photographer instructs."

Facing his first shoot scene as a newcomer, it's natural to feel nervous, but everyone has to take that initial step; after several tries, one gradually becomes accustomed to it.

Chen Bai wasn't particularly nervous, but he was mindful not to inform his agent about his active search for a side job. He simply agreed, without elaborating further.

The setup at the shooting location was nearing completion. As they observed from the sidelines, the crew inside had already begun their final checks.

The stylist approached Pink-haired and made some last-minute adjustments to his hairstyle.

Once the hair styling was finished, Pink-haired went over to the photographer for a brief exchange, nodding with a smile twice.

With everything in place, turning to meet the gaze of his agent, the smiling figure nodded once more before stepping into the spotlight.

Upon receiving the assignment, the photographers were already aware that they would be working with a newcomer. They had adjusted their mindset beforehand, ready to guide him whenever necessary.

As the shoot officially began, the slender silhouette reached the designated spot. When he lifted his eyes toward the lens, his pale gray irises reflected the light cast from one side. Absent was his usual smile, replaced by a relaxed yet natural demeanor. The balance between his innate aloofness and ease was perfectly harmonized.

The planned guidance faded away quietly amidst the continuous clicks of the shutter.