The Twenty-Fifth Star
As the last sentence ended, the song also came to a close.
For a moment, Jiang Chuyi was in a daze, mishearing Zong Ye’s words “Wishing you, Chu Yi (first day)” as “Wishing you, Chuyi (her name).”
Her heart skipped a beat, and with a strange expression, she couldn’t help but ask, “That last sentence was…?”
Zong Ye appeared nonchalant, “It was recorded during the Spring Festival last year, a New Year’s greeting on the first day of the lunar new year.”
Jiang Chuyi responded with an “oh,” taking off the earphones and returning them to him.
At the same time, her heart that had just fluttered instantly sank.
She stared at a beam of sunlight on the floor, her fingers fiddling with the wool on the carpet.
Her mind was in a chaotic state, recalling that in the previous fabricated publicity article to ride on their popularity, it seemed to have mentioned that Zong Ye had a special habit of sending blessings every year on the first day of the lunar new year.
She couldn’t help but reflect on herself with some concern, wondering how she had started blindly believing it again.
He noticed, “Is something wrong?”
Jiang Chuyi wanted to shake her head but realized that her expression just now must have been very unnatural. So, without hiding anything, she put on an appearance of being frank and directly told him, “Because you know my name is Chuyi, sometimes when people say ‘Chuyi’ (first day), I often mishear it.”
Zong Ye seemed to have expected it and asked, “Did you mishear it just now?”
Jiang Chuyi nodded.
Zong Ye took off the other earphone, “Then let’s consider it as me wishing you happiness in the New Year.”
Jiang Chuyi was slightly stunned, meeting his beautiful, smiling eyes.
“…”
His words stirred up ripples in Jiang Chuyi’s heart that had just calmed down.
How could this person be so good at flirting…
If Zong Ye were to be in a relationship, he would definitely be the kind of scumbag who would make girls fall head over heels for him.
Jiang Chuyi didn’t say anything.
She forced a smile, “This song is quite nice. When do you plan to release it?”
Actually, after hearing the lyrics in the latter half of the song and combining it with what she knew about Zong Ye’s past, Jiang Chuyi could roughly guess what it was about.
Whether it was the lyrics or the melody, this song sounded too painful, not at all like BloodxGentle’s usual intense style.
If she had to say, it might be a bit like “Mercury Record,” a song about unrequited love.
But Jiang Chuyi didn’t want to ask too much. Firstly, she didn’t want to touch upon his scars. Secondly, with her current state of mind, she probably didn’t want to hear him talk about another woman.
“It may not be released, but if it is…”
Zong Ye thought for a moment and gave her an answer, “It should be next year.”
Next year… that would be the year when BloodxGentle’s contract is to expire.
This timing was very subtle. With the expiration of their contract with IM and the members of the group reaching an age for transitioning, it represented that BloodxGentle’s members would go solo, and at the same time, it also meant that Zong Ye would soon have more autonomy.
“If it’s released, your single will definitely sell as well as always.”
Jiang Chuyi looked at him earnestly and offered her sincere blessing, “This song will surely be heard by many people.”
Be heard by… the person he hoped for.
With BloodxGentle’s current fame, it wouldn’t be a problem for a song to become a hit. By then, it would be played on major online platforms and on the streets, and even people who didn’t follow them would most likely hear it.
That girl would definitely be no exception.
Zong Ye was quiet.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked her, “Do you read private messages?”
“Private messages?”
Jiang Chuyi thought he was concerned about her being scolded recently, so she said, “I occasionally read them a few years ago, but rarely now.”
“A few years ago?”
Jiang Chuyi thought hard, “Actually, I didn’t really read them much after starting university. At that time, I seldom took on roles and rarely participated in events.”
Zong Ye nodded, as if he was just asking casually. Hearing her say that, he didn’t continue the topic.
*
They all needed to take evening flights to Beijing.
After spending some time, it was already four o’clock in the afternoon. Jiang Chuyi still had to pack her luggage, so she said goodbye to Xin He and took a taxi home alone.
Before leaving for the airport, Little Zhong checked the weather in Beijing on her phone. It had been snowing there for many days, and the temperature was already below zero.
To avoid a mishap like last time, Jiang Chuyi chose a plain white down jacket and jeans.
“Sis, this is all you’re wearing?” Little Zhong had a bitter look on her face.
“This is enough, it’s warm.”
Jiang Chuyi felt good about herself.
Anyway, not many people would pay attention to her casual outfits, and she didn’t have any idol image to maintain. Most importantly, there wouldn’t be any “accidental matching” that would lead to rumors and cause trouble for others.
“Alright then.”
In the end, Little Zhong compromised.
Around ten o’clock in the evening, Jiang Chuyi got off the plane and arrived in Beijing.
Following a crew member who came to pick her up, she got into the van arranged by the production team.
The person had an apologetic expression and explained to her in a low voice that due to weather conditions, the others’ flights were delayed by half an hour, so they had to wait a bit longer.
Jiang Chuyi smiled slightly, indicating that she didn’t mind.
Their van was parked on the roadside at the airport exit. The snow was heavy tonight, a snowy scene that wouldn’t be seen in Shanghai.
Jiang Chuyi stared out the window, unconsciously absorbed in the view.
She was in a daze until a chaotic commotion sounded and the car door opened again. Jiang Chuyi snapped out of her daze and turned to look.
Ji Kai managed to squeeze to the edge of the car door, with a large crowd of enthusiastic fans around him.
Ji Kai raised his hand and called out, “Everyone, please go back. It’s late. Be safe, be safe.”
Jiang Chuyi was sitting in the first row and could clearly see the situation outside.
Zong Ye and Fu Cheng were still surrounded and couldn’t move. One hand receiving gifts and the other signing autographs.
The fans kept surrounding them while unable to resist screaming and confessing their love.
Zong Ye lowered his eyes, signing autographs for the people crowding around him. He seemed to be the same to everyone, always maintaining a polite and gentle social demeanor.
Jiang Chuyi withdrew her gaze.
Suddenly, she remembered the first time they met when she accidentally stumbled upon Zong Ye being confessed to.
Although she only glanced at it from afar, she could probably guess the aftermath.
After hearing someone express their love, Zong Ye must have used this habitual polite attitude to gently reject them.
After a few more minutes, the accompanying crew members began to disperse the crowd.
Ji Kai got into the car first. As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Chuyi.
Her cheeks were rosy, wearing a puffy white down jacket, holding a thermos cup in her arms. Wearing matching gloves and even a fluffy scarf around her neck, her chin was buried halfway. She looked like a warm little polar bear.
Fully equipped with warm gear, she was wearing more than his grandmother in the far northeast. Her appearance was very serene.
Ji Kai took off his mask, grinned, and sat down in the empty seat beside her with a chill, “Teacher Jiang, how afraid of the cold are you?”
Jiang Chuyi glanced back and observed his outfit.
His jacket was just a black leather one, with seemingly only a T-shirt underneath, with hanging punk-style silver accessories. On his feet were a pair of not-at-all-warm Martin boots.
Jiang Chuyi advised in a gentle voice, “It’s so cold today. Look, your hands and face are all frozen white. You should wear more.”
Ji Kai had a carefree tone, “How can I look cool if I wear more?”
“I’m not joking. My mom is a doctor.” Jiang Chuyi had a serious expression, “If you don’t take care of your body when you’re young, you’ll develop many issues when you get older. With the way you are, you might have arthritis in your legs by the age of thirty.”
Ji Kai fell silent.
He was amused by Jiang Chuyi’s serious tone, “Teacher Jiang, I never realized before that you’re quite fun.”
Jiang Chuyi was about to speak again when she saw someone else getting into the car. She stopped mid-sentence.
It was Zong Ye.
He saw Ji Kai sitting beside Jiang Chuyi, and he paused. Ji Kai greeted Zong Ye with a “hey,” still with a bright smile on his face. Zong Ye nodded lightly, not giving him much of a response. He went directly to the seat behind them and sat down.
Ji Kai didn’t mind and continued to turn his head to chat with Jiang Chuyi, “Hey, Teacher Jiang, tell me more. Besides arthritis, what other health problems might there be?”
Jiang Chuyi replied perfunctorily, “I won’t say anymore. You can search about it online yourself.”
She turned her head to look at the snowy scenery outside the window.
Soon, Wang Tan and Fu Cheng also got into the car one after another.
Xin He was the last to arrive. After everyone was present, the driver double-checked and started driving.
Once the car was on the road, Ji Kai, who was naturally restless, played with his phone for a while and then struck up a conversation with Jiang Chuyi again, “Teacher Jiang, let me ask you something.”
“What?”
“Why are you Zong Ye’s fan? There are so many outstanding men in our group. Don’t you appreciate anyone else?”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Ji Kai’s tone was a mix of disappointment and puzzlement, “How am I inferior to him? Why aren’t you my fan?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Kai felt someone kick the back of his seat.
He turned his head and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Zong Ye folded his arms, opened his eyes, and said to him, “Can you be quiet for a while? I want to sleep.”
Ji Kai didn’t understand, “You can sleep. I won’t disturb you if I say a few words, right?”
Fu Cheng, who was sitting next to Zong Ye, obviously had also run out of patience and said in an equally cold tone, “I haven’t seen you talk so much nonsense.”
Ji Kai sighed and was about to seek support from Wang Tan and Xin He.
However, he found that the two of them were sitting side by side playing games, completely ignoring him.
Ji Kai sat up straight, sighing, “The world is so cold. There’s not a single person willing to treat me kindly anymore.”
Jiang Chuyi was amused.
Because Ji Kai was scolded, she was also afraid of disturbing the people behind them, so she deliberately lowered her voice and advised, “You should talk less.”
Ji Kai glanced at her sideways, looking dissatisfied.
Jiang Chuyi leaned against the car, spaced out for a while, and then heard Ji Kai speak again, “Beijing is so weird. Why does it feel colder than Harbin?”
Jiang Chuyi nodded unconsciously.
“Teacher Jiang, I see you’re wearing a lot. Why don’t you lend me your blanket to cover myself for a while?”
Jiang Chuyi responded with an “ah” and pointed to the small blanket on her lap, “You want this?”
As soon as Ji Kai nodded, he felt someone kick the back of his seat again. He turned around, unable to bear it any longer, “Are you done? If you have something to say, say it directly!”
Zong Ye calmly looked at him, pausing for a moment.
Ji Kai watched as Zong Ye got up and walked to the aisle beside him. He was puzzled, “What are you doing? Wanna fight?”
Jiang Chuyi also turned her head, staring at Zong Ye standing in the aisle.
“Aren’t you cold?” Zong Ye tilted his head calmly, gesturing with his eyes, “Sit in my spot. It’s directly under the air vent.”
Ji Kai: “…”
Right after, Ji Kai reluctantly exchanged seats with Zong Ye.
Jiang Chuyi glanced at the person who sat down beside her, feeling relieved that she could finally have some peace.
After sitting down, Zong Ye, perhaps awakened by Ji Kai’s noise, didn’t continue sleeping. He sat casually, keeping a half-arm’s distance from her, with his right leg stretched out in the aisle. He lowered his head, scrolling through his phone, his long black lashes drooping.
She judged that he was in a bad mood now and considerately moved closer to the window, trying to minimize her presence.
On a snowy day, the road was slippery. For safety reasons, the van didn’t drive fast. Jiang Chuyi unscrewed her thermos cup, poured out a little hot water, cupped it in both hands, and brought it to her mouth to sip.
When Zong Ye looked over, she was puffing out her cheeks, blowing away the steam.
Jiang Chuyi’s movement halted. She blinked slowly and asked cautiously, “Did I disturb you?”
Zong Ye shook his head. Seeing her nervous expression, he asked, “What are you drinking?”
“Sesame tea.”
“Is it tasty?” Zong Ye smiled, “I see you’ve been drinking it.”
“It’s alright.”
Zong Ye’s gaze shifted downward, and he told her in a low voice, “Some of it is still there.”
Jiang Chuyi froze. Instinctively, she stuck out her tongue and licked her lips. Then, realizing that he was still staring at her intently, she immediately changed to wiping with her hand.
She felt a bit embarrassed, lowered her head, and fumbled for her phone, intending to take a look.
Zong Ye said, “It’s clean now.”
He wanted to say something else, but the back of his seat was kicked. Ji Kai’s provocative voice lazily rang out, “Teacher Zong Ye, I’m also very sleepy. Please be quiet for a while and stop blabbering endlessly.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
*
An hour later, the van arrived at the hotel where they were staying.
Similar to the situation at the airport, before the van had even stopped, a group of fans who had been waiting in advance surrounded them.
They were blocked at the car door again.
Several crew members and assistants took the lead in carrying the luggage off the car and went to handle the check-in procedures.
Jiang Chuyi and Xin He could only sit in the car and wait.
Xin He got bored waiting and leaned close to Jiang Chuyi, complaining in a low voice, “These young girls chasing stars don’t even consider the weather. It’s so cold. How can they wait like this?”
Jiang Chuyi sighed, “Because they like them.”
This kind of behavior from die-hard fans was generally close to a “girlfriend” perspective when chasing stars.
Therefore, unlike actors, in the current environment, if an idol was found to be dating, it would be a major incident.
Like Fu Cheng and Zong Ye; even though they both had someone they liked, they couldn’t do much about it given the current situation.
Otherwise, with BloodxGentle’s current fame, if they dated a girl and it was exposed, it would be big news that would shake the entertainment industry. If the other party was someone in the industry, the consequences would be even worse.
Over the years, Jiang Chuyi had heard some gossip within the industry. Many fresh meat actors of similar age to them, who took the popularity route and presented a single persona to please fans during public appearances, were actually quite promiscuous in private. They loved to find relatively innocent university students from the Central Academy of Drama or Beijing Film Academy to date.
However, this was also human nature. After all, those who could enter the industry to become stars had inherent advantages in appearance. Coincidentally, they were also at a vigorous age. In the entertainment industry, they faced countless temptations. Those who could stick to their true hearts were a minority.
So when Jiang Chuyi learned that since their debut, none of the members of BloodxGentle had been in a new relationship, she couldn’t help but admire them.
Three or four years, not long, but not short either. They had become overnight sensations and faced more temptations than others.
Being able to persist until now was already very difficult, worthy of their current popularity.
……
……
After another ten minutes or so, they were escorted by the crew and security guards towards the hotel.
Zhao Guangyu happened to be in Beijing these days. Knowing that she was here to film some final scenes, he sent a WeChat message asking if she wanted to climb the Great Wall together.
Jiang Chuyi was speechless: “Climbing the Great Wall in the middle of winter?!”
Zhao Guangyu: “It’s arranged by a program. I’m recording a variety show these two days. Do you want to come as a guest for one episode? It’s in Beijing.”
Jiang Chuyi: “Ask Chen Yi. I don’t want to climb.”
After replying to Zhao Guangyu’s message, Jiang Chuyi noticed someone beside her.
Zong Ye was on the phone. Both of them were walking slowly, falling behind the group.
As they were about to enter the hotel lobby, a girl suddenly rushed out from the side and ran up to them.
The security at this hotel was quite strict. Without a prior reservation, it was generally not possible to enter.
Jiang Chuyi was startled and stopped in her tracks.
She instinctively looked at Zong Ye, thinking it was his sasaeng fan.
Zong Ye seemed to be used to it. He extended his hand, ready to take the girl’s pen and paper to sign an autograph.
However, the girl completely ignored Zong Ye as if she hadn’t seen him at all. She directly turned to Jiang Chuyi, her eyes shining.
Zong Ye’s movement paused.
The girl clutched the pen and paper tightly, unable to suppress her excited tone, “Chuyi, I finally got to see you again!”
Jiang Chuyi wasn’t expecting it and responded with a dazed “ah?” sound.
Zong Ye looked at her.
The girl glanced around and hastily explained to her, “I’m a staff member at this hotel, so I can secretly wait here for you. But today is not my shift. According to the hotel regulations, we can’t disturb the guests, so I could only wait outside.”
Jiang Chuyi confirmed again, “You were… waiting for me?”
“Of course, I was waiting for you.” The girl nodded vigorously and chattered, “The last time I saw you was six years ago at a movie premiere. You told me to study hard for college. I just wanted to tell you that I got into the university I like.”
Jiang Chuyi looked at the girl in front of her.
She had obviously been waiting for a long time. The snow on her clothes had melted, leaving wet traces.
The girl sniffled and continued, “I knew you were coming today. I was really excited. It’s just that I’ve been busy with my studies in recent years, especially after starting work, I have even less time to chase stars. Your schedule is also sparse, and I couldn’t find it online. But I’ve always liked you a lot. I’ve watched every TV drama of yours.”
Jiang Chuyi was touched and felt her eyes getting a bit moist. She reached out to hold the girl’s hand, “You waited for a long time, right? Your hands are cold.”
“It’s not cold, not cold at all. I specially brought the movie poster from back then.” The girl still had a bright smile, “Thinking about getting your autograph today, I don’t feel cold at all.”
Jiang Chuyi took her poster.
On the snowy day, she lowered her head and used her sleeve to wipe off the water stains on the poster. Then, she placed it on her hand and very carefully wrote her name, stroke by stroke. Afterward, relying on her memory, she wrote a few lines of dialogue from the movie on the blank space on the back.
After finishing, Jiang Chuyi took out a hand warmer from her pocket and handed it to the girl along with the poster.
“I’ll go home then.” The girl muttered thank you, looking at her with reluctance, “The hotel has regulations. I can’t violate them.”
The person standing to the side suddenly spoke, “We’ll be staying here for a few days. You’ll have more chances to see her.”
The girl only then realized that someone had been standing in the shadows beside them.
When she recognized Zong Ye’s appearance, she was startled and her mouth opened slightly.
Jiang Chuyi said, “Yes, I’ll be staying here for a few more days. After filming, I’ll treat you to a meal?”
This sentence instantly drew the girl’s attention back. She repeatedly said, “I’ll treat you, I’ll treat you. I know many delicious restaurants in Beijing.”
“Then I’ll wait for you to take me there.” Jiang Chuyi smiled with curved eyes.
Finally, the two of them hugged, and Jiang Chuyi reminded the girl to be safe on the way. She stood in place, watching the girl’s retreating figure until she was far away.
Her heart was filled with mixed emotions, both touched and a bit of slight discomfort.
When she came back to her senses, she found Zong Ye still waiting beside her.
Jiang Chuyi was a bit surprised, “Why didn’t you go?”
“I was watching you sign autographs for your fan.” The person who had been observing the whole time answered.
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She thought to herself, with his immense popularity, signing autographs for fans had become a trivial matter. She didn’t know what was so interesting about it.
The two of them continued walking.
Zong Ye casually said, “I noticed that you seem to be the same to everyone.”
“What do you mean by the same?”
He thought of a word, “Kind?”
From the past to the present, she had always maintained the same kind treatment towards anything and anyone.
Zong Ye couldn’t help but ridicule himself.
He didn’t know if everyone was like him, treating this pure kindness as the only glimmer of light, still clinging to it like a lifeline even after many years.
For Jiang Chuyi, it was just her indiscriminate kindness.
He was well aware of that.
But every time he realized this, Zong Ye would feel a faint sense of hatred rising in his heart.
He knew his own baseness better than anyone else, and this baseness often made him feel miserable. Because he was not morally noble and wanted more than anyone else to obtain more gentleness from her by any means necessary.
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t discern the deeper meaning in his words and didn’t know what to say, so she casually made a joke, “You have so many fans. You don’t need to envy me.”
Zong Ye remained silent, suddenly not speaking. His face was hidden in the darkness, and it was unknown what he was thinking. His expression appeared unusually calm.
After a while, just as they were about to walk up the steps, she heard him say in a casual tone, “I don’t envy you.”
Jiang Chuyi paused.
Seeing her slightly puzzled expression, Zong Ye spoke in a half-joking tone, “Did you forget what Wang Tan told you? I’m also your fan.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
He thought for a moment and asked in a low voice, as if making small talk, “Fans should be treated equally, right? Teacher Jiang, if you have time, can you sign an autograph for me too?”
