The Fortieth Star
Jiang Chuyi anxiously tried to grab the remote control from his hand.
Noticing her movement, Zong Ye raised his hand slightly.
He didn’t say anything and just smiled.
That smile made Jiang Chuyi feel uneasy. She reached for his hand. In the middle of summer, she was wearing short sleeves, and the skin on her arms brushed against Zong Ye’s arm. His movement visibly slowed down.
The two suddenly stopped.
The atmosphere suddenly became very strange. Jiang Chuyi caught a whiff of the unique bitter orange scent on his body. She abruptly sat up straight, unilaterally ending the battle for the remote control.
Fortunately, this segment on the TV quickly passed.
After a moment of silence, Zong Ye asked, “Are you angry?”
“No.” Jiang Chuyi pursed her lips, “I don’t want to bully a blind person.”
“Bully a blind person…?” Zong Ye paused for a moment, the corners of his lips slightly curling up, “The way you’re talking now, it sounds a bit harsh. Is it because you’re taking advantage of the fact that I like you?”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She tried to distract herself with the images shown on the TV and muttered under her breath, “No, I’m not.”
Jiang Chuyi continued to watch the variety show with an uneasy mind.
Whenever there was a shot of Zong Ye and herself, the screen would be filled with many pink bubbles. Even in the part where they were selecting people on the terrace, the camera deliberately lingered for several seconds, with several angles simultaneously capturing close-ups of Zong Ye’s face, clearly capturing his subtle expressions.
When he took the first step and walked straight towards Jiang Chuyi, the camera showed the meaningful smiles on the faces of the guests behind him.
Jiang Chuyi already had a premonition that tonight, right after this show aired, Weibo would definitely experience a crazy war of curses like a violent storm.
…
…
As she had guessed, the long-hyped “Shining Stars” finally chose an auspicious day to grandly premiere. Hashtags like #ZongYeBuysWater#, #ZongYeConfesses#, #ZongYeJiangChuyi#, and #YiJianZongQing# once again dominated the hot search rankings.
Recently, there had been frequent bad news, and Zong Ye had also suspended his activities and disappeared. With the production team’s “bold and daring” editing, the fans finally began to go crazy indiscriminately.
[Is Jiang Chuyi the new princess of KaiJun??? I can’t understand why IM would let their top artist be thrown at by this kind of unknown actress?! What a joke.]
[Is she a beggar, a beggar right [cry], relying on this kind of low-level editing to desperately leech off your daddy’s popularity, are they afraid no one will watch the show?]
[It’s the entertainment industry’s blessing to have Zong Ye… His on-camera state is amazing, outshining the other three backup dancers of BloodxGentle…]
[IM is dead, “Shining Stars” is dead, Ms. Jiang is dead, the editing team is definitely dead.]
[Li Jian and Li Heyin, these two siblings should both be thrown in jail. It’s already like this, and they don’t know to spend money to remove the hot searches? Has all the money been swallowed up? Don’t know to reverse black material for Zong Ye?!!]
[I have already vowed in front of Buddha to never thirst for RPS again, but this Zong Ye CP… Sometimes people are despicable. A dog can’t change its habit of shipping top-tier stars. I hope it’s not a new type of scam [pain]]
[Zong Ye is currently in seclusion and reflection. Irrelevant personnel, please don’t continuously make him appear [offering flowers]]
[The forever strong-willed Zong fans [lighting candles]]
[Forget it, the three classic Zong Ye solo fan behaviors are [laughing and crying]. Their own brother is pure and clean. Ask and they’ll say other actresses are shamelessly throwing themselves at him. Ask and they’ll say the rival fans are going crazy again. Ask and they’ll say IM is a useless company. Even if the sky falls, they have their mouths to hold it up.]
[Have a feeling that YiJianZongQing will become this year’s top CP…]
[The person above. Zong Ye is a solo beauty, top star for three years, the ceiling of the entertainment industry, smoking destroys lungs, do you understand?]
[It’s human nature to ship, but Zong fans have begun patrolling the square and cyberbullying ordinary people. Everyone, run!]
[Jealous of who? Any slight movement from Zong Ye directly dominates the hot search rankings. A certain family’s eyes must be so red they’re about to drip blood, hehe~]
[Happyhappyhappyhappyhappy Zong Ye [heart] Jiang Chuyi happyhappyhappyhappyhappyhappy]
[The solo fans who have been stabbed in the heart are going crazy online. I won’t say which family.]
The YiJianZongQing supertopic, which had reserved the title of top CP of the year in advance, didn’t perish in endurance but chose to erupt in endurance. After secretly shipping for half a year, they finally took advantage of the airing of “Shining Stars” to openly push their ranking to No. 1.
[Good, good, good. Give me a fierce romance! Dance fiercely!]
[Zong Ye, you care so much, ohhh. Throughout the whole time, he transformed into Zong Stare Stare, worried about her being hot one moment and cold the next, giving off the vibe of a doting wife…]
[Falling in love with a sweet girl is Zong Ye’s destiny.]
[Even if Zong Ye himself came, he would be sweetened to the point of not being able to sleep by this supertopic.]
[Our supertopic is simply heaven. Outside, the solo fans are blind. The one throwing themselves at the other is clearly Zong Ye… Anyone who has seen the sugar between Zong Ye and other actresses understands. Either it’s forcibly squeezing into the same frame or it’s the industrial saccharin imagined by CP fans. Zong Ye’s face practically has “I don’t know this big sister” written on it. Comparing Zong Ye’s interactions with others to Chuyi, it’s too obvious. He has never fawned over anyone like this…]
[I’m a drug chicken, I’m a drug chicken. Scold me, don’t scold the little couple. Pray that the heavens spare this pair of lovers.]
[In the part where Jiang Chuyi is the team leader, Zong Ye seems to really enjoy being tamed by Jiang Chuyi and turned into a doting husband and lap dog… The doting husband is here… The doting husband is really here…]
[In the wake-up call scene, Zong Ye said, “Last night, you told me to be careful when sleeping.” This scheming man had probably already guessed and deliberately didn’t wear clothes, planning to seduce his wife. As a result, Chuyi didn’t even glance at him twice. He must have been so disappointed. To be honest, it’s really funny.]
[On stage, he’s arrogant and domineering, a top star basking in endless glory in the entertainment industry. In private, Zong Ye just wants to be a doting husband and big puppy. It really pokes my weak spot TAT]
[It’s okay if you can’t ship a rare gem like YiJianZongQing. After all, there are differences between people. I wish you all the best in the future, you tasteless blind thing.]
[With the leads giving sugar like this, I can no longer be a humble CP fan. I have already taken up arms and am ready to fight with the Zong fans. YiJianZongQing must dominate the entire entertainment industry–]
*
When the show was halfway through, Jiang Chuyi’s gaze had already shifted away from the TV screen.
She slightly turned her head, her eyes silently lingering on Zong Ye.
There was still a distance of one meter between them.
He had his elbow propped on his knee, his chin resting on one hand, a smile on his face. With his arm bent, there were faint, smooth lines of muscle.
She knew it wasn’t good to spy on others, but Zong Ye’s body, including that beauty mark, his lips, nose, Adam’s apple, and those hands, seemed to have an inexplicable attraction to her, making it impossible to look away.
Jiang Chuyi cursed herself while continuing to secretly watch.
Halfway through the show, there was a commercial break. He suddenly turned his head.
Jiang Chuyi subconsciously shuddered.
Zong Ye heard the movement and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
He can’t see, he can’t see…
After silently repeating this twice in her heart, Jiang Chuyi calmly replied, “Nothing, just a little cold.”
“Cold? Maybe the AC temperature is set too low.” Zong Ye stood up and reached out his hand towards her, tilting his head, “Can you help me to the bedroom, the one at the very back? I’ll get you a blanket.”
“Oh, okay.”
She took Zong Ye’s hand and slowly led him forward, their fingers naturally intertwining. His hand was also cold, and his fingers lightly moved, brushing against the back of her hand.
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t help but shiver, getting a bit of goosebumps. Every time she had physical contact with him, a strange, unfamiliar tingling sensation would arise.
She cleared her throat and asked, “It’s been over half a month since your surgery, right? Can you still not see anything with your eyes?”
Zong Ye made an affirmative sound.
Jiang Chuyi paid attention to the obstacles underfoot and led him to the bedroom door.
The moment he touched the handle, Zong Ye paused and asked her, “Can you wait for me outside for a bit? The room might be a little messy.”
“Okay, be careful by yourself then.”
Jiang Chuyi stood at the door and listened for a while, making sure there were no sounds of Zong Ye bumping against anything coming from inside, then leaned against the hallway and waited with peace of mind.
A few minutes later, Zong Ye came out.
Seeing the blanket in his hand, Jiang Chuyi couldn’t help but ask, “I remember this blanket was at your uncle’s house, wasn’t it? You brought it over?”
Zong Ye explained, “It’s quite comfortable to hug while sleeping, so I always bring it with me.”
“…”
Jiang Chuyi didn’t speak for a few seconds, inappropriately associating it with strange things.
After this interlude, back in the living room, neither of them seemed to be in the mood to continue watching the show.
Zong Ye raised his hand, his fingers moving slightly, untying the gauze covering his eyes.
She was startled, “What are you doing?”
Zong Ye blinked, “Getting ready to put in eye drops.”
Jiang Chuyi leaned in, curiously observing his eyes. They didn’t seem to be much different from before, not at all the horrifying appearance she had imagined.
She asked again, “Can you really not see?”
“For now, yes.”
Zong Ye’s eyes were indeed looking straight ahead, just like a blind person on TV, with no light in his eyes.
Jiang Chuyi put her mind at ease and asked, “Do you need me to help you put them in?”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
One standing and one sitting, Zong Ye slightly spread his legs and obediently raised his head.
Jiang Chuyi held her breath and accurately dropped the eye drops into one eye.
As if it was a reflexive response, Zong Ye’s brow furrowed slightly, and he moved.
Jiang Chuyi immediately held his chin, “Don’t move, there’s still one eye left.”
Zong Ye stiffened.
After the task was successfully completed, Jiang Chuyi let out a sigh of relief, screwed the bottle cap back on, stepped back a few paces, and said to him, “Alright, you can move now.”
Zong Ye’s eyes were slightly closed as he bent over, resting for a while, fumbling for the blanket and miserably covering his legs. His bangs fell down, covering his brows and eyes.
She asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“I’m sorry, Chuyi.” Zong Ye sighed, “I had a reaction.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
How could he apologize on one hand and say such, such things in a self-deprecating tone on the other?
Jiang Chuyi wasn’t an innocent pure girl unfamiliar with worldly affairs. She could understand that Zong Ye liked her, but… but heaven be her witness, she was just innocently helping him put in eye drops with no ulterior motives… It only took a few minutes, and his reaction was so shockingly intense…
Jiang Chuyi was at a loss, not knowing whether she needed to give him some privacy.
While feeling baffled, she gradually realized that the person in front of her seemed to really, really like her…
Jiang Chuyi hesitated several times, “Zong Ye.”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
She asked softly, “Besides me, have you ever liked anyone else?”
Zong Ye seemed surprised that she would take the initiative to bring up this kind of topic. He was stunned for a moment before replying briefly, “No.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
He thought for a bit, “Chuyi, do you think what I just said to you was too frivolous?”
“It’s okay. At least your apology seemed quite sincere.” Jiang Chuyi’s tone was helpless, “Although the sentence after that was a bit unexpected, it’s good that you were direct. Otherwise, I would still be foolishly unaware of anything.”
Zong Ye seriously confirmed with her again, “Do you feel averse to it?”
“No, not really.” Jiang Chuyi answered briefly.
She didn’t know how they could discuss this kind of topic so seriously and could only continue communicating with him while putting on a brave face, “I just feel a bit surprised.”
Zong Ye: “I think it’s quite good that I can’t see right now. Does it give you a sense of security? Making you a bit bolder when communicating with me?”
Jiang Chuyi’s face turned red from his words, but she tried to remain calm, “A little bit.”
Zong Ye seemed to be in a good mood and continued to guide her, “If it were Zhao Guangyu, Ji Kai, or Wang Tan saying these things to you, would you think they were perverts?”
“How could I possibly discuss these things with them!” Jiang Chuyi said anxiously.
“So I’m different from them, right?”
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t continue.
She helplessly covered her face, feeling like her defenses were being broken down one by one by Zong Ye’s questions.
“You also like me a little, don’t you?”
This time, Zong Ye didn’t use a questioning tone.
Jiang Chuyi felt like a traveler who had been hungry and thirsty for a long time in the desert, with a poisoned apple glaringly placed in front of her mouth.
She knew she shouldn’t touch it, she knew she shouldn’t touch it.
But the voice in her heart kept shouting at her to surrender to Zong Ye.
Zong Ye: “Chuyi, I want to confirm some things with you.”
“Confirm what?”
After a moment of silence, Zong Ye asked, “Do you have your phone with you?”
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t think of much else right now and could only follow his instructions. She obediently picked up her phone and asked in confusion, “Yes, what’s the matter?”
“Log in to your Weibo.”
She did as he said, “Then what?”
“Open my private messages.”
Jiang Chuyi found Zong Ye in her following list.
She had a vague premonition and placed her thumb on the “private message” icon but didn’t move for a long time.
Zong Ye didn’t speak again and quietly waited for her.
After learning that Zong Ye was her middle school classmate, Jiang Chuyi had a guess in her mind, which she always thought was absurd. But these days, more and more clues seemed to point to this guess, and now was the time to verify it.
Jiang Chuyi opened his private messages.
Despite being mentally prepared, the sight of a large number of messages stunned her.
Jiang Chuyi mechanically scrolled up to the very top, to the first message.
2016-11-20 11:11
Zong Ye: [Hello, Chuyi. I’m Li Xiangyuan, your middle school classmate. You may not remember me anymore. I changed back to my original name, Zong Ye. I’ll be debuting next year. Happy birthday and best wishes.]
2017-1-1 11:11
Zong Ye: [Chuyi, I debuted today. Best wishes for the new year.]
2017-11-20 11:11
Zong Ye: [Hello, Chuyi. Happy birthday and best wishes.]
2018-11-20 11:11
Zong Ye: [Chuyi, happy birthday and best wishes. We met a few days ago. I stood quietly and didn’t dare to say a word to you. I feel a bit regretful.]
2019-1-1 0:00
Zong Ye: [Chuyi, happy new year. You shared a song called “Creep” on Weibo. In the comment section of this song, I found a sentence from Salinger’s “The Heart of a Broken Story”: “There are some people who think love is sex and marriage and six o’clock-kisses and children, and perhaps it is, Miss Lester. But do you know what I think? I think love is a touch and yet not a touch.”]
Zong Ye: [Chuyi, do you already have someone you like? Best wishes for the new year.]
2019-11-20 11:11
Zong Ye: [Suddenly received your auto-reply. Chuyi, happy birthday. Wishing you a joyful day.]
Jiang Chuyi opened her backend to check the auto-reply she had set at that time – [Hi, this is little Jiang. If you like me, please bravely tell me!]
2019-11-20 19:44
Zong Ye: [Perhaps one day I will be brave. I will ask you, Chuyi, can you come to me, or reject me.]
Zong Ye: [But I’m a creep.]
…
…
The messages ended there. Jiang Chuyi anxiously gripped her phone.
He sent her many private messages, not a single one crossed the line, not a single one said “I like you,” yet Jiang Chuyi couldn’t make a sound.
She remained motionless, maintaining her silence.
Zong Ye quietly waited for her.
After a while, he slightly tilted his head, “Are you done reading?”
She replied hoarsely, “I’m done.”
“Then, can you give me an answer?” In the silence, Zong Ye asked softly.
Knowing she shouldn’t touch it… Knowing she shouldn’t touch it…
Jiang Chuyi felt something churning in her stomach. She lowered her head in discomfort, her strength drained, her arms weak and limp, and placed her hand on the keyboard.
“Zong Ye.” After typing, Jiang Chuyi suddenly called his name.
“Hmm?”
Her palms were sweating as she asked an inexplicable question, “When will your eyes be able to see again?”
“Possibly, after a few months?”
“The answer you want to know, I’ve already sent it to you in a private message.” Jiang Chuyi let out a breath and put down her phone, “You focus on recovering first. When your eyes are better, you’ll be able to see it.”
As soon as she finished speaking, out of the blue, Zong Ye leaned forward and precisely picked up the black phone on the coffee table.
She looked at him in a daze.
Zong Ye operated the phone with one hand, opening his Weibo, and skillfully clicked on the private message list.
Eighty beats too late, Jiang Chuyi suddenly came to her senses and called out to him, “Zong Ye, I thought you still couldn’t see?!”
“Right now, it’s still a bit blurry.” Zong Ye methodically felt around the corner of the sofa and found his glasses, put them on, and mumbled, “If I try hard, I can barely make things out.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
If there were game show graphics, ten thousand question marks should be floating above her forehead at this moment.
Zong Ye looked at it for a long time without saying a word. Finally, he held his phone out to her, “I, like, you.”
His eyes seemed to have regained their usual brightness as he read out the words one by one, then asked, “Are these the words you sent?”
Jiang Chuyi was stunned by his sudden “shameless behavior” and fell into a daze, muttering and repeating, “I thought you still couldn’t see…?”
“I’m sorry, Chuyi.” Zong Ye paused, pursed his lips, and smiled subtly, “I can see now.”
Such a fox Zong Ye 😭