Song Meiqi's brows knit. "What do you mean?" Her voice wavered. "You're… not coming?"
Haoran met her eyes and gave a small nod.
Her breath hitched. The paper bag crinkled in her tightening grip.
"I'm sorry. The shooting schedule for my CF moved up. I need to be in Southside City the day after tomorrow."
He reached across the table, thumb brushing hers. She let him, though the ache in her chest only grew.
"Actually… I really needed you at that concert, Haoran," Meiqi admitted, voice trembling. The past few days had left her on edge—the messages, the sense of being watched.
Tonight, she had finally decided she would tell him everything—to know the truth, to see if she could still trust him, to finally unburden herself. But the words lodged in her throat, sharp and heavy, and her chest tightened with the need for his reassurance.
Haoran's gaze lingered. "I know… I wish I could be there," he said quietly. "But this opportunity… I can't push it back."
She nodded, forcing herself to breathe. The confession she had rehearsed—the desperate hope for his presence and reassurance—remained trapped inside, the silence pressing around her like a weight she could barely bear.
Silence lingered in the room as Meiqi stared at him, her chest tight with unsaid words. Then Haoran's phone rang, loud and sudden, breaking the quiet in the room.
He caught the name on the screen. His manager. He stood at once, sensing it might be important.
Meiqi's eyes followed him as he moved to a corner a little away from her, then fell back to the decorated paper bag on the table. The sparkle of the gift seemed to fade, and a pang of disappointment tightened her chest—this gift felt meaningless on her birthday if he wasn't going to be there.
Her phone buzzed. A new message lit up the screen.
It was from Lina.
Meanwhile, Haoran stood in the corner of the room, his face drawn tight as he listened to his manager on the other end of the call.
His jaw clenched as he lowered the phone from his ear, eyes flicking to the screen. A new headline burned at the top of Weixun's hot search list.
His breath stilled.
[Hot] Actor H spotted on a late-night shopping date with popular idol M — exclusive photos leaked by Echo.
"Echo will reveal its October Couple of the Year," the agency teased.
The words screamed louder than the silence in the room. A grainy photo came with the headline—blurry and dark, yet the silhouettes were clear enough: one tall, one slender, their shoulders leaning just close enough to spark speculation.
A Daisy in the Field: I swear the back of the guy looks like Actor Han Yu.
I Am Your Dad: No… I think it looks like Haoran-ge.
A Beautiful Flower: How could you say that, I Am Your Dad! Brother Haoran would never do that!
StarryEyes22: Wait, the girl's figure looks like Mengyao from Everbloom…
BloomisForever: No way, our Yaoyao wouldn't risk shopping like that late at night. Must be someone else.
GossipHunter: Come on, Echo wouldn't post it if it wasn't true. That slender build, the way she walks—it screams Zhang Mengyao.
StayWithHaoran: Stop dragging names! Until there's proof, I won't believe it.
TruthSeeker99: If it's really Haoran and Mengyao, then Echo's "October Couple" is about to shake the whole industry.
CuriousCat: Ah c'mon Echo, just tell us who it really is already!
Across Haoran, Meiqi also scrolled through the comments, her brows knitting together with unease as she stared at the blurry photo again.
She knew at once it was Haoran—his build was enough for her to recognize, even in a blurred photo. But the woman beside him wasn't her.
Her gaze dropped lower, catching the shop's sign in the corner of the picture. Charm.
Her breath faltered. It was the same brand printed on the paper bag Haoran had just gifted her.
A cold ache spread through her chest, her throat dry as the glittering ribbon on the bag twisted into a cruel joke. She blinked hard, clinging to the thought it was a mistake—but the longer she stared, the deeper the doubt clawed at her.
Haoran returned to the table after ending his call, his face calm and composed—so different from the strained expression he wore earlier.
Meiqi kept her expression calm, but inside, doubt crept like poison, threading through her trust until it felt like it could collapse with the slightest touch.
…
Inside Star Entertainment, CEO Yang paced the office, polished shoes clicking with sharp impatience. His face burned red, jaw clenched, each turn thickening the air.
By the door, Haoran's manager kept her head bowed, fingers tightening on the folder as his footsteps pressed into the silence.
Finally, he stopped, slamming his palm against the edge of the desk.
"Do you think I wouldn't find out?" His voice cut through the air like a blade.
The manager flinched but kept her head low. "CEO Yang…"
"Dating rumors, leaked photos, headlines waiting to explode—and you thought it was smart to keep it from me?" His eyes burned with fury.
The weight of his words pressed down on her. She swallowed hard, lips trembling, but no excuse came out.
Yang leaned forward, his tone dropping to a cold hiss. "One mistake from them, and this company bleeds. Don't forget that."
Then his gaze snapped to her, sharp and probing. "So who is it? Who's he dating?"