Chapter 3 – Little White Rabbi (1/2)
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This night, starting from 2AM in the morning, Bai Lang received three phone calls. One was from his older brother and two from his mother.
All of it was to tell him how deadly the underground money lender was and how Bai Li and the two old people were frightened to death. They had received several phone calls in the dead of the night with no one talking on the other end, and also people had been tailing them on their way out to buy groceries. For several nights past they had been so frightened they couldn’t sleep. As for Bai Lang who had a successful career, all he needed to do was to run by the bank tomorrow morning and borrow five million dollars to help Bai Li and save their family. It was this simple, no?
Bai Lang lowered his head listening to their calls, and in his heart he couldn’t help but recall the scenes from his previous life.
Because after this incident, Bai Li would continue to borrow money time and time again, and would time and time again ask him for help to repay it. Through this incident Bai Li came to understand that if he was in debt, then Bai Lang’s reputation would also suffer. So he knew that no matter what his younger brother Bai Lang would come to his aid, so he felt free to go out and do whatever he wanted.
All the way until eight years later when Bai Li had finally accumulated enough experience from this manner of using money, he was finally able to open two relatively successful restaurants in his hometown of T City, and became the so-called boss of a “chain” and made a minor name for himself. Then when the ugly rumors surrounding Bai Lang being gay was broken to the media, Bai Li was the first person to stand out and post on the two restaurant’s website that the Bai family had not taught this younger son well, that they wanted to apologize to society, as well as to completely cut off all ties with Bai Lang.
This notice was furiously reposted by all the paparazzi. Everyone said that even though there was no real evidence to support to rumors, Bai Lang’s own family had pretty much admitted it. Hence it was clear that Bai Lang really had some serious problems. So the previously unsubstantiated slanders became real in this fashion. For Bai Lang, who had painstakingly supported Bai Li and these two old people these past years, he was heartlessly stabbed in the back several times.
However at that time Bai Lang still felt guilty towards his parents. Because he knew that the two old people who had grown up in a small regional town were very traditional thinking people. Homosexuality in their eyes was something that was disgusting and perverted. Actually when Bai Lang admitted his sexual orientation to his parents, the words they had spoken to him were even uglier than that which was being said outside by others.
However people’s hearts in reality were made of flesh and blood. If it was cut then of course it would hurt.
Bai Lang had been a good and obedient son for his entire life. He was a good younger brother. However all he had gotten in return was this kind of abandonment. Although he understood it logically, however Bai Lang did not want to repeat this kind of experience.
Especially Bai Li. When Bai Lang thought about letting Bai Li use him for money again, he really wanted to jump out of the window of the building.
The phone had still been held in his hand for too long and it was slightly hot. Bai Lang paused for a few seconds and then finally decided to dial a number.
In his previous life, he had never once before called this number voluntarily.
However it had always been saved inside his phone.
[Du–du–du—], then there was the sound of the call been connected. “Who is it!?”
The deep and husky voice sounded angry, it seemed like the person on the other end hadn’t even had time to open their eyes yet.
“It’s me, Bai Lang.” Bai Lang looked again at the digital clock. It was still August 23rd 20XX, 4AM in the morning.
“Does Mr Qiu have time to talk?”
***
“You have something on in the afternoon? Brother Lang, are you going somewhere ah?”
The young voice on the phone belonged to Bai Lang’s assistant Xiao Yang, Yang GuoZhong.
Bai Lang had previously considered Yang GuoZhong a faithful and loyal assistant who had helped him in many situations, even down to the details of selecting his lunch boxes and creating multiple accounts to help talk for him on the internet. Once Bai Lang had completely trusted him and had no guard against him at all.
However after the incident regarding the video of the yacht party, his assistant was suddenly changed from Xiao Yang to Er Hong, whose real name was Hong Hong. {T/N: “Er” means two, referring to the fact that Hong Hong name has 2 Hong’s. They are different characters but pronounced similarly.} It was not until then that Bai Lang knew that other than being his assistant, Xiao Yang had another job, and that was selling news about the private lives of stars to the paparazzi.
He clearly had such a friendly and happy face, with a liveliness that brightened the atmosphere everywhere. However in reality he was doing all he could to get close to the assistants of other famous stars, and through casual conversation he was trying to glean information that he could sell. Until that moment Bai Lang finally realized that the news about Bai Li’s debt was leaked most likely because Xiao Yang was by his side and overheard Bai Lang to Bai Li when the other person was yelling at him and begging for help.
Because after all when an underground money lender was trying to chase a debt, they would keep it secretfrom the outside world. They obviously knew that Bai Li had Bai Lang behind him to help repay his debt, so the underground money lender would not do anything so stupid as to destroy Bai Lang’s fortune and also expose themselves in the process. {T/N: It’s underground because it’s illegal, hence the huge interest rate. A loan shark. Probably I should have used that term instead haha, but the Chinese “underground money manor” sounded more sinister lol.}
Originally Bai Lang had been suspicious that it was Qiu Qian who had leaked the news. After all Bai Lang had had no choice but to ask the company to lend him money. He had also received a phone call from Qiu Qian asking him if he wanted to reconsider the matter of being a kept lover. But now that Bai Lang thought about it, it was more likely that Qiu Qian only had a passing interest. But because of that, in this life, Bai Lang finally had the courage to make thatphone call last night.
Towards Xiao Yang’s question, Bai Lang only said vaguely, “I’m going to see the boss. I have some things to discuss with him.”
“The boss!? Big boss Qiu?!” The voice on the phone rose two octaves. “How come ah!? Is it a new drama or what? You should tell me these kind of things ah! Okay, is it tomorrow afternoon? I’ll take brother Lang there. Where are you meeting? I’ll take you brother Lang, you don’t have a car right?”
Bai Lang laughed. This type of question was probing him for information. The Bai Lang who had mingled in the entertainment world for ten years could already discern it. “Since we are having a discussion, where else could it be but at the company office? Is there something wrong with the company office that we have to go out and spend money?”
“Oh. It’s like that.” Xiao Yang’s voice fell slightly. “Then what time? I’ll go and pick you up?”
“There’s no need. These two days I won’t be turning my phone on. You should have a good rest. The advertisement shoot has been changed to the day after tomorrow.”
They were still filming “Partners for Life” {T/N: Remember it is a super long 6 month show, and they’re most likely filming and broadcasting at the same time}. However because the male lead had some conflicts in schedule, so they could only film a little, then rest a little. The director was so stressed his hair nearly went white however this let Bai Lang have quite a lot of free time, as well as time to do other jobs.
“Tomorrow as well? What are you doing? Are you meeting Mr Qiu again?” Xiao Yang asked inquisitively.
“Tomorrow I’m going home to see my family while I have some free time. When I get busy again I won’t get time.” Bai Lang pretty much only went home once every few months, so his reasoning made sense.