Chapter 57: New Clothes!

Chapter 57: New Clothes!

Chen Yibai felt that his good neighbor had guessed quite accurately.

With a little time left, he slowly chatted with the person until dinner time approached, realizing it was time to eat. He said goodbye and hung up the phone.

An unremarkable half-day of rest passed, followed by another full schedule of work.

With all the scenes at the inn completed, the production team took a brief breath before rushing to catch up on other shooting schedules.

Racing against the clock, Chen Yibai privately compared this to high school mathematics, akin to how math teachers would lament falling behind from the first step they took into the classroom at the beginning of the semester.

His buddy laughed heartily.

—And then his buddy didn't find much to laugh about later.

After waking up early for half a month straight, Qian Jin carried an air of calm detachment, as if he were dead but still walking. His speech held a sense of detachment from the world. As long as there was a paycheck and tea or black coffee to sustain him, the chosen worker Chen Yibai remained unchanged, diligently jumping around with zeal.

The weather grew colder, and the sky brightened later in the day. Sometimes, when they worked outdoors, the sky began to lighten only halfway through the morning shift, with the morning sun warming their bodies like corpses.

After finishing a scene, just as the sun came out, Qian Jin collapsed onto a chair, beginning his daily period of emptiness, basking in the sun to dispel the dampness.

As the black coffee cup emptied, the new tea leaves lacked vigor. Without anything to sustain him, Chen Yibai sipped lightly from his thermos filled with tea, lying down next to him to bask in the sun.

The corpse beside him turned to look at him, his gaze drifting down to the thermos in his hand. "I'm hungry. What good stuff is inside? Let me have a drink too."

They were no longer near the town's inn, but in a remote, unnamed place. There were no shops nearby, and hardly anyone around. To buy something to fill their stomachs, one would need to drive back to town, and none of the crew had the leisure to do so at this moment.

Chen Yibai generously handed over the thermos. "It's not very invigorating, just some spirit-reviving tea."

Qian Jin thus withdrew his hand. "In that case, I'll wait for lunch."

Chen Yibai retracted the hand that offered the thermos, smiling as he stood up. Bending down, he reached out to turn the chair of the sunbathing corpse, making the person face away from the sun.

The corpse opened his eyes. "You're so cruel."

Having been manually turned, he could only get up himself to turn back around. After doing so, he declared that he would be the first to eat lunch today.

The heartless Chen Yibai hugged his thermos and reclined back onto the chair, responding simply to his grand declaration.

The morning hours were difficult to endure, especially since they had scheduled more scenes than usual today.

The lunch delivery arrived close to noon.

The owner of a restaurant in town personally drove the food over because it was a large order, and they included delivery. The staff helped distribute the meals, ensuring everyone received a portion without any omissions before the owner left.

The person who claimed he would be the first to eat lunch was still filming, while those without immediate work started eating. He continued to perform intense action scenes.

His assistant fetched his meal and placed it on his chair, attempting to keep it warm under the sun.

Whether it kept warm or not was unknown, but those who received their meals were certainly satisfied.

The restaurant owner was honest and straightforward, fearing that the regular portions wouldn't suffice after their intense work. They added extra servings, leaving plenty of leftovers even after everyone finished eating.

As they neared the end of their meal, the group still working finally took a temporary break.

Sitting on the chair, Chen Yibai saw his friend Qian Jin practically sprinting back, sitting down immediately and picking up the lunch placed on his seat.

"Phew, almost starved to death...just a second too late..."

His buddy's words trailed off as he stopped. Chen Bai turned to look over, seeing the person lose all color, turning pale as he stared blankly in one direction.

Now, he truly resembled a corpse.

Following his line of sight downward, he saw the lunch he had anticipated all morning, placed on the side of a box.

It was indeed lunch, both in its entirety and in parts.

The lunch consisted of separate rice and dishes, each in a different box; one box of rice and another box also containing rice.

"..."

None of them expected such a rare set meal, causing even the surrounding assistants to pause, subconsciously looking at their already consumed and discarded meals.

Each person received one lunch portion, and the restaurant owner who delivered the food had already left. If they wanted a replacement, they would have to wait for someone to come again.

This location was far from town, and by the time the owner arrived, the person might already be gone.

A young master's breakdown often occurred in an instant, and with a swift motion, Qian Jin felt like shedding tears of sorrow.

In a way, his ability to obtain such a rare set meal rivaled Chen Yibai's notorious bad luck. Chen Yibai quickly swallowed the mouthful of rice he had, reaching out to pat his shoulder in consolation. "Don't worry, we can still save it."

The corpse regained some color, his breath faint as he asked, "How?"

Then he watched as the white-haired man casually ruffled his hair twice, making it even messier than it already was.

He initially didn't understand what was happening until the man took his rice box and turned to face the agent, clearing his throat before speaking:

"Kind sir..."

His voice was aged, his emotions sincere. The makeup, costume, and props were spot on, making him seem more professional than the occasional street performers seen in this field.

Qian Jin: "..."

Gao Qian, the agent who had just cracked open her lunch chopsticks: "..."

They usually joked that this outfit made him look like a beggar in this life, and now, he had truly embraced the role.

Taking advantage of the momentary silence, the white-haired man kindly reminded, "No need for rice, just some dishes will do."

Gao Qian found himself at a loss for words, silently offering a pair of chopsticks to spear some dishes, which he placed atop the plain rice.

Following the agent were two assistants, then a group of people with whom he had good relations who just happened to be starting their meals, not even sparing the director.

Having made his way through half the crew, the once empty bowl of rice was now piled high with various dishes. A cameraman, dispatched by the director who had been sheared like a sheep, watched helplessly as the meal gradually became more extravagant.

Continuing his path of shearing, Chen Yibai eventually passed Chu Mingyuan, who had also just begun his meal.

After shooting action scenes all morning, the man had expended a great deal of energy, prompting the director to add an extra chicken leg to his plate. It instantly looked much more lavish than the communal meal in Chen Yibai's hands.

Their eyes met, and before Chen Yibai could speak, his generous colleague lifted his head and asked, "Would you like this?"

By "this," he meant the additional chicken leg provided by the director.

Contemplating the chicken leg for a moment, Chen Yibai decisively turned away, saying, "I won't eat food offered out of pity."

Shearing was still labor, and the communal meal in his hands was the result of hard work. He couldn't let a single chicken leg disrupt the spirit of labor.

As long as he sheared the vegetables himself, he wouldn't accept the offered chicken leg, remaining a person with principles.

Those around them couldn't help but laugh, the cameraman behind them stifling his laughter so hard that his shoulders shook, while Chu Mingyuan also chuckled.

Feeling that the communal meal was already sufficient for his hungry companion, Chen Yibai, who had labored for half the day, decided not to continue his rounds through the crew. He returned to his seat, delivering the fruits of his labor to his still-hungry friend.

This meal, in terms of both variety and quantity, was truly unparalleled. Surprised that he could eat in such a manner, Qian Jin held back tears that were about to fall like wide noodles.

What was originally an ordinary lunch had transformed into a super-luxurious one. Clutching his chopsticks, he hadn't fully processed the situation yet. First, he opened his eyes wide to express gratitude, then tentatively extended his chopsticks.

Beneath the dishes lay the white rice, which, although it had undergone a drastic transformation, was indeed his original lunch.

Then, he lowered his head and began to eat heartily, managing to utter a sound of relief amidst his busy schedule.

Beside him, the benevolent Master Chen sat down, slowly sipping his tea that didn't quite wake him up, spreading out the script and hiding his achievements and fame.

Once he had eaten, Qian Jin felt the urge to talk. With his stomach full, the speed at which he ate visibly slowed down, and he began to chat while eating, moving closer and saying, "Your popularity is truly remarkable."

The unassuming social genius modestly scratched his head, "It's alright."

Moving even closer, Qian Jin asked, "Have you been getting along well with Chu Mingyuan recently?"

Turning a page of the script, which had doubled in thickness from frequent use, Chen Yibai glanced sideways, "How so?"

Qian Jin pointed to the food in his hands, "He actually gave you a chicken leg." Although it wasn't ultimately given.

Then he listed examples, "He previously sought you out to rehearse lines, and when I wasn't around, he even came to chat with you."

Chen Yibai finally raised his head slightly, analyzing objectively, "The chicken leg was ultimately intended for you to eat. Rehearsing lines was to ensure fewer NGs during the actual shoot, indicating that he wasn't confident acting with me. See how he hasn't really rehearsed with you? That might suggest trust."

He countered with the same question, "Have you been getting along well with him recently?"

His sudden, intense analysis was surprisingly reasonable, momentarily stunning Qian Jin. His mind hadn't caught up yet, but he vaguely felt something was off, yet couldn't pinpoint what exactly was strange.

Until his brain finally processed the information, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "You're fooling a ghost."

Leaving aside other things, the last statement about Chu Mingyuan trusting him was enough to explode.

Trust my foot!

If there was real trust, he wouldn't have to be so cautious every time he rehearsed with the other party, fearing that a misstep would lead directly to an NG.

Unable to intimidate the person with his bluff, Chen Yibai smiled, lightly brushing aside the topic.

The tasks for the morning were heavy, and the afternoon wasn't much better, but he and his companion had few scenes, making it rather relaxing. They spent the afternoon in a light-hearted atmosphere, fully utilizing their costumes to play roles of a suffering beggar and a wicked landlord.

The two agents watched as the duo got into character, speechless, choosing to look away.

It seemed that this person had finally discovered the true use of this costume.

Unfortunately, happy times are always short-lived.

Or, to put it another way, good things never last. Just as they had found the true purpose of this beggar outfit and hadn't had enough of playing the suffering beggar and wicked landlord, Chen Yibai learned that evening that he would have to change his appearance.

The production team had been applying to rent a prince's residence in the city for filming purposes. The residence had been undergoing renovations, which had only recently been completed, leading to the approval of their application.

However, the approval came with a tight schedule. The residence would reopen to tourists in two weeks, with the local Cultural and Tourism Bureau having already announced the reopening date, which couldn't be changed. The production team needed to complete all scenes involving the prince's residence within these two weeks. Originally, the reopening was scheduled for a week later, but considering the production team's needs, it was extended by another week, which was the maximum possible extension.

On the bright side, the number of scenes at the residence wasn't too extensive, and two weeks would be sufficient.

Regrettably, for the scenes at the prince's residence, he would have to change into another set of clothes. He hadn't seen the new outfit, but he could guess that it would be vastly different from the current beggar attire. The story of the suffering beggar and wicked landlord, which hadn't been fully explored, would have to come to an end, causing heartache.

That evening, the production coordinator worked overtime, temporarily revising the subsequent shooting schedule. Some people remained on location to follow the previous plan, while others headed to the city's prince's residence.

Chen Yibai was among those who departed. The schedule was revised that night, and they left the following day.

When they set off the next day, it was still dark outside, and everyone except the driver caught up on sleep in the car.

As they traveled from the small town to the city, the scenery outside the window gradually changed. By the time the passengers woke up again, the sky was nearly bright, and the low-rise buildings and rolling mountains had been replaced by towering skyscrapers.

The first rays of morning light rose behind the buildings, illuminating the shiny exterior of the skyscrapers and reflecting back, somewhat blinding.

At seven in the morning, several vehicles stopped in front of a hotel.

It was difficult for a large production's itinerary to remain secret, and despite only a night having passed, many people had received word and were waiting outside the hotel, causing a minor commotion as the actors disembarked.

Chen Yibai was completely sleep-deprived, accompanied by his agent and assistant on either side, he barely registered anything, half-opening his eyes as he entered the hotel in a daze.

The makeup artists and other staff members had left the night before and had already spent a night at the hotel, preparing the makeup room, ready to start working as soon as they arrived.

Just as in the town, he and his companion Qian Jin shared a makeup room.

The buddy was still in the same outfit as before, already adept at slipping into his costume, and after doing so, he would lie down in the makeup room like a corpse. Qian Jin couldn't do that; he was still changing next door, serving as a mere clothes hanger.

Layers upon layers of clothing brought Si Yang back to his memories of filming "Fate's Inquiry" for a fleeting moment.

His assistant knew him well enough to order him a black coffee, which she handed to him while he was changing, saving his life.

Halfway through his black coffee, he finished dressing.

Although it was slightly cumbersome to wear, the outfit was actually a simple white robe with no overly complex designs, only numerous intricate details in small areas.

The agent watched alongside other staff members to assess the effect, giving him a few more glances up and down than usual, her eyes slightly wider than normal. After some contemplation, she said, "So this is how handsome you really are."

The two assistants nodded in agreement, only tearing their gaze away after taking an extra look.

They had seen too much of this person's beggar attire, completely replacing their memories from filming "Fate's Inquiry." They almost forgot how good-looking this person's ancient costume was, a fact certified by both the director and the audience.

"…"

In response to the forgetful agent and assistants who seemed to have forgotten what he looked like, Chen Yibai chose not to comment.

After changing, he was moved to the adjacent makeup room once again.

Buddy Qian Jin had been sitting inside for a while, with the stylist working on his hair. He was looking at his phone, but upon hearing movement, he turned his head slightly.

As Chen Yibai entered, their eyes met.

There was a two-second pause in the air.

Qian Jin's hand, which had been typing on his phone, froze. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something but stopped, finally uttering, "You…so this is what you look like."

Chen Yibai: "?"

Having encountered the fourth person today who seemed not to recognize him, Chen Yibai chose to take a deep sip of his black coffee.

The stylist led him to a seat.

Today's hairstyle was more sophisticated than his usual messy locks, and the stylist appeared significantly more focused, unlike the usual quick pace.

While progress was slow here, Qian Jin's process was flying by, even allowing him time to come over and observe for a bit.

He could only spare a glance before being taken away by his agent.

Since his scenes were later in the day, he could arrive at the shooting location later, but Qian Jin couldn't afford any delays as he had scenes with other actors and no time to linger.

With his buddy gone, the social genius who could chat with anyone started conversing with the stylist and makeup artist.

They had arrived last night and slept until now, perhaps due to the rare good night's sleep, the makeup artist was in a good mood and chatted while complimenting him.

Time passed quickly amidst the conversation. Midway through, the agent left to make a call and handle other matters, staying out for quite a while.

When she returned, the people in the room had already cycled through two rounds of conversation, shifting from mutual praise when she left to discussing how to handle mistakenly adding yolks while making cookies.

"…"

For a moment, she thought she had walked into a culinary exchange class. Upon confirming that the people inside were indeed those she recognized, she stepped into the room.

Her timing was perfect; just as she returned, the makeup artist, bent over for final touches, finished her work and looked up, smiling, "Done."

The agent then turned her head, glancing over.

As she looked, the person seated in the chair lifted his eyes.

Hair whiter than snow, the person sitting before the mirror let his white hair fall loosely in front of him. The bright light shone through his long lashes, casting shadows into his pale gray irises.

For a moment, it felt like colliding into a snow-covered mountain range. The biting wind and the sight of frosty silence filled her vision.

Those slightly upturned irises met her gaze through the mirror, and then emotions flickered in his eyes. The person with pale lips slightly parted.

Before he could speak, the agent reacted instantly, having learned to answer preemptively. She waved her hand, "Very handsome and cool, don't speak yet, let me admire you a little longer."

Interrupted mid-spell, Chen Yibai closed his mouth, ready to speak.

The makeup artist also observed, taking a few more looks at the fruits of her labor. She realized that someone opening their mouth and remaining silent gave entirely different impressions, regretfully remarking, "Unfortunately, his eyes will be covered later."

This time, the atmosphere was undisturbed by any sudden interruptions, allowing the agent to fully appreciate the scene. After satisfying her gaze, she lowered her head to check the time, raising her eyebrows slightly, saying, "We can't afford to sit around anymore; it's time to head to the shooting location."

Although there was still some time before they were supposed to leave for the set, they coincided with rush hour. Unfamiliar with the city, they weren't sure if there would be traffic. If they encountered congestion, their schedule might become tight.

A nearby staff member commented, "Traffic doesn't seem to be bad in the morning here; it only gets congested sometimes."

There was a chance of traffic, but the probability was low.

—And then they experienced the low-probability event.

"…"

Leaving the hotel, they slowly moved along in the long line of vehicles. The agent, seated by the window, turned to look back at the towering hotel building, then shifted her gaze to the endless stream of cars ahead, finally choosing to contact the production team, informing them that they would arrive a bit later than planned.

Upon arrival, they had to catch up on the schedule, and the production team faced unexpected issues, causing delays. Their late arrival wouldn't be a problem.

On one side, there was tense communication, while on the other, the white-haired figure closed his eyes to sleep.

It wasn't that he didn't care about work; rather, he couldn't see anything. Before leaving the hotel, the stylist had tied a blindfold over his eyes. Made of thin linen fabric, it allowed him to perceive vague outlines and figures nearby, but he couldn't use his phone or read the script.

Unlike the previous loosely tied blindfolds that could be easily removed, this time, the knot was the stylist's masterpiece, taking considerable effort to create, and couldn't be casually undone.

Unable to see anything, he simply closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Fortunately, the traffic jam was only temporary. After clearing that stretch of road and turning onto a less-traveled side street, the vehicle's speed increased significantly.

In the side yard of the Prince's Mansion.

The usually tranquil courtyard was bustling with activity, with crew members moving equipment all around.

After finishing a scene, Chu Mingyuan returned to his resting spot, took the water offered by his assistant, and sat down on a chair, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

Today, there were many extras, and people were everywhere. The main actors were scattered about, but he spotted Qian Jin. Qian Jin was accompanied by his agent and assistant, and no one else.

Taking a sip from his water bottle, he turned to his agent and asked, "Where's Chen Yibai?"

Agents always had their fingers on the pulse of most happenings on set, and she replied, "He seems to be stuck in traffic."

It was an unexpected situation, as no one could have predicted that this normally traffic-free area would choose today to be congested.

He glanced at the time on his phone and said, "He should be here soon, given the traffic."

On the other side, Qian Jin also seemed to be waiting for someone. He wasn't playing with his phone but was instead flipping through a script, occasionally looking up towards the arched gate of the courtyard.

After answering Chu Mingyuan's question, the agent turned her head and asked, "Why do you ask?"

Chu Mingyuan retracted his gaze. "Nothing, I just didn't see him and wondered where he was."

The agent nodded. "He should be here soon."

As if his words had some sort of divine power, not long after he spoke, a staff member wearing a vest hurried past them, heading straight for the arched gate of the courtyard.

Shortly after the staff member passed, Qian Jin, who had been engrossed in his script, stood up and turned his head toward the entrance.

Someone was arriving. Other staff members and extras standing by the edge of the courtyard craned their necks for a better look.

The light was perfect, casting dappled shadows from the green foliage. A figure in white, supported by someone, lifted his robe and stepped over the gray stone threshold.

Author's Note:

PS: The phrase "food offered with contempt" does not equate to food obtained for free. In this chapter, it's merely a reference. Please take its actual meaning into account! (bows)