The First Star
Jiang Chuyi sat on set in Hengdian, forced to listen to the extras next to her chat about their daily lives for an entire morning. Finally, after lunch, the tardy female lead arrived.
After filming for ten minutes, the director called “Cut!” and Jiang Chuyi wrapped up her cameo scene.
She quietly packed up her things. Before she could even have a meal with the crew, she was hurriedly pulled away.
Jiang Chuyi pulled her baseball cap low and put on a mask, handing her luggage to her young assistant.
The car they had called would arrive in about ten minutes. The assistant had just confirmed the location with the driver when she turned around and saw Jiang Chuyi with her arms crossed, head lowered in thought. The assistant couldn’t help but wonder, “Sis, why are you being so mysterious today? Are we really that famous now?”
Jiang Chuyi reached out and flicked her forehead. “Is that any way to talk to your boss?”
The assistant chuckled.
In terms of fame, Jiang Chuyi was definitely far from it. But recently, things hadn’t been very peaceful for her either.
Recently, Xunfei’s period drama “The Blades of Reflection” was a big hit. It was an ensemble cast full of big stars, and Jiang Chuyi played a pitiful green tea maid who met a miserable end.
She didn’t have many scenes, but her character was especially hateable.
Although celebrities need to have a certain psychological fortitude, having spent many years being lukewarm in her career, she was used to being a marginal character. So when the number of people cursing at her suddenly increased a bit these past two days, she felt a little unaccustomed to it.
They drove from Yiwu to Shanghai.
As soon as they got on the highway, it started to rain. Jiang Chuyi curled up into a ball in her seat.
She had filmed night scenes for several days in a row this week, getting less than five hours of sleep each night. Her head was starting to throb with a dull ache again.
Jiang Chuyi’s face showed a hint of weariness. “Where are we going?”
Gao Ning was on the phone. She waved the tickets in her hand. “There’s an event later.”
Jiang Chuyi took them and looked at both sides.
“Fierce 2020”.
An electronic music festival?
Jiang Chuyi asked in confusion, “What event is this? Why didn’t anyone tell me in advance?”
Gao Ning smiled mysteriously, “Old Qin gave me the tickets. He wants me to take you to meet someone.”
Jiang Chuyi checked the time on her phone and thought for a moment before asking, “Do I need to go get my hair and makeup done when we get to Shanghai later? I have to stop by home first.”
“Why?”
She answered honestly, “To check on Ruby.”
“…”
Gao Ning’s eyelid twitched, feeling a little suffocated. “Why are you always thinking about that mangy rabbit of yours no matter where you go?”
Jiang Chuyi looked downcast. After a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but say, “My sister said it hasn’t had much of an appetite lately and isn’t eating much.”
Gao Ning was completely exasperated with her. “You’re a celebrity for goodness’ sake. Can’t you focus on proper business for once?”
As a little-known actress, Jiang Chuyi’s love for rabbits was almost common knowledge. The only viral thing about her was her unusual hobby – eat, sleep, play with bunnies.
Perhaps recently, another thing could be added – a crafty and despicable servant girl who washes feet.
The rain stopped by the time they reached Shanghai. The young assistant accompanied Jiang Chuyi home.
Jiang Chuyi wasn’t the main guest at the electronic music festival in the afternoon, and her popularity was mediocre. However, she had always taken her career very seriously and would never present a disheveled appearance to others.
After feeding Ruby, Jiang Chuyi carefully put on a face mask, meticulously did her makeup, curled her lashes, and dug out a beige knit crop top and denim shorts. Only after putting on a mask and sunglasses did she head out the door.
Following the address Gao Ning sent, Jiang Chuyi and her assistant took a taxi. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be an underground club in a hidden location. The two of them spent a long time before finding it.
Even before entering the venue, they could hear bursts of clamorous music. Looking around, it was like entering a completely different world with a dark and gloomy aesthetic. The walls were covered in chaotic and eerie graffiti, posters, Cuban chains, and various skull shapes spray-painted in different colors, directly exuding a bold hip-hop style.
A group of young men lined up behind them to have their tickets checked. They huddled together, cigarettes in hand, wearing small gold chains and large black sunglasses, occasionally spouting a few indecipherable Western hip-hop phrases.
Jiang Chuyi glanced back and happened to catch a glimpse of one guy’s gleaming full-set diamond veneers.
“…”
She calmly shifted her gaze away.
She didn’t know if there were too many people queuing in front or if something had gone wrong, but after waiting for a long time, the line ahead didn’t budge an inch. Finally, after a long wait to enter, the person checking their tickets was a young woman, one of the few normally dressed people there, which gave Jiang Chuyi a slight sense of security.
The young woman reminded, “Please remove your mask and sunglasses.”
Jiang Chuyi complied.
“Oh, how old are you?” The young woman clearly didn’t recognize Jiang Chuyi and took a closer look at her ID to confirm. “Minors aren’t allowed inside.”
“I’m in my twenties,” Jiang Chuyi put her mask back on.
“Oh, oh, you look so young.” The young woman smiled gently and returned her things, asking, “Are you single?”
“Yes.”
The young woman handed her a wristband. “Write your contact information and name on it.”
Jiang Chuyi picked up the pen on the table and did as instructed.
Seeing that she had finished writing, the young woman helped her put on the wristband, smiling mischievously. “You can exchange wristbands with new friends. I wish you a fun time.”
…
…
The club had already started warming up. Jiang Chuyi sent Gao Ning a message.
The person who had been urging her to arrive on time just moments ago was now in no hurry. After ten minutes, she replied, “Have fun on your own for a bit. I’ll find you if there’s anything.”
She stood there, looking around.
The young assistant was itching with excitement, just waiting for Jiang Chuyi to nod. As soon as she did, the assistant immediately floated away and blended into the sea of people.
The deafening electronic music seemed to be having a wild party on her every nerve. After staying for a while, Jiang Chuyi felt a little short of breath. She found a relatively quiet corner, picked up a glass of champagne, and gulped it down, trying to make herself feel better.
As someone with a poor alcohol tolerance but a penchant for drinking, no one was around to stop her. Jiang Chuyi rarely had the chance to indulge like this. After downing two glasses, she started to feel a little tipsy.
After turning away two people who tried to strike up a conversation, she had just put down her glass when she was suddenly drenched with water from head to toe.
Looking up, she saw an underground rapper on stage, clearly a veteran raver – his arms were covered in tattoos, and his hair was dyed in a messy array of colors. In his excitement, he was vigorously shaking a half-empty bottle of mineral water.
The lights in the venue flickered on and off, making her head spin even more. Following the signage, Jiang Chuyi stumbled her way to the stairwell and pushed open the door.
There were fewer people coming and going here, and no surveillance. She sat down against the crossbar of the electrical box, took out some tissues from her bag, and wiped the wet spots from earlier.
Jiang Chuyi’s gaze was vacant as she leaned her back against the wall and rested for a while.
Suddenly, she heard a faint female voice beside her ear. Jiang Chuyi tilted her body slightly and peeked out.
Two people, a man and a woman, entered one after the other.
They were around the corner, just a few steps away from her. The man was wearing a loose, dark short-sleeved shirt and a baseball cap, leaning against the door of the stairwell.
He lowered his head slightly, lighting a cigarette with one hand, his posture somewhat lazy.
Soon, the crimson light flickered.
With two clicks, the lighter was closed.
The woman’s hands were clasped behind her back, twisting nervously as she spoke in a soft voice.
She was pretending to be calm, but her shyness and nervousness were evident.
Meanwhile, the other person had a cigarette dangling idly from his lips, smoke drifting out naturally.
The lighting here was dim, the blocked light casting a streak of obscure colors, inexplicably making this ambiguous scene seem alluring.
A very peculiar feeling.
Perhaps sensing the presence of an inappropriate third party, the man quickly looked up. Jiang Chuyi didn’t react in time, and their gazes met.
The cigarette was held between his lips, his features obscured and indifferent. In just a few seconds, Jiang Chuyi sat up straight.
She took out her phone to check the time and, with her arms wrapped around her knees, continued to lean against the wall and wait.
This kind of thing was commonplace. She wasn’t very interested in gossip either. But this was a dead corner for installing electric meters, cluttered with miscellaneous items. The path she came from was occupied by those two people, so she couldn’t leave even if she wanted to.
After a few minutes passed, the motion-sensing lights in the stairwell went out. Jiang Chuyi figured those two people must be done.
WeChat started vibrating. Gao Ning sent more than a dozen messages asking where she was.
Jiang Chuyi quickly got up, head lowered, replying to the messages as she walked out. After just a few steps, she suddenly stumbled.
She reflexively cried out.
The lights in the corridor turned on in response, and the man extinguished his cigarette, standing a little straighter. “Sorry, did I scare you?”
His voice was neither loud nor soft, low and gentle.
Jiang Chuyi looked at him in a daze as he put on his mask.
Her first thought was, his voice sounds really nice.
She took two steps back, and the two of them were about a meter apart. In just a few seconds, Jiang Chuyi regained her composure and glanced behind him.
The girl who had just confessed seemed to have left, but another person had appeared. This person was dressed in a suit and tie, wearing an earpiece, looking like a bodyguard.
Seeing Jiang Chuyi looking over, he nodded and gestured, “Miss, I’m sorry, but I need to confirm whether you have any special photographic equipment on you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Chuyi understood. “You’ve misunderstood. I’m not a paparazzo. I only have a mobile phone on me.”
Jiang Chuyi’s gaze returned to the man, slowly moving up from his shoulder leaning against the wall, briefly scrutinizing him.
Against the backlight, this person had broad shoulders and a tall, slim figure. The rest of his face was divided by shadows cast by the lowered brim of his cap.
The light in the stairwell was dimly lit, and she could only make out his slightly upturned eyes, dark as if they had been soaked in ink, looking at her like this, actually carrying a sense of unspoken enchantment.
She estimated that he was probably another celebrity who had come out to fool around, but he was quite cautious.
The bodyguard smiled apologetically, “Then would you mind letting me take a look at your phone?”
“I’m sorry, but I do mind.”
For some reason, the alcohol was slowly taking effect again, and she stared at the man with the mask.
Seeing her staring at him silently, the man leaned slightly against the wall, taking the initiative to speak, “Do you recognize me?”
Jiang Chuyi frowned, “Don’t worry, I didn’t get a clear look at who you are, and even if I did, I might not necessarily recognize you.”
He let out an “oh” and silently curled the corner of his mouth.
Just as they were speaking, Gao Ning called twice more, accompanied by a barrage of WeChat messages. She immediately sensed something was wrong and prepared to leave.
But the bodyguard stopped her again, “I’m sorry, Miss—”
Jiang Chuyi flinched back, and her phone slipped, hitting the tile floor with a crisp sound.
She took two deep breaths, suppressing her anger, “I’ll say it again. I’m not a paparazzo, and I didn’t take any secret photos.”
“I have something to attend to now.” Jiang Chuyi took off her wristband and tossed it to him, “My contact information is on this. If there are any issues later, you can find me anytime, or I can call the police right now and let them handle it.”
With that said, Jiang Chuyi bent down to pick up her phone, but someone had already made a move before her. She retracted her hand.
He leaned down slightly, one hand resting on the crossbar, picking up the phone from the floor and handing it to her.
Their eyes met.
Jiang Chuyi hesitated for two seconds, keeping a straight face, and took it from him.
The bodyguard looked at the other person with some hesitation.
The man was silent for a moment. “It seems like your phone screen cracked.”
“Huh?” Jiang Chuyi glanced down and casually said, “It’s okay. I can get it fixed.”
He reached out to the person beside him, “Give me a pen.”
The man’s gaze briefly swept over the wristband, confirming with her, “Miss Xiao Rubi? Is that your name?”
“Yeah.” Jiang Chuyi’s momentum weakened a bit.
The man nodded, wrote something on the back of the wristband, and handed it to her. “My number is on there. If you need to replace your phone, you can contact me anytime. I’m very sorry about tonight.”
Jiang Chuyi’s anger subsided slightly.
As someone who had had a bit too much to drink, she was a little careless. After a while, she slowly said, “You’re a celebrity, right? Be more careful when you come out to play in the future. Don’t cause trouble for innocent passersby in public places.”
The man paused while capping the pen and quietly observed Jiang Chuyi. Then, he smiled, “I understand.”
Gao Ning called Jiang Chuyi twice, but no one answered. She and the young assistant searched half the venue and finally found her in a corner.
“Where have you been??” Gao Ning was furious. “I almost called security to find you.”
Jiang Chuyi said, “I went to the restroom to sober up.”
Seeing that she was still clear-headed, Gao Ning calmed down and threatened with a cold snort, “Next time you don’t answer the phone, I’ll wring your neck.”
Jiang Chuyi’s expression remained calm. She looked around, “By the way, didn’t you say we were meeting someone?”
“Don’t be in a hurry, wait a bit.” Gao Ning raised her chin, “It’s about to start.”
The host was on stage introducing the mysterious guest’s surprise appearance. Halfway through, the lights suddenly went out. As if sensing something, the entire venue fell silent in tacit understanding. Then there was a rustling sound, accompanied by a thick gush of white smoke. The suppressed excitement began to spread.
Gao Ning’s voice carried a hint of interest, “Here it comes, tonight’s highlight.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the next second, a black and red logo slowly appeared on the LED screen in the center of the venue. The host had quietly exited the stage at some point. Almost everyone, both on and off the stage, burst into cheers the moment the logo became clear. The screams went on endlessly, almost piercing the eardrums, unable to stop.
The young assistant was startled and also grabbed Jiang Chuyi’s arm in excitement, stammering a little, “It’s, it’s actually Western Fury!!!”
“Western… Fury?”
Jiang Chuyi was clueless and didn’t react.
The young assistant was full of surprise, “BloodxGentle, Western Fury. Teacher Jiang, don’t tell me you don’t know them?” (tl: for ease of translation, we will use their English name from now on)
Jiang Chuyi pondered, “Oh, it’s them.”
How could she possibly not know them?
They were the biggest money-making pillars of the entertainment giant, IM.
Three years ago, BloodxGentle emerged out of nowhere.
Four people whose names had never been heard of before quickly rose to fame in a very explosive manner. They set off a wave of frenzied idol worship, attracting a large and die-hard fan base, or rather, it couldn’t be described as die-hard, but a kind of morbid madness. They naturally carved out a bloody path among the numerous celebrities and landed in the top tier.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they became famous overnight.
Without warning, like a shocking thunderbolt that exploded in the entertainment industry out of nowhere, it was extremely bloody and stirred up heaven and earth.
Jiang Chuyi had been busy filming recently and hadn’t paid much attention to them. Plus, she had very little interaction with them and only knew of them through hearsay.
This hearsay mainly came from her cousin, a die-hard anti-fan of BloodxGentle.
Her catchphrase at home could be summed up as: “The appearance of this plagued chicken group BloodxGentle is the beginning of the entertainment industry’s misfortune”, “Fans who like them will have bad luck for the rest of their lives”, “Zong Ye’s fans are all crazy, simply the most toxic presence in the entertainment industry, unprecedented and never to be surpassed”… and so on.
Just listening to her cousin’s descriptions made Jiang Chuyi feel like it was crazy, let alone occasionally hearing about female celebrities in the same industry being cursed onto the hot search by BloodxGentle’s radical fans, with all kinds of language unfit for public eyes. She didn’t know how they offended them, but they would directly provide a one-stop service of blood-washing the entire platform.
The scene was so bloody that it was beyond what a little transparent actress like Jiang Chuyi could bear, causing her to instinctively stay far away from them.
When the music started, the lights suddenly came on, and people around them took out their phones and pointed them at the stage.
Unlike most traditional singers’ lyrical styles, BloodxGentle’s stage presence was fierce and aggressive, giving people the impression of being the most badass in the world from the moment they appeared.
A few strong beams of light refracted, and in just two or three minutes, these few people had nearly blown up the venue.
The lead singer was Fu Cheng, with a head of unruly granny gray dyed hair. He stepped on the speaker with one foot, swiftly spinning the microphone in his hand, singing and interacting with the crowd. The people below were pressed against each other, swaying to the rhythm he led.
Jiang Chuyi had always known that BloodxGentle was popular, but she didn’t have a concrete concept of it. After all, having been in the industry for so long, she was used to seeing flowers bloom and wither, and people come and go.
Now that she was experiencing it firsthand, she could understand what it meant to be a top-tier group in the industry and why they could become overnight sensations.
“Who is the most popular in the group now?” Jiang Chuyi kept her gaze fixed on the stage and asked the young assistant beside her.
The young assistant replied, “They’re all about the same!”
“I like that one.” The young assistant pointed for her to see, “The one playing the bass, second from the left.”
Just then, the big screen switched to show those people.
They all had strikingly handsome features, with deep-set eyebrows, standing together with a shocking visual impact, even giving a somewhat unreal feeling.
And the one the young assistant was pointing at was Zong Ye.
A spotlight happened to be shining on him.
Hearing the chants of his name suddenly increase in volume, he tilted his head and slightly raised his eyes.
The venue was chaotic and frenzied, with confetti scattering everywhere. Everyone was screaming and going crazy for the name “Zong Ye”. But he seemed particularly nonchalant, his gaze lazily overlooking the crowd below, not knowing where he was looking.
Even though it was just a few glances, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they could captivate one’s soul.
Jiang Chuyi’s words were on the tip of her tongue, but she froze.
“What’s wrong?” The young assistant noticed her abnormal reaction.
Jiang Chuyi stared at him intently through the many people between them.
One second, two seconds, three seconds… it might have been an illusion.
It must be an illusion, she thought.
He was looking back at her.
Amidst the crowd, unnoticed by anyone else, Jiang Chuyi and he locked gazes like this.
Jiang Chuyi had sobered up quite a bit by this point.
She absentmindedly turned her wrist and flipped over the other side of the wristband. Focusing her gaze, she took another look at the contact information written on it.
The handwriting was sloppy and very difficult to decipher.
Jiang Chuyi raised her arm above her head, holding it up to the light, trying again and again to find the right angle.
Finally, when the stage lit up with a white glow at the end of the song and all the burning sparks gradually calmed down, she made out the name she had been unable to read:
——Zong Ye/tel: 133xxxx0209
