When the Stars Tremble

Chapter 33: Thirty-three stars

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Feng Jia was in the room and was stunned when she saw Zong Ye squatting in front of Jiang Chuyi.

Before they could come to their senses, they saw Zong Ye stand up and walk towards them.

As he approached, he stopped and the gentleness on his face gradually faded.

Feng Jia still felt guilty at this moment and looked at the person next to him.

"Please help me." Zongye said to the producer calmly, "Clear the scene."

Soon, several medical staff and workers all left, the door was closed, and the room returned to silence, leaving only the two of them.

Zong Ye leaned against the door, tilted his head, and quietly looked at the gentle woman with pale cheeks a few steps away.

He stood for a while, then took a few pieces of paper, walked over, and squatted in front of her again, "Stop crying?"

Jiang Chuyi shook her head slowly and whispered, "I'm not crying anymore."

"The small fan was stepped on and broken. I'll buy you another one. How many do you want?"

"No need." Jiang Chuyi looked up, "Where are the others?"

"I let them go first."

Seeing Zongye frowning slightly and pressing his eyes with his knuckles, Jiang Chuyi asked, "Are you okay?"

"It's okay, my eyes are a little sore." Zongye put his hand down, "The contact lens may have been squeezed out."

"I have eye drops in my bag. I'll give them to you later." Jiang Chuyi pursed her lips. "Are you scared too?"

"A little bit." Souya smiled helplessly, "But I wasn't scared by that group of people. I was scared when you cried."

Jiang Chuyi remained silent, and tried her best to force a smile, and said to him, "When I was a senior in high school, there was also a large stampede in Shanghai. At that time, my friends and I happened to go to the Bund to celebrate the New Year. I have a psychological trauma from this kind of thing."

Zong Ye looked at her for a while and asked, "Do you need a doctor to provide you with psychological counseling?"

"No need... I'm not scared anymore, it's not a big deal." Jiang Chuyi smiled at him again.

"It's not a big deal, why are you crying so much?" Zongye handed her another piece of paper and asked nonchalantly, "Are you so worried about that little fan?"

"I'm not crying just because I feel sorry for the little fan..." Jiang Chuyi said with a strong nasal voice.

"So." Zongye stared at her and asked slowly, "And me?"

The two of them, one squatting and one sitting, fell silent tacitly.

Jiang Chuyi survived the disaster, but her mind was still a mess.

But she vaguely felt that this topic seemed to go beyond the line between friends and she shouldn't cross it.

Jiang Chuyi has always been a person who follows the rules and does not want to make mistakes. She knows that her emotions are still out of control and that this is inappropriate.

But at this moment, he looked at her, waiting for her answer.

Jiang Chuyi nodded anyway.

He smiled, his gentle voice still calm, "Why do you feel sorry for me?"

Souya's eyes were indeed very beautiful, especially when he smiled slightly, and especially when he looked at her intently, which made her want to raise her hand and touch his eyelashes.

But she knew she couldn't touch it.

Jiang Chuyi could only lower her head.

She didn't speak for a long time.

Zong was also very patient, just like he always was, with infinite patience towards her. But he seemed to want to hear her answer, so he asked again, "Chu Yi, can you tell me why?"

Jiang Chuyi seemed to understand what he meant, but she also seemed not to be able to. She stared blankly at the crumpled white tissue in her hand.

For a long time, a small seed buried in her heart seemed to begin to tear, burst, and sprout. Without her noticing, it grew wildly and unbridled, rushing to her internal organs.

Some people say that when love comes, the first thing people feel is pain.

However, in psychology, there is a love illusion called the suspension bridge effect.

She couldn't tell whether the pain in her heart was due to the fear of surviving the disaster, or whether it was possible that, at this moment, under his continuous questioning, she suddenly realized that she had fallen in love with the person in front of her.

Just like what my cousin said, she was like many other people, with common tastes and fell in love with Souya.

But Jiang Chuyi is also different from them.

Because her love is destined not to be known to anyone.

Because of his identity and his profession.

She knew too well that love would almost mean destruction to Souya's thriving career.

Jiang Chuyi's face turned pale, and he used all his rationality to suppress the waves surging in his heart.

She could tell him any answer she wanted, except "I like you", which was the only thing she couldn't say out loud at this moment, and she couldn't tell Souya.

A few minutes later, Jiang Chuyi slowly raised her head, and her eyes regained their calmness.

She smiled at him and said carefully, word by word, "You got hurt to protect me, so it's only natural for me to worry about you."

This time, it was Souya's turn to remain silent.

He lowered his eyelashes, his voice still gentle, "Is it just because of this?"

Jiang Chuyi hummed, clenched her hands tightly, and did not dare to look at his expression.

After a long time, he said, "I know."

Zong Ye seemed to find himself ridiculous as well. He said an ambiguous apology to her and did not continue the topic as if nothing had happened.

After Jiang Chuyi wiped her face clean and restored her normal appearance, the two of them left the room one after the other.

Guest star Mao Zhenzhen was also frightened by the accident. She was standing aside with her assistant and saw Zong Ye coming out of the room.

Mao Zhenzhen felt a chill as he walked past her.

This "top star" who is rumored to be gentle and polite seems to be in a bad mood.

Several directors came forward to communicate with them for a few minutes, recorded a few empty scenes, and hastily ended today's recording.

*

That night, the news that Zongyepozi Street was blocked quickly became a hot search.

He posted a Weibo post, and the studio, BloodXGentle official Weibo account, and official fan club all issued announcements, calling on fans to chase idols and boycott proxy photographers and private life fans.

Before the official announcement was even made, the first Weibo post was an apology:

[During the recording of the show last night, due to the negligence of the relevant personnel, in order to pursue the "realistic feeling" that we wanted to present to the audience when shooting outdoors, Mr. Zong Ye and Ms. Jiang Chuyi had an accident. We solemnly apologize for this. After the incident, we immediately took emergency measures and promised that similar situations would not occur in future recordings. We also apologized to the fans of the two artists.]

"Stars Shine" Program Team/June 4, 2021

When the incident came out, Souya's fans were shocked and furious, and all of them changed their profile pictures to join the comment section:

[Be rational in chasing stars and resist sasaengs and proxy-photographing, but the fans should not be blamed for this matter. The production team cannot even stop the fanatical sasaengs, and cannot even guarantee the most basic personal safety of the artists. We do not accept reconciliation, please take Zongye seriously.]

[Who are you trying to fool? Using an apology template? Just to pursue some bullshit "realism"? Who do you think Zong Ye is? What misunderstanding do you have about the popularity of the top stars in the domestic entertainment industry? ! Who are you talking to? Do you think they are some unknown celebrities in your 80s? ! With such a large flow of people, you don't know how to clear the place, right? ! ! This is already a stampede, right? ? ? No one in the production team has a brain? ! ! Stupid production team, I want to kill you, go to hell! I don't accept your apology! Get out! Fuck you! ]

[Are these people rushing over crazy? Are they still fans? Are they possessed by a ghost? They just started touching and pinching. Souya's face turned pale. Didn't you see it? ]

[It's definitely not a fan. The real fans in the video are all at the back, shouting to maintain order. The one who rushed to the front and touched and pinched Zongye must be a passerby or a scalper. A real fan would never want to hurt him like this! ]

[I almost suffocated just watching the video. I didn’t have the courage to finish it. It’s really the Sima production team… ]

[Speechless, your real master has already told you to be rational in chasing stars, but you are still cursing. Cursing is fine, but you also don’t forget to brag about being “the top star in domestic entertainment”. I am also impressed by Zong Ye’s toxic fans. A bunch of instant noodle eaters worry about stars worth hundreds of millions every day...]

[Is the above professional black-talker a scumbag? Is it necessary to brag about the recognized top star in the domestic entertainment industry? Are you a beast? Zong Ye is not a star, he is just a victim. Does this have anything to do with how much money he made? ]

The situation escalated, and in addition to Souya's fans, some of Xibao's group fans, Ji Kai and Wang Tan's fans, and even Fu Cheng's toxic fans who had the most severe conflicts with Souya's family in the past, all came out to scold the program crew.

The fighting power was so strong that the program team had to send in water army overnight in an attempt to control public opinion.

But these four top streamers of Xibao have all fought their way out in bloody battles. Any one of them can wipe out half of the circle and they have never lost. What’s more, this time they have formed a rare united front, which has suppressed those whitewashed marketing accounts and left them powerless to fight back.

Seeing that it was useless to whitewash the program, the fans threatened to report the program team to the radio and television bureau. Several directors had no choice but to swallow their pride, hold several emergency meetings, and make several phone calls to the IM CEO to apologize.

At four o'clock in the morning, when the fans had almost vented their anger, BloodXGentle's official Weibo finally posted a new Weibo post to calm the storm.

The next day, #宗也坡子街# was still among the top hot searches, but apart from the scolding from the fans, the focus of discussion had changed.

[I don’t mean to kowtow to you… Sorry, I’ll kowtow first. But in this video, the female celebrity that Zong Ye is holding in his arms is Jiang Chuyi, right? Didn’t the scandal just end? They are working together again… There is something. ]

[This situation is really dangerous. If he's not careful, he could suffocate to death. But Zongye is still protecting the little star... Looking at his back against the wall, some cliché slogans come to my mind: You can touch me, but you can't touch my woman. [Lights a cigarette]]

As soon as the hot search came out, the super topic of "Yi Jian Zong Qing" also went crazy for the whole night.

The first is that it is confirmed that they are working together. CP fans don’t have to wait until the movie is released, and there is a large amount of material to watch. It is simply good news from heaven.

The second is that I feel sorry for Zong Ye and Jiang Chuyi for encountering such a thing. The production crew is really inhumane.

The third is that they are still so happy when they encounter such a thing. This world is probably hopeless...

So half of the super topic started to curse the unscrupulous program crew, and the other half started to post "You're so serious, I'm crying" literature.

[I really don't want to rely on this kind of serious "social news" to talk about Jiang Chuyi's relationship with Zongye, but, but, Zongye, you used your body to block those crazy people from touching Chuyi, aren't you afraid of death? Do you know that you are the biggest cash cow of IM? Do you know that you are a top star? Your life is worthless compared to Jiang Chuyi, right? You really, I am crying. ]

[Seeing Chu Yi panicking and helping Zong Ye to block those dirty hands, they just ran towards each other. GEM has already started singing the line "Fate wants us to love each other in times of trouble"]

[The atmosphere between the two of them is really different.]

[When to do it, when to do it, when to do it, you really need to watch them do it, no kidding]

[Actually, I am still quite rational. I am not sure if they are in a relationship now, but I think at least Xiao Zong seems to be crazy in love (who understands). Although the production team is rubbish, I am really looking forward to "Shining Stars". I can't wait to watch it, woooooo]

[I am going to quote a famous quote from the CP circle, "We once talked about our hidden love to our heart's content in front of a large group of friends." It is appropriate to see that the relationship will always be passionately in love [raise a toast]]

*

Because Zong Ye had an accident in May Day Square, the program crew directly suspended all outdoor recordings of the four members of Xibao the next day.

The screenwriter team worked day and night from top to bottom to revise the content and came up with a new script, performing most of the tasks in Changsha indoors.

Some store visits were directly passed, and for the parts that had to be filmed on the streets, the program crew hired several times more people than usual to block the onlookers.

Frightened by the scolding from fans online, wherever Souya went, including the places for rest and eating, all the places were cleared out in advance.

However, once the shooting content was adjusted, the guests became even more tired. After all, they had to play games indoors all the time, including many physical PK sessions, and they had no time to rest for a moment.

In the early morning after the first recording was completed, in the car returning to the hotel, Feng Jia discussed with Jiang Chuyi the time and content of the next recording.

It was about ten days later, in Guangdong.

Feng Jia repeatedly confirmed: "There will be a part where we will play games in a swimming pool. The guests will need to enter the water. Should you have any problem with that?"

"No problem, I can swim."

"That's fine." Feng Jia sighed, "I'm afraid something will happen between you and Zongye again, which would be a serious sin."

Jiang Chuyi clapped her hands.

As soon as Jiang Chuyi and Xiao Zhong walked in, they found Ah Xi sitting on the sofa in the lobby.

When he saw them, he immediately stood up and called out, "Teacher Jiang."

Jiang Chuyi recognized him as Zong Ye's assistant, stopped and exclaimed, "What's wrong?"

Ah Xi glanced at the people around her in embarrassment.

Jiang Chuyi said to Xiao Zhong: "Go upstairs and wait for me first."

After everyone left, Ah Xi coughed, his expression a little unnatural: "Teacher Zong is on the top floor of the hotel. He said that if he sees you, he will let me tell you."

"say what?"

Ah Xi: "If you want to drink, you can go up to him."

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the rain that had been falling since the evening had not stopped and was getting heavier.

She asked, "Is he still on the top floor?"

Ah Xi nodded: "Yes."

The design of the top floor of this hotel is very strange. It is an inverted triangular sloping building with a piece of the roof hollowed out in the middle, where there is a small camping tent.

Jiang Chuyi lifted the curtain of the tent.

There was only a warm yellow chandelier, a small table and a few chairs inside.

Zong Ye seemed to have expected her to come. He didn't touch the wine on the table and just sat there waiting.

Jiang Chuyi walked in with a slight bend and put away the umbrella. "Why do you suddenly want to ask me to drink?"

Seeing her come in, Zongye put out the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.

As she asked, she sat down next to him, put the umbrella at her feet, and wiped the water off her arms with paper.

"I only know Xin He as your friend." Zong Ye helped her hang up the umbrella and answered her, "So I asked Fu Cheng to help ask what you would do when you are in a bad mood."

Jiang Chuyi was silent.

When she and Xin He were filming, they would occasionally go out for drinks to relieve their mood.

but…

Jiang Chuyi glanced at the bottles of fruit beer on the table and was silent for a moment. "Thank you, but these fruit beers you bought are probably just like drinks to me."

"I'm sorry." Zongye smiled, "I forgot that you can drink more than me."

"How do you know I'm in a bad mood?" Jiang Chuyi asked.

She thought back and realized that she had been behaving quite normally these past two days after the accident. On the contrary, Zong Ye was even less talkative. When they were on the same team, she gave instructions for tasks while he listened and didn't talk much.

Muneya: "I guessed, because I was in a normal mood."

Jiang Chuyi thought for a while, then suddenly stood up and said to him hurriedly, "Then wait for me for a while."

Zongye raised his eyes, but before he could say anything, he saw her grab the umbrella and run out again.

Ten minutes later, Jiang Chuyi returned to the camping tent, carrying a large bag of things with her.

Jiang Chuyi bent down, took out the things one by one and placed them on the small table.

Zongye looked at the bottles of Erguotou, then turned his gaze back to her and asked, "You want to drink this?"

"Yeah, aren't you in a bad mood?" Jiang Chuyi explained, "I usually get drunk easily when I drink white wine, and then I feel better when I wake up."

Zong Ye: “…”

Jiang Chuyi comforted him: "Don't worry, I drink all these Erguotou myself, you can just drink fruit beer, I also bought you melon seeds, sugar-free."

A smile appeared on Souya's lips again, and he murmured, "Okay."

Before opening the Erguotou, Jiang Chuyi sent a message to Xiao Zhong, saying that if she didn't reply after an hour and a half, he would come to the rooftop to pick her up.

"Will someone suddenly come up?" Jiang Chuyi asked.

Zong Ye: "Don't worry, Ah Xi is outside. It's raining heavily today, most people won't come up unless they have nothing to do."

Jiang Chuyi nodded.

Zong Ye opened the pull ring of the fruit beer and clinked glasses with Jiang Chuyi.

Erguotou is very strong and difficult to swallow at first, but after you get drunk, it's almost like drinking water.

Zong Ye drank slowly, supporting his chin and tilting his head to watch her drink.

Jiang Chuyi's mind was getting hotter and hotter. While she still had a little consciousness, she blurted out what she had been holding back for a long time, "Zong Ye, there is something I want to discuss with you."

Souya: “Hmm?”

Jiang Chuyi organized her words, "My PD told me a few days ago that the production team might want us to go the CP route, and the post-production editing might also lean in that direction."

He was silent.

Jiang Chuyi took another sip and said to herself, "I don't know if telling you this is considered a breach of contract, but I still want to tell you in advance. After all, you are also the party involved. With the difference in popularity between us, I will definitely benefit from hyping up the couple, but..."

She was a little drunk and staggering, trying her best to explain herself clearly, "It's just like what my agency did before, riding on your popularity or something. So in the future, if the program team makes some arrangements for you that make you uncomfortable, if you don't feel comfortable asking, I will refuse it."

"What's wrong with me?" he asked.

Jiang Chuyi whispered to herself, "It's just a rumor. Your fans will have opinions about it, right? I'm afraid it will attract too much negative attention and cause you harm."

Zong Ye remained calm, "Before I participated in this variety show, I also signed a contract, so I am obliged to obey the arrangements of the program team."

She nodded slightly and took a few more sips of her wine.

The two of them fell silent. Outside, the rain could be heard hitting the tent. Jiang Chuyi felt the familiar pain in her chest again.

She didn't say anything in the hotel room that day, and she might never have the chance to tell him again.

They all chose to cooperate with the program crew in hyping the scandal, which means that this rumor will never become a fact.

Any top star has endless rumors about couples, couples, and true or false gossip. However, as long as it is not true and not officially announced, it will not damage the fan base.

One thing that no traffic star can escape.

If the relationship were to be exposed, Zong Ye's popularity would be severely hit and he would also lose a lot.

The only thing Jiang Chuyi can do now is to prevent the rumors between them from becoming facts.

Even, at some necessary moment in the future, she needs to stand up and clarify for Souya instead of deceiving the fans who like him.

Jiang Chuyi drank one glass after another until someone asked her, "Are you drunk?"

She paused her mechanical movements and answered the voice, "Drunk."

"So, will you still remember what we said now?"

Jiang Chuyi hesitated, stammering, "I don't know... I guess, I can't remember."

The voices in my ears quieted down.

Jiang Chuyi took a few more sips, and when she put down the cup, the faint male voice sounded again.

"Chu Yi." He called her name, "Has anyone ever told you that sometimes your sincerity, or your gentleness and patience, or even your blessings, your kindness, and your softness, to some extent, can bring pain to others?"

After hearing these words, Jiang Chuyi couldn't understand what they meant.

"For example." Her brain seemed to be unable to work, and she said dazedly but honestly, "I may have drunk too much, so I don't quite understand what you said."

"Because I didn't explain it clearly." Zongye looked at her, "I know you may not want to understand yet."

For some reason, Jiang Chuyi said, "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

Souya's eyes were dark, as if he was suppressing something.

After waiting for a long time and getting no answer, Jiang Chuyi finally couldn't resist the alcohol and fell on the table. In the second when her consciousness fell into chaos and darkness, she vaguely heard a sigh.

The male voice was very gentle, fleeting, and drowned in the rain.

—"It doesn't matter. I can be hurt by you at will."

*

It was raining heavily outside and the wind was blowing. The dim yellow chandelier kept shaking and the light inside the camping tent was dim.

Zongye finished the last bit of the wine in the can and put it back on the table.

She fell asleep on the table, with the ends of her hair falling beside Souya's hands.

His expression was calm, but he couldn't hide the fascination in his eyes. His fingers gently slid over the ends of her hair repeatedly, reluctantly and finally, he gently wrapped around the tuft of black hair.

He couldn't do anything more extreme.

Even though there was something in his heart that was about to break free and swallow up all his gentle appearances, he couldn't do anything more extreme.

Zong Ye reminded himself.

This was the only polite touch he could do from a moral perspective after she was drunk, touching a part of her body.

But that’s all.

Without Jiang Chuyi's permission, he shouldn't indulge himself in getting closer to her, because he didn't know how long he could endure.

Perhaps the greatest pain a person can experience comes from knowing too clearly what he wants but not being able to get it.

And what little sanity and gentleness he had left had been destroyed.

Zong Ye thought that he was not a good person.

Not a normal person either.

He is a rotten person.

Because when he told the director to clear the scene and returned to the room alone.

When the door was closed behind them, they were the only two left in the room.

He looked at Jiang Chuyi's tears calmly.

Zong Ye knew that she was feeling sorry for herself.

But what he was thinking was, when he kissed her, went to bed with her, and made love with her, he wondered if she would cry so miserably.

(End of this chapter)