Chapter 31: Love Letters are dazzling, beautiful, and everlasting.
The phone on the table rang a few times.
Zhou Yu picked it up and saw that it was a small group chat of six people. Zhuo Wencheng had cut out a clip from the variety show and added a laugh that was too long to count.
Zhuo Wencheng: [Hahahahahahahahaha]
Xu Yue: [Isn't this Chi Ge's Weibo introduction?]
Zhan Li: [She really has a subtle sense of humor. Does any of you understand me?]
Tan Bei: [So what? I also saved your contact as Zhan Li from Class 28, Grade 11.]
Zhan Li: [That's just laziness]
Zhan Li: [Will you add "Zhan Li, male student from Jiangbei No. 7 Middle School" as a contact name for me?]
Tan Bei: [Hahahahahahahaha]
Judging from Chen Jingchi's reaction to the postcard last time, he does read the group messages, but rarely speaks. After Zhuo Wencheng posted the clip in the group, Zhou Yu couldn't pretend she hadn't seen the variety show.
She was reluctant to explain this to Chen Jingchi alone, so she decided to respond here while there were many people in the group.
Zhou Yu: [I didn't know I was recording a program at the time.]
Zhou Yu: [Image]
She sent him a screenshot of Chen Jingchi's friend list, which showed his WeChat nickname directly to the right of his profile picture, indicating that she had not saved a note for him.
When Zhou Yu first added Chen Jingchi as a friend, he had no idea that they would have so many collaborations later, let alone become friends, so he didn't bother to add a name in his contacts. Recognizing him was as simple as looking at his profile picture and name.
Fortunately, Chen Jingchi is not someone who likes to change his profile picture and nickname.
Her explanation received a reply from the person herself very quickly.
Chen Jingchi: [Is there a difference?]
Zhou Yu wanted to add something, but the others typed faster and sent several strings of "hahaha." She watched as she opened and closed the input box several times before finally deciding not to provoke him anymore.
Since things have already come to this, let them be misunderstood. Zhou Yu was completely at a loss.
After teasing the two, everyone started talking about their plans for New Year's Day. Seeing that none of them were going home, Zhuo Wencheng suggested that they spend New Year's Eve together.
Tan Bei: [Is there a place where we can set off fireworks? There are so many of us, we'll need to rent a big house, right?]
Zhuo Wencheng: [Would a three-story villa with a yard be big enough?]
Zhan Li: [I'm worried that some urban areas won't allow it.]
Xu Yue: [Just find a place where you can see the fireworks show, right?]
Zhuo Wencheng: [A villa by the river? I'll go take a look.]
Xu Yue: [@Chen Jingchi, are you free to come over?]
Chen Jingchi: [It depends]
Half a minute later.
Tan Bei: [@Zhou Yu Baobao, do you want to come play with us? I'll make you a handmade cake [spinning around]]
This year, New Year's Day fell on a Saturday, which felt like a non-existent weekend. For Zhou Yu, who never had a sense of ritual, holidays other than Lunar New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were just ordinary days with no special meaning. Seeing Tan Bei's warm invitation, she couldn't refuse and accepted.
Tan Bei was visibly happy: 【Yay! I want to share a room with you!】
Zhou Yu searched through the emoji library for a long time before finally picking a cute emoji that seemed quite appealing.
Around 10 p.m., Fan Xin urged Zhou Yu to check the trending topics on Weibo: "You two are making me laugh so hard."
Zhou Yu clicked on the trending topics list. The variety show tonight was generating a lot of discussion, appearing on several related hot searches. Her nickname for Chen Jingchi was prominently listed, its popularity almost rivaling the top spot on the trending topics list.
Following closely behind is another post: #Chen Jingchi changed his Weibo bio#.
Zhou Yu thought he had changed his bio to avoid misunderstanding, but when she clicked into his account homepage from the topic, she found that he had also added "male" before the word "singer," which completely confirmed the "nickname" she had given him.
Zhou was both amused and exasperated, unable to comprehend it. He felt that this behavior was not something Chen Jingchi would do; it should be Du Heng.
Since the person in question personally joined in the meme, Zhou Yu's guilt gradually disappeared, and he remained silent on Weibo as always.
Before leaving the topic, Zhou Yu glanced at the trending posts on the square. The first one had a lot of likes and comments.
@ForbiddenHeartbeat: I'm telling you guys, don't be misled. Only very close friends would joke like that. Didn't you see CJC laughing even after hanging up the phone?
Zhou Yu initially thought this made sense, but when he clicked into the comments section and saw the top comment, he immediately fell silent.
Never mind that, everyone should listen to Chen Jingchi's new song "Evening Star Falling," his first collaboration with goddess Zhu Qi—every line is absolutely breathtaking!
Unexpectedly, even in this kind of post, there were fans controlling the comments. Promoting the new song was one thing, but they also had to mention the goddess. Zhou Yu left Weibo with no interest, thinking that she should never open the square again to avoid making a fool of herself.
*
The following evening, when An Kejia returned to the dormitory, she brought two apples for the two of them, exaggeratingly saying that no one usually eats these things, but they sell for nine yuan and ninety cents each at Christmas, and there are actually suckers who buy them.
Fan Xin asked curiously, "Who is this sucker?"
"Male guest number one," An Kejia said, laughing at herself, "I seem like a 'bad girl,' stringing several guys along without giving them a straight answer."
“What do you call a bad girl?” Fan Xin comforted her. “If someone likes you, you have the upper hand. What’s that saying again? Whoever falls in love first loses.”
Zhou Yu was reporting her recent situation to Liu Xianya when she heard this and looked up at her.
"Put a few targets in the pond, and catch the fattest fish," Fan Xin said eloquently. "That's what all the boys do, so don't feel guilty."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu lowered his head again.
I almost thought she was giving a profound lecture.
An Kejia was amused by her and then brought up other things: "By the way, let me tell you, I just heard a rumor today about Chen Jingchi and Zhu Qi."
Zhou Yufu raised his head again.
Fan Xin took a fruit knife and peeled the apple: "Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."
"Didn't some fans post photos tonight showing Chen Jingchi going to the TV station's New Year's Eve rehearsal?" An Kejia said. "I heard Zhu Qi went with him too."
Fan Xin glanced in Zhou Yu's direction: "He and Zhu Qi? Singing 'Evening Star Falling'?"
“Probably, otherwise why would Zhu Qi go to New Year’s Eve? She can’t host.” An Kejia looked at the apple peel that Fan Xin was peeling and getting longer and longer, kicked the trash can over, and continued, “I saw that there are still people on Weibo who ship them as a couple. If they were to stand together and sing this kind of sweet song, I really can’t imagine how loud the screams would be.”
Having experienced a setback in her previous relationship, Fan Xin is now more clear-headed. She handed the peeled apple to Zhou Yu first, then picked up another one and started peeling it: "I saw that Chen Jingchi performed quite well in that variety show. He was very polite to the other guests, unlike the kind of person who doesn't pay much attention to people. I guess even if he's not interested in her, he won't show it too obviously."
“He’s usually alright.” An Kejia felt that she might have some stereotypes. “I asked him for an autograph before and he gave it to me. I don’t think he’s aloof.”
“I wonder if he will create a persona in front of the camera,” Fan Xin said. “Actually, I think he’s gained by creating a CP with Zhu Qi. She’s called the nation’s daughter for a reason.”
Zhou Yu held the apple in his hand without eating it, watching it oxidize from a pale yellowish-white to a dark red.
I finally took my first bite.
It's flashy but impractical; it looks big, but it's not sweet and tastes sour.
They started talking about their holiday plans again.
"We're both going home," Fan Xin asked Zhou Yu. "Zhou Zhou, what about you?"
“I’m not going back,” Zhou Yu said matter-of-factly. “I have plans.”
An Kejia had been suspicious of her ever since the last time, and said with a smile, "Zhou Zhou, do you have a crush on a male guest? Why didn't you tell us?"
"Really, no." Zhou Yu looked at them with clear eyes, without any attempt to hide anything. "I went out with some new friends, girls."
She seemed so sincere that they both believed her and didn't ask any further questions.
*
After finishing the New Year's Eve rehearsal, Chen Jingchi had just arrived backstage when Zhu Qi called him over.
"Chen Jingchi." Zhu Qi took off the sunglasses she had worn during rehearsals, smiled at him, and said, "Let's add each other on WeChat."
She was followed by several people, including her assistant and agent. Chen Jingchi didn't refuse her and exchanged contact information with her.
After leaving the broadcasting building and getting into the car, Du Heng noticed him looking down at his phone and asked, "You didn't delete Zhu Qi's WeChat, did you?"
Chen Jingchi gave him a strange look: "I just added it and then deleted it. Do you think I'm bored?"
Du Heng breathed a sigh of relief, and couldn't help but laugh when he thought about how much he had reacted: "I was being petty and judging others by my own standards. I apologize."
"Don't say that yet, you might regret it." Chen Jingchi put away his phone and said, "I told her I had no plans to date."
"..."
Seeing his speechless expression, Chen Jingchi's mood improved: "Regret it?"
"It's good to be clear," Du Heng sighed. "It's just that being too direct might cause people to have a problem with you."
"It doesn't matter." The smile on Chen Jingchi's lips gradually disappeared. "I don't want to sing this song a second time."
Chen Jingchi was scheduled to perform two songs on the TV New Year's Eve special: "Evening Star Falls" and "Vulgar Monster." The organizers initially invited both of them, but Du Heng secured the opportunity to sing a solo.
Chen Jingchi was well aware of the price he had to pay to get this opportunity. In terms of star power, without Zhu Qi, he wouldn't have had a chance to play.
Du Heng understood what he meant. Thinking about his performance during the rehearsal, he felt a surge of anger that he couldn't let go of, and he felt suffocated.
He had seen Chen Jingchi when he first signed with Shengyu, full of youthful vigor and sharp edges, but now he was forced to sing a song he didn't want to sing just for a performance opportunity. It's normal for stubborn people in the entertainment industry to have their edges smoothed out, and he just didn't want to see that happen with this young man.
Although I sometimes fear that he will act recklessly, I still hope that he can grow freely and without restraint.
"Tell me something you'd like to hear," Du Heng said in a more relaxed tone. "We've finalized the recording rights, and we're looking for someone to do the post-production."
This was probably the only good news tonight. Chen Jingchi turned to look at him and asked, "How much did the company spend?"
It's obvious that the new song released for the TV series is still going strong, and with Zhu Qi involved, the record company will definitely stick to their guns.
Du Heng laughed: "This isn't something you should worry about. When do you want to release it?"
Chen Jingchi stared at him for a long time, then spoke with a slightly hoarse voice: "Thank you, brother."
*
On the last day of the year, the afternoon was still full of classes.
During the second class, it was obvious from the empty seats at the front that many students were absent. Fan Xin turned her head and asked in a low voice, "Do you think they asked for leave or skipped class?"
“The counselor won’t approve leave at this time,” An Kejia whispered back. “They probably think the teacher won’t take attendance.”
The teacher in this class did not make things difficult for them, and did not mention taking attendance even though not everyone was present.
An Kejia was browsing Weibo when Zhou Yu glanced at the first post on the homepage, which was Chen Jingchi's official announcement of New Year's Eve.
She looked away and noticed her phone screen was lit up. During class, she would put her phone on silent mode and turn it upside down on her desk to avoid being distracted by messages, but she hadn't done that today.
Like others eager to return home, she couldn't sit still and couldn't concentrate on the teacher's lessons.
To celebrate the New Year with some friends, Zhuo Wencheng booked a riverside villa. Zhan Li and Tan Bei, who didn't have class in the second period, went there early to prepare the things they would need that night, taking many photos and videos to share in the group chat, praising Boss Zhuo for his generosity.
Seeing the four of them chatting so enthusiastically, Zhou Yu, who usually dislikes holidays, actually felt the atmosphere of the approaching New Year in advance. This was her first time spending New Year's Eve with so many people, and although she didn't know their specific plans for the night, she couldn't help but feel excited.
As soon as the bell rang, the classroom swarmed to the door and dispersed. An Kejia leaned close to Zhou Yu, gave her a hug, and said with a smile, "Zhou Zhou, Happy New Year in advance! Xin Xin and I are leaving now."
Even intimate contact with a girl made Zhou Yu somewhat flustered. She stood frozen in place, forcing a smile: "Okay, be careful on your way."
The two waved to her and went out together to hail a taxi.
Zhuo Wencheng messaged her that the car to pick her up was already waiting at the school gate. Zhou Yu walked quickly to the gate, and Xu Yue in the passenger seat waved to her from the window: "Over here!"
After getting in the car, Zhuo Wencheng, who was sitting in the back seat, asked Xu Yue, "What work do you have today, Brother Chi?"
"Music festival," Xu Yue said, turning to the two of them. "They're out of town, so they probably can't make it."
"What a pity." Zhuo Wencheng sighed, then complained, "What's wrong with Brother Du Heng? He's been so busy these past two months, and tomorrow is New Year's Day, yet he can't even give people a day off today."
"Aren't you still in class today?" Xu Yue said with a smile. "Actually, he doesn't take many days off. Most of the time, he's busy when he doesn't have classes or on weekends."
“I even asked the housekeeper to move the instruments to the yard, planning to hold an open-air concert. How can we do it without him?” Zhuo Wencheng leaned back in his chair, looking melancholy. “After Brother Chi became famous, he became detached from the public. I don’t see him for a whole month.”
He and Zhan Li were not majoring in music performance, so they didn't see each other in class.
“How could I not see him?” Xu Yue said. “He’s quite active online, isn’t he? He’s even performing at the New Year’s Eve gala tonight.”
"Oh, with that Zhu Qi?" Zhuo Wencheng said this with a somewhat subtle tone.
Zhou Yu listened to their conversation in silence. When she heard this name, she subconsciously turned her head to look at him.
Zhuo Wencheng chuckled and continued, "I used to say that their looks were too striking and they weren't suitable to be together, but it turns out they're going to be performing on the same stage tonight."
He noticed Zhou Yu's gaze, looked at her, and added, "It's about singing the song you wrote for them."
These words made Zhou Yu frown uncomfortably. She wanted to correct that it was a song written for him, but then she thought that it was already a given fact in the eyes of the listeners, and she had nothing to argue about.
Instead, it only adds to your own troubles.
He opened his mouth, then closed it in silence.
Upon arriving at the villa, Zhou Yu saw the yard decorated with lights and colorful decorations, including a Christmas tree adorned with ornaments that hadn't been moved even a week after Christmas. It was already dark when the colored lights on the gate were turned on, and cheerful music played from the stereo. Zhan Li and Tan Bei were working together to move the barbecue grill out.
Xu Yue stepped forward to help, and Tan Bei called Zhuo Wencheng, asking him to bring over all the ingredients prepared in the living room: "There's also a hot pot. We've already prepared the broth; just plug it in and we can start eating."
Upon seeing Zhou Yu, Tan Bei ran towards her: "You're here!"
"Mm." Zhou Yu handed her the wrapped gift box from his bag and whispered, "Happy New Year, this is a little something for you."
Zhou Yu felt bad about receiving so many small gifts when he first met Chen Jingchi at her house, and he kept waiting to return them when he saw her a second time. Little did he know that he would have to wait for more than a month.
Not knowing Tan Bei's preferences, and thinking that her personality was similar to An Kejia's, she specifically asked An Kejia for her opinion before choosing a Lingna Belle gift set. Even Zhou Yu, who wasn't interested in furry things, felt a pang of tenderness upon seeing the photo.
Tan Bei's eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice as well: "Am I the only one who has it?"
Zhou Yu nodded, her eyes crinkling.
"Ah, thank you!" Tan Bei took the gift box and smiled at her. "I'll open it after midnight, consider it a New Year's gift."
"OK."
When Tan Bei saw Zhou Yu carrying such a big bag, she couldn't help but whisper to her, "Last time you carried this bag, was it also a gift for Chen Jingchi?"
Zhou Yu was taken aback, not expecting her to see through him. He didn't intend to hide it and nodded, "You all know that it was his birthday that day, right?"
"I know," Tan Bei honestly admitted, sharing the secret with her. "But he doesn't let us tell you, because he's afraid you'll give him gifts. He doesn't accept gifts when we go out to eat either, saying he doesn't like celebrating birthdays."
No wonder no one mentioned her birthday during their long stay at his house; it turned out Chen Jingchi had told them beforehand. Upon learning the truth from her, Zhou Yu felt that not liking birthdays was just an excuse; otherwise, he wouldn't have set aside that day without work and instead invited friends to his house to spend it together.
Fortunately, she gave the right gift, and Chen Jingchi accepted it without embarrassing her.
"But he'll definitely love what you gave him," Tan Bei comforted her again. "He even posted it on Weibo, did you see it?"
"I saw it." Zhou Yu smiled and didn't continue the topic.
The boys moved the barbecue and hot pot ingredients to the stone table in the courtyard. Although it wasn't as warm outside as inside with the air conditioning on, the atmosphere was festive and lively. Zhan Li and Zhuo Wencheng were in charge of grilling the meat, and to prevent it from getting cold, they told the others to eat first.
Tan Bei sat next to Zhou Yu and chatted with her about the interesting things that had happened recently. Her focus was different from others; she could always find fun in the ordinary little things in life. Even if she didn't speak, just listening to her talk would infect you with her optimistic and lively mood, make you forget all your worries, and immerse yourself in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
After grilling the meat, Zhan Li sat back down at the dining table. Zhuo Wencheng pushed the portable TV in the living room to the doorway and said, "Our Brother Chi has a performance tonight, everyone please support him."
"Is it his turn?" Tan Bei asked doubtfully. "I saw on the program that he's quite far down the list."
"Let's leave it for now." Zhuo Wencheng quickly sat down. "It's been roasting all night, I'll just have a couple of bites."
Zhou Yu has a small appetite and eats slowly. Chatting with Tan Bei and listening to the boys' jokes makes the time pass by very quickly.
Around 10 o'clock, Zhan Li, who was closest to the TV, shouted, "Here he comes! It's Brother Chi's turn!"
Zhou Yu was sitting right across from the television, able to see the screen simply by looking up. When the host announced Chen Jingchi and Zhu Qi's names, the audience erupted in cheers.
The two appeared on the screen, standing on either side of each other, with a distance of about five or six meters between them.
Zhu Qi sang first, while Chen Jingchi kept his head down, making his face obscured. When it was his turn, he finally showed his face to the camera, but despite singing a tender love song, his face was expressionless, which looked very strange compared to Zhu Qi's smiling face.
"Why are you so unhappy?" Zhuo Wencheng laughed uncontrollably. "It's like someone tied him up and made him sing."
Xu Yue laughed along, saying, "I can attest to that; his live performances weren't like this before."
Zhou Yu's gaze followed the close-up shot. Although various reasons made her reluctant to listen to the song, it was, after all, a work she had put effort into writing, and she couldn't truly ignore it. The New Year's Eve gala was pre-recorded, and although the audio was also edited, Zhou Yu could hear that Chen Jingchi's voice had lost the gentle undertone of the studio version, becoming as emotionless as Zhu Qi's, with only technique remaining.
The two were singing a love song, but they didn't make eye contact once during the entire performance. It was as if they were complete strangers who were forced to have a blind date dinner together, and after the meal, they went their separate ways and never contacted each other again.
"Was he in a bad mood the day he recorded the video?" Zhan Li guessed.
"That means Brother Chi still doesn't like this one," Zhuo Wencheng said bluntly. "If it were me, I'd be overjoyed."
Just as the group finished talking and the song ended, the title "Vulgar Monster" appeared on the screen.
"Huh? There's another one," Zhuo Wencheng said. "Is this a solo piece?"
Tan Bei was looking at the program schedule when she replied, "Yes."
Unlike his previous song, "Vulgar Monster" doesn't pour as much emotion into it, which makes Chen Jingchi's performance seem less out of place and much more normal.
After singing two songs and finishing their hotpot, everyone tidied up. The boys gathered to play board games, while Tan Bei pulled Zhou Yu into the kitchen to make a cake.
Zhou Yu's cooking skills were practically nonexistent, let alone her ability to make desserts. She tried to imitate Tan Bei's steps one by one, and surprisingly, she managed to make them look quite decent.
She usually feels sleepy around 11 PM, but today she was probably too excited and didn't feel tired even as the clock approached midnight, fiddling around in the kitchen for ages. The cake she made needed to be refrigerated so it would be ready to eat tomorrow. Just as she closed the refrigerator door, Zhan Li called from the kitchen doorway, "Come out quickly, come out quickly, the fireworks show is about to start!"
Jiangbei has a tradition of holding a midnight fireworks display for the New Year, and the villa, located right by the river, offered the best vantage point. Everyone came out of the villa and stood in the courtyard, counting down the time. Tan Bei raised her phone, ready to film.
Zhou wanted to stand on the steps and take out his phone to record a video, but as if by telepathy, a WeChat message popped up as soon as he took it out.
Chen: [How do I get into the villa?]
Chen: [Come out and meet me]
Seeing that it was sent by Chen Jingchi, Zhou Yu's heart stirred slightly. She carefully confirmed that he had not sent it in the group, but had sent it to her privately.
There's a narrow road leading to the villa entrance that cars can't drive on; you can only walk. Chen Jingchi sending this message indicates that he's arrived.
I didn't expect him to come over.
Zhou Yu clearly felt that the moment she saw the message, all other thoughts in her mind were cleared away. She didn't even have time to reply to the message before she immediately stepped out of the yard.
No one else noticed her. Zhou Yu left the courtyard, turned on her phone's flashlight, and walked faster and faster, almost jogging.
It wasn't until he looked up and saw a tall figure walking towards him that Zhou Yu suddenly stopped in his tracks, standing still and not taking another step forward.
There were few streetlights on this road. Chen Jingchi was wearing a black overcoat, and he almost blended into the night. Only the faint moonlight made his profile vaguely visible.
Zhou Yu stared at him, motionless, until he approached and his face became clearer, his tall shadow enveloping her entirely.
Chen Jingchi stopped in front of her, a smile playing on his lips, and asked, "You're not angry with me anymore?"
The first words he uttered left Zhou Yu speechless. She wanted to say when she had ever been angry with him, but she felt a little guilty about what she had done and didn't want to pretend to be stubborn. She turned her head to look at the river and refused to look at him.
“The production team didn’t tell me it was a duet at first. They only told me after I finished composing the music, recording the audio, and submitting it.” Chen Jingchi explained slowly, word by word, “There was no way to cancel the collaboration.”
Zhou looked at him again, this time without looking away.
She could hear the helplessness in the words "there's no way." He had once again made concessions and compromises.
It turns out I had misunderstood him.
She should have realized it sooner; Chen Jingchi was never one to act first and ask questions later. Despite their many interactions, Zhou Yu still managed to build complete trust in him.
Those impulsive actions became the root cause of Zhou Yu's guilt. She was speechless for a moment, with many words she wanted to say stuck in her throat, unable to come up or down, and she tasted some bitterness.
"I don't want to disappoint you, I don't want you to think I broke my promise. After all, it was written in my name."
Chen Jingchi's sentence was short, but every word tugged at her heartstrings. Zhou Yu tried her best to speak: "Actually, I don't care anymore."
"Hmm." Chen Jingchi picked up his phone, glanced at it, and seeing that it was almost time, said, "Open Weibo."
He abruptly changed the subject, and Zhou Yu hesitated for a few seconds before unlocking his screen and opening Weibo.
The latest update after refreshing is Chen Jingchi's timed Weibo post.
@Chen Jingchi:
I asked her if she could write love songs.
[Web link][Evening Star Falls - Solo Version]
The time in the upper left corner of the screen jumped from 23:59 to 00:00.
In the final moment of silence, Chen Jingchi said to her, "Zhou Yu, Happy New Year."
The first firework in the sky exploded with a bang, just like the sound of her heartbeat.
The sound was deafening.
The dazzling light instantly illuminated Chen Jingchi's face.
A few stars that brightened on the horizon
Hidden in the clouds
Hidden in my heart
While waiting for the fireworks to rise
Falling from the deep blue night
Falling into the Midsummer Wilderness
Unburnt
splendid and beautiful
"Life goes on and on"
The lyrics written for him took on a concrete form at that moment.
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you for the nutrient solution, everyone!!
Reader "Empty Twilight" watered the plant with nutrient solution +5
Reader "keyee" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
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