A Billion Stars Can’t Amount to You - Chapter 525-533
Every person at Beiyang Hall tonight was practically all in showbiz. Ji Yi was afraid there were others outside, so she hurriedly swallowed what she was going to say and spoke with an indifferent tone of voice: “If we have time when we get back, I’ll tell you more about it.”
Zhuang Yi nodded gently then reached out to support Ji Yi’s arm.
Even though Ji Yi didn’t sprain her ankle, the scene unfolded under an audience’s watchful eyes. Even if there were no cameras around, they had to continue acting!
When the elevator doors opened, Ji Yi limped just like she did at the gala. She limped over to the side of the minivan with Zhuang Yi’s support.
Zhuang Yi was just about to open the car door when the phone in Ji Yi’s hand rang.
Ji Yi glanced down to see that it was He Jichen calling.
He couldn’t have already caught wind of what happened between me and Qian Ge tonight at the BL Charity Gala, right?
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As she thought about it, Ji Yi swiped the screen and took He Jichen’s call. “Hello?”
The caller was silent.
Ji Yi furrowed her brows and said, “He Jichen?”
She was met once again by a wall of silence.
It can’t be a pocket dial, right?
“He Jichen?” Ji Yi called He Jichen’s name again. Deep down, she figured that if the person on the other side of the call still didn’t reply, she would hang up…
But before that could happen, a honk came from the other end.
At the same time, she heard a honk also coming from behind her.
Over the two honks, Ji Yi could hear He Jichen’s voice coming from her phone. “I’m behind you.”
Ji Yi was so shocked by He Jichen’s three words that her fingers trembled and she almost dropped her phone.
Before she could react and register what those three words meant, she heard the sound of a car from behind her. With a stunned expression on her face, Zhuang Yi, who was standing beside her, said, “Mr. He?”
Ji Yi turned her head and saw He Jichen in just a white shirt. He was walking closer to her with his pair of long legs, one step at a time.
Wasn’t He Jichen with Han Zhifan at the Golden Lounge on business? Why’s he showing up here now?
Ji Yi was a little confused.
Ji Yi only came back to her senses when He Jichen stopped about half a meter from her. “Why… did you come here?”
He Jichen didn’t say anything. He crouched down straight away and lifted Ji Yi’s skirt.
Ji Yi’s entire body froze at his sudden, unexpected move. Her legs instinctively retreated a little, but He Jichen grabbed her calf. That was when Ji Yi realized that He Jichen was checking her leg, so she blurted out, “I’m fine.”
He Jichen seemed to have not heard Ji Yi at all as he checked Ji Yi’s left leg then her right leg.
“I’m really fine,” repeated Ji Yi.
He Jichen still ignored her. He didn’t get up until he checked to see for himself that she was fine. Then he pulled out his phone and made a call.
After a few seconds, the call was picked up and He Jichen spoke with deep, low voice. “Doctor Xia? You don’t have to come. Mhm, it’s nothing major. Mhm, sorry…”
After hanging up, He Jichen threw his phone into his pocket and turned to look at Zhuang Yi.
Having met He Jichen’s gaze, Zhuang Yi was stunned for a moment before she quickly realized what He Jichen wanted. She quickly and discreetly said, “I suddenly remembered I have something to do. Mr. He, if you aren’t doing anything later, can I please trouble you to take Ji Yi back home?”
He Jichen didn’t say anything but nodded his head slightly.
Seeing as He Jichen agreed, Zhuang Yi didn’t even bother to ask Ji Yi for her thoughts and handed Ji Yi’s arm over to He Jichen to support her.
After He Jichen reached his arm out, he held onto Ji Yi’s arm while Zhuang Yi quickly released hers. She then took a step back and said, “Mr. He, Ji Yi, goodbye,” then she quickly got into the car and left.
While Zhuang Yi drove the minivan out and disappeared out of sight, He Jichen supported Ji Yi and they headed back to his car.
When He Jichen started up the car, he turned to glance at Ji Yi in the front passenger seat.
Maybe it was because Ji Yi finally got Qian Ge back for that incident a month ago, but her mood was incredibly good. She didn’t really want to go home, so she tilted her head and thought about it for a while. Just as the car was about to reach the exit of the parking lot, she asked, “He Jichen, do you have anything to do later?”
He Jichen stopped the car and first paid the parking fee. While he waited for the attendant to give him his change, he turned to glance at Ji Yi. He didn’t say anything but gently shook his head.
Ji Yi was used to He Jichen not saying much. Seeing He Jichen shake his head, she suggested, “Then, can you drive me around Beijing and check out the night view?”
He Jichen blinked in silent agreement. He picked up his change and stepped on the gas again.
After the car drove onto the main road, Ji Yi realized that a raincloud had just passed over Beijing when she saw puddle after puddle up on the road ahead.
She rolled the windows down and welcomed the cool breeze after the rain as her mood became even more relaxed.
Ji Yi leaned against the window and stared at the night view in reverse, unable to restrain herself from thinking back to what happened at the BL Charity Gala.
As she remembered how people shouted at Qian Ge, she couldn’t help but curl her lips upwards. Just as she had sent He Jichen a WeChat message whenever anything happened to her the past month, she turned to let it all out to He Jichen, who was concentrating on driving. “He Jichen, did you know we played Qian Ge tonight so bad!”
When he heard Ji Yi’s voice, He Jichen shot her a glance. When he noted her smile, the corners of his lips pursed for a moment, but soon enough, his eyes were back on the road ahead.
On a normal day, whenever Ji Yi complained about anything, He Jichen never interrupted her, so she didn’t sense anything was wrong and she continued happily. “She definitely feels like crap right now with so many people online angry at her…”
As she said this, Ji Yi pulled her phone out and opened Weibo. “…Zhuang Yi was right! Threads about her are really rising up on the trending topics board. Now the ‘Nation’s First Love is a scheming b*tch’ topic is already on the list of the top-three most-searched threads!”
He Jichen discreetly tightened his fingers around the steering wheel.
He Jichen discreetly tightened his fingers around the steering wheel.
He didn’t reply to Ji Yi. His gaze straight ahead became a little colder.
Ji Yi didn’t really pay much attention to He Jichen. As she browsed through everyone’s hateful comments about Qian Ge on Weibo, she had a sense of joy that she just couldn’t hide. “With the image of a gentle, elegant, and well-mannered Qian Ge in everyone’s hearts now destroyed, I’m afraid her whole team will probably have a terrible night’s sleep tonight, huh?” she continued to say.
As Ji Yi’s voice fell, she saw a public telephone booth by the road through the windshield. All of a sudden, her mind flashed back to when Qian Ge called her to show off and taunt her last month when she came home with a sprained ankle. “Stop the car!” she cried abruptly.
She said this so suddenly that He Jichen couldn’t react in time to slow down the car.
Ji Yi reached her hand out and grabbed his arm as she cried with a lot more impatience than before. “He Jichen, stop the car, stop the car!”
He Jichen hit the emergency brakes.
Ji Yi’s body jolted forward for a moment and after the car came to a halt, she immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and hurriedly got out of the car.
She was in such a hurry that she didn’t have time to close the car door as she ran over to the phone booth. After just two steps, she realized that she didn’t have any change on her and she headed back. “He Jichen, do you have any coins?”
Even though He Jichen didn’t understand what Ji Yi wanted to do, he still gave Ji Yi some spare change lying around in the car.
Ji Yi took the coins without saying a word then ran over to the phone booth.
He Jichen sat in the car and stared out the window for a while and watched as Ji Yi made a call in the booth. Eventually, he switched the engine off, unbuckled his seatbelt and walked over to her.
…
Ji Yi pulled up Qian Ge’s private phone number in her phone and used the phone to make the call.
It was just as Ji Yi predicted earlier in the car – Qian Ge’s team really was a mess. The phone rang non-stop, so Ji Yi figured her phone line was probably tied up with calls from reporters. When Qian Ge finally picked up, she didn’t even ask who was calling but immediately cried, “Sorry, I said I’m not taking any interviews!”
Ji Yi waited patiently for Qian Ge to finish speaking then she used the same tone Qian Ge used when she called her way back. Seeing as she hadn’t hung up the phone yet, Ji Yi took the opportunity to say, “It’s me.”
Those two simple words instantly silenced Qian Ge on the other side of the phone.
Ji Yi knew Qian Ge recognized her voice. She also knew Qian Ge wouldn’t hang up, so seeing that Qian Ge didn’t say anything and she wasn’t in a hurry, she calmly held the phone and waited.
After about two minutes, Qian Ge’s voice came out with a more impatient and colder tone of voice than before. “Why are you calling?”
“Ah, no reason… I heard you’re being dissed pretty badly online, so I thought I’d call to see if you were alright?” Ji Yi sluggishly leaned against the side of the phone booth and copied Qian Ge’s tone of voice from back then. “I heard Shi Yang was also hit because he was dragged into this by you. His fans really don’t like you right now,” she continued to say with a slightly pitying tone.
“It’s so bad that someone even questioned whether Shi Yang worked with you to put down the new artist. This situation also reflects badly on his image too. Who knows if Shi Yang will distance himself from you after working so closely with you?”
With that, Ji Yi couldn’t help but let out a “tsk tsk tsk” then she repeated everything Qian Ge told her in the past back to her: “Qian Ge, I took it as though you were really skilled four years ago, but it looks like you aren’t much at all… After working hard for so long, you not only lost the rare chance of being on stage with Cheng Ke, you even offended Shi Yang. Scratch that – you even ruined your image with a new artist. Say… what’s this called? Suffering double the loss after trying to trick the enemy? But your losses are too great…”
“No no no, there’s more. After tonight’s situation between us, I was able to get in the headlines after lying low from that injury on set. Speaking of which, I have to thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have known when I’d get a chance to get some public exposure!”
“Ji Yi, that’s enough! Shut up!” Qian Ge sounded so triggered by Ji Yi that her voice was a little shaky.
“Shut up? If I shut up, how would you know how much you lost tonight? Qian Ge, let me tell you. When you used your information about me to mercilessly make me enter hell three years ago, did you not think that one day I, Ji Yi, could also do the same? Tonight, you were only counter-attacked by me because I know you. I know what happened between you and Cheng Ke, and I know your temper has a limit, so I flamed the fury in your heart one step at a time until the flames completely imploded. Then I let you lose control and ruin yourself!”
With that, Ji Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. “But, come to think of it, Qian Ge, you really are stupid! While shooting ‘Three Thousand Lunatics,’ I hurt myself and put your manager in prison. Now, I used the same method to ruin your image in front of millions of netizens. Say… how could you fall for the same trick twice? But, this time, you must feel even more smothered because luckily for you, I was hurt last time. But this time, I wasn’t hurt in the slightest…”
“Shut up, shut your mouth! Ji Yi, stop showing off. Do you think you’ve won like this? Don’t think just because you got the upper hand tonight that you know everything! I’m telling you, Ji Yi, this bit of bad news won’t be the end of Qian Ge today!”
Ji Yi could feel Qian Ge’s rage through the phone.
The more angry Qian Ge got, the better Ji Yi felt; she even sounded like she was smiling when she spoke. “Of course I know this bit of bad news won’t be the end of you. I never imagined this incident would get rid of you. What’s more, there’d be no fun in getting rid of you with one go. I want to keep you alive and torture you slowly!”
“Ji Yi, you b*tch!”
“Btch?!” The expression on Ji Yi’s face suddenly turned so cold that even her voice sounded chilly. “You’re only calling me a btch now because you pushed me!”
“Let me tell you, Qian Ge… Tonight’s phone call is to say that what He Jichen said to you back then was right! One of these days, wherever I am, that will be the pinnacle of success!”
“You called me a disappointment and a failure, but one of these days, you’re going to get stepped on by me, this ‘failure’!”
“What happened today is a good example of that. Everything of mine that you used back then to rise to fame, I’m going to make you lose them, bit by bit!”
“Let’s take Cheng Ke for example. You knew him because of me, so because of me, I made you lose any chances of working with him! Cheng Ke is just the beginning; there are other people to follow. For example, four years ago, the male lead I worked with, Dai Luo, now interacts with you on Weibo every now and then. In fact, they say you’ll be filming your next series with him!”
Ji Yi didn’t want to get angry with Qian Ge, but a fire ignited in her heart when she called her a b*tch.
When I was younger, I once wholeheartedly treated Qian Ge well, but now I wholeheartedly hate her!
I could probably forgive anyone in this world, but not Qian Ge. I can’t do it, nor can I ever do it!
Because I poured my heart and soul out in the past just to end up betrayed, I care even more now!
When Ji Yi finished what she said, she didn’t give Qian Ge any chance to react.
Just as she lowered the phone from her ear and prepared to hang up, a hand blocked her from doing so.
In shock, Ji Yi turned her head to see He Jichen. She had no idea when he left the car and walked over to her side.
She moved her lips, wanting to speak. He Jichen however, pulled out a phone from his pocket to make a call.
JI Yi’s mind was rattled by He Jichen’s random actions. With furrowed brows, she heard He Jichen raise his own phone and relayed what she had said on the public phone in a dull voice. “Is this Chen Bai? Call Dai Luo. I want him to work with Ji Yi on ‘The Tempestuous Grand Tang’…”
After Chen Bai replied, He Jichen hung up both phones then told Ji Yi in a flat voice, “Get in the car.”
With that, He Jichen turned on his heels and walked over to the car first.
Ji Yi continued to stand in the phone booth for some time before she realized what He Jichen’s actions meant.
Ji Yi said such harsh words to Qian Ge then said she’d steal Dai Luo. He Jichen stopped her from hanging up and called Chen Bai to tell him he wanted to sign Dai Luo to work with her on the new series.
He was stabbing another knife into Qian Ge, torturing Qian Ge with her… But his knife cut a little deep…
Even though He Jichen had spoken on another line, Ji Yi could definitely imagine that Qian Ge simply exploded with anger!
“Ji Yi,” cried He Jichen as he walked over to the side of the car. He sensed that Ji Yi still hadn’t followed behind him, so he turned his head and cried Ji Yi’s name.
Ji Yi snapped back to reality and hurriedly jogged over.
He Jichen pulled the car door open for her. As she got in, she couldn’t help but look up and smile brightly at He Jichen. “He Jichen, your call just now… that was on purpose, wasn’t it? You did it just so Qian Ge could hear. She’s definitely mad as hell!”
He Jichen didn’t speak but bent over to help fasten her seatbelt and headed back to the driver’s side. When He Jichen started the car up, Ji Yi turned around to face him. She couldn’t contain her excitement as she said, “He Jichen, did you know just how long I’ve been holding that anger inside? Tonight, I was finally able to let it out!”
“After she twisted my ankle last time, she called to make fun of me! That, just now, is called giving her a taste of her own medicine!”
“He Jichen, do you know just how well I acted at tonight’s BL Charity Gala? I think that was the best performance of my entire acting career on display tonight!”
He Jichen’s lips pursed tightly as he stared at the road straight ahead and stepped on the gas.
Ji Yi, who didn’t sense that the car was speeding up, continued chatting away happily.
“I only regret not having any eye drops. When I cried, I had to pinch myself for the tears to come out.”
“Speaking of which, my thigh kind of hurts now. At the time, I only cared about acting convincingly and forgot to take it easy on myself. I wonder if I’ll bruis-”
Ji Yi only managed to speak half the word “bruised” before the speeding car suddenly came to an emergency stop, dead center on the main road.
With the sharp, ear-piercing screech of the emergency brakes, Ji Yi lurched forward. Luckily, she had her seat belt on to prevent her forehead from smacking into the windshield.
Ji Yi was scared half to death by the sudden emergency brakes. After some time, she composed herself and slowly straightened up in her seat.
She instinctively glanced over at the street ahead and realized that the main road was empty.
There are no cars and no pedestrians in sight. Why did He Jichen suddenly hit the emergency brakes?
Ji Yi furrowed her delicate brows and vaguely felt like something wasn’t right. She slowly turned her head and looked over at He Jichen.
Her gaze first landed on the steering wheel and noticed that He Jichen’s grip was so tight that his knuckles were protruding.
The curve on Ji Yi’s lips suddenly froze as her gaze quickly traveled down He Jichen’s arm and up to his face.
He stared right ahead as his thin lips practically pursed into a straight line. There was an evident sense of frustration in his handsome eyes.
What’s with He Jichen?
Ji Yi’s mouth gaped slightly. Her joy over what happened to Qian Ge instantly disappeared.
The car was silent for a minute before Ji Yi’s lips moved, releasing a low, soft voice. “He Jichen, what’s wrong?”
He Jichen seemed to have not heard what she said as he sat motionless in the driver’s seat. He stared ahead without any reaction at all.
She wasn’t aware of what happened at the Golden Lounge when he was with Han Zhifan discussing business. When he was sitting in front of the tall windows with noise-canceling headphones, writing the script, Cheng Weiwan suddenly got up and ran over to them in a hurry with her phone in hand. “Mr. He, look. It’s Xiao Yi. She got into an argument with Qian Ge at the BL Charity Gala.”
At the time, he didn’t even believe it. Ji Yi clearly told him she was at home, so how could she be at the BL Charity Gala?
But he casually swept a look at Cheng Weiwan’s phone to see her apologetically bowing to Qian Ge.
Though he didn’t know what happened, he was afraid she was being bullied. He got up and left the scene with a quick explanation to Han Zhifan: “I’m stepping out for a bit.” He didn’t even bother grabbing his blazer and he took his car keys from Chen Bai then rushed over to Beiyang Hall.
The Golden Lounge was some distance from Beiyang Hall. He was so worried about her that he watched the live coverage on his entire journey over there.
When he saw her fall to the ground, all he could do was step violently on the gas.
He knew her leg just recovered, so if she hurt herself again, he was afraid he’d have to immediately call Dr. Xia to urgently stop by Beiyang Hall.
The journey to Beiyang Hall that normally took forty-five minutes took He Jichen just fifteen minutes.
When he rushed over, the commotion between her and Qian Ge had already calmed down. He was just about to park when he saw Ji Yi and Zhuang Yi through his windshield.
The more Ji Yi was confused by He Jichen’s silent treatment, the more panicked she felt. Her fingers bent slightly as she thought about how she lied to He Jichen that night. Thinking this was the reason why he was angry, she said in low voice, “He Jichen, are you angry? Angry that I lied to you…?”
When He Jichen heard what Ji Yi said, the ball in his throat rolled up and down.
Yes, I’m angry.
But I’m not angry because she lied to me.
I’m angry because she actually used such stupid methods to defeat Qian Ge.
Even though she wasn’t hurt like last time, he was still mad.
Ji Yi noticed that He Jichen still hadn’t said anything and figured she guessed right. Ji Yi pursed her lips and couldn’t help but lower her head and quietly say, “Sorry He Jichen, I didn’t mean to lie to you…”
Before Ji Yi could finish speaking, He Jichen’s head shot up and looked at her. “Did you know just how dangerous it was for you to do that tonight?!”
Because he was mad, He Jichen’s tone was stern. He was so fierce that Ji Yi’s voice instantly disappeared.
“If you didn’t adjust your weight when you fell, you could’ve seriously sprained your ankle and then what? Do you realize your leg only just recovered after an entire’s month of rest?!”
The more He Jichen spoke, the angrier he became. “And Zhuang Yi, what was with her? You made trouble and she was willing to join you?!”
Ji Yi wasn’t stupid; she knew that behind He Jichen’s fury, he was mostly worried about her.
Even though she was being yelled at, her heart actually felt warm. She wasn’t scared of him like she was when he was angry with her in the past. In fact, as his anger grew, she hurriedly spoke with a cute voice, “Am I not okay though?”
“But what if? What if something happened? You’d continue to sit in a wheelchair for another month?!”
Faced with He Jichen’s fury, Ji Yi shot him a sweet smile.
He Jichen wanted to continue talking, but all of a sudden the words wouldn’t come out. He glared fiercely at Ji Yi then looked away, out the car window.
The car instantly fell silent.
Ji Yi knew the anger in He Jichen’s chest hadn’t subsided, and she knew he only had her best interests at heart. After some time, she softly tried to sweet-talk him. “Okay okay, don’t be angry…”
He Jichen ignored her.
Ji Yi reached her arm out, tugged on He Jichen’s sleeve, and gently shook it. “I’ll treat you to dinner, yeah?”
Her touch warmed the cold air around He Jichen and curved his tightened lips.
“He Jichen…” Seeing as He Jichen still wasn’t willing to look at her, Ji Yi let out three chirps in the lovable way she usually messaged him on WeChat. “chirp chirp chirp!”
The anger in He Jichen’s chest instantly disappeared. He turned his head to glance at Ji Yi and after some time, he finally spoke. “Don’t do that ever again.”
Such simple, ordinary words, yet somehow, they touched the deepest, softest part of Ji Yi’s heart.
Don’t ever do that again… Don’t use yourself as a weapon to protect yourself.
Ji Yi’s mind was scattered with a million feelings. After some time, she let out a soft “Mhm” to He Jichen.
Upon hearing her reply, He Jichen’s brows relaxed and he started the car up again. He followed the road and drove straight ahead.
In comparison to how silent he was before, he still didn’t speak much but he did start to talk to her again.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to walk around the city to see the night view?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Chang’an Street?”
Ji Yi let out another soft “Mhm.”
He Jichen took that as agreement, so he turned left at the road up ahead and drove to Chang’an street.
Ji Yi felt truly warmed by He Jichen’s words “Don’t ever do that again.” She stared outside the window and watched the endlessly retreating neon lights for a while. Without realizing it, Ji Yi naturally told He Jichen the thoughts on her mind that she never planned to tell anyone. “He Jichen, I didn’t actually lie to you on purpose…”
Deep down, I never cared about her lying to me… He Jichen instinctively wanted to tell Ji Yi, but before he could, the sound of Ji Yi’s soft voice traveled into his ears. “…I wanted to give you a surprise.”
Surprise?
He Jichen’s fingers quivered around the steering wheel. He chose to stay silent as he waited for Ji Yi to finish.
Ji Yi probably had a lot she wanted to say in her heart as she stared out the window for some time before speaking again. “Well… in the beginning, I never wanted to go to the BL Charity Gala, but I wanted to return to the road you paved for me. I wanted to regain the popularity you generated for me after you spent so much time and money on me in the past…”
I want to not let you down after everything you did for me.
I don’t want all the work you put in to go to waste. I didn’t want your decisions to fire Director Lin and go against the board of directors to go to waste. What’s more, I don’t want you to lose your bet with the board of directors.
I wanted to use my own abilities to tell YC that I’m not a total failure. I wanted them to know I’m worth your protection.
With those thoughts, Ji Yi continued to move her lips.
The atmosphere in the car thinned out. Aside from her low, delicate voice, there were no other sounds.
“… I really do hate Qian Ge; I hate her so much that I want to step on her, but He Jichen… Though I let my anger out on Qian Ge tonight, that wasn’t my main goal. My main goal was to give you a surprise.”
My main goal was to give you a surprise…
Her final word revolved around He Jichen’s heart for who knew how many times before he realized that his heart didn’t dare believe that what she said was truly meant for him to hear.
The things that I did for her, the things I sacrificed, and the things I lost for her… They were all done willingly by me.
He never imagined that she would pay him back, but at this very moment, she was telling him that everything she did tonight was to give him a surprise.
He Jichen thought about it; this had to be the most beautiful thing he had ever heard in his life.
The surprise came so suddenly that He Jichen lost the ability to speak.
After Ji Yi finished speaking, she stayed silent for some time before she realized exactly what she said.
She sensed that the atmosphere in the room had turned a little odd.
To ease the atmosphere, she half-jokingly said, “What’s more, I signed onto YC with great difficulty that I can’t let YC shut down now… I still hope YC can support me. What if YC becomes bankrupt…”
Ji Yi wanted to say “What if YC shuts down, then wouldn’t I be finished?” but before she could finish, He Jichen suddenly broke his silence. “Without YC, you’ll still have me.”
Without YC, you’ll still have me…
Those few words replayed in slow-motion. Each and every word echoed in Ji Yi’s head and unbelievably softened her whole heart.
At that moment, a sudden line came to mind: “The glorious Spring fell into the Autumn waters, the Summer days shine on the Spring mud. From here on out, you are the only one in my heart.”
The glorious Spring fell into the Autumn waters, the Summer days shine on the Spring mud. From here on out, you are the only one in my heart, He Jichen.
No matter how she tried to stop her emotions from deepening, she couldn’t deny that in her heart, his name, “He Jichen,” was there.
That night, He Jichen’s heart softened when Ji Yi said, “I wanted to give you a surprise,” lightening the atmosphere. Without reading the atmosphere, he said seriously, “With YC gone, you’ll still have me,” suddenly making the atmosphere feel even more strange.
In their hearts, they both had their own apprehensions.
He Jichen was afraid to take one step forward – not to get closer to Ji Yi, but he was afraid of pushing her even further away.
Upon realizing that her feelings for He Jichen had turned to a faint sense of joy, she suddenly remembered He Yuguang.
So, the two of them stayed quiet and didn’t say a word to each other. Later, when they came back to their senses, they both tactfully brushed over what they said.
That night, Ji Yi and He Jichen still went to Chang’an street to see the night view and ate crayfish down the night market full of street food. By the time He Jichen drove Ji Yi back home, it was already two in the morning.
That night, Ji Yi laid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to go to sleep. Her mind drifted over to He Jichen’s words, “With YC gone, you’ll still have me.”
After He Jichen drove Ji Yi back home, he started catching up on some work. He rubbed his sore shoulders and lit a cigarette. He walked up to the tall windows and stared out at the billions of lights as Ji Yi’s dainty yet resolute voice suddenly came to mind: “The main point was that I wanted to give you a surprise.”
After that night, Ji Yi’s days went by smoothly.
“Three Thousand Lunatics” was still broadcasting and Princess Qing Yang garnered more support from the fans than Empress Chunyi, especially in the explosive second half of the show. As the series drew to a close, Weibo often had clips of Princess Qing Yang on its top searches. Whereas Empress Chunyi, played by Qian Ge, was rarely mentioned by anyone.
Qian Ge’s reputation took a big hit from the BL Charity Gala fiasco. After it all blew over, although she still had endless jobs lined up, her reputation was still sullied; every time she posted on Weibo, there were always quite a few people hating on her.
When Ji Yi’s Weibo account reached over 500 million followers, she went to Hengdian studios again to join the production team for “The Tempestuous Grand Tang.”
At the same time, Qian Ge’s new drama “The Legend of Qingcheng” was also filming at Hengdian studios.
That meant she and Qian Ge were both filming at Hengdian studios. According to Zhuang Yi, they both stayed at the same hotel too, but neither of them ever bumped into each other.
The director for “The Tempestuous Grand Tang” wasn’t He Jichen, but He Jichen still dropped by often in the two months or so of Ji Yi’s filming to represent the production company.
“The Legend of Qingcheng” and “The Tempestuous Grand Tang” started filming on the same day, but “The Legend of Qingcheng” finished ten days earlier than “The Tempestuous Grand Tang.”
It was already November when she returned to Beijing after leaving the set of “The Tempestuous Grand Tang.”
It wasn’t winter break yet at school, so with no jobs lined up, Ji Yi studied to make up for missed classes and tackle the end-of-term exams just like she did after “Three Thousand Lunatics” was over.
Time flew by and in the blink of an eye, it was already the new year. On the fifth of January, “The Legend of Qingcheng” started broadcasting.
January fifteenth was the day of Ji Yi’s end-of-term exams. After they were over, “The Tempestuous Grand Tang” started broadcasting the day after she went home for winter break.
Five whole months passed between Ji Yi mercilessly retaliating against Qian Ge at the BL Charity Gala and the start of broadcasting for “The Tempestuous Grand Tang.”
In those five months, Ji Yi’s life could really be described as serene and monotonous.
If Ji Yi really had to describe something interesting that happened in the past five months, it was that YC arranged a new assistant to work with her.
