Chapter 52 Old Love Letters: She was the one who lost control.
The following afternoon, Chen Jingchi had work, and the two had lunch together. Zhou Yucai noticed several potted plants on the balcony that he had never seen before: a Monstera deliciosa, two Aspidistra elatiors, and a Bamboo lily, adding a touch of life to the otherwise empty balcony.
"Du Heng sent it," Chen Jingchi explained, "saying it can relieve anxiety."
Zhou squatted down in front of them, noticing that the leaves were all wilted, and looked up to ask, "Didn't you water them?"
"I don't have time to take care of her every day," Chen Jingchi said helplessly. "It's already a miracle if she remembers to come and see me even once."
Zhou Yu quickly poured water into a bowl, and Chen Jingchi noticed that when she squatted on the ground, the hem of her shirt was so long it was bunched up on the floor. Her own clothes were still in the dryer, so she had to wear his for now.
"Send me the measurements later," he said. "I'll buy you some clothes."
Zhou Yu turned around, these words inexplicably reminding her of the word "cohabitation." The thought of becoming involved in his private life and sharing his personal space filled her with anticipation, but also with a sense of uncertainty about the unknown.
"No need to buy it," she said. "I'll just go to my dorm and get it."
Chen Jingchi disagreed: "I'll choose whichever I like."
He left for work, and Zhou Yu, unwilling to stay in a place where he wasn't there but whose traces were everywhere, returned to her dormitory. An Kejia wasn't there, and Fan Xin was bored enough to play cards; seeing her return finally gave her someone to chat with and relieve her boredom.
"You two are living together?" she asked with a smile. "Luckily, Auntie didn't check the rooms last night. Jiajia and I have already figured out how to keep it from her."
Whether Zhou explained or not, the result would be the same. She said, "It's just occasional."
“I had some doubts before, but after seeing him yesterday, I’m sure of it,” Fan Xin said with emotion. “He’s so good to you.”
After she finished speaking, she added, "Compared to some of the guys in our class, they're from completely different worlds."
Zhou Yu smiled and said, "Those who are abnormal are still in the minority."
Fan Xin swayed back in her chair and said, "I thought Jiajia would be the first in our dorm to find a boyfriend, but I didn't expect her to become the queen of the sea. Her observation period for finding a fish is really long."
An Kejia's male guests are still competing for the position. They all took turns inviting her to dinner as soon as the semester started, and they didn't see her in the cafeteria for a whole week.
“That’s good.” Zhou Yu offered a fresh perspective, “They won’t give up easily before they get her.”
Ankejia has a firm grasp on the sunk cost aspect.
*
At the end of September, the physical sales period for "Migratory Birds" ended, and its total sales jumped to fifth place on the Chinese physical album sales chart. This amazing achievement once again proved that Chen Jingchi's appeal was not affected by some recent online criticisms.
The video "Out of Control," which was recorded some time ago, was officially released online the following day at noon.
When the single was released, Zhou was sitting at the dining table writing a new song, which she planned to release on Chen Jingchi's birthday. Just as she was racking her brains about how to finish it, she heard a knock on the door.
Since the last time she stayed overnight at his apartment, Zhou Yu would come over every weekend to stay with him for one night. Although she never said why she only stayed one night, Chen Jingchi knew perfectly well.
The day after I used my hand for the first time, I sent him a message saying that my hand hurt when I wrote. Last night, he even said that I was deliberately delaying, which made him both amused and helpless.
If men could truly prolong their time through their own abilities, aphrodisiacs would most likely have to be discontinued.
He bought her a lot of clothes, preparing for autumn and winter in advance, filling the walk-in closet to the brim. With her occasional care, the tenacious green plants on the balcony gradually grew well and regained their vitality.
Chen Jingchi opened the door, and Du Heng came in carrying a packed lunch. As soon as he entered, he complained that his assistant was too useless and couldn't even get a high-speed rail ticket.
"It's hard to get tickets during the National Day holiday," Chen Jingchi said.
"I thought I'd save the company some money by going back to my hometown alone, since I don't necessarily have to fly," Du Heng said as he unpacked the boxes one by one. "Who knew I'd still have to buy tickets at inflated prices in the end."
During the National Day holiday, Chen Jingchi will be participating in a talent show, not as a contestant, but as a music assistant. His partner music mentor is a top-tier singer with a high standing in the music industry, making it a great learning opportunity. He didn't refuse, signed a permanent agreement, and will be filming for three consecutive days next week.
Zhou put away the paper and pen and asked, "Have you bought your ticket back?"
"Oh! I almost forgot. Let me quickly ask him if he bought a one-way or return ticket." Du Heng grabbed his phone.
He was relieved to receive a reply that he had bought two tickets, but then he remembered something else and asked, "By the way, when was your last checkup for your throat?"
It's been more than half a year.
Chen Jingchi sat down next to Zhou Yu: "I'll go after the show is finished."
"Is it still the same doctor who's been seeing you all along?" Du Heng asked worriedly. "Keep a low profile and don't let anyone recognize you at the hospital."
"Know."
Things are different now. Back then, he wasn't this famous, and he could just go to the hospital openly and honestly. Now, his every event is followed by fans, and Du Heng is afraid of accidents, so he always has a bunch of bodyguards with him when he goes out to work.
Zhou Yu ate while listening to their conversation, remembering to inform Liu Xianya beforehand.
Du Heng eats quickly. After finishing, he casually opened Weibo to see the feedback on his new song. The topic was already trending at the top, and clicking on it revealed many opinions with strong opinions.
Is this what men are like after they fall in love...? They've actually started experimenting with this kind of subtly sexy style.
To be honest, Chen Jingchi's voice is really suitable for this kind of burnt music; it's so damn catchy.
Is it really appropriate to listen to this kind of music in the middle of the day? I suggest releasing it at midnight in the future.
[This is practically a love diary now, how are the goldfish doing?]
Stop wasting your public image, can't you write some normal songs?
[They're ripping things off when you open a live stream on your phone, they're ripping things off when you watch short videos, and now even listening to music is getting suggestive. [speechless]]
[I have a feeling he's going to flop. Doesn't he know his fans are mostly young girls?]
[They burst into laughter. He spoke as if he had never cared about his fans, acting completely carefree and unrestrained.]
Du Heng wholeheartedly agreed with netizens who said Chen Jingchi's fans were young. He personally thought that the song would definitely cause a sensation when it was released, but who knew that it would be classified as borderline. He couldn't stand it and immediately forwarded Chen Jingchi's new song post.
@YoungMasterHandsomeSongRed: Are we wiping this? Isn't this blatantly telling you that things are out of control, have gone mad, and are on fire?
Zhou Yu only follows three people on Weibo. He can see Du Heng's post as soon as he refreshes his homepage. Although Du Heng only has a little over a thousand followers, they are all real people. There are nearly three hundred comments under this post.
Top comment:
[It seems Dad has a deep understanding of this.]
Zhou Yu glanced at the current online reviews of the song, which were almost polarized. Some people found it very enjoyable to listen to, while others thought it was vulgar and not worthy of serious consideration, attributing the reason to the relationship.
Formulaic attribution: love is the root of all evil.
After his second album, Zhou Yu gradually grasped some market trends. The popularity of each song can be used as a reference. It is a risky thing for the author to pour too much personal emotion into the lyrics and music. Only when it can resonate with most people can it be considered a commercial success.
However, this song "Out of Control" seems to have exceeded the acceptable range of Chen Jingchi's existing audience, causing some people to point the finger at Zhou Yu, and even blame the company's artist planning.
After reading it, Zhou Yu came to the conclusion that it would be better to try this style less often in the future, as the production period of more than a month would make the cost of trial and error too high.
Zhuo Wencheng sent a message in the group, forwarding the link to his new song.
Zhuo Wencheng: [This song isn't suitable for live performance, is it?]
Zhuo Wencheng: [I feel like I'm about to take my clothes off any second.]
A few seconds later.
Zhan Li: [This isn't for single people, don't listen to it.]
Zhuo Wencheng: [?]
Zhou Yu saw Chen Jingchi glance down at the screen, smile, but not reply.
After lunch, when he left the apartment, he saw that she was following him. Du Heng asked Zhou Yu if she wanted to come along and see his work. She knew he meant well, but she didn't answer. She just looked at Chen Jingchi.
“She doesn’t like to show her face,” Chen Jingchi said, helping her refuse. “She gets bored when I’m busy.”
“That’s true, I’m just worried that some staff members don’t have professional ethics,” Du Heng said. “Then I’ll take you back to school first.”
The day before National Day happened to be a Saturday. Fan Xin and An Kejia went home early. Zhou Yu stayed in the dormitory alone all night. On the high-speed train home the next day, she sent a message to Liu Xianya, informing her that Chen Jingchi might have to go for a follow-up visit in a few days.
Liu Xianya replied: [Do you want your mother to tell him? Or should you keep it a secret until he officially comes to visit?]
Zhou Yu: [Keep it a secret for now]
Liu Xianya replied: [Okay, I believe your mother's acting skills. I was scouted by a talent agent back then.]
When Liu Xianya was in high school, a talent scout gave her his business card and asked if she would like to act in a web series. At that time, her grandparents thought it was a scam, and she also wanted to finish her studies, so she declined the invitation.
Zhou Yu didn't mean to prevent Chen Jingchi from meeting her mother. He had been seeing Liu Xianya for treatment since his senior year of high school. The change in their identities was not something that could be explained in a single sentence for either him or Liu Xianya. Zhou Yu wanted to wait until the time was right before telling him.
Before Zhou Yu could receive news of Chen Jingchi's return, on the fourth day of the National Day holiday, she saw that "Out of Control" had suddenly become a trending topic on Weibo.
It's been almost a week since the song was released. Aside from some discussion on the day of release, fans have stopped criticizing it. Zhou Yu clicked on it curiously and saw that the first trending Weibo post in the topic was a clip from a TV drama.
@PeachBlossomDoesntExchangeWine: "If Falling in Love with You Was Just a Dream"
[Video][If I dream of you again, will I still dream of you?]
The video had over 20 million views. Zhou Yu played it aloud for a few seconds and his ears turned red. He quickly paused it and put on his headphones, afraid that Liu Xianya, who was washing fruit in the kitchen, would hear it.
In the short two-minute video, the male and female protagonists never got out of bed. The creator knows how to create atmosphere, lighting, magnifying details such as the force of fingers, occasional panting sounds, skin texture under dim yellow light, and lips pressed together, etc.
The background music is Chen Jingchi singing "Out of Control" with his emotional voice.
It is fragrant but not gaudy, and colorful but not vulgar.
The brief sex scene that was originally just a fleeting moment in the TV series was edited into a highly immersive short film.
Zhou Yu blushed and her heart raced as she watched. She was stunned for a long time afterward. She didn't recognize the male and female protagonists in the video, but she felt a strong sense of immersion in it. No wonder it had such a high number of views.
Food and sex are human nature.
The comment section of this Weibo post was filled with screams and cheers.
Holy crap! This is exactly how "out of control" should be paired!
[The teacher is so incredibly good at cutting! I could eat this for a lifetime!]
[A work of art, simply a work of art! [crying]]
[I'm totally getting Chen Jingchi's voice now, it's so sexy, it's like a rascal!]
That night, the trending topic changed from #Out of Control# to #Out of Control Fan-Made Hit Song#.
The timing of the viral video "Peach Blossoms Don't Cost Wine" was perfect, coinciding with the National Day holiday when many students were staying home. Numerous couple videos used this song as background music, reflecting various sexual orientations and themes. Editors eagerly imitated it, resulting in a plethora of sexually charged videos that quickly went viral.
On major music platforms, "Out of Control," which had been dormant for a long time, suddenly became popular overnight, topping the charts for free singles, including the Hot Songs Chart, Rising Chart, and Peak Chart.
Online discussions have resurfaced regarding Chen Jingchi's supposed resurrection, with some netizens jokingly asking how many more times he'll have to act out this kind of script.
Zhou Yu guessed that Chen Jingchi would definitely not watch this kind of video online, and not wanting him to miss out on "artworks," she forwarded the video she had watched at noon to him.
His IP address on Weibo is still in another city; I wonder when he'll be back.
It was almost 10:30 when Chen Jingchi finally replied.
Chen: [What are you implying to me?]
Zhou Yu tapped her fingers harder: [No hints! It's for you to see!]
Today was the last day of recording for the first episode. It ended early, and Chen Jingchi got on the bus back to the hotel around 10 PM. He finally had time to open the link that Zhou Yu had sent him.
He didn't think much of it just by looking at the title, but after the video played for about ten seconds, he started to hear men breathing heavily. He frowned, and before he could even adjust his voice, Du Heng, who was sitting next to him, looked at him with disbelief.
"No way?" he exclaimed in shock. "He's started watching porn because he can't see his girlfriend?"
The car was full of assistants and bodyguards. Chen Jingchi was only thankful that there were no women in the car, otherwise the situation would have been much worse.
He silenced his phone and explained, "It's a Weibo video."
Du Heng was close by and leaned over to take a look, completely ignoring what he said: "Foreplay?"
Chen Jingchi simply stopped watching: "You should spend less time with women."
Du Heng lamented, "Where have I touched a woman this past year? Who have I spent all my time on?"
Chen Jingchi chuckled and replied to Zhou Yu's message.
Chen: [Can't watch it on the bus]
Zhou Yu: 【!】
Zhou Yu: [I forgot to remind you that you can't play it on public!]
Chen: [It's already been released]
She sent me a kneeling emoji.
Zhou Yu: [What do you think of this video?]
After watching it, she felt that the visuals and lyrics were very well matched, and the editor also knew how to use camera language. No wonder it was so popular. But she didn't know if Chen Jingchi would mind using this song to match such a scene.
Chen Jingchi commented: "Not as good-looking as you."
He was referring to the actress in the picture.
After a while, she replied: 【Not as good as you】
Chen Jingchi smiled and asked, "[A song?]"
Zhou Yu: [No]
He could almost picture her current state, and his smile widened; he had no intention of letting her go.
Chen: [You should have told me you liked it earlier]
Chen: [Next time]
Not long after, Du Heng finally saw the video on Weibo and believed that Chen Jingchi really hadn't been watching porn. He checked the rankings of "Out of Control" on several music platforms and exclaimed in surprise, "It's a hit again? What kind of luck is this?"
The song faded into obscurity a few hours after its release. Due to its subject matter, fans were not only reluctant to promote it, but were also considered kind by not uttering any criticisms. Du Heng thought it had indeed flopped as netizens had predicted. However, a few days later, the background music became a hit through video editing in the film and television industry, turning into a breakout hit. On long-form video platforms, if you randomly browse a few CP videos, nine out of ten of them will be playing "Out of Control".
Chen Jingchi then realized Zhou Yu's intention in sending him the video.
“I knew people were so repressed these days, how could they not like this kind of explicit stuff?” Du Heng said. “But I really feel like there’s something mystical about you. How could something like this happen twice in a row?”
Chen Jingchi was also eager to know the reason. He originally thought that the phenomenal success of "To My Dear You" was already a rare miracle. He had enjoyed singing "Out of Control" and expected that some people would be unhappy. He could accept that it did not achieve the expected results, but he did not expect it to bring him a surprise in the end.
Du Heng searched the map for temples in his hometown where he could pray, and also wanted to tell Chen Jingchi's fortune. Chen Jingchi himself didn't believe in such things: "Don't tell my fortune, tell yours yourself."
"I've already calculated it. I won't be able to settle down before I'm thirty, so I can only live a carefree and happy life."
Du Heng's nonchalant tone left Chen Jingchi momentarily unsure whether to feel regret or joy.
*
Liu Xianya's National Day holiday was a make-up holiday, and the shorter leave was made up later. After three days off, she went back to work, and finally met Chen Jingchi on the morning of the 7th.
On the high-speed train back to school, Zhou Yu received a voice message from Liu Xianya, saying that he was in much better shape than before and looked much more energetic.
"Being in love can really change a person's spirit and energy," she exclaimed.
Zhou Yu didn't see him during the entire National Day holiday. He was already busy, and now he's a regular on a variety show, which requires him to travel to other places to film every week. Even his weekends are completely taken up.
Occasionally, on Saturdays when she had nothing to do, she would go to the rehearsal room to watch the boys tinker with music. Tan Bei noticed that she was always alone and suggested, "Why don't you go find Chen Jingchi? It's normal for girlfriends to visit you on set. Anyway, no one there knows you."
Zhou Yu hesitated. He was going to work, not on vacation. Besides, all this trouble just to meet him seemed like an overreaction.
Seeing that she was still hesitant to make up her mind, Tan Bei asked, "How long has it been since you last saw him?"
Zhou Yu calculated: "Half a month."
The two met on Friday after the National Day holiday. Now October is almost over, and she can only look forward to his birthday next month.
Even though Chen Jingchi would message her every day and video call her from time to time, Zhou Yu suddenly realized after each increasingly intimate encounter that her threshold for missing him was getting lower and lower. She used to be able to endure not seeing him for almost a month, but now not seeing him for two weeks was torture and agony for her.
What she missed was the strength of his embrace and the tenderness of his kisses—things that WeChat chatting couldn't replace.
Tan Bei turned on her phone and said, "Buy the tickets now, and go see him tonight to give him a surprise."
Zhou Yu hesitated, "But I don't know where he lives."
All she knew was that Chen Jingchi spent Saturday recording a variety show, but she didn't know where he was recording, what time he finished work, or where he was staying.
“Ask him,” Tan Bei said. “Why don’t you just ask Du Heng and ask him to keep it a secret for you?”
Zhou Yu saw her using her phone to buy train tickets. The nearest train was on time, and they could catch it if they left now. Tan Bei quickly grabbed her hand and led her away, saying, "I'll take a taxi now, you pay quickly."
Her efficiency was astonishing. Zhou Yu was so rushed by her that he felt a little lost. It wasn't until he got into the taxi that he realized he really had to go see her.
She always planned ahead, but going to see Chen Jingchi tonight was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Longing and impulse controlled her mind; she was like a wild horse that had broken its reins, a kite with a broken string, or a flood that had burst its banks.
She thought she was the one who had lost control.
The phone rang once.
Tan Bei: [Remember to ask for the hotel address!]
Tan Bei: [After you arrive tonight, don't wait outside. Go to the hotel first, and be careful!]
Zhou Yu replied to each message one by one, first applying for a temporary ID card on the app, and then sending a message to Du Heng. Du Heng immediately understood what she meant, sent her his location, and then told her how to take a taxi there.
Du Heng: [We'll be recording until very late. Go to the hotel front desk and give them my name. I'll let you know in advance when we're done.]
As she boarded the high-speed train to Sushan and gazed at the darkening night outside the window, her mood was like a cloud floating in the air, light and airy, or like a piece of candy soaking in warm water, slowly melting into threads of sweetness that soothed her heart.
Upon arriving at Sushan Station, Zhou Yu took a taxi to the address sent by Du Heng. The hotel receptionist was very cautious and suspicious of her identity, fearing that a suspicious person might sneak in. It wasn't until Zhou Yu called Du Heng that she was allowed to leave.
When registering her name, the receptionist's jaw dropped upon hearing the name "Zhou Yu": "You're...!"
She didn't finish her sentence, and Zhou Yu nodded quickly, whispering, "Don't tell anyone."
"I know, I know." The receptionist couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, her attitude softening considerably as she smiled and handed over the spare room key.
When Zhou Yu entered the room, he could see several personal items belonging to Chen Jingchi. He had come over last night after a full day of variety show filming.
Two of his personal jackets were hanging on the clothes rack. Zhou Yu approached, hesitated for a few seconds, but still stepped forward, hugged the jackets to his chest, and lowered his head to deeply inhale his scent.
There was a faint scent of perfume on her clothes, the one she really liked. She had asked Chen Jingchi what brand it was, but he said it was a gift from the brand. He couldn't understand Italian, and he only sprayed it occasionally.
The familiar scent brought Zhou Yu a sense of peace; her longing over the past few days had finally found its place. Chen Jingchi's laptop sat on the coffee table, requiring a password to open. She wanted to watch some videos, but after trying his birthday, the password failed, so she had to give up.
Finally, around 11 o'clock, Du Heng sent her a message telling her that he had arrived at the parking lot.
Zhou Yu's phone was almost out of battery. As soon as he saw the message, he didn't even take his phone and immediately went out of the room to wait for the elevator.
After the door closed, the phone on the sofa rang again.
Du Heng: [Don't come down yet, there are people everywhere outside.]
The elevator reached the top floor, which was empty. Zhou Yu pressed the button for the first floor, and as he watched the floor number rapidly descend, he inexplicably began to feel nervous.
I really want to know what Chen Jingchi's expression will be when he sees her.
The elevator slowed down, and an announcement came that the floor had been reached. Zhou Yu's heart skipped a beat. The elevator doors slowly opened, and a cacophony of noise poured in, followed by a sea of people.
"Don't follow me! Get out of the way!"
"Stop filming!"
The bodyguard's gruff voice stood out amidst the noise.
Chen Jingchi stood at the elevator entrance, surrounded by a circle of bodyguards, with a group of girls holding up their phones and cameras behind him, constantly pushing and shoving their way to him.
Upon seeing the person in front of him, Chen Jingchi paused for a second, then decisively stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He placed his large hands on her head, pressing her head against his chest and covering her face.
The assistant and Du Heng entered the elevator and quickly pressed the close button. Zhou Yu's mind went blank as he heard a sharp female voice.
"Chen Jingchi, how can you face us fans! Break up with her!"
"Break up! Break up!"
"Get her out! Shameless!"
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Chen Jingchi turned to look at them, his face dark, and roared, "You dare call yourselves fans? Get lost and don't bother me!"
The door was completely closed, shutting out all sound. As the elevator ascended, Chen Jingchi lowered his head and touched her face, his voice soft and extremely gentle: "Were you frightened?"
Zhou Yu gripped his clothes tightly at the waist, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her throat was dry, and her initial tension and anticipation were completely replaced by fear and guilt.
She managed to say with difficulty, "I'm sorry."
She really shouldn't have impulsively come to see him.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you so much for the landmines and nutrient solutions, everyone!!! [heart][heart]
Tongtong266 threw a landmine
Leilei threw a landmine
Reader "keyee" irrigated with 10 nutrient solution.
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