Chapter 87

At eight o'clock in the evening, Chen Huaixiao brought Bai Yin to the script murder mansion near Nancheng University.

Liu SuYu, Qiao Yan, and four or five friends they had invited were already waiting here. All kinds of snacks and drinks were casually placed on the table. The young men and women were joking with each other, and the atmosphere was relaxed and lively.

Chen Huaixiao led Bai Yin in, and Liu SuYu was the first to stand up and greet them, "Brother Xiao has arrived, take a seat. Oh! This must be your little one."

"Yeah."

Bai Yin was a little embarrassed and followed Chen Huaixiao closely, never leaving his side, "Hello, brothers and sisters."

"Hello, hello."

Liu SuYu and the others looked at the little girl beside Chen Huaixiao curiously.

They thought that the little girl whom Chen Huaixiao spent time with every week must be some rich man's daughter. But unexpectedly...she turned out to be such a simple and thin little girl, looking pitiful like a little monkey. Her behavior was timid and wary, which made these young men feel more restrain. They didn't even dare to joke randomly.

"Let's play a simple modern happy script today," Liu SuYu said generously. "Considering there are newcomers, we'll keep it simple without brain-burning stages."

"Sounds good."

"Less talk, let's start!"

Everyone couldn't wait any longer, so Liu SuYu called in the host and started the script murder game. Everyone took their own script and read it with great interest.

Bai Yin peeked at Chen Huaixiao's script. He poked her head back with two fingertips and said lightly in his magnetic voice, "What are you looking at mine for? Look at your own."

"I don't know how." Bai Yin was worried that she might mess up and affect others. She asked for help, "What should I do? Teach me."

"Read your story text carefully," Chen Huaixiao pointed at her script and whispered to her, "Just follow the instructions."

Bai Yin nodded and read her script word for word carefully.

After ten minutes, the host asked, "Has everyone finished reading?"

"Finished, let's start!"

Everyone put down their scripts and introduced themselves according to the roles in the story.

"Tell me about your tragic experiences," the host took out some virtual banknotes and waved them with a smile. "Whoever moves me gets the first pot of gold."

Script murder game veterans like Liu SuYu and Qiao Yan naturally gave vivid and exaggerated performances. Some even fake crying, making everyone laugh out loud.

Only Bai Yin still looked at the script nervously, not at all infected by the joyful atmosphere around her.

Finally, it was Bai Yin's turn to introduce herself.

Her face flushed red, her eyes still on the script. She was so nervous that beads of sweat oozed from her cheeks, "I...my name in the script is Fang Xiaoxiao, oh no, I am Fang Xiaoxiao. I am a...very miserable student. I was bullied at school."

When everyone heard her storytelling, they knew she was a newbie. They were neither patient nor interested in listening to her faltering introduction. Some were eating snacks, some were chatting...

Bai Yin tried her best to recount her tragic experience, but looking around, it seemed no one was listening.

Her cheeks grew even redder at a loss. Should she continue or not...?

To continue seemed to be wasting everyone's time.

But to stop now...seemed too cowardly.

Chen Huaixiao noticed the girl's predicament. He put down his script, turned to face her, and responded very gently to her account, "Well, what happened next?"

"Then I met a handsome man. I thought he was my true love, but unexpectedly, I encountered another scam. All my money was cheated away."

Chen Huaixiao smiled faintly, "You are too gullible."

"That's right. What's more, I have an incurable disease and only have three months left to live."

"You almost made me cry."

"Really?"

"Yeah." As he spoke, he pretended to wipe tears with his sleeve.

Bai Yin's tense mood finally eased a little, and she regained some confidence.

Everyone present, including Liu SuYu who was eating fries, was dumbfounded by their natural interaction.

When had he ever seen Chen Huaixiao be so patient to play along? !

In previous script murder games, Chen Huaixiao was always lazy and perfunctory. Unexpectedly, with this little girl...he was so cooperative!

How strange.

Many girls around looked at Bai Yin with jealous eyes. But they only regarded her as Chen Huaixiao's little sister, not a love rival. So their attitude towards Bai Yin also softened, and they gave way to her.

Bai Yin's taut nerves finally relaxed a lot, and she conscientiously completed the tasks according to the host's requirements.

In the card drawing session, Bai Yin drew a performance card that required her to use a charming voice to deceive the host and make his heart flutter to get key plot cards.

Bai Yin had never tried this before and became nervous again. She pinched her voice into a mosquito-like tone to negotiate with the host.

However, because she was too uptight, Bai Yin's action failed this time. The host bluntly rejected her, "No, your charm is not enough for me to hand over the clue card. Next please."

Bai Yin sat back in her chair dejectedly, watching the other brothers and sisters try every means to negotiate with the host... All kinds of coquetry and shamelessness...

Which made her previous performance extremely rigid in contrast.

Bai Yin was very frustrated and sat sullenly in her chair, listless. Chen Huaixiao leaned one hand on the table, casually playing with a ballpoint pen, and said casually, "If you want to make your way in the entertainment industry, you really have to pluck up the courage and open up."

Bai Yin looked at him puzzled.

"If you don't have a sense of variety show, just standing stiffly like a wooden man in front of the camera, unable to catch the host's jokes, and don't even know how to joke around, how do you expect others to like you?" said Chen Huaixiao. His eyes were like summer breeze, light and boundless, yet able to make people feel the coolness on their skin.

Bai Yin was very dissatisfied with his words and said seriously, "I... rely on my skills!"

The corner of the boy's mouth curled up in a playful smile, "You're too dull for the entertainment industry. Find another dream."

No one noticed that Bai Yin's hand under the table was clenched tightly into a fist.

In the next session, Bai Yin drew a task again.

This time she was required to threaten the host in a gangster style to make him hand over the clue card.

Seeing Bai Yin silent, Liu SuYu was worried that the task would be too difficult for this shy little sister. So he came to her rescue, "Let me do this task for her. Such a well-behaved little sister would never threaten others."

"No need." Bai Yin seemed to be prepared. She casually picked up the cigarette box on the table, took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. She stood up, grabbed the host brother's collar across the table, and said in an extremely low voice, "Hand it over."

Looking at the girl's deep dark eyes, the host brother saw a tenacious force. There was no trace of her previous trembling appearance.

Although the cigarette in her mouth looked a bit silly, her eyes were indeed threatening enough.

So he obediently handed Bai Yin the clue card, "I'm afraid of you, here you go."

When Bai Yin let go of his collar, she even patted his face very rudely, really like a gangster boss.

This one move instantly aroused the emotions of the few big boys present—

"Yo! Not bad!"

"Very cool!"

"Brother Xiao, your little friend is quite a good actor."

The little girl sat back in her chair, holding up her chin, looking at Chen Huaixiao unyieldingly, as if trying hard to prove that his previous words were wrong.

Chen Huaixiao looked at her deeply, with slightly raised eyes.

Such stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat reminded him of that girl in the White Pigeon Garden.

Her eyes were also so relentless.

Recalling the past, plus her leaving without saying goodbye, Chen Huaixiao's mood suddenly became chaotic. Not only did he not approve of Bai Yin, he even took away the cigarette she used as a prop from her mouth, "How old are you and you're smoking..."

"I didn't smoke it, just pretending."

"Still not allowed." Chen Huaixiao put the cigarette in his own mouth, "It's not a good thing anyway."

Bai Yin saw the cigarette butt that she had bitten before, and he actually held it to his lips without any hesitation.

Her cheeks flushed slightly again.

"Brother, did I act well just now?" Bai Yin still wanted to get his approval.

"Mediocre."

"Then do I have the qualifications to enter the entertainment industry?"

"Too early. Improve your grades first."

Bai Yin nodded vigorously.

Chen Huaixiao looked at her askance, and she immediately showed him a sweet smile, "Then am I amazing?"

"Don't ask me if you're amazing or not." He unnaturally averted his eyes, "Don't listen to me too much."

"Why?"

"Because it's your own path. Don't care too much about other people's opinions."

Bai Yin tried hard to digest his words, still nodding solemnly, "Mm-hmm!"

"I said you don't have to listen to me so much."

She still smiled at him, "Okay, brother!"

"..."

It was also the first time Chen Huaixiao was so helpless in front of a girl. He rubbed the corners of his eyes.

It was already ten o'clock in the evening when they finished the mystery game. As they walked out of the mystery house, it started pouring rain outside.

Chen Huaixiao bid farewell to Liu SuYu and the others. He said to Bai Yin, "Go home in the rain, or stay here for one night?"

"I...I don't know." Bai Yin looked at the pouring rain in the sky, "I want to call my grandma, I'm a little worried."

Chen Huaixiao took out his phone and handed it to her. Bai Yin immediately dialed her grandma's number, and her grandmother's kind and gentle voice came through—

"Is it YinYin? When are you coming back? It's raining so hard outside, is it raining in Nancheng too?"

"Yeah, it's raining really hard. Grandma, close all the windows!"

"Closed them already. Is Chen Huaixiao with you?"

"Brother is here."

"That's good. Give him the phone, I have a few words for him."

Bai Yin handed the phone back to Chen Huaixiao. He took the call, responded in a low voice, and met the girl's innocent eyes.

"Granny Bai said the rain is too heavy to ride a bike back. It's dangerous."

"Then..." He rubbed his nose, also at a loss as to what to do, and looked towards the drizzling rainy night: "She told me to...take good care of you."

*

Bai Yin was actually not very willing to stay overnight in Nancheng. It wasn't that she didn't trust Chen Huaixiao, but...she couldn't bear to spend money on a hotel.

Hotels in Nancheng must be expensive.

"Brother, are there still cars to go back now?"

"No more trains. You can probably call a chartered car on a ride-hailing app." Chen Huaixiao realized the little girl didn't want to stay overnight. He immediately took out his phone and opened the chartered car app, "I'll call a car to take you home now."

"Are you coming with me, brother?"

"Of course."

How could he send the little girl to a chartered car alone? He would naturally accompany her back.

When Chen Huaixiao called the car, Bai Yin came over to look with him, but she saw the preliminary estimated price on the screen was 145.

"So expensive!" She immediately grabbed Chen Huaixiao's shirt hem, "Wait...wait a minute."

Chen Huaixiao's fingers that were about to place the order paused, "Hmm?"

"How much are the nearby hotels, cheaper or more expensive than this?"

"That's why." Chen Huaixiao said lightly, "I thought you didn't trust me, that's why..."

Looking at the girl's pure and clear eyes, he stopped speaking in time. He hailed a taxi and said, "Xiangjing Apartment."

Ten minutes later, Chen Huaixiao brought Bai Yin to the 65th floor penthouse apartment in the commercial center.

This apartment building had the best view in Nancheng.

Bai Yin looked at the modern minimalist decoration with cool tones, high-tech home appliances, and the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire glittering night view of Nancheng—

"It's so beautiful here, brother!"

"You can come play often if you like it."

"Is this brother's home?"

"Yes."

He said lightly, "I have sleeping problems, so I don't live in the dorm. I did a project at the group during my senior year summer break, earned my first bucket of gold, and bought this place."

Bai Yin was dumbfounded, "You bought it with your own money!"

"Yeah."

Chen Huaixiao didn't know what was going on with himself.

He wasn't a talkative person. When friends came to his house before, he wouldn't say these things. Yet he chatted with this girl...and told her everything.

Because it was Chen Huaixiao's home, Bai Yin completely relaxed. She looked around: "Brother, is this a massage chair?"

"Yes."

Chen Huaixiao had just plugged in the massage chair when the girl ran into the bathroom, "Brother, why is the bathtub so big! It's like a swimming pool! Can I...try it?"

Chen Huaixiao went into the bathroom to draw her a bath. The little girl squeezed into the home theater room, "We can also watch movies and play games here. Brother, turn it on and show me!"

Chen Huaixiao took out a new box of bubble bath fragrance and walked out of the bathroom, "You can experience anything you want, but one at a time, okay?"

Bai Yin stuck out her tongue shyly, "Then I'll take a bath first. My hair is so itchy from the rain."

Chen Huaixiao patiently taught her how to use the tub.

While she was bathing, he went out to the balcony and called his grandfather to update him on the situation—also to reassure the elder.

Elder Master Chen scolded him a few words, then told him to bring the little girl back early tomorrow morning so Granny Bai wouldn't worry.

Chen Huaixiao walked onto the balcony, pondered for a moment, and said frankly to the old master, "Grandpa, I won't come to town every week from now on."

"Oh?"

Chen Huaixiao looked back at the foggy frosted glass bathroom door and said directly, "That girl is very simple and pure. Your care for her is probably inappropriate."

Elder Master Chen said impassively, "What intentions could I have for her? It's just like picking up a stray cat to raise."

"Do you think I believe you're just doing charity?" Of course he didn't believe it.

"Since you already know, given your personality, if you were determined not to get involved, you wouldn't have cared for her from the start. How come you've given her gifts and taken her out to play?"

"She's too pitiful."

Elder Master Chen knew that his seemingly cold-hearted grandson actually had a kind heart.

"If you want to be a good brother, then continue to do so. No need to explain to me."

"In that case, I'll really treat her like a sister. Let me make this clear: it's hopeless." Chen Huaixiao said calmly, "Don't plan anything. My stance is firm."

"Alright." Elder Master Chen smiled leisurely, "Don't think our Chen family only has you, grandson number three. If you don't have it in you, next week I'll have Chen Jingye come to town. He loves fun more than you, maybe the girl will get along better with him."

"..."

Half an hour later, Bai Yin walked out of the bathroom drying her damp hair, "Brother's home is so nice!"

"Do you like it here?"

"I like it!"

"Then come again next week."

"Huh?"

Chen Huaixiao took out the Switch game console he hadn't played with in a long time, then opened the home theater room door, "Brother has over 100 game cartridges here. Play whatever you like."