When the Stars Tremble

The Fifty-Second Star

A top-tier celebrity, at the peak of their career, officially announced their retirement from the entertainment industry with a statement that left no room for reconsideration.

On this ordinary day, the Chinese entertainment industry was hit with unprecedented, earth-shattering news – comparable to a nuclear explosion. The online public opinion, which had barely maintained a semblance of calm for a few days, finally erupted completely after this announcement came out. All forums were bombarded with news of Zong Ye’s retirement, media coverage was overwhelming, and the shock waves crossed all circles indiscriminately.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

A top celebrity announcing their relationship while resolutely declaring retirement from the industry – this was beyond mere descriptions of an earthquake or a collapsing house. It was equivalent to unleashing a tsunami in the entertainment circle, with giant waves directly toppling half the sky. Word spread like wildfire, everyone was discussing it, and Weibo even crashed for half an hour, with programmers working overtime to expand server capacity.

When all fans saw this news, their first reaction was denial, believing it must be a joke.

It’s absolutely impossible.

Zong Ye couldn’t possibly retire.

Even the fans of rival celebrities, who used to engage in fierce arguments, fell silent.

Fans desperately flooded the IM official Weibo, the studio, fan clubs, and even the Weibo accounts of the other three members of BloodXGentle, repeatedly questioning and seeking confirmation. Yet, they still couldn’t get any subsequent clarification…

All signs indicated that this was the truth, the final verdict.

— Zong Ye announced his retirement at the peak of his career, his dazzling star path coming to an abrupt end at this moment.

All dedicated fans fell into a state of great bewilderment, unable to accept this fact.

[“Crying to the point of breakdown, my whole body is shaking. Zong Ye, I don’t understand, I still don’t want to believe it. How can you be so heartless… Not leaving us with even a glimmer of hope. For Jiang Chuyi, is it really worth it?”]

[“Is today April Fool’s Day? You’re joking with us, right? Zong Ye, do you know? We were all mentally prepared for you to go public with your relationship. After all, how could fans who love you so much not notice that something was off? But what does it matter? We know you’re human too, and you’ll have someone you like. So it doesn’t matter, you love her, and it’s not that we can’t give our blessings. But why did you have to go this far?”]

[“CP fan circle: Loving you was no regret, it’s the crime I committed with true feelings”]

[“I used to think that if you started dating, I would stop being a fan. Now I realize how naive I was. Call me weak-willed if you want, I’m begging you, please don’t go, okay?”]

[“To those who said an idol is disqualified once they start dating, are you happy now? Satisfied? Zong Ye has retired, as you wished. Haha.”]

[“The five years we loved you are all summed up in your brief ‘Thank you all for your kindness.’ I want to ask you with Eason’s lyrics: We used to drink knee to knee, talking all night wasn’t enough, I had a great time, did you?”]

[“Although I never truly had you, why do I feel so sad at this moment? It’s as if I’ve really lost you.”]

…

…

CP fans never imagined Zong Ye would officially announce his relationship in this way.

They never expected the iconic scene to become reality – “Zong Ye OUT”, he really willingly stepped out for her.

[“‘Retiring from singing, only singing for you’, so you were serious, Zong Ye… You were actually serious…”]

[“How did it come to this? Even CP fans can’t accept this level… Tears suddenly became uncontrollable, wuwuwu, Zong Ye, how could you retire without consulting me first… It’s too sudden, Zong Ye, can you come back… Please don’t go…”]

[“I’m going crazy, I’m really going crazy, who understands how I’m both ecstatic and crying hysterically??”]

[“Can I say it now? ‘Yi Jian Zong Qing’ is the grandest CP I’ve ever shipped, to the extent that I’ll never get out of this pit in this lifetime… Without a doubt, Zong Ye is an unprecedented and unparalleled love-crazed fool, retiring for love. Others really can’t compare. It’s really regrettable, so regrettable.”]

[“I knew he loved deeply, but I never imagined it was to this extent… An unparalleled extent… Zong Ye, if you announce it like this, I might never get over it…”]

Zong Ye’s retirement announcement contained an overwhelming amount of information: “Met in youth, known each other for over ten years.”, “A rainy day ten years ago”, “From beginning to end, it has always been what I sought and desired.”

While shocked, curious netizens immediately went to dig up his previous hints, and as they dug, they realized that everything had been traceable all along.

In several songs where Zong Ye wrote the lyrics, imagery words like “stars” and “rain” appeared very frequently. Including “When the Stars Tremble”, which he personally wrote the lyrics for. Looking back at the lyrics now, they suddenly matched up.

“There’s a beam of light, crossing through all my dreams.”

“You are the star I see when I look up, the cloud I can never touch.”

“But you appear, then disappear.”

“I’m willing to be quicksand, wishing to have another beautiful dream.”

[“The light that crossed through all dreams is Jiang Chuyi, right? She’s the star he sees when he looks up, and also the cloud he can never touch… Oh my god… Jiang Chuyi was a child star, so Zong Ye met an unforgettable person in his youth, and then refused to give up, entering the industry for her?? The more you think about it, the more terrifying it becomes…”]

[“But you appear then disappear, I’m willing to be quicksand… Such a humble and pitiful unrequited love… Is this really something that happened to Zong Ye?”]

“Heaven once showed mercy for a minute, clouds turned into falling rain.”

“You turned into a melting star.”

“I know, in that one minute, I was saved by you.”

[“Clouds turned into falling rain, you turned into a melting star… Is this the rain that trapped Zong Ye?”]

[“His star has finally melted, congratulations to Zong Ye for his dream coming true.”]

[“Don’t kill me with a love knife…”]

[“It’s strange, I’ve never liked Zong Ye, I even hated him, and had been in arguments with his fans for so long. But at this moment, I actually empathize… I’m in pain”]

Netizens originally started digging into Zong Ye’s past events out of curiosity, but as they pieced together the outline of this story, they couldn’t help but sigh.

A thousand emotions, a thousand sighs, all boiled down to one phrase.

At the time, we thought it was just ordinary.

*

Jiang Chuyi sat on the hotel bed, her mind went blank when she saw the news of Zong Ye’s retirement.

Even though her new phone number hadn’t been leaked, it was almost ringing off the hook. Her WeChat kept buzzing with messages from many people.

Jiang Chuyi sat dazed on the bed for half an hour before suddenly coming to her senses.

Little Zhong, who had been accompanying her, saw her suddenly get up and hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong, sis?”

Jiang Chuyi clutched her phone tightly: “I need to find Zong Ye.”

Little Zhong: “Now?”

Jiang Chuyi: “Now.”

Suzhou is 100 kilometers away from Shanghai, a one-and-a-half-hour drive.

During this one-and-a-half-hour journey, Jiang Chuyi thought about many things. She recalled her reunion with Zong Ye, in that dim stairwell, where he leaned against the wall, cupping his hands to light a cigarette, carelessly meeting her gaze. Then later, she gradually discovered that he was actually a very excellent, very dazzling man, seemingly born for the stage and the limelight.

She recalled every word Zong Ye had said, repeatedly reading his retirement statement, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

How could there be such a foolish person, simply a big idiot.

As the car exited the highway and drove on the elevated bridge, Jiang Chuyi sent a message to Zong Ye.

Jiang Chuyi: “Where are you now”

Zong Ye: “Having dinner with friends [Picture]”

Jiang Chuyi: “I want to see you now”

Zong Ye: “I was planning to come find you today, but I couldn’t cancel this dinner at the last minute. Can you wait a bit? I’ll head to Suzhou as soon as we’re done eating.”

Jiang Chuyi: “I’m already in Shanghai. Send me the address, I’ll come to you.”

…

…

The car arrived at the location Zong Ye provided and parked. Little Zhong and the driver immediately got out.

Jiang Chuyi hugged her knees, quietly curled up in the back seat by the window, staring outside absent-mindedly.

Night had fallen on this busy, cold city. People on the sidewalks hurried by, and the distant CBD skyscrapers were still brightly lit, as if everything was the same as usual.

After a few minutes, the door on the right side was pulled open. Hearing the sound, she turned to look.

He was as low-key as ever, wearing a black T-shirt and pants, white sneakers, with no unnecessary accessories. Even in the height of summer, he gave off a clean and neat impression.

Jiang Chuyi was still in a daze.

Zong Ye bent down to sit in, closing the door. Noticing her reddened eyes, he softened his voice, “Have you been crying?”

Jiang Chuyi said nothing, just staring at him directly.

On the way here, she had read Zong Ye’s last Weibo post countless times. The more she read, the more fearful she became, as if he was about to disappear from her familiar life, and like many others, she would never see him again in this lifetime.

Jiang Chuyi asked hoarsely, “Zong Ye, why are you retiring from the industry?”

“I’ve been planning this for a while,” Zong Ye explained gently.

“But I don’t want you to give up all these things that belong to you for me…” She stumbled over her words, unable to continue, choking up.

Having witnessed firsthand how much he was loved by so many people, how dazzling he was, Jiang Chuyi felt even more regretful. Someone as good as Zong Ye deserved everything, deserved to be liked by many, many people.

Seeing her series of expressions, Zong Ye pondered for a few seconds before speaking, “Chuyi, my retirement doesn’t mean I’m giving up anything. It’s just a choice. Just like when I chose to become a celebrity, it was only because I didn’t know how else to get close to you.”

“This life of being adored by people isn’t what I want. I don’t want to put too much pressure on you, but Chuyi, that day when I saw IM’s recruitment ad on the street, all I could think was that maybe one day, I could stand by your side openly. So I chose this path.”

Jiang Chuyi lowered her gaze.

A few minutes later, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.

Zong Ye raised his hand, stroking her smooth black hair.

After a long silence, she said softly, “Zong Ye, although I don’t earn as much as you, I’ll work hard in the future.”

“Work hard for what?”

“To support you.”

Zong Ye chuckled, “I can cook, do housework, and earn money. You don’t need to support me.”

She persisted, “No, I want to support you.”

Their foreheads touched, and Zong Ye looked at her with half-lidded eyes, patiently saying, “Chuyi, even if we weren’t together, I would have moved behind the scenes in the future. You don’t need to be sad about this. It’s just that now I want a more stable life, so I’ve slightly brought this plan forward.”

His eyes were bright, pure and beautiful, causing the unease lingering in Jiang Chuyi’s heart to transform into a strong impulse.

Without any hesitation, she took the initiative to kiss his warm lips, silencing all of Zong Ye’s remaining words.

Zong Ye was stunned for two seconds, then tilted his head, gripping the back of her head and leaning in to press against her.

The two clung to each other inseparably in the cramped back seat, the air continuously heating up. Jiang Chuyi was pressed into the corner, her waist trembling, only able to grasp Zong Ye’s shoulders.

Without any restraint, Zong Ye’s kiss was forceful, almost as out of control as that night in the hotel.

But Jiang Chuyi didn’t want to call for a stop at all.

Her chest heaved, and she began to get a bit addicted to this feeling of becoming one.

Being kissed by Zong Ye with such frenzied intensity, all the air was stolen away. She lost all strength, her head spinning, her vision blurring. Firmly controlled by him, it felt like the whole world was left with only him.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Dominated by desire, Jiang Chuyi even felt a bit lonely. No matter how tightly they pressed together, there always seemed to be a tiny gap between them. Even though she was almost out of breath, she still longed to be held tighter by him.

…

…

In the private room, smoke curled in the air. Jin Lianbei had downed several glasses of alcohol, but still hadn’t seen Zong Ye.

With business discussions half-finished and the person suddenly disappearing, Jin Lianbei was puzzled: “Where did Zong Ye go? It’s been half an hour, and he’s still not back.”

Everyone at the table looked at each other, “When did Zong Ye leave?”

Jin Lianbei directed someone: “Hey, go check the bathroom, see if he drank too much and went to throw up.”

Wang Tan lazily stopped him: “It’s fine, his girlfriend came, he probably won’t be back for a while. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Xin He, who had been sitting on Fu Cheng’s lap playing with her phone, immediately looked up when she heard this name: “Girlfriend? Jiang Chuyi is here?”

A boy with dreadlocks lit up, standing: “Where’s sister-in-law? Can we go out and take a look?”

Wang Tan rolled his eyes: “Alright, you, sit down! What’s the rush?”

Xin He tried to call Jiang Chuyi on WeChat, but no one answered.

Fu Cheng wrapped an arm around her waist, easily snatching away the phone, “Why are you calling her?”

Xin He complained: “I’m bored.”

Fu Cheng asked slowly: “Being with me is boring?”

Xin He grumbled: “You guys are a table full of men talking about work, I can’t even join in. Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Jiang Chuyi.”

*

From noon until night, the heated discussion online about Zong Ye revealing his relationship and retiring from the industry continued unabated. In the midst of this storm, Wang Tan posted on Weibo.

@WangTanV: Zong Ye’s decision to retire from the industry was made a long time ago. It’s his own choice and has nothing to do with anyone else. I don’t want to be sentimental, but to borrow a quote from a famous person, “People who are meant to meet will meet again.” We’re very grateful for the fans’ companionship these past few years, but he knows what he wants.

The fan circle had mixed reactions to this incident.

Some felt that Zong Ye’s act of retiring for love was shocking beyond what ordinary people could understand, and was very irrational and unfair to fans. Others felt that an idol retiring upon revealing a relationship was the best closure for fans, at least they wouldn’t have to spend money on him while worrying about his girlfriend.

In any case, star-chasers maintained an objective view of this incident.

On one hand, Zong Ye’s dedicated fans were indeed miserable, just imagining being in their shoes would be enough to cause a heart attack. On the other hand, since his debut, Zong Ye had never specifically marketed himself with a boyfriend image. BloodXGentle’s explosive popularity these past few years was mainly due to their work and performances. During his time as an idol, he was diligent on stage, and now that his contract has ended and he’s become a free agent, choosing to retire and pursue a relationship is not unreasonable.

Having come all this way and being so honest about his relationship, all that can be said is: respect and best wishes.

But more non-fan passersby were frantically digging up old stories about Jiang Chuyi and Zong Ye, only to find themselves getting more and more invested, just regretting that they discovered this ship too late.

The super topic for “Yi Jian Zong Qing” rapidly grew, far outpacing other RPS super topics.

Entering the industry for love, then dramatically retiring, Zong Ye could be called the first of his kind in the Chinese entertainment industry. The extent to which this relationship will go down in history might even become a beautiful story told years later.

The most hurt on the internet were undoubtedly the dedicated fans and CP fans.

CP fans cried while indulging in this sweet development, while toxic solo fans who had been in breakdown all afternoon, frantically cursing everyone, slowly realized that no matter who they blamed, things had indeed reached a point of no return. Zong Ye’s retirement was now a confirmed fact.

…

…

That same night, most of Zong Ye’s fan sites announced their closure, never to reopen. Several official fan groups disbanded, and the only fan club gracefully posted their final pinned Weibo message —

Since you’ve declared your relationship in this way, we know you’ve made your decision.

We’ve accompanied you all the way, witnessed all the scenery you’ve passed by, and that’s enough. If you’re willing to sacrifice your entire future idol career for just one person, all fans respect your choice.

Let’s treat it as a dream. We don’t regret having liked you.

…

…

Many people don’t understand the meaning of my star-chasing.

But I know you are important to me.

You once briefly accompanied me through a small part of my life, accompanied me through lonely, sleepless nights, through moments of anger with friends, through boring study sessions.

Zong Ye, perhaps at this moment, I should thank you.

Years from now, I might reminisce about you.

I think by then, I’ll probably smile when I recall everything related to you.

Because those years were a shining part of my youth.

Thank you for once having been a part of my world.

I existed because of your radiance.

…

…

We met in the sea of people, and now we return you to that sea.

Goodbye, Zong Ye.

May the rest of your life be smooth and prosperous.