Chapter 14 Jiang Ruotang Is Not Superficial

Chapter 14 Jiang Ruotang Is Not Superficial

Lin Lu knew such words would push Bai Yingchuan's dislike for Jiang Ruotang to its peak. Saying he's "escorting the director's son" was downright humiliating to Bai Yingchuan.

Based on Lin Lu's understanding of Bai Yingchuan, he would coldly reject the movie invitation and steer clear of Jiang Ruotang, that obsessive fan always trying to invade his personal space.

But to Lin Lu's surprise, Bai Yingchuan replied, "I see. It's just a movie. I should show Director Jiang some respect."

Lin Lu paused. This answer—was Bai Yingchuan mad or not?

How should he continue?

"Um… Yingchuan, Ruotang's big on saving face. If you see him, don’t ask how he got the tickets. He’s touchy about his pride."

He said this to prevent Jiang Ruotang from mentioning that the tickets were voluntarily given by him, which might arouse Bai Yingchuan's suspicion.

By giving this warning in advance, anything Jiang Ruotang said would be deemed untrustworthy in Bai Yingchuan’s eyes.

"Alright, got it. Anything else?"

"N-no, that's it."

Bai Yingchuan hung up directly. Listening to the dial tone, Lin Lu felt as though everything was going off script.

Both Jiang Ruotang and Bai Yingchuan’s reactions were completely different from what he had anticipated.

Bai Yingchuan was often praised for his model proportions—even the most flamboyant, exaggerated runway pieces from international brands looked good on him. Since the start of the semester, he had been wearing Beicheng Guangyao’s uniform. Perhaps Jiang Ruotang, having seen him in the same outfit for over two years, was sick of seeing it. That might explain why, as his supposed "biggest fan," Jiang Ruotang remained so indifferent upon meeting him in person for the first time.

Well, by social rules, the director’s son was still worth humoring.

Bai Yingchuan picked out a new autumn outfit—low-key but flattering—and swapped his cap for a cool black one. He hesitated for two seconds before stepping out of his room, then turned back to grab a bottle of men’s cologne, gave a quick spritz to his collarbone.

The theater was small, and since it wasn’t the weekend, the crowd was thin.

Despite wearing a mask and hat that concealed his face completely, Bai Yingchuan could still feel the eyes on him.

"That guy has such a great figure! I really want to see what he looks like under that mask!"

"Haha, covering up so much—maybe he’s actually plain, or even has a goofy grin?"

"My gut says he’s a total hottie!"

"Hey… doesn’t his side view kind of look like Bai Yingchuan?"

"Bai Yingchuan’s only eighteen! Is he really that tall?"

Ignoring the curious stares, Bai Yingchuan walked into the screening room.

Though it was a VIP theater, nearly all the seats were taken except for the front row. Fortunately, the couple seats were sectioned off, making it hard for others to see him clearly.

His cap was pulled low. He checked the time—less than a minute until the movie started.

If Jiang Ruotang truly liked him so much, he would’ve rushed here by now. Adjusting his mask, Bai Yingchuan grew increasingly convinced that Lin Lu’s claim about Jiang Ruotang’s admiration was bullshit.

Just as the previews began, a young man in a black overcoat finally arrived and took the seat beside Bai Yingchuan.

Frowning, Bai Yingchuan lowered his voice. "Sir, are you in the wrong seat?"

Xiao Gao leaned in and whispered, "Are you Bai Yingchuan?"

Bai Yingchuan tensed. Was this a paparazzo?

Xiao Gao continued softly, "I’m Ruotang’s driver. He’s preparing for his college entrance exams for art school and can’t skip class, so he asked me to join you. Just pretend I’m not here."

He then handed Bai Yingchuan a cup of tea. "This is sugar-free. If you’re thirsty, you can drink it. If you’d rather not watch alone, I can also drive you home."

"Thank you."

A weird feeling washed over Bai Yingchuan’s chest. Logically, he shouldn’t have had any expectations—so why did he feel this disappointment?

Since Jiang Ruotang hadn’t come, there was no need to play nice with the director's kid. He could just leave.

But suddenly, Bai Yingchuan found himself wanting to understand the real Jiang Ruotang. As his driver, Xiao Gao might know him better than Lin Lu did.

Besides, Xiao Gao was considerate—the tea was sugar-free, and he’d even brought nuts, both of which aligned with Bai Yingchuan’s preferences. He could sense Xiao Gao’s thoughtfulness.

In a way, Xiao Gao was a pretty good movie companion.

"Thanks for keeping me company," Bai Yingchuan said, lowering his mask and offering a polite smile.

That gentle, courteous expression instantly charmed Xiao Gao.

"Don’t mention it! Thanks to you, I got to watch this movie!"

The artsy slow-burn film made the couple beside them doze off in each other’s arms, while another pair left hand in hand.

Given the reactions, this film wasn't going to do well at the box office.

But Xiao Gao watched attentively, not making a sound or moving, his presence almost negligible.

With five minutes left, Bai Yingchuan tapped Xiao Gao’s shoulder, suggested they bail early to avoid the after-movie rush.

Yet as soon as they stepped out, someone recognized Bai Yingchuan—and it seemed to be a paparazzo.

The man started snapping pics like crazy with his phone and stuck a microphone toward Bai Yingchuan’s face.

"You’re Bai Yingchuan, right? Did you just watch *Long Clouds, Setting Sun*? A lot of viewers walked out early! The film’s opening day is bombing at the box office—what do you think of your mother Bai Yue’s acting? Is the lack of audience appeal due to the director’s flaws or Bai Yue’s weak performance? Is Bai Yue losing her star power?"

Bai Yingchuan knew this reporter was just stirring shit. Without his manager or assistant around, he had to watch his words—but the crowd was growing.

This sucked.

He didn’t want to comment on his mother’s acting. If he praised her, the reporter would say he's playing favorites. If he criticized her, they’d call him fake.

"Oh my god… it really is Bai Yingchuan!"

"Look, look! Bai Yingchuan’s here!"

"Did he come to see *Long Clouds, Setting Sun*? Wow, I was in the same theater and didn’t even recognize him!"

As more people gathered, the idea of putting his public face back on again filled Bai Yingchuan with defiance.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Gao moved fast. With a smile, he shielded Bai Yingchuan, backing him up toward the elevator to the underground parking lot while skillfully keeping the reporter’s microphone away without causing harm.

"Everyone has different tastes and life experiences, so their take on a movie will naturally vary. If you’re curious whether the movie’s good, why not go see for yourself?"

The elevator doors opened. Bai Yingchuan slipped inside, and Xiao Gao hit the close button, shutting the reporter out.

Bai Yingchuan let out a quiet breath.

Xiao Gao here is actually more professional than the bodyguards on his team.

The elevator descended all the way to the underground garage, where Xiao Gao escorted Bai Yingchuan to the car.

As they drove out of the garage, Bai Yingchuan lowered his mask and said, "Thanks for back there."

"It's nothing. Ruo Tang told me you're really popular, so if you get recognized or surrounded, I should cover for you and help you leave." Xiao Gao laughed heartily.

Being the great director's driver, he's got quick reflexes.

Actually, if Bai Yingchuan had really watched the movie with Lin Lu, he probably would’ve had to protect Lin Lu instead.

"Oh? How did Ruo Tang mention the movie-watching to you?"

The fact that this driver could call his boss’s son "Ruo Tang" suggested he held a certain status in the Jiang family—and that Jiang Ruotang wasn’t the kind of young master who looked down on the staff around him as mere servants.

"Ruo Tang said there are several contenders for this year's Golden Scale Award, so there’d definitely be some paparazzi trying to generate headlines. If you went to see your mom’s movie, they'd be all over it and come after you with unpleasant questions. Even though it might not happen, he still told me to be careful. If the paparazzi insisted on cornering you with questions, I should step in, smooth things over, and divert their attention—after all, I’m Director Jiang’s driver, not your assistant or manager. Even if I raved about the movie, it’d just represent Director Jiang’s respect for his peers, not cause you any trouble."

Passing streetlights washed over Bai Yingchuan’s face. His gaze was cold, but the corners of his lips curled in a faint, unreadable smile.

—Jiang Ruotang wasn’t shallow at all, unlike what Lin Lu had said. On the contrary, he considered things quite thoroughly.

"Oh… Then why didn’t he just advise me not to watch the movie at all? Avoid the hassle." Bai Yingchuan asked again.

"But isn’t this your mom’s movie? Just because paparazzi might chase you, should you give up the right to enjoy a film?" Xiao Gao chuckled. "I used to accompany Ruo Tang to Director Jiang’s movies too. You probably both want to see glimpses of your parents in the films. He gets that feeling, so he wouldn’t tell you not to watch it."

Bai Yingchuan lowered his eyes. "Originally, Lin Lu was supposed to watch it with me. He probably wouldn’t have handled that situation well."

"Oh, right. Lucky Xiao Lu had other plans and gave the ticket to Ruo Tang. Too bad Ruo Tang has his entrance exams coming up—every art studio session counts now."

Bai Yingchuan’s brows lifted slightly. "Lin Lu called Jiang Ruotang and actively gave him the ticket?"

In that moment, Bai Yingchuan quickly grasped the key point—Xiao Gao’s words completely contradicted what Lin Lu had said.

"Yeah. Xiao Lu said the movie ticket was too expensive to waste. I was wondering just how expensive it could be, but sitting on this sofa, I get it now… Damn, these are expensive."