A Billion Stars Can it Amount to You

Chapter 21 - 30: Thank You for Your Generosity

CHAPTER 21

Thanks?

He Jichen suddenly had the impulse to strangle her. His pupils enlargened and his fingers started to tremble.

He looked at her delicate face with a fierce expression as though he'd just reached the very peak of his anger. Then he suddenly chuckled, "Thank me? What's there for you to thank me for?"

"If I remember correctly, I slept with you four years ago and gave you money, yet you didn't even take a cent!"

"So I should be thanking you instead!"

As he said this, He Jichen sneered and stared into her eyes. With a ruthlessness even he couldn't explain, his words were overbearingly harsh and degrading, "Thank you for your generosity! Thank you for letting me take your virginity for free!"

Ji Yi felt the stab of a razor-sharp knife as her face was instantly drained of blood.

Her hands instinctively balled into fists.

She clutched her palms tightly, then used the piercing pain to force herself to calm down and not completely lose it.

She directed a silent and callous gaze at He Jichen.

She didn't actually want to look at him but she didn't dare to flinch, fearing that the tears hiding beneath her eyes would pour out.

As the atmosphere in the corridor froze, the two of them didn't say a word.

After some time had passed, the phone in Ji Yi's pocket suddenly rang. In the silence, her ringtone sounded particularly piercing. He Jichen suddenly let go of his hold on her as though he'd jumped in shock. Then he took a step back, threw her aside, and turned around to leave.

Ji Yi gritted her teeth as she heard He Jichen's footsteps disappear without a trace. Without a care for how she looked, Ji Yi slowly slumped down against the wall.

The phone wouldn't stop ringing but Ji Yi waited until she'd calmed down slightly before she reached her trembling hand into her pocket to answer the call.

It was Bo He calling.

Maybe it's because I left for the restroom so long ago that they must think something happened to me...

Ji Yi was afraid that she'd sound like she was about to cry if she spoke, so she didn't take Bo He's call. Instead, she tapped on her phone and sent Bo He a message, "I'm coming."

-

After dinner, everyone went to the hot springs together.

As the others chatted away, Ji Yi remained silent as she spread out in the hot spring.

In her heart, she felt stifled over the issue of He Jichen. After sitting in the hot spring for a long time, that stifling feeling only grew heavier and it made it difficult for her to breathe, so she got out. She found a bench to lay on close to Bo He and the others in the hot spring.

Even though they were quite a distance apart, Ji Yi could still hear Bo He and the girls chatting.

It was easy to get dehydrated after sitting in the hot springs for a long time. Tang Huahua was just about to call an attendant to bring them some water when Lin Ya coincidentally glanced over at Ji Yi and suddenly said, "I'll go buy some."

Lin Ya quickly came back with five bottles of water, She first handed one each to Bo He, Tang Huahua, and Li Da in the hot springs. Then, she ran over to Ji Yi's side, carrying the two remaining bottles.

When she handed the water to Ji Yi, she leaned in to whisper into Ji Yi's ear, "Xiao Yi, can you do me a favor?"

CHAPTER 22

Ji Yi unscrewed the bottle cap but didn't take a drink. She turned to look at Lin Ya. "What's up?"

"My thing came..."

At first, Ji Yi didn't understand what Lin Ya meant until Lin Ya's face flushed. That's when she realized Lin Ya was talking about her period.

Li Da was in the hot spring not too far away, so she was probably afraid he'd overhear her. Lin Ya reached her hand out to cover her mouth, then she drew closer to Ji Yi's ear and continued to whisper, "...I felt a little strange just now, so I went to buy some water. On the way, I took a turn into the restroom and realized it really did come. I don't know what's going on this month... It came a few days early so I'm not prepared. Maybe it was because I soaked in the hot springs—it's a little heavy. The supermarket is a little far from our room and since we're only here for a night, I only brought an extra pair of pants. I'm scared that if I move around too much, my clothes will get dirty so Xiao Yi, could you buy a pack of pads for me?"

Lin Ya's request wasn't a big deal, so Ji Yi didn't think much of it and let out an "Oh." She sat up on the bench.

"Thank you Xiao Yi. I'm really sorry to have to bother you!" Lin Ya raised her brows in gratitude and shot her a bright smile.

"It's nothing," replied Ji Yi as she headed for the changing rooms.

She barely took a few steps when Lin Ya suddenly realized something. Lin Ya jogged a few steps and caught up to Ji Yi. "Ah, that's right! Xiao Yi, you don't have to give it to me here. I'm on my period so I can't go into the hot springs. I'm about to go back to my room to get some rest, so you can drop it off at my room."

"Mm, alright," replied Ji YI.

"Thank you!" said Lin Ya again. Just as Ji Yi was about to head out, Lin Ya said her final piece, "I almost forgot Xiao Yi. I'm not in the room next to yours anymore—I've moved to room 1808."

Ji Yi gave a nod, then she headed straight for the changing rooms.

...

The hot spring resort was over a thousand square meters, and there were no shuttle buses. All Ji Yi could do was walk.

At the supermarket, she first picked up a pack of pads for Lin Ya, then figured everyone would probably be hungry after the hot springs, so she filled a basket with snacks. Then she went to pay for everything.

Ji Yi headed back to the resort and took an elevator up to the eighteenth floor.

The top floor was all suites. The rooms were quite far apart, so it took a good two minutes for Ji Yi to reach Lin Ya's room at number 1808.

She pressed the doorbell and waited a while before she heard the sound of shuffling footsteps draw closer to the door. The door opened.

Ji Yi assumed it was Lin Ya and was just about to speak. The person who opened the door didn't even shoot a glance at her before he lightly dismissed her with the words "bring it in" and turned to walk into the bathroom.