I'm Really a Superstar

Outside the bedroom.

He opened the door and closed it behind him.

Zhang Ye took the plate out from his room.

“You’ve finished eating, Little Ye?” His mother looked over at him.

“Yeah,” Zhang Ye said.

His mother looked at the plate in his hand. “Woah, you actually finished all that?”

Zhang Ye placed the plate in the kitchen sink and came out, saying, “I was really hungry since I didn’t eat much the whole of yesterday.”

His mother asked, “Your stomach is OK? If it’s no problem, then quickly come here and have a chat with your aunties and uncles. We were just discussing your quit smoking PSA. After your Grandpa Sun here watched it, he did not smoke for the entire day. He has been grumbling about you for a while now, saying that the PSA was so scary and how only someone like you would be able to produce something like that.”

Grandpa Sun who was playing with the dog, laughed loudly and said, “But smoking less is a good thing. Little Ye’s really good. This PSA has a very effective cautionary message, and that puts it at the pinnacle of public service announcements!”

Zhang Ye gave a wave of his hands. “Grandpa Sun, you’re too flattering.”

“Continue your conversation first.” His mother stood up unable to do anything. “I’ll go make Little Ye’s bed so that the young ones may go into his bedroom to talk.”

Zhang Ye started in surprise and quickly stopped her. “Mom, don’t make yourself busy with such things. Just sit down and rest up. It’s more lively with more people around to talk with, and anyways, my room is too small.”

At this moment, his cell phone rang in his pocket.

Zhang Ye took it out and had a look. It was from Hu Fei, so he answered the call as he stood beside his bedroom door: “Hello, Brother Hu?”

Hurriedly said laughed a little and said: “Little Zhang, are you busy?”

Zhang Ye said: “Ah, yes.”

Hu Fei: “Do you have time in the afternoon? Come out for a meal?”

Zhang Ye answered without even considering: “Today? It’s not possible today.”

“Oh, like that?” Hu Fei said. “Hur hur, actually, I’m not the only one who wants to meet you for a meal. I am also doing this as a favor to the television station’s leaders as they’ve organized a meal today and would like to invite you along.”

But how would Zhang Ye have any mood and thoughts about this at the moment, so he just rejected and said: “Forget it, Brother Hu. I really cannot make it, help me decline them but thank them for the invitation.”

Hu Fei coughed and said: “But the station might be looking for you for a reason.”

“It’s not that I am not giving you face, Brother Hu, but today is really not convenient. Besides, you also know about my relationship with Beijing Television Station. This time, I helped out because it was for you, but if it’s a luncheon with many people sitting around, I’m afraid there isn’t much I could talk to them about, so it’s better I don’t go.” Zhang Ye explained and then hung up after that.

Luncheon?

Even if the sky was about to collapse over there, I couldn’t go help!

If I went now, then my side of the sky would collapse!

His father looked at him and asked, “Something the matter? Go if there’s something that needs your attention.”

Zhang Ye said, “It’s nothing, nothing. It’s just a luncheon that I can miss without any issues.” He did not put much thought into the reason for this call from Hu Fei since his mind was currently on another matter.

Auntie Yu was smiling widely and said, “Little Ye, you take a seat too.”

Zhang Ye said, “Sure, let me find a chair.”

Grandma Cui stood up and said, “You can sit on the sofa. Go ahead.”

“I can’t do that. Please sit down. I will find a stool or something.” Zhang Ye casually took a nearby stool and sat down at an area near the bedroom door, as though he were “guarding” the room.

Little Yan also moved quickly to give up his seat. “Brother Zhang Ye, this chair is more comfortable. It has a cushion.”

“It’s alright, I can make do with this.” Zhang Ye waved his hands.

Auntie Yu said, feeling a little moved, “Look at our Little Ye, he’s already such an important member of society, yet he puts on no airs and has always been so polite. How nice.”

His mother said, “How could he ever put on airs with everyone here? All of you watched him grow up.”

Beside them, another auntie sighed, “Yes, who would have thought that little kid back then has already grown up to be this tall and even became a big star. He even worked together with the Heavenly Queen of the entertainment circle, Zhang Yuanqi. You see, this shows that everything in this world is very unpredictable and no one can know the future.”

When her daughter who was seated beside heard that, she asked, “Brother Ye, I love Sister Zhang. Have you really seen her before?”

Zhang Ye simply grunted in confirmation.

Auntie Yu said happily, “Little Ye had written two songs for Zhang Yuanqi before. How could he not have seen her?”

The girl asked excitedly, “Then what is your relationship with Sister Zhang like?”

Zhang Ye equivocally said, “Hai, we’ve only cooperated twice and that was about it. We don’t know each other too well nor have we exchanged more than a few words.” He distanced himself.

“Is Sister Zhang’s temper as good in her daily life? Is she also especially friendly to everyone? I have never seen her putting on any airs before!” Little Yan also said with great interest.

Friendly?

Good temperament?

I will gift you all two words now: HUR HUR!

But Zhang Ye still guiltily said, “Yes, she is very even-tempered and a very nice person!” Then, his eyes couldn’t resist sweeping towards the direction of his bedroom door as he wondered if Old Zhang was asleep and whether she could hear what he just said.

Little Yan said in admiration, “Sister Zhang is my goddess. If I could just see her once, even from afar, then I would die a happy man.”

Zhang Ye thought to himself that Little Yan did not actually have to wait for another day. If he just opened the door to Zhang Ye’s bedroom, not only would he be able to see her, he would even be able to see her in resting!

“I heard that Zhang Yuanqi is filming a new movie.”

“Yes, I think it’s a martial arts film.”

“Brother Little Ye, could you get an autograph from Sister Zhang if you get the chance? I really like her so much and I’ve watched every one of her movies!”

Somehow, the topic of discussion had turned to Zhang Yuanqi, possibly because she was quite popular in the singing and acting fields. No matter man or woman, old or young, everyone still liked her. Even the older generation like Grandma Cui and Grandpa Sun who might not be too familiar with other celebrities could say comment on the Heavenly Queen Zhang Yuanqi when she was mentioned, for instance “10 years ago when Zhang Yuanqi swept the charts” and the like.

The discussion was becoming livelier and livelier.

His mother looked at her watch and went to start preparing lunch. Three other aunties also went along to help her out, otherwise, a meal for so many people would really be a headache to prepare.

Di di, a text message arrived.

Zhang Ye held up his phone and saw Zhang Yuanqi’s number on the display. She had earlier switched off her phone as she was avoiding her manager and the meal schedule, but for some reason, she turned it on again.

Old Zhang: “Back into the room, now.”

Zhang Ye replied: “What’s wrong?”

A few seconds later, he received a reply again: “I need to go to the bathroom.”

When he saw these few words, Zhang Ye got so frightened that all his hair stood on end. Why must you go to the bathroom now? Right now, when there were so many people out here, and every one of them would know you for sure. One of them even wanted me to get your signature for her. If you came out right now, then it would definitely save me a lot of trouble since you could directly give her your autograph!

Zhang Ye suddenly said, “Everyone, please carry on talking, I need to go back into my room to make a call.”

“Go busy yourself then, Little Ye.”

“Yes, don’t bother with us.”

“Work is more important.”

Said Grandma Cui, Auntie Yu, and all the others.

Zhang Ye immediately opened his bedroom door and went in, naturally being very careful by only opening it enough to let himself in, since he did not anyone outside to be able to see what was inside.

Click.

The door closed and was locked.

Zhang Ye saw that Zhang Yuanqi who was on the bed earlier was already on the floor now.

Old Zhang didn’t look too good and simply said, “When are they leaving?”

Zhang Ye thought to himself, remembering how he had already warned her to not drink so much red wine in the morning. Just look, just look at this situation now, so he said anxiously, “No matter what, they won’t leave before lunch. I don’t even know when they will finish lunch, so I really have no idea. Just bear it for now, Sister Zhang, hold it! I will try to make them leave soon after lunch and then urge my parents to take their nap! Then you will be free to go.”

Old Zhang said, “I can’t wait that long.”

Zhang Ye said nervously, “But you still have to wait.”

Old Zhang did not bother him. She caught her breath then walked to the door, looking like she wanted to go out immediately.

Zhang Ye grabbed her arm and said, “Are you crazy? In this getup, you will never be able to explain yourself. This would cause a meltdown. Do you really wish to get onto the headlines for this?” If she really went outside now, not only would it not be as simple as getting on the headlines, the media outlets all over the country would probably be sent into a frenzy!

Old Zhang said in a cold manner, “Let go.”

Zhang Ye was almost in tears. “You can’t do this. Just bear with it. It will surely be OK. If you really can’t hold it in…you…why don’t you find a place instead?” He suggested so even though there was no toilet in his room!

Old Zhang looked at him with a dark expression.

Zhang Ye coughed and said, “You can’t blame me for what’s happening here now, don’t you think? It was just a coincidence. Who could have known that my house would suddenly be filled with so many people plus a dog? In fact, I could even say it was your fault. If you didn’t shower, then it might have been easier to explain. If you came up a little later, none of this would even have happened.” He was already looking to push the blame off himself. “Anyways, since it has already happened, we will need to think of a way no matter what. Do you remember last time at the express motel where we had to pick locks and jump over walls to get out of the building to evade the reporters? That was even more serious than this and we got through that together. This time, it’s not as serious, so we will surely get through this as well. Yes, so then, in any case, just do whatever you need to inside this room. Wherever looks good to you, settle there, as long as you don’t go outside and let everyone see you.”

Old Zhang aimed a glance at him and said, “Is that all?”

“No.” Zhang Ye was also looking around for a long time and eventually he laid his eyes upon the corner of the bay window. He pointed to the bush lily on the bay window ledge and said, “Why not use that flower pot?”

Old Zhang did not say a word.

Zhang Ye did not utter another word.

Silence fell upon the room and remained that way for a long time.

Zhang Yuanqi sat on the bedside like everything was normal. She did not put her legs close together or any of those movements and just sat there. But on that beautiful face of hers that could ruin cities and topple nations, her expression increasingly got worse.

Zhang Ye knew that she was still holding it in. Actually, having had so much red wine and eating the porridge from breakfast, Zhang Ye was also unable to hold it anymore. “I will leave you here for now, Sister Zhang. I also need to go to the toilet right now.” Hearing himself say that, even Zhang Ye felt like beating himself up. So he coughed and cleared his throat without daring to look at Old Zhang, simply hoping that Sister Zhang could bear it, that she would really be able to hold it in! Then, he hastily went out of his room. When he went out, the delicious fragrance of the food being prepared drifted out of the kitchen as he rushed for the toilet.

“Little Ye.”

“Yes, I’m in the restroom.”

“Lunch is almost ready. Get ready to eat.”

“Alright, I got it.”

When he left the bathroom, Zhang Ye went to the kitchen and said a few things before clenching his teeth. He then slowly opened his bedroom door to check if Old Zhang had already passed out from holding in her pee for too long.

One read “Zhang Yuanqi and Zhang Ye Living Under the Same Roof”!

Another said, “Heavenly Queen Hospitalized in Emergency Over Holding in Urine for Too Long”!

Zhang Ye could not decide which of these two headlines were more likely, but he was sure that even if either one got published, it would startle the universe and make the spirits cry!

In the room.

Everything seemed normal.

He didn’t know when Zhang Yuanqi had crawled into bed again, but she was under the blankets with her eyes closed and had a peaceful looking expression on her face!

Eh?

What happened?

Did she really manage to hold it in??

Just as he was feeling surprised by this outcome, Zhang Ye shifted his eyes to the bay window in his bedroom. That flower pot with the bush lily had disappeared! No, it didn’t disappear, as Zhang Ye soon realized. The bush lily had been shifted from the bedroom to the ledge just outside the window. The windows were closed and it wasn’t raining outside anymore. Even if it was scattered rain, there were only a few droplets. It couldn’t reach the ledge, but the lily outside was drenched, with water on more than a dozen of its leaves and still dripping from the tips. When he looked at the soil in the pot, Zhang Ye, who knew he hadn’t watered it for the past few days since bush lilies did not require much water to survive, saw that the soil was waterlogged now!

Zhang Ye immediately understood when he saw this!

His poor bush lily would surely die soon!