Chapter 97: Official Boyfriend

Chapter 97: Official Boyfriend

After searching for ages, Chen Yibai finally found the button to close the gift function under Qingzhou's remote guidance and quickly clicked it.

The button was pressed, closing the gift channel, but due to the overwhelming number of gifts, the screen continued to pop with colorful notifications for a while before they finally subsided.

There were too many names to read out loud, so he thanked everyone collectively.

No one expected that this person, whose mind was solely on making money and even had a god of fortune as his profile picture, would voluntarily shut down the gift function one day. The audience in the live stream expressed their shock, asking if he had already paid off his debts.

"Not yet," Chen Yibai said, "but it's almost there, just a little more time."

It was normal for viewers to send gifts when a game streamer won, but he felt that most of today's gifts weren't because of the games; they were simply people wanting to give him money or something else.

Gaining without effort wasn't ideal, and the money from today's gifts was already enough to cover his time investment.

"Wait! Yibai, you're not going to retire after paying off your debt, are you!"

"Darn it! I was too slow! Just as I was about to send a gift, all the buttons turned gray!"

"Is anyone else focusing on something different? In the past, the top donor was Sister Qing, but now there are so many wealthy ladies...and gentlemen competing. Yet, Sister Qing is still at the top. How rich are you, sis!"

"What does Erbai want to do after he pays off his debts?"

"It's far from retirement."

Chen Yibai clicked his mouse with one hand and propped his face up with the other, chuckling. "If Qianjie hears about retirement, she might have a heart attack."

After some thought, he added, "I'll tell you what I want to do after paying off my debts later. I'll let you know then."

If he told them now, Qianjie would likely have a heart attack. He needed to ensure that his money-making partner wouldn't end up living a life where she always carried quick-acting heart pills at her young age.

"Chen Yibai, you've actually become a riddler!"

"You little tease, wishing that when the time comes, you and Brother Xu will go public. You two have been together for years, wailing! When I was rooting for you two, I was single, and now I'm married, but you're still just friends!"

"It's not just you, you've suddenly enlightened me! It's really possible! Look at Mr. Xu today! So brazen! Before, he didn't dare to admit that he sent flowers and clothes!"

"No way! My wife is finally going to be someone else's wife? [Unbelievable.jpg]"

This time, Chen Yibai did not reply and continued playing another round with his buddies.

The morning passed quickly, and by noon, Chen Yiwan returned after spending half a day being praised.

Having played to his heart's content with his grandparents, he wiped his paws and ran upstairs, and Chen Yibai could hear him trying to open the door through his headphones.

Stepping away from the computer temporarily, Chen Yibai went to open the door for Master Wan.

Today, the big fluff ball wore a new bib with lace edges, and in the middle was an embroidered brown bear.

Withstanding the impact of a cannonball, he led the big fur ball to the desk beside the computer and slightly adjusted the direction of the webcam.

In that instant, a magnified face appeared on the small screen.

Two furry paws rested on the table as Yiwan stood up to look at the computer screen. His two furry ears were hidden in the fluffy mane, leaving only the tips visible, with a hint of pink.

Inserting the mouse under the dog's paw, Chen Yibai looked at his son replacing him in the live stream and asked, "Do you want to play games too?"

"Yiwan doesn't know who's the real dog for a moment."

"Hahaha, save me, puppy streamer! You're such a good dog, Erbai!"

"Yiwan: I don't understand, but I smile.jpg"

"Furry little puppy, I'm going to pet you! Let Auntie touch you!"

Yibai didn't leave once he arrived, squeezing in even if there wasn't enough space. Although he couldn't understand the images on the computer screen, he stubbornly insisted on showing his dog head and joining in the gaming session.

When the live stream ended at exactly eleven-thirty, it was lunchtime, and Xu Didi, who had finally gotten up, knocked on the door to call them for food.

His voice calling out "Second Brother Bai" was still remembered by the audience who had watched previous streams.

"3XL! We were fans together back then, but you secretly became a brother!"

"How dare you betray the organization! Kick him out directly!"

"In any case, can't you eat while streaming (serious face)?"

Streaming games while eating was still a bit too challenging for humans at the moment, so Chen Moubai waved his hand and happily ended the stream.

After lunch, while sitting in the living room to digest, his money-making partner, who had been mentioned briefly in the live stream, contacted him and asked with great caution about his plans after paying off his debts.

Getting up and leaving the living room, Chen Yibai returned to his room to make the call. Feeling that it was about time, he shared his thoughts.

On the other side of the phone, silence ensued for a moment before the agent's voice came through, "I'll hang up and send you a file. Take a look at it yourself first."

He initially didn't understand what the file was about, but as soon as the call ended, a message popped up on WeChat, and the other party swiftly sent over a compressed file.

After decompressing the file, inside were documents numbered from 1 to 118.

These 118 documents were all prepared PR drafts and plans for various scenarios, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of words, incredibly comprehensive and complete.

Seeing these things for the first time, Chen Yibai let out a sound of admiration.

The agent said, "These are compiled by the company's PR department. You decide how to proceed, just don't go all out and create a huge stir right away."

Chen Moubai, who was almost planning to do just that, humbly agreed.

Netizens gradually realized something was amiss when Chen Yibai's stream lasted only half a day.

The most noticeable change was that from this point on, the term "friend" no longer referred specifically to a certain friend surnamed Xu; instead, he was directly addressed as Old Xu or Comrade Old Xu.

At the award banquet, a journalist seized the opportunity to interview Xu Sinian, asking him about the reason for his prolonged bachelorhood.

A man who previously would never respond to such questions simply said, "I'm waiting."

Everyone knew whom he was waiting for, but no one knew how long he would wait.

From summer into autumn, on the last day of the deep autumn season, Chen Bai had no work and, unusually, woke up early.

After getting out of bed, he was about to leave the house. Wanwan thought he would take her out to play and excitedly flew around the room for half a day. However, even after he put on his shoes and left, she didn't feel the leash being attached to her collar.

Her head was patted twice, and she watched helplessly as her biological father and daddy left together.

Chen Yibai had some errands to run, and Xu Sinian acted as the driver today, chauffeuring him around.

There was mist in the air during the early morning of late autumn, so they drove slowly. The ginkgo trees on both sides of the road were already dyed yellow, and the lights inside the car were on. The person sitting in the passenger seat had woken up from his drowsy state and was checking his bank card and ID while wearing a hat and looking down.

The vehicle drove from the outskirts into the city center. After a journey of more than half an hour, it stopped in the parking lot next to the bank where an appointment had been made. Chen Moubai patted the bank card and ID in his pocket, lowered his head to put on a mask, slightly pulled down the brim of his cap, and said, "Then I'll go in first."

Xu Sinian leaned over to straighten the hoodie cap that had become crooked on his seat and said, "I'll wait for you outside later."

Chen Yibai hopped out of the car.

The bank opened at nine o'clock in the morning, and there were already some people in the hall.

Due to the large transfer amount and his status as a high-value customer, he went directly to the reception room further inside. Having visited multiple times, he was already familiar with the bank manager.

He was very familiar with the procedures for transferring money, having done it many times before, and could even chat with the manager in between.

Halfway through the process, a bank staff member brought the materials requested by the manager into the reception room. After placing the materials on the table, she casually patted her slightly flushed face and turned to ask the person who had taken off his mask, "Is the friend outside Teacher Yibai's friend?"

"Old Xu?" Chen Yibai looked up and smiled. "It should be him."

So the staff member said, "Is Teacher Yibai paying off the last installment today?"

Teacher Yibai nodded in response, curious how she knew.

The staff member didn't elaborate, only saying, "Just a guess."

Although the manager already knew, he still asked about the purpose of the funds according to procedure.

With the final eight-digit sum transferred from the account, there was no lengthy wait or anything else. It was just a simple action, and the bank card seemed to have become much lighter.

Earning money took a long time and required a lot of effort, but repaying it was just a matter of moments.

Finally, a signature was needed for confirmation. Chen Bai lowered his head and slowly wrote his name stroke by stroke. After handing over the signed paper, the manager returned the bank card and ID, smiling and saying, "Congratulations, every deposit from now on will be your own money."

From now on, every penny would no longer be just a temporary stay, but entirely his own property.

Chen Bai followed with a smile, put away the two cards, and then put on his mask again, waving goodbye.

The manager, having nothing urgent to attend to, saw him off from the bank.

"Beep—"

The automatic doors of the bank opened, revealing the towering ginkgo tree planted in front of the entrance. Its branches spread wide, shading half of the sky.

Dappled sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, falling onto the shoulders of the person standing under the tree.

The man held a bouquet of white roses in his hand, his dark pupils under the brim of his hat looking this way.

Chen Bai ran over, causing his hoodie cap and drawstrings to flutter, stirring up the golden leaves that had fallen to the ground.

As he was about to make a final dash in the last few steps, Xu Sinian stepped forward in time, grabbing his wrist to stop the dangerous action, as there were stairs behind them.

Chen Yibai, who was promptly stopped, received a bouquet of white roses that fit perfectly in his arms, their faint fragrance filling his nostrils.

The white petals made the slightly reddened fingertips of his cold, pale fingers stand out even more. Xu Sinian bent down and asked, "Can I start my job now?"

Pausing for a moment while holding the flowers, Chen Moubai raised his head to quickly glance at him, then lowered his eyes and said, "Hold out your hand."

Xu Sinian extended his hand.

His hand was not just a little larger than Chen Moubai's. Having spent years on film sets and regularly exercising, it wasn't the pampered hand of someone living a life of luxury. There was a thin layer of calluses on it.

Holding the flowers in one hand, Chen Bai lowered his head, and his raised hand steadily landed on the larger hand, his fingers interlocking with the gaps between the other's fingers. He said with a smile, "Yes, boyfriend."

A laugh came from above his head.

Xu Sinian curled his fingers, lowering his head to firmly grasp the hand in his palm.

On the last day of late autumn, which also marked the beginning of their relationship, five years later, his wish had come true.

"…"

In the distance, there was a faint sound of applause. Chen Yibai turned his head while holding the flowers, just in time to see the manager and the staff member almost pressed against the window.

He smiled, waved with the flowers, his eyebrows and eyes curved.

The newly appointed boyfriend asked him, "Going home?"

"Yes," he nodded and said with a smile, "Aunt Jiang said we're going out without taking it, and Wanwan is about to cry."

In the morning, it was Wanwan who was about to cry, but at noon, it was the fans who let out a genuine howl.

Since the morning, there had been continuous rumors circulating, but none of the information had any evidence to back it up. Most people believed that this was probably another marketing stunt.

At noon, an account that hadn't been active for ages and another one that everyone knew was mostly managed by the agent updated their statuses in succession.

Both of them posted only a single photo, without any captions.

No captions were needed; the photos themselves told the best story.

Chen Yibai's photo was simple: a bouquet of white roses held in his arms. It was such a large bunch that the camera struggled to capture it all.

A seemingly meaningless photo, but when combined with the other image posted, everything became clear.

As had happened many times before, he had taken a picture of Chen Yibai.

The person walking ahead held hands with someone else, their fingers interlocked, while the other hand carried the flowers. Looking back at the lens, his brows relaxed under the messy strands of hair beneath his cap, his light-colored eyes gazed softly, and his pale lips curved into a radiant smile.

It was as it had been many times before, but this time, there was a slight difference. Xu Sinian no longer kept the photo on his phone or sent it to others; he could now openly post it on his own feed.

On what should have been a mundane Monday, a bombshell dropped, confirming that the morning's rumors weren't false.

"Wow, look what I've found! Brother Xu really melted the ironwood! I thought Yibai was just a money-lover!"

"!!! You're really together?! I can't believe my eyes!"

"So this is the first-person perspective of holding hands with Yibai. Just looking at the photo makes me feel so happy I'm about to explode! Brother Xu, you have a strong heart to withstand this!"

"Wife (weeping) as long as you're happy (wiping tears) you must be happy, wife (choking up) how can I live without you, wife (sobbing loudly)"

"I said you two would make it!! Five years! It feels so good even through the screen, wailing wailing, I'm the little train today."

"Grandma, the CP you've been shipping is really together! They finally decided to stop tormenting their friends with this term!!"

Fans who had been waiting for years finally saw the fruits of their patience.

Previously, a certain Bai had mentioned multiple times that he wouldn't consider dating until his debts were paid off. With the update, no further explanation was needed; netizens could guess that he had finally cleared the debts he had been carrying for so long.

Having a boyfriend wasn't something to rush, but they never expected that after paying off his debts in the morning, Xu Sinian, the great actor, would immediately settle into the role of a boyfriend.

Some were delighted, while others were saddened. Netizens who welcomed the development initially guessed that the most affected would be Xu Sinian's fans, or perhaps Chen Yibai's girlfriend fans.

But neither was the case. Xu Sinian's intentions were too obvious, and his fans, after years of conditioning, had fully accepted the situation. Instead, they were most worried that a certain Bai would remain an unmovable ironwood, destined to be a friend forever, unable to ascend to a romantic relationship. When the news of them being together broke, the fans celebrated with gongs and drums, congratulating them.

The most heartbroken group turned out to be Chen Yibai's boyfriend fans. From top to bottom, it was a chorus of cries.

Actors didn't rely on their single status to earn a living, and they had the freedom to date whomever they pleased. The more they understood this truth, the more they suffered, unable to protest, they could only weep bitterly.

"Although I knew this day would come, I didn't expect it to happen so soon... wailing... my wife..."

"No, I thought everyone shouting 'wife' was just for fun. Did someone actually mean it? (wide-eyed)"

"So I've been saying not to call him that. Once Yibai starts dating, everyone will be crying. Look at this [cat shrugs.jpg]"

"Hilarious. Now that Yibai is dating, I don't need to go to work. My boss is sobbing in the office, I'll wait until he's done before I present my report. Thanks, Yibai (serious)"

"My colleague is wiping away tears while saving pictures of Yibai from Brother Xu's collection. Isn't that a form of NTR?"

Some netizens were initially quite upset, but upon seeing these people's heart-wrenching cries, they suddenly found peace within themselves. They joined others in enjoying the spectacle, curious to see how far their sorrow would go.

Before they could eat much of the melon, the platform crashed with a loud bang due to the sudden surge in traffic.

On their way back home in the morning, they encountered a traffic jam. By the time the two of them arrived home, it was already past noon.

Ms. Jiang and Mr. Xu didn't go to work today either, claiming that it was a perfect day for a break, waiting for them to return home for lunch.

That massive bouquet of white roses was indeed eye-catching, visible wherever it was placed, especially when held in his arms. The couple noticed it, their eyes widening as they glanced between the flowers and their own son standing nearby. Their mouths moved a few times, but ultimately, they chose not to ask too many questions.

This lunch left everyone with rosy cheeks and bright smiles, even Chen Yiwan unexpectedly added extra servings.

While they chatted in the dining room, the household helpers passed through the living room, pretending to be casual as they stole glances at the legendary flowers on the table.

In less than half a day, everyone in the mansion knew.

A certain forgotten family member learned about his older brother successfully courting Second Brother Bai not on the same day, but the next day, through a classmate during a break.

School was far from home, and he often hung out with classmates, so he rarely returned home on weekends outside of long holidays. This Friday, he rushed straight home after school.

Unfortunately, the timing of his return was poor; Second Brother Bai had already returned to filming, but his brother was still around.

His younger brother looked at his usually quiet older brother with the eyes of someone discovering a new universe, staring speechlessly.

He had always suspected there was something off about this person!

His older brother responded to his gaze calmly, unperturbed.

---

A week later, despite the online buzz about their relationship showing no signs of cooling down, Chen Yibai entered a new production.

Initially, some fans worried that once his debts were cleared, he might start taking breaks, leading to a reduction in their stash of content.

Their concerns were entirely unfounded. Previously, he worked for others, essentially earning money for them, but now, he was working for himself. In fact, Chen Moubai became even more diligent.

In pursuit of accumulating enough wealth for a comfortable retirement, he and his money-making partner reached an astonishing consensus.

Having just confirmed their relationship, he started working again, prompting fans to shift from worry to urging him to take more time off to experience different aspects of life.

Now that he was already on set, experiencing life would have to wait for another time.

This production was different from the last; he wasn't the lead, nor did he have a significant supporting role. He stepped in to replace an actor who had encountered a temporary issue, and the shooting schedule was only for one or two months.

During a break in filming, he took the water offered by his assistant and sat down to rest. His agent approached to confirm his schedule for the upcoming period. During the discussion, remembering the comments from fans, he asked, "Do you need to set aside some time after this project?"

Anticipating what the person was about to say, she tactfully brought up a certain new boyfriend who had only just assumed his position and hadn't enjoyed many good days yet.

"..."

It turned out that her reminder was not without merit. Chen Moubai, holding his thermos cup, lowered his head in thought for a moment. Then, his eyes widened, and it seemed as though his pupils trembled slightly.

...This was finally realizing that he was already someone with a boyfriend.

The agent and the assistant fell silent together, sincerely mourning for a moment on behalf of a certain newly promoted boyfriend, an award-winning actor surnamed Xu.

Finally realizing that he was at least a boyfriend, Chen Moubai took out his phone and opened the messaging app, first calmly performing the action of changing a contact's nickname.

The agent leaned over and saw that the certain boyfriend's nickname was still at the "Good Neighbor" stage.

The agent made a succinct and sharp comment: "How tragic it must be to date a piece of wood."