A Billion Stars Can’t Amount to You

”...Huh? Hold on a minute. Wasn’t the movie you filmed in the fall called ”The Palace”? Which goes to say, you were in the same production team as Jichen... Then Ji Yi, how are you and Jichen?”

After Ji Yi’s mum talked for so long, she didn’t get any response from Ji Yi, so she couldn’t help but raise her voice. ”Xiao Yi, mum is asking you a question?!”

”Alright...” replied Ji Yi half-heartedly. She turned her head and looked out the window.

They got further from the seashore, and it was getting windier, so Ji Yi rolled up the window.

Ji Yi could clearly see the reflection of the car television on the car window. The video looped endlessly and every so often, she saw the premiere for ”The Palace.”

...

When they reached the hotel, Ji Yi didn’t stick around to talk with her mum and dad but she went directly to her own room.

Ji Yi wasn’t sure if it was because of seeing He Jichen on the TV, but she felt a little down, so she lay in bed in a daze for a long time before she fell asleep.

This year, there wasn’t a thirtieth of the last month of the year, so the twenty-ninth was Chinese new year’s eve.

Ji Yi’s dad booked a new year’s family dinner on the yacht, so after sleeping till the late afternoon, Ji Yi freshened up and headed for the yacht to meet her parents.

After having new year’s family dinner, Ji Yi didn’t disturb her parents and discreetly headed out to the deck to catch the ocean breeze.

Someone was setting off fireworks by the shore. Above the sea, beautiful fireworks were displayed.

She put her headphones in and listened to music as she stared in the air for far too long. Suddenly, the music in her ears paused and was replaced with a ”ding.” After two seconds, the music resumed.

Ji Yi knew she received a message. She enjoyed the endless, beautiful firework display for a while longer before she brought the phone to her eyes and unlocked the screen.

It was a WeChat message from ”He Yuguang” to celebrate the new year: ”Happy new year, Manman.”

Even though Ji Yi restrained herself from getting too close to He Yuguang, when she received his new year’s blessings, she politely replied: ”Yuguang Ge, happy new year.”

She received another message from ”He Yuguang” seconds after she sent her reply: ”Manman, what are you doing?”

Ji Yi: ”Watching some fireworks.”

”He Yuguang”: ”Have you eaten new year’s dinner yet?”

Ji Yi: ”Yeah.”

”He Yuguang”: ”What did you have?”

”...”

Ji Yi didn’t ask He Yuguang any questions, but she replied to whatever he asked. The two of them chatted back and forth for some time before Ji Yi excused herself with, ”Mum and dad are calling me for something” and stopped chatting with ”He Yuguang”.

Before Ji Yi and her parents came to Hainan, they discussed that their family of three would have new year’s eve dinner together. The next day, she would travel to Lijiang to give her parents some alone time in Hainan.

So, bright and early on the morning of the first day of the new year, Ji Yi rushed over to the airport and got on a flight to Lijiang.

Once in Lijiang, Ji Yi checked in at the hotel she booked then had lunch at the hotel restaurant. She then went back to her hotel room and got an hour’s rest in the afternoon. After she woke up, she took a shower, changed into a long dress, and took a walk around the old town.

It wasn’t until nightfall before she stopped by a restaurant with rave reviews for dinner.

As she waited for the waiter to serve her food, she reached for her phone and browsed Weibo to pass the time before she was drawn to a headline: