Bai Jingyi

"So, you quit." Bai Jingyi concluded.

Jie Jie nodded in confirmation. She thought a lot and eventually decided to quit her part-time job. With the movie approaching, she ought to do this sooner than later. By selling her book rights, she was able to live more comfortably already, so she wasn't tight on money like before. Who would have thought that she would become a contracted web novelist on top of that?

Of course, she had kept the part about being a BL web novelist a secret from Jingyi. There was no way for her to admit to being paid for writing something she started on a whim. She only told him that she took on a commission and had no more time on hand. Since Jingyi already knew about the film deal before, he didn't ask any further.

Bai Jingyi, the person in front of her, was her former colleague. When they first met at the bar, she was still a first-year college student. They were both part-timers who worked to get around day by day while chasing their dreams and aspirations. Through some mishaps and coincidences, they became friends and found out that they shared some similarities. They became dependent on each other.

"..." Jingyi sighed and took a bite of his steaming dumpling.

The two of them were at an old, dilapidated restaurant in a dimly-lit alley near the bar. They used to go here after work since it was one of the few places that were open early morning and had affordable food that was palatable. This place also served cheap alcohol for anyone who wasn't afraid of a hangover the next time they woke up.

"Although I've quit, if there's a shortage, I can still come and help once in a while..." Jie Jie encouraged. It seemed like her announcement to quit working didn't put Jingyi in a good mood.

"Stupid." Jingyi scolded "Don't you dare come back when you can finally say goodbye to it!" His meaning was clear; he wouldn't want Jie Jie to fall back into this lifestyle.

"And here I thought you would miss me!" Jie Jie faked a pout.

"Why should I miss you? We can still meet up once in a while."

"Then don't look like the world is going to end! You look like I dumped you!" Jie Jie laughed and put another dumpling into Jingyi's bowl of noodles. "Eat up! This meal's on me!"

"Then you should have taken me to a fancier place!"

"Next time, next time!"

They often bickered like this.

Jie Jie has waited a month to see if the deal with Boss Yang (she found out from the contract that his last name was Yang and his given name was Yun) was valid and all. After the second payment came in time and nobody claimed to have sent it to the wrong address or tried to reclaim it, she was almost sure now that this wasn't a dream or anyone trying to scam her. Of course, she delivered her part of the deal on time as well. She was a professional and writing comes to her like breathing. It was just part of her soul. Oh well, it has nothing to do with wanting to show off to that enigmatic employer of her's, totally not!!!!

Ever since the second payment, she finally dared to spend that money from an unknown source. Jie Jie then decided to quit her part-time job, which she took on since her university days. Working in the bar a few days of the week from evening to early morning gave her that little extra money and stable income to not go homeless or hungry while she pursued her dreams of becoming a writer. It was always a backup plan, nothing for eternity.

Since she was a night owl anyhow, the working conditions didn't affect her as much as she tough they would so she kept doing the work even after graduation. Working there gave her some stability, making her leave the house once in a while and meet people. Otherwise, some writers tend to hole up at home and never see any light of day. They would grow mould, and it would sooner or later affect their sanity.

Since the bar had a good reputation and was willing to spend a little bit more on wages to attract satisfying looking employees, having a bright and neat appearance did open the door for them. Their good working morale allowed them to stay until the present. But ultimately, one could say that she and Jingyi relied on their face to eat up until now.

"Manager is quite sad that you are leaving," Jingyi mentioned after the meal, leaving Jie Jie slightly stunned.

"No way, really?"

"Yes, even Boss was reluctant to let you go. You did manage to boost the bar's customer flow."

"I didn't boost it with my physical presence, and it was also a long time ago. Moreover, I think Boss would only bat an eye if it were you."

"Keep talking." Jingyi snorted and took a sip of his cup. Apart from a few occasions that could be counted on one hand, the two of them never touched the alcohol at this place. That thing was simply the devils making. Moreover, Jingyi took meticulous care of his body. It is a rare occasion for him to drink.

"I've also thought about quitting a while ago," he suddenly confessed, "even though I've accomplished nothing so far."

From this, Jie Jie finally understood where Jingyi's previous bad mood stemmed.

They had something in common - that was their struggle of going independent and reaching for a mere dream. But Jingyi's goal was even harsher than Jie Jie's because he strived to become an idol.

And while Jie Jie occasionally encountered some luck on her way, Bai Jingyi was all on his own. He even cut ties with his family and struggled and stumbled even before the two of them had met. If not for Boss and the bar, who knew where he might be today.

He got scouted when he was still a minor. Because of the lack of understanding his parents had towards the entertainment industry and the sweet allure of that shiny world, Jingyi ran away from home, cutting ties with his family to become an idol.

Although he still talks to his mother on the phone some times, Jie Jie knew that he didn't dare speak to her about any of his hardships or the years of failure he had endured.

The company he had signed with was quite a shady one. In Jie Jie's understanding, those guys must have one foot in illegal conducts already. They did send Jingyi to train singing, dancing and even acting, but it was all just shallow business. They let him join some mediocre band with guys around his age who all had only one thing in common: A beautiful face.

The group's debut was postponed over and over, and then promotion was neglected during the most crucial part. Lacking in resources and legitimate interest by the company, it was no surprise that they fell short in the industry that was overflooding with new idol groups getting set up for fast cash and then get thrown away.

Once Jingyi's group's market value didn't pay for their costs any longer, their fate was sealed. The company started to invest in a new cash cow, conveniently forgetting about the young lives rotting away in their basement. Their group wasn't the only one. With ridiculous contracts binding those young men and women down like leashes, they didn't know where to go for help and stayed put like dogs. Companies like Jingyi's exploited the naivety and inexperience of teenagers. Most of them, like Jingyi, had no diploma in hand, no family to back them up, no money and nowhere else to go. And thanks to their slave contract, they are even in debt. If they quit midway, they would have to pay back an absurd amount of debt.

Some ran away. And some yielded to degrading measures.

Thankfully Jingyi was a strongminded and fast learning youth. While the hotheaded choice his younger self made did end up in disappointment, the slightly older him had seen just enough of the entertainment industry to become mature and decisive. It was somewhat late but still not too late. While a stubborn part of him was still clinging on to that dream, the cautiousness in him that was implemented the harsh way whispered that nothing in life comes for free while you sit around and wait.

Although idols under contract were forbidden to take on any other kind of work, even if they were starving, Jingyi snuck out at night to survive. With the little money he made at the bar, he paid for tuitions out of his own pocket and took care of himself all that time.

With Boss's help, he even managed to move out of the company dorm. A place Boss had described as a dog shed.

So, when Jingyi spoke about quitting, what he meant wasn't his job at the bar.

"Well, I might as well become a full-time employee at the bar. I don't think I can do anything else by this time." Jingyi added to the dark mood. Half his life he has trained for the entertainment industry, but it won't just give him any face, it won't give him an opportunity, and the door won't even budge whether he was dragging or pushing.

"This..." Jie Jie struggled to find the right words, "I'm sure the Manager would be ecstatic to hear that."

"Hah," Jingyi laughed, "despite your words, you sound like I just told you that I was terminally ill and will die next month."

He patted Jie Jie's head for reassurance. "There's no need to be unnerved over what I've said before. It's just that in less than a year my damned contract is coming to an end and I'm also way over the age to have such unrealistic dreams. It's time to face reality."

"Jingyi, I'm sorry..." Jie Jie felt like it was wrong to leave Jingyi behind at such a moment. Maybe she should've kept the news to herself instead of boasting her success to Jingyi out of all people. She was still too ignorant of other people's feelings and must have put Jingyi under even more pressure. But after all those years, Jingyi and Mari were the very first people Jie Jie would ever think of when she had good news to tell. She regarded them as family.

"Hold it right there, Jie Jie." Jingyi, as if knowing her thoughts, lifted his hand to stop her. "You don't have to worry about me, or I would feel bad for dampening your mood during such a happy occasion. But I can assure you that I've been thinking for a long time about this. You quitting has nothing to do with my decision. If anything, you helped me to come to terms with it."

Although Jie Jie knew that the success rate in the entertainment circle was nonsensically slim, she had hoped for a miracle to occur - that his efforts and hard work would one day be recognised.

But she can't say 'don't give up' to him, because chances are getting slimmer and slimmer. Part of her refused to let his talent go to waste, but she also understood that some things in life are not meant to happen.

Life is unfair.

"Are you crying?" Jingyi, back to his full self, ridiculed in an annoying voice.

"Of course not!" How much Jie Jie wanted to hit him right now. But his teasing did help her to regain composure.

"Jingyi, I'm going to work really hard. I will become a great author and earn a lot of money!"

Upon seeing the determination in her eyes, Jingyi's gaze became warm. Petting her head softly, he encouraged her:

"Hmm... give it your best shot, Jie Jie."