A Billion Stars Can’t Amount to You

Ji Yi brought herself back to her senses as she said, a little absent-mindedly, ”Nothing...”

”Is it really nothing? Why do I think something about you is off...” continued Tang Huahua with a worried expression on her face.

Ji Yi only heard the first part of what she said as her mind drifted again back to the five-second ring of the wishing bell...

-

Outside the hot pot restaurant.

He Jichen stood outside the tall windows in the rustling cold wind. Through the glass, he watched as Ji Yi was dragged up the stairs by Tang Huahua. After she disappeared completely, he reached to pull out his vibrating phone. He glanced at the incoming call - it was Han Zhifan who called him moments ago - he wanted to meet up to talk about business.

He Jichen took the call but didn’t give Han Zhifan a chance to say anything and replied, ”Be right there.” He tapped the button to hang up the call.

He Jichen looked up and glanced over again at the spot where Ji Yi had just been. Then his eyes darted over to the wishing bell nearby for just a second before he withdrew his gaze and turned around to walk over to the parking lot.

He Jichen started the engine and skillfully drove over to Han Zhifan’s office where he was working overtime.

After driving for about fifteen minutes, he reached a red light. He Jichen hit the emergency brakes and stared at the eye-piercing red in front of him. His mind wandered back to how he pulled Ji Yi into a kiss in the five seconds of darkness at the hot pot restaurant not long ago.

Han Zhifan had just called him about some urgent business.

After he finished paying the bill, he went over to the front desk to get his receipt when he heard someone nearby mention that the wishing bell was about to ring in the hot pot restaurant.

He heard about the legend of the hot pot restaurant’s wishing bell, but he never believed in such superstitions. He always thought it was just the restaurant’s marketing strategy, but upon coming across the wishing bell just as it was about to ring tonight, He Jichen couldn’t help but blurt out a question to the lady at the front desk, ”Does the wishing bell really work?”

If you really kissed your crush and confessed to her during the ringing of the wishing bell, would you really get together one day?

Before the lady at the front desk could answer, the boss, who was arranging tarot cards, looked up and smiled to say, ”It works for those with sincere hearts.”

He didn’t say anything but nodded at the boss and left the restaurant.

As he stepped out, his feet came to a stop and he looked back at the restaurant. He actually saw Ji Yi come down from the second floor and stop in front of the wishing bell.

He hesitated for a few seconds, but he eventually headed back to the hot pot restaurant.

As everyone gathered in front of the wishing bell, he showed up inconspicuously with nobody noticing him.

He paid close attention to her frame so that when the lights went out, he could ensure he was standing next to the right person.

He remembered what the boss said, ”It works for those with sincere hearts.” With utter seriousness, he held her hand, dragged her over to him, and kissed her lips.

He was like a school kid, earnestly following the instructions in front of the wishing bell, one step at a time. After he kissed her, he drew close to her ear and whispered to her, fearing that she could tell it was him.

Word by word, like an oath, he sincerely said the words he wanted to say to her back in his school days when he showered her with unwavering affection.

Actually, in his heart, there was a second part to those words which he never got to say.

The whole line was meant to go like this: Actually, I’m really not so bad. Do you want to try to fall in love with me and not hate me so much?