The game interface finished loading, and Chen Bai entered the team formation screen. As he scrolled through his friend list with the mouse, he glanced at the barrage and tried to justify his beloved 39.9-yuan shirt:
“My previous clothes were pretty good too.”
Economical, durable, and made of pure cotton.
The chat responded: [This shirt looks great, and your other one… well, it was also okay.]
Failing to defend his 39.9-yuan shirt, Chen Bai checked his online friends. It was still early, and none of his usual teammates were around. So, he lowered his head, pulled out his phone, and sent a WeChat message to recruit a live-stream partner.
He didn’t bother hiding his screen, and perhaps he forgot the camera was on—because the viewers in the live stream room clearly saw the hot pot photo he had posted last night.
[So he went to eat hot pot without telling us? Good, very good.]
[Why show me this before lunch? I’m starving now!]
[Okay, okay, so Erbai and Qingzhou are getting close behind our backs?]
The relationship was fine, but Qingzhou didn’t make it to the pinned contacts.
Chen Bai only had two pinned WeChat contacts—his money-making partner and reliable agent, Gao Qian, and his good neighbor, Comrade Xiao Xu. Qingzhou ranked just below Comrade Xiao Xu due to their recent messages.
Regretfully, Qingzhou couldn’t join him for a game. He was helping at his family’s store and didn’t have a computer nearby.
With no available teammates, Chen Bai had no choice but to go solo. He set his phone down and opted for a quick match. While waiting, he glanced at the chat and added:
“I went to eat hot pot with a friend.”
“Yeah, the same friend who lent me this shirt.”
The matchmaking process completed, and he got into a game.
Since he was playing alone, he didn’t need to coordinate with teammates. He ran across the map freely, appearing in unexpected places to take down enemies while casually chatting with the chat.
“Can’t see him? Isn’t it obvious there’s only one guy over there?”
He checked the time in the lower right corner of his screen.
“The stream should end around three or four in the afternoon. I have work in the evening.”
“What kind of job? Just playing piano in a store.”
Chen Bai smiled and promoted himself:
“Anyone in City A who needs a pianist, feel free to contact me. Professional, affordable, and guaranteed customer satisfaction with after-sales service.”
[Reported for advertising (not really).]
[Limited to City A? Can’t you go nationwide? 😭]
[Wait, you can play the piano?]
[I’ve always been curious—does Erbai actually have money or not?]
That was a common question in the live stream room.
On one hand, this guy had a high-end computer and had clearly spent a lot of money on his gaming account. Plus, learning piano to a professional level wasn’t cheap.
On the other hand, aside from occasional exceptions, he live-streamed every single day without fail, bought budget-friendly clothes, and even had a part-time job on the side. It was hard to say whether he was rich or not.
Chen Bai glanced at the chat and answered concisely:
“My ancestors were filthy rich. Then they left me 400 million in debt. So now, I’m paying it off.”
The chat exploded with [Hahahahaha].
Everyone thought he was joking—exaggerating for comedic effect.
The humorous debt-ridden man wiped his face and sniped an enemy sneaking up on him.
He had eaten two steamed buns in the morning and had a cup of black coffee at noon, skipping lunch entirely. Since the landlord was around today, he extended the stream until late afternoon before logging off and heading to work.
The restaurant where he played the piano only required employees to have decent facial features and formal attire—there were no restrictions on hair color. So, he clocked in as usual and got off work on time.
On the subway ride home, Chen Bai briefly reviewed his schedule for the next few weeks.
The registration for Assembly Order had closed yesterday, and the contestant list was released today. The official schedule hadn’t been announced yet, but he could guess it would take place in the latter half of the month—right after the magazine shoot.
He’d be busy after mid-month, but until then, his schedule was relatively free.
As he thought, his fingers unconsciously swiped his phone screen, accidentally switching from the game menu to his personal messages.
There was a new notification in his inbox.
He lowered his head and clicked in.
It wasn’t a system message but a private message. Reading the top one, his light gray pupils scanned the text quickly, and a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
The message came from a user named 【雨隹日青】, who, unlike the usual joking tone of other netizens, had formally asked if he was available for a gig—specifically, to play piano for her mother’s birthday party. She even included a price.
He recognized this ID—it was a long-time viewer of his stream.
Someone actually listened to the ad I casually dropped earlier?
Glancing at the time of the request, he switched to his calendar to check his availability.
——
After several clear days, a cold front arrived, bringing heavy rain to City A.
Even in the morning, the sky remained overcast as if it were already evening.
Having finished his night shift, Xu Sinian left the film crew. His usual route home was blocked due to construction, so he took a detour, passing by the hotel where most of the crew members were staying. Other crew members also took this route, their footsteps merging with the sound of rain.
His assistant, holding an umbrella beside him, suddenly recalled something and asked:
“Teacher Xu, where did you buy those cookies last night?”
The other crew members perked up at the mention.
Last night, after hours of filming, they were starving.
Mysteriously, Xu Sinian—who never carried snacks—pulled out a bag of simple, even crude-looking biscuits. Yet, they tasted surprisingly good.
Unfortunately, they only got a couple of bites and had forgotten to ask where they came from.
Xu Sinian replied: “I didn’t buy them.”
After an hour of research, someone had determined these cookies were a test batch.
Given today’s rainy weather, whoever made them was probably still asleep.
“?!”
The assistants took a moment to process this response.
He didn’t buy them, and he didn’t bake them himself—so that only left one possibility.
The assistant hesitated before saying, “Wait… does this mean Teacher Xu’s personal pastry chef has arrived?“
Raindrops splashed onto the pavement, reflecting the distant glow of city lights.
The supposed “personal pastry chef” made no comment.
Instead, he casually adjusted the brim of his hat, his dark eyes gazing off in a certain direction.
The assistant followed Xu Sinian’s gaze and saw the quiet street, half-veiled by the rain.
At the end of the street was a flower shop, its warm lights illuminating the falling raindrops.
A figure stood at the entrance, holding an umbrella. He was wearing a light-colored sweater over a crisp shirt, his frame appearing lean.
The shop owner handed him a bouquet of flowers. The person accepted it with a smile and said something.
The assistant couldn’t recognize him but simply thought he looked quite good.
The assistant didn’t know who he was, but Xu Sinian did—this was his rarely-seen morning neighbor.
The figure outside the shop didn’t linger. After taking the bouquet, he quickly left the street, disappearing into the rain.
The man standing under the umbrella withdrew his gaze and took out his phone.
No new messages.
The assistant asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xu Sinian put away his phone. “Nothing.”
——
The flowers were still in his hand when he got into the subway. By the time he got off, they were slightly damp from the humidity.
After leaving the flower shop, Chen Bai had reluctantly spent money on a taxi. As the car door shut, it blocked out the sound of the heavy rain outside.
He had accepted Yu Zhiriqing’s invitation, and today was the agreed-upon date.
The flowers were for her mother’s birthday, ordered in advance yesterday. Today’s weather was the perfect excuse to sleep in, and if not for his alarm blaring, he might have drifted back into sleep.
Fortunately, today’s job included reimbursement for travel expenses. Since he didn’t have to rush to catch a bus or subway, he was able to take his time.
Setting the bouquet aside, he nibbled on a few cookies he had baked the night before for breakfast. As the morning rush finally settled, he suddenly realized he hadn’t told his good neighbor that he had an early job today—or that he had successfully woken up early.
Chen Bai pulled out his phone halfway, then paused.
His neighbor had been filming all night. He was probably still catching up on sleep.
Thinking this, he set his phone down and leaned back peacefully.
Mr. Chen, who had miraculously gotten up early, rewarded himself with another nap.
By the time he woke up, the taxi was nearing its destination. He lowered his head and sent a message to his employer.
The car gradually slowed before stopping on the side of the road. The driver turned back, looking at him with an odd expression.
“Are you sure it’s Mu Qiushan No. 1?”
Chen Bai opened his eyes and nodded.
He had double-checked the location multiple times. There shouldn’t be any mistake.
So, the driver let him out.
——
Standing in the rain, holding his umbrella, Chen Bai lifted his gaze.
Beyond the iron gates was a grand manor, partially obscured by the misty downpour.
He looked down slightly, meeting the curious gaze of the security guard.
And at last, he understood the driver’s odd expression.
Manors like this weren’t inhabited so much as occupied. Few people actually lived in such massive estates, and even fewer visited.
At least, not by taxi.
Behind the iron gates, a girl in a white dress peeked out from beside the security guard.
She held an umbrella in one hand, while the other clutched a glowing phone screen. She widened her eyes slightly and called out hesitantly through the rain:
“You’re… Erbai?”
Chen Bai was indeed the Chen Erbai. If not, he’d gladly refund you three times the amount.
——
The gates opened, then shut again.
And the man who would definitely not be issuing any refunds successfully entered the manor.
The girl introduced herself as Huo Qing. As she spoke, she kept glancing at him, unconsciously sizing him up.
She hesitated before saying, “You told me you looked very ordinary, so I…”
So when she first saw the person standing outside, she didn’t recognize him at all.
At first, she actually thought he was one of her brother’s mistresses showing up uninvited again.
Fortunately, she had asked before making assumptions.
Chen Bai lowered his head slightly. “Huo Qing?”
Huo Qing, ears turning red, nodded.
——
And that was when he finally remembered.
No wonder the name ‘Mu Qiushan’ sounded familiar.
He had been so busy lately that he hadn’t been paying attention to the main plot of the novel at all.
He almost forgot the original storyline.
——
According to the book, the original Chen Bai—the one who owed hundreds of millions in debt—saw Huo Chuan as his only lifeline. He clung to him, obsessed, gradually developing deeper feelings.
Desperate for any connection, he found out about Huo Chuan’s mother’s birthday and pestered him relentlessly to bring him to the party.
Mr. Huo, unable to shake him off, finally agreed.
When they arrived, Huo Chuan’s furious sister went off on him for bringing yet another random fling home—on their mother’s birthday, no less.
Mrs. Huo, already in poor health, was so enraged that she had a heart attack on the spot. The doctor had to carry her back to her room for emergency care.
——
Huo Chuan’s younger sister’s name was Huo Qing.
They lived in a manor in Mu Qiushan.
It was a complete mess.
——
In contrast, his current relationship with Huo Chuan was strictly professional.
They had only met twice, and so far, their interactions were completely normal—just a standard Party A and Party B business arrangement.
There was no sign of a dramatic, bloody disaster.
Yet, after all this time, the main plot had found him anyway.
——
Well.
Sort of.
——
Originally, the reason Huo Chuan even stayed home that day was because of the original Chen Bai’s interference.
He had deliberately delayed Huo Chuan’s travel plans, forcing him to stay in the city instead of flying out on a business trip.
But this time, no one interfered.
Which meant…
Mr. Huo should already be on a plane, happily flying off to close another lucrative deal.
Perfect. The more money he made, the more money Chen Bai could earn too.
——
Sure enough, Huo Qing said, “My brother isn’t here today. He left for a business trip and probably won’t be back for a while.”
Chen Bai smiled and nodded.
“Ah. What a pity.”
![Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle [BL]](https://i1.wp.com/bestnoveltranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Marrying-the-Male-Leads-Disabled-Uncle-BL.jpeg?resize=151,215 "Marrying the Male Lead’s Disabled Uncle [BL]")
