The Twenty-Second Star
After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Chuyi forced a couple of laughs, “Stop joking around with me.”
Was it because of the previous trending searches? Why did everyone around her think there was something between her and Zong Ye…
Wang Tan: “Joke? What joke?”
He looked at her strangely, “Do you think our Teacher Zong isn’t chaste enough or not virtuous enough?”
Zong Ye finally spoke up, “Wang Tan, that’s enough.”
Wang Tan turned his head and communicated with Zong Ye silently with his eyes.
You fucking didn’t say anything earlier and waited until I finished talking before pretending to say it’s enough? What’s enough?
He was rendered a bit speechless by Zong Ye’s hypocritical and pretentiousness. After staring at each other for a few seconds, Wang Tan turned back and said to Jiang Chuyi, “Fine, Teacher Jiang, just pretend I never introduced him to you. If you want to find a partner, I happen to have a younger brother too.”
Zong Ye: “…”
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t hold back anymore, “Really, there’s no need to introduce anyone to me!”
She didn’t know how unattractive and lonely she appeared for so many people to be eager to introduce her to potential partners.
She felt depressed, “If I wanted to date, I could definitely find a partner myself. I don’t need you guys to worry about it for me.”
“Is that so?” Wang Tan had a profound and mysterious smile on his face, “Then I’ll wait for your good news.”
*
In Xin He’s dressing room, Jiang Chuyi changed out of her clothes and took off the jewelry on her body, handing them to Little Zhong for safekeeping.
When they were done getting ready, they got directly into Xin He’s private car and returned to her private residence in Shanghai.
She had previously boasted that she had bought a large flat in the city center. It wasn’t until after Jiang Chuyi went home with Xin He that she realized what a true top-tier riverside luxury house looked like.
It was a two-story duplex with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, exquisitely decorated with the most high-end luxury goods. Even the carpet was an orange Hermes, and the strong smell of money hit her face.
Jiang Chuyi stood on the huge balcony, with an unobstructed view of the Huangpu River and the dazzling lights.
She turned around, her tone a little sour, “You’re really a rich woman.”
“Tsk.” Xin He turned on the heating and took off her coat, “I have plenty of houses. I’ll take you to see them over time.”
Jiang Chuyi let out an “oh”.
She leaned on the railing, her chin resting on the back of her hand, looking at the distant river, and mumbled, “The night view here is so beautiful.”
“Alright, hurry up and come in.”
Xin He pulled her upstairs to the bedroom.
There was a ragdoll cat on the bay window in the room. Xin He clapped her hands at it, “Luke, come here.”
Luke had a very chubby face and was warily staring at Jiang Chuyi with round blue eyes, meowing at her a couple of times.
Jiang Chuyi was almost awed by its cuteness.
As soon as she gently approached, Luke immediately jumped away.
“Meow meow.” Jiang Chuyi had never had any resistance to furry creatures. She bent down and called out softly, “Luke, Luke, give auntie a kiss.”
Luke lay in the bed gap out of human reach, licked its fat little paws, and lazily didn’t want to pay attention to this strange woman.
Xin He poked her head out of the walk-in closet and saw Jiang Chuyi lying on the ground in an undignified manner, her hand still waving under the bed. She instantly had black lines all over her face, “Can you not be like a pervert? Luke is timid and very afraid of strangers. Don’t tease him for now. He’ll be fine when he gets familiar with you.”
Jiang Chuyi looked up, her expression unable to hide her disappointment, “How long will it take?”
“Alright, hurry up and come over.”
Jiang Chuyi had no choice but to get up from the floor and walk over, “What are we doing?”
Xin He raised her chin and pointed to a row of clothes, “Pick one.”
“Pick what?”
“Pick an outfit to wear!”
Jiang Chuyi looked at the row of shiny haute couture lace dresses and various styles of Chanel-style coats, feeling a bit troubled, “These clothes of yours don’t look like they can be worn to sleep, right? Do you have any more comfortable sleepwear? Like short-sleeved ones.”
Xin He was speechless, “You fool, I’m asking you to pick an outfit to wear out, not to sleep in! It’s New Year’s Eve tonight. You’re going to wear a t-shirt to celebrate the New Year? Don’t you have any sense of ceremony? Do you even look like a female celebrity? I still want to take pictures and post them on Weibo!”
So that’s how it was.
Jiang Chuyi took out a white dress and asked, “How about this one?”
“Too plain.”
She took out a black suit and held it up against herself, looking hopeful, “What about this one?”
“Too old-fashioned.”
Jiang Chuyi resigned herself and pointed to the light green dress, “This one’s not bad?”
Xin He glanced at it, “Wearing something so conservative, are you planning to go to the sales office to sell insurance?”
Jiang Chuyi was stumped by her and gave up, “Then you pick one for me.”
Xin He rested her chin in her hand and pondered, looking Jiang Chuyi up and down, “Have you ever tried a more rock and roll style?”
Jiang Chuyi retorted, “Do you think there’s anything rock and roll about me from head to toe?”
Xin He picked out a set of denim overalls and a short skirt and instructed her, “Try this one.”
…
…
Jiang Chuyi came out after trying on the clothes, looking down at herself, feeling a bit awkward as she tugged at the straps.
She had a mild temperament, a face not much bigger than a palm, and very fair skin. With her black hair draped over her shoulders and wearing a small denim overall skirt, she had a very low-key yet strangely alluring old Hong Kong charm.
Xin He was satisfied, “If you ask me, I should be the one to be your manager. Your styling team is too ordinary.”
Jiang Chuyi tilted her head, “Do I look good like this?”
“Not bad, mainly because I have good taste.”
Jiang Chuyi smiled.
Soon, Xin He also changed into a red strapless short dress, showing off her curvy figure. She was originally a heavily made-up beauty, and paired with such a bright color, she didn’t need any jewelry to match, forcefully suppressing all the brilliance in the room.
On the square table in the living room, Xin He arranged fresh flowers, lit scented candles, and poured red wine into champagne flutes.
When everything was ready, Xin He pulled Jiang Chuyi over, “Come take a couple of photos.”
The two of them spent nearly half an hour before finally taking a few photos that Xin He was satisfied with.
She picked up her phone again and carefully opened the editing app.
Jiang Chuyi sat beside her watching, and couldn’t help but smile, “Suddenly I feel like you’re very down-to-earth.”
Xin He glanced at her, “What’s wrong, you don’t edit your photos?”
“I rarely take photos.” Jiang Chuyi answered like this.
“You just don’t put in enough effort.” Xin He muttered while editing the photos, “I’ll teach you to dance another day.”
“Dance for what?”
“To gain fans on Douyin, of course.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
It had to be said that Xin He was really hardworking, trying to maintain popularity in all aspects. It seemed being a popular young actress wasn’t that simple.
Jiang Chuyi picked up the wine glass, took a shallow sip, “Are you planning to post these photos on Moments?”
“I’ll post them on Weibo too.” Xin He was nonchalant, “I’m going for a genuine and sincere persona, treating Weibo like Moments.”
Jiang Chuyi immediately put down the wine glass in her hand and pounced over, “Wait a minute, let me see those photos of yours.”
Xin He smiled and raised her phone, “Too late, I already posted them. Check on your own phone.”
Jiang Chuyi immediately took out her phone and searched for Xin He’s Weibo.
@XinHe: Today’s work photos, wishing everyone a happy New Year, celebrating the New Year together with friends \[raise glass\]
In the nine-grid layout, the one in the middle was surprisingly a photo of Jiang Chuyi and her together.
The two of them, one in blue and one in red, had their faces close together, looking very intimate.
The comment section was full of screaming and flattery.
Because Xin He almost never posted photos with female celebrities in the industry on the internet, she was often mocked for having poor interpersonal relationships.
This was the first time she “showed off her friendship” on Weibo.
Jiang Chuyi also benefited a little, with Xin He’s fans all praising her for being a beauty. However, Jiang Chuyi was a marginal figure in the industry, and many people found her unfamiliar. They asked who she was, and only after being informed did they realize that she was the rumored girlfriend of Zong Ye from some time ago.
Fortunately, Xin He’s fans had strong control over the comments, and it was her own turf, so no flame wars were triggered.
Jiang Chuyi logged into her main account that she hadn’t used for a long time and gave Xin He a like.
Immediately after, she discovered that Chi Mengyue, Xin He, Zong Ye, and Ji Kai were trending again, followed by the tag for the Star City live broadcast.
Jiang Chuyi told Xin He, “You’re trending again.”
Xin He showed a slight hint of annoyance as she picked fans’ comments to reply to, “Ignore it. It’s just a trivial matter. Those marketing accounts have nothing new to write about, so they’re trying to hype things up again.”
Jiang Chuyi still felt a bit uneasy and clicked in to take a look.
The first thing that caught her eye was:
#At the Star City New Year’s Eve party, Chi Mengyue and Xin He suspected of fighting over Zong Ye out of jealousy, Ji Kai feared to be reduced to a tool#
This two-minute video full of undercurrents recorded how Chi Mengyue chatted and laughed with Zong Ye, how Xin He talked to Ji Kai with a dark expression, and ended with Zong Ye taking the initiative to walk over.
The comment section sparked heated discussions, with fans from various camps battling it out.
【How bold! Chi Mengyue actually dares to lay her hands on the top star of BloodxGentle? The Zong fan army will arrive on the battlefield in three seconds】
【Sister Chi, do you want to check how many pounds of powder are on your face? Can you stay away from my baby? I’m afraid if your face rubs off on him, it’ll be disgusting!】
【Yeah, yeah, yeah, your idol is a walking aphrodisiac. If you ask me, why is Zong Ye even an actor? He should just go to Japan and be a male prostitute. According to his brainless fans, any woman who sees him will get aroused and be unable to walk.】
【To be honest, even passersby can see Chi Mengyue’s intentions to throw herself at him. Zong Ye had a completely perfunctory expression \[laughing crying\] Is it because his official girlfriend Xin He was next to him?】
【Clueless passerby, the one above, please unfollow the Fu Cheng supertopic before commenting. Saying Xin He is the official girlfriend, who are you trying to disgust?】
【A bunch of fans are like having persecution delusions. Is every female celebrity in the entertainment industry throwing herself at your idol if she says a few words to him? Keep going crazy like this, it’ll eventually backfire.】
【What the hell? Now Chi Mengyue is here too? I’m still stuck in the Yi Jian Zong Qing (Jiang Chuyi and Zong Ye’s ship name) pit! Is it going to have a bad ending so soon? Save me!】
【Wow, I can’t believe I ran into a fellow shipper here. There won’t be a bad ending!!! Absolutely not!!! If you carefully analyze this video, Zong Ye’s attitude towards other female celebrities is completely different from my girl. When he was watching Jiang Chuyi’s live broadcast before, his gaze was almost pulling strings in public! Go search on Bilibili for the video edit “The Truth is Love at First Sight” by this big account. There are various small details put together, and a lot of double standard sugar from Zong Ye!!! In short: Yi Jian Zong Qing is meant to be!!!】
The world is so vast, these CP fans are everywhere.
Jiang Chuyi never expected that such an obvious trending topic trying to hype things up could trigger so many endless follow-ups.
The main problem now was that her and Zong Ye’s scandal had pretty much passed. If Jiang Chuyi came out to clarify anything again, it would only make the matter drag on endlessly and cause a bigger impact on Zong Ye.
Jiang Chuyi had gone from being shocked at the beginning to gradually becoming helpless in the face of these CP fans’ peculiar way of thinking. Now she could only hope that this group of fans would calm down on their own.
They would eventually understand a fundamental truth.
There is no true love in the entertainment industry.
*
After posting on Weibo, the work was done. The two of them moved from the dining room to the living room. Xin He couldn’t hold her liquor well, and after drinking a little, she became a bit dazed.
The home sound system was on, and Xin He was dancing to music on the sofa, shaking her head and going crazy.
Jiang Chuyi was really worried about disturbing the neighbors and kept trying to dissuade her, “Drink less, why don’t we go to sleep? We can play more after waking up tomorrow.”
It was already 3 AM. Jiang Chuyi was just about to drag Xin He back to the bedroom when she suddenly heard the doorbell ring.
Xin He immediately jumped up and ran to open the door, swaying.
Jiang Chuyi was worried she would fall, so she followed her all the way and came face to face with four people at the door.
Wang Tan glanced inside and laughed, “You guys are having quite a lively time.”
Jiang Chuyi supported Xin He and asked, “Why are you here?”
Ji Kai: “Xin He invited us to celebrate the New Year, but we were busy until now, so we’re a bit late.”
Fu Cheng took Xin He from Jiang Chuyi’s hands, frowned, and asked in a low voice, “How much did she drink?”
Jiang Chuyi thought for a moment, “Not much, just one or two glasses.”
She drank even more, but didn’t even feel the slightest bit dizzy.
Fu Cheng single-handedly dragged the drunk Xin He to the kitchen and forcibly made her drink a few glasses of water to sober up.
Jiang Chuyi took a step back and stood next to the shoe cabinet.
As soon as the door opened, Zong Ye noticed her.
The heating was on in Xin He’s house. Jiang Chuyi wasn’t wearing makeup, her features delicate, and she was rarely seen wearing a short skirt. Her legs were white and straight.
He looked away, not staring at her for too long.
Jiang Chuyi, on the other hand, was looking at Zong Ye.
But what immediately popped into her mind was the netizens’ sharp comments: 【Human aphrodisiac】, 【Go be a male prostitute in Japan】
Her expression became a bit uncomfortable. She greeted Zong Ye and hurriedly returned to the living room.
Wang Tan and Ji Kai were both slouching and sprawling out in an improper manner.
Ji Kai let out a long sigh and exclaimed, “Finally, we can rest for a bit. I feel like if I stay up one more day, I’ll end up in the hospital.”
Jiang Chuyi: “You guys don’t have anything tomorrow?”
Ji Kai yelped, “Taking a day off tomorrow. Don’t we have to go to Beijing the day after to film?”
“Oh.” Jiang Chuyi nodded, “IM still has some humanity.”
“Huh?” Ji Kai noticed Jiang Chuyi’s outfit and laughed, “So this is Teacher Jiang’s style in private?”
“What?” Jiang Chuyi looked down at the sexy girl style denim camisole she was wearing and explained, “These are Xin He’s clothes.”
“A bit unexpected.” Ji Kai commented.
Just then, Zong Ye walked over and asked, “What’s unexpected?”
“Teacher Jiang looks quite good today.”
Zong Ye incidentally turned his head.
Jiang Chuyi sat upright, meeting his appraising gaze.
A few seconds later, Zong Ye sat down next to Ji Kai, blocking most of his view. He leaned over and picked up a box of mint candies.
Ji Kai was puzzled, “This sofa is so big, why do you have to squeeze next to me?”
“Then why don’t you sit on the other side?”
Ji Kai seemed to have caught on a bit, “Why do I feel like your words are a bit aggressive today?”
“Really?” Zong Ye’s expression remained calm.
Wang Tan sat on the other end with his arms crossed, glanced at them, and finally spoke up to remind him, “A Kai, you can’t comment on a woman’s appearance to her face. It’s very offensive, understand?”
“Besides, the woman you’re commenting on…” Wang Tan lazily dragged out his words, “Is also your teammate’s rumored girlfriend. Do you think it’s appropriate?”
Ji Kai was truly innocent, “It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”
“Yeah it’s a serious matter.”
Jiang Chuyi immediately interrupted, preventing this topic from developing further. She stood up, “Do you guys want to eat some fruit? I just put a few boxes in the fridge to chill.”
“Sure.” Ji Kai answered.
Jiang Chuyi quickly left the scene.
Looking at her fleeing figure, Wang Tan sighed, “A girl like Teacher Jiang seems a bit difficult to pursue.”
Zong Ye kept a straight face, pretending not to hear, picked up his glass, and took a sip of wine.
Ji Kai turned his head and lowered his voice, asking in surprise, “What?! You want to pursue Jiang Chuyi?”
Wang Tan couldn’t be bothered to talk to this idiot, “Get lost.”
…
…
Xin He was the typical example of someone with a big appetite but low alcohol tolerance. Before she had even sobered up, she was already clamoring for everyone to drink with her.
After a few glasses of wine, Ji Kai’s cheeks turned red as he stuffed a few pieces of fruit into his mouth.
Everyone else was chatting, and Jiang Chuyi took the opportunity to call out to him, “Ji Kai, Ji Kai!”
Ji Kai let out a dazed “ah” sound.
“Can you do me a small favor?” Jiang Chuyi scooted over a bit, “I have a friend who quite likes you and wants an autograph.”
Ji Kai slurred his words, “An autograph? Sure.”
Having gotten permission, Jiang Chuyi ran to get her bag, took out the album and pen that Zhao Guangyu had given her, handed them to Ji Kai, and said, “Just sign on this, thanks.”
“No big deal.” Ji Kai bit off the pen cap and asked as he signed, “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Zhao Guangyu.”
“Zhao…”
Jiang Chuyi added, “Guang as in glory, Yu as in honor.”
Ji Kai seemed to have a bit of an impression of the name. He asked, “Do you want me to write a couple of sentences?”
Jiang Chuyi: “Either way, whatever is convenient for you.”
She obediently sat on the small stool waiting for Ji Kai to sign.
The clicking sound of a metal lighter reached her ears.
It was a very rhythmic, one after another sound that Jiang Chuyi couldn’t ignore. She turned her gaze to the side.
At some point, Zong Ye had stopped chatting with Wang Tan. He was leaning back against the sofa, playing with the lighter in his hand, his mood not very high.
Seeing Jiang Chuyi looking over, Zong Ye hooked his index finger and flipped the lighter cap shut.
Jiang Chuyi’s mind wandered for a moment.
He smiled, “What’s wrong, do you need me to sign one too?”
She shook her head, “No need.”
After a moment of silence, Zong Ye asked, “Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette here?”
Jiang Chuyi shook her head again.
Ji Kai was writing and casually asked, “Who is this friend of yours?”
“A friend I met in college.”
Ji Kai let out an “oh” sound.
Zong Ye calmly took out a pack of cigarettes and opened it.
Ji Kai raised his eyebrows and asked nosily, “Are you two close?”
“Quite close.”
As soon as she finished answering, she noticed the person beside her standing up.
Out of the corner of her eye, Zong Ye took the lighter and cigarettes and went to the balcony alone.
She and Ji Kai silently looked at each other.
Didn’t he say he was going to smoke here…
Jiang Chuyi tentatively spoke up, “Zong Ye seems… to be in a bad mood today?”
Ji Kai shrugged, unable to answer that question.
Because he really didn’t know where Zong Ye’s inexplicable emotions throughout the night had come from.
When Zong Ye came back after smoking a few cigarettes, the two were still chatting.
Ji Kai turned his head, “Bro, you in a bad mood?”
Zong Ye picked up the mint candies on the coffee table, shook out a piece, and tossed it into his mouth, “No.”
He sat down, casually picked up a bottle of alcohol, lowered his eyes, poured half a glass, and pushed it to Ji Kai.
“What for?”
Zong Ye simply said, “Want a drink?”
“Sure, let’s drink.”
Zong Ye poured himself a glass as well.
Seeing this, Jiang Chuyi hesitated and also poured some wine into her glass.
Zong Ye swallowed, drinking while looking at her.
Jiang Chuyi smiled at him, “I’ll drink with you guys?”
Ji Kai waved his hand, “If you can’t drink, don’t. We’re very gentlemanly and don’t force girls to drink.”
“Huh?” Jiang Chuyi honestly said, “I can hold my liquor quite well.”
With that said, she demonstrated it to them on the spot.
Such a thin and frail-looking girl actually sat there and downed more than half a glass of wine in one gulp without any hesitation.
She put the empty glass down on the table with a thud.
Ji Kai choked a bit, feeling impressed, “Teacher Jiang, you’re truly a heroine among women.”
…
…
Two hours later, Jiang Chuyi silently looked at the group of people sprawled out in front of her, thinking to herself, how come their alcohol tolerance is so poor?
Ji Kai had already run to the bathroom to vomit three times. Fu Cheng still had a shred of clarity, but not much.
Jiang Chuyi laboriously dragged Xin He back to the bedroom upstairs, wiped her face, and then returned downstairs to clean up the aftermath.
After making a round, Jiang Chuyi bent down to tidy up the wine bottles on the coffee table.
As she passed by Zong Ye, Jiang Chuyi turned her head to take a look.
The main light in the living room was already turned off. He was sitting on the carpet with his eyes closed, his posture relaxed, leaning against the sofa.
Because his head was slightly tilted, his glasses had slid down to the bridge of his nose.
Jiang Chuyi put down the wine bottles in her hands and looked at him a couple of times. After standing there for a while, she still walked over, reached out, and prepared to take off his glasses.
Who knew, as soon as she took off the glasses, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone.
Jiang Chuyi was startled.
The glasses fell onto the carpet.
Zong Ye’s eyes opened slightly.
The entire room was permeated with the tipsy scent of champagne. Under the ambiguous and gentle light, Zong Ye seemed to have a poor alcohol tolerance. He had fair skin that flushed when he drank. After getting drunk, even the beauty mark on the side of his neck seemed to be stained with a blush, an indescribably sensual appearance. He looked at her lazily, the corners of his eyes lifted, “Boss, are you taking advantage of me?”
What kind of thing to say was that?
Jiang Chuyi was shocked and forgot to withdraw her hand for a moment.
She wasn’t trying to secretly touch his face, just simply helping to take off his glasses! How did that turn into taking advantage of him? The accusation was too serious.
Zong Ye’s grip on her wrist was very light, but when Jiang Chuyi tried to pull her hand back, his fingers suddenly tightened.
She couldn’t pull it out.
Zong Ye’s eyes were narrowed, his long lashes half-lowered, just looking at her like that.
As if Jiang Chuyi was a little thief who took advantage of someone being drunk and was caught by him on the spot.
And he didn’t want to let her off easily.
Jiang Chuyi was in a dilemma and had no choice but to explain, “I thought you were asleep, so I was helping you take off your glasses, worried they might get damaged. I didn’t mean anything else.”
Zong Ye was unmoved, steadily restraining her slender wrist, “Is that so?”
It seemed he didn’t quite believe her words.
Meeting Zong Ye’s gaze, Jiang Chuyi’s fingers curled under his direct and deep stare.
There was a kind of… very strange feeling.
Due to the alcohol, Zong Ye’s mind was in a very muddled state.
Memories shattered like glass, piece by piece. He remembered some things and also forgot some things.
For example, the person in front of him; he knew who she was. But he forgot why she would appear before him.
The last bit of self-control prevented him from doing anything more inappropriate.
Even though he really wanted to.
Jiang Chuyi was helpless.
After waiting for a while and making sure he had no other movements, Jiang Chuyi’s shoulders relaxed. She tentatively called out, “Zong Ye?”
Zong Ye: “Hm?”
The ending tone rose, lazily, very enticing.
Now Jiang Chuyi could be quite certain in her heart that Zong Ye was indeed drunk, and heavily so.
He was never this flirtatious normally.
No, not just flirtatious, simply wanton.
Drunk people were always difficult to deal with. Jiang Chuyi felt a bit of a headache. She observed for a moment, half-squatted down, and tried to negotiate with him in a tone used to coax little kids, “Can you let go of my hand first?”
Zong Ye didn’t say anything, only gripping tighter and tighter, with a slightly forceful intensity that even made Jiang Chuyi feel a bit of pain.
She decided to give up on communicating and used her other hand to pry his fingers with difficulty.
While struggling to free her hand, Jiang Chuyi was still trying to awaken his senses, “Zong Ye, Zong Ye, do you still recognize me?”
This time, Zong Ye seemed to have heard clearly and finally reacted, “Jiang Chuyi?”
Jiang Chuyi was delighted in her heart and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, it’s me, Jiang Chuyi. Remember?”
For some reason, Zong Ye smiled, a subtle and restrained smile. Because of the intoxication, there was a glimmer of moisture in his eyes.
His tone suddenly returned to his usual calm and gentleness, “Long time no see.”
Zong Ye’s face was flushed as he pulled her closer.
Jiang Chuyi was tugged by Zong Ye and fell forward, her balance suddenly lost, collapsing onto his knees.
In a fluster, she hurriedly used her other hand to support herself on his shoulder, maintaining distance and balance.
Forced to lean over Zong Ye like this, she heard him say in a low voice, “I’ve always remembered you.”
