The cold wind swept across everyone's skin, turning a happy birthday celebration into a cold, failed proposal. Lights flickered above, shadows shifting over stunned faces. Everyone had cheered for their love—but no one expected Song Meiqi to reject Si Haoran—and end it all right there.
From the side, Manager Li had watched the scene unfold, her eyes widening slightly beneath her carefully composed expression.
"Old Hu! Didn't I tell you to keep a low profile?!" Her voice trembled with shock as she turned to Haoran's manager, hand clutching her chest. "I agreed to a simple birthday… not a full-blown proposal," she hissed.
Old Hu's eyes snapped toward her, sharp and defensive. "How was I supposed to know Meiqi would actually reject him?" Manager Li glared at him, momentarily speechless.
"You've just turned a celebration into a headline scandal. Do you even realize what this means for them?" Old Hu exhaled sharply. "Nothing tonight will slip out. I made sure of it."
Manager Li's eyes lingered on him for a moment, doubtful, when another Everbloom manager hurried over, holding out her phone. The screen's glow reflected in Manager Li's eyes, but it was the post's headline that truly caught her attention.
…
Lina and Si Yu's smiles froze in shock as they watched Meiqi reject the proposal and left. The proposal had already caught them off guard—they hadn't expected Haoran to actually pop the question—but Meiqi's refusal was even more startling.
"What just happened?" Lina asked, trying to make sense of it. "Little Qi just turned down Brother-in-law's proposal… and broke up with him," Si Yu replied, her tone flat and equally confused.
Meanwhile, Xiuying's eyes narrowed as she watched the door, where Zheng Mengyao quietly followed Meiqi. A flicker of worry crossed her face—Meiqi had been acting a little off since the stalker incident, she thought.
Then a yelp cut through the stunned crowd and Xiuying's thoughts. All eyes snapped to Old Hu and Manager Li, both staring at their phones, confusion flickering across their faces as they absorbed what they saw.
Soon, murmurs and gasps rippled through the room as everyone glanced at the night's latest Hot Search on Weixun.
"Xiuying, look," Lina said, holding her phone up. Xiuying's eyes slowly widened as she read the headline: "Everbloom's Zheng Mengyao Spotted Dating Actor Si Haoran!" For a moment, her breath caught, and her voice vanished into the silence.
…
At the same time, inside, the hallway was silent and still, the carpet muting every step. Haoran froze, the quiet closing in on him like a heavy cloak. A tear slid down his cheek as his hands rested on the box that held the ring meant for Meiqi's finger. His lips trembled, but no words came.
"Brother Haoran…" Mengyao's voice broke the silence. Haoran's gaze snapped to her, and he saw Mengyao standing just a few steps away. "Are you okay?" she asked, moving closer, her gaze filled with concern.
Haoran's eyes lingered on her, the pain etched clearly across his face. "She… she knew everything." His breaths came in ragged gasps as Meiqi's words echoed in his mind. "It's over…" The silence that followed pressed down on him, heavy and suffocating.
Mengyao's eyes softened, her heart breaking at the sight of his pain. At that moment, all she could think of was easing it, and stepped forward, holding him close with her arms wrapped around his waist.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, each word heavy with the guilt of hurting him—and Meiqi. Yet to Haoran, her hug felt distant, almost meaningless, as he stared blankly ahead, his heart pounding with pain.
They stayed like that for a long moment, Mengyao's hand clutching his clothes, until a voice echoed through the quiet, making them both freeze.
"Yaoyao…" The word slipped from Si Yu's lips as she took in the sight of the two familiar figures holding each other, her hand gripping her phone, still flashing the latest Hot search.
Mengyao and Haoran's eyes widened as they spotted Lina, Si Yu, and Xiuying across from them, mouths gaping in shock.
…
Deep into the night, screens lit up bedrooms worldwide as fingers scrolled through the news of Haoran and Mengyao's dating scandal. Shocked fans narrowed their eyes at the blurry images, while outrage erupted online—insisting Haoran wasn't worthy of Mengyao. Comments raged: some cried, others fumed, and a few offered hesitant congratulations, unsure what to believe.
As the story spread like wildfire across H. City, a taxi stopped at Willow Park's main gate. Song Meiqi stepped out, lifting her mask just enough for the guard to see her face. Recognition flashed instantly in his eyes, and he nodded politely.
Meiqi walked the rest of the way alone, letting the quiet wrap around her, each step a small effort to steady her racing thoughts, oblivious to the chaos unfolding online. Minutes passed, each step heavier than the last, the concert's exhaustion weighing on her, the ache in her heart tugging at her chest. Yet her eyes remained unshed, empty and distant, fixed straight ahead as the night air bit at the curls of her hair.
Just then, her body lurched, tripping over a hidden rock, a sharp jolt shooting through her chest. She couldn't react in time, bracing against the ache, when a firm hand shot out from her right, wrapping across her left shoulder to keep her from falling.
Meiqi froze, lifting her head slowly, breath hitching as those familiar golden-brown eyes met hers, warm and steady.