Bai Mao only wanted a comforting hug and perhaps a little “academic exchange” after a long stretch of exhausting work. Yet, out of nowhere, Mr. Yu sent him… a tutoring package.
Who could’ve seen that coming?
Bai Mao stared at the densely packed class schedule several times over, half-convinced Yu Xiangchen was still holding a grudge from that one time he implied the man wasn’t exactly capable and was now taking petty revenge with this very straight-man gesture.
Really now?
Was this any way for a man to act!?
But then again…
Bai Mao lowered his gaze, flipped his phone face-down against his chest, and a soft laugh glimmered in his eyes.
He had been in the industry for years, starting as an extra and slowly crawling his way up through small web dramas and supporting roles.
Though he’d gained some experience, he was honest enough with himself to admit his acting skills were only passable at best. There was still a long road ahead before he could be considered “excellent.”
He truly needed someone who could help him improve.
Yet famous teachers charged high fees, and Bai Mao had never been popular enough to afford them. In the past, he could only sneak into the free acting classes offered by CDL Entertainment.
Those classes were large, more like lectures, with over a dozen trainees squeezed into one room. The instructors never had the time to focus on any one student, so the progress he made was minimal.
He’d been seriously thinking about using his recent drama paycheck to hire a private coach. But before he could even make up his mind, Yu Xiangchen sent him a full, personalized lesson plan.
And with Yu Xiangchen’s connections, the teachers he hired were bound to be the best of the best!
One-on-one lessons with elite instructors! Completely free of charge!
It was absolutely incredible.
It wasn’t exactly what Bai Mao had been hoping for at first, but in the end, it was still a gift perfectly suited to his needs.
He couldn’t be happier.
Patron: “I’ve already contacted the teachers for you. Starting next Monday, follow the schedule as listed. If you have work on any day, just let them know.”
Everything had been arranged neatly, leaving no room for refusal.
What could Bai Mao do but “accept with tears in his eyes”?
Still mindful that Yu Xiangchen was likely doing all this out of revenge and wanting to satisfy the man’s sense of superiority, Bai Mao deliberately recorded a voice message in a soft, pitiful tone.
“Thank you, Mr. Yu… I understand. I’ll make sure to study hard and not disappoint your expectations…”
Driving beside him, Xu Dongming raised an eyebrow, “What’s that about?”
Bai Mao’s mournful expression vanished in an instant. His legs bounced happily as his eyes sparkled. “Bro, I hit the jackpot! Mr. Yu hired professional acting coaches for me!”
Xu Dongming’s mood instantly lifted as well. “That’s great news! But why the gloomy voice when you were talking to him?”
Bai Mao waved it off lazily. “I have my reasons.”
Xu Dongming thought for a moment, then nodded knowingly. He was probably playing the sympathy card.
Fair enough, everyone knows that the child who cries the loudest gets the candy.
He sighed in admiration. “Didn’t expect Mr. Yu to be this generous. The man really went out of his way to help you. You’ve got a real knack for meeting benefactors.”
“Maybe,” Bai Mao replied with a grin.
Xu Dongming chuckled, drumming the steering wheel. “Well, since the connection’s good, keep it that way. You never know, someday, if you need something, he might actually lend a hand. Having a powerful backer never hurts.”
Bai Mao nodded eagerly. “Mm-hm!”
As Xu Dongming hummed a cheerful tune, Bai Mao turned his eyes to the passing scenery outside.
A backer, huh?
He thought idly to himself. In truth, throughout his entire life, the only real enemies he’d ever had were the Bai family.
From the very moment Mr. Yu had personally driven to the Bai estate to pick him up, boldly making his stance known to them, the name Yu Xiangchen had already become the biggest shield protecting him.
He didn’t have to say a word, the Bai family had been too afraid to approach him since.
So whether he needed a “backer” or not… it didn’t matter anymore.
What mattered now was how to teach his patron a few lessons.
Unfortunately, the patron refused to cooperate.
Ah… truly a headache.
Back home, Bai Mao sulked and ended up eating three full bowls of rice out of frustration.
The next day was Sunday.
Aunt Wang arrived early in the morning, calling him out of bed. “Young Master Bai, you’ve gotten too skinny. Mr. Yu told me to keep a close eye on your meals. Up you get!”
Bai Mao groaned, rolling across the bed twice before finally sitting up.
By ten o’clock, he was out the door, holding a stack of photos he’d printed from their recent shoot at the old town. Along with the pictures, he slipped in a handwritten letter addressed to his long-legged uncle and mailed it all the way to Tiancheng, two provinces away.
Xu Dongming was waiting for him outside the delivery store. When Bai Mao got into the car, Xu couldn’t help teasing him. “You still write letters? Hardly anyone does that anymore. Wouldn’t it be easier to just exchange numbers and talk directly?”
Bai Mao smiled faintly. “No need.”
“Not everyone who does a good deed wants to leave their name behind,” he added softly.
He used to suggest exchanging contact info when he first got his own phone, but his mysterious “uncle” never agreed to reveal his identity. Bai Mao respected that.
Now, sending monthly letters has become part of his routine. It wasn’t bad, quite the opposite, actually. It felt grounding.
He glanced at his donation record on his phone and thought, Yes, this is enough. There’s no need to intrude on his life. What matters is keeping the kindness alive.
Later that day, they met at a hotpot restaurant.
Steam curled into the air from the bubbling four-section pot, filling the room with a rich, spicy aroma.
As they ate, Xu Dongming talked animatedly about a new drama.
“…So that’s the general idea. They’re planning twenty-four episodes, adapted from a novel. I’ll send you the original title later, give it a read. The audition’s in about three weeks. I’ll keep you posted. The role’s a noble young master; we have to give it a try.”
Bai Mao had just nodded when his phone buzzed.
Flower protector No.1: “Send me your Alipay account.”
Without thinking, Bai Mao texted back his number.
A moment later.. DING!
“You’ve received ¥2,000 via Alipay.”
Xu Dongming froze mid-bite. “Huh? Who’s sending you money now?”
“Side job,” Bai Mao replied casually.
“Side job?” Xu blinked. “What, showbiz isn’t enough for you anymore?”
Then he suddenly remembered. “Wait, is it that guy who asked if you hit Bai Sheng? That idiot?”
Bai Mao snapped his fingers, grinning. “Bingo, Brother Dongming!”
Xu could only stare. This kid’s actually turning that nonsense into a side hustle… unbelievable.
“Be careful,” he warned. “This circle’s full of snakes and sharks. Some of these people have serious backing, you mess with the wrong one, you’ll end up in a sack before you know it.”
High-level revenge in the entertainment world, after all, often required only the most primitive of tools, a sack and a dark alley.
He lowered his voice. “You remember that talent show you joined? The contestant who got drugged the night before the finals? The whole crew went crazy, and they still managed to suppress the news in the end.”
He sighed. “Such a shame. The kid could really dance.”
Bai Mao’s gaze dimmed slightly. “Don’t worry. We were on a variety show together once. I told him everything about my situation. If he has even a shred of conscience, he wouldn’t pull something like that. Besides, I’m cautious.”
As he spoke, he wiped his hands and texted back:
Bai Mao: “Customer, you sent five hundred too much.”
Flower protector No.1: “No, just wanted to ask, where are you now?”
Bai Mao blinked. What now? Coming to throw a sack over me? Or looking for a fight?
Slowly, he shared his live location, the hotpot restaurant and fired back a message:
“What? Are you planning to kidnap me?”
Flower protector No.1: “…I was just asking.”
“What’s with you! Kidnapping? Do I look like the kind of guy who does that!?”
Bai Mao sent a random emoji in response, only to glance up and discover that half the beef platter had vanished.
He gasped. “Bro! You stole my beef!”
Xu Dongming smirked triumphantly. “Serves you right for stealing my tripe last time! Call it payback!”
Meanwhile, on set.
Shang Tongrui sat on a small folding stool, expression unreadable, though his gaze kept dropping to his phone again and again.
The chat window was silent.
Bai Mao had replied with nothing but a meaningless sticker… and then disappeared.
Wasn’t the customer supposed to be king?
How was this any way to treat the king!?
Frustrated, he was just about to find another excuse to send Bai Mao more money when his phone suddenly rang, it was Bai Sheng.
Tongrui hesitated, then picked up.
“Tongrui!” Bai Sheng’s cheerful voice chimed. “You’ve been so busy lately! Haven’t heard from you in ages.”
“I’m on set filming,” Tongrui replied evenly. “What’s up?”
“Ah, nothing much,” Bai Sheng said softly. “Just wondering about what I told you before. Did you ask my second brother those questions yet? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
His tone grew quieter, dripping with guilt. “It’s all because of me that my second brother ended up like this. I just… want to help him, even a little.”
Tongrui stayed silent.
They’d met during a film shoot, their roles had a few scenes together. Bai Sheng had been kind, gentle and always thoughtful. Everyone in the crew adored him, and Tongrui had too. That was how they’d become friends.
But now…
“Tongrui?” Bai Sheng called again when the silence stretched too long.
“Yeah,” Tongrui said finally. “I just asked him eight questions. That’s four thousand yuan. You can send it to me through WeChat.”
“???”
Bai Sheng froze.
He’s… asking me to pay?
Since he’d once mentioned that his pocket money was limited because he was only an adopted son of the Bai family, Tongrui had never let him spend a cent. For him to ask now was completely unexpected.
It caught Bai Sheng off guard. Though it was only four thousand yuan, knowing it was going straight to Bai Mao made his heart ache.
Still, he couldn’t refuse. Backing out now would only raise suspicion. So, gritting his teeth, he agreed.
Meanwhile, Tongrui’s assistant handed him a bottle of iced green tea. He looked at it, and a realization struck him like lightning.
“Wait… isn’t this exactly that ‘green tea-white lotus’ combo personality everyone talks about?”
It clicked. Bai Sheng’s every word had been carefully chosen, true in fact, but missing key details. He never lied outright, just twisted the truth in a way that painted himself as endlessly gentle and wronged.
Anyone listening would think he was a tragic angel, soft, kind, and forgiving, while the supposed villain was utterly despicable.
Tongrui’s expression darkened.
He’d been used. Over and over again.
That night, after washing up, Bai Mao lay down, just about to drift off when the familiar ching! of Alipay coins jingled through the quiet room.
“You’ve received ¥4,000.”
“???”
He blinked at the screen, confused. Another transfer from Shang Tongrui.
What the hell? Is this guy addicted to paying me?
Just as he opened the chat, another message popped up.
Tongrui briefly explained what had happened with Bai Sheng, ending with a triumphant note:
“Don’t worry! He doesn’t know we’re working together. I’m going to keep using this excuse to ask him for money and send it all to you. This four thousand isn’t much, it’s just the first time, so I didn’t dare ask for too much.”
“And don’t feel bad! You deserve it!!!”
The three exclamation marks radiated enthusiasm.
Bai Mao stared at the screen, his expression complicated.
“…Who said we’re working together?” he muttered.
After rereading the message, he couldn’t help laughing and typed back:
“You really are a little genius.”
Then, with a mischievous smirk, he edited Tongrui’s contact name,
‘He scams Bai Sheng for money to feed me’
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The chapter is finished. The chaos is not.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · A Nightmare or Reality?Chapter 2 · Yu family’s BanquetChapter 3 · I know your Secret..Chapter 4 · Becoming A Stand-InChapter 5 · Real IntentionChapter 6 · Yu XiangchenChapter 7 · Moved into new houseChapter 8 · Why he’s so perfect?!Chapter 9 · Role stolenChapter 10 · Four Times a WeekChapter 11 · Wrong Message?Chapter 12 · Flower protectorChapter 13 · Study MaterialChapter 14 Part 1 · I don’t have that kind of worldly desireChapter 14 Part 2 · I don’t have that kind of worldly desireChapter 15 · Four thousand yuan has arrived in AlipayChapter 16 · In the River?Chapter 17 · Boss like him, People would ready to do OvertimeChapter 18 · Does Mr. Yu have two faces?!Chapter 19 · Now we can begin to express our gratitude.Chapter 20 · Split Personality!Chapter 21 · Mr. Yu is busy and may not have time to comeChapter 22 · Call duration: 0:12Chapter 23 · He’s not Worth itChapter 24 · Mr Yu on film setChapter 25 · You can consider me if you decided to leave Mr. YuChapter 26 · Big Sister has unique hobbyChapter 27 · Really? I’m actually the young master of the Bai family?Chapter 28 · Bai Sheng is Pitiful?Chapter 29 · Someone took a picture of themChapter 30 · Your little one is hereChapter 31 · Mr. Yu asked me if I had a stiff neckChapter 32 · The little lucky butterfly’s wings flutteredChapter 33 · Mr. Yu, you came here just once at the beginningChapter 34 · The door wasn’t lockedChapter 35 · You’re an adult nowChapter 36 · Are rooms still available by scrambling?Chapter 37 · I’m definitely going to watch this variety show!Chapter 38 · Who asked Bai Sheng for money to support Bai Mao?Chapter 39 · How many zeros are there?Chapter 40 · You have to be careful with your methodsChapter 41 · Let’s get MarriedChapter 42 · I’m obviously just coveting your body!Chapter 43 · Does what we’re doing count as Sneaking?Chapter 44 · You want to change rooms?Chapter 45 · Isn’t Bai Sheng’s scheming way too deep?Chapter 46 · Mr. Yu in front of me has become calm and composedChapter 47 · You care a lot about Yu Yutian?Chapter 48 · Bai Sheng has found someoneChapter 49 · How to fall in loveChapter 50 · Uncle Long LegsChapter 51 · Bai Mao, I’m a little scaredChapter 52 · I simply told them the truthChapter 53 · That was far too mercilessChapter 54 · Your fans mention it in your fan forumChapter 55 · In your dreamsChapter 56 · Hello, UncleChapter 57 · Verified account had repliedChapter 58 · Maomao, you don’t need to be afraid of themChapter 59 · What a headacheChapter 60 · It’s a bit… tragicChapter 61 · I’m waiting for you at homeChapter 62 · That’s just too much!Chapter 63 · Is this watch really that expensive?Chapter 64 · Tian CityChapter 65 · They’re easy to get along with.Chapter 66 · Want to have a relationship with marriage in mind?Chapter 67 · Is this the joy of being someone’s “little uncle”?Chapter 68 · Has the protagonist finally figured it out?Chapter 69 · I miss youChapter 70 · That whole family is something else.Chapter 71 · Then comfort meChapter 72 · What about sincerity?Chapter 73 · There’s also 10% of the company’s sharesChapter 74 · So called conservativeChapter 75 · I thought you’d be walking with a limpChapter 76 · They’ve been brainwashedChapter 77 · We got marriedChapter 78 · CongratulationsChapter 79 · You already knew it was me?Chapter 80 · You look very good in a shirtChapter 81 · Did you used to like Bai Sheng?Chapter 82 · I never liked himChapter 83 · Uncle is super niceChapter 84 · Extra 1Chapter 85 · Extra 2Chapter 86 · Extra 3