When the Stars Tremble

The Fifteenth Star

Jiang Chuyi was still in a daze as Zong Ye reached out to open the car door for her.

She sat in the passenger seat and mechanically fastened her seat belt.

Recently, the online buzz about Zong Ye and Jiang Chuyi’s scandal had been at its peak, so Jiang Chuyi naturally tried her best to avoid suspicion. She basically hadn’t considered the option of “him coming to eat with her alone.”

She wasn’t at all mentally prepared to be alone with him in the car, and suddenly became a bit nervous.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zong Ye prop one hand on the steering wheel, leaning slightly as he adjusted the navigation. Jiang Chuyi unconsciously straightened her back and placed her hands on her knees.

Zong Ye glanced up and saw her sitting properly, her two hands folded on her lap, eyes facing forward, her fluffy scarf wrapped around her face. Her expression was as serious as a primary school student listening to the teacher’s lecture.

He couldn’t help but smile. “Are you very cold? I’ll turn up the heat for you.”

Jiang Chuyi nodded and thanked him.

Zong Ye: “No need to thank me.”

His eyes were on the rearview mirror as he maneuvered the car, his movements practiced as he shifted gears and stepped on the gas pedal.

Snow fell slowly mixed with rain. Jiang Chuyi stared at the windshield wipers moving from left to right. The car cabin was very quiet, making her not even dare to breathe too loudly.

“Chuyi.” Zong Ye suddenly called her.

“Hmm?”

Perhaps it was because Zong Ye called her so naturally that Jiang Chuyi didn’t even notice how casual his way of addressing her had become.

“Can you help me check the navigation?” He kept his eyes on the road ahead, the corners of his lips seeming to be perpetually upturned. “My eyesight is a bit nearsighted.”

“You’re not wearing contact lenses?”

“I am, but things get a bit blurry at night.” Zong Ye said, “It doesn’t affect my driving.”

“Okay.” Jiang Chuyi leaned over obediently and guided him, “There’s a traffic light one hundred meters ahead, then turn right.”

Zong Ye took off his suit jacket, revealing a neat and tidy white dress shirt underneath.

His right hand rested on the steering wheel, two cufflinks at his wrist binding it seamlessly. The bones from the back of his hand to his fingertips were slender and distinct, right within Jiang Chuyi’s line of sight.

She couldn’t help but think of all the various fantasies about Zong Ye online.

When Jiang Chuyi was bored, she had searched him and read some fan posts on Weibo while in bed. Her face had turned completely red from reading.

In these daydream writings, he had used his hands to tease, the descriptions painted such a vivid picture that it left her shocked for a long time, so she could immediately recall it.

A gentle and proper male celebrity like Zong Ye rarely acted out of line in public, carrying a subtle repressed aura that instead gave people a very sensual feeling. Every time she saw Zong Ye wearing a prim and proper suit, she wanted to crumple and rip it open. To see him become naughty, get dirty, what kind of depraved state he would fall into when deeply immersed in lust…

“Are you very hot?”

Jiang Chuyi abruptly moved her peeping gaze away from his hands, pretending to be calm. “What hot?”

“I said…” The car slowly stopped at the red light. Zong Ye’s gaze lingered on her flushed cheeks. “Are you very hot?”

“Am I very hot?” Jiang Chuyi went along with his words in a daze. “It is a bit, seems a little hot, the temperature is too high.”

Zong Ye asked, “Should I turn it down for you?”

“No need, no need.” Jiang Chuyi didn’t dare meet his eyes. She hurriedly pulled off the scarf around her neck and managed to reply, “This is fine.”

Fortunately, the light turned green, and Zong Ye didn’t seem to notice the reason for her fluster.

Jiang Chuyi lowered her head, a wave of shame welling up inside.

Heavens, what kind of strange things was she thinking about? He was driving in all seriousness, yet she had made so many unspeakable associations.

The word “lust” is like a knife over one’s head.

Jiang Chuyi really wanted to stab herself.

*

As the car approached their destination, Jiang Chuyi rolled down the window and craned her neck to look for a parking spot for him.

After turning a corner ahead, they arrived at the place. Once the car was parked, Jiang Chuyi unfastened her seat belt and stopped Zong Ye from opening the door. “Wait a sec.”

He turned his head. “What’s wrong?”

“Why aren’t you wearing a mask?”

“Mask?” Zong Ye seemed paused for a moment. “It’s fine, it doesn’t matter if I don’t wear one.”

“No way.” Jiang Chuyi’s tone was very serious. “If you get photographed eating with me, it’ll be a big problem.”

“What problem?”

Jiang Chuyi’s confidence faltered as she said in a small voice, “Just that… rumors and such.”

The car cabin fell into silence again.

Suddenly, she felt a bit awkward for no reason.

The root of all this evil seemed to be herself…

Seeing him not move, Jiang Chuyi asked, “Did you forget to bring one?”

He made an “mm” sound.

So that was it.

Jiang Chuyi immediately unzipped her bag and rummaged through the inner pocket, taking out a spare new mask and handing it to him. “Then use mine. This one is new.”

“Oh, right, right.” Jiang Chuyi also pulled out her own duck-billed hat, thoughtfully saying, “Do you want to wear a hat too, just to be safe?”

Zong Ye looked at the things in her hand, not showing any intention of taking them. His tone was as calm as usual. “Me eating with a friend shouldn’t be big news, right?”

Jiang Chuyi didn’t say a word.

Zong Ye reached out and turned off the dome light in the car. The interior instantly darkened, with only the hazy moonlight filtering in.

In the darkness, Zong Ye’s eyes deepened a bit as he asked incredibly calmly, “Chuyi, does being with me make you feel uncomfortable?”

Jiang Chuyi subconsciously shook her head.

Of course not.

Zong Ye’s expression returned to normal. “Then can you… relax a little?”

It took a few seconds for her to understand his meaning.

Jiang Chuyi was quite uncertain.

“Do you think I’m being too petty?” She lowered her head and softly explained to him, “I just don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”

Zong Ye was taken aback. “That’s not what I meant.”

She felt the atmosphere was a bit too serious, so she joked, “Because you’re a big celebrity with so many fans and many people watching, you can’t make mistakes. It’s definitely better to be more cautious.”

He was silent for a while.

“Chuyi, apart from the special aura of my profession, I’m actually a very ordinary and average person.” Zong Ye looked into her eyes in the darkness. “I’m not above you. In my eyes, you’re also an excellent actress.”

“With a great personality.” He gazed into her eyes. “And very beautiful.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

Suddenly receiving a barrage of compliments, she felt very uncomfortable.

“That, that.” Jiang Chuyi stopped him from continuing, stammering, “If you keep praising me, my face is going to turn red.”

Zong Ye confirmed for two seconds before telling her, “It already is.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

His occasional straightforwardness was really hard to handle… She wanted to run.

Fortunately, a phone call saved her.

Jiang Chuyi immediately picked up. “Hello?”

“Jiang Chuyi, do you have any sense of time?” Xin He’s voice already had a hint of anger. “I’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes at the place you chose. Do you know how cold it is today? Huh?”

“We’re here! Just wait a little longer.”

“You really are-” Xin He laughed angrily. “Do you know how hard it is for others to treat me to a meal? And you dare not reply to my messages and leave me hanging here?”

“Don’t be mad, don’t be mad. It’s not worth getting upset and damaging your health.” Jiang Chuyi snuck a glance at Zong Ye. “We’ll be right there, five minutes tops.”

She hung up the phone.

Zong Ye was quiet for a full minute before asking, “You invited Xin He too?”

“Of course!” Jiang Chuyi didn’t think there was anything wrong, excitedly telling him, “Luckily I called her, otherwise with Wang Tan and the others all busy today, if it was just the two of us eating together and we got photographed, it would be troublesome. With Xin He, we can say it’s a cast gathering. It’s foolproof.”

Zong Ye: “…”

Seeing him not say anything, Jiang Chuyi carefully asked, “What’s wrong?”

After a long while, he let out a faint sigh, a hint of a helpless smile appearing on his face. “It’s nothing, let’s go.”

*

Previously while filming, Jiang Chuyi had heard Xin He mention that she had already known Zong Ye for five or six years, so the three of them eating together shouldn’t be too awkward.

While waiting for the appetizers, Xin He coolly glanced at her and said in a “are you kidding me” tone, “You said you wanted to bring your friend to eat with me. It wouldn’t happen to be Zong Ye, would it?”

Jiang Chuyi: “Originally there were others too, like Wang Tan, Fu Cheng, Ji Kai…”

“So where are they?”

Jiang Chuyi smiled, explaining to her using Zong Ye’s exact words, “They were all busy today. Only Zong Ye was free.”

Zong Ye’s motion of pouring water paused for a second.

“Heh.” Xin He snickered, not bothering to expose him.

She propped her chin with one hand, playing with the glitter on her nails, utterly bored. “If you had told me earlier that they weren’t available, I wouldn’t have come either. The superstar Zong Ye eating with his rumored girlfriend, doesn’t that make me seem like a third wheel?”

“How could you be a third wheel.”

Jiang Chuyi was just about to say they were all friends.

Xin He made an “oh” sound as if remembering something. “No, wait, I seem to be Zong Ye’s rumored girlfriend too?”

“Too bad that’s in the past tense now.” Xin He’s tone was regretful. “Now you’re his official rumored girlfriend.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

Xin He: “Jiang Chuyi, you better be careful. Don’t blame your older sister for not warning you. It’s best if you stay far away from Zong Ye. I got cursed out plenty by his fans before.”

Zong Ye finally spoke up, placing a cup of water in front of her. “I don’t seem to have offended you?”

Xin He snorted, glancing at him. “Alright, it’s actually not a big deal. After all, our Zong Ye is handsome, young, and popular. It’s normal for him to have many rumored girlfriends. In a couple days, he’ll switch to a new one. That’s how it is.”

Zong Ye recalled, “Next week is your and Fu Cheng’s anniversary. I remember he has a scheduled event.”

“So?”

Zong Ye paused for two or three seconds before calmly saying, “I can do that event for him.”

Xin He: “…”

She was suddenly satisfied. Clapping her hands, she said, “Okay, I forgive you guys for making me wait so long today.”

Zong Ye: “Thank you.”

…

…

The meal lasted late into the night.

As they walked out, Zong Ye asked Xin He, “I drove. Want me to take you back?”

“No need.” Xin He glanced at them and belatedly noticed, pointing at them. “Did you two coordinate? You’re wearing a couple’s outfit today?”

Hearing this, Jiang Chuyi lowered her head to look at herself, then at Zong Ye.

His coat and her dress were similar shades of gray, and their inner layers were both white.

It really did seem a bit like…

Jiang Chuyi immediately denied, “No, no, it’s just a coincidence.”

Xin He laughed, “Then you two are meant to be.”

…

…

Because of Xin He’s offhanded jokes, the atmosphere between them inexplicably became a bit strange.

Zong Ye drove Jiang Chuyi back to the entrance of her neighborhood.

When they arrived, she turned her head, smiling and thanking him. “I’ll get going then. Drive safely.”

Jiang Chuyi’s features were clean and delicate, especially when she smiled, she looked very gentle and tranquil.

Zong Ye tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and nodded.

Jiang Chuyi gathered her things and got out of the car. As she passed the driver’s side, she waved at him again.

After crossing the street, Jiang Chuyi seemed to sense something and looked back, discovering that Zong Ye’s car was still parked in the same spot.

She walked a few steps forward, hesitated, then looked back again.

Jiang Chuyi walked to the corner and waited in the shadows for a few minutes, seeing that his car still hadn’t moved.

Recalling the weariness in his eyes when they parted just now, Jiang Chuyi took out her phone and sent Zong Ye a message: “Did something happen? I just saw that your car hasn’t left.”

Zong Ye: “You’re not home yet?”

Jiang Chuyi: “Almost there.”

Zong Ye: “Nothing’s wrong. I’m resting here for a bit. I have to catch a flight later.”

Jiang Chuyi: “You’re sleeping in the car?”

Zong Ye: “Yeah.”

Jiang Chuyi: “What time is your flight?”

Zong Ye: “A little past 6.”

…

…

The windshield wipers had already stopped moving. Before long, they were covered by a thin layer of snow.

In the dim light, Zong Ye stared at his phone.

She didn’t reply again.

After a long while, he lowered the car window and took out a lighter with one hand. With slightly parted lips, he put a cigarette to his mouth and lit it.

The night was too quiet. A Cantonese song played inside the car. Zong Ye propped his elbow on the window sill, resting his head on his hand, blankly staring at the smoke dissipating in the cold wind.

Not knowing how much time passed, a figure suddenly appeared on the desolate road.

Jiang Chuyi hurried over, her arms full of things. She circled to the passenger side, shifting the items to one hand. With some difficulty, she pulled open the car door and got in.

He sat still, gazing at her silently and intently.

Jiang Chuyi felt a bit embarrassed under his direct stare. “Didn’t you say you were going to rest here for a bit?”

She handed over the bulging little blanket and scarf together, persevering to finish her words, “I brought these for you from home. It’s snowing today. Don’t catch a cold sleeping.”

Zong Ye’s slightly upturned eyes darkened.

The car was pitch-black inside. Only a sorrowful and hoarse male voice came from the stereo.

– [Willing to be the muddy dirt under your feet,]

– [I haven’t minded the filth on my body]

Holding the items and waiting for a while, seeing that he still hadn’t taken them, Jiang Chuyi couldn’t help but feel a bit uncertain.

Was she overstepping her bounds by doing this?

– [Don’t belittle me,]

– [Even if I’m this kind of dirt]

– [Being able to be close to you,]

– [Even if trampled under your feet, it’s precious]

Just as she was about to speak, Zong Ye thanked her. He slightly lifted his hand, showing her the cigarette pinched between his index and middle fingers. “There’s still half left.”

Jiang Chuyi didn’t quite understand, gently asking, “What?”

“Can you hold them for me for a bit?” Zong Ye looked at her, his tone calm under restraint. “Keep me company for the time of half a cigarette more.”