Lan Xingchen barely slept all night—partly because he was still fired up, partly because he was worried about how to take care of his little paid companion.
The next morning, when the alarm went off, he almost didn’t get up.
Luckily, Pei Qingjian heard the alarm and woke him.
Lan Xingchen sat up groggily, washed up, and got dressed.
To his surprise, Pei Qingjian had already prepared breakfast.
“Eat before you go,” Pei Qingjian said with a smile.
Lan Xingchen looked at the golden fried buns and soy milk. This wasn’t a paid companion—it was more like a hardworking, self-sufficient young man!
He pulled out a chair and sat down.
The buns were the leftover lamb buns from last night, pan-fried until crispy, sprinkled with sesame on the bottom—absolutely appetizing.
The soy milk was sweetened, just the way Lan Xingchen liked it.
As he ate, he glanced at Pei Qingjian, thinking to himself how impressively attentive he was—so considerate, he could easily be called the king of little birds.
It was only polite to reciprocate; maybe he should care for him a bit more, too.
For example…
For example, Pei Qingjian currently only had three thousand yuan.
Three thousand yuan—barely enough for a meal. What could he really do with that?
Lan Xingchen thought for a moment, then put down his chopsticks. “I want to modify the contract.”
Pei Qingjian: ???
They were having a perfectly normal meal, so how did the conversation suddenly leap to the contract?
“What do you want to change?”
“It’s like this: according to our previous agreement, the remaining balance was supposed to be paid to you in one lump sum after a year. But now I think that’s inconvenient, so I want to pay daily.”
“Daily?” Pei Qingjian was surprised. Did he mean… that?
“Yeah—settle it every day, no delays.”
Pei Qingjian: …
He felt like he must be hallucinating.
Even if he’d never been kept before, even on his first time as a little bird, he knew a benefactor didn’t operate like this!
This wasn’t being a benefactor—it was straight-up aid!
Professional, targeted, direct aid!
“No, no,” Pei Qingjian hurriedly refused. “You already paid me the first installment, which was generous enough. Daily payments aren’t necessary.”
“It’s fine,” Lan Xingchen said casually. “Should I transfer via WeChat or back to the card I used before?”
“No need, really no need,” Pei Qingjian said, getting up in urgency. “We signed a contract, so we follow the contract. If it says a year later, then a year later it’ll be.”
Lan Xingchen: “But…”
“No buts.”
Pei Qingjian practically wished he could teach him hand by hand—this was how a benefactor should act! Who did he think he was, paying early? What if the person ran off with the money?
“Look,” Pei Qingjian explained seriously. “We signed a contract so you could provide the money and I provide the services. You’ve already paid the first installment, but you haven’t received anything yet in return. If you start daily payments now, it’s disadvantageous to you. It’s not appropriate.”
Lan Xingchen: …
“You’re… teaching me how to handle things?”
Pei Qingjian shook his head. “Not at all. I’m just explaining the situation.”
Lan Xingchen let out a light laugh, finding him amusing.
Everyone wants to hold on to their money sooner and more tightly, yet Pei Qingjian was pushing it away—and even teaching him how to be a proper benefactor.
“Alright,” Lan Xingchen said, going along with it. “Since you don’t want that, let’s just follow the contract.”
Pei Qingjian finally relaxed and sat down.
In essence, he didn’t actually want Lan Xingchen’s money. Even the first installment—once he started earning himself, he planned to gather enough to return it.
Since he’d assumed the identity of the current “Pei Qingjian,” he was willing to take on the responsibilities owed by the original Pei Qingjian. But he wasn’t comfortable seeing himself as part of a transaction; he wanted to fulfill the contract but not take the money.
He didn’t dislike Lan Xingchen, so being around him wasn’t unpleasant.
If it wasn’t unpleasant, there was no need to insist on taking money.
For now, Pei Qingjian didn’t mention any of this. He only had three thousand yuan—no telling how long until he could gather enough for the first installment. No point in bringing it up.
Once he had enough, he’d tell Lan Xingchen. Until then… he didn’t know when he’d reach that sum.
He’d considered selling the original owner’s luxury items, but remembered the original owner was an actor. Those contracts often had penalties. If an event required him to wear the items, he’d have to repurchase them anyway. Better to wait.
First, he’d check with his manager for work. If none, he’d return to his craft. With effort, he could gather enough.
And he still had the IOU—he’d contact the other party soon to get that money back.
Lan Xingchen watched him sit and resume eating, thinking if daily payments weren’t acceptable, he’d have to find another way.
There was no way Pei Qingjian should have to live on just three thousand yuan.
After all, he was his person—he couldn’t let him live so frugally.
“Have you not taken any roles recently?” Lan Xingchen asked. “Which company are you with?”
“Xinghe,” Pei Qingjian said, picking up a fried bun. “Nothing at the moment. I’ll ask today.”
“Let me know after you ask.”
“Sure,” Pei Qingjian agreed.
They continued eating and talking. Half an hour passed before Lan Xingchen wiped his mouth and stood. “I should go.”
“Take care on the way,” Pei Qingjian reminded him.
Lan Xingchen paused briefly at the words.
He glanced back—Pei Qingjian had lowered his eyelashes, quietly eating his bun.
His downward-facing profile was delicate and clean, sunlight softening it with a quiet gentleness, almost evoking the feeling of someone long known, though they’d only met a short while ago. A month ago, they were complete strangers.
Lan Xingchen withdrew his gaze and stepped out before Pei Qingjian looked up.
After Lan Xingchen left, Pei Qingjian finished his last bite, then picked up his phone to check his manager’s WeChat.
It had been a long time since the original Pei Qingjian last spoke with his manager.
And it had been nearly eight months since the original Pei Qingjian last filmed anything.
Eight months—more than half a year gone. Evidently, the original Pei Qingjian had been really slack.
Of course, the manager had recommended roles during that time, but the original Pei Qingjian had refused them all. “They’re all minor roles, too little screen time. I won’t do it,” he had said.
After being rejected twice in a row, the manager had long since stopped recommending roles for him.
Pei Qingjian stared at the awkward chat records between them and groaned before sending a WeChat message:
[Good morning, Zhou Ge. Sorry to bother you. Do you have any roles suitable for me recently? Earlier, I was too impatient and didn’t have a clear understanding of myself, which caused you trouble. I won’t act like that again. Thank you for taking care of me before, and I apologize again for my previous recklessness.]
Zhou Pengyue had just woken up. Half-asleep, he saw the message and thought he was still dreaming.
It took him a while to realize it wasn’t a dream—Pei Qingjian had actually sent him this message.
“How strange,” Zhou Pengyue muttered. “He can actually send a message like this?”
He glanced at the date on his phone. “It’s not April Fool’s either.”
Zhou Pengyue had once genuinely believed in Pei Qingjian, which was why he had signed him. But after the contract, problems arose.
Pei Qingjian wanted to play lead roles. He had done two supporting roles and felt he deserved the lead now—who doesn’t think that way?
Zhou Pengyue couldn’t accept it. Pei Qingjian had no fan base, no status, wasn’t a company favorite, and his acting skills were still unpolished. Even if he got the lead, people would laugh at him.
Zhou Pengyue tried to calm him, patiently explaining, but Pei Qingjian thought he was brushing him off. They argued until Pei Qingjian gave up.
Zhou Pengyue eventually stopped worrying about him and focused on other actors.
Now, just when he was about to forget him, Pei Qingjian came back, even more sensible than before.
Since he was his artist, Zhou Pengyue replied:
[Nothing at the moment. Even if there were, with your current fame, you could only play supporting roles. Are you willing?]
[I’m willing.] Pei Qingjian answered without hesitation.
He was still a beginner, having only watched others act, never performed himself. Being thrown into a lead role would have been terrifying.
Supporting roles were perfect—short, varied, and a chance to learn gradually and practice his skills.
Zhou Pengyue hadn’t expected such a quick reply. He thought, “Looks like he’s matured a bit over these past eight months. Not bad.”
[Alright, if a suitable role comes up, I’ll contact you.]
[Okay.] Pei Qingjian happily responded, [Thanks, Zhou Ge!]
Zhou Pengyue: …Suddenly, he’s polite.
After chatting with Zhou Pengyue, Pei Qingjian reported back to Lan Xingchen:
[I just spoke with my manager. No suitable roles for now, but he said he’ll contact me immediately when there are any~]
Lan Xingchen read the message. He didn’t know much about the entertainment industry, but he knew human nature. These words were just polite niceties, like casually saying “I’ll treat you to dinner another day.” If you take them seriously, you lose.
Pei Qingjian’s mind was simple. He truly believed the manager would contact him, and he even sent a cheerful wave emoji. Lan Xingchen chuckled—he refused daily payments, had no work, only three thousand yuan, and still could send a wave emoji. Silly boy.
So… how could he give Pei Qingjian some financial support? It had to be in a way Pei Qingjian could accept.
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang.
Lan Xingchen opened it and saw his friend jumping around in the WeChat group:
Fang Junhao: [Warmly celebrating my return to singlehood!]
Fang Junhao: [Single Red Packet]
Fang Junhao: [Why are you just staring? Congratulate me!]
Right! An idea struck Lan Xingchen instantly. The solution had arrived.
Without a second thought, he added Pei Qingjian to the friend group.
Lan Xingchen: [Warmly celebrating my singlehood!]
Lan Xingchen: [Red Packet][Red Packet][Red Packet]
Lan Xingchen: [Why are you just staring? Congratulate me!]
Fang Junhao: ???
Fang Junhao: !!!
Fang Junhao furiously rolled up his sleeves: [Lan Xingchen, are you ruining the scene?!]
Of course, Lan Xingchen wasn’t ruining anything. He just wanted Pei Qingjian to receive a few red packets. Possibly more than a few.
Lan Xingchen: [How could that be? I just saw you became single and remembered I had ended my own singlehood, so I immediately reported it to you all.]
Fang Junhao: ???!!!
Fang Junhao: [Are you serious?!]
Lan Xingchen: [Of course. Didn’t you see I added my partner to the group?]
Fang Junhao scrolled up and saw that before Lan Xingchen’s post, there was a grey notification: “Lin invited Sea to the group chat.”
Fang Junhao: !!!
Fang Junhao: [So Sea is your partner?]
Lan Xingchen: [Yes.]
Pei Qingjian: ???!!!
Pei Qingjian felt uneasy. Were they supposed to be introducing him as a friend? Or as a partner? This didn’t feel right.
But Lan Xingchen had already said it, so Pei Qingjian didn’t want to undermine him. He could only weakly greet:
[Hello everyone, I’m Pei Qingjian. Nice to meet you~]
Immediately, Pei Qingjian privately messaged Lan Xingchen:
[Why did you suddenly add me to your friend group?]
[Now all your friends know about me.]
[Isn’t that bad?]
Lan Xingchen, confused: [Why would that be bad?]
Pei Qingjian: ??? Did he really need to explain?
[I’m not your partner.] Pei Qingjian typed quickly. [I’m an impostor!]
Lan Xingchen chuckled lightly: [I know.]
Pei Qingjian: [Then why did you say “Mm”?]
Lan Xingchen: Isn’t it for you?
Adding a partner to a group to show everyone—that’s normal. Adding a “little canary” to a group… what, are you crowdfunding to raise a bird?
Lan Xingchen: [I naturally have my reasons. Just cooperate.]
Pei Qingjian, seeing this, thought maybe Lan Xingchen really had some plan he didn’t know about, and obediently replied: [Oh.]
Meanwhile, in the group chat, the other three were going wild, tagging both of them nonstop.
Xie Siqi: [???? What’s going on? I just didn’t check my phone for a bit, and now Lao Lan has a partner?]
Chang Le: [Yeah, when did this happen? How come I didn’t know!!]
Fang Junhao: [[Welcome Red Packet]]
Fang Junhao: [Little Pei, nice to meet you~]
Seeing this, Xie Siqi and Chang Le immediately sent two red packets each.
[Welcome, welcome!]
Pei Qingjian looked at the three red packets that had popped up and thought: Lan Xingchen’s friends are really enthusiastic.
Just as he was about to reply, his phone buzzed. Lan Xingchen messaged him privately:
Lan Xingchen: [What are you just staring at? Grab the red packets!]
Pei Qingjian: [Really grab them?]
Lan Xingchen: Isn’t that why I added you to the group, so you could get red packets?
Lan Xingchen: [Mm.]
Pei Qingjian, seeing him insist, sent a few “thanks” messages in the group and then claimed the red packets.
He didn’t dare keep them himself; he immediately transferred all of it back to Lan Xingchen.
Lan Xingchen: …… [What are you doing?]
Pei Qingjian: [They only sent them because of your face, but I’m not your partner, so I feel undeserving. Better I give it back ^_^]
Lan Xingchen was furious. Why was it so hard for Pei Qingjian to just accept money? Was the allure of money too weak? Not enough to tempt young people anymore?!
Lan Xingchen: [Just take it. I’m not lacking this money.]
Pei Qingjian: [But…]
Lan Xingchen: [No buts. Who’s the benefactor here? You giving me money? Are you trying to be my dad?]
Pei Qingjian didn’t dare argue further. Lan Xingchen was satisfied and reminded him:
Lan Xingchen: [Also, the red packet I sent earlier—you haven’t claimed it yet.]
Pei Qingjian: [That too?]
Lan Xingchen: [Of course. I need to see who’s luckiest. If you don’t claim it, I can’t see.]
Seeing this, Pei Qingjian claimed the red packet and even took a screenshot for him.
Pei Qingjian: [It’s you! 354 yuan! So much!]
Lan Xingchen: ???
Wait… Lan Xingchen had sent the red packet to monopolize the top spot, right? How much did Pei Qingjian get? 100? 200? 300?
Lan Xingchen checked the screenshot and almost fainted.
0.14!
He had sent 1,000 yuan, and Pei Qingjian got only 0.14! Not one hundred and four, not fourteen, 0.14!
Lan Xingchen: …Who invented this algorithm?! Is this fair?!
He was about to send another red packet in the group when he saw Fang Junhao’s messages flooding in.
Fang Junhao: [What’s going on? You’re suddenly in love? And added your partner to the group?]
Fang Junhao: [I thought you said you wouldn’t add your partner to the group?]
Fang Junhao: [Where’s the person?]
Lan Xingchen: [Here.]
After replying, he created a new group, adding Fang Junhao, Chang Le, and Xie Siqi.
Lan Xingchen: [About adding Pei Qingjian to the group today—It was impulsive. I mainly wanted to send him a red packet but didn’t want him to realize it. So I disguised it with a group red packet. My mistake for not mentioning it in advance; it won’t happen again.]
Fang Junhao: [Oh, I thought so. No worries. So Little Pei really is your partner?]
Lan Xingchen: [Mm.]
Chang Le: [When did this happen?]
Lan Xingchen: [Just recently.]
Xie Siqi: [Recently? How recent?]
Lan Xingchen: …
Lan Xingchen: [About this month.]
Fang Junhao: [So fast!]
Lan Xingchen: [Mm.]
Xie Siqi: [Wait, when did you two even meet?]
Lan Xingchen: …How could he answer that? Couldn’t say it was also this month?
Xie Siqi: [Why are you silent? Too embarrassed? You two haven’t known each other long, right?]
Xie Siqi: [Could it be an online romance?!]
Lan Xingchen’s eyes lit up. That’s it!
Feigning surprise, he said: [You saw right through it.]
Xie Siqi: [So, it really was an online romance?]
Lan Xingchen: [Mm.]
Xie Siqi: [And then met in person this month?]
Lan Xingchen: [Exactly.]
Xie Siqi: [Love at first sight?]
Lan Xingchen: [Hehe.]
Xie Siqi: [Second meeting sealed the deal?]
Lan Xingchen: [Shh, keep it quiet.]
Xie Siqi: [Third meeting you didn’t just decide to be a couple and add them to the group, right?!!!]
Lan Xingchen: [Nope.]
Xie Siqi breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, his buddy wasn’t this love-brained.
Lan Xingchen smiled: [I just confirmed our relationship and moved him in.]
Lan Xingchen: [So we’re living together now!]
Xie Siqi: !!!!
Chang Le: !!!
Fang Junhao: !!!
Damn! This isn’t being love-brained? After just a few days of knowing each other, you’re already living together?!
“You really can’t wait, can you?!”