Song Shiyue’s last contact with him was on the day the news of the fan jumping off a building hit the hot search. She was in the classroom and, during the break, finished reading all the reports. After worrying for a long time, she still couldn’t help sending him a message of concern.
「Moon」: [Are you okay?]
He only replied that evening.
「Star」: [I’m fine]
Just those two short words, and nothing more afterward. Song Shiyue could roughly imagine the chaos on the other end, so after receiving the reply, she didn’t press further.
Scrolling back further in their chat history, it stopped at the evening when he was originally supposed to come see Laifu.
At home, she was using jerky treats to coax the little cat hiding under the table. Laifu’s fur had already grown back neatly, its patches of color distinct and clear. It had truly become an adorable little calico cat. However, it was still very timid—secretly crouching in the corner, cautiously stretching its head out to nibble at the treat in her hand.
The kitten ate in tiny, careful bites.
Song Shiyue took the opportunity to give it a little “thought education.”
“A big brother is coming to see you in a bit, you know. He was the one who took you to the hospital back then. Laifu, do you still remember him?”
“The cat food you ate last time was also sent by him. Laifu, remember to say thank you, okay.”
“Just say meow meow—there you go.”
She chattered softly. The two of them—one person and one cat—often talked to themselves like this. Laifu was used to it by now. Its ears twitched lightly as it buried its head and continued eating the jerky.
Song Shiyue couldn’t help glancing up at the clock on the wall.
They had agreed on around seven o’clock.
It was almost time.
She prepared to tidy up and take Laifu downstairs.
In autumn, the sky gets dark early. By the time she reached the outside of the residential complex, the light had already faded. Tree shadows blocked the way, and only the occasional car passed along the roadside.
Song Shiyue was holding Laifu in her arms, gently stroking its fur to soothe it, when her phone was suddenly bombarded with messages from Da Li. At that moment, the hot search had just climbed to the top of the homepage.
She placed Laifu down beside the flower bed, squatted next to it, and opened the hot search title. Her expression grew serious as she scrolled through the page.
When she saw the video of Zhu Xingyan playing with the cat, she paused for a brief moment in surprise. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Laifu at her feet.
The once-stray little kitten had long since been raised into something gentle and adorable. Just looking at its clean, plump fur was enough to tell it had been well taken care of.
The gray, skinny stray cat in the video looked exactly like Laifu when they had first found it.
Song Shiyue didn’t have time to finish reading everything posted by the marketing accounts before a new message popped up at the top of her screen—from Zhu Xingyan.
「Star」: [Sorry, I won’t be able to see Laifu today after all. Really apologize]
「Moon」: [It’s okay. I saw the hot search. You handle your own matters first. Laifu is always here, and it’s doing well.]
Song Shiyue typed it all out in one go and sent it, waiting anxiously for a few seconds. The cursor blinked.
「Star」: [Okay]
The phone fell silent again.
The night wind felt slightly chilly, and her heart sank unconsciously along with it.
The uproar online raged on for a long time. It started as a dating rumor, then shifted to a fan attempting suicide. Somehow, the topic escalated further into questions of the artist’s professional ethics and moral conduct. Zhu Xingyan became the target of public criticism—condemned, accused, defended, debated… Fame is a double-edged sword. The moment everyone sees you, everyone also binds you.
Zhu Xingyan vanished from the public eye. A long, drawn-out silence followed, as if there were no end in sight.
During breaks, someone in class couldn’t help asking.
“Do you think… Zhu Xingyan will come back?”
“He will, probably… once this storm passes.”
“He’s still young, and his career has just begun. He shouldn’t quit the industry over something like this. He’s probably just lying low for a while to avoid the heat.”
“I just don’t know if he’ll still come back to school for classes.”
“There are still paparazzi squatting outside the school right now. Last time after school, I ran into two people sneaking around with cameras. These entertainment media really have no bottom line—they’re all waiting to dig up dirt on him.”
“Sigh.”
In the end, every conversation would trail off into a heavy sigh.
And while the outside world speculated wildly and worried endlessly about that person in the spotlight, on one completely unremarkable night, he sent her a perfectly ordinary greeting.
【How is Laifu doing?】
Song Shiyue stared at those words. Her heart skipped a beat. After steadying herself for a few seconds, she replied. New chapters come out on g.com first.
「Moon」: [Laifu is doing very well. It eats and sleeps properly every day, getting healthier and healthier. Its courage has grown a lot too—it runs around the whole house on its own now]
After sending it, she hesitated for a moment before typing again.
「Moon」: [And you? How have you been lately?]
「Star」: [I’m doing well too]
「Star」: [Do you have any recent photos of Laifu? I’d like to see it]
When Song Shiyue saw his message, she quickly opened her photo album and selected a few videos and pictures of Laifu to send him.
In them, the little cat was lively and active. It stood in the middle of the cabinet, stretching its paws up to grab the feather decoration hanging on the wall.
It missed once, then extended its body further to hook it, flailing and struggling with effort—nothing at all like the frail, weak kitten they had picked up back then.
The little calico in the video radiated vibrant, lively energy. Anyone who watched couldn’t help but smile.
Zhu Xingyan pressed save, then replied to her.
「Star」: [Thank you]
Song Shiyue stared at his reply and paused uncertainly.
She had originally wanted to add a couple more caring words, but Zhu Xingyan’s tone seemed to create an invisible distance, with no intention of continuing the conversation.
She worried she might be overthinking it, yet also feared she wasn’t thinking enough. After a moment of internal struggle, she chose the polite response.
「Moon」: [You’re welcome]
Fundamentally speaking, he was a big star, while she was merely an ordinary classmate in the class. Their connection had deepened a little because of the fate tied to one little cat. The sudden increase in exchanges during those days had given her the illusion that perhaps they were friends.
In reality, perhaps the illusion was just that—an illusion. They had never truly lived in the same world.
The chat window froze on the three words “You’re welcome.”
Zhu Xingyan’s gaze remained fixed.
Reason told him that this was the most correct choice, yet the heaviness in his chest lingered like an unshakable shadow, accumulating and pressing down.
The air suddenly felt thin, bringing a suffocating sense that he couldn’t breathe.
Zhu Xingyan abruptly turned off his phone, tilted his head back, and took a deep, heavy breath, closing his eyes against the bright overhead light.
This incident carried overwhelming malice from the start. Behind the countless news reports and public opinions, there were hands pushing it forward. Whether the initial leak was accidental or long premeditated was unclear at first, but by the time the matter had fermented to this extent, it was no longer coincidence.
Traffic was being swept along by capital; everyone wanted a piece of the pie, nibbling away at him, trying to devour him whole.
Zhu Xingyan didn’t dare imagine what would have happened if he had really gone to meet her that day.
The captured video would have shown her and Laifu.
What kind of public opinion storm would the internet unleash?
Her calm and peaceful high school life would be destroyed in an instant—focused on, discussed, and perhaps even exposed to personal danger.
When fans’ affection becomes excessive, it turns into extremism.
The wanton revelry of the internet never cares about the tiny ants drowned beneath the flood of public opinion.
He felt a wave of lingering fear.
Fan City had long entered winter. After Christmas came New Year’s Day.
Soon, the last winter vacation before the college entrance exam would arrive.
Zhu Xingyan never came back to school. Not long ago, news about his art college entrance exam once again hit the hot search. After months of silence, the person who had vanished from the public eye suddenly reappeared—low-key to an almost unimaginable degree.
He wore a black down jacket, a matching cap, and a mask, blending into the crowd. If the camera hadn’t deliberately captured him, it would have been extremely difficult for anyone to recognize that this was the same idol who once stood bathed in stage lights.
The photos released by the media only managed to capture his figure with difficulty, without getting a clear shot of his face. Even so, the mere sight of him reappearing sent fans into uncontrollable excitement. Just a few photos generated astonishing levels of heat.
【Aaaaaah baby, you finally showed up!!!】
【I’m about to cry, who gets it / tears】
【Eat well, live well, and enjoy your upcoming university days / heart】
【Has everyone forgotten what happened last time?】
Amid the jubilation, there were always some unpleasant voices. Zhu Xingyan’s fans still had top-tier combat power in the industry—this comment was quickly pushed to the front and built into a towering thread.
【I don’t know what unforgivable crime our little Yan committed for you to remember it so vividly / heart. Was he the one who got rumored into a scandal or the one threatened with suicide by a psycho fan / heart. When will victim-blaming finally stop / heart】
【When can brainless bandwagon jumpers like you disappear from this world / heart】
【Forgot what? Forgot to curse you, you sb?】 This story is hosted at g.com.
【If your brain hasn’t fully developed yet, don’t come out and embarrass yourself】
【If stupidity could be sentenced, you’d get life imprisonment】
【Please, someone arrest him already】
……
The public has no memory. Once this hot topic fades, a new one immediately takes its place. As the traffic frenzy subsided and reason regained control of people’s minds, only the normal fans remained.
Upon careful reflection, in this entire incident he hadn’t actually done anything wrong—in some sense, he was even the victim.
His only “fault” was carrying a treasure that invited envy.
Anyone who possesses something precious will inevitably attract those who covet it.
When Class 1 saw this hot search, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
At least he hadn’t been crushed. His life was steadily and smoothly moving forward again.
Xiao Simin finally let out a huge sigh of relief. “The stone that’s been weighing on my heart has finally dropped.”
“Worry about yourself first,” Lin Xin couldn’t help reminding her from beside. “The final exams are coming up soon. Your revision…”
“Aaaaah shut up!” She snapped her phone shut with a click, hurriedly flipped open her textbook, and frantically started cramming at the last minute.
The last winter vacation before the college entrance exam was frighteningly short.
When Teacher Zhang announced the holiday schedule from the podium, the class erupted in groans. He slammed the desk hard.
“What are you ‘ah’-ing about! At this point you’re still thinking about playing during the break! The Gaokao is right around the corner! Wake up! Do you think you’re all Zhu Xingyan? Skipping class and still getting full marks in your major?!”
“…………” The complaints vanished instantly. The classroom fell silent as a chicken. The students knew they were in the wrong and didn’t dare voice any more dissatisfaction. They swallowed their grievances and grumbled inwardly.
Comparing oneself to others is infuriating.
Give us ordinary people a chance to live!
Zhu Xingyan passed his art college entrance exam interview with the top score. As long as his cultural subject scores met the minimum requirement, he would directly receive an admission letter from the film academy.
And for him, getting a high enough score on the Gaokao was basically a sure thing.
Unlike the rest of them, who still had to struggle across that narrow bridge, he had already stepped over it ahead of time. Previously he had excused his absences with “busy work”; now he could openly and justifiably stop coming to school altogether.
On the day the exams officially ended and the winter vacation began.
Everyone was gradually packing up in the classroom.
Someone inevitably brought up Zhu Xingyan, their tone tinged with reluctance and regret: “Zhu Xingyan probably won’t come back to school anymore, right? It seems like there’s no need for him to.”
“Yeah, he just has to wait for the exam results now.”
“Time passes so fast. In the blink of an eye, two years are almost gone.”
“After graduation, we probably won’t have any chance to meet him again, will we?”
“Who knows? Maybe if we’re lucky and manage to grab tickets in the future, we can still go to his concert.”
“Then we can brag to our friends: look, that big star on stage used to be my classmate.”
“Hahaha.”
Amid the laughter and chatter, the regret was quietly submerged in their words.
Unnoticed, light rain began to fall from the sky. Thick clouds carried icy snowflakes.
Just like that winter day last year.
Song Shiyue was, as always, the last to leave. She checked that the doors and windows were securely closed, picked up the black umbrella that had been left in the corner under her desk, opened it, and stepped into the snow.
The umbrella was wide and sturdy, effectively blocking the wind and rain outside. She walked along the camphor tree path, now completely bare of leaves. Faintly in her ears, it seemed she could hear the weak, fragile meows of Laifu from back then.
She and Zhu Xingyan never had any further contact.
Two straight lines had briefly intersected before returning to their own paths.
Like in the vast universe, where stellar orbits cross in parallel—one fleeting moment of overlap, then swiftly back to their predetermined trajectories.
The stars continue to race forward and burn brightly, shining on opposite ends of the dark night sky.
T/N: Kofi button is below, considering buying one <3