As Si Haoran settled back into his seat, the waiter arrived with two trays of food. He set the plates down with a soft clink, steam curling upward and filling the quiet between them. The rich aromas drifted through the air, but the silence at the table felt heavier than the meal itself.
"Please enjoy," the waiter said with a slight bow before slipping away.
Song Meiqi lifted her chopsticks, though her appetite was gone. Her gaze lingered on the phone facedown on the table, its stillness echoing in her mind. She drew in a slow breath before speaking with deliberate calm,
"Lina messaged me just now… something about the hot search on Weixun."
Haoran's gaze flickered before he lifted his eyes to hers, his voice measured. "Did you see it?"
"Mm." Meiqi nodded, a small smile touching her lips. "Echo exposed some celebrity couple. For a second I was nervous—I thought it was us."
Haoran's chopsticks paused midair. He lowered his gaze to the food, offering a faint smile that never reached his eyes.
"You worry too much," he said lightly.
The silence dragged until she pressed her lips together. "Right." Her gaze held his, sharper now. "Good thing it wasn't." Her laugh was thin, strained, the chopsticks trembling faintly in her grip. "They even said it could be you… but I never went night shopping with you." Her eyes searched his face, waiting for the truth to show.
Haoran's smile wavered. His eyes betrayed him for a second before he looked down, jaw tight.
Meiqi's breath hitched. That slip was enough—he had been there, just not with her. She forced a small smile, swallowing the words that rose in her throat.
…
Inside the President's office of Stars Entertainment, the lights flickered, shadows stretching as tension thickened in the silence.
Haoran's manager faltered under CEO Yang's piercing gaze.
"You're telling me Meiqi and Haoran have been dating since last August?" His voice cut through the room, sharp and cold.
The manager nodded stiffly, sweat beading at his temple.
"Haoran's career has been rising, but compared to Song Meiqi, he's still far behind," the manager said, his voice tight. "She's the bigger star. If word got out, her fans would crush him. They both knew that, so they agreed to keep it quiet."
He paused, wiping the sweat from his temple. "And with Meiqi's age—and her packed schedule—it didn't seem that serious at first. That's why Manager Li and I chose to hide it."
"So, you decided to gamble with my company's reputation… and you call that management?" CEO Yang's voice cut like a blade, his anger sharp but measured. He leaned back, eyes narrowing.
"But we still have time." His gaze flicked to his secretary. "Get PR to flood the feeds with other names—make sure the guessing game never lands on them."
Then he turned back to the manager, his tone cold and final. "And, keep Haoran invisible. No events. No cameras. One slip, it's over."
The manager nodded and started to leave.
"Get Echo's producer on the line. Remind them how many prime-time exclusives came from us. If they want future access, drop this now. If not… buy them off or feed them another name. October 1st is just days away. By then, this story ends," Yang said sharply, his secretary already moving into action.
The secretary barely reached the door when another order stopped her.
"And call Manager Li. I need to talk to her."
…
Wang Zi Rui stepped out of the sleek BMW, fatigue etched across his face after another endless dinner of blind dates. The underground parking lot lights reflected off the car's polished surface as he stood beside it.
Then his eyes landed on a familiar figure not far away—Song Meiqi, arms wrapped tightly around a man.
Curiosity flickered. She always showed up at the most unexpected moments. He raised an eyebrow, lingered briefly, then shook his head and headed for the elevator, keeping his distance.
Inside, he saw her approaching, head lowered. The man from earlier was gone. The elevator doors closed with a soft thud. Meiqi leaned against the cold metal, eyes downcast, lost in thought. Wang Zi Rui watched from across the cabin, silent, steady, unseen.
His gaze drifted to the paper bag clutched in her hand, then back to her face.
When the doors opened, he followed her with his eyes as she walked into the corridor, each step quiet, measured, until she disappeared from sight, swallowed by the shadows.
…
Meiqi stepped into her apartment, the dimness wrapping around her like a quiet, heavy embrace. She pressed herself against the closed door, lips tight as a surge of emotion clawed at her chest. Slowly, tears carved trails down her face.
Her knees wobbled; her body went numb and heavy. She crumpled to the floor, shivering with helpless weakness.
"Hello. Yaoyao told me your name is Song Meiqi. I'm Si Haoran."
Seventeen-year-old Haoran flashed in her mind—pale, striking, impossibly calm—and the echo of his voice stabbed her chest, leaving a hollow ache that twisted inside her.
Memories of them together tore through her like a storm, flipping past like shattered photo albums. Her hand clenched the strap of the paper bag, knuckles white.
"Why…? Why…? Why did you do this to me?!" Her voice broke, raw and strangled. Sobs caught in her throat as tears streamed freely, her body trembling with unbearable, helpless pain, as if the world had torn away all her safety.