Chapter 7: Why Is It Always You!

Nanhua City, Leisure Studio, Boss’s Office.

Staring at the video sent by the restaurant’s acting manager, Han Jiayi kept a stern face, her brows twitching slightly, while the content creator in the video lamented bitterly, “I don’t know why the former owner of Yijia Pavilion suddenly gave up the head chef position, but I think it’s a sign of arrogance. She thinks the restaurant is popular enough, so now she can just go off and have fun.”

Han Jiayi bit down hard on her hand to keep herself from cursing out loud—she was furious, but not because this content creator was spreading rumors. On the contrary, it was because he was right.

Back then, her restaurant had been extremely popular, earning a Michelin star within just half a year of opening. With her striking appearance, she’d appeared in a few interviews, and her fame soared, attracting offers to join the entertainment industry.

The temptation was real. She signed with an entertainment company and tried to break into showbiz, but the results were disappointing.

After a few variety show appearances and playing side roles in two films, for certain reasons, she stopped acting. Instead, she invested the funds she’d accumulated over the years into the emerging “ninth art”—video games—and had kept a low profile ever since.

Now, hearing this content creator’s words, Han Jiayi indeed felt a pang of guilt: she had forgotten her original intention and betrayed her customers.

But that wasn’t the main point. What truly infuriated her was how this content creator managed to hit a nerve—so much so that she was seething with anger!

As Dumbledore once said, it’s easy to forgive someone’s mistakes, but much harder to forgive when they’re right.

So, Han Jiayi was enraged by this content creator, even if he was telling the truth.

What’s more, this guy had instantly guessed that the sauce for her signature rib platter was made with plums—something she took great pride in!

“Old Bai... why is it always you!” Han Jiayi gritted her teeth as she muttered the ID. “You trashed the game I invested in, criticized the movie I acted in, and now you’ve left a negative review for my restaurant... You’d better hope I never meet you! Otherwise... hmph!”

Over a thousand kilometers away, Bai Renzong sneezed violently in the tiny town of Yangliu.

“What’s wrong? Too much air conditioning and caught a cold?” the lady boss teased.

“I don’t know, maybe someone’s cursing me...” Bai Renzong rubbed his nose. “I’ll have today’s special, and an extra order of Xinjiang chicken to go.”

“You got it.” The boss replied and headed into the kitchen to prepare the food.

After lunch, Bai Renzong met with the landlord in the afternoon to check out the apartment.

The landlord was a man just under six feet tall, in his late twenties, slightly chubby with a scholarly air, and like Bai Renzong, sported dramatic dark circles under his eyes.

The man smiled and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Han Xu.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Bai Renzong,” he introduced himself.

After a handshake, Han Xu grinned. “Let’s go take a look at the place first.”

Han Xu opened the door and led the way in. As soon as he stepped inside, Bai Renzong couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.

Though a light layer of dust had settled, the apartment still looked new, free of the yellowed patina of age. The décor was clean and modern—no unnecessary furniture or personal belongings cluttered the space.

It was a two-story duplex. The first floor featured a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a guest room; upstairs, with access to the rooftop terrace, was a second bathroom, two bedrooms, and a study. The first-floor bathroom included a shower, while the upstairs one was just a half-bath.

Excluding the terrace, the combined living area was about three hundred square meters.

But it was the terrace that truly delighted Bai Renzong—a forty-square-meter space perfect for fresh air or perhaps a little gardening.

“This place is fantastic...” Bai Renzong couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Yeah, if I weren’t getting married, I’d probably keep living here,” Han Xu smiled. “I used to write scripts here—no one ever bothered me. It’s very quiet, which should suit you well.”

“Scriptwriting?” Bai Renzong asked with some surprise. “Do you have any works I could check out?”

Han Xu waved his hand with a wry smile. “Nothing worth mentioning... I’m not writing anymore anyway.”

“Why did you stop? Isn’t it a shame?” Bai Renzong asked curiously.

“There are plenty of reasons...” Han Xu counted on his fingers. “Too many trolls, getting married, lack of inspiration, earned enough money... But mainly, the Film and Television Bureau banned the genre I was good at.”

Bai Renzong made up his mind: if the rent was under five thousand, he’d take it. For a duplex like this, right in the city center, five or six thousand would be the usual rate.

“You were introduced by Brother Xing, so I’ll let you have it for forty-five hundred,” Han Xu said straightforwardly.

What luck—Bai Renzong marveled silently, ready to accept on the spot. But Han Xu added, “There’s just one condition.”

He pointed upstairs at one of the rooms. “That side bedroom—you can’t touch anything in there. It’s my sister’s room. She’s working in another city and hasn’t picked up her stuff yet.”

Bai Renzong did a quick calculation—even with one room off-limits, it was still more than enough for three people. The price was more than reasonable.

“No problem,” Bai Renzong agreed readily.

Han Xu thought for a moment, then added, “But she’ll be back in a few days to get her things.”

“Even better,” Bai Renzong smiled. “Shall we sign the contract now?”

With limited funds, Bai Renzong paid a year’s rent upfront. Since they had a mutual acquaintance, the deposit was only symbolic, and the contract was signed without fuss.

Looking around his new home, Bai Renzong felt a mix of joy and worry.

He was happy to finally have a better place—life and video recording would be far more convenient. But he also felt the weight of responsibility; after paying sixty thousand for rent, there was no turning back.

“Well, no point worrying now,” Bai Renzong sighed. “I’ll move in tomorrow.”

Moving was easy for him—computer, clothes, and daily essentials fit into two suitcases, and the new place was just across the street from his old one.

His family lived in Beichang City, near the third ring road. If he needed anything, he could just go home and get it. He’d originally rented near his company for convenience.

However, Bai Renzong hadn’t told his parents he’d quit his job or started making videos as a content creator.

To the older generation, such a new career was hard to accept. He had a friend who earned three hundred thousand a year writing web novels, but in his girlfriend’s parents’ eyes, it still didn’t compare to being a civil servant making just over three thousand a month.

So Bai Renzong decided to act first and inform later—once he’d made a name for himself as a content creator, then he’d let his parents know.

With his computer and essential belongings in tow, he arranged for broadband transfer and officially moved in.

“Alright, from today on, a new life begins...” he said with satisfaction after closing the door behind him.