When the Stars Tremble

The Seventh Star

A few minutes later, Little Zhong hurried back to the meeting room, panting, “Sis, you’re awake?”

Jiang Chuyi’s face was pale, looking very resigned, “Where did you go just now?”

Little Zhong took out a pack of painkillers from her pocket and placed it on the table, “I saw you were uncomfortable, so I thought I’d go back to your room and get some medicine just in case.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

Little Zhong didn’t know what had happened just now and looked around, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chuyi glanced at her and waved her hand, “It’s nothing now.”

Just then, Xin He, the director, and the screenwriter entered together. Seeing the people sitting in the meeting room, the director asked with a smile, “You’re all here so early?”

“We just arrived too.”

Er Er ran over in a few steps, “Chuyi, did you see the message I sent yesterday?”

Jiang Chuyi: “I went to bed very early last night. I only saw it when I woke up this morning. What’s the matter? Is there a problem with the script?”

“It’s not a big problem.” Er Er smiled, “Forget it, I won’t tell you for now. You’ll know later.”

Xin He finished instructing her assistant with a few words and walked to her seat. She said to Ji Kai, “The director just caught me and asked me how well I memorized my lines.”

Ji Kai followed her words and asked, “So how well did you memorize them?”

“Pretty well. I’ve memorized them all.”

As the two were chatting, Xin He noticed Ji Kai’s gaze shift. She teased, “Little Zong is back?”

She stopped talking and turned to look.

Little Zhong, upon hearing this, thought Ji Kai was calling her. She raised her eyes in surprise but saw Zong Ye coming over with two cups of coffee.

Even under everyone’s watchful eyes, he seemed unaware of them and nonchalantly placed the coffee in front of Jiang Chuyi, “I didn’t know if you drink it sweet, so I bought two cups.”

The meeting room suddenly fell silent for a moment, and the atmosphere became a bit strange.

The onlookers, including Er Er, maintained a calm appearance, but their eyes were scanning back and forth between Zong Ye and Jiang Chuyi in a futile attempt to figure it out.

…What’s going on?

Little Zhong’s mind hadn’t caught up yet, her thoughts drifting as she looked at Zong Ye. She heard him say, “Half sugar and light sugar. You pick one cup, and the other is mine.”

Wang Tan teased him, “You even bought two cups. So thoughtful?”

Upon hearing this, Fu Cheng coldly glanced at the coffee on the table, not understanding if Zong Ye had a stroke or something.

Ji Kai smiled knowingly and asked Jiang Chuyi from across the room, “Hey, Teacher Jiang, do you think Little Zong has completed the task satisfactorily? Are you considering hiring another assistant?”

Although there were no outsiders here, they were all popular stars who had taken over half the country. They didn’t follow any rules when speaking and weren’t shy about teasing others.

In the eyes of others, Jiang Chuyi had a quiet demeanor, and no one would specifically make fun of her. Now, with the two of them singing and responding to each other, she had no choice but to admit defeat, “Don’t joke around with me.”

Jiang Chuyi put the hot water bottle on her legs aside and looked at him apologetically, “I’m sorry, Teacher Zong… I was in a daze from my nap.”

Zong Ye’s tone was natural, “Just call me Little Zong. Which cup do you want?”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

The people around couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

She blushed deeply, lowered her head slightly, and said in a negotiating tone, “Is half sugar okay?”

Zong Ye nodded lightly and took the other cup.

Little Zhong heard their conversation clearly and found it difficult to adjust her mood. She absent-mindedly took out her phone and bombarded Jiang Chuyi on WeChat: “Sis, I’m shocked. Why did Zong Ye help you buy coffee? What did I miss?!!!”

Jiang Chuyi opened the message, and more than a dozen screaming chicken emojis had already filled the screen.

Little Zhong: “!!! Ah, can I go out and run a few laps to calm down?! What happened, what on earth happened?!!!”

Just looking at the confused text, one could feel her overwhelming excitement, almost to the point of suffocation.

More people came in one after another. Jiang Chuyi turned her head to look.

Little Zhong was sitting restlessly, her cheeks already flushed red, as if she was about to ascend to the heavens at any moment.

Jiang Chuyi silently put away her phone, feeling a bit indescribable.

Zong Ye’s behavior was quite strange, right?

She unconsciously propped her chin on her hand, holding the coffee cup, feeling the warmth on her fingertips.

She inexplicably thought of the day they first met, when he was leaning against the wall smoking, still looking dismissive and indifferent when someone was confessing their love to him.

He seemed quite bad.

*

The script read lasted until noon. The director waved his hand and told everyone to go eat first before they continue in the afternoon.

There was a three-hour break in between. Er Er took Jiang Chuyi to look for food nearby.

Gao Ning had a flight to Milan tonight and specially came to have one last meal with them. After ordering, Er Er handed the menu to Jiang Chuyi, “What do you want to eat?”

“Screenwriter-sis, you eat. Teacher Jiang has prepared lunch.” Little Zhong took out a lunch box and placed it on the table.

Green and white boiled vegetables, a few scattered pieces of chicken breast, topped with seasoned salad.

Er Er couldn’t bear it, “You’re only eating this for lunch?”

Jiang Chuyi sighed along with her, “I’m losing weight for filming.”

Er Er clicked her tongue a few times, “It’s tough being an actress.”

Halfway through the meal, a phone call came in, and the screen kept flashing. Gao Ning picked it up, glanced at the caller’s name, and tossed the phone to Jiang Chuyi like a hot potato, “Hurry, you answer it.”

Jiang Chuyi was puzzled but said hello, “Teacher.”

“Why is it you? Where’s Gao Ning?”

Jiang Chuyi turned on the speakerphone, “I’m with her.”

Gao Ning hurriedly waved her hand.

Qin Tong was silent for a few seconds, then raised his voice, “What kind of work does Gao Ning even do all day? You insisted on having her as your manager back then. Look at the crappy jobs she finds for you!”

The dining table suddenly fell silent. Little Zhong and Er Er exchanged awkward looks.

Jiang Chuyi quickly covered the phone and mouthed a question, “Teacher found out?”

Gao Ning was too lazy to avoid it, “It’s all because of that damn post. I’ve been scolded by the old man several times.”

“I told you to focus on acting and not think about taking shortcuts. You just wouldn’t listen, insisting on doing things beneath your status. In the end, you’re used by others for hype. You brought it upon yourself!”

Jiang Chuyi turned off the speakerphone, wanting to explain.

Gao Ning couldn’t hold back her anger. She put down her fork with a clap and snatched the phone, “Didn’t you teach us before that acting has no high or low, noble or humble? It’s acting no matter where you do it. Is acting in a commercial film a crappy job? Is it beneath her status? Do you know how many people want to collaborate with BloodxGentle? Others can’t even get the chance no matter how much they beg. What’s the big deal about being scolded a few times by randos on the internet?”

“Don’t talk to Teacher like that.” Jiang Chuyi looked at her and reminded, “Calm down. This is a public place.”

Gao Ning held the phone angrily and pushed back her chair to stand up. She retorted rapidly, “Our views are different. We can’t communicate anymore. The times have changed. Do you know popularity is king now? You keep making Chuyi act in those same types of movies she used to do. The more she acts, the more obscure she becomes. Her path is only getting narrower. Besides, the market is only so big now. If she wastes another two years, she’ll be past her prime. Without any fame, who will be willing to use her then?”

As Gao Ning went out to take the call, the atmosphere at the dining table became stiff.

Although Little Zhong tried hard to find a topic, it was obviously futile. Not knowing what to do, Jiang Chuyi said, “Go check on her outside.”

Little Zhong immediately nodded, “Okay.”

After she left, Jiang Chuyi gave Er Er a smile, “You eat first. Don’t mind them.”

Er Er wanted to comfort her but didn’t know what was appropriate to say. After hesitating for a long time, she said, “Uh, Director Qin Tong is a senior I really like. I love all his works, but…”

She paused for a moment and quickly said, “But I still want to explain to you that ‘Catching Stars’ is not a commercial film in the traditional sense. Although it probably won’t win any awards, we were all very sincere when creating the content.”

“I know. I read the script and really like this story.” Jiang Chuyi explained, “There’s just been a lot of stuff online these past few days. Teacher is angry about it. Don’t take his words just now to heart.”

Er Er hurriedly waved her hand, “How could I? I just wanted to say that IM put a lot of effort into it this time. Before creating the script, our screenwriter group had many meetings, and each member of BloodxGentle participated too. The script you see now, the storyline for each character, is actually expanded based on the ideas and opinions they provided.”

Jiang Chuyi listened to her quietly.

“Let me give you an example. Do you still remember the scene you auditioned for initially? The one with the street musician.”

“Mm, I remember.”

“That’s a segment extracted from Zong Ye’s storyline.”

Er Er scooted over a bit and whispered, “Let me tell you some gossip. I don’t know if it’s true or not. Anyway, just listen casually and don’t spread it.”

“What is it?”

“Before Zong Ye debuted, he used to busk on the streets.”

Jiang Chuyi was a bit slow to react, slightly surprised, “Didn’t he debut very early? He had that kind of experience?”

“I’m not sure about the specifics either. It might be just hearsay. Or maybe it wasn’t for a long time. Zong Ye became a trainee at IM when he was very young, around 16 or 17 years old. His family circumstances were probably not very good. He dropped out of school. I’m not clear about the details.”

Jiang Chuyi hesitated, “So, the male lead is based on him?”

“Not exactly.” Er Er winked at her, “This, I have to keep a secret for now. We’ll see if there’s a chance to tell you later.”

*

After lunch, Little Zhong accompanied Gao Ning back to the hotel.

While packing her luggage, Gao Ning suddenly asked, “I heard Zong Ye helped Chuyi buy coffee this morning?”

Little Zhong replied with a hint of grievance, “Yes.”

Gao Ning’s mind conjured up who knows what and asked vigilantly, “When did Chuyi become so close with Zong Ye?”

Little Zhong thought for a moment and shook her head, “They’re not that close.”

“Then why did he buy coffee for Chuyi?”

Little Zhong explained the misunderstanding from the morning to her.

Gao Ning pondered for a while, her mind becoming active. She muttered to herself, “Isn’t this perfect? I was just thinking about hyping up a CP. I feel there’s potential.”

Little Zhong was squatting on the ground playing with her phone when she suddenly let out a scream, “Oh my god!”

Gao Ning impatiently said, “What are you howling about again?”

Little Zhong’s hand was slightly trembling as she handed the phone to Gao Ning.

Gao Ning stopped what she was doing, took the phone, and looked. Her expression gradually turned solemn.

Jiang Chuyi sat in the lobby waiting for her phone to charge before heading to the meeting room to prepare.

The director and two, three producers were standing together, chatting over cups of tea. Jiang Chuyi greeted them and sat down in her seat.

The script from the morning was spread out on the table.

Jiang Chuyi had nothing to do. Thinking of the gossip Er Er told her, an idea popped into her mind. She picked up the script again and went through the scenes inside.

She was silently reading the lines in her heart when she heard an abrupt voice beside her ear, “Wishing Chuyi happiness every day. We will always love you…”

Jiang Chuyi paused and glanced over.

Zong Ye had his head lowered, holding his phone. The interface displayed on it was unmistakably her Weibo. The video currently playing was a fan blessing compilation made by her fan club.

She was a bit dazed. What was he doing…?

Noticing her gaze, Zong Ye paused slightly and looked at her, leisurely lowering the volume, “I just followed your Weibo. I’m casually browsing through it. You don’t mind, right?”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

Faced with his calm and composed demeanor, she was speechless for a long time before shaking her head.

She began to quickly recall in her mind. She shouldn’t have posted anything on Weibo, right? Usually, it was just some daily work posts, selfies, and occasionally sharing a couple of jokes…

As she was thinking, she belatedly realized that Zong Ye had taken the initiative to follow her Weibo?

While her mind was wandering, she heard the person beside her chuckle.

Jiang Chuyi took the opportunity to pretend to look into the distance while drinking water, stealing a glance at Zong Ye.

His side profile was handsome. His fingers were sliding down, seeming to be in a very leisurely mood, still browsing her Weibo with great focus.

Why was he scrolling through so many posts? If she had known earlier, she would have set it to be visible for only half a year.

Scanning his screen, Jiang Chuyi felt slightly embarrassed, “Uh, are you using your main account to look?”

Zong Ye tilted his head and looked back at her, “Hm? Yeah.”

“Just now, you seemed to…”

“Seemed to what?”

Jiang Chuyi gently reminded, “Maybe I saw wrong. It seemed like your hand slipped.”

“Hand slipped?”

She hesitated for a moment before clarifying, “You liked one of my posts.”

“I didn’t slip.”

Jiang Chuyi let out an “oh” and immediately said, “Then never mind. I must have seen wrong.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zong Ye’s voice carried a hint of laughter, gentle yet not quite proper, “I liked it on purpose.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

Before she had time to think more, Little Zhong suddenly rushed into the meeting room in a panic, wanting to pull her out, “Ms. Jiang, come out with me for a moment.”

Jiang Chuyi saw that her expression was off and closed the script, walking out with her, “What’s wrong?”

Little Zhong looked around and lowered her voice to tell her, “Ms. Jiang, your alt account has been exposed!”

“My alt account?”

Jiang Chuyi immediately took out her phone and clicked on the hot search.

Perhaps she was used to being unpopular, Jiang Chuyi never dreamed that she would one day experience what it was like to be punished on the hot search.

The top few entries on the hot search were all related to her.

Jiang Chuyi quickly logged into the exposed side account and reviewed it.

Private messages kept dinging, almost causing her to exit.

“There’s nothing much posted here.” Jiang Chuyi flipped through and gradually relaxed, “So what if they exposed it?”

This alt account of hers only had some daily posts, occasionally a few photos of gatherings with friends, and more of just showing off her rabbit, taking a few videos complaining about how smelly the rabbit’s farts were, how it took her a long time to clean up every time it pooped randomly, but how cute it was when eating grass and such. Some videos were even accompanied by her own quirky laughter.

“It’s all just rabbits.”

Jiang Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt something was strange and asked the assistant, “When did I become so popular that even a side account is worth making a fuss about?”

“No, no, that’s not it.” Little Zhong stammered, “The point, the point is…”

She was anxious. She clicked into the relevant entry and handed the phone to Jiang Chuyi, “Here, look!”

Jiang Chuyi glanced at it.

Three seconds later, her eyes widened.

It was a screenshot, a comment dug up by a fan:

@The First Day of the Month Is a Good Day: He is quite polite. His appearance in the entertainment industry probably belongs to the level of “not knowing how one could look like that.”

Of course, that wasn’t the main point. Most importantly, a netizen named “Zong Ye’s Little Star” posted a few screenshots of a conversation.

It was the late-night chat record between her and Jiang Chuyi’s alt account from a few months ago.

In it, the two were madly showering Zong Ye with compliments and exchanging fan experiences.

Jiang Chuyi was dumbfounded.

She had diligently worked in the entertainment industry for many years, living a clean and honest life, yet overnight, she was firmly labeled as Zong Ye’s fan.

And not just any fan, but a diehard fan who would rather be crushed than miss welcoming him at the airport.

Jiang Chuyi felt like she was having a bit of trouble breathing.

Under the worried gaze of the assistant, Jiang Chuyi’s hand shook as she clicked into the Weibo of the true culprit behind this storm:

@Zong Ye: Thank you, Ms. Jiang, for the compliment. I became the way I am now through my own efforts, without troubling others. Be careful next time when welcoming me at the airport. //@The First Day of the Month Is a Good Day: He is quite polite. His appearance in the entertainment industry probably belongs to the level of “not knowing how one could look like that.”