The Fifty-Fifth Star
But, Zong Ye, I really like you.
It was like hearing a sentence that could only exist in dreams.
Zong Ye stared blankly at the big screen, his breath stopping for a moment, unable to distinguish if this was a dream or reality.
Feeling shy, Jiang Chuyi sat back properly after speaking. She continued watching the movie as if nothing had happened, but after a while, there was still no reaction from beside her.
This time, Zong Ye’s silence lasted for a long time.
Curious, Jiang Chuyi turned her head. He was still in the same position, as if frozen in place.
Zong Ye was so calm, yet to her surprise, she found his eyes had reddened.
She tentatively asked, “Zong Ye, what’s wrong?”
Zong Ye seemed to smile, yet not, “Chuyi, thank you.”
“For what?”
“Thank you… for liking me.”
His thin back slightly curved, he covered his face with his hands, not daring to let her see his expression any longer.
The sea in the movie emitted a blue light. Zong Ye was also submerged in that sea, a slow yet intense sweetness like seawater, enveloping him, making him dizzy, suffocating him.
I. Like. You.
These words merged into his blood, reaching his limbs, even making his entire soul tremble and ache.
If someone asked Zong Ye what Jiang Chuyi meant to him,
He thought he would answer, she is this sea.
At the most wretched moment of his life, Zong Ye fell in love with Jiang Chuyi.
On that sunny afternoon, she smiled and bid him farewell.
And he fell into this boundless sea, its surface a deep blue, with only the blurred light and shadows cast by stars.
The sparse, pitiful fragments of memory related to her were like entangling seaweed, slowly pulling him down. Zong Ye occasionally felt hopeless.
Floating in this sea for years, he was like a water droplet waiting to evaporate. He had given up many fantasies, even beginning to hope that if she could just look at him a bit more, remember him, it would be enough.
Even if it was just a blurry memory.
Only then could he find a moment’s relief.
It sounds desperate, but with the ebb and flow of tides, the rising and setting of the sun, he always held onto a glimmer of hope.
He stubbornly remained in place, trapped in that rain, trapped in that minute when the camera developed the film, trapped in this lonely monologue.
After thousands of days and nights, spanning ten years, Zong Ye finally received a response at this moment.
— He finally surfaced from this star-filled sea.
…
…
Jiang Chuyi sat silently with him.
He suddenly called her: “Chuyi.”
“Hmm?”
“This seems to be the first time you’ve said you like me.”
“It is?”
She was slightly confused, feeling like she had said it many times before.
“I didn’t ask you, nor did I force you,” Zong Ye smiled. “But you still like me.”
Jiang Chuyi mumbled, “I’ve always liked you…”
“I really like you too.”
The movie was nearing its end.
Zong Ye silently played with the box of mint candies, flipping the lid with his fingertips, then closing it, repeating this action.
After several repetitions, he tucked the mint candies into his palm.
Zong Ye glanced at her, raised the armrest between the seats with the back of his hand, and asked, “Chuyi, does this room have surveillance cameras?”
Jiang Chuyi immediately understood his meaning, “We can’t kiss here, there are many people outside.”
“Then, do you want to come back home with me?” Zong Ye tilted his head, “Yiyi is staying at my uncle’s place, do you want to see the cat?”
“See the cat…” Her expression was hesitant as she repeated the phrase, “Okay.”
“If I say my uncle won’t be coming back today,” Zong Ye stared at her, pausing for a moment, “do you still want to see the cat?”
Jiang Chuyi was quiet.
Zong Ye lowered his eyes and started playing with the box of mint candies again, not saying anything more. He waited quietly, as if giving her enough time to think it through, as if she still had room to change her mind.
The ending credits music started playing, the black and white text making the room suddenly much darker.
Seeing him still sitting motionless, Jiang Chuyi shifted and poked him.
Zong Ye’s movements paused, his arm playing with the box dropped, and he turned to look at her, “What is it?”
“Weren’t we going to see the cat?” Jiang Chuyi felt her face burning hot, not daring to meet his eyes, her voice much weaker, “The movie’s over, why aren’t we leaving…”
*
On the way back, Jiang Chuyi sat in the passenger seat, appearing outwardly calm and composed, but her heart was in turmoil. Although she had basic physiological knowledge, it was clear that theory and practice had a huge gap.
Fortunately, the return journey was also congested, giving Jiang Chuyi enough time to seek help.
Casually scrolling through some “personal experiences” on Baidu, Jiang Chuyi guiltily glanced at Zong Ye, then picked up her phone, turned her body, and leaned against the passenger door in a slightly deliberate posture.
Jiang Chuyi: “Little Yi, are you there? Do you have time? I might need to consult you about something.”
Chen Yi: “You have time to find me now? Is Zong Ye not performing well?”
Jiang Chuyi: “Can you be serious?”
Chen Yi: “Fine, I’ll be serious. What do you need?”
Jiang Chuyi carefully chose her words, revising her question to Chen Yi several times. No matter how she phrased it, it felt awkward. Finally, she gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and sent it.
Jiang Chuyi: “Didn’t you tell me before that during your first time, it was so painful that you tried several times without success? How did you finally succeed?”
The other side was silent for a few minutes.
Chen Yi: “…”
Chen Yi: “????????”
Chen Yi: “JIANG! CHU! YI! Do you want to look at what filth you’re saying? Who’s not being serious now?!”
Chen Yi: “OH! MY! GOD! What did I just hear?! YijianZongqing is going to do it, oh my god, oh my god, you’re finally going to have a sex life!”
Jiang Chuyi: “I’m seriously asking you something, can you be more serious?”
The car was waiting at a red light. Zong Ye turned and saw Jiang Chuyi huddled in the corner, her face twisted in concentration, fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard.
He smiled: “Who are you chatting with?”
“Huh?” Hearing his voice, Jiang Chuyi immediately put down her phone, her expression unable to hide her embarrassment, “With my friend.”
Zong Ye casually guessed: “Chen Yi?”
Jiang Chuyi nervously made a sound of agreement.
A few seconds later, the red light turned green, and car horns started honking. Zong Ye looked at the road conditions and didn’t ask further.
Jiang Chuyi waited a few minutes before looking at her phone again.
Chen Yi’s mental state had clearly undergone some organic changes.
Chen Yi: “You’re going to sleep with Zong Ye… My sister is going to sleep with Zong Ye… You really know how to play men, Empress Jiang. No wonder you rejected all the boyfriends I introduced to you before. You were waiting for a top-tier one. I was too naive, thinking you were really going to become a nun at Jing’an Temple.”
Jiang Chuyi: “Can you stop joking? I! Am! Really! Nervous!”
Chen Yi: “What’s there to be nervous about? It’s just a bit painful at the start, bear with it and it’ll pass. Just use half the determination you had when you started dating Zong Ye, steel yourself and it’ll be fine.”
Chen Yi: “Helping women accomplish their wish of bedding Zong Ye, that’s a good deed for Empress Jiang. Remember to come share your experience with your sister tomorrow. I’ll set an alarm, let’s meet at 10 AM sharp.”
…
…
After the car was parked, Jiang Chuyi was a few beats slow in unbuckling her seatbelt.
There was no one at home, and Zong Ye didn’t turn on the lights after entering.
In the pitch darkness, he held her hand and led her forward.
At a corner, Zong Ye suddenly stopped.
Jiang Chuyi couldn’t stop in time and bumped into his shoulder, her heart pounding nervously.
After standing still for a moment, she felt him draw near, their breaths mingling. In an instant, the darkness amplified all senses. As Zong Ye raised his hand, Jiang Chuyi blurted out, “Um, should, take a shower first.”
The light was switched on, exposing Jiang Chuyi’s embarrassment.
Zong Ye withdrew his hand, leaning against the stairs, “Do you want to shower in my room?”
“Then, what about the cat? Weren’t we going to see the cat?”
She didn’t even know what she was babbling anymore.
“The cat is in my uncle’s room. You shower first, I’ll bring it over.”
…
…
Jiang Chuyi dawdled for a long time in the shower, and even after finishing, she lingered in the bathroom, reluctant to come out.
Using her finger to wipe away the fog on the mirror, she examined herself carefully.
As she looked, her face reddened.
After dawdling for a while longer, she picked up the clothes Zong Ye had prepared in advance, sniffing them. The familiar scent of bitter orange was comforting. Jiang Chuyi slowly put them on.
The T-shirt was just long enough to cover her thighs, not too revealing.
Jiang Chuyi adjusted her breathing, opened the bathroom door, and walked straight out.
Zong Ye was crouching on the ground, playing with the cat. Hearing the sound, he turned his head, his gaze falling on her.
Ignoring his appraising look, she sat down on the edge of the bed with a calm expression.
Her wet black hair hadn’t been dried and was still dripping water, falling onto the black bedsheet, quickly spreading into damp spots.
Jiang Chuyi sat motionless, not looking at him.
Zong Ye smiled, stood up, washed his hands in the bathroom, and found a hair dryer.
Amidst the rumbling noise, he held Jiang Chuyi’s messy long hair in his hands.
One standing, one sitting, with the cat curled up in the corner, Zong Ye seemed unhurried, patiently helping her dry her hair bit by bit.
In this unbearable silence, Jiang Chuyi spoke: “When is your uncle coming back?”
Zong Ye lowered the dryer’s speed, thought seriously for a moment, and answered her, “It depends.”
“Depends on what?”
“Depends on… our situation.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
From Zong Ye’s perspective looking down, he could see many things.
She was so small, sitting cross-legged on the bed, hidden in his loose clothes, her arms thin and white, looking so fragile they might break with a single bend.
Occasionally, when the wind lifted the collar, he could glimpse her shoulder hollow.
After helping her dry her hair, Zong Ye unplugged the dryer and asked as if seeking her opinion, “Should I take a shower too?”
Jiang Chuyi made a sound of agreement, “Go ahead.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Chuyi sat motionless on the bed. When the bathroom door closed, she fell back stiffly.
After rolling back and forth a few times, Jiang Chuyi suddenly stopped. No… she needed to find something to do.
She got out of bed barefoot, deciding to play with the cat for a while to ease her inner restlessness.
The chubby blue-gold gradient cat meowed at her. Seeing her approach, it didn’t run away, showing much more courage than Xin He’s cat.
Jiang Chuyi tentatively reached out her hand, and the cat immediately pressed its head against her palm and wrist, rubbing vigorously and purring continuously.
Pets really do take after their owners…
Jiang Chuyi crouched on the ground, almost melting from cuteness, unconsciously speaking in a high-pitched voice: “Meow meow, are you called Yiyi?”
Yiyi didn’t understand what she was saying and, unsatisfied with her petting, actively approached her, impatiently circling around her. Its tail brushed against her calf several times.
Jiang Chuyi scratched under its chin.
Yiyi meowed, comfortably stretching out like a small bamboo shoot in bloom, laying on the ground, stretching lazily, exposing its soft belly.
This was possibly the most affectionate cat Jiang Chuyi had ever seen.
She was completely immersed in the joy of petting the cat, dutifully stroking its little belly, little head, little paws…
Zong Ye finished his shower, dried his hair, and quietly waited for a while.
Jiang Chuyi crouched with her back to him, engrossed in playing with his cat, not sparing a glance in his direction, as if she had completely forgotten there was another person in the room.
Jiang Chuyi was talking to herself, chatting with the cat, lovingly squeezing the pads on its chubby paws when she suddenly heard a voice.
“Chuyi, have you played enough?”
Jiang Chuyi looked up, her breath becoming lighter.
Zong Ye was wearing a round-neck T-shirt matching hers. Hers was white, his was black.
Jiang Chuyi said sincerely: “Not… enough yet.”
Zong Ye bent down, picked up the cat with one hand, and naturally continued: “Then how about playing with me for a while?”
Yiyi struggled unhappily in his arms, meowing, wanting to return to Jiang Chuyi.
Zong Ye opened the bedroom door, “Yiyi, be good.”
…
…
Jiang Chuyi was still crouching dumbly in place when the returning person picked her up by the waist.
He lifted her as easily as he had picked up the cat.
Zong Ye carried her, pushed open the bathroom door with his knee, and set her on the sink counter.
At this height, their eyes were level.
Jiang Chuyi: “What are you doing…”
“Washing hands.”
Zong Ye turned on the faucet, grasped her wrist, and leisurely helped her wash her fingers.
Their intertwined hands were repeatedly washed by the cool water.
Zong Ye suddenly stopped all movement, just looking at her like this. Although his expression could barely be called calm, Jiang Chuyi could clearly sense what this gaze meant.
He had one hand pressed on her knee.
Jiang Chuyi resisted moving.
Zong Ye inhaled her scent, and gradually, his gaze lost focus as his forehead rested on her shoulder.
“Zong Ye.”
“Mm…”
“Do you know?”
“What?”
“Back then in Italy, when you followed the photographer’s instructions and pretended to undress in front of me… I saw the mole on your neck for the first time.”
“And then?”
“Then I secretly wondered, what kind of girlfriend would a man like you have in the future, what kind of person would you fall in love with.”
Zong Ye was completely immersed in her description, feeling immensely satisfied.
She continued on her own: “Would your future girlfriend, like me, fall in love with this mole?”
He chuckled softly, “So, this was your fantasy about me?”
She was so pure.
Pure in every sense of the word.
But he could no longer resist the urge to destroy that purity.
The night was long, and it was just the two of them here.
Zong Ye thought he should have plenty of time to tell Jiang Chuyi.
To tell his precious one, one by one, all about the truly dirty fantasies that adults should have.
He guided her hand to his cheek, where traces of water still remained.
Even though nothing had really started, Jiang Chuyi’s head was already spinning incessantly.
Zong Ye’s lips were very attractive, and when Jiang Chuyi realized this, everything about this night began to unravel.
Not even waiting to get back to the bed, they kissed passionately right there on the sink counter.
This kiss was gentle, a different kind of gentleness than before.
Jiang Chuyi discovered that Zong Ye had kissing skills.
His nibbling was neither too light nor too heavy, and as they kissed, she became disoriented.
She unconsciously held tightly to his neck, wanting to be even closer to him.
When she was lifted by her thighs, when she felt weightless, when she fell onto the bed, Jiang Chuyi still couldn’t bear to break the kiss with Zong Ye.
She felt as if he was leading her step by step into a fire, and even the bright moon outside the window seemed about to burst into flames.
The gentle kiss seemed like a trap, suddenly disappearing at a certain moment, and the familiar person Jiang Chuyi knew was suddenly no longer gentle.
Zong Ye embraced her from behind, his long eyelashes shadowing eyes filled with passion, making him appear even more alluring. He morbidly bit her ear, whispering sweet nothings and obscenities, calling her name, “Chuyi, you’ve broken me.”
Jiang Chuyi retorted without much force, “You’re so vulgar.”
Zong Ye tightened his arms and continued to kiss her.
She blocked his mouth with her hand, denying him kisses, so he proceeded to lick her palm and trail kisses along her wrist.
……
……
Jiang Chuyi was made to drink water many times, until she shook her head, unwilling to open her mouth again.
Zong Ye thoughtfully wiped away the water from her chin, “Drink a bit more, or your throat will go hoarse.”
Jiang Chuyi: “How can you be so…”
She struggled to find the right adjective.
Looking so proper and handsome, yet doing such—”wild things.”
Zong Ye chuckled softly, kneeling down to tell her, “Because this wild one likes Chuyi too much.”
……
……
The room was dimly lit. The bouquet of roses he had brought back was placed in a vase, emitting an unidentifiable fragrance, water dripping from the petals.
A sharp line formed from Zong’s jaw to his neck as he gripped tightly, fighting against the feeling of complete loss of control.
He had endured to the limit, his face betraying no emotion.
Zong Ye didn’t understand.
Why did she look so innocent now?
She was the one who had stirred up this storm.
Yet, before sweeping her into the tempest, he still lowered his head and whispered a few words in her ear, “Chuyi, I’m sorry.”
