Chapter 69: Love Cannot Be Concealed

Chapter 69: Love Cannot Be Concealed

The girl handed over the flowers and looked up, smiling. "These flowers were made by my brother. He's also your fan."

Then she gathered her breath and raised her voice slightly to wish him success for his new drama.

Chen Bai thanked his brother and her for their blessings, straightened up, and waved his free hand while holding the flowers with the other.

He thought this bouquet would be the end of it, but it was only the beginning. After the pink-white bouquet, someone else presented him with another bunch, white and green, so large that it seemed unlikely he could carry it with one hand.

His hands were already full, so he and his assistant, Brother Liu, took the flowers together, with Brother Liu eventually taking them in his hands.

Today, there were unexpectedly many flowers. In the end, Little Meng and the agent helped as well, all entering the hotel together.

The brightness remained, and just before fully stepping into the hotel lobby, Chen Yibai turned around, waving and saying goodbye politely, even at this moment.

In return, he received a hundredfold louder chorus of goodbyes.

The short distance from the car to the hotel entrance took nearly half an hour. When the sounds outside gradually faded behind them, they took the elevator upstairs, all breathing sighs of relief, wiping the sweat off their bodies, enjoying the rare coolness.

Chen Yibai, who didn't easily sweat, had already returned to normal. Dressed in a shirt on top, he looked clean and fresh, not at all like someone who had just emerged from a crowd. He glanced at the time on his phone and then remembered something, asking, "Was that disruptive to the public?"

The agent leaned against the elevator wall, momentarily speechless. She explained to the staff member guiding them, who had joined them after they entered the hotel lobby, "No, the production team has booked the entire hotel. Everyone staying here is part of our crew."

Today, everyone was busy with the ceremony preparations, and no other guests were resting. If it had been disruptive, the hotel security wouldn't have allowed the fans to gather downstairs from the start. Because they had booked the entire hotel, they had more control over the situation.

Chen Yibai nodded and said, "Okay."

Their small team had expanded, and they couldn't all fit in one suite. Their rooms were spread out, and this time they headed to a certain Bai's room, where they first put down the things in their hands. The staff led them to the room and then left.

Once the bouquets were placed, the living room table was completely filled.

There was still some time until the scheduled rehearsal for the ceremony. The agent didn't leave after putting down the flowers; instead, she and the assistant carefully went through the bouquets.

They were very cautious not to damage the flowers, as if searching for something, but found nothing. Not finding anything, they seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Bai glanced at them twice, asking, "What are you looking for?"

"We're not looking for anything specific, nor are we disrespecting these flowers," the agent said. "It's just a safety precaution."

She continued, "You haven't touched these flowers yet, right? Would you like to hold them?"

Chen Bai nodded.

As soon as he nodded, the professional photographer and agent instantly pulled out her phone.

"…"

No wonder she kindly offered to do this; she wanted to enrich her own collection of materials.

Seeing what he was thinking, the agent defended herself, saying, "This time, it's not about stockpiling. Later, when you have time, log in and post an update."

Then she added, "Put your peace sign down first."

A certain Bai, who thought he might sneak in a peace sign while being photographed, lowered his hand.

The agent snapped photos quickly, selecting them swiftly and sending them over immediately.

The person in the photo had a good foundation and looked great in any lens except for the one she personally held. No adjustments were needed, and the original images were sent directly.

After sending the photos, the agent said, "I've sent you the photos. You can decide what to do with them."

After taking the photos, Chen Bai was still looking at the small cards in the flowers. Hearing her words, he put away the cards, stuffed them into his pocket, and picked up his phone, which he hadn't used in a long time.

The app that he rarely opened was still logged in under Chen Erbai's account, and he quickly switched it.

Around ten o'clock in the morning, an account that occasionally showed signs of life updated with a new post.

"Chen Yibai V: Thank you, friends [Image] [Image]..."

One photo per bouquet, the master of equal treatment ensured each had its own picture. The room basked in perfect sunlight, green shadows cast, making both the flowers and the person look radiant.

The message had barely been sent for a minute when notifications kept popping up above his head.

To see the comments on Chen Erbai's side, he hadn't disabled the notification permissions for the app. When Chen Erbai posted, the message box kept popping up; here, the message box never disappeared, only showing the constantly changing names of those liking the post.

After posting, Stylist Sister Jing arrived with her case, saying, "Your hair is a bit messy. We still have some time before going down, let me fix it for you."

Chen Bai put down his phone.

As he put down his phone, the messages kept popping up, and the people in the comment section kept chatting, never stopping.

"On the scene! The flowers in Picture Three were sent by us! Yibai himself is really incredibly handsome! It was so crowded at the time, I almost bumped into him, the distance was super close, the closer you get, the better he looks!"

"Hold on! No poetic captions or cute emojis, this time it's the wife herself posting! Front row group photo!"

"It was indeed worth waiting from morning till now, sniff sniff. The wife is genuinely polite and considerate of everyone. Originally, he should have left, but considering the many fans who came especially for him, he stayed a little longer (I was close enough to hear the wife and the assistant's conversation)."

"Politeness +1, saw him hand a tissue to the assistant sister, very naturally, it feels like this is how they usually interact."

"You guys are such posers! Outwardly, you call Chen Yibai and Eight Yuan Nine Cents, but here you secretly call him husband (wide-eyed)."

Some were truly pretending, appearing proper in front of others but indiscriminately calling him by pet names within. Others had a sudden realization, determined to follow suit in their chaos.

"I originally didn't approve of calling a grown man 'wife,' sorry, brothers, I'm defecting... Yibai really does smell good, not the kind of fragrance from perfume, his voice is nice too, and when he smiles, it's truly gentle. My heart hasn't calmed down yet (lying down peacefully)."

"Hahaha, did anyone else notice that Yibai was stopped by security several times? It's the first time I've seen security not stop fans but actors instead, hahaha."

"What I noticed was the woman on the side, presumably the stylist, she was really giving him a death stare the whole time, ahahaha."

"Go ahead and shout your lungs out. When Yibai falls in love in the future, one sob will silence all of you (resenting those present)."

...

After Chen Yibai was spotted by fans at the hotel entrance, photos and videos from the production launch ceremony were released, successfully trending on hot searches and occupying several hashtags.

The television series hadn't even begun filming, so it was too early to determine its ratings, but at least from the buzz on the day of the launch ceremony, the lead actors firmly carried the traffic and topic热度, achieving impressive results.

Every day could not be wasted, and starting from the day of the launch ceremony, the production team entered a fast-paced mode.

This group included veteran actors as well as newcomers selected by some directors. The quality of the film would determine how far the drama could go and also the amount of money each person would receive. Therefore, besides his regular shooting tasks, Chen Yibai needed to rehearse with other actors, especially newcomers, privately, keeping busy from morning till night.

Due to the nature of the theme, the production team had many night scenes, with the total duration far exceeding that of a normal production team.

Most of the night scenes were outdoors. After finishing outdoor scenes one evening, they would need to return to the film base the next day to participate in the daytime shoots, constantly commuting and disrupting their sleep schedules. As a result, Chen Yibai, who originally drank one cup of black coffee a day, now consumed two cups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

In May and June, the weather started to heat up again. It was hot when shooting outdoors, and he didn't have much appetite for meals. Iced black coffee was just right.

It was evening, dinner time once again. The cameras stopped rolling, and the quiet space became noisy with people moving about.

After finishing the last scene, Chen Yibai walked towards his agent and assistant on his own initiative.

He had shot night scenes the previous night, and today wasn't suitable for further work. This was his last scene of the afternoon, and after completing it, he could end his day, conveniently connecting with the break scheduled for the following day.

Dinner had already been delivered earlier. His agent and a few others had quickly eaten while he was filming. When he approached, the assistant handed him the remaining dinner.

The agent said, "You didn't eat much at lunch today. Eat dinner first, then we'll head back to the hotel."

Casually removing the silver-rimmed glasses without prescription from his nose, he then casually rubbed his waist. The refined forensic doctor instantly transformed into an eighty-year-old man. Chen Yibai took the dinner and sat down on a small stool nearby, supporting himself with his hand on his waist.

Before he could start eating, someone came looking for him.

It was a newcomer he often rehearsed with, the one most frequently scolded by the director, and thus the one he practiced with the most.

"Teacher Yibai, do you have time now..."

As the person spoke, they jogged over with their script in hand. Only upon getting closer did they notice the dinner in his hands, pausing momentarily as they realized he hadn't eaten yet, coming to a sudden stop.

The person who had stopped suddenly swallowed the words they had prepared, unsure of what to say next, standing there. So, Chen Yibai asked, "Is there something you need?"

"I wanted to go over the upcoming scenes."

Upon his question, the newcomer, who hadn't thought through their wording, could only answer honestly. Then, they hurriedly added, "Teacher Yibai, please eat your dinner first. I won't disturb you now."

"It doesn't take much time to go over the scenes."

Putting aside his dinner temporarily, Chen Bai picked up the script and stood up, saying, "I'm resting tomorrow, so I won't be able to rehearse then."

The newcomer processed this for a moment, realizing it was an agreement, and hastily thanked him.

He had already stood up, so the agent didn't say anything else, watching the two leave.

The rehearsal time was neither long nor short, lasting around twenty minutes to half an hour. The newcomer tried to quickly finish the rehearsal without taking up too much of his time, but they repeatedly failed to get into character and find the right feeling, causing both of them to spend more time than expected.

The assistant sat beside the agent, glancing at the distant figure, which was already thin, and then at the dinner that should have cooled down by now. He said, "Is this okay?"

In recent days, outdoor and indoor scenes had alternated, resulting in chaotic schedules. Coupled with the hot weather affecting his appetite, the person had mostly consumed soy milk in the morning and black coffee, barely eating more than a few bites of food.

The agent sighed, "There's no way it's okay."

She said, "Tonight, let's ask if there are any dishes suitable for hot weather nearby."

Time passed quickly. While they were discussing, the evening light dimmed, and the clouds in the sky gradually turned from pinkish-purple to deep blue-purple.

Chen Yibai returned just as the last sliver of light disappeared, his silhouette illuminated by the fading light, making his expression indiscernible.

The agent felt intuitively that his steps seemed less relaxed than usual and stood up, squinting to look closely.

As he approached, the face hidden in the darkness was faintly illuminated by the surrounding light, revealing a complexion that was naturally pale.

"I've finished rehearsing."

A person who could remain sweat-free during outdoor scenes in this temperature had beads of cold sweat on his forehead. Rubbing his hair as usual, he said, "I seem to be feeling a bit unwell."

As he spoke, the cold sweat on his forehead trickled down.

"..."

Both assistants immediately stood up.

Well, there was indeed a problem.

That last bit of light in the sky had completely vanished.

It was close to the time to return to the hotel after work, and the driver was already in the car preparing. From a distance, he saw someone approaching.

It was slightly different from usual; the movements seemed faster.

He got out of the car to open the door but before he could reach the rear passenger door, the agent had already stepped forward and opened it. After getting in the car, she turned her head and said to him, "Start the car, we're going to the hospital."

"The hospital?"

The driver was initially taken aback but quickly understood the situation and didn't ask further. He swiftly returned to his driver's seat, started the engine, and simultaneously activated the navigation to the nearest hospital.

The streetlights on both sides of the road receded into the distance as the vehicle headed toward the hospital.

No matter the time, hospitals always reeked of a heavy disinfectant smell.

The fake forensic doctor encountered real doctors, who diagnosed him with a flare-up of gastritis after examination, earning him a hospital bed x1 and a patient gown x1.

"The patient's condition isn't severe; after taking medication, it's mostly under control. There's just a lingering low-grade fever. If you're still concerned, we recommend hospitalization for observation for a day."

The leap from outdoor filming to lying in a hospital bed was vast in both time and space. The sky had turned completely dark, and the man with gastritis lay quietly in his hospital room. His agent stood outside, conversing with the doctor, nodding at her words.

She proceeded to handle the necessary paperwork. When she returned to the ward and pushed open the door, the patient on the bed was trying to get his phone from his assistant with eyes wide open.

His complexion was pale, and he looked half-dead, but the fact that he remembered to ask for his phone was a sign that things weren't too bad.

The agent approached the bedside, sighed, and sat down. "Still thinking about playing with your phone at a time like this?"

"No."

Taking the phone swiftly handed over by the assistant, the patient reclined back onto the bed, glancing at the time on the screen. "I promised a friend I'd call after work."

It had already been over two hours past the agreed-upon time, and he couldn't just stand them up without reason. At the very least, he needed to explain what happened.

He was weak now, his voice softer than usual, but his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of his friend.

His friend's mental stability was unwavering. The assistant averted her gaze, and the agent rubbed her face. "I've already spoken to your friend."

She continued, "He couldn't reach you on the phone, so he asked me if something had happened."

Chen Yibai unlocked his phone and, as expected, saw several missed calls. Entering the chat interface, he casually asked, "What did Sister Qian say?"

"The truth."

The agent glanced at him. "Did you think you could hide this?"

Chen Yibai gestured a small distance. "This isn't a big deal. He's still working these days, so one less thing is better for his mood."

That was indeed his original intention.

The agent felt that, logically speaking, his condition couldn't be concealed. Regardless of other factors, his voice alone would betray him during a phone call, especially to his close friend.

With the topic of his friend raised, she asked, "Where does your friend work now?"

"Yesterday, it was in the neighboring city," Chen Yibai said, looking down at his typing. After finishing, he looked up again. "I haven't asked today, but it should be the same."

This question was supposed to be asked during their evening chat, but before they could talk, he couldn't hold out any longer, which was quite unfortunate.

That meant there was an eighty percent chance he wasn't in the city. The agent sighed. "Good thing we're here."

If his friend wasn't in town when he fell ill, it would have been hard to imagine how he would have managed to go to the hospital alone.

For the first dozen years of his life, he had always gone to the hospital alone, handled the procedures alone, and seen doctors alone. Hearing this, Chen Yibai, who had been typing, looked up, smiled slightly, nodded, and replied, "Good thing you're here."

Then, his late-night activities were taken away from him that night. Insufficient rest was one of the triggers for his gastritis, and the agent smiled, expressing her hope that he wouldn't stay up late that night.

Not staying up late was fine; he accepted it well. Spending money to stay in the hospital meant getting more sleep to justify the expense. His condition wasn't so poor that he needed someone to watch over him at night, and the conditions for companionship here weren't great. With no place to sleep and all matters settled, the agent and the assistant left the hospital at the last possible hour after ten o'clock that night. Their hotel was far away, so they temporarily stayed near the hospital.

The next day was overcast.

Rain had fallen the previous night, and the clouds remained unscattered. The morning air was heavy with moisture. As they entered the hospital building, a figure passed by the entrance.

The hospital operated on a visiting registration system. It was early in the morning, and the nurse at the registry was still yawning behind her mask when footsteps approached, casting a shadow over the bright lights above.

The person wearing a hat presented identification to prove his identity, stating he wanted to register for a visit.

The tall figure exuded a strong presence, and memories of past medical disturbances involuntarily flashed through the nurse's mind as she took the ID card offered to her.

"…"

Her mind instantly cleared when she recognized the name on the document. Her eyes widened, and she unconsciously lifted her head to meet the deep, dark eyes beneath the brim of the hat.

Those eyes weren't looking at her. The man lowered his head to fill out the registration form, saying, "I'm looking for Chen Bai in Room 302."

Despite her mind racing, her professional skills were intact, and the nurse quickly processed the registration. She also mentioned that the doctor would likely check on the patient in about half an hour. She watched as the visitor ascended the stairs.

It was still early, and the first and second floors were crowded. Shadows of people moving could already be seen in the corridors, but the third floor was empty, and the echoes of footsteps on the tile floor were clearly audible.

Xu Sinian reached out to grasp the doorknob and gently turned it.

As the doorknob turned, the patient, who had woken up too early due to sleeping too much the night before, lay in his hospital bed with unfocused, listless eyes staring at the blurry ceiling.

The room was dim, and even without checking his phone, he knew it was still early.

It was still early, but footsteps echoed in the room. The only ones who would come at this time were the agent, the assistant, or a doctor.

Hearing the sound, he tilted his head slightly and looked up.

His vision dropped from 5.0 to 0.5 upon waking up in the morning, so he couldn't see clearly, only vaguely recognizing a man dressed in white and black.

First, he ruled out the possibility of it being a doctor, who would typically wear a long white coat. Among the remaining possibilities, the patient tentatively called out, "Brother Liu, have you grown taller?"

Although his vision was blurred, his legs seemed to have lengthened as well.

"…"

A voice similar to Brother Liu's responded, "It's me."

The voice was low, pleasant, and familiar.

"?"

In a flash, the person on the bed sat up.

The result of suddenly sitting up while suffering from low blood pressure and low blood sugar was that the patient swayed on the bed after sitting up. His hand supporting himself on the bed weakened, and he ultimately leaned forward.

He wouldn't fall to the ground; he collapsed onto the good neighbor who had quickly moved to the bedside. The scent of rain mixed with a familiar fragrance filled his nostrils. His limbs were still weak, so where he fell, he leaned. He buried his entire face into the person's body and said, "It's not Brother Liu, it's actually Brother Xu."

The voice muffled through the fabric of his shirt sounded slightly dull. Tilting his head for a more comfortable position, he asked again, "Why did Comrade Old Xu come?"

The term "Brother Xu" was used only once, and then it was back to the usual "Comrade Old Xu." Comrade Old Xu replied, "I wanted to see you."

He glossed over the long journey by train that night, and asked, "How do you feel now?"

"I don't feel anything."

Finally regaining some strength in his limbs, he managed to sit up straight on his own. After a moment's reflection, he couldn't discern any particular sensation, so he said, "Perhaps I'm already better."

His good neighbor still carried the dampness from the road on him. Lowering his eyes, his dark pupils stared straight ahead, while the hand hanging at his side twitched slightly.

The patient thought for a moment, analyzed the situation, and then looked up, asking, "Do you want a hug?"

The good neighbor asked, "Is it okay?"

The patient smiled, "Yes, it is."

---

Assuming their friend should be awake by now, the agent and the assistant quickly freshened up before heading to the hospital before the doctor's rounds.

At this time, the hospital was bustling with people, its brightness sharply contrasting with the gloom outside. While registering, the nurse informed them that someone had already visited their friend earlier.

Ascending the stairs to the third floor, their footsteps echoed in the corridor as the assistant whispered, "Who would come at this hour?"

They had kept the hospitalization under wraps, so not many people should have known about it.

With no answer to this question and fearing the presence of unwanted visitors, they hastened their pace.

For the convenience of the nurses' rounds, the ward doors had narrow, elongated windows to check on the patients inside.

Pausing at the door marked "302," the agent led the way, raising her gaze and lifting her hand to knock.

Through the glass, she caught a glimpse of the person who had visited before them, now present in the room.

It was familiar – the friend of the patient who was supposed to be in the neighboring city.

She watched as the self-proclaimed friend bent down gently but irresistibly to embrace the patient in the blue-and-white hospital gown, one hand buried in his disheveled hair.