The next day, Jiang Chuyi went to the company. In the afternoon, she went to the studio with a female artist from Kaijun to take photos for a magazine.
They sat in front of the makeup mirror.
There was a cell phone on a stage not far away, playing a song. The melody was very familiar. The young artist couldn't help but mutter, "BloodXGentle's song... You guys are listening to it too."
The makeup lady cheerfully replied, "Yes, they are very popular."
Jiang Chuyi's eyes were itchy from the paint and she couldn't help but blink.
The young artist remembered something and asked Jiang Chuyi curiously: "Sister Chuyi, didn't you just finish filming a movie with Xibao? Are they the same in real life as in the video?"
Jiang Chuyi picked at the doll with her fingers and said objectively, "It's almost the same as in the video, but the real person is more handsome."
The makeup artist added, "I've done makeup for them before, and they're handsome even without makeup, really. Especially Souya, his skin is so good."
When Jiang Chuyi first heard this name from someone else, her heart skipped a beat.
The makeup artist was drawing Jiang Chuyi's eyebrows, and her tone was ambiguous, "Teacher Jiang, I heard that you have a good relationship with Zong Ye?"
"What?"
"Don't mind me, I'm just asking."
Jiang Chuyi answered her: "He has a good relationship with many people in the crew."
It was obvious that she was a little evasive, so the makeup artist stopped asking.
These popular idols are always the talk of the town. They go around and around, and whisper about gossip related to Xibao. For example, the daughter of a senior executive of iFlytek is a fanatical illegitimate fan of Zong Ye. She once followed his overseas schedule for a month and made harassing calls to him from different phones. Another example is that a young actress is particularly scheming. She deliberately fell into Ji Kai's arms backstage at a certain party. There is also a female idol in IM who is very dramatic. She followed Zong Ye and Wang Tan on Weibo and Instagram, and repeatedly unfollowed them if they didn't follow back.
The assistant who was sorting clothes nearby was listening with great interest.
Jiang Chuyi fell silent, listened to them and no longer participated in this topic.
She stared at the bunny stuffed animal in her hands, thinking about Souya.
The post on that super topic and the various analyses made by netizens with certainty made Jiang Chuyi seem to be trapped in a vicious circle.
Although everything they were talking about was related to herself, she had to distance herself from it and avoid involving herself in any one thing so as to avoid letting her imagination run wild.
Intellectually, no one knew better than she herself what had happened between her and Souya. They had no ambiguity beyond the boundaries of friendship.
But emotionally, Jiang Chuyi could vaguely sense that Zong Ye treated her a little differently from others.
She didn't know where to categorize these subtle differences.
Maybe he watched her movies when he was young and developed a similar admiration for her as a fan for an idol. There is also a small possibility that he is attracted to her.
But Jiang Chuyi thought about it and felt that none of them looked like it.
The most important thing is that there are many people in the circle who pursue and admire Zong Ye. Compared with others, she is not very competitive.
Jiang Chuyi sighed silently in his heart and put those distracting thoughts out of his mind.
*
In the early morning of January 13, the alarm on my cell phone suddenly rang.
At that time, Jiang Chuyi had just finished taking a shower and was drying her hair with a towel.
She picked up her phone and saw the notification, then she suddenly realized that it was Souya's birthday.
Not caring about the dripping water from her hair, Jiang Chuyi wiped her hands briefly and sent him a message saying Happy Birthday.
Because she wanted to finish the message quickly, she was leaning against the bathroom door, still thinking about the next sentence of blessing, when the chat box suddenly popped up and the other party replied.
Muneya: "Thank you, are you still awake?"
She was surprised for a moment; she didn't expect him to reply so quickly.
Jiang Chuyi: "I haven't yet, but you, aren't you busy now?"
Souya: "I finished work early today"
Zong Ye was sitting on a chair, and when he typed this line, several people came over to congratulate him.
"You're one year older now, Mr. Souya. Happy birthday."
"Happy birthday, brother Ye."
Zongye held the phone slightly and nodded in thanks.
They had just finished an interview and were about to leave for the stadium to rehearse for the first performance of their tour tonight.
After working hard for several days, Zong Ye felt a little tired. There were people busy shuttling around him, and new messages kept pouring in on WeChat, all congratulating him. Zong Ye scrolled through the message list with his thumb, too lazy to click in, and flipped back to the top, waiting for her reply.
A few minutes later.
Jiang Chuyi: "I hope you have fewer worries and more happiness this year. Then you can rest early, and I won't disturb you!"
Zongye typed slowly.
Typed a line and then deleted it.
He replied thank you and good night and put his phone away.
*
Since last week, #BloodXGentleShanghaiFirstTour# has been on the hot search list. Until January 13, the day the tour officially started, all kinds of online forums and platforms, from Weibo to Xiaohongshu and Douyin, were posting Reuters from the stadium.
There are several videos of Western Storm rehearsals, which have been very much discussed.
They hadn't put on any makeup yet, and were wearing sunglasses and masks without any makeup on. They were trying to move around on the stage, holding the microphone and swaying their bodies to the rhythm of the music. Their dance moves were all lazy.
Ticket checking started at 5:30 p.m., and to avoid encountering Shanghai's evening rush hour, Jiang Chuyi and Xin He set off half an hour earlier.
They were seated in the front row viewing area, very close to the stage.
Before coming here, Jiang Chuyi was still a little worried. The "scandal" storm between her and Zong Ye has not yet subsided. She appeared at Xibao's concert and was photographed. She didn't know if it would cause any discussion again.
After arriving, Jiang Chuyi discovered that she really took herself too seriously.
Just like what Zongye said before, besides her and Xinhe, many people in the industry came to support the event. Some familiar and unfamiliar artists, including young singers from Taiwan and Hong Kong, came to join in the fun.
Maybe some people are not interested in this concert, but it would be a waste not to take advantage of the popularity.
It was still a bit cold today and the stadium was half-open. Jiang Chuyi couldn't help but wrap her coat tightly around her.
There was a group of stars sitting here, and Jiang Chuyi seemed out of place among them.
Because she was the only one wearing a blue and white lambskin coat that matched the weather, and she also wore warm long johns under her jeans. The rest of the people were basically dressed in fashion from head to toe, and some even specially styled themselves to come to the concert.
Before the show started, they held up their phones and took selfies in groups of three or four. After choosing the right photos, they happily posted on Weibo to cheer for Xibao and said that they were at the concert.
As the time approached seven o'clock, fans began to enter the venue one after another and warm-up music began to play.
As usual, the seats were divided into four areas. As the sky gradually darkened, each area lit up with fluorescent signs of different colors.
Wang Tan’s support color is silver, Ji Kai’s is green, Fu Cheng’s is gray, and Zong’s is blue.
I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but the field control cheering stick originally placed on Jiang Chuyi’s seat was blue.
She held it in her hand and studied it for a while, and found that there was a Q version portrait of Souya at the bottom of the stick.
This Q version is not only cute, but also has very meticulous details, even the rouge mole on the side of his neck.
Jiang Chuyi was about to take a picture with her phone when she found that Zong had sent her a message: "Are you there?"
Jiang Chuyi took a photo of the cheering stick and sent it to him.
After a while, the phone vibrated.
Muneya: "It seems like you're planning on being my fan today."
The sarcastic meaning of this sentence is a bit obvious.
Jiang Chuyi immediately thought of the previous incident of her trumpet being exposed. She was a little embarrassed and responded with an expression of covering her eyes with tears.
Souya: "After the concert, we are going to have dinner together. Do you want to come?"
Jiang Chuyi: "Where shall we eat?"
Zong Ye: "At my house, my uncle will cook, and Xin He will go too. He is a good cook, Teacher Jiang, would you mind giving him a favor?"
Jiang Chuyi hesitated and paused with her finger on the screen.
Souya: "Just consider it as a thank you for giving me my birthday present."
Jiang Chuyi came over and whispered to Xin He, "Zong Ye said we're going to his house for dinner later, are you going too?"
"Yes." Xin He glanced at her chat box and saw the sentence "Xin He is going too". She immediately understood why Fu Cheng called her late last night and said that Zong Ye specially invited her to dinner on his birthday.
Xin He rarely exposed Zong Ye. With a floating look in her eyes, she persuaded Jiang Chuyi, "Why don't you come with us? It will be more fun with more people."
Jiang Chuyi: "Okay."
She thought for a while and typed a reply: "Okay, then after the concert is over, Xin He and I will sit in our seats and wait for you?"
Souya: "I'll have my assistant take you backstage later."
Jiang Chuyi: "OK, go ahead and do your work~! Good luck later"
Souya: “Okay.”
*
The concert started on time at 7:30.
When the names of several people appeared on the big screen, the lights in the venue dimmed. Then the fonts changed, and the BloodXGentle logo emerged. A ring of fire and smoke suddenly sprayed out, and the stage in the center slowly rose, and four figures appeared.
In an instant, the majestic stadium with tens of thousands of people erupted into unified cheers of support.
Accompanied by the glow sticks on the central control and the lighting effects on the stage, the scene turned into a rainbow sea of four colors.
In my ears, there were shouts as surging as the tide, and the sound waves that never stopped were swept away. Almost every song, after a few sentences, could trigger a chorus from the whole audience.
As soon as the first tour of this Western Storm began, it immediately dominated the Weibo screen, topped the hot search list, and exploded in several entries.
Whether you are a fan of Xibao or not, you have to admit that their concerts are undoubtedly a great audio-visual enjoyment.
The stage design was in perfect harmony with the performance, with Fu Cheng and Wang Tan singing with their microphones, Zong Ye playing the bass, and Ji Kai playing the drums with abandon.
Just the few live clips that were leaked made countless fans wail. The thing they hate most in their lives is not being able to grab the sky-high priced tickets from scalpers.
If there is a slight flaw, it is that although the sound effects on site are very good, the accompaniment is almost unable to cover the cheers from the audience.
Like most people, Jiang Chuyi was completely immersed in their performance and even forgot to take out her phone to take pictures.
Time passed by unknowingly and soon it was eleven o'clock.
Towards the end, the atmosphere became relaxed.
The last song was a ballad that did not require any dance moves, so they began to interact with the audience.
The stage was very large, and several people walked away separately, each followed by a cameraman carrying a camera.
The lyrics scrolled on the big screen:
"There is a beam of light that crosses all my dreams."
"You are the stars that you see when you look up, and the clouds that you can never touch."
"I am willing to be dust and quicksand, and wish to have another sweet dream."
Jiang Chuyi watched Zong Ye walk over.
He stopped when he was only a few meters away from her.
Zong Ye is tall and has long legs. He half-crouched on the edge of the stage, singing while raising his other hand to greet the people in the audience.
Being close, Jiang Chuyi could see that the collar of his shirt was slightly open, revealing the thin silver chain around his neck.
"God showed mercy for a minute, and the clouds turned into rain and fell."
"You turn into a star and melt."
"I knew, at that moment, that I was saved by you."
Xin He whistled, made trumpet shapes with his hands and shouted: "Zong Ye, so handsome—"
Jiang Chuyi was infected by the happy atmosphere and followed the others, excitedly raising the glow stick in her hand and shaking it vigorously for him.
"If my wish comes true."
"If my wish comes true, I only wish you to be in my dream." "I only wish,"
The song gradually came to an end, all the accompaniment disappeared, and the people on the stage fell silent.
At the same time, bright and dazzling fireworks exploded in the deep blue night like a curtain, and thousands of balloons flew into the sky.
The fans' emotions were completely ignited, and the stadium was filled with deafening cheers.
The people around him were talking about it.
Jiang Chuyi held her breath and watched the romantic scene in front of her.
Until the music started again, Zongye tilted his head, and his sweat-soaked profile was illuminated by the fragmented light.
Star-shaped pieces of paper fell from the sky and scattered all over the place. It was a beautiful scene that only appeared in movies.
The moment Zong Ye stood up, he looked at Jiang Chuyi.
He smiled, held the microphone to his lips with his fingers, and sang the last line of the night:
"—The dream ends when you wake up and the stars tremble."
*
By the time the concert ended, it was almost twelve o'clock.
Jiang Chuyi's excited mood had not yet recovered. While sitting in the car, she couldn't help but use her mobile phone to watch the video of their first tour of the day.
Even though Jiang Chuyi didn't turn on the sound and was watching quietly on her own, she was still accidentally caught by Wang Tan.
He couldn't help but teasingly said, "Teacher Jiang, we are right next to you, isn't it good for you to see the real person?"
"You in real life..." Jiang Chuyi pursed her lips and spoke out her thoughts, "It feels a little different from on stage."
"What's the difference?"
"I can't really say." Jiang Chuyi thought for a moment and said, "He looks even more handsome on stage."
Hearing this, Zongye raised the corner of his mouth and glanced at her.
What surprised Jiang Chuyi a little was that Zong Ye's home was in an old alley with a very lively urban atmosphere. It was a small courtyard with a few sycamore trees planted at the door.
She followed them inside.
The TV in the room was playing a crosstalk, and the air was filled with the delicious smell of food.
Jiang Chuyi's mind was wandering, looking around.
Zongye's home is just like most ordinary people's, very clean and tidy, with a few guitars placed in the corner. The decoration style is unexpectedly simple and warm, which is in stark contrast to his top-star status.
"Oh, you guys are here."
Hearing the greeting, Jiang Chuyi slowed down his pace, turned around, and bumped head-on into the person carrying the dishes.
She subconsciously dodged two steps, but was still splashed with some oil.
Jiang Chuyi apologized immediately and bowed, "I'm sorry, I was distracted just now, I hope you didn't get burned."
"I'm fine." The man serving the dishes was a 50-something man with a very kind face. He put the steaming dishes on the table and said, "Your clothes are dirty. Do you want to wash them?"
Jiang Chuyi looked down at her clothes and waved her hand: "It doesn't matter, I'll get it done when I get home."
"Do you want to wash?" Zongye said, "It will be difficult to wash when you get home later."
"also."
Zongye took her upstairs.
He walked ahead and pushed open a door.
After Jiang Chuyi entered, she realized that this seemed to be his bedroom. There was a familiar bitter citrus scent in the room.
Passing by the big black bed, she didn't dare to look at it any longer. She lowered her head and followed behind Souya.
Zongye turned on the light.
The bathroom was isolated from the laughter and noise downstairs and seemed unusually quiet.
Being alone with him in such an intensely private place, she didn't know where to look.
Zongye apologized to her, "It's not convenient to take you to my uncle's room, so you can only come to my place."
Jiang Chuyi: "It's okay."
Zongye glanced at the oil spots on her sleeves, took out the toothpaste from the sink, and whispered, "There's nothing else at home, can we use this to make do?"
"Okay, okay." Jiang Chuyi said quickly, "Give it to me, I can do it myself."
Zongye stretched out his hand and showed her a little toothpaste that had been squeezed out on his fingertips.
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She raised her wrist in cooperation, "Thank you for your help."
Zongye smiled, "It's just a small matter."
He lowered his eyes, spread the toothpaste evenly on the stain with his fingers, and rubbed it for her patiently.
After finishing, Zongye said again: "Turn around, there are some on the back of your clothes too."
Jiang Chuyi turned her head.
Zongye picked up the toothpaste again, squeezed a little on his hand, and half squatted down.
They had just finished a concert, and Zong Ye hadn't even had time to change his clothes. In the soft warm yellow light, Jiang Chuyi could clearly see the texture of his hair.
She didn't know what to say, so she made small talk, "I watched your concert today..."
"Um?"
Jiang Chuyi recalled: "Yes, I think you are pretty amazing."
Zongye glanced at her, "What a great thing."
Jiang Chuyi: "She sings very well and plays the bass very well, like a big star."
No... He was already a big star.
She was about to correct herself when Zongye seemed amused by her and said, "What's wrong with being a big star?"
Jiang Chuyi: “Hmm?”
Zong Ye reached out and turned on the faucet. Amid the sound of the running water, Jiang Chuyi heard him whisper, "Big stars still have to help you wash your clothes."
(End of this chapter)