A Billion Stars Can’t Amount to You - Chapter 592-599
He Jichen spoke with disdain, but for some reason, Ji Yi felt it was a likable sense of disdain. Her smile became radiant and captivating and her voice sounded relaxed as she said: “You have to admit, He Jichen, your comeback just now was amazing!”
Maybe it was because her dejected feelings leftover from new year’s day were suddenly swept away in one fell swoop that Ji Yi had a lot to say. Since she was excited, her hands waved around energetically. “You don’t even know! I’ve known her for so many years, but I’ve never seen her so disheveled. She actually cried! The last time I saw her cry, it was when she begged me to ask you to meet up with her at the grove behind the school. After you tossed her aside, I went to see her and she cried and was hurt so badly…”
As she said this, Ji Yi suddenly remembered something and looked over at He Jichen. Then she asked the question she had from long ago. “That’s right, He Jichen, what did you tell Qian Ge the night she confessed that she ended up so upset?”
Actually, he assumed the person he was going to meet that night was Ji Yi. That was why he agreed to go to the grove.
In the end, when he saw Qian Ge, he didn’t even wait for her to speak as his whole face changed. “Where’s Xiao Yi?”
Qian Ge’s face flushed as she lowered her head shyly. She stuttered for a long while before she raised her head and said, “I asked Xiao Yi to help me meet up with you…”
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Before she could finish, he understood what she meant and turned to leave without saying a word. She grabbed his shirt, which caused him to become angry. With a flick of his hand, he pushed her arm off and threw her to the ground. Then he left with the words: “The person I wanted to see was her! Tell Xiao Yi to never do this kind of thing ever again. Disgusting!”
The person I wanted to see was her… It was just a shame he didn’t dare say that for Ji Yi to hear, nor did he dare express his feelings to her.
He was afraid to scare her, afraid she wouldn’t believe him, afraid she would reject him, afraid she wouldn’t even want to be friends with him…
A gloomy look flashed across He Jichen’s eyes and a look of disgust crept on his face. With an obvious sense of dislike, he said, “Could you please not mock me again with that incident?”
Mock… I brought up the time Qian Ge confessed to him, yet he’s having this kind of reaction…
Ji Yi wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but her mood improved slightly. “Alright, I won’t mention it anymore, but I still have to thank you for standing by me tonight in front of Qian Ge.”
He Jichen didn’t say anything.
The car fell silent again.
About half a minute later, Ji Yi thought He Jichen wasn’t going to say anything, but then he suddenly said with an honest heart, “Not only will I stand by you in front of Qian Ge – I’ll stand by you in front of everyone else too.”
He Jichen’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for Ji Yi to hear him clearly. Her heart shook violently for a moment as an indescribable feeling suddenly came over her chest.
What she saw tonight on the big screen al the mall felt like it was on replay. The images sped past her eyes and she suddenly had loads of things she wanted to say to He Jichen, but her mouth gaped; she was clueless as to where to even start. In the end, she remembered something as she tore off the watch on her wrist. She listened to it for a while then put it up to He Jichen’s ear and pressed play.
Each and every one of Qian Ge’s words to Ji Yi at the beauty salon that day traveled into He Jichen’s ear.
The more Qian Ge spoke, the colder the light became in He Jichen’s eyes.
“He’s the same as you? Could you not insult him like that? Are you worthy of mentioning him as your equal?”
He Jichen’s back froze for a moment and his whole body stiffened up when she heard the annoyance in Ji Yi’s voice coming from her watch.
It was silent in the car as her angry voice rang endlessly in his ear.
He Jichen’s heart raced like he just heard the most pleasant song.
“Also, I’m warning you – quit comparing yourself to He Jichen because it will only disgrace him!”
He Jichen’s fingers trembled for a moment then he swiftly turned his head and looked over at Ji Yi.
His reaction wasn’t huge, but it made Ji Yi jump in shock and the watch in her palms started to quiver. From her watch, she heard the click-clack of her own feet leaving after she said such harsh things to Qian Ge.
Ji Yi knew He Jichen had finished listening to what she wanted him to listen to, so she lowered the phone from He Jichen’s ear and put it back on her watch. “Qian Ge was lying. She told me those things but my reaction at the time wasn’t as she said…”
“… I misunderstood you a little because of what happened to my mum, but those misunderstandings weren’t because of Qian Ge. They were because I went to your office to see you that day…”
“… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your and Chen Bai’s conversation, but when I walked up to the door, I happened to overhear your conversation…”
“… I watched the Television Awards today and realized I misunderstood you… So I rushed over here tonight…”
He only had her best interests at heart, but she really did misunderstand him. When she said those things, JI Yi wasn’t confident at all, so she didn’t dare to look at He Jichen. She had her head down like a child who did something wrong. “… Sorry He Jichen…” she laid the truth out on the table.
Some time after Ji Yi’s apology, her heart started to rattle but she didn’t wait for He Jichen to react.
He can’t be upset at me for misunderstanding him, right?
Ji Yi wasn’t sure why she cared about He Jichen’s feelings, but she knew she really did care. She waited for a while again. Then, seeing as everything was quiet, she spoke quietly again: “He Jichen, I’m really sorry, I…”
“…I…” Ji Yi stuttered for a while then pondered what to say next. She immediately said with certainty: “…I promise that if this kind of stuff ever happens again, I’ll ask you right away and won’t blindly assume things on my own…”
He Jichen still didn’t make a sound.
Ji Yi’s palms started to sweat from her nerves and restlessness. While she thought about how to cheer He Jichen up, she sneakily glanced at He Jichen to see if the expression on his face was unusually frightening.
Then Ji Yi realized He Jichen actually looked no different from before. His eyes were still staring unwaveringly right at her, but the only thing different was his slight smile.
Ji Yi’s mouth gaped in confusion as she thought she was just seeing things, so she turned her head to look straight at him in disbelief.
He Jichen’s lips really were slightly curved.
I misunderstood him, yet he’s actually happy?
Ji Yi stared at He Jichen’s lips for a while as her gaze slowly rose to his eyes.
His deep, beautiful eyes were radiating with a warm glow.
With just one look, Ji Yi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat when she felt her own gaze was locked onto He Jichen’s eyes like a magnet.
It wasn’t clear just how long they held their gaze like that.
The atmosphere in the back of the car gradually started to become a little uncomfortable.
He Jichen’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. With robotic movements that didn’t look like his own, he slowly edged closer to Ji Yi’s face.
His face drew closer and closer to hers – so close that they felt one another’s breath.
His eyelashes were long. With their faces so close to each other, his eyelashes brushed across hers when he blinked. The itchy sensation made Ji Yi’s eyelids twitch slightly as she couldn’t help but close them shut. Then she clearly felt his lips press onto her own…
Just as she felt the heat of his lips draw closer, the car came to a sudden stop. Chen Bai’s voice came from in front: “Mr. He, Miss Ji, we’ve arrived at the hotel.”
He Jichen’s lean-in to kiss Ji Yi was suddenly interrupted by Chen Bai’s words.
He was stunned for a moment until the cloudiness in his eyes became a little clearer. Then he slowly realized just how close he was to Ji Yi’s face…
After Chen Bai switched off the engine, he noticed how quiet it was in the back, so he turned his head back to look. When he saw the scene in the backseat, he immediately said, “Mr. He, sorry, I…”
Chen Bai didn’t finish what he was going to say when He Jichen twitched his brows slightly. He came to his senses and shot Chen Bai a menacing look, immediately telling Chen Bai to not utter a word. Chen Bai swiftly pushed the door open and ran out of the car.
As Chen Bai swung the door shut heavily, Ji Yi also returned to her senses.
Before her eyes opened, He Jichen had already withdrawn himself from her body.
Even so, the atmosphere in the car was still unbelievably awkward.
He Jichen and Ji Yi sat in the back of the car shoulder-to-shoulder for a while before He Jichen said, “Let’s get out.”
Ji Yi let out an “Mhm” and suddenly her heart started to race.
Just then, did He Jichen want to kiss me?
If we weren’t interrupted by Chen Bai, would he have kissed me?
Ji Yi initially felt awkward, but with some thought, she suddenly felt a hint of regret for some reason.
After hearing Ji Yi’s response, He Jichen didn’t stay in the car for too long and he immediately pushed the door open and got out.
The cold wind outside poured into the car. The chill pulled Ji Yi back from her thoughts and immediately put a stop to the swirling thoughts in her mind. She also got out of the car right after He Jichen.
Knowing that he’d just interrupted something special, Chen Bai didn’t dare glance at He Jichen when he got out of the car. Instead, he hid far away and said, “I’ll go book a room for Miss Ji…” then slipped into the lobby before He Jichen could respond.
When He Jichen and Ji Yi entered the lobby, Chen Bai had already picked up their room key cards.
When Chen Bai handed Ji Yi a key card, He Jichen took it right from him. Then He Jichen’s and Chen’s eyes met when Ji Yi wasn’t looking.
Soon after, Chen Bai withdrew his gaze and he headed upstairs first after departing with: “Mr. He, Miss Ji, I’ll leave the two of you alone.”
He Jichen didn’t immediately give the key card to Ji Yi. Instead, he pinched it with his fingers and played with it a little. Then they headed to the cafe on the first floor by the hotel lobby that was still open and He Jichen casually said, “Come with me – let’s grab a coffee.”
Maybe it was because they almost kissed in the car, but Ji Yi felt a little uncomfortable. When she heard what He Jichen said, she turned her head and looked at him with shifting eyes. “Alright.”
When He Jichen placed his order, he asked Ji Yi, “What would you like to drink?”
Ji Yi shook her head to say “no thanks.”
But He Jichen still ordered Ji Yi a cup of hot milk.
Ji Yi thought He Jichen was going to have it to-go and drink it back in his room. She never imagined that after he paid the bill, he would point over to the window seat and tell her: “Go take a seat over there.”
After he quickly downed his cup of coffee, Ji Yi thought they could go upstairs now, but she never imagined He Jichen would actually call the waiter over for a refill.
Drinking too much coffee in the evening made it hard to fall asleep. The third time He Jichen called the waiter for a refill, Ji Yi couldn’t help but remind him: “Drinking too much coffee in the evening makes it hard for you to fall asleep, you know.”
With the cup to his lips, He Jichen glanced at Ji Yi. Then He Jichen noticed his phone vibrating in his pocket and secretly counted how many times it happened. It vibrated five times, which was the secret signal Chen Bai agreed upon, so he figured he should put his cup back down. He pulled out a napkin and wiped his lips before saying: “Let’s go back upstairs.”
Ji Yi’s room was on the same floor as He Jichen.
As he came out of the elevator, He Jichen broke the silence. “Come to my room for a sec. I have something to give to you.”
Today was Ji Yi’s birthday, so she instinctively thought He Jichen bought her a birthday gift. She tugged the corner of her lips, tilted her head and asked, “Birthday present?”
He Jichen didn’t say it was, but he didn’t say it wasn’t. All he did was walk up to the door of his room and swipe his door open with the key card.
He pushed the door open and waited for Ji Yi to step in before entering himself.
He shut the door but didn’t go in. Instead, he stopped in front of the toilet by the entrance. “You go in and take a seat first. I’m going to the washroom.”
Ji Yi let out a gentle “Mhm.” After He Jichen locked the door, he walked out of the room.
Just as Ji Yi turned into the living room, her footsteps came to a stop.
In front of the tall window, she was faced with a metal tree sculpture covered with lights. It radiated a warm and soft glow.
Although the living room lights weren’t on, under the warm lighting, Ji Yi could tell the various-sized branches were densely packed with lipsticks.
As the string of LED lights blinked, the lipsticks abruptly appeared and disappeared in Ji Yi’s eyes.
Ji Yi stared motionlessly at the “Lipstick tree” for some time before she walked over to it.
As she got closer, Ji Yi realized this was different from the last time He Jichen gave her a floor of lipsticks during the “Three Thousand Lunatics” end-of-production party.
On all the lipstick lids was a single, gold word: Ji.
The lipstick lids also had scribbled text which Ji Yi couldn’t read. She walked around the metal tree for a long time before she finally found words she could read on one of the lipsticks. It was the Japanese translation of “Happy birthday.”
Ji Yi realized something and continued to search through the metal tree. Then she saw possibly the Korean, English, French… and the familiar Chinese words for “happy birthday.”
So the words I can’t read are the different translations for “happy birthday”?
With that thought, Ji Yi pulled out her phone and took a few photos. She put the pictures through a translation app and it was just as she thought – they all read “happy birthday.”
Did He Jichen… give me a tree full of lipstick with birthday wishes?
Her mind was so preoccupied with the tree filled with lipstick that she didn’t realize He Jichen had already stepped out from the washroom and was standing behind her.
“I wanted to mail it by air back to your house in Beijing, but I never thought you’d come over here, so I asked Chen Bai to set up these decorations at the last minute.”
When she heard that, Ji Yi quickly turned around to look at the man behind her. That was when she realized he only asked to get some coffee to stall for Chen Bai.
“I know you’re upset over your mum’s injury, so I got a few extra lipsticks for you.”
By that, does he mean he’s trying to cheer me up from ages ago when I got hurt?
He had to make Ji Yi suffer for a bit for her own good, and although it may have implicated her mum, he hadn’t meant for that to happen.
When she learned the truth, she decided to forgive him right away, but she never imagined he actually kept the matter close at heart…
Ji Yi’s heart suddenly started to tremble softly.
She thought He Jichen finished speaking, so she was taken aback when he said: “I hope this is the last time I have to give you lipstick.”
I told him before: Women love to be given lipstick when they’re mad. If one tube of lipstick can’t resolve the issue, then two. If two can’t resolve the issue, then give the woman a whole set! He said he hopes this is the last time he’ll have to give me lipstick. Is he telling me he won’t ever upset me again?
Ji Yi’s heart raced violently as her gaze into He Jichen’s eyes quivered.
The room was incredibly silent.
Under the lights of the metal tree, Ji Yi stared unwaveringly at He Jichen.
Having finished his monologue, He Jichen made his way towards Ji Yi.
As he drew closer to her one step at a time, Ji Yi could feel her heart jump like lightning, like it could leap out from her throat at any time.
When He Jichen paused in front of Ji Yi, her entire body shivered for a moment like she’d been electrocuted. She withdrew her gaze from He Jichen and silently retreated into the washroom and slammed the door shut.
After locking the door, she leaned into the wooden door then placed her hand over her racing heart going “bang bang bang” in her chest. She took deep breaths to calm herself down.
When her heart rate returned to normal, Ji Yi straightened up and walked over to the sink.
She turned the tap on and splashed a handful of cold water on her face. Looking in the mirror, she stared at herself for a long time. She suddenly realized why she stood outside He Jichen’s office and eavesdropped on his conversation with Chen Bai then hid in the alley behind the office, crying from heartbreak ages ago.
The night she saw that Chen Bai really did leak information to “I love eating mangoes” on Weibo, she understood why she was tempted to but didn’t dare ask He Jichen why he did it.
She understood why she flew to C city without telling her parents after she saw what happened to Qian Ge on the big screen and learned about He Jichen’s true intentions.
She understood why she was so nervous when Qian Ge told He Jichen that Ji Yi didn’t believe him.
And she understood why she felt so anxious after He Jichen didn’t reply when she showed him the recording on her watch in the car and apologized.
Moreover, she understood why she felt some regret inside when he didn’t kiss her…
Because——she had fallen in love with him.
When she decided to get a divorce from He Yuguang, she was resolute when she told herself to stop having feelings for He Jichen.
But now, she realized her heart was uncontrollably lost to him long ago, all throughout the time they spent together.
It was no wonder she revealed her feminine side to him by complaining and rambling on about tons of unimportant things.
It was no wonder she immediately ran to see him on new year’s eve when she found out he wasn’t at home.
It was no wonder she cared so much when he hyped up her scandal…
Since she loved him, she was used to relying on him and telling him about everything; because she loved him, she wanted to be with him when she found out he was spending new year’s day alone; because she loved him, she cared more than anyone that he hyped up her scandal; because she loved him, she cared more than anyone about what he once said to her; because she loved him – really really loved him – she dropped everything to rush over to him overnight, afraid he’d think she didn’t believe him. It was no wonder she looked forward to his kiss…
This love felt stronger, more intense, and deeper than she ever imagined.
This love crept into her life a lot earlier than she imagined.
Before she even realized she had feelings for him, she might’ve already fallen for him. She just didn’t want to end things with him so suddenly like she did with He Yuguang, so she fooled herself by saying she was only “moved” by him.
And maybe this love was so deep that even though they got into arguments when they were younger and she thought she would never fall for him, she eventually started to get these strange feelings she denied was love…
But no matter how she tried to run away or lie to herself, no matter how slow she was, after seeing the tree filled with lipsticks covered with different languages; after she learned how guilty he felt for implicating her mum in his plan; after he said he hoped this would be the last time he gave her lipstick, there was no escape. She couldn’t find any more excuses to lie to herself or any way of fooling herself. She had to face the truth: She was unexpectedly, deeply in love with him.
Knocking came from the toilet door.
She must’ve been in there too long without making a sound. Every now and then, He Jichen cried out “Xiao Yi?” with a worried voice.
“Xiao Yi?”
After He Jichen cried her name countless times, Ji Yi blinked quickly as she stared at her own eyes in the mirror and slowly came back to her senses.
When Ji Yi composed herself, she turned the tap off and walked over to the door.
Just as she reached the door, she heard He Jichen calling her from outside the door again: “Xiao Yi.”
Ji Yi stopped breathing when she heard his voice and stood in front of the door for a short moment before taking a deep breath. She reached out and pulled the door open.
Seeing Ji Yi step out, He Jichen immediately took a step forward, grabbed her shoulders and scanned her up and down. When he was sure everything was fine, he spoke again: “Xiao Yi, what’s wrong?”
It wasn’t like He Jichen hadn’t touched her before, but after Ji Yi realized she was in love with him, she couldn’t help but quiver at his touch. The shoulder he touched felt like it was on fire, spreading into her heart and lungs. She wanted to wrestle her shoulder out of his grip, but she couldn’t bear to do it. Faced with this inner struggle, she heard He Jichen’s voice again: “Xiao Yi? Are you not feeling well anywhere?”
Ji Yi hurriedly shifted her focus away from He Jichen’s hand on her shoulder. She first shook her head at He Jichen then made up a random excuse: “I-I’m not feeling unwell. It-it’s just that I came in such a hurry that I forgot to eat. My stomach just hurts from hunger. I wanted to throw up, so I ran into the washroom…”
When he heard this, He Jichen let out a sigh of relief. “What do you want to eat? I’ll get the hotel to make it for you.”
As he said this, He Jichen released his hand from her shoulder as his other hand slid down her arm and grabbed her tiny wrist. He pulled her in front of the living room desk.
When Ji Yi sat down on a chair, He Jichen found the 24-hour room service menu and placed it in front of Ji Yi.
“Take a look and see what you want to eat…” said He Jichen as he picked up the phone on the desk and called for room service.
It had been a total of four to five hours since her journey from Beijing to C city then to the hotel. Ji Yi really was quite hungry. She lowered her head and quickly skimmed through the menu then gently pointed at “Stir-fried beef with rice noodles.”
“Stir-fried beef with rice noodles.” After He Jichen repeated what Ji Yi wanted to eat to the staff, he turned and asked Ji Yi, “Nothing else?”
Ji Yi shook her head.
He Jichen furrowed his brows and grabbed the menu. As he looked at it, he spoke into the phone again, “Add another portion of congee with sugar. It has to have a little sugar…”
That’s just how I like it… As He Jichen’s low and gentle voice traveled into her ears, Ji Yi’s gaze couldn’t help but land on him.
Just now, in the washroom, He Jichen turned on the heating so it was a little warm. He took off his jacket and tie and even his unbuttoned his shirt by three buttons.
With one hand on the table and the other on the phone, another shirt button popped open, revealing a faint hint of He Jichen’s muscles to Ji Yi.
Compared to his usually serious demeanor in his trenchcoat, He Jichen looked a lot sexier right now.
All of sudden, Ji Yi remembered the night they spent together in Shanghai. She gently brushed her fingers across his chest… It felt good to the touch; hard and strong…
“… And a portion of stir-fried Chinese broccoli and a glass of milk… Mm, yeah, and a portion of hot spicy soup… go easy on the chilis…”
After He Jichen hung up the phone, he asked Ji Yi if she wanted to drink some water first.
After asking her twice with no answer, he eventually turned his head in confusion to see that she was lost in a daze.
He Jichen furrowed his brows, reached his hand out and waved it in front of Ji Yi’s face. “What are you thinking about?”
Ji Yi listened to what He Jichen said and without thinking it over, she blurted out, “I want to sleep with you…”
After waving his hand in front of Ji Yi’s face, He Jichen felt his phone vibrate, so his fingers dove into his pocket.
When he fished out his phone and raised it to eye-level, Ji Yi’s words, “I want to sleep with you” drifted into his ears before he could unlock the phone screen and glance at the message notification.
He Jichen paused for a moment then realized what those six words meant. The back of his hand froze and the strength in his hand suddenly dissipated, causing his phone to slip out of his hand and crash onto the desk with a loud “bang!”
The shock snapped Ji Yi back to her senses. She blinked and shot a glance at He Jichen’s face then realized what she just said to him while in her daydream state.
Ji Yi’s eyes suddenly shot wide open.
When He Jichen asked what she was thinking, she happened to be reminiscing about the night they spent together in Shanghai. At that very moment, she stared at He Jichen’s unbuttoned shirt and had an urge to tear it off… But even so, she couldn’t honestly admit what was really on her mind to He Jichen!
Ji Yi suddenly became flustered as her pupils darted around wildly for some time before she spoke again. “No-no-no-no… It’s like this – I misspoke! What I really meant was that I-I remembered sleeping with you in Shanghai…”
As Ji Yi said this, she suddenly shut her mouth and wanted nothing more than to bite off her tongue.
What the hell was that?! Even if I wanted to explain myself, I can’t just fess up to what I was actually thinking about just now…
Ji Yi didn’t dare look at He Jichen and she instinctively continued to explain herself: “…He Jichen, I was just joking with you. Like I’ve got nothing better to do… why would I think about our night in Shanghai…”
My god… Do I have no filter at all?
There are cheats and liars, but what about people trying to dig themselves into a hole?
I’m not explaining myself properly! I’m just digging a ditch for myself…
Ji Yi had the urge to cry at her stupidity, and she wanted nothing more than to hide in a crack in the ground. What’s more, I could’ve just bolted out of here… but if I really did run, how awkward would it be the next time we meet?
With that thought, all Ji Yi could do was force herself to continue to sit in the chair and put on a bold face as she spoke to He Jichen again, “I really didn’t think about that night in Shanghai. What I meant by what I said was…”
Having never thought about how to smooth things over, Ji Yi was stuck after she said this.
The more stuck she was, the more impatient she felt inside and the more chaotic her thoughts were. The more frantic she felt, the more she couldn’t think of anything to say, so her gaze wandered all around the room, trying to find some inspiration. As a result, her gaze shot past He Jichen’s room and to the bedroom door. When she saw the big bed, her mind suddenly sparked like she thought of a brilliant way to explain herself. Her eyes lit up as she raised her head and met He Jichen’s eyes. “…I want to sleep in your bed tonight!” she cried.
As soon as she said it, Ji Yi stared in shock at He Jichen.
Am I-I-I trying to smooth things over?
I’m just adding fuel to the fire!
What the hell was “I want to sleep in your bed tonight”?!
