Chapter 9: Snatching the Bamboo Shoots

When the door opened, the proprietress glanced at the girl walking in and said with a smile, “Oh, you’ve come at just the right time! Look, the person I wanted to introduce you to is right here. Isn’t he a handsome young man? And a good one, too.”

Bai Renzong turned to look, and his heart skipped a violent beat: Was this girl too beautiful to be real?

Standing at about five foot six, she looked tall and slender, her figure striking—her long legs seemed almost endless, and her curves were elegant, neither too much nor too little. Her delicate features and barely-there makeup lent her an air of purity, but her smile was filled with warmth and intelligence.

Still, her style was understated: a loose blue and white shirt layered over a white camisole, high-waisted jeans, a sun hat, and sunglasses. There was nothing flashy or showy about her at all; she had the quiet charm of the girl next door.

Bai Renzong couldn’t help but feel he’d seen her somewhere before, though he couldn’t quite pin down where.

Han Jiayi smiled faintly. She had planned to abandon all pretenses and lash out right away, but when she saw the blank look on his face, it was clear he hadn’t recognized her. If she simply started berating him, he’d have no idea what he’d done wrong. So, after a moment’s thought, she decided to go through the motions.

“Hello,” Han Jiayi said, sitting down beside Bai Renzong and getting straight to the point. “What do you do for work?”

Once, facing a girl like this, Bai Renzong might have felt a little self-conscious. But now, he saw no need for that. Everyone lives their life earnestly and honestly; why should he feel inferior?

“I’m working as a content creator lately,” Bai Renzong replied with calm confidence and a smile.

“Oh? A content creator?” Han Jiayi nodded, smiling back. “How many followers do you have now?”

“I’m just getting started,” Bai Renzong repeated, “only a bit over twenty thousand so far.”

In truth, earning over twenty thousand followers in the first week of making videos was already an impressive feat; many full-time creators work for years to hit a hundred thousand. But Han Jiayi didn’t know these industry standards. The creators she’d seen all had hundreds of thousands, even millions of followers. In her eyes, a creator with only twenty thousand was hardly worth mentioning.

So she laughed and said, “Only twenty thousand? Is that enough? Don’t think I’m being harsh, but isn’t dating ultimately about marriage? Do you think, as a content creator, you’re able to support a family and take on the responsibilities of a husband and father?”

“At the moment… probably not,” Bai Renzong answered with a smile, already detecting a hint of sarcasm in her tone. “But I’m working toward that goal.”

He understood her meaning well enough; not everyone could accept new professions like “streamer,” “online writer,” or “content creator.” Especially since he was just starting out, her skepticism was only natural, and he was unfazed.

“Working hard is often just an empty promise men use to string women along,” Han Jiayi retorted mercilessly. The memory of being publicly criticized over the past few days made anger rise in her chest, and now she just wanted to vent it all. “Do you have any plans for the future? Do you know what you want to do? Can you guarantee you’ll achieve something by a certain time? If not, why be a creator at all?”

Her discontent was now plain. Bai Renzong saw no reason to continue the conversation and decided to give a few perfunctory replies before taking his dinner and heading home.

“I do have plans, actually,” he said with a smile, “but I doubt you’d care. After all, before I even answered, you’d already decided: ‘If you can’t, why be a creator?’ If you’ve already concluded I’ll never amount to anything, there’s no point in me trying to explain.”

He lifted his glass and took a sip, starting to tie up his takeout.

“What I mean is, instead of wasting time making videos, why not get a proper job? Don’t you feel any shame being that kind of creator?” Han Jiayi pressed, trying to keep her anger in check.

Her real meaning was, “Don’t you feel remorse for calling people out in your videos?” But Bai Renzong had no idea she was the unlucky target of his criticism three times in a row. He merely thought she, like many others, disapproved of new careers like “content creator,” “streamer,” or “online writer.”

So he answered with a smile, “Why should I be ashamed? I’m making an honest living through my own effort. I don’t steal, I don’t cheat, I don’t break the law. I give up my seat for the elderly on buses, feed stray cats and dogs, thank delivery drivers. I do my best to be kind and gentle. Why should I feel ashamed? On the contrary, I’m proud of who I am and what I do.”

His words left Han Jiayi blushing furiously. She racked her brain for a retort and found none. The longer she sat, the redder she grew, even feeling a little guilty. Why should I feel guilty? she thought. He’s the one who criticized me for three episodes straight!

“Well then, Xing, Xiaoxiao, I’ll be heading back now,” Bai Renzong said with a smile to the owner and proprietress, picking up his dinner and leaving Han Jiayi behind.

“You silly girl,” the proprietress shot Han Jiayi a sideways glance. “What’s wrong with you? Why did you say such harsh things? You used to be so gentle and easygoing. Since when did you turn so mean to strangers? Have you picked up bad habits outside?”

“I—I just…” Han Jiayi stammered, feeling even guiltier at the proprietress’s words. She couldn’t explain the whole story; after all, though she’d been publicly criticized three times, she had to admit his words had struck home each time.

She fiddled with her cup, shifting uneasily. “It’s just… when he said he was a creator, I just…”

“You wanted to see if Xiao Bai had enough determination, right?” the owner said, smoothing things over with a smile. “It’s a tough business, after all. Without some real drive, most people get weeded out in the end.”

“Yes, exactly! That’s it!” Han Jiayi seized on the excuse, feeling relieved. “You really know me, Xing. No wonder you’re my mentor. Heh.”

“Heh my foot,” the owner said gruffly. “Even so, that was terribly rude of you. I was just boasting to Xiaoxiao about what a good girl we were introducing to him. Is this what you call being ‘a good girl’? Now what if he never comes back to eat here again?”

Han Jiayi stuck out her tongue. “Then I’ll just come eat double portions every day…”

“Do you think we care about the money?” the proprietress scolded, frowning. “You’ve damaged our reputation! If you see him tomorrow, explain the situation and apologize. Really… The things you said were just cutting. Remember how you once dreamed of entering the entertainment industry? What if someone had said the same to you?”

“I can explain, but I’m not apologizing…” Han Jiayi muttered resentfully, thinking to herself: He criticized me for three episodes, and now you want me to apologize to him? Not a chance!

“Still as stubborn as ever,” the owner scolded. “All right, you’ve come a long way home. Sit and eat. What do you want?”

“Hainanese chicken rice…” Han Jiayi mumbled softly.