Chapter 59 – Can I Have a Chance?

Chapter 59 - Can I Have a Chance?

Qian Jin's attempt to stoke the flames failed, so he could only nod and say, "Indeed."

Gao Qian, who had been provided with an unexpected new perspective, turned his head to look at his smiling companion.

Had his friend... really never thought about it this way before?

The others didn't find anything unusual in their exchange. They all laughed, and after that, the assistant director left with the cameraman to interview Chu Mingyuan on the other side.

Chu Mingyuan was the last person to be interviewed. After the interview, the exhausted assistant director casually unscrewed the cap of his microphone bottle, and soda gushed out.

When Chen Yibai finished eating, he heard the assistant director's loud yelp from afar.

Ever since the assistant director asked about everyone's plans after filming, time seemed to fly by. In the final days on set, it wasn't until the director started discussing the wrap party that time finally felt tangible again.

It was decided that the wrap party would take place the day after all shooting was completed, as most of the main cast and financiers were in City A. For convenience, the location for the party was set in City A.

On the day they finished the last scene, work ended early in the morning. The crew gathered for a small lunch at a local restaurant, clinking glasses together. After returning to the hotel, they promptly went to sleep.

From the afternoon until night, those who needed to attend the wrap party departed the next morning, traveling from the small town to the city, and then from the city to the airport.

There were two flights scheduled. Qian Jin and the director, among others, couldn't book tickets for the first flight and had to wait for the one an hour later.

Thanks to his assistant's quick booking skills, Chen Yibai didn't have to wait in the waiting room for another hour. He parted ways with his friends and boarded the plane ahead of them. On the same flight were the assistant director and Chu Mingyuan, who was originally supposed to be on the next flight.

Upon seeing Chu Mingyuan, Chen Yibai had a bad feeling. He boarded the plane, found his seat, sat down, and immediately turned to his agent, asking, "Is there someone meeting Chu Mingyuan at the airport this time?"

Last time, they arrived at the airport around the same time but thankfully took different routes. This time, they were on the same flight and could only exit through one path.

Chen Yibai still remembered the sea of people he saw last time. He had no desire to navigate through such crowds again.

His agent glanced at her phone a few times and said, "This time, their team hasn't revealed their itinerary."

She changed her search keywords and continued scrolling through her phone. "Their team hasn't disclosed anything, but we can't be sure if anyone has leaked the travel plans."

Turning to look at him, she added, "I think it should be fine this time."

Chu Mingyuan had previously claimed he was on the next flight. When they boarded the plane, everyone else learned he was actually on this flight, creating a time difference. If everything went according to plan, there wouldn't be any issues.

With that, Chen Yibai closed his eyes in relief and fell asleep once more.

His agent genuinely admired his sleeping abilities.

He had slept from the afternoon until that morning, and now, he was able to continue sleeping.

The flight lasted several hours, and Chen Yibai, with his exceptional sleeping skills, slept for the entire duration. When they landed, he was a bit dazed, and his assistant supported him.

They were all in the same cabin, boarding together and disembarking together.

Watching him move like a sleepwalker, halfway through, he was pulled back by his agent. The director turned to look at Chu Mingyuan, who was walking behind them, and grinned, saying, "Look at him."

Chu Mingyuan also smiled. His mask hid his mouth, but you could see the slight curve of his eyes. "He's quite amusing," he said.

If this had happened earlier, even his agent would have found him amusing and laughed along. But now, she couldn't help but feel uneasy, especially when she noticed his gaze following the white-haired figure drifting ahead.

The two-month period they had discussed had come to an end, and the production had wrapped.

The agent had initially wanted to delay things further, hoping that this person, who historically broke up right after wrapping, would naturally abandon these thoughts after the filming was over.

At the very least, after the wrap party, apart from film promotions, these two would hardly see each other. At that point, even if he still harbored these thoughts, there would be no opportunity.

Furthermore, even if this person still had these thoughts, the incredibly dense Chen Yibai wouldn't pick up on them. As long as nothing was explicitly said, no matter how many ideas this person had, they wouldn't be conveyed, ultimately amounting to nothing.

But in the past two days, she sensed something was off.

For instance, this person showed no signs of giving up. Moreover, he had been seeking out conversations more frequently, and his gaze was becoming less and less concealed.

Based on her years of experience and understanding, the next step after not concealing his feelings would be to speak openly.

Speaking openly required a face-to-face conversation. The only upcoming occasion where they could meet and have a legitimate reason to talk was tonight's wrap party.

If they could get through tonight's wrap party, he would be a hero once again. But if they couldn't, considering the various coordination of schedules, suppressing news, and guarding against paparazzi afterward, he would undoubtedly be a dead man.

Having just finished a job, the group walked with light steps, except for the agent, who rubbed her face in sorrow.

Misleading the flight information proved effective. From exiting the airport to getting into their cars, the entire process was smooth.

As a group, they stood out somewhat due to their numbers, but they moved quickly. Before the others at the airport could recognize them, the small teams had already boarded their respective vehicles and left.

This was the first time Chen Yibai saw the car assigned to him by the company and met the driver who had recently joined his small team.

The driver and car had been arranged beforehand, but because he had been following the production, the crew provided transportation, so this was their first real meeting.

The driver's surname was Zhao, a middle-aged man who loved to chat. He was twice their age and had decades of driving experience.

Chen Yibai didn't know much about cars, but he knew a little about electric scooters. He could tell that this car would likely cover his salary for quite some time.

The agent said, "Both the car and the driver are top-notch choices for you. The company is counting on you to make big money together."

Her words were straightforward, without any beating around the bush. Chen Yibai smiled and replied, "I'll do my best."

For convenience, the hotel booked by the production was not far from the airport, and it only took half an hour to drive there.

In that half-hour, the social prodigy and the driver had already become familiar with each other, entering the stage of calling each other brothers.

Chen Yibai referred to the driver as Uncle Zhao, while the driver called him brother. They each used their own terms of address, neither hindering the other.

Arriving at the hotel without encountering any traffic, the agent and the two assistants watched as the white-haired figure smoothly exchanged contact information with the driver.

Upon entering the hotel, the lobby was bustling with familiar faces. The wrap party was scheduled for the evening, and many had already arrived early, with the production team having arranged rooms for them.

When conditions allowed, the production team, flush with funds, did not skimp. They booked suites large enough to accommodate an entire team without needing to split up.

After having lunch in one of the hotel rooms, Chen Yibai's agent glanced at her phone post-meal and said, "Your stylist hasn't been finalized yet. The stylist we and the company have in mind is still tied to their previous team; they're currently in the process of transitioning, but it shouldn't take too long."

Chen Yibai nodded.

The agent looked at the coat he was wearing and mentioned, "EV's winter collection has already been delivered. Your friend received it on your behalf; it should either be at his place or yours."

She casually asked, "Have you told your friend when you'll meet?"

Chen Bai nodded without hesitation: "He's coming to pick me up after the wrap party tonight."

As expected, completely unsurprising. The agent leaned back and commented, "He's practically become your personal chauffeur."

Driving to pick him up more frequently than any driver would.

Chen Yibai didn't have a concept of this, only slightly turning his eyes as he responded, "Is that so?"

Before the agent could answer, her phone beeped beside her, a message popping up. She lowered her head to look, replying after a glance.

The agent asked, "A message from your friend?"

"No," Chen Bai replied, "it's from Chu Mingyuan."

The agent's eyebrows twitched slightly, watching as he lowered his head to reply to the message. Her fingers, resting on the table, tapped twice unconsciously as she pondered, "Has he been contacting you quite frequently lately?"

The two assistants, who had been busy on the side, quietly perked up their ears, inching closer.

"Is it frequent?" Chen Bai felt it was alright, saying, "It's about the same frequency as I message Qian Jin."

That frequency was already considered high.

Add to that the usual chats and script readings during filming, the accumulated time and number of interactions were clearly beyond the norm.

The agent glanced again at the person who had finished messaging and started pestering his good friend. She subconsciously rubbed her temples, saying, "Chu Mingyuan is different from you; he doesn't chat aimlessly with people."

Chen Yibai wanted to say that he also didn't chat aimlessly with people, but the agent's gaze fell upon his phone screen, where there was a string of meaningless emojis he had sent to his good neighbor.

"..."

He thus remained silent, lowering his head to send another emoji casually.

People who usually don't indulge in idle chatter wouldn't do so without reason; once they opened their mouths, there was always an ulterior motive. The agent rubbed her temple again.

Those in high positions couldn't gain much material benefit from here; this possibility could be largely ruled out.

Excluding material needs, that left only people.

Though this feeling was baseless, the agent felt that Chu Mingyuan probably wasn't interested in simply making friends.

"..."

Rubbing her temple proved ineffective; her temples throbbed. It was just a conjecture, and the matter was far from settled, so the agent could only say, "If Chu Mingyuan says anything strange to you, consider your response carefully."

His good neighbor had replied to the message. Chen Bai waved his hand with a smile, casually agreeing.

They were all colleagues, and he found it alright, believing that even if someone said something strange, it wouldn't be too odd.

He was a natural optimist.

The agent rubbed her head without elaborating further, as long as he took her words to heart.

Lunchtime ended, followed by a brief rest. After some preparations in the afternoon, it was time for the wrap party in the evening.

The venue for the wrap party was lavishly decorated, easily revealing the production team's substantial backing and the financier's considerable wealth.

There were many people present, and a significant number of invited media had also arrived. Since it wasn't yet time for filming and interviews, reporters roamed the venue, adeptly engaging in social interactions.

When Chen Yibai arrived, his buddy Qian Jin was already there. Not long after his arrival, the wrap party officially began. The two of them got together, smoothly going through the motions.

Under the bright flashes of cameras, the people on stage held the flowers given by the staff, white strands of hair hanging down, their eyes slightly curved in a smile.

The sound of shutters clicking echoed continuously. Standing in the center of the stage alongside the director, Chu Mingyuan slightly turned his head, looking towards the person on his side.

Chen Bai, holding the flowers, noticed the gaze from one side and turned his head accordingly. Through Qian Jin and the fourth male lead, he met the unretracted gaze that had been directed at him. Though puzzled, he politely smiled before turning his head away.

It was just a minor interaction, but below the stage, Gao Qian clapped along with the crowd while turning to look at Chu Mingyuan's agent standing nearby.

The agent wasn't clapping. Dressed in a respectable suit, she opened her eyes and skillfully pulled something out of her pocket to swallow.

The medication was a common one among friends, and Gao Qian recognized it, knowing it was blood pressure medication.

"..."

She felt like she understood something, albeit vaguely.

Once the formalities were over and the people on stage stepped down, the two agents took charge of leading their respective charges away.

The banquet began after the procedures concluded. The main cast sat at one table, accompanied by their agents. Regardless of the atmosphere at the scene, with an agent on one side and a buddy on the other, Chen Yibai was thoroughly enjoying himself.

At a table filled with investors and creators, both he and his buddy couldn't drink alcohol, so they drank grape juice instead.

Qian Jin estimated that his alcohol tolerance was worse than Chen Bai's. This was just grape juice, but with the strong smell of alcohol around, this person really thought he was drinking alcohol. For no apparent reason, he became tipsy, leaning close to tug at Chen Bai and whispering, "When I become a big-time screenwriter in the future, I'll invite you to play the male lead."

Chen Bai continued eating his vegetables, politely agreeing. Then he asked, "Won't you be the male lead?"

Qian Jin waved his hand: "Once I'm a screenwriter, who would still act."

Acting sometimes meant enduring scolding, and being a screenwriter might even allow one to scold the director at times.

Chen Yibai understood.

This person just wanted to try out what it felt like to scold a director.

Unaware that his intentions were exposed, the future great screenwriter wanted to continue speaking. Before he could raise his voice further, Chen Yibai stopped his dangerous remarks and handed him over to his agent, leaving it to him to deal with this person who was already spouting drunken nonsense without having touched a drop of alcohol.

Qian Jin was taken away.

After several rounds of toasts, the people at the table had flushed faces from drinking, while those focused on their dishes had eaten their fill.

As the gathering neared its end, Gao Qian had also consumed quite a bit of alcohol, but she remained sober. Lowering her head to check the time, she then glanced at the person beside her who had put down his chopsticks, holding a glass of water and quietly sipping his drink. She leaned in and said, "There's nothing left for you here. If you're done eating, you can leave."

She asked, "When will your friend come to pick you up?"

Chen Bai slowly yawned and replied, "He's been on his way for some time now. He should be here in about twenty minutes."

Gao Qian then said, "If you find it boring staying here, you can go to the small garden upstairs. It should be empty, and you can go there to cool off and clear your head."

She added, "It's cold outside, so if you're going out, remember to return to your room and put on a coat first."

Chen Bai glanced sideways. "What about you?"

Gao Qian tapped the side of her wine glass with her finger, her gaze turning to the few investors across from her. She said, "I'm determined to make them drunk before I am today."

A touch of an agent's competitive spirit.

Knowing that she had her limits, Chen Bai nodded. He finished the last sip of his fruit juice and got up to leave.

The hall was filled with the scent of fragrance and alcohol, with the air conditioning running, mixing the smells with a warm temperature that made one feel drowsy. He still had to wait for his good neighbor to arrive, so he couldn't afford to fall asleep just yet.

Indeed, there weren't many people in the small garden upstairs. The garden wasn't a greenhouse; it didn't have a roof. Tonight's temperature was low, and a cold wind was blowing fiercely. No one wanted to come here. After walking in and looking around, he didn't see a single person.

With no one around, he felt more relaxed. Adjusting the coat he had put on when returning to his room, Chen Bai leaned against the railing and pulled out his phone.

The electronic screen lit up, illuminating his features. He took a photo of the city's night view beyond the railing, raised his hand to type, and casually informed his good neighbor of his current location.

The wind from the high-rise building completely woke him up.

Pulling up the zipper of his jacket, he had just put away his phone when another gust of wind blew past, and it seemed to carry other sounds along with it.

It sounded like someone was calling his name.

Turning his head to tame his unruly hair, he saw a figure approaching from the entrance of the small garden, seemingly heading straight towards him.

Indeed.

Unable to hear the voice clearly or see the figure distinctly, Chen Bai squinted. He hadn't recognized who was calling him until the person came closer.

It was Chu Mingyuan, whom he had just seen at the dinner table.

The person looked resistant to the cold, wearing only a black shirt even outdoors, walking through the wind without any unusual reaction.

He thought that after parting ways at the dinner table tonight, he wouldn't see this person again for a while. Unexpectedly, they met again in such a place. With a nod, he greeted him and said it was a coincidence.

Chu Mingyuan didn't say it was a coincidence. Standing still by the railing, he asked, "Are you waiting for someone?"

His tone was as usual, no different from normal, just casual conversation. Chen Bai slightly nodded. "I'm waiting for a friend and taking the opportunity to cool off and clear my head."

Chu Mingyuan looked down at him and said, "I remember you didn't drink today."

"It's not that I'm drunk, just simply feeling sleepy," Chen Yibai smiled modestly. "Not to brag, but I really can't handle alcohol."

Chu Mingyuan also smiled, finding it true.

The night wind blew in his face, and he could still smell a faint scent of alcohol. Chen Bai asked, "Did you come here to sober up?"

"Not entirely."

Chu Mingyuan lowered his head and took out his phone, changing the topic. "We haven't taken a photo together yet, have we?"

Chen Yibai's first reaction was to think of the cast photos and the group photo from tonight's wrap party.

As if reading his thoughts, Chu Mingyuan preemptively said, "Not a group photo."

That was indeed the case.

After more than a quarter of a year of filming, the ordinary camera genius Master Chen only had photos of himself and his happy little buddies. His agent said these were photos that absolutely couldn't be released.

Chu Mingyuan asked, "Can we take a photo together?"

So that's what he wanted to say. It was a trivial matter, and Master Chen was always generous with such things. He nodded and said yes.

Unfortunately, this time it wasn't Master Chen behind the lens, but Master Chu holding the phone. A little closer in distance, Master Chen could only smile ordinarily and raise a peace sign when the phone's light illuminated them.

The light flashed, and the image froze.

Chu Mingyuan lowered his head to look at the photo. His gaze paused momentarily on the smile on the person's face, then moved downward, noticing the long, thin wound revealed on the arm when the wide sleeve slipped down as the person raised their hand to make the gesture.

Lifting his eyes from the phone screen, he looked at the person standing beside him and said, "Is this the injury from that fight scene? The wound is still there after so long?"

The knives used in the crew weren't sharp, but sometimes, when someone not using props didn't hold back their strength, they could still hurt others at certain angles.

Chen Bai had almost forgotten about this wound. After a moment of thought, he nodded and laughed. "It's almost healed. Once the scar falls off, it'll be completely fine."

He remained as open-minded as ever, just like when he was injured, not frowning once, as if nothing could truly bother him.

Chu Mingyuan felt that he probably hadn't been truly seen by him either. Just like this wound, it would naturally be forgotten over time.

In all honesty, he didn't want to be forgotten.

To avoid being forgotten, one had to take the initiative and break through that barrier.

Putting his phone away, he glanced at the time on his watch. Without beating around the bush any longer, he confirmed his intentions with a final question: "Do you have someone you like now?"

"?"

The topic had jumped too far, akin to leaping from the price hike of pancakes downstairs to an army of ten thousand yellow-braised chicken invading Earth. Chen Moubai was momentarily taken aback, needing a moment to process what was being asked. After some thought, he responded, "What do you mean?"

He saw the person standing opposite him slightly bend forward, locking eyes with him, and say, "If there's still no one, would you consider giving it a try with me?"

Each word was understandable, but together they formed a string of Morse code.

While Chen Yibai could decipher Morse code if he tried hard enough, this particular message was beyond him.

He hastily made a pause gesture, taking a moment to think, completely oblivious to his phone vibrating in his coat pocket.

Although he hadn't fully understood it yet, this must have been the "strange words" his agent had mentioned before. At the time, he had brushed it off, never expecting to actually encounter such a situation.

Mostly because he never imagined it would involve this kind of strange words.

—Better to talk about ten thousand yellow-braised chickens attacking Earth.

"…"

After a brief moment, his calm contemplation led the solitary war god, Master Chen, to conclude that there must have been a misunderstanding on his part. So, he calmly asked, "What do you mean by 'try'?"

His good colleague replied, "Trying out a relationship."

Indeed, he hadn't misinterpreted it.

Chen Bai suddenly lifted his head, blurting out, "But buddy, you…?"

Buddy, aren't you straight?

He hadn't done anything particularly likable either.

His good colleague remained serious, showing no intention of backing down, asking, "Can I have a chance?"

It was a clever question. He couldn't simply agree, but rejecting it outright seemed odd, easily leaving one confused for a moment.

Especially for a solitary war god whose method of refusal was limited to simply beating someone up.

As he waited quietly for an answer, footsteps approached, neither light nor heavy.

Having arrived at the hotel and received no reply to his messages, Xu Sinian entered the hotel and went up to the floor with the small garden.

There were more than one person in the garden. By the railing stood two people, and as he drew closer, he could hear faint voices carried by the wind. When he truly neared them, he caught the last sentence.

Noticing the footsteps, the two people by the railing turned to look. The taller man frowned slightly, displeased at being interrupted.

The other person, with his white hair tousled by the wind, turned his head. His pupils, momentarily scattered by the sudden confession, brightened for a second. Opening his mouth as if to call out his name out of habit, he began to prepare for a waterfall of tears.

Without stopping, Xu Sinian stood beside the white-haired man, meeting Chu Mingyuan's gaze. He lowered his head and gently took the hand hanging by his side.

The white-haired man looked down at his action, raising his head slightly. The waterfall of tears that had been brewing stopped, as if pondering what he was doing.

Confused, but not resisting. His fingers slid effortlessly between the gaps, firmly clasping the hand. Their fingers interlocked, and only then did he raise his gaze again, directly meeting the narrowed eyes of the person standing opposite him.

With his free hand, he removed his mask. Still carrying the chill from his walk through the garden entrance, Xu Sinian extended his hand and introduced himself simply, "Hello. I'm Xu Sinian."

Author's Note:

(Suddenly having his hand held) A certain Bai: (thinking) (though I don't quite understand) (he must have a reason for doing this) (cooperate)