Chapter 73: Return to the Homeland

Chapter 73: Return to the Homeland

The torrential rain drenched him to the bone, chilling his heart.

Chen Moubai watched as President Huochuan approached, wiping away droplets of water that clung to the tips of his hair before handing over the keys in his hand.

President Huochuan took the keys, thanked him, then looked down at him and said, "You're quite the connoisseur of elegance."

Indeed, he hadn't misjudged; this person was indeed smiling.

All those indecipherable emotions from earlier vanished, replaced by the most genuine expression of all—a smile.

His congenitally smiling lips had once again become recessive, but Stinky Chen chose to respond with a fake smile, asking, "Should the boss take another stroll or head back?"

To be honest, given their current state, he felt there was no difference between returning early or walking around a bit longer. After all, they were both getting soaked; it was merely a matter of how long they would endure the rain.

It would take some time to return to where they came from, so the boss chose to take an alternative route back.

They had already seen the fountain, albeit for just a fleeting moment, after which it blended into the rain, making it impossible to distinguish one thing from another. But at least they could say they'd seen it, and now they could leave.

On the way back, the considerate Master Chen let the big boss walk under the trees, claiming it rained less there.

In such heavy rain, it didn't really make a difference where one stood, but the big boss still moved under the trees. Master Chen followed suit, and when they passed beneath the tree he had chosen as his target, he confirmed they were within the canopy's coverage before leaping up with lightning speed and smacking the branch that jutted out above them.

As the branch moved, the leaves shook, and the droplets of water clinging to them slid off instantly, creating a loud sound.

The big boss was hit, and the instigator couldn't escape either—it was a case of self-inflicted damage in the process of attacking the enemy.

Wiping away the water marks on his face, Chen Bai laughed and said, "I've added a touch of brilliance to the boss's elegance."

The rain was loud, so his words needed to be amplified automatically to be heard, requiring him to shout.

This was payback for being ridiculed at the fountain earlier—he wasn't willing to take any losses.

Indeed, it did add a certain brilliance, as the rain now mixed with the leaves, leaving both of them even more disheveled.

Once donned, a suit was hard to remove, and he hadn't been this disheveled or unconventional in over a decade. His shirt was completely soaked, with a leaf stuck to it, and his trousers had become heavier. Looking at the congenitally smiling lips beside him, which were now laughing without restraint, Huochuan couldn't help but laugh too, saying, "Well put."

Chen Moubai laughed and said, "A stroll in the rain is quite enjoyable, isn't it, boss?"

A peculiar kind of rain-walk. The boss had never taken a proper rain-walk, but he could guess that a real one probably didn't involve strolling through a downpour.

Around them was the sound of raindrops continuously hitting the ground and leaves, creating a complex and dense symphony that brought a chill to their bodies. He looked at the person walking relaxedly by his side with his hands behind his back and asked, "Are you free tomorrow night?"

The rain was too loud, drowning out human voices, so Chen Bai raised his eyes and said, "Huh?"

Huochuan bent down and repeated himself patiently.

As they drew closer, the sound reached Chen Bai's ears, and he answered, "I have work tomorrow night, probably ending around nine o'clock."

Then he asked, "Is there something you need, President Huochuan?"

Huochuan said, "I'm taking you to meet some friends tomorrow night."

Chen Bai's first thought was of the birthday party he had heard about from Ms. Jiang, which he mentioned directly.

"No, that's the day after," Huochuan said. "Tomorrow is just a gathering of friends."

The birthday party was work, more about business dealings, while the small gathering with friends the day before was the true get-together.

Putting aside the question of why he suddenly needed to meet friends, he stated the facts objectively, "Didn't we already meet them before?"

Back during the old man's birthday banquet atop Zhang's head—though the details were hazy, he remembered they had a pleasant conversation.

Huochuan said, "This is different from that."

Not understanding what made it different, Chen Moubai pondered, but the God of Wealth quoted a number, causing him to stop thinking immediately. "Yes, boss."

With the coins in place, his smile was genuine, and he asked with professional courtesy, "Which friends? I should memorize them."

As long as there was money involved, his brain's memory could be frighteningly strong.

The boss said, "No need. I'll introduce you to them when the time comes."

No preparation required, another easy job. Chen Bai gave his good boss a thumbs-up in return.

President Huo watched the raindrops trickle down his hand and said, "Let's get back to the car quickly."

Chen Moubai himself wasn't in a hurry, exuding composure from head to toe.

He wasn't boasting, but he knew his body well; as soon as he got wet, he caught a cold. Getting a little wet meant catching a cold, and getting more wet also meant catching a cold—it didn't make much difference.

Arriving back at the parking lot, he was led to the car. There was a blanket inside, not too big or small, just right for wiping the water off his head. The God of Wealth handed him the blanket, urging him to save his hair.

Chen Bai saved it, transforming his wet mess into a nest-like hairstyle. Rubbing his hair a few more times, he pulled down the passenger-side mirror and glanced at himself, amused by his own nest-like hairdo. Laughing, he leaned back and skillfully pulled out his phone, snapping a photo somewhat clumsily.

His photography skills weren't great, but he had a knack for finding odd angles.

A strange photo was freshly produced, and he habitually wanted to send it to his good neighbor. After opening the chat window, his mind finally caught up, remembering that he was still in a drenched state. Thus, he promptly stopped his finger from tapping the send button, reluctantly putting his phone away.

Instead of heading straight home, the God of Wealth first took him to the house nearby where he used to live. Although no one lived there anymore, a housekeeper cleaned it regularly every month, keeping it in the same condition as if someone were living there.

After taking a shower and changing into clothes kindly provided by the boss, Chen Moubai became dry and refreshed once again. It was late, and he had work the next day, so he was sent back home.

The vehicle slowly came to a halt at the entrance of the residential area. As Huochuan was unbuckling his seatbelt, Chen Moubai acted with remarkable speed, unbuckling his own seatbelt and jumping out of the car, umbrella in hand, heading toward the gate of the residential area while waving goodbye.

He moved as if he had suddenly teleported twenty miles away, already halfway down the road, leaving no time for Huochuan to catch up. So, he didn't get out of the car, instead sitting inside and awkwardly waving back, letting out a laugh.

The heavy rain continued to fall, blurring the car windows, only to be swept away by the wipers.

The rain came again on the second day, close to evening, and as expected, Chen Moubai caught a cold.

It was quite timely for him to catch a cold, with a delayed onset that coincided perfectly with the end of his workday.

With the job done, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he returned to the hotel room arranged by the event organizers and changed into his usual clothes. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he sneezed.

After the sneeze, his symptoms hit him like a tiger, and he followed it up with a couple of forceful coughs.

The agent and others sitting outside looked over and asked, "Got a cold?"

Though phrased as a question, it was said in a declarative tone.

Chen Mou Bai, who had just been caught in the rain yesterday, didn't elaborate. He simply ruffled his hair and laughed, saying, "Seems so."

The stylist's breath caught at the sight of him ruffling his hair, remembering that the work was already finished. She exhaled and continued packing her case for dinner. After everything was packed away, she bid farewell and left.

She and her two assistants lived in the same direction, which was opposite from the neighborhood. It wasn't convenient for them to go together, as they would have to make a large detour by car, so the three of them took one car and left first.

The agent stayed behind, still seated comfortably on the sofa. The time was late, and after returning home to wash up, it would be around her usual bedtime. Chen Yibai said, "Sister Qian, why don't you go ahead? I have a car coming to pick me up."

Gao Qian shifted her position on the sofa. "I know, I'll wait a bit longer. No problem."

She was aware that someone would come to pick up this dense-minded individual after tonight's work, and out of safety concerns, she needed to at least take a look at who would be picking him up and confirm if they were reliable. Sitting on the sofa here or there made no difference; she could wait a while longer.

Waiting together was nice, as they could chat. Sitting down on the sofa, Chen Yibai inquired about the driver, Uncle Zhao, who had taken the day off, asking, "Did Uncle Zhao pick up his daughter?"

Uncle Zhao had a daughter studying abroad who hadn't returned in three years. This time, he didn't want to miss her arrival and took a day off to meet her at the airport. According to the previously mentioned schedule, he should have picked her up by now.

Only then did the agent remember something. She placed the heavy car keys that had been in her pocket on the table and said, "Not yet. Her flight was delayed. She should arrive in about half an hour."

Uncle Zhao took the day off, and the company originally wanted to temporarily assign another driver. However, she found it troublesome and didn't know the new driver well, so she decided to drive herself, becoming a driver once again after a long time.

Chen Yibai chuckled and reached for the water cup set aside, taking a sip slowly. "Uncle Zhao must be anxiously waiting right now."

The agent nodded. "This is the hardest time to wait."

"…"

Uncle Zhao wasn't the only one finding the wait difficult.

The vehicles parked downstairs at the hotel dispersed one after another, and the city sank into darkness, with only the heavy rain continuing.

Standing by the window and watching the last car leave the outdoor parking lot, the agent checked the time and turned to ask, "When will the person picking you up arrive?"

Chen Bai rubbed his slightly itchy throat and picked up his phone to check the messages.

Caishen hadn't replied yet, but a new notification popped up on his phone, showing an account balance change. As he opened the chat window, it displayed an incoming deposit of "2,000,000.00 yuan."

"?"

The number of zeros following the 2 was quite substantial. Chen Bai took a closer look and realized it was a neat two million, twenty percent of his overall goal.

Confronted with such a large sum of money, the law-abiding citizen Chen's first reaction was to report it to the police. Fortunately, upon a second glance, he noticed that the account making the transfer was a familiar one, and he stopped himself from making the call.

He didn't make the call, but the phone rang, coming from Caishen, who had just transferred the two million.

After greeting the agent, he got up with his phone and answered the call back in his room.

Amidst the chaotic sound of rain, the voice on the other end of the line remained calm, albeit somewhat low, speaking softly.

"…"

In the quiet space where only the sound of rain and the phone could be heard, Chen Bai listened to the person on the other end speak, continuing to rub his itchy throat.

The message from the other side was simple: something unexpected had come up, and they had to change course to another location. The plan to meet friends yesterday would have to be postponed, but the payment would still be made. They urged him to return home and rest early.

The payment was double the regular wage, equivalent to a paid vacation with double pay.

The gloomy sky seemed to brighten a little, and a diligent worker opened his eyes. It was good news, but the situation on the other side seemed off. There was silence, and they apologized to him for some unknown reason.

With double pay for the vacation, he didn't see any reason for an apology. He reasonably suspected that the person on the other end of the phone might have also gotten drenched in the rain and was feeling dizzy, so he honestly said, "President Huo, there's nothing to apologize for."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized that after his brain, his throat had also succumbed to the illness. His voice sounded hoarse and nasal.

His throat itched, and his nose followed suit. Unable to bear it, he turned to find a tissue and quickly said, "President Huo, please attend to your matters. I won't disturb you anymore."

The person on the other end seemed to want to say something else, and he heard some sounds. However, he was quick to hang up the call when he heard the sounds, turning around to grab a tissue and cover his mouth and nose as he sneezed.

The call had already ended, and it wasn't appropriate to call back. He rubbed his nose and put his phone in his pocket before leaving the room.

The agent looked at him. "Was that the person coming to pick you up?"

She asked, "What did they say?"

Chen Yibai nodded and took a deep breath through his nose. "The original plan is canceled. We can head straight home."

"That's great. Just in time to go straight to bed when we get home."

After waiting for so long, a single phone call canceled the plans. The agent didn't ask further, silently categorizing the person as unreliable in her mind. She stood up, bent down to pick up her car keys and phone, and said, "Good thing I'm still here. Let's go. I'll take you back."

Chen Yibai sniffled and smiled, thanking her.

The agent glanced at him, suppressing her other emotions, and mercilessly burst out laughing. "You look like you've been hurt by a scumbag."

If she didn't know he was sick, she would have thought he was crying from heartbreak.

Here he was, coughing and having a cold, while she laughed without restraint. A truly excellent agent, causing Chen Yibai to cough twice more and put on a mask.

At the time he was supposed to be heading to work, he got into a car bound for home.

The vehicle emerged from the hotel's underground parking lot and drove into the pouring rain.

Thanks to this heavy downpour, traffic moved slowly, turning what should have been less than an hour's journey home into over an hour, and that was still a relatively optimistic estimate.

Halfway through, they encountered another 90-second red light. The agent leaned back against the seat, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel involuntarily.

The patient in the passenger seat didn't need to drive; he had already slept for over half an hour and was now looking at his phone after waking up.

A co-star from "Fate Inquiry," the third male lead, had sent him a message, sharing the latest gossip. Chen Yibai was currently browsing through the exposé.

The gossip was indeed fresh, having been posted only a dozen minutes ago, still hot off the press. The account seemed familiar, as if his co-star had recommended it before.

He read the content and remembered why it felt so familiar. As usual, the exposé was accompanied by vivid images and delivered a powerful punch.

The person in the featured image was recognizable, having called him just a short while ago.

Similar to the photos taken abroad, the driver held an umbrella while the man in the picture supported the car door, sending someone off.

There was a celebrity arrival at the airport today, attracting a crowd of fans and media. This photo was an unexpected bonus for the media present, slightly blurry but clear enough for identification.

There was only one person who could make Caisen act like this.

The agent beside him, eyes dull, was still waiting for the excessively long red light, his eyes stinging from staring at the countdown. He withdrew his gaze, watching the wipers swipe away the raindrops on the windshield, commenting, "This rain is just like in TV dramas when the male lead's first love returns."

Chen Yibai nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

It wasn't just like it; it was exactly that.

He finally understood what Caisen meant by suddenly having something come up.

Here, the plot had fallen apart, and there were changes on the white moonlight side as well, the reasons unknown. In any case, the white moonlight had returned early.

No wonder he had to free up time even with a last-minute change in plans, yearning for the white moonlight's return. How could he not go to pick her up?

Lowering his head to reply to his co-star, he put away his phone, propping his cheek with one hand and glancing out the window at the rain curtain, exhaling slowly.

The agent asked him, "What's wrong?"

The flu-stricken patient gazed at the sky at a 45-degree angle and said, "I've lost another job."

Following the piano playing gig at the restaurant, he had lost another part-time job. With the white moonlight brother's return, the problem of excessive longing was resolved. There was no longer any need to continue this line of business from any perspective.

He finally understood the meaning behind the other party's apology during their previous call.

If he hadn't misunderstood, the apology meant that their cooperation had ended here.

Although there was talk of introducing friends next time, this was akin to a customer saying "I'll buy it next time" while shopping, a pure and genuine empty promise with no chance of a sequel.

---

Torrential rain poured down, covering the city, as planes landed.

In a brightly lit private room at the hotel, no one sat at the dining table, while a circle of people lounged on the sofas around it. Not everyone had arrived yet. A few close friends, unusually dressed formally, gathered together with nothing to do. They ordered a few drinks and started playing some board games, waiting while they played.

After two rounds of the board game, Zhang Wenxuan put down his glass and checked his watch, saying, "You guys keep playing; I'll ask where Huo's busy schedule has taken him to pick someone up."

The others waved him off, signaling for him to make the call.

Leaning back on the sofa, he looked at the message that still hadn't received a reply and dialed the number directly.

They never expected that Huo would actually settle down one day. When Zhang Wenxuan relayed the news yesterday, they were all taken aback, thinking he was joking again. It wasn't until Huo himself simply and directly sent a red envelope in the group chat that they realized this time it seemed serious.

To be serious, this person's taste had finally improved once.

The call was still ringing without being answered, but the others stopped playing the board game and leaned in to listen to how the conversation would go.

The call didn't get through.

"Um..."

A friend sitting on the other side didn't lean over. Holding his phone and reading messages, he raised his head and spoke, drawing the attention of the others.

Facing the group's gazes, the friend said, "That person from the Yang family has returned... Just landed at the airport, a friend of mine saw them."

"..."

The room fell silent instantly.

Zhang Wenxuan: "For real?"

The friend confirmed, "That friend has met Yang Shu before and wouldn't mistake them."

The others paused, Zhang Wenxuan's eyebrows twitched, and he began making frantic calls. When one call didn't get through, he made several more, repeatedly dialing without stopping.

After three unanswered calls, the fourth was finally picked up on the other end.

Vaguely, the sound of rain hitting the car outside could be heard from the phone. Zhang Wenxuan restrained his temper and didn't say anything else, instead asking, "Did you pick up Chen Yibai?"

All the friends gathered around, abandoning their drinks and straining their ears to listen carefully.

"No."

The voice on the other end of the phone said, "He won't be coming today. I have something going on here. You guys start eating, I'll join later."

With a "whoosh," Zhang Wenxuan's suppressed anger flared up. His hand hanging by his side moved restlessly, but his friends on either side held him back in time. He asked, "When you say something came up, it wouldn't be picking up Yang Shu, would it?"

The response from the other side was affirmative.

Zhang Wenxuan exploded.

"What do you think we're all gathered here for! What do you think Chen Yibai has been waiting for since he got off work over an hour ago!"

As his temper flared, his friends quickly restrained him. With no room to move his limbs freely, Zhang Wenxuan could only vent through his mouth, saying, "Do you really think it's about your money?"

In the heat of the moment, he remembered that the phone in his hand was his own. He didn't throw it but instead tightened his grip, saying, "We all thought you finally came to your senses, and this is what you call coming to your senses?"

His friends tried to control him while interjecting, sensing that he might start spouting nonsense. One of them instinctively covered his mouth, while another friend asked into the phone, "What did President Huo say to Chen Yibai?"

It was time to pick up the others, and this person should at least have a somewhat acceptable explanation.

They were told that Huo had offered two million yuan.

"…"

The hand covering Zhang Wenxuan's mouth suddenly loosened.

He instantly broke free from the hand over his mouth and said, "Huo Chuan, you deserve to be single for the rest of your life!"

Before he could continue, his friend hastily hung up the call.

Zhang Wenxuan wanted to grab the phone back to continue berating someone, but his friend urged him to calm down.

There was still room for maneuver. Chen Yibai didn't know why Huo had changed course, and if handled well, there could be a way to explain the situation reasonably afterward.

As they struggled over the phone, the person who first shared Yang Shu's return news looked down at their phone again. After reading it, they lifted their head.

This time, they remained silent, unsure of how to speak. Instead, they turned the phone screen toward the others.

On the illuminated digital screen was a promotional post, with a clear title and photo, its popularity rapidly increasing.

"…"

Damn.

Zhang Wenxuan reclaimed his phone. Meeting the gazes of the others, he waved his hand, saying, "I'm not calling Huo Chuan."

He was going to call Chen Yibai, to see what the situation was like on his end and to say something nice.

He had saved the contact information with a label, easily finding it. Taking a deep breath to adjust his emotions, ensuring his tone wouldn't be too strange, he sat down on the sofa and dialed the number.

"Dial tone—"

The phone rang, with no answer yet. A few friends huddled together, one saying, "He probably wants to rest after getting off work and hasn't had time to see the news online…"

The call was answered. The friend fell silent, and the room instantly quieted down.

The first sound that came from the phone was rain, followed by a voice that was clearly hoarse. "Hello?"

The voice was soft, hoarse, and heavy with nasal congestion.