Chapter 23: The Engagement Banquet

Chapter 23: The Engagement Banquet

In the midst of unpacking the box, a chuckle sounded from above. Chen Bai looked up and saw his good neighbor's lips curl upwards then downwards, along with the gaze directed at him.

"Happy?" he chuckled, "These are little cakes made from the finest flour, a special tribute from the Western Regions."

By 'finest', he meant it was on an 80% discount.

The box opened to reveal six neatly arranged little cakes, accompanied by a bag of individually wrapped cookies on the side.

Pink-haired inspected each item, "This one is for tonight's late-night snack, these two are for tomorrow's breakfast, the remaining three are for your assistant. The cookies were baked on a whim and can be saved for a little treat."

Everything was meticulously planned out, even down to assigning each cookie its own destiny.

After saying this, he lifted his head, "Next time, I'll make a version with cream. We can do it when you have a free moment."

His good neighbor agreed.

Having spent time on set before, Chen Bai knew that breaks weren't long. After delivering the items, he patted his superior on the shoulder with a smile, bidding farewell with a wave.

He had truly come just to deliver the small cake. He arrived quickly and left swiftly. After bidding farewell, he turned around, and his figure soon vanished from sight.

Xu Sinian held the box in his hand, watching as the person completely disappeared. The security guard, who had also been watching the departure, finally turned his head back with a smile, saying to Xu Sinian, "Professor Xu, your friend is really interesting."

His gaze shifted towards the security guard, who continued, "He asked about the requirements for our job, saying that he might want to be a security guard in the future."

The security guards didn't think someone so young would seriously consider becoming a security guard; they merely found this person's joke quite amusing.

Xu Sinian: "…"

Xu Sinian strangely felt that this individual was not joking around.

That evening, the assistants, who had been pondering what their boss was doing at the filming location, keenly noticed the additional box in their hands when the person returned.

They received one small cake each and sensed that, although the returning individual showed no other signs, they seemed to be in a good mood.

—Or perhaps it wasn't exactly a good mood, but rather a feeling that was hard to describe.

An assistant asked, "Did someone from Professor Xu's family visit?"

"Not really," Xu Sinian replied, his gaze low as he typed on his phone, the screen's glow casting an ethereal light on his prominent nose. "It's a friend; the cake was from him."

In this industrial park, devoid of even a convenience store in its late hours, the assistant felt immense gratitude toward this unseen friend whose favorability had soared. He promised that if there ever was a chance, they would meet face to face.

The unseen friend barely made it home before the last bus departed, the timing a close call.

Though late by most standards, it was still early enough for streaming. With hours left to broadcast, he chose the practical route—earning money over rest or leisure.

The platform's lag issues had been resolved previously, allowing for smooth streaming now. His online companion, Qingzhou, was already active, and upon going live, he received a habitual WeChat call from him.

He answered it.

To be honest, Chen Moubai had initially planned to part ways with his temporary teammate after the competition, each returning to their respective friends.

However, Qingzhou proved unexpectedly adept at playing the bait game, his acting skills impeccable and fitting perfectly into the role. Thus, Chen Moubai decided to elevate him to a long-term partner.

Their bait games were a delight for both of them, and their fans shared in their joy.

It wasn't until after the competition that they realized they might not play together again, especially after seeing Qingzhou stream alone. The absence of the dense chatter in their ears left them feeling incomplete, as if something was missing.

Fortunately, Erbai was merely delayed by some matters, causing a false alarm.

Erbai, who had been detained by some affairs, busied himself while munching on the small cake he had left for his dinner that night. He was incredibly occupied, juggling between eating and operating.

The gift notifications and messages tonight were evenly split; most of them were celebrating tonight's victory. For every gift he received, he made sure to express his gratitude, and he loved chatting with his online companions. His mouth barely stopped moving all evening, and he drank several cups of water during his live stream.

It was fortunate that his voice was naturally suited for live streaming—a divine voice for the job. Even with such intense usage, it didn't become hoarse.

The results of the competition were announced today, but the official public announcement would take place a few days later.

In those few days, Good Neighbors, who had been out filming, returned. No longer needing daily practice, he continued his locksmith work, and in the evenings, he had his dining companion back by his side for meals. Life resumed its usual rhythm.

When the official announcement came out, Chen Bai was playing a bait mini-game with his newly developed long-term online companion. He noticed the message popping up on his backend and glanced at it after finishing his game.

This was probably the fastest he had ever reacted to a system message.

The announcement was vague, only mentioning that the top three teams would receive rewards ranging from 150,000 to 10,000 yuan, while the fourth and fifth places would get consolation prizes worth a few thousand yuan. The message that popped up on the backend provided clearer details, listing all the rewards that the champion team would receive.

This information wasn't confidential, so he shared it with the audience in his live stream, allowing them to vicariously experience the thrill of being champions through cyberspace.

"The first prize amounts to 150,000 yuan, which will be credited to your account within seven working days. Please be advised."

"Home Screen Promotion for 7 Days"

"Champion Exclusive Profile Frame x1"

"Duos Skin Bundle x1"

It seems you're looking for assistance in translating a segment of text into English, with a focus on elegance and coherence within the given context. Please provide the text you'd like translated, and I'll be more than happy to help you craft a refined and contextually appropriate English version.

Chen Bai mulled over his options for a week, and still found the first one the most practical.

Curious about the duet skins mentioned in the live chat, he took a look.

Claiming the skin was straightforward; all it took was entering a claim code in-game to be redirected to the claim page.

Upon seeing the content of the page after the redirection, Chen Moubai exclaimed, "Huh?"

Good news: The skin was a paid one, rare, and pricey according to the in-store price tag.

Bad news—it's a couple's skin.

"Hahahaha, the official team knows how to have fun."

"Huh? It's odd. I'm not sure, let's see more."

"Though it's a bit strange, I think Erbai will use it. After all, it's pretty expensive (nodding)."

"As we all know, teammates = couples."

"Hahaha, another odd couple has been formed."

Eyeing the two pinkish figures on the screen, as expected by his fellow gamers, Chen Erbai, who never wastes a cent, indeed made the decision to claim the reward.

And he suggested to his little buddy, "Qingzhou, look at this little girl, isn't she oddly adorable?"

He said, "You should choose her."

Unfortunately, his buddy showed no intention of choosing the little girl.

After a brief discussion, they decided to settle the dispute by rolling dice, a method they both loved, with the one rolling a lower number getting to use the cute female avatar. It was fair and just.

The game only allowed for pure chatting, so the dice rolls had to be done on WeChat. Qingzhou took the lead and rolled.

He rolled an incredibly low two, maintaining silence after his roll.

Under normal circumstances, it would be very difficult to roll a lower number than that.

According to usual practice, Chen Erbai should have started his passionate mockery at this point. But this time was different; the person sitting quietly on the seat was surprisingly silent, moving the mouse back and forth over the dice without clicking down.

"What's Erbai hesitating about?"

"Hahaha, Qingzhou and his lousy luck!"

"Great luck, Qingzhou!"

"Hahaha, while you all are focused on Qingzhou's luck, I noticed that Erbai sneakily changed his nickname for Qingzhou to 'Congee'. Hilarious."

"Earning a term of endearment, looks like he's planning to become a long-term buddy."

Unlike the carefree barrage of comments, Chen Bai was weighed down by a heavy heart.

Only he, who had challenged the flying chess game countless times, knew how easy it was for his hand to roll infuriatingly low numbers.

After hesitating for a long while and ultimately not clicking the dice, he said, "My friend has good luck; I'll go touch his hand first. Just give me a moment."

Having said that, he took off his headphones, truly rose from his seat, and left, the sound of his slippers growing more distant as he went.

Pink-haired approached the door of his good neighbor.

Indeed, the good neighbor wasn't asleep yet, dressed in loungewear. He bent over to open the door and looked at him, their proximity rather close.

Ignoring the imposing height and closeness, Chen Bai hastily said, "There's no time to explain. Can I borrow some luck? Would you mind lending me your hand?"

The good neighbor: "...?"

Uncertain if this was what he thought it meant, the good neighbor tentatively extended his hand.

And in an instant, his hand was gripped tightly.

The touch lasted but an instant, somewhat icy, chilling both the palm and back of his hand.

Chen Bai shook hands with his superior, for good measure giving it a double clasp with both of his hands before letting go. After thanking him and bidding him goodnight, he promptly dashed back to his own doorstep.

It was a fluid motion, without a hint of superfluity.

Xu Sinian: "…"

Though unclear what the rush was about, this person did indeed seem very busy.

The perpetually busy individual promptly returned to their computer and, donning their headphones, apologized for the wait with a simple, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Fearing that his luck might dissipate if he hesitated too long, he clicked the mouse without a moment's delay.

The dice on the computer screen spun several times, finally coming to a stop under the collective gaze of the audience.

A vivid crimson dot stung the eyes, and pierced the heart.

"... "

The borrowed luck, hard as it was to come by, proved useless. Chen Moubai, in the nick of time, pulled out his phone to send a voice message to his good neighbor: "You're really breaking my heart."

Even a hand capable of rolling so many sixes couldn't save him.

The good neighbor showed "Typing…" for a while, but in the end, failed to come up with any words.

"Hahahaha, this is you transferring your anger, isn't it?"

"A friend just passing by, getting scolded for no reason, hahaha"

"I also want to touch hands with Erbai (in secret)"

"To lose even with that, Erbai, your luck... is quite something too"

"Hahaha, happily accept the adorable character you've admitted to being."

"Poor friend, hahaha. Erbai, you actually went and touched! Getting touched and then scolded, hahaha"

This time, it was Qingzhou who burst out laughing.

Upon hearing the laughter, the online friends watched as Erbai changed his nickname from "Porridge" to "Vegetable Porridge" live on stream.

The people in the live room inexplicably understood his train of thought, realizing that this referred to Qingzhou's poor gaming skills.

"Well done, the nickname has evolved from stomach-soothing to healthily stomach-soothing."

After changing the nickname, Chen Moubai claimed the little girl with an undisputed and absolute victory, maintaining a relative silence with her after accepting the character.

Qingzhou chuckled, returning his words back to him, saying, "Quite adorable."

Chen Bai: "Thank you."

That day, the adorable little girl dominated the entire map.

The next day, the little girl failed to carry on the tradition of decimating the map.

Chen Bai went to work at the restaurant, for the night shift.

Leaving aside his bad luck, it's true that good things happen when one works hard.

The shift was over two hours long, and it was nearing the end when he received a job.

It was from the couple to whom he had previously dedicated the song "Sunflower." They had decided to get married and would be holding an engagement party soon, and they wanted him to play the piano at their event.

Those who frequented this restaurant were wealthy, and their offers were generous—five digits for a day's work.

With no particular engagements on his schedule recently, Chen Bai accepted the offer and exchanged contact information with them on the spot.

However, as he was making a note, his hand paused, and he couldn't resist looking up at the client and asking, "Qian Duoduo?"

The client nodded. "Any issues then?"

Chen Bai replied, "No problems, I just think it's a great name."

He had heard this name before.

While skimming through the novel's plot, some details were hazy in his memory, yet the name Qian Duoduo stuck out.

Qian Duoduo, from the same circle as the God of Wealth Huo, lived up to his name—a man with Duoduo money.

Names hold little significance; what matters is that this engagement banquet intertwines with the main plot of the book.

As someone from the same circle, the God of Wealth Huo would make a symbolic appearance, only to meet with an accident on the way and be rushed to the hospital. As a result, the deal he was negotiating slipped into another company's hands, costing him a significant sum of money.

During the months that God of Wealth Huo spent in the hospital, Supporting Actor Brother diligently visited and cared for him every day. The distance between them finally narrowed, laying the groundwork for their future tumultuous romance.

Leaving aside that Chen Moubai had no intention of serving as a free nurse, just the idea of God of Wealth Huo being hospitalized for months was problematic enough.

If Huochuan were hospitalized for months, it meant he wouldn't receive any more jobs from the God of Wealth side for those months.

This was far from ideal, as the gold coins dropped by the God of Wealth accounted for half of his income.

Unable to resist the urge, Pink-haired ruffled his hair. After confirming the time and location, he nodded and bid farewell to the lovebirds, his clients.

The engagement party was scheduled for a week later, with a rehearsal the day before. The venue was booked at a nearby grand hotel, which provided meals and accommodations, eliminating the need to rush home after the evening rehearsals and return the next day.

Having handled numerous such events already, Chen Bai was well-versed in the proceedings. He confirmed the music selections with the betrothed couple and familiarized himself with the program alongside the host before the rehearsal. On the day of the rehearsal, everything went smoothly from start to finish.

Following the rehearsal, however, Pink-haired didn't leave. Instead, he lingered in the venue, which was still being decorated.

In the plot, it was mentioned that God of Wealth Huo met with an accident during his engagement banquet, but it didn't specify what kind of mishap it was. To prevent such an incident, Chen Bai knew he had to come up with a plan on his own.

He engaged in conversation with the crew setting up the venue, inquiring about safety measures.

The staff assured him that they were a professional team whose reputation was their bread and butter. Every venue they handled would undergo at least two rounds of thorough inspections, ensuring no blind spots with potential safety hazards remained unchecked.

It seemed unlikely that the issue lay here, nor could he find any plausible reason to unjustifiably bar God of Wealth Huo from attending the engagement banquet. All he could do was be more vigilant tomorrow.

After wandering around for quite some time without detecting anything out of the ordinary, Chen Bai returned to the hotel room arranged by the client.

Being too far from home, he couldn't engage in his usual lock-picking endeavors, nor did he have the equipment for live streaming. His good neighbor was at work, leaving him unable to play his favorite game of Ludo. With nothing else to do, he decided to take a shower and then lie in bed reading a book.

He had finished reading "An Actor's Self-Cultivation" some time ago, and now he had started on "Six Lectures on Acting." While e-books lacked the tactile satisfaction of paper books, they were undeniably convenient.

Compared to other academic texts, these books were surprisingly engaging.

He hadn't read more than a couple of pages when his agent, who hadn't contacted him in a while, sent him a message, urging him to register a Weibo account.

Registering an account took only a few minutes, a task swiftly completed by Chen Bai. The only moment of hesitation came when he had to choose a profile picture.

He was hesitating over which of the images of the God of Wealth saved on his phone to choose.

His favorite was the one holding two golden ingots in each hand, but he had already used it for Chen Erbai's livestream account, so after much deliberation, he settled on the image of the deity holding an oversized golden ingot.

The name "Chen Bai" was already taken, so he decided to go by "Chen Yibai."

Nobody was using "Chen Yibai," so he went with it.

Leave professional matters to the professionals. Not adept at managing accounts himself, he promptly shared the login credentials with his money-making partner after setting up the account.

His partner thanked him for the trust and fell silent for a moment upon seeing the account details.

After a brief pause, the agent sent a short message:

"The profile picture is great."

Chen Bai accepted her compliment, logged out of the app, and continued reading his book, taking one last look at tomorrow's sheet music before bedtime.

The engagement party for Qian Duoduo's soon-to-be newlyweds was as lavish as a wedding banquet, with the ceremony held on the hotel's own lawn at noon, and the evening banquet in the hotel ballroom.

In a technical sense, Chen Bai only worked half a day, as he was responsible for the piano accompaniment during the engagement ceremony, while another colleague handled the evening banquet.

During the morning, as guests arrived, there was a dedicated band playing on-site, so he wasn't needed yet. Instead, he sat side by side with his good colleague in a corner, exchanging information about the current scene.

The scene was much the same as always, nothing out of the ordinary.

His accomplished colleague had won numerous awards and now specialized in playing for such banquets. The circle of wealthy people was only so big, and after spending enough time in it, one met many people and heard plenty of gossip. Passing by someone with a story to tell, they would introduce them.

Chen Bai listened intently, his eyes wide like copper bells, nodding occasionally. He had never been this attentive even in class.

Among the four of them, there were six pairs of ex-lovers—a guest was both the sister and mother-in-law of another guest; in short, the relationships were exceedingly complicated.

Good Colleague showed no ripples on his face as he introduced everyone, displaying a calmness and composure that only comes from having seen it all.

Chen Moubai immediately expressed his admiration.

Just as they were recounting their stories, commotion arose in the distance. The people scattered across the lawn gathered over, adding to the liveliness.

It seemed someone had arrived.

The person sitting in the corner didn't join the commotion but watched as the crowd shifted. The spectacle was quite grand, and Pink-haired glanced uncertainly at the time, confirming that it wasn't yet time for the engagement ceremony to start before lifting her head again.

At the center of the crowd stood a man.

Towering in stature, impeccably dressed in a suit, his sharp features commanded attention. When he lowered his head to speak to someone nearby, an inherent intimidation from his height and appearance was palpable. Every move he made exuded the poise of someone accustomed to high standing.

It turned out it was Huochuan, the God of Wealth, who had arrived.

Still pondering over the unexpected turn of events, Chen Bai took a few more glances at the man's company, failing to notice anything that could have unexpectedly landed someone in the hospital for months.

"That's someone from the Huo family," his companion observed, glancing at Pink-haired who hadn't yet averted her gaze. "His circumstances are indeed enviable, but it's best not to entertain any notions about him."

Good looks, a privileged background, wealth, and power; getting involved with him would guarantee a life of ease for generations to come. It was natural for anyone to be tempted.

But that was under normal circumstances.

"This one has a first love he can't forget," the companion explained. "You see how he stands alone now, but his heart is always occupied. Not many can forge a connection with him."

As far as he knew, Huochuan also had a younger sister who harbored an unusually strong dislike for those around him. Even if one managed to get close, it wasn't necessarily a guarantee of pure bliss.

Chen Bai finally shifted his gaze, stealing an extra glance at his well-informed colleague beside him.

Knowing even these details, this colleague was indeed the king of gossip within their circle.

So he asked in a low voice, "Can I ask you something?"

His colleague looked back at him.

Pink-haired cautiously inquired, "Do you know the approximate salaries of Mr. Huo's previous partners?"

There was no ulterior motive; he merely wanted to make a vertical comparison, to see if there was any room for his own salary to increase.

"..."

Colleague: "?"

Faced with a question that fell into a knowledge gap, the colleague could only admit his ignorance.

At the center of the crowd, the man subtly turned his eyes, his gaze sweeping past the surrounding figures until it landed on Pink-haired, who was sitting in a corner with someone else.

Standing idly by, listening to pleasantries, Huo Qing followed his gaze and saw the person in the corner. Initially taken aback, her eyes instantly lit up, and she turned to her older brother beside her, "I'm going..."

Someone shouted something, and Pink-haired, sitting in the corner, got up, following the others as they left.

Meeting the gazes of those around her, Huo Qing reassured them, "It's alright now."

As it was almost time, Chen Bai prepared to head to work.

The previous band had left the stage, guests took their seats, and ushers stood on both sides as the venue gradually fell silent.

The lawn was transformed into a sea of flowers, with every gentle breeze sending petals flying through the air, filling the atmosphere with a faint, sweet fragrance.

Amidst the fluttering petals, the sound of a piano emerged.

A soft, soothing melody, petals landing on the piano keys, but the person playing didn't pause, continuing to play as if nothing happened.

Huo Qing didn't sit with her brother; instead, she found her group of close girlfriends and claimed an excellent spot for photography, pulling out her phone to capture the scene at the first opportunity, assuming a peculiar yet professional posture.

One could only say that she carried herself without the airs of a lady of privilege.

The small evening dress had no pockets, yet she still borrowed her brother's phone to take pictures.

There were many others like her, holding up their phones as well.

Her girl friend was concise: "Send me a copy after you've snapped the photos."

As the music changed and the newlyweds made their entrance, the lenses of the raised phones turned towards the approaching couple from the entrance, but Huo Qing's focus remained steadfastly on the person behind the piano.

Another friend glanced at her and commented, "You're quite devoted."

While steadfast in her filming, Huo Qing replied, "He's my friend, I definitely have to take more pictures."

For a moment, several of her friends looked over.

Speeches were given, the champagne tower was poured, then more speeches followed.

The piano was in place, the emcee was ready, and the entire process went exactly as rehearsed, without any issues arising.

When the ceremony concluded, Chen Bai had completed the majority of his duties.

The guests began to mingle freely on the lawn, waiting for the band to take the stage again, his job thoroughly done.

In the midst of their conversation, which was abruptly halted, his colleague had already been waiting on the sidelines. The moment Pink-haired's hands left the piano keys, he approached her first, eager to pick up where they left off.

But someone beat him to it.

Halfway through his approach, there was already a man in a suit standing by the piano, his gaze directly meeting Pink-haired's.

It was none other than the subject of their recent discussion, a member of the Huo family. At a not-too-distant-not-too-close range, his colleague noticed the other lowering his head and asking, "What are you doing here?"

It wasn't an accusatory tone, merely a casual inquiry.

His voice was natural, indicating that they clearly knew each other.

"..."

His colleague's steps came to a halt, his eyes widening, his ears perking up.

—With the piano right beside them, the purpose of his visit was as clear as day, obvious to anyone with eyes to see.

But after all, this was God of Fortune Huo, a 120k God of Fortune. Chen Bai smiled faintly and said, "Here for work."

Then he added with a touch of surprise, "Never thought you'd come here too."

His smile was charming, his peach blossom eyes reflecting the light, exuding an aura of devoted attention when he looked at someone.

Huochuan didn't dodge or avert his gaze, meeting his eyes straight on. After a moment, he echoed the word "coincidence," put down his wine glass, and slightly extended his hand, saying, "Sitting for too long isn't good for your health. Let's get up and walk around."

Chen Bai didn't take his outstretched hand but didn't waste his kindness either. He raised his hand, gripping Huochuan's wrist above the suit sleeve and shirt, using his arm's strength to stand up, uttering a thank you.

Huochuan's eyebrows twitched slightly as he said there was no need to thank him.

This person was light, barely any weight detectable on his hand, the slight downward pressure easily bearable.

Yet, he had a strong grip while playing the piano.

Huochuan's gaze drifted down, landing on the slender, pale fingers of the person opposite him and the corner of his shirt fluttering in the wind. Then, glancing sideways, he said, "The wind is strong over here, let's go over there."

Those watching were left staring as the two walked away, their minds still spinning from what they'd just seen, when another figure came running towards them from the other side.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Huochuan, the girl lifted her dress and ran straight towards the two of them.

It was Huo Qing.

The situation had rapidly deteriorated into something less than ideal, leaving Chen Bai's companion no time to warn him, only watching helplessly as she approached.

True enough, the girl in the dress positioned herself between the two men.

As things seemed on the brink of escalating, the companion observed the young lady exhale deeply, looking up at Pink-haired who was looking down at her, asking, "Can... Brother Bai take a photo with me?"

Huo Qing turned to glance at her friends nearby who were eyeing the scene, saying, "My friends want to take a picture with you too."

A simple photograph was something Chen Bai didn't mind, smiling and nodding his consent.

In front of her older brother, Huo Qing led the person away. Before leaving, she glanced back at her brother standing rooted to the spot, seeming to want to say something but ultimately remaining silent.

During his unexpected departure, Chen Bai caught sight of his good companion, meeting their strangely complex gaze. He waved and laughed, saying, "Sorry, we'll continue our chat later."

The companion was left speechless, responding only with an ellipsis of thought.

Feeling less anxious than before, as if their CPUs had overheated, the colleagues could only nod in agreement.

The girls managed to take pictures with the celebrities, fulfilling their wish.

Taking photos casually and for magazines were entirely different experiences. Chen Moubai secretly flashed his signature peace sign once again.

In the final photo, everyone mimicked the peace sign gesture, laughing and swaying in delight.

The place seemed to have turned into a popular tourist spot. After posing with the goddess of fortune and her friend, Chen Bai took another photo with a couple about to tie the knot.

While they were engrossed in their photo session, the others nearby were equally absorbed in conversation.

Huochuan didn't join in the chatter, taking a moment to rest, standing apart from the crowd.

"Clatter."

As someone walked by, their phone fell to the ground with a thud. He didn't give it a second glance, instead turning his gaze back to the group taking photos just a few steps away.

The passerby bent down to retrieve their fallen phone. Upon straightening up, they stumbled, bumping into a square table beside them with a dull thud, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath.

On the table stood a champagne tower.

Not the conventional five tiers typically seen at engagement parties, this one soared to over a dozen levels in grandeur, requiring the newly engaged couple to use steps for the symbolic champagne pour at the apex.

A dull thud was followed by the barely perceptible sound of glass rims rubbing against each other, as if something were shifting silently into place.

Huochuan glanced down at the time on his wristwatch.

On one side, the subtle sounds rapidly compounded within an instant. The towering champagne pyramid began to tilt, falling directly toward them. The eyes of the person who had just picked up their phone widened in shock.

"..."

Amidst the shrill cries of alarm, a white figure swiftly darted through the air, lunging toward them with haste.