WST Chapter 58

The Fifty-Eighth Star

Jiang Chuyi sat on a chair, facing Zong Ye directly.

He tilted his head, and apart from those eyes that held such captivating charm, his other features were all clean and refined. With a well-defined bone structure and handsome appearance, he easily garnered favor at first glance.

Unconsciously, Jiang Chuyi recalled two years ago, when they were not yet familiar with each other, and she had searched for Zong Ye’s photos on her phone, scrolling through other people’s comments about him.

Online descriptions of Zong Ye’s image were generally quite upright. Undeniably, he was very alluring on stage; the hormones he exuded while playing the bass and singing could instantly captivate many. However, offstage, Zong Ye was like a different person, belonging to the refined and abstinent type. Suits and white shirts looked exceptionally handsome and stylish on him. He was gentle and cultured, treating everyone with the same polite distance, as if he wouldn’t be tainted by worldly affairs at all.

Yet, this calm man, whom outsiders considered “sacrosanct,” had repeatedly pushed Jiang Chuyi’s boundaries, spouting vulgar sweet nothings without hesitation.

From the bottom of her heart, Jiang Chuyi wondered, “Zong Ye, how can someone like you exist?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re like a human cantaloupe, knowing the person’s face but not their heart.”

Zong Ye didn’t immediately understand.

She continued, “The outside looks white, but the inside is actually all yellow.”

This sentence made Zong Ye laugh, his shoulders slightly trembling.

After laughing for a while, he couldn’t help but kiss her, saying sincerely and openly, “It was Chuyi who made me like this.”

Regarding his natural “passing the buck,” Jiang Chuyi had long given up resisting.

……

……

These past few days, with the release of “Qiao Shu,” the work schedule had been too packed, and Jiang Chuyi had accumulated less than ten hours of sleep.

The meeting wasn’t over yet, and Zong Ye would most likely have to stay at the company to work overtime. Jiang Chuyi could only stay in his office, lying down on the black soft leather sofa.

Even though there was a place to rest inside, she couldn’t go in and sleep on the bed. She could only stay where Zong Ye could see her, keeping him company.

Jiang Chuyi rested her head on her arm, curling up in the plush blanket, feeling warm all over as she leisurely tapped on her phone screen.

Xin He sent her a few videos, and Jiang Chuyi turned the volume down to the lowest setting.

Xin He: “Fu Cheng and Zong Ye were so young and tender when they first debuted! So full of youthful energy and collagen! Sigh! Should we dump them and find high school students instead? Men are more lovable when they’re young.”

Jiang Chuyi couldn’t help but laugh while watching.

But there were always people who couldn’t stand to see her doing well.

Jiang Chuyi was happily playing on her phone when it was suddenly snatched away.

Before she knew it, she was inexplicably being kissed by Zong Ye again, pinned beneath him.

His habit of wanting to kiss and nibble on her anytime, anywhere, had once troubled Jiang Chuyi a bit, and she had subtly inquired about it with Chen Yi.

Chen Yi’s answer at the time was that all relationships were like this during the honeymoon phase, especially since Jiang Chuyi had given Zong Ye the full buff of being his white moonlight and first love, so being clingy was normal. Once the initial passion faded over time, love would return to a more ordinary state.

But now, they were long past the honeymoon phase, and Zong Ye’s skin hunger seemed to have not alleviated at all, as if he would never get tired of such things.

Finally waiting for the deep kiss to end, Jiang Chuyi had learned her lesson. She put down her phone and stopped making any noise, so as not to annoy Zong Ye, and closed her eyes to pretend to sleep.

She honestly tried to fall asleep, as still as an old monk in meditation, remaining unmoved even after being disturbed several times. But this trick obviously didn’t work either. Jiang Chuyi’s mere presence within Zong Ye’s line of sight seemed to be the original sin.

She was directly picked up, blanket and all, and her sleeping location was changed to behind the dark-colored desk.

Jiang Chuyi sat sideways on his lap.

Zong Ye carefully tucked the blanket around her and thoughtfully placed a cushion behind her waist. “Chuyi, how about I hold you while you sleep?”

Jiang Chuyi had long expected this outcome and calmly agreed.

At first, she found it very uncomfortable to sleep in his arms, but after being “trained” many times, she gradually got used to it and adapted to the situation. With her waist held by his arm, Zong Ye’s breathing by her ear, and the pleasant scent of his body surrounding her, Jiang Chuyi actually felt very secure.

This nap lasted for four or five hours. Jiang Chuyi slept very deeply and didn’t even wake up when she was gently placed on the sofa. Perhaps it was because she watched Zong Ye’s videos before sleeping, but she dreamed of many things from the past.

It was as if she had returned to the past, when Zong Ye was still a star. She was in the crowd, watching him from afar as he walked the red carpet surrounded by cameras and flowers, shining brightly on the stage of a ten-thousand-person stadium, loved by countless people.

The last scene in her dream was their last concert in Shanghai. The people around her were in tears, and she was in the corner of the stands, watching Zong Ye on the big screen as he bent down to put down the microphone, his figure slowly fading away.

Jiang Chuyi felt a void in her heart and woke up.

……

……

When Zong Ye finished his meeting and pushed open the door, he saw Jiang Chuyi curled up in the corner of the sofa, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.

Jing Lianbei stood not far away, impatiently urging, “You’ve been staring at your wife sleeping for ages! Hurry up and come eat supper, don’t make us wait.”

Jiang Chuyi turned her head.

Zong Ye ignored Jing Lianbei, released the doorknob, went inside, and knelt down in front of her. “Did you wake up?”

Jiang Chuyi looked at him blankly.

Zong Ye carefully watched her expression, his voice gentle, “Chuyi, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Jiang Chuyi came back to her senses and unfolded the blanket. “Are you going to eat supper?”

He squeezed her hand. “I can stay here with you.”

“I happen to be a little hungry too. Let’s go eat together.”

“Okay.”

Zong Ye held her ankle and put her shoes on for her.

The two went out, and Zong Ye took her for a stroll around the monitoring room. Fu Cheng was still in the recording studio. Zong Ye greeted the assistant and told them to eat something first.

The supper was in the Design Room. The lighting wasn’t very bright, and the table was filled with beer and barbecue. A group of familiar faces were sitting around it.

A movie was playing randomly on the projector. Everyone was eating, drinking, and chatting casually. Jiang Chuyi felt relaxed being among them.

Jing Lianbei and Zong Ye were discussing the new album intermittently. Xiao Ou’s mouth was itching, and fueled by alcohol, he started an impromptu rapper battle with others.

These musicians were really quick-witted and unrestrained, and Jiang Chuyi found it interesting, even listening attentively to a couple of rounds.

When they had all taken their turns, the atmosphere was just right, and a group of people clamored, “Zong Ye, it’s your turn!”

Zong Ye refused without even thinking, “I’m not singing.”

Xiao Ou raised his beer bottle and cursed, “Can you not be such a buzzkill?”

Zong Ye remained unfazed and said leisurely, “I only sing for my wife.”

This time, Jing Lianbei also chimed in with a curse, “You’re so melodramatic it’s sickening.”

Everyone’s expectant gazes fell on Jiang Chuyi in unison.

Feeling the pressure, Jiang Chuyi tactfully said to Zong Ye, “Why don’t you sing one? I’d like to hear it too.”

Zong Ye smiled, “What do you want to hear?”

Jiang Chuyi thought seriously.

Remembering something, Xiao Ou immediately nudged Zong Ye’s arm and admonished, “Don’t you dare play that ‘Love Loser’ crap again. None of that pure stuff. This is the adult world, let your true self out, give us some dirty songs.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jiang Chuyi whispered, “Listen to your friend, just do whatever you want.”

Zong Ye got up and selected a song.

Before he started singing, the people present saw the song title “Sexy Back” appear on the screen and began to laugh.

The sound equipment in the Design Room was complete, and even the translated subtitles for the English song rolled along with the lyrics on the projector.

Singing this song in front of everyone, Zong Ye stared at her without any reservation.

Jiang Chuyi initially insisted on meeting his gaze.

Zong Ye’s voice was naturally magnetic, and his singing style had a universally appealing sexiness. Especially at this moment, with the dim lighting and after a few seconds of getting into the mood, his expression was languid, and a smile curved his lips, leaving her with no resistance. Jiang Chuyi was so撩地 (liāo de – a Chinese internet slang describing being flirted with or teased in a way that makes one’s heart flutter) that she turned her head to look at the subtitles.

It would be too embarrassing to blush in front of his friends.

But she found that the subtitles were quite potent too.

Accompanied by Zong Ye’s deep bass voice, the Chinese and English subtitles rolled across the screen with the song—

Dirty babe

You see these shackles, baby, I’m your slave

……

……

I’ll let you whip me if I misbehave

It’s just that no one makes me feel this way

……

……

This was indeed Zong Ye’s old trick – maintaining a saintly facade while indulging in depravity.

This level of suggestive song barely satisfied the others. After a round of laughter and teasing, they let Zong Ye off the hook.

They were forgotten in a hidden corner of the room by a group of very perceptive people.

Zong Ye put his arm around her waist. “How did I sing?”

“Good.”

“Then I’ll only sing for you from now on.”

Jiang Chuyi unconsciously tugged at the corner of Zong Ye’s shirt, twisting it around her finger. “I just had a dream that you hadn’t retired from the industry. It would be so nice if you could keep singing.”

Noticing her slight sadness, Zong Ye asked, “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

“No, it’s just that you’re so charming when you sing. It feels a bit of a waste if you only sing for me.”

Being praised like this by her made Zong Ye’s breathing soften. “Isn’t it good that I only charm you?”

Jiang Chuyi looked up. “Zong Ye, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Do you ever feel a sense of loss after retiring from the industry?”

Having witnessed firsthand how much he was loved by so many people, she sometimes worried that what she gave him wasn’t enough, that he might feel lonely.

Hearing her words, Zong Ye understood. He pondered for a moment, completely shedding the flirtatious air from his face, and said to her, “I won’t feel a sense of loss because of that.”

Jiang Chuyi pursed her lips.

Zong Ye suddenly spoke, “Chuyi, one of your evaluations of me was very accurate.”

“What was it?”

“I’m not normal.”

Jiang Chuyi was still confused. “Why?”

“Because I used every scheme and every means, without scruple.”

She continued, “And then?”

Zong Ye gazed intently at her. “Just to make you fall in love with me.”

He was always like this, confessing suddenly, expressing all his unique favor and intense affection for her without reservation.

“I am indeed quite different from others, I’m not normal. Because all the efforts I made, all the choices I made, were just to make you fall in love with me. As long as you love me, I don’t care about anything else.”

Jiang Chuyi tightened her fingers, clutching his clothes. Her heart felt as if it had been soaked in vinegar, completely saturated, both sour and astringent. She lowered her voice, “Then congratulations to you.”

“What?”

Jiang Chuyi looked at him boldly. “You’ve accomplished it.”

Zong Ye smiled.

*

As the new year dawned, the nomination list for the 34th Golden Flower Awards was announced, and “Qiao Shu” was among the nominees. Jiang Chuyi wasn’t too surprised when she heard the news.

This award carried a decent weight, a good start, but her ambitions stretched far beyond it.

Before attending the awards ceremony, Jiang Chuyi received news that she would be winning an award that night.

Many people sent their congratulations in advance.

She maintained her composure throughout the entire ceremony, only smiling and applauding when the camera panned over her.

When the host announced Jiang Chuyi’s name as tonight’s “Best Actress,” applause erupted throughout the venue.

Jiang Chuyi stood up and hugged the people beside her. Under the gaze of everyone present, she walked step by step onto the stage.

She held up the golden trophy and, under the bright lights, delivered her acceptance speech according to the usual protocol, thanking her mentors, the jury, the film crew, and countless behind-the-scenes staff…

“Finally, there is one more person I would like to thank.”

Jiang Chuyi paused.

Since their relationship was exposed, Jiang Chuyi had never mentioned Zong Ye in public. Afraid of upsetting his former fans, she hadn’t even reposted or responded to his retirement Weibo post, nor had she ever discussed her love life or anything related to him in front of the media.

The people below the stage seemed to sense something, exchanged glances, and fell silent.

Zong Ye, a male star whose retirement was so dramatic it would go down in history. He was once infinitely glorious, known to everyone, a household name across the country. Yet, he had cleanly and decisively disappeared, abandoning all fame and fortune, resolutely bidding farewell to his acting career, and there had been no news of him since. Just thinking about it felt unbelievable.

Jiang Chuyi lowered her head slightly, leaned closer to the microphone, and her clear voice spread throughout the venue, “I debuted young and experienced many years of lows. I was discouraged and doubted myself. It wasn’t until many years later that I accidentally discovered a star.”

“There are many stars in this world, but he is the only one that illuminates me.”

“So I thought, I should be brave at least once.” Jiang Chuyi smiled, a smile without a trace of gloom, but her eyelashes were a little wet. “Zong Ye, life is so long. When it rains, I’ll hold an umbrella for you.”

……

 

……

 

The after-party celebrating Jiang Chuyi’s award was held at 23Epoch.

Her acceptance speech quickly spread online, sparking endless discussions. Friends who saw her joked, “Teacher Jiang, the weather forecast says it’s going to rain tomorrow.”

Jiang Chuyi was plied with a lot of alcohol that night, but sitting with Zong Ye, she didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

The interior of 23Epoch was as lively as ever, just as bustling as it had been years ago.

Zhao Guangyu was a naturally boisterous person. Coming here was like returning to his lair. He hit it off with Xiao Ou immediately and sang several rounds of songs on stage, rocking the place.

When they were tired, Wang Tan sat on the high stool at the singing stand and ordered Eason Chan’s “Under Mount Fuji.”

The noise around them finally subsided. Under the light and shadow of this sentimental song, the atmosphere became hazy. Jiang Chuyi leaned into Zong Ye’s arms. “Did you see my acceptance speech just now?”

“I did.”

“What did you think?”

Zong Ye wiped a smudge from the corner of her lips and told her earnestly, “It felt like a dream come true.”

Just as they were talking, the music stopped abruptly without warning.

Jiang Chuyi looked up, momentarily unable to react.

Without knowing what had happened, the large screen behind Wang Tan suddenly began playing all the movie clips Jiang Chuyi had filmed since her debut.

On the singing stand, Wang Tan coughed softly, switching from Cantonese to Mandarin, and lazily began the ceremony for the night, “Who can privatize a star with love?”

As if it had been rehearsed, the laughter and chatter of the crowd stopped, and a spotlight shone on the two of them.

Someone threw a microphone into Zong Ye’s arms.

He curled his lips into a smile, picked up the microphone, and looked at Jiang Chuyi. “Zong Ye can.”

At that moment, all the lights in the venue suddenly turned on.

Jiang Chuyi was momentarily dazed, then gradually came to her senses.

Because the light had been too dim just now and she had been toasted by different people, she hadn’t noticed at all that 23Epoch had long been transformed into a gallery filled with roses, balloons, and ribbons, with posters of all the characters she had played since childhood hanging everywhere.

There was even a photo of Jiang Chuyi taken when she was 15 years old, at the wrap party of “Ago,” wearing a white tulle skirt, her smile carefree, holding flowers in the center of the crowd.

It seemed that all of Jiang Chuyi’s experiences in this life, every little bit, had been carefully treasured by someone.

This after-party that belonged to her had only just begun.

The two looked at each other.

Zong Ye held the ring he had prepared long ago, knelt down on one knee in front of her, his mesmerizing eyes like an abyss, staring straight at her. “Chuyi, can I?”

Jiang Chuyi stood there, frozen, lost in a daze, her mind a blank.

Her heart beat erratically, but at a certain moment, it suddenly relaxed.

She feigned calmness and said with a smile, “So you were planning to propose to me.”

Everything around them fell silent.

After a long while, Jiang Chuyi reached out her hand and softly repeated his words, “Zong Ye can.”

Zong Ye can privatize a star with love.

……

……

Amidst the cheering crowd pushing them forward, Jiang Chuyi tilted her head back, watching the large screen intently, watching the documentary prepared for her.

When “Catching Stars” appeared, Jiang Chuyi remembered a question and asked the person beside her, “Zong Ye, why are you most impressed by that scene?”

“Which scene?”

“The one where I was secretly watching you.”

Zong Ye simply smiled.

“Was it because we held hands for the first time? Or because you got scolded by the director?”

“Neither.”

She was puzzled. “Then why?”

“Because, that was the first time you looked at me.”

Jiang Chuyi seemed to understand but not quite.

Her memory seemed to suddenly rewind, back to the winding water alleys of Venice, with its white pigeons and solemn churches. Back to the day when Zong Ye played the person Jiang Chuyi secretly loved, the day she secretly watched him.

Even while being scolded by the director, Zong Ye couldn’t help but open his eyes.

Even though it was just acting, even though it was just acting, Zong Ye still really wanted to see.

He wanted to see what it felt like to be loved by her.

Perhaps it started many years ago, on a certain day, when Jiang Chuyi looked at that stray dog with such affection, that Zong Ye began to hope.

He hoped that he too could receive a moment of favor from heaven.

That one day, that gentle gaze would also fall upon him.

That day, Jiang Chuyi looked up at him.

The stars seemed to tremble softly, and it was the beginning of his lifelong dream.