Chapter 72: Heavy Rain

Chapter 72: Heavy Rain

A young student turned to look at him, innocently puzzled, "Shouldn't you say it's quite coincidental?"

Chen Yibai, amenable to suggestion, changed his words, "Quite coincidental."

The topic ended with him exchanging contact information with several high school students, agreeing to play together when they had the chance next time.

Although they agreed to play together, after this summer vacation, they would be entering their final year of high school. These soon-to-be seniors probably wouldn’t have much time for games, as their current leisure time was already a rare luxury.

In any case, with the prospect of future fun dangled in front of them, the high school students were delighted.

Having not participated in a summer camp for far too long, Chen Yibai was curious about how it differed from what he experienced before, so he asked a few more questions.

It was evident that the high school students had experienced quite a lot during the summer camp; for every question he asked, they responded with ten answers, providing extensive details.

In summary, simply put, there wasn’t much difference—it was all equally boring, stemming from the same vein. When he participated many years ago, he skipped the activities and went out to play with friends instead. It was admirable that these high school students could endure until today without skipping any activities.

"We almost couldn’t make it, but fortunately, the schedule was adjusted, and it ended earlier than planned."

A certain high school student surnamed Xu said, "It was originally scheduled to end two days later, but since many students returned to school early, the camp also ended ahead of schedule, culminating in today’s closing ceremony."

His classmate speared a piece of fruit, saying, "It was quite coincidental. Today, an outstanding alumnus who donated a building came to visit the auditorium and even gave a brief speech."

A true two-sentence speech—the outstanding alumnus was a practical person, not wasting any words.

After placing a slice of watermelon in his mouth, Chen Yibai set down his metal fork and slightly raised his eyes, "Donated a building? Quite impressive."

The surfing expert Old Lin said, "It seems his name is Huochuan, someone who used to appear on TV frequently."

"?"

Confirmed, the world was indeed a small village.

If it was the God of Wealth, then he certainly had the capability. Chen Yibai nodded, "Indeed."

Xiao Xu turned to ask, "Brother Bai, do you know him too?"

He first heard this name by chance when Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu were chatting idly. He only retained a few scattered impressions in his mind, remembering that the person was capable but had poor judgment.

Using his fingers to indicate a short distance, a certain Brother Bai said, "Sort of."

They chatted for a long time, changing topics several times. Before eating, Xiao Xu finally remembered he had an older brother and asked Second Brother Bai, "When will my brother be back?"

The other students also looked over.

Having known each other for quite some time, they were aware that Xu Lang had an older brother, but they had never met him. Honestly speaking, they were quite curious to see what kind of person could get along so well with Chen Yibai.

Chen Yibai glanced at the time, saying, "In about half a month."

By then, the high school students would all be locked up in school.

That meant they wouldn’t be able to meet him. The other high school students sighed in regret.

Chen Yibai smiled.

The high school students arrived in the morning, originally planning to leave in the afternoon. However, since Young Master Xu’s house was large enough and had plenty of rooms, they stayed overnight. That night, after friendly exchanges with Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu upon their return home, they squeezed into the young master’s room for a wild play session.

The high school students went upstairs to play freely while the three mature adults downstairs followed their routine of watching an animated movie for appreciation. They used the sound as background noise for their actual conversation.

Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu kept their personal lives separate from work. Unless there were urgent messages, they didn’t touch their phones after work. Their leisure activity was to chat while taking walks. Due to the recent hot weather, they switched to watching TV while chatting.

Having just heard the God of Wealth’s name that morning, Chen Moubai heard it again during this conversation.

Ms. Jiang was originally thinking about her plans for the upcoming period when she suddenly remembered something. She turned to look at Mr. Xu and said, "Isn’t the eldest son of the Huo family due to hold a birthday banquet soon? I seemed to hear someone mention it during a conversation today, but I can’t remember clearly."

Mr. Xu recalled, but found he had no memory of it. There hadn’t been much interaction between them until recently, when they began exploring new directions and thus had a few contacts. It hadn’t been long, so he wasn’t very clear about it.

What he did know was that if they were holding a birthday banquet and they still had ongoing cooperation, they would likely receive an invitation. They estimated that they would have to attend.

Chen Bai listened in, slowly drinking some water, and roughly planned his schedule for this period.

If the God of Wealth was going to hold a birthday banquet, he would probably be quite busy during this time. There might not be any opportunities for him to work here. Since Chen Yibai was still adjusting his body’s rest schedule, he didn’t have much work arranged—only one advertisement shoot and a business dinner. After calculating, Chen Erbai finally had ample time to catch up on sleep.

Mr. Xu said, "I haven’t heard much about him recently. I wonder how Zhang Ling’s health is now."

When the former head of the Huo family passed away, it sent shockwaves through both the inner and outer circles. Many people around him mentioned the name of the deceased head’s wife, whom he remembered as being in poor health.

Ms. Jiang, who was secretly at the forefront of gossip, waved her hand and said, "I heard Mrs. Yang mention that she seems to be in good spirits. She often posted on her social media recently."

If she had the mood to post on social media, then she was indeed doing quite well.

"Mrs. Yang?"

Mr. Xu thought for a moment and finally remembered who she was, saying, "I wonder if her son will return to the country this year."

"Mrs. Yang’s son has been abroad for several years and hasn’t come back."

Seeing the person with messy hair looking at her, Ms. Jiang first briefly explained, then answered Mr. Xu, "He didn’t come back even during the New Year. Instead, they went abroad as a couple. He probably won’t return this year either."

It had been too long since any plot development occurred, or rather, reality had strayed completely from the book’s storyline. Chen Bai took a moment to react and finally recalled that the White Moonlight Brother seemed to have the surname Yang. Because the initial plot in the book was too shocking, he hadn’t read it carefully. Like Zhang Something, he only remembered the surname, recalling it as Yang Something.

If there were no surprises, the son mentioned by the two people beside him should be the White Moonlight Brother.

According to the fragmented plot he could still recall, the White Moonlight Brother shouldn’t return to the country so early. He would only make a grand entrance later, becoming one of the figures causing immense pain to the supporting character brother after Zhang Something, initiating a love triangle filled with heart-wrenching twists.

However, with the current plot diverging so drastically that even the author wouldn’t recognize it, the love triangle was definitely out of the question. The White Moonlight Brother might return and coincidentally engage in a duet with the God of Wealth.

After a wild night of play, the high school students bid farewell and left the following morning. Having fulfilled his promise to accompany Xiao Xu, who had spent another summer vacation in solitude, for two days, Chen Yibai similarly departed a few days later.

With commercial shoots scheduled for the next day followed by a banquet in the evening, staying in the city would be more convenient for work, saving him a significant amount of commuting time.

He arrived with a small suitcase and left with an inexplicably larger collection of items.

Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu didn't indulge in ostentatious gifts; instead, they had him take along some fresh fruit and homemade cakes from the kitchen, repeatedly reminding him to eat well before he departed.

Chen Yibai hopped into the car, nodding vigorously and waving with a smile.

The journey from the estate to the city took over an hour, leading him back to a place he hadn't resided in for quite some time.

The commercial shoot required his presence for the entire day, with a day's break in between, followed by a business banquet.

On the day of work, his agent, as per routine, came to pick him up at home.

Together with a small team, they descended the elevator and approached the door. Upon opening it, she widened her eyes, giving him a thorough once-over before commenting, "Your aunt and uncle sure know how to take care of you."

Slightly dazed, Chen Moubai, with his tousled hair, didn't quite catch on, turning his head and asking, "Huh?"

The assistant and stylist behind him then scrutinized him more closely, nodding in agreement.

His innate physique was evident, but despite still being slim, his complexion had improved significantly, his lips now rosy. His smile held a greater charm, his eyes sparkling as if piercing straight into one's heart.

Feeling like they had missed something crucial, the assistant inquired, "Aunt and Uncle?"

Chen Yibai chuckled, explaining, "Friends' parents."

To Chen Yibai, the term 'friend' had become a specific reference, allowing the assistant to instantly connect the dots without much thought, her body jolting in surprise. "You've reached this stage already?"

Uncertain about what exactly she had missed, she felt as though the world had transformed upon returning from a break.

Chen Yibai glanced at her, "Hmm?"

The assistant clarified, "I mean...you've gotten so close with your aunt and uncle."

Chen Yibai nodded with a smile in response.

Before the stylist could engage in a battle with his unruly hair, he opened the fridge and retrieved half of its contents—fruit. He quickly prepared a simple fruit platter and placed it on the living room table, saying, "Auntie asked me to bring these over; they're all delicious."

Auntie Jiang was concerned that he wouldn't have enough to eat, so she packed a substantial amount. If he were to eat alone, it would take days to finish.

Thus, the small team was fortunate enough to enjoy a selection of fruits prepared by a renowned actor's parents.

Indeed, the fruits were delectable, cold and refreshing. As the stylist battled with Chen Moubai's hair, she occasionally snatched a piece, her temper cooling down considerably.

Without having to manage Chen Moubai's hair, the agent felt a wave of relief, sitting aside and munching on the fruit platter while asking, "Are you going back to your aunt and uncle's tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow," Chen Bai replied. "I have work the day after, so it's more convenient to stay here."

As he spoke, he realized he had forgotten to schedule the live broadcast notification for the next day, so he pulled out his phone.

Behind him, Stylist Jing was engrossed in a historic struggle with his hair, not paying attention to his phone screen. He swiftly navigated through the app, switching accounts effortlessly.

Despite using the app for a long time, he hadn't mastered any of its other features, focusing solely on perfecting the account-switching process.

"Bzzz—"

Just as he finished typing the live broadcast notification, his phone vibrated, and a message popped up on the screen.

It was a message from the God of Wealth. He clicked to read it.

"Do you have time tomorrow afternoon?"

After numerous previous interactions, the God of Wealth had learned to quote a price before Chen Yibai could subtly inquire about his salary. Two seconds later, he added that he would personally come to pick him up.

Being picked up meant no transportation allowance, which was admittedly disheartening, but the consistent offer of one million yuan was hard to resist, eliciting a slight upward curve at the corners of his mouth.

With another large order representing four percent of his overall target, the diligent worker rapidly typed his reply, switched interfaces, and adjusted the original live broadcast notification, changing the afternoon stream to a morning one.

After sending the notification, he pocketed his phone. The assistant, seated on the opposite side of the sofa, was still monitoring the weather, remarking, "It seems there might be heavy rain these two days."

Chen Yibai slightly lifted his gaze, glancing out the window.

No joke, the sky was cloudless, the sunlight blindingly bright.

The agent commented, "The weather has been changing rapidly lately."

Indeed, the weather changed swiftly, but it didn't rain as forecasted. The following day was overcast, with temperatures notably lower than usual and a gentle breeze, but no sign of precipitation.

Streaming for a few hours in the morning, Chen Yibai wrapped up his session just in time for the agreed-upon meeting with the God of Wealth in the afternoon. Removing his headphones, he noticed that the room had grown considerably darker since the start of the broadcast.

Overcast skies, no rain—a perfect weather condition for going out.

Stretching his limbs with a few punches and kicks, feeling rejuvenated, he finally stood before the wardrobe, swapping out his 39.9 outfit for a new, complimentary garment provided by the brand. Grabbing his keys, he headed downstairs.

Stepping out of the building, he received a call from the God of Wealth.

Bounding down the stairs in three quick strides, he answered the call, slightly lifting his cap brim, and said, "Two minutes, I'm sprinting."

By "sprinting," he meant moving at a pace slightly faster than a leisurely stroll.

The God of Wealth didn't call to rush him but merely to inform him of the pickup location.

He didn't actually need to say it; outside the residential complex gate, two cars were parked by the roadside, one a taxi that had just departed. Approaching the only remaining vehicle, Chen Moubai initially intended to open the rear passenger door himself, but a faint sound caught his attention—the front passenger door popped open, and a voice from his phone directed, "This side."

He proceeded to the front passenger seat.

Unlike before, this time, the person occupying the driver's seat wasn't the chauffeur but the God of Wealth himself, who should have been seated in the back. After boarding the car, he ended the phone call, casually dimming the screen and setting the phone aside.

Keeping traffic rules in mind, Chen Moubai buckled his seatbelt as soon as he sat in the front passenger seat. While fastening it, he inquired, "Wea...Wait, why is President Huo driving personally?"

The God of Wealth said, "Occasionally, it's alright to open it."

Glancing sideways, noticing that the person had automatically switched to silent mode again, he gripped the steering wheel and reminded them that there was no need for pretense.

"?"

For the second consecutive time, without entering work mode, the dedicated actor turned to carefully observe the person beside him. His mind whirred, reasonably suspecting that the person had fallen out with Brother White Moonlight again, but looking at their seemingly good mood, he couldn't quite understand.

Deciding not to overthink it, he concluded that as long as he got paid, everything was fine. As the car started, and watching the receding scenery by the roadside, the actor, now in rest mode, asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the south of the city, there's a park they built over there."

Glancing at the mask still on the face of the person beside him, Huochuan said, "It's not open to the public today, so there's no one coming in or out."

In other words, there was no need to worry about being seen by others; they could remove their masks and hats. When Ms. Zhang's health was still manageable, she lived in the south of the city, where she had a friend's dog staying with her. To let the dog run freely without a leash, she built a private garden, which people often referred to as a park.

There wasn't much basis for it, but he simply felt that this person might prefer outdoor activities to indoor ones.

Indeed, Chen Moubai enjoyed taking walks. When he was at Ms. Jiang's house, if the evening temperature allowed, he would follow her out into the yard to stroll around. The yard was large enough for him to walk comfortably.

A park, in simple terms, was an enlarged version of a yard. Upon hearing what the God of Wealth said, his first reaction was that entering a park not yet open to the public seemed akin to sneaking into someone's yard, which didn't seem right. Fortunately, his rationality remained intact, and before he could voice his thoughts, his mind took a turn, considering the possibility that the park was privately funded.

The distance from here to the south of the city wasn't far, less than an hour's drive.

Indeed, the park wasn't open to the public, and theirs was the only car in the parking lot. The moment the car door opened, giving no chance for any reaction, Chen Moubai had already skillfully and smoothly unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car, landing steadily.

They left in the afternoon, arriving just as dusk fell. Clouds floated overhead, obscuring most of the light, while the street lamps illuminated the road. Tucking his mask into his pocket, he reached up to remove his hat, letting his hair be tousled by the evening breeze.

His hair ruffled backward, the shadows of the trees swayed, and the wind seemed to carry the scent of leaves mixed with fresh grass.

As Huochuan glanced sideways, his pupils, sunken in shadow, froze for a moment before moving away, looking elsewhere.

He had indeed guessed correctly. Outdoors, the person beside him was much more relaxed than when they were shopping in the mall. Their eyes crinkled in a smile, and they lowered their head, stretching out their hand to try and feel the shape of the wind. They spoke more frequently than usual.

"18:45"

Not wearing a watch today, he lowered his head to check the time on his phone, then put it back in his pocket. Huochuan said, "If we go further in, there's a fountain. It looks different at night. Would you like to see it?"

The man, whose hair had instantly become tousled upon removing his hat, nodded.

The park was called a park for a reason—it was vast. Walking from their original location to the supposed fountain took quite some time. The heavy overcast sky had turned the day into night, with only the distant city lights and the street lamps providing illumination.

The fountain was there, shaped like a gently sloping circular ramp that dipped towards the center. The ramp was smooth, almost inviting children to slide down it, and there was a small pond-like area in the center. Everything was perfect except for the fact that the fountain wasn't spraying water.

Suspecting that the fountain was broken, Chen Moubai, ever considerate and optimistic, patted Huochuan's shoulder in consolation, saying, "That little pond in the middle is pretty nice too."

For a moment, there was no response to his comfort. Huochuan lowered his head to check the time on his phone again.

"18:59"

"Ding—"

As the phone screen lit up, a faint sound of metal clinking against marble echoed. It was a key, slightly smaller than a regular house key, with a short thin string attached. In the light, it looked old.

Upon seeing the key, his pupils, still reflecting the glow of the phone, flickered, and Huochuan quickly bent down.

Someone had moved before him. The key, after landing on the ramp, didn't stop but slid down. The moment it began sliding, Chen Bai lowered his center of gravity and rushed up the ramp, his hair and clothes swiftly cutting through the wind.

At the end of the ramp was a drain, large enough to swallow the key whole. Beyond the drain was the small pond, less than two meters away.

With the added momentum from the ramp, due to inertia, anyone who went down at that speed would directly plunge into the small pond.

"…"

The pond was shallow, its bottom easily visible, shimmering under the light, tranquil and undisturbed.

Yet it seemed like an abyss without bottom, waves crashing, currents swirling, dark and impenetrable.

All sounds vanished as Huochuan leaped off the edge of the ramp, his vision narrowing to the figure ahead.

His actions were ultimately a step too late. By the time he landed and lifted his gaze, the person in front of him had already met the dark surface of the water with unstoppable force.

Sliding along the ground with one hand supporting him, Chen Bai descended the ramp without slowing down, charging straight toward the small pond without any attempt to brake.

Facing the slightly rippling pond, just before colliding with the water, he pushed off the stone bricks at the edge of the pond with one hand, using the momentum to change direction. He leaped out of the pond's range, landing steadily on the sidewalk beside it.

The little bit of showboating he learned during filming actually came in handy at this moment.

Wiping away a nonexistent bead of sweat, he raised his eyes, intending to look back at where he had been standing. Instead, he met the gaze of the God of Wealth, who had somehow come down and was now close to the edge of the pool. The look in his eyes was hard to decipher, filled with emotions he couldn't quite identify.

Unable to discern them, he didn't bother trying. Half-kneeling on the sidewalk, he slightly raised his hand, palm open. A small key hung steadily from his finger, faintly gleaming in the light.

He smiled and said, "I made it."

Snatching the key just half a second before it fell into the drain, it was quite thrilling.

Then he asked, "Why did President Huo come down here?"

President Huo looked over, his gaze first sweeping past the key before settling on him. His pupils wide open, he stepped forward.

Seven o'clock sharp.

"Whoosh—"

A vast mist of water rose from the edge of the pond, grand and spectacular. After reaching its peak, it scattered in droplets.

The translation aimed to maintain the essence and tone of the original text while ensuring clarity and coherence in English. The narrative style has been adapted to suit English readers, with attention given to sentence structure, vocabulary choice, and cultural nuances.

Turns out the fountain wasn't broken after all.

Crouching safely out of range, Chen Moubai watched as Mr. Huo, standing by the pond, was drenched from head to toe, his shirt soaked and water droplets clinging to his eyelashes.

The God of Wealth had taken a tumble into the water, looking quite disheveled.

"…"

Though he didn't quite understand, Chen Moubai's naturally smiling lips, which he selectively displayed when it suited him, reappeared.

Mr. Huo started walking over.

"Quite the refined taste, Boss," Chen Moubai said as he stood up from the ground, seemingly nonchalantly covering his mouth with his hand. "Taking a bath, are we?"

He took a slight step back, avoiding the mist that threatened to reach him, and added, "I just washed up yesterday. Today, you can enjoy your bath alone, Boss. I won't accompany you in your refined taste this time."

He was determined to return home clean and dry.

After his cuffs were dampened by the mist earlier, two more drops of water fell onto the top of his head.

Thinking he was still within the affected area, he took another two steps back. It was futile, and the situation escalated beyond just a few drops on his head.

Sensing something amiss, he looked up, trying to find the cause.

Then, a deluge hit him full force, the air around him filled with water vapor, just as powerful as the fountain.

"Splash—"

The heavy rain forecasted for days finally arrived at this moment.

It was indeed substantial and unexpected.

Drenched from start to finish, Chen Moubai cursed his rotten luck: "…"

He was certain he hadn't seen wrong; he had definitely seen the God of Wealth smile just now.