The Thirty-Ninth Star
After listening to Chen Xiangliang’s story, Jiang Chuyi remained silent for a long time.
It felt like she had heard a very long story. Even though she was the protagonist, she couldn’t immerse herself in it.
Over the years, in school, in the crew, and in various activities, Jiang Chuyi had met many people, and her interactions with them varied; most were just chance encounters. For her, those unimportant people or things were completely forgotten.
Jiang Chuyi remembered apologizing to Zong Ye, and he kept saying “it’s okay” one sentence after another.
She used him for hype.
It’s okay.
She was hot and cold.
It’s okay.
She forgot about him.
It’s also okay.
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t remember how she got back to the car.
She tried inserting the car key several times without success, and realized that she probably shouldn’t be driving right now.
She rested her forehead on the back of her hand, half-lying on the steering wheel.
Maintaining this posture, she didn’t know how long had passed when several loud honks suddenly sounded in her ears. Jiang Chuyi slowly raised her head.
The car behind her stopped, and a man got out, bending down to ask, “Are you okay?”
She suddenly came back to her senses, her pupils slowly regaining focus, and rolled down the window, “Am I blocking your way?”
The man stared at her pale face, “No, I saw you sitting here for a long time, is everything alright?”
Jiang Chuyi shook her head.
“Okay.” The man muttered and left.
Jiang Chuyi opened the center armrest box, found a box of mint candy, poured out a few, and threw them into her mouth.
A hint of coolness spread on the tip of her tongue, and her mood finally calmed down.
She looked at the windshield and suddenly felt that Zong Ye was a bit unfamiliar as if she had never really known him.
The neglected details in her memory were slowly unraveled bit by bit.
In Italy, Zong Ye carefully asked her, in a roundabout way, why she didn’t recognize him. On his birthday, Little Zhong found that old photo, sealed in plastic, in an inconspicuous corner of the bag. On that night, the snow fell slowly, Zong Ye was smiling, but those cold black eyes looking at her seemed to be raining, silent and powerless. On New Year’s Eve, when Zong Ye couldn’t resist the alcohol and fell asleep, she saw tears on his face. At the end of that song, his voice was suppressed as he wished her a happy new year…
…
…
In the summer of Shanghai, just past six in the morning, the sky was already slightly whitening. Jiang Chuyi picked up her phone and called a car to go home.
She slept in a daze on the sofa for a few hours, and in her dream, she seemed to have returned to junior high school.
She was floating in the air, watching from the perspective of a bystander, that pitiful gray figure hiding in the crowd, quietly gazing at her.
Watching that gray figure standing alone after she left on graduation photo day.
She really wanted to go over and ask if, in the following years, he had a smooth sailing and a good life, as she had casually wished for him.
She really wanted to tell him that many years later, he became a very dazzling person, and there would be many, many more people who would like him. He would no longer be lonely or looked down upon by others.
She really wanted to tell that girl who was walking away, she should look back at that little boy, look at him again.
Without warning, Jiang Chuyi woke up from her dream with a start.
She hugged the quilt blankly, and when she raised her hand to touch her face, she found it wet.
It turned out that she had also shed tears.
*
A day later, Jiang Chuyi called Wang Woyun and asked about the postoperative precautions for retinal detachment, writing them down in a notebook.
After communicating with Zong Ye’s assistant on WeChat about the visiting time, she changed into clean clothes and went to the supermarket to buy some fruit.
When she arrived at the inpatient building, Jiang Chuyi circled around downstairs a few times. She didn’t know if it was because she was nervous or what, but she didn’t dare to go up for a while.
In the end, Jiang Chuyi decided to take the stairs to calm herself down.
When she arrived at the floor, panting, and pushed open the door of the fire escape, she found Wang Tan and Ji Kai sitting on the long bench in the corridor, playing on their phones.
Jiang Chuyi wiped her sweat and walked over quietly to greet them.
Ji Kai looked up and glanced at her, “It’s so hot, isn’t it, Teacher Jiang?”
Jiang Chuyi mumbled in agreement and sat down next to him.
Wang Tan raised his chin, “You can go straight in, he’s lying inside.”
“I’ll sit for a bit.”
“Why?” Wang Tan chuckled.
“I need to mentally prepare myself.” Jiang Chuyi put the fruit down at her feet, “I’m a little afraid to see him lying on the bed looking miserable.”
“He’s not miserable. Teacher Zong is still in good shape. Except for not being able to see, he’s still quite handsome.”
Jiang Chuyi smiled.
“About that…” Wang Tan looked awkward, hesitating to speak, “I apologize for the message I sent you the other day. As a grown man, I shouldn’t have argued with you. I shouldn’t have said too much about you and Zong Ye’s business.”
Jiang Chuyi was puzzled, “That message of yours wasn’t really arguing, wasn’t it just joking around with me?”
Wang Tan grunted, “Anyway, as long as you don’t mind.”
From Wang Tan’s demeanor, Jiang Chuyi guessed that Zong Ye must have said something to him.
Except for Zong Ye, it seemed that everyone around him was very careful about certain things when it came to her, and even when joking, they never made her feel awkward.
Jiang Chuyi thought she was just thick-skinned, so she never experienced the “aloofness” that the outside world said about BloodxGentle. Now that she thought about it, the reason they were so friendly to her was probably largely due to Zong Ye.
Ji Kai came to a belated realization and interjected, “What happened between Teacher Jiang and Zong Ye? Did something happen?”
“Stupid dog, play your game.” Wang Tan glared at him.
Jiang Chuyi: “You guys are all on vacation these two days?”
“Since Zong Ye had surgery, we’re taking a few days off with him. The company hasn’t dared to let the news out yet.”
Jiang Chuyi understood.
She sat for a while longer before standing up, “I’ll go in and see him.”
Wang Tan grunted in response.
Jiang Chuyi gently pushed open the door, and A’Xi, who was sitting by the bed, immediately turned his head.
She quickly put her finger to her lips, shushing him and handing him the fruit, then silently gestured to him.
A’Xi nodded, picked up the bag, and went out, closing the door for them.
The room returned to silence.
The window of the room was open a sliver, with a potted flower in front of it, and the sun cast a faint reflection on the floor through the glass. Zong Ye was half-lying on the bed, his eyes wrapped in a circle of white gauze, breathing so lightly that he seemed to be asleep.
Jiang Chuyi quietly watched him, lost in thought.
She didn’t know how long had passed when Zong Ye moved.
She held her breath.
He raised his hand slightly, “Water.”
Jiang Chuyi leaned forward to listen to him and asked, “Do you want to drink water?”
“Chuyi?”
“It’s me.”
“Can you help me sit up a bit?”
Jiang Chuyi helped him prop the pillow behind his back, then picked up the glass from the bedside table and handed it to him.
After a while, she realized that Zong Ye couldn’t see right now.
Jiang Chuyi brought the rim of the glass to his lips.
Zong Ye cooperated with her movements and slightly raised his head.
She was afraid of choking him, so she only fed him a little each time he swallowed.
When it was about done, Jiang Chuyi was about to withdraw her hand.
Zong Ye grabbed her wrist and asked very calmly, “Can I have a little more?”
She sighed helplessly, not indulging him, “Didn’t the doctor tell you that you can’t drink too much water right after surgery?”
Upon hearing this, Zong Ye slowly let go of her hand.
Jiang Chuyi sat back in her original position, and after putting the glass down, she stared at his wet lips.
Zong Ye’s eyes couldn’t see for the time being, giving her a little advantage.
He could be at ease, and she could look at him so unabashedly without being discovered.
Jiang Chuyi: “Zong Ye, was the surgery painful?”
“It was okay, not too painful.”
“You’re lying to me. My mom said this surgery is very painful and takes over an hour. You can’t have general anesthesia either.”
He was quiet for a moment, “This level of pain is nothing to me.”
Jiang Chuyi finally asked, “Have you not been doing well these past few years?”
“What’s the matter?” Zong Ye laughed.
“I heard a bit about the past from your uncle.”
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t say much, just some things about our middle school days.” Jiang Chuyi’s voice became guilty, rambling on, “I should have been more attentive back then. You even said you owed me a thank you, but I didn’t really help you much. Later…”
“Chuyi.” He calmly interrupted her.
Jiang Chuyi: “Hmm?”
“You’re giving me the wrong idea.”
“What wrong idea?”
“That you’ve fallen for me.”
Jiang Chuyi’s mind buzzed.
“Because you like me, that’s why you pity me, right?” Zong Ye smiled, “Or perhaps, because you pity me, that’s why you like me.”
“You’ve misunderstood. I don’t pity you.” Jiang Chuyi thought she had inadvertently hurt his pride and immediately said, “Don’t worry, I won’t confuse these things. Besides, you’re now—”
“But I don’t mind if you pity me.”
This sentence successfully silenced all of Jiang Chuyi’s words.
Zong Ye said softly, “I don’t mind anything. If I knew you would feel sad about my past, I wish I could have been even more miserable.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Even though Zong Ye’s eyes couldn’t see anything, Jiang Chuyi had the illusion that they were gazing at each other from afar through the layer of gauze.
“You really don’t have to be so…”
Jiang Chuyi wanted to say “self-abasing,” but when the words reached her lips, she felt that this term really didn’t match Zong Ye.
She thought for a moment and said, “Zong Ye, you don’t have to be so careful with me. Many years have passed, and we’re both different from before. You’re a very outstanding person now.”
“Are we really different now?” Zong Ye laughed, “Chuyi, but I feel you’re still far away from me.”
“Many years have passed, and my life has indeed gone through many changes.” His tone was calm, his lips pale, “But I still can’t get any closer to you.”
“Maybe there are some changes. In the past, I only dared to look at you, but now I dare to say a few more words to you. Does that count as a bit of progress?”
Jiang Chuyi felt extremely upset by his self-deprecating words, “Zong Ye, don’t say that about yourself.”
“I also wanted to hold on until the day you fell in love with me, but I found that I overestimated myself. I could even break down just from a few words from you.” Zong Ye laughed to himself.
Jiang Chuyi had a strong ability to empathize and inexplicably felt heartache for him. She felt like she had become a heartless woman with a history of romantic debts. It seemed that if she didn’t tell Zong Ye that she liked him, she would be the most ruthless person in the world.
“Zong Ye, you’ve worked so hard to get to where you are today. If you date me, you’ll lose a lot.” Jiang Chuyi sighed, “Besides, our scandal has been hyped up too much. If it really becomes true, you’ll be cursed terribly.”
If it really… becomes true.
Her words and attitude finally showed a hint of yielding.
Zong Ye’s mind went blank for a moment, and he found it difficult to control his expression.
He was afraid she would notice something unusual, so he could only adjust his sitting posture and lower his head slightly. In a place where she couldn’t see, he tightly grasped the blanket to make his voice sound as calm as possible.
“Chuyi, you don’t have to worry about that. The doctor said my eyes need to rest for at least three months. I have currently suspended all work. When the contract expires, there will be a fifth-anniversary tour. After everything is over, I may retreat behind the scenes or change careers, but I won’t be an idol anymore. The many things you mentioned, I can give them all up.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Not hearing her voice, Zong Ye’s body was forced to sweat a lot.
When it came down to it, Zong Ye actually felt a bit of panic. He vaguely sensed her faint affection for him and suspected that this was another joke she was playing.
Zong Ye tried his best to not appear too eager and asked her very calmly, “Chuyi, if you don’t mind, can you try liking me?”
“Zong Ye, let me think about it carefully.”
Jiang Chuyi simply had no resistance to his directness and finally couldn’t bear to refuse him again, “We both need to think carefully. I don’t know what kind of mindset you have towards me. Maybe when you were very young, you admired me as an idol, but you actually don’t need to look up to me anymore. You have to be clear about that. I don’t want you to regret it later.”
The nurse knocked on the door.
She quickly added, “Of course, I also need to consider it. But don’t worry, I will give you an answer as soon as I’ve thought it through. I won’t keep you waiting.”
Without waiting for his response, Jiang Chuyi hurriedly said, “Visiting hour is almost over. I have to go.”
“Will you come to see me again?”
Jiang Chuyi got up and agreed in a fluster, “Yes, yes.”
When the ward was quiet again, Zong Ye sat alone.
After a long time, he smiled slightly.
*
The news of Zong Ye’s eye injury was kept under wraps. BloodXGentle’s official Weibo released a vague announcement saying that Zong Ye needed to recuperate for some time.
The outside world started speculating and spreading rumors. Fans chased after IM and scolded them for several days. Later, informed big fans stepped forward to control the narrative, posting that they were waiting for Zong Ye’s return. Antis and rivals watched the drama and deliberately provoked the fans, spreading rumors that Zong Ye had secretly married and had a child.
For a while, it was chaotic.
Because Zong Ye couldn’t participate in the subsequent filming of “Shining Stars,” the matter of hyping up his CP with Jiang Chuyi had to be shelved.
Ever since that day when Zong Ye confronted Jiang Chuyi in the hospital room, Zong Ye initially called her every two or three days, and later, he would call her almost every day. At first, Jiang Chuyi had a hard time adapting. Occasionally, she would suddenly receive his call while working on set and always feared that people around her would find out. But when she thought about how Zong Ye’s eyes were injured and he couldn’t see, Jiang Chuyi could only indulge him.
Sometimes when she was too tired from filming, Zong Ye’s voice would come through the airwaves, sounding hypnotic and gentle, and she would fall into a deep sleep after exchanging a few words with him. It wasn’t until she woke up the next day that she discovered they had been on the phone all night.
On the day when filming wrapped in Xishuangbanna, the first episode of “Shining Stars” aired. As soon as Jiang Chuyi’s plane landed in Shanghai, A’Xi sent her a WeChat message.
“Teacher Jiang, I’m in the parking lot.”
Jiang Chuyi: “I was planning to go home and change clothes. Does Zong Ye have something urgent? What’s the rush?”
A’Xi: “It’s nothing. I’ll take you home to change.”
After she went home and got ready, A’Xi took Jiang Chuyi to Zong Ye’s house to “visit the patient.”
When they were approaching their destination, Jiang Chuyi realized something was off, “Where is this?”
A’Xi explained to her, “This is Teacher Zong’s own house. He originally lived with his uncle in an old neighborhood. Later, many sasaeng fans found out and would climb over the walls to get in. In recent years, Teacher Zong basically returns to his own home to live. Plus, he’s not very mobile now, so going up and down stairs there isn’t safe.”
“Oh, oh.”
Zong Ye’s house was located in an area not too different from Xin He’s. The neighborhood roads were winding, and this whole area consisted of extremely high-end residential districts with strict security.
Jiang Chuyi followed behind A’Xi and took the elevator upstairs.
A’Xi opened the door with the passcode, and Jiang Chuyi paused.
Perhaps because she had gotten used to hearing Zong Ye’s voice from talking on the phone with him so much recently, now that she was suddenly about to see him in person, Jiang Chuyi inexplicably felt a sense of this not being reality.
She tidied her hair before following A’Xi inside.
Hearing the movement at the door, the person sitting on the sofa turned his head.
Zong Ye’s eyes were still wrapped in gauze. He stood up and fumbled a few steps forward.
Jiang Chuyi immediately stopped him, “Don’t move. Be careful not to trip.”
She changed her shoes and went over, glancing at the decor of his home, and said, “How’s your recovery going?”
Zong Ye showed a hint of a smile, “Not bad.”
“Next time, don’t tell A’X toi come pick me up. He’s your assistant, and many people know that. Don’t let the paparazzi photograph us.”
Zong Ye pondered for a moment, “If you keep your word, I won’t let him pick you up anymore.”
Taking advantage of the fact that he was currently “blind,” Jiang Chuyi boldly stared at his handsome face, “When have I not kept my word?”
He said slowly, “You said you would come to see me, but I didn’t see you even after I was discharged from the hospital.”
“Well…” She was indeed in the wrong on this matter and could only mutter, “That’s because work was a bit busy. You can rest, but I can’t.”
Zong Ye was wearing soft pajamas with a very low neckline. As Jiang Chuyi spoke, she couldn’t help but take another glance at the beauty mark on his neck.
Today, the first episode of “Shining Stars” premiered on Star City Satellite TV. At eight o’clock in the evening, Jiang Chuyi and Zong Ye sat side by side on the sofa, waiting for the show to begin.
Jiang Chuyi: “Won’t you get bored just listening to the sound?”
“No.”
Jiang Chuyi looked around, “Where’s A’Xi? Isn’t he going to watch?”
“He might have gone out for something.”
Jiang Chuyi responded with an “oh.”
The show quickly began. When it was her turn to appear, Jiang Chuyi was watching attentively when she suddenly felt someone touch her fingers.
She shrunk back and turned her head, “What’s the matter?”
Zong Ye was still fumbling around, looking a bit helpless, “The volume is very low. I’m looking for the remote control.”
Jiang Chuyi put the black remote control in his hand, “You adjust it. Let me know if you need anything else.”
The sample clip that Gao Ning had sent her last time didn’t have subtitles or flashy special effects. But in order to create a comedic effect, the final version included the segment where Feng Jia and Jiang Chuyi were tasked with “waking up Zong Ye.” Feng Jia was the PD and had a voiceover, so the entire scene only featured Jiang Chuyi.
Her shocked expression was replayed three times, and the post-production team even added a few exclamation marks above her head, accompanied by small special effects of lightning and thunder.
Jiang Chuyi had a complex expression and endured it.
Then she brought out a gong to wake up Zong Ye and saw that he wasn’t wearing any clothes. Jiang Chuyi panicked and turned around, using the gong to block the camera, saying, “This can’t be filmed!”
The BGM suddenly played “The Light That Protects Me.”
At this moment, Zong Ye turned up the volume a little more.
