The Sixteenth Star
Jiang Chuyi nodded. “Okay.”
Zong Ye smoked the half cigarette very slowly, just enough time to finish listening to the song.
With the cigarette between his lips, he sank into the seat back, the sight of him billowing smoke very different from his usual self. Relaxed, he had a very contradictory aura about him – gentle and languid, yet with a hint of aggression.
Jiang Chuyi occasionally peeked at him, feeling he seemed a bit unfamiliar. She didn’t dare stare at him for too long. She didn’t understand Cantonese, so she couldn’t comprehend the lyrics, only feeling that the singing style contained a sense of sadness and helplessness.
Finally, the song ended and the cigarette burned down to the end.
After the smoke dissipated, the car window rolled up. Zong Ye fumbled in the dark, pulling open the car’s storage compartment and finding a pack of wet wipes. He took out a few.
He lowered his lashes and slowly wiped his fingers with the tissue, his movements very meticulous.
Jiang Chuyi noticed his series of actions out of the corner of her eye and realized belatedly.
Was Zong Ye afraid the smell of smoke on his hands would get on her little blanket…?
Her heart warmed and she said softly, “You don’t need to be so particular.”
Zong Ye smiled faintly, reaching out his hand.
Jiang Chuyi immediately handed over the items in her arms.
He took them, seeming very interested in this fluffy blanket, rubbing his fingers over the long-eared bunny pattern on it.
Jiang Chuyi reminded him, “That can be draped over your legs.”
Zong Ye did as told.
Inexplicably, she felt a hint of pride. “Is it warm?”
“Very warm.” Zong Ye replied.
“Where’s your assistant?” Jiang Chuyi only now noticed something was off. “How come it’s just you alone?”
“In Guangzhou.”
With the year-end approaching, people like Zhao Guangyu were constantly busy with events big and small, let alone these few members of BloodxGentle. One could imagine how busy they must be.
Suddenly, a question arose in Jiang Chuyi’s mind.
Zong Ye was clearly wearing this suit because he had just finished an event and hadn’t had time to change before coming over.
He wouldn’t have specially flown back to Shanghai just to eat a meal with her… right?
Thinking this, she felt the possibility was unlikely. This irreverent notion was quickly dispelled by her.
“Are you going to Hongqiao Airport or Pudong Airport later?”
“Hongqiao.”
“That’s still quite far from here.” Jiang Chuyi picked up her phone to check the time. He could rest for one or two hours at most before needing to set off.
Zong Ye was studying the little bear scarf she gave him, asking, “How do I put this on?”
“There’s a button on top that needs to be twisted to loosen it. Put the hood over your head and tie the two strings. It can block out the light!”
Like most girls, Jiang Chuyi loved browsing Taobao for useless but cute things in her free time. Due to work, she was often away from home, so she had stocked up on many sleeping tools that could be used while traveling, with the main feature being girlishness.
But Zong Ye obviously rarely came into contact with these flashy things. Following Jiang Chuyi’s instructions, he fumbled with the button.
Jiang Chuyi felt she was making things a bit difficult for him and reached out her hand. “Give it to me.”
She got it done in no time.
Zong Ye took it in his hand and studied it some more, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He turned his head and asked her, “How do I tie it?”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She remembered just explaining it.
He was a bit helpless. “Or can you tie it for me, just to demonstrate it once?”
Now it was Jiang Chuyi’s turn to feel a bit exasperated, finding Zong Ye to be a silly handsome guy. Oh well, let him be a bit dumb. With those looks, he naturally gave people endless patience.
Jiang Chuyi sighed and nodded.
She leaned in closer, her expression focused, carefully wrapping the bear scarf around him, her breath spraying on the side of his neck.
After putting it on, Jiang Chuyi lifted herself slightly, her hands passing by the sides of his ears to grab the little bear ears in the back, framing the hood over his head.
Not paying attention to her movements, when Jiang Chuyi pulled the hood down, her thumb accidentally slid across his cheek and chin.
She retracted her hand as if electrocuted.
Zong Ye seemed not to notice and thanked her.
“No need to thank me.”
“This hood is very warm.”
She glanced at him.
Zong Ye was wearing a well-fitted suit, his shoulders broad and waist slim, his features handsome and refined. He seemed to have stepped right out of a book, the kind of noble young master from a good family. At this moment, paired with her girlish bear scarf, there was a sense of disharmony yet an inexplicable cuteness.
Jiang Chuyi secretly savored the fleeting sensation of her fingertips brushing past the side of his face just now.
His skin was so nice.
Zong Ye said gently, “Chuyi, can I sleep for a bit?”
Jiang Chuyi knew without asking that he hadn’t rested well in a long time. She made an “mm” sound and placed her hand on the car door handle, bidding farewell. “I’ll head back first then. Remember to lock the car door.”
“Um…” He spoke up.
She turned her head.
Zong Ye asked in a low voice, “Are you tired now?”
Jiang Chuyi didn’t react in time. “I’m okay. What’s up?”
He raised his wrist to check his watch. “It’s two o’clock now. I’ll probably sleep for forty minutes.”
Jiang Chuyi sat still, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
“Can you continue sitting here for a while?” Zong Ye’s expression was normal, his tone carrying a hint of apology. “I’m afraid I might oversleep and miss my flight.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Fortunately, Jiang Chuyi was originally a night owl with a very irregular schedule. She had rested well the past few days, so she wasn’t sleepy now either. Thinking it over, she nodded in agreement. “Alright, you sleep then. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”
“Thank you.”
The lights in the car were turned off, with only the faint glow from her phone screen. Light snow fell gently, and the world seemed to become much quieter.
Jiang Chuyi really liked this kind of snowy night.
The heater blew over her calves as she put on her earphones and lightly tapped on the screen, setting an alarm according to the time Zong Ye mentioned.
After getting it done, when she turned her head again, she discovered he had already fallen asleep.
She watched him intently for a long while.
Zong Ye looked very well-behaved when sleeping, his head slightly tilted, his breathing very light, basically not making any sound.
With nothing else to do, Jiang Chuyi listened to music for a bit, then opened Douyin (i.e. TikTok).
She really suspected the app had a monitoring function. She didn’t know if it was because BloodxGentle’s name had been mentioned more recently, but when she clicked, several video recommendations in a row were all about BloodxGentle.
As she scrolled, Jiang Chuyi’s finger paused for a moment.
This was one of their classic stages paying tribute to Beyond’s “Cold Rainy Night”, often over six minutes long.
She had occasionally come across it before, but despite fans praising it to the high heavens, Jiang Chuyi didn’t have much of a reaction, only feeling that these few people were quite handsome, then quickly swiping away. But for some reason, encountering it again today, her state of mind had completely changed.
She watched it carefully and felt they indeed had great professional skills. Cantonese songs were not easy to sing, but they pronounced every word very accurately.
Moreover, they gave Jiang Chuyi a very contrasting feeling on stage compared to what she saw in real life. Each person had their own charm.
No wonder they say men are most handsome when they’re serious…
A little over three minutes in, the climax of this video arrived – Zong Ye’s bass solo, nearly two minutes long.
He had a focused expression when playing, his fingers pressing down on the strings, changing at a rapid speed.
Because it was a live performance, the audience’s voices could be faintly heard.
All the stage lights were adjusted to a dark tone, a sea of black, with only a single beam shining on him.
Zong Ye was wearing a black tank top with a low neckline, soaked with sweat, the lines from his throat to his collarbones and arms distinct and sexy.
Jiang Chuyi stared at this clip for a while, then slid the progress bar back to watch it again. As this bass solo was about to end, Zong Ye lowered his head, retreating while playing, one hand gripping the upright microphone stand. An extremely strong bass emerged, perfectly transitioning into the rising BGM of “Cold Rainy Night”.
She felt captivated…
In that instant, a small patch of goosebumps rose on Jiang Chuyi’s arm.
No wonder BloodxGentle’s fans could continue going crazy over them for years just from a few short minutes on stage.
They really couldn’t be simply described with the word “handsome”…
Jiang Chuyi decided to calm herself down and went to watch seven or eight more dancing videos before she could finally recover.
Seeing them on Douyin felt both unfamiliar and familiar, with countless people screaming fanatically and losing their minds over them. And they seemed to be on a divine altar, so distant, visible but unattainable.
Yet now, Zong Ye was lying quietly right beside her.
This feeling was truly a bit surreal.
If it was two months ago, Jiang Chuyi wouldn’t have dared to even imagine that one day, she would actually become so close with this famous top popularity member of BloodxGentle that she could keep him company while he naps in a car.
…
…
Time always passes quickly when scrolling on the phone. It felt like only ten minutes had gone by when the alarm rang.
She took off one earphone.
“Zong Ye… Zong Ye.” Jiang Chuyi called out softly a few times.
Seeing him not move, Jiang Chuyi raised a finger and carefully poked him.
Zong Ye made a vague “mm” sound, slightly furrowing his brows, not awake yet.
He was indeed difficult to wake up.
She wondered if he had morning grouchiness…
Looking at Zong Ye like this, Jiang Chuyi’s heart softened for a moment. She checked the time again. Forget it, she’d let him sleep for another fifteen minutes. That should still leave enough time.
Jiang Chuyi thought to herself that she really had a bit of a fan mentality towards Zong Ye now.
Seeing his fatigued state, a hint of pity actually welled up in her heart.
That big misunderstanding online had forcibly labeled her as Zong Ye’s fan. Now it seemed it wasn’t unjustified.
If Jiang Chuyi herself wasn’t a celebrity, maybe one day after seeing a clip of one of Zong Ye’s stages, she would have also dived straight into his fandom, eagerly running to the airport to welcome him, becoming one of his countless fangirls.
Thinking this, Douyin seemed to be able to read her mind, recommending another video titled “Bro will reveal to you those unknown things about BloodxGentle”.
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t help but click into the comment section.
[To all of BloodxGentle’s delusional female fans: Fu Cheng and Zong Ye both have non-celebrity girlfriends they’ve been dating for many years. Ji Kai and Wang Tan are secretly a couple. Believe it or not.] – 130k likes
[Actually out of all of Zong Ye’s scandals, the one with Xin He was the most real. Fans just stubbornly refuse to admit it. Many big fan accounts have spotted her privately following BloodxGentle’s schedules several times.] – 90k likes
[Fu Cheng beat up a paparazzi a couple years ago. Heard it was because they photographed something, but in the end, IM spent money to smooth it over.] – 80k likes
[Are there any big industry insiders who can reveal if the recent thing between Zong Ye and that small-time actress is real? Feels so shippable. I can’t leave the supertopic.] – 80k likes
Zong Ye and a small-time actress?
Jiang Chuyi clicked into the replies under this comment, surprised to find that the small-time actress they were talking about was actually herself.
Seeing a string of usernames related to “Yi Jian Zong Qing”, Jiang Chuyi suspected her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Were there really living people shipping this? 80,000 likes?! Why did it seem the popularity was quite high? Gao Ning couldn’t have hired more water army, right?
As she kept reading, the alarm that she had snoozed for fifteen minutes rang again.
She turned her head again, preparing to wake Zong Ye.
Their gazes met.
Jiang Chuyi was stunned. “You’re awake?”
He blinked, his eyes already clear. His throat vibrated as he made an amused “mm” sound.
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Her face felt a bit hot.
Was it because of his professional habits? How come she felt Zong Ye’s lazy appearance right after waking up seemed a bit seductive…
Or was it because her own mentality had gone wrong?
Jiang Chuyi dispelled the ambiguous thoughts in her mind and coughed, trying to make her expression serious. “You should get up now. Don’t miss your flight later.”
“Okay.”
He agreed but still didn’t move, smiling leisurely.
Making direct eye contact with him, Jiang Chuyi couldn’t quite handle it. She stammered and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Following his gaze, Jiang Chuyi slowly lowered her head.
The phone screen was still paused on that Douyin video she had just been watching.
Jiang Chuyi fell into a brief silence.
“Unknown things about BloodxGentle…?” Zong Ye had just woken up, even his voice carrying a bit of hoarseness.
He read the title very slowly.
In the early winter season, Jiang Chuyi felt like she was starting to emit steam on the spot. She wanted to interrupt, “No, you misunderstood…”
“I might not be too clear about Fu Cheng and the others’ private matters.”
“But,” Zong Ye’s lashes were dark, looking gentle and harmless, “if you’re interested in my affairs, I can tell you.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She wished she could pounce over and cover Zong Ye’s mouth.
Jiang Chuyi fumbled to flip the screen over and immediately turned the tables. “You, you woke up but didn’t tell me, and secretly peeked at me playing on my phone. How unethical!”
“I didn’t mean to see it.” Zong Ye apologized to her, coughing lightly as if trying to hold back laughter. “You seemed to be watching that video for quite a while, so I just glanced at the title.”
Jiang Chuyi knew she was in the wrong but couldn’t help thinking, he spoke so directly. Why didn’t he give her any face at all…
She really wanted to find a crack to crawl into.
Fortunately, Zong Ye didn’t continue this topic. He sat up a bit and rubbed his brow, asking, “What time is it?”
Jiang Chuyi pursed her lips and answered him, “Almost four o’clock. You need to get going.”
“I slept for a long time.”
She made an “mm” sound, not even in the mood to listen to what he was saying. She just wanted to quickly say goodbye, then rush back home and bury herself under the covers.
Ah, so embarrassing.
It was one thing for her to embarrass herself, but she kept losing face in front of Zong Ye.
Were they really incompatible by fate…
Zong Ye spoke up, “Your little blanket is very warm.”
Jiang Chuyi nodded absentmindedly.
He glanced at her expression. “Can you give it to me?”
Jiang Chuyi continued nodding. A few seconds later, she turned her head. “What?”
Zong Ye pinched the bunny ear on the blanket and repeated, “Can you give this to me?”
“Oh, oh.”
Hearing these words, Jiang Chuyi’s mood improved a bit. She felt her taste was being recognized, regaining a bit of face. “This blanket is really comfortable, right?”
“Yeah.” He played with that ear using his fingers.
“Then it’s yours.” Jiang Chuyi agreed very generously and told him, “This is very convenient to bring along to sleep when riding on a plane or in a car.”
“Thank you.”
Zong Ye seemed to really like this fluffy blanket. While talking to her, his fingertips were still lightly caressing that bunny ear.
She glanced over a few times before quickly shifting her gaze.
She occasionally used this blanket while binge-watching dramas. The fluffy texture was indeed very comfortable and she also liked to touch it. But now the blanket was suddenly being hugged by a man who kept moving his hand on it over and over. Jiang Chuyi felt there was something indescribably strange about this sight.
Jiang Chuyi inexplicably felt her ears grow hot. She glanced outside.
The light drizzling snow had stopped, but a misty rain was still falling. The road was a bit wet. She turned her head and urged, “You should get going. Don’t miss your flight.”
“Okay.” Zong Ye paused. “Thank you for coming to accompany me today.”
Jiang Chuyi waved her hand. “No need to thank me.”
What did he mean by accompanying him… Wasn’t she just being a human alarm clock?
She silently grumbled to herself as she gathered her things and took off her earphones. Her right hand reached for the car door handle. Recalling that today’s weather forecast mentioned heavy fog, she turned her head to remind him, “The weather is bad today. Be careful on the road. I’ll get going then.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Chuyi froze.
Because Zong Ye was quietly looking at her.
In the half-light, half-dark space, his eyes were pitch-black, with scattered light falling into them, as if a silent heavy rain was pouring down.
Due to her professional habits, Jiang Chuyi had always been very sensitive to others’ subtle emotions.
For some reason, even though Zong Ye was still smiling, she instantly saw an emotion in his eyes that could almost be described as sorrow.
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t help but recall what she had just said. Was there something wrong…?
She stopped her movements and carefully asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zong Ye’s lashes fluttered slightly. “What?”
Jiang Chuyi bit her lip and said directly, “I feel like you look a bit sad.”
Saying this out loud, she suddenly felt a bit narcissistic, as if he was sad because he had to part with her.
She immediately added to correct the ambiguity in her words, “Did you encounter something unhappy?”
Zong Ye’s expression remained unchanged, still smiling. “How could you tell I was sad?”
“I was just saying it casually. It’s good if you’re not unhappy.”
Zong Ye neither confirmed nor denied it, only saying, “I suddenly thought of something else.”
Jiang Chuyi hesitated, not asking what it was.
“Before, there was someone who said something similar to me.”
“What?”
“She said, the weather was very good, wishing me all the best, and that she was leaving.”
Jiang Chuyi’s back stiffened. She could roughly guess what had happened. After a moment of silence, she said, “And then?”
“And then?” Zong Ye reminisced for a bit, smiling faintly as he told her, “And then it ended. She left, and I remained alone in that spot.”
