Chapter 36: All the Money Is Gone

Doing nothing is not a virtue, nor can it redeem anything.

They purchased only the most basic necessities—some vegetables, a bit of meat—and their money was nearly exhausted.

Li Wanbai and Yu Baichuan were assigned to buy basic daily items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, and the like. The remaining three went to buy groceries. When they met up a short while later, of the 1,400 yuan, only 100 remained.

Li Wanbai quickly did the math, her brows knitting in concern. The others were all famous stars, long accustomed to not handling such trivial errands themselves and naturally oblivious to the real cost of things. She, however, was different. Only a few months ago she’d been a high school student running errands for her family; it didn’t take her long to sense something amiss. Before they reached the register, she grabbed Ye Xiruo’s wrist.

“Something’s wrong. Can I see what vegetables you bought?”

Ye Xiruo paused, confused. “Why? There’s finally an open register ahead. If we don’t hurry and check out, we’ll have to queue again.”

Li Wanbai stood her ground. “Then don’t check out yet. We can wait our turn again if needed. I just want to see what you’ve bought.”

From the outside, the bag in Ye Xiruo’s hand wasn’t large—how could it possibly cost 1,200 yuan?

She just couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

The others overheard their exchange and turned to watch. Ye Xiruo flushed, yanked her arm from Li Wanbai’s grip, and forced a stiff smile. “Since Wanbai wants to see, let’s head over to that shelf and take a look, so we don’t bother others.”

“That’s fine,” Li Wanbai nodded, having no objection to this.

Yu Baichuan trailed behind them at a leisurely pace, following them to a counter nearby.

Ye Xiruo smiled. “Teacher Yu, you really don’t have to come over. It’s just that Wanbai wants to see what I bought—no big deal.”

Yu Baichuan glanced at her and let out a soft chuckle. “Are you ordering me around?”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t dare.” Ye Xiruo’s smile faltered a bit, cursing inwardly. What was this? Yu Baichuan used to be indifferent but at least polite—especially with cameras rolling. Now he spoke with such bluntness!

Yu Baichuan couldn’t be bothered to keep up the charade with Ye Xiruo. He turned to Li Wanbai and asked, “What’s happened? Why do you suddenly want to see what she bought?”

“Oh, I just have a nagging feeling something’s not right. How much could you possibly buy for that much money?” Li Wanbai’s tone was tinged with worry. “We need to live for three days, but the size of Xiruo’s bag looks like it wouldn’t last us more than a day…”

“So, Wanbai, are you suggesting I pocketed the money?” Ye Xiruo’s expression twisted for a brief moment, her mask of false kindness nearly slipping. Only when she caught sight of the camera out of the corner of her eye did she manage to maintain her pitiful look. “Wanbai, I admit it was my fault at the flower shop earlier, costing us a hundred yuan. If you’re resentful, I can understand. But isn’t it too much to accuse me unfairly? Do you really think I’d stoop to taking such petty cash?”

The indignation in Ye Xiruo’s voice didn’t sound fake. In truth, Li Wanbai hadn’t truly thought she’d embezzled the money; to her, it was a significant sum, but for Ye Xiruo, it probably wouldn’t even cover a snack.

Li Wanbai sighed. “I really didn’t mean anything by it—I’m just curious.”

[Ha! Curious, sure. She obviously just wants to frame our Xiruo!]
[I don’t get it. Is 1,200 yuan really that much? Would Ye Xiruo be dumb enough to steal it with all these cameras around?]
[To be honest, I don’t buy it. That amount of groceries, costing 1,200 yuan? I cook for myself all the time and know the prices of vegetables and meat these days.]
[Do you think the supermarkets in celebrity reality shows are the same as the one downstairs from your house? Of course the prices are higher!]
[Sorry, but the supermarket they’re shopping at is literally downstairs from my place. Sure, there are expensive items, but most produce is reasonably priced. Most people are still ordinary folks—how could it be that outrageous? Don’t they care about us normal people surviving?]
[Anyway, Li Wanbai had no proof and just demanded to check Xiruo’s groceries. That’s so off-putting.]
[Oh come on, don’t be so hard on her~ Wanbai’s just curious, that’s all. Sure, her curiosity made her demand an inspection, slowed everyone down, and dragged Yu Baichuan along, but she’s just curious—what’s wrong with that?]
[Poor Ye Xiruo. Stuck in the same company as someone with such questionable character—her career will surely suffer.]
[Li Wanbai should leave the entertainment industry!]
[Li Wanbai should leave the entertainment industry!]
[…]

Ye Xiruo lowered her gaze, eyes brimming with tears. She glanced quickly at the camera, making sure it caught her pitiful demeanor; the barrage of critical comments toward Li Wanbai only increased.

Yu Baichuan frowned slightly. As participants, they couldn’t see the live comments, but from experience he knew this wouldn’t bode well for Li Wanbai.

He placed a hand on Li Wanbai’s shoulder and cleared his throat. “Don’t blame Wanbai. I’m the one who’s curious.”

He took the incident upon himself without hesitation, his expression calm, as if chatting idly about home cooking.

Ye Xiruo was surprised; her previously slow movements sped up, and in no time she had set all the items out on the nearby counter.

“Since Teacher Yu wants to see, please, take a look,” she said, still avoiding direct confrontation with Yu Baichuan but casting a resentful glance at Li Wanbai.

Her delicate, vulnerable appearance was perfectly measured, ensuring the viewers wouldn’t accuse her of putting on an act, but instead would feel sympathy for her.

Li Wanbai ignored all that, carefully examining the vegetables taken out. From the size of the bag, she’d guessed, but laid out, there was even less than she’d expected.

A box of mushrooms, a box of cabbage, and a box of meat.

The last box was—

Li Wanbai narrowed her eyes. “You bought cherries?”

“Yes! Cherries are at their biggest and sweetest this time of year,” Ye Xiruo replied with a smile. “I saw on Teacher Quan’s Weibo that he likes cherries, so I thought I’d get a box for him.”

Li Wanbai picked it up and nearly winced at the import label. Not only were the cherries imported, but so were the other three boxes.

Li Wanbai stiffly looked up at her. “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

Ye Xiruo looked bewildered. “What is there to say? Did I do something wrong?”