Chapter 49 Old Love Letters, Girlfriend, I Miss You So Much
Chen Jingchi went into the bathroom to wash his face. Within a few minutes, Zhou Yu quickly tidied herself up. By the time he sat down opposite her, she had returned to normal, but she was still a little hesitant to look him in the eye.
The song on the phone had paused. Chen Jingchi glanced at the screen, saw the song title, and casually asked, "When did you first know me?"
Alarm bells rang in Zhou Yu's head. Although they were now a couple, she still didn't want him to know about the past. After all, she had lied from the beginning, and she had to make it believable.
"I don't quite remember," Zhou Yu said, trying to keep his voice calm. "It was probably when everyone around us was talking about you."
He became famous at a young age and was known to everyone in high school. Chen Jingchi was curious about his past and asked, "What class were you in?"
"Class 1." Zhou Yu answered every question.
“We live quite far apart,” Chen Jingchi said. “I moved to the art building in my second year of high school and was in class 33.”
Zhou Yu already knew all this, but she pretended not to know and asked, "What about the first year of high school?"
When they entered high school, they were assigned to classes based on their grades. Chen Jingchi performed much better than usual in the high school entrance exam and was assigned to Class 5, which was right downstairs from Class 1.
"How come I've never seen you before?" Chen Jingchi asked, puzzled. "I should recognize your face."
Zhou Yu silently complained to himself that his facial memory was really not good, yet he was quite confident in himself.
“I basically stayed in the classroom back then and didn’t go out,” Zhou Yu gave him a way out, “I didn’t have many friends.”
Unlike her classmates who had a variety of interests and could easily chat about anything, she had no other strengths besides her good grades, and she mostly avoided interacting with those around her. When Zhou Yu recalled those three years, her quiet and reserved personality made those memories hazy, with only a hint of life coming from the thought of Chen Jingchi.
Chen Jingchi could roughly guess the reason, so he didn't bring it up again and asked, "Would you like to see the photos from that time?"
Zhou Yu became interested and asked, "A band?"
“Some of them are from me and Xu Yue,” Chen Jingchi chuckled. “When we first started singing, we were on the street, and people would film us.”
Zhou Yu had always wanted to know why he and Xu Yue were so close, so he inquired, "Were you junior high school classmates?"
“Yes,” Chen Jingchi explained, “His mother is a music teacher. My parents don’t allow me to do these things, so I would secretly go to his house to learn. She taught me piano.”
No wonder.
Zhou Yu's thoughts wandered aimlessly. On his journey of learning music, he had encountered many mentors, all of whom played an indispensable role in Chen Jingchi's development.
After lunch, Chen Jingchi brought out his notebook, and the two sat side by side on the sofa, looking at the photos he had saved before.
Back then, it was popular to upload photos to online photo albums. Although the image quality was compressed, it was convenient to view them anytime and they wouldn't be lost.
Videos and photos are stored separately in two albums, both set to private, just like Zhou Yu's. Opening the photo album, the first picture that pops up is a candid shot taken backstage at the "Hear Your Voice" auditions, showing Chen Jingchi looking down at his phone.
Even though the background was full of people, he was the only one who truly caught the eye. Zhou Yu had to agree with the online comments at the time; his face was born to be a star, and he would be the center of attention wherever he went.
“This was the summer after I finished the college entrance exam,” Chen Jingchi said. “Xu Yue signed me up for a variety show audition. I didn’t want to go at first, but then I received an admission notice from Jiangxi University of Media and Communications. I was in a good mood and thought I’d give it a try.”
The photo was also taken by Xu Yue. Zhou Yu was looking at the background wall behind him when a black figure caught her attention.
Because it was a candid shot, the figure's profile was blurry. Zhou Yu was suddenly relieved that she never liked wearing bright colors. The figure almost blended into the background wall, and no one could recognize who it was.
She raised her hand to the next photo, a class graduation photo. It was taken shortly before the college entrance exam. Chen Jingchi had already returned to school. Among the rows of students, she immediately spotted him standing in the very center of the last row.
The art class was almost entirely filled with handsome men and beautiful women; it was a very pleasing sight to the eye. Chen Jingchi hovered the mouse over a short-haired woman and said, "This is my homeroom teacher."
Zhou Yu had met her before and knew that her surname was Liu.
It was shortly after the start of the senior year of high school, at the end of September, during the last class meeting before the holiday.
As soon as the class meeting ended, the classroom erupted in cheers. The boys in the back rows jumped up from their seats, grabbed their bags, and squeezed towards the back door. Zhou Yu didn't have much anticipation for the upcoming National Day holiday. To avoid the crowds of parents waiting to pick up their children at the school gate, she waited in the classroom for a long time.
Just then, the homeroom teacher finished supervising the students on duty and saw that she was still there. She asked her to help deliver the teacher's books to the office because she had to hurry to pick up her child from school.
Zhou Yu followed her directions and found the homeroom teacher's office. As soon as she reached the door, she heard voices coming from inside. She was about to knock before going in, but when she looked up, she saw a familiar profile.
Chen Jingchi stood by the desk with his head down, his expression unreadable, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Sitting across from him was a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length hair. She looked helpless and asked, "Are you content with this? Even if you come back, can you concentrate on your studies?"
His cheek muscles bulged slightly as he gritted his teeth and forced himself to face reality. Perhaps making this decision was extremely difficult for him as well.
The teacher pulled out a piece of paper from the side and wrote a few lines on it.
"Here, sign this." She handed the pen to Chen Jingchi.
He saw the words clearly, held the pen for a long time without writing, and said in a trembling voice, "Teacher, you..."
“You’re the most successful student I’ve ever taught,” she smiled and said. “If you make a name for yourself in the future, I’ll be one of your investors.”
Zhou Yu finally understood what they were saying.
She watched as Chen Jingchi bent down to write his name, carefully folded the IOU, and solemnly thanked her: "Thank you, I won't let you down."
"Send me your art exam teacher's WeChat later." The teacher got up to pack his things. "Alright, once you leave this office, just pretend nothing happened. Don't mention my name."
"I know."
Hearing footsteps, Zhou Yu quickly ran a few steps in the direction they came from around the corner, but didn't run into them. At the stairwell, she saw a woman carrying a bag coming downstairs and quickly called out, "Hello, teacher!"
She nodded to her and disappeared down the stairs.
Zhou Yu walked up the stairs and turned his head to look towards the office. He saw Chen Jingchi standing at the door, looking down at the IOU in his hand, not moving for a long time.
She didn't dare return to the empty office until he turned and left.
It was only when she helped the teacher get homework again that she heard her name from other students: Liu Hongying, the homeroom teacher of Class 33.
Pulling herself out of her memories, Zhou Yu fell into the state of mind she had at that time, and longed to hug him back then.
Seeing her staring at him without saying a word, Chen Jingchi moved the notebook away, misunderstanding her: "Want to kiss?"
Zhou Yu leaned against the back of the sofa, took the initiative to sit on his lap, lowered her head to rest her head on his neck, and felt his pulse beating heavily and powerfully.
She wanted to know when he would pay off his homeroom teacher's debt, and whether his teacher would feel proud of him now. She was absolutely right back then.
But she couldn't ask, she dared not ask.
Chen Jingchi was surprised by her sudden initiative, but within seconds he quickly took the initiative, pinching her chin to make her turn to look at him, and then kissed her.
Chen Jingchi's kissing skills improved so quickly. Last night, he even bumped his teeth while kissing her, but today he had mastered how to make her feel comfortable. When there was enough time, he was less impatient and his movements became much gentler. The long, lingering French kiss made Zhou Yu feel like she was floating on clouds, unwilling to wake up, and willingly falling into it.
The kiss didn't last long before she turned her head away, buried her face in his shoulder, and complained with a flushed face, "You're so annoying."
"Change positions?" Chen Jingchi chuckled, shifting half the blame onto her. "If you keep this up, even a saint would lose control."
We've only just started dating, and it's inevitable that I want to be intimate with the person I like, but I'm also afraid of scaring her away.
Zhou Yu rolled off him, and when he asked if she wanted to kiss him again, she reached out and stuffed all the cushions on the sofa into his arms.
She didn't dare to provoke him again. The whole afternoon, they stayed together and watched all of Chen Jingchi's photos and videos. It was as if she was growing up with him all over again.
After looking at the last picture, Chen Jingchi casually asked, "Do you have any photos? I'd like to see what you looked like back then."
Zhou Yu froze, her fingers gripping the pillow tightening unconsciously. She shook her head: "I don't like taking pictures."
Chen Jingchi believed him: "I'll organize the photos and videos in the group when I have time."
Almost all of them were taken by Tan Bei. When friends get together, they don't think much of it at the time, but they realize how precious the footage is when they look back at it.
Zhou Yu gradually relaxed. For a moment, she impulsively wanted to delete all the videos in her photo album, but after calming down, she realized that as long as she didn't do it herself, Chen Jingchi wouldn't be able to see that private album.
She couldn't bear to delete the videos that had been with her for so many years and wanted to keep them forever.
Zhou Yu suggested leaving before even having dinner, not wanting Liu Xianya to think she was already spending all her time with her boyfriend right after they started dating. Chen Jingchi offered to take her home, and she couldn't refuse again, so she nodded in agreement.
When she got home, Liu Xianya was making dinner. Seeing her return, she quickly said, "As soon as I entered the office today, Aunt Zhao asked me if Zhou Yu, whom Chen Jingchi likes, is actually my daughter."
When Zhou was in high school, he would occasionally go to her office to do his homework during long holidays, and her colleagues all knew her. Hearing this, she was a little worried: "Did you tell her?"
Liu Xianya smiled and said, "Of course I didn't admit it. I said there's no way it's that easy. Anyway, they don't know how to spell your name, so I just said the name sounds the same."
Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief. She had been overthinking things. Liu Xianya wasn't one to show off, and she knew her limits in this matter.
After Liu Xianya finished speaking, she asked again, "You didn't go to see him today?"
Zhou Yu was a little embarrassed: "Yes, I saw him."
"Why are you back so early?" Liu Xianya asked in surprise. "I thought it would be late at night."
Zhou Yu was speechless for a long time before asking, "If I didn't come back, would you be happy?"
"No, not at all," Liu Xianya said with a smile. "It's better to let things happen naturally. It's too fast now, and Mom can't accept it."
Zhou Yu said "Oh" to reassure her: "He's leaving tomorrow, so we probably won't see each other until school starts."
"So busy?" Liu Xianya muttered. "Well, what celebrity isn't busy?"
Chen Jingchi's flight is tomorrow afternoon, and he has to leave right after lunch. Zhou Yu knew that time was tight, so he came over early the next morning.
Chen Jingchi roughly told her about the plans for the second half of the year. The album production cycle is long. In order to maintain the popularity of this album and not lose public attention for a long time, the new songs will be released as singles and included in the third album after reaching a certain number.
There's another big event at the end of August: the company plans to release the physical album of "Migratory Birds".
After a month, the digital album "Migratory Birds" sold an astonishing 3.5 million copies, ranking third on the all-time charts for digital album sales by Chinese singers. This huge success brought him a rapid increase in commercial value. The night before last, I overheard Du Heng mentioning at a dinner party that Chen Jingchi's music festival prices have skyrocketed to 5 million per show, and he is unwilling to go because the price can be raised even further.
In the following month, his schedule still included several awards to win, and many endorsement deals were eagerly sought after, demonstrating the immense influence of his second album and the high prestige of his Golden Melody Award nomination.
He took Zhou Yu to the recording studio and played a new melody for her: "I couldn't sleep last night, so I wrote this. If we're going to release a new song in September, we'll use this one."
Zhou Yu listened to the entire piece. Compared to the past, the melody was more gentle and tender, and he could clearly hear the longing and sweetness that only lovers could feel.
She asked, "You really want to release it in September?"
Chen Jingchi chuckled: "Really, it might be a physical album release a few days earlier."
Zhou Yu knew exactly what the date was a few days in advance. She nodded: "I'll write it down for you."
He wanted to see for himself how Zhou Yu's lyrics came about, so he asked her to write a few lines on the spot. Zhou Yu wrote a few lines on his tablet, and he suddenly blurted out, "You wrote love poems for Wang Wenxing this quickly back then?"
It took Zhou Yu several seconds to remember the name, and she couldn't help but laugh: "How do you still remember him?"
The misunderstanding caused quite an unpleasant situation at the time, and the person had already disappeared without a trace. Unexpectedly, Chen Jingchi remembered it.
"I really like those lines," Chen Jingchi said, feigning regret. "It's a pity they weren't used in my song."
Zhou Yu recalled what others had said about him before, and unkindly asked him, "Do you think you're love-obsessed?"
"Is there any doubt about that?" Chen Jingchi smiled. "The whole world knows."
Yesterday, "Elopement" was released online ahead of schedule, and the comment section was no longer filled with the usual controlled comments, turning into a massive breakdown among fans. Zhou Yu felt a lingering sense of guilt, which she dared not tell anyone.
In the afternoon, the driver took Chen Jingchi to the airport. When they arrived at the departure hall, Zhou Yu wanted to get out of the car, but was stopped by the assistant.
"Don't go down there, there are a bunch of fans waiting at the airport."
Several bodyguards were in the car, all there to help him board the plane.
Before getting out of the car, Chen Jingchi pulled down the car curtain and leaned over to kiss her on the lips.
The soft, dry touch melted Zhou Yu's heart.
"Send me a message if you miss me."
With so many people around, she felt a little embarrassed and nodded slightly.
After seeing Chen Jingchi off, Zhou Yu sat alone in the car, feeling empty beside her and with an empty heart, as if a piece of her soul had been hollowed out, a void that nothing could fill. She felt like she had caught Chen Jingchi's influence; how could she start missing him so soon after they had only been apart for less than a minute?
Remembering her promise to Tan Bei, she sent her a private message: "We're together now!"
Tan Bei replied instantly: 【Yay! Congratulations! Best wishes! Now there are only two single people left in the group!】
After chatting for a few minutes, Zhou Yu looked at the dormitory group chat, which remained silent for a long time. He wanted to say something but didn't know how to start, so he finally exited the chat.
*
A week later, on Sunday, Zhou Yu and Liu Xianya took a taxi to the detention center.
This was Zhou's first visit since he went to university.
Zhou Jinglong's prison visitation application could only be processed once in a long time. When he was in school, Zhou Yu was too busy to come over. After graduating from high school, he only visited him once during that summer vacation.
Zhou Jinglong felt a strong sense of guilt towards her. Over the years, he hadn't seen her many times, and each time he hesitated to speak, with countless words stuck in his throat. When he saw his daughter, he couldn't say anything. Zhou Yu didn't know how to alleviate his self-blame. She was also not good with words. The father and daughter would sit facing each other, often in silence for a long time.
Liu Xianya squeezed her hand and comforted her, "Don't be nervous. Tell your dad about the good news, and he will be very happy."
Zhou Yu nodded.
After completing the visitation procedures and passing through security, Zhou Yu entered the visiting room and met Zhou Jinglong, whom she hadn't seen for almost a year. Through the glass, he looked to be in good spirits, his eyes crinkling with a smile when he saw her. He asked her how her university life was and if she had made any new friends.
“Everything is fine.” Zhou Yu smiled and said, “Dad, I have a boyfriend.”
Zhou Jinglong paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Where are you from? Are you nice to me? How did we meet?"
“He’s from Xianhai, and he’s been very kind to me,” Zhou Yu answered one by one. “We were high school classmates.”
"Okay, okay." Zhou Jinglong's smile faded slightly after he finished speaking, and he said softly, "But don't tell him about Dad."
A dull pain shot through Zhou Yu's chest. She kept it from him: "I knew, but I didn't tell him."
"That's good. You two should get along well." Zhou Jinglong laughed again. "When Dad goes out, bring her to meet me too. My daughter definitely has good taste."
Zhou Yu's eyes welled up with tears. She responded softly, and fearing that she would break down emotionally, she quickly got up and asked Liu Xianya to sit down.
Liu Xianya brought up the matter of her early release from prison again, speaking about it in a very veiled way. Zhou Jinglong gave her a reassuring gesture, which slightly comforted Zhou Yu's sinking heart.
Each visit lasted a maximum of thirty minutes, and Liu Xianya was reminded that it was almost time to leave after chatting with him for only a short while.
Zhou Yu took one last look at Zhou Jinglong's departing figure. He had changed from the tall and imposing father he once was into a middle-aged man with a slightly hunched back, and she couldn't help but feel sad.
Almost six of the eight years have passed, and Zhou Yu wishes time could pass faster, hoping that she could be released sooner as he wishes. This is her greatest hope.
*
In mid-August, a video of Chen Jingchi suddenly went viral. During a media interview, after discussing his recent awards, a reporter suddenly asked, "Is there any follow-up to your confession at last month's concert? Did you manage to win over the girl you like?"
Facing the camera, Chen Jingchi made no attempt to hide anything and openly admitted, "I've succeeded. Thank you everyone for your concern."
In just a few seconds of video, Chen Jingchi laughed freely and openly, giving all the curious people a final answer and completely putting an end to the hopes of his female fans who were still waiting to see the outcome.
After seeing this clip, Zhou Yu found the interview video and watched the whole thing. Following this question, Chen Jingchi mentioned that the physical album "Migratory Birds" would go on sale at the end of August. Some comments were pessimistic, while others defended him.
[Trying to fleece your fans after starting a relationship? Just look at the sales figures and you'll be taught a lesson.]
[It will most likely be available for sale on Qixi Festival. Little goldfish, spend a little more money, otherwise how will your brother and sister-in-law have a nice holiday?]
[Have they even figured out who God is? Those who are kneeling and worshipping celebrities, stand up!]
[Hilarious! If your fans were truly so powerful, would your digital album have suffered such dismal sales and been ridiculed across the internet just hours before its release?]
Do you really think your second album is a pedestal built up by fans? Open your eyes and look at the world.
Don't try to label me as a fan. I just listen to music; if I like it, I'll buy it. It's that simple.
Zhou Yu glanced at the comments and noticed that the sentiment was much better than at the previous concert, perhaps because the die-hard fans had all left.
Chen Jingchi's current persona on Weibo leans more towards that of a singer. He has intentionally reduced his interaction with fans, and in his live streams or interviews, he never calls them "fans" but rather "listeners."
This approach stems from his personality, as well as his desire for fans to respect his right to date and his romantic partners.
Zhou Yu clicked on his profile picture, looked up, and saw their chat history.
Almost all of them were photos Chen Jingchi sent her after get off work. He would ask her which ones looked good and then post them on Weibo.
It is another form of reporting.
As I was scrolling up, a new message popped up below: "Do you miss me?"
Zhou Yu seemed to suffer from a kind of longing-as-shame syndrome, unwilling to admit it outright. They hadn't seen each other for almost a month, and Zhou Yu kept telling herself it would be over soon, that she could go back to school in half a month, and to just bear with it a little longer.
Dating him means you'll rarely see each other.
She sent Chen Jingchi a yellow face emoji with a long nose.
Chen: [How did it get longer before I even lied?]
Zhou Yu: [I said it in my heart]
Chen Jingchi forwarded me a link.
Chen: [Link][Superpower Moment! Three Tricks to Teach You Mind Reading!]
Zhou Yu looked at the link title and laughed for a long time.
*
Qixi Festival happens to fall on a Saturday.
At noon, the physical album of "Migratory Birds" was officially released online.
Zhou Yu was initially worried that Chen Jingchi's popularity might decline due to his relationship, but it turned out that while it did have an impact, it wasn't significant.
Just one minute after the sale started, she saw that the sales figure on the sales page had already exceeded 30,000.
Physical albums are different from digital albums. Due to increased production costs, plus various peripherals, packaging, and shipping fees, they are priced at 108, which is much more expensive than digital albums. Therefore, their sales cannot be compared with those of physical albums.
Zhou Yu searched for the sales figures of some popular singers' physical albums. A total sales volume of 100,000 was considered a good result. However, "Migratory Birds" broke the 100,000 mark within half an hour of its release, with sales exceeding 10 million yuan. Within four hours, it soared to 500,000 yuan, topping the monthly, annual, and overall sales charts of Lingting Music's physical albums, and earning the platform's "Honorary Epic Record" certification.
The album's popularity was amplified by numerous reports on streaming platforms and Weibo, with everyone astonished by its massive audience. It not only created a digital album phenomenon but also saw a surge in sales of physical copies.
Those netizens who once said that sales figures would teach him a lesson have also disappeared, and the fans finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Yu also bought one to keep at home.
When Liu Xianya came home from get off work in the afternoon and saw her at home, she was surprised: "Xiao Chen is working today too?"
“Yes.” Zhou Yu had his schedule for the month. She explained, “He’s going to participate in CCTV’s Qixi Festival Gala today, which is being broadcast live.”
"CCTV?" Liu Xianya asked. "What time does it start? I need to check."
Two years ago, Chen Jingchi missed the opportunity to perform on CCTV during the National Day holiday, but today, he has once again earned the stage through his talent.
"7:30." Zhou Yu glanced at the program. "He should be on stage around 8:00."
This time, there won't be a situation like the program being postponed during the Chinese New Year, Zhou Yu thought.
The scene of him hurriedly leaving the stage due to the program's postponement and earpiece malfunction is still vivid in my mind. Zhou Yu felt sorry for him being bullied and hoped that he could become famous quickly and regain his voice. Now she has finally helped him reach this point. While she is gratified, she also deeply feels the hardships he has gone through.
Chen Jingchi has regained the solo rights to "Evening Star Falls". This time, he will be performing solo. He is wearing a light pink suit, which is decorated with a lot of pink and blue gradient butterflies and flowers. White tassels hang on the cuffs, with sequined pearls hanging at the ends. He is extremely romantic.
Zhou Yu remembered this outfit; it was one she had rejected from a previous concert. At the time, she had only seen the picture and felt that the saturation was too high and didn't quite match Chen Jingchi's overall temperament. Plus, he almost never wore pink clothes, so Zhou Yu "thoughtfully" removed it for him.
This was the outfit that Du Heng later mentioned he was originally going to wear when singing "Run Away".
Even Liu Xianya exclaimed in amazement at how handsome he looked today: "You know what, Xiao Chen really suits colorful clothes, he looks like he's sixteen or seventeen."
Zhou Yu agreed with her statement, feeling that her vision was narrow and that Chen Jingchi could indeed try some new styles, which was a good example.
As the Qixi Festival gala came to a close, Liu Xianya got up to go to the bathroom. Just as Zhou Yu was about to turn off the TV, a voice call from Chen Jingchi suddenly popped up on his phone.
She answered the phone and heard his voice clearly in her ear: "Zhou Yu, Happy Qixi Festival."
"Happy Qixi Festival." Zhou asked, "Have you finished work?"
She waited for his message, afraid he might still be at the party, and didn't dare to message him to bother him. She only felt at ease when she heard his voice.
For her, Qixi Festival was just an ordinary day before, but now that she has a boyfriend, everything has changed. She cares more about this "lovers'" holiday than ever before.
"It's over." Chen Jingchi laughed. "I wanted to ask you, could you spare a little time for me today?"
Zhou Yu thought he wanted to make a video call, and had just replied "okay" when he interrupted, "Let's go downstairs."
Go downstairs?
She was stunned for several seconds before she realized what those two words meant. Without even changing her shoes, she ran out of the house in her slippers.
After going downstairs, I saw Chen Jingchi's car parked downstairs. He was leaning against the hood of the car, holding a large bouquet of blooming pink roses in his arms.
He was still wearing the clothes he wore for the Qixi Festival live broadcast performance, and the bouquet complemented him perfectly. He looked like a noble prince from a fairy tale, walking towards her step by step.
Behind him, through the car window, she saw the car filled with roses, crowding the entire carriage.
Zhou Yu looked up at him, her heart pounding like a drum, unable to believe that the person she had seen on the TV screen was actually standing right in front of her.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, then leaned down and whispered in her ear with a smile, "Girlfriend, I missed you so much."
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