The rooftop shoot had the air of quiet glamour—minimalistic set, wind tousling Lu Jingyan's hair as the soft golden light bathed her in elegance. She stood poised in a silk chiffon dress, her face calm, eyes locked on the camera. Golden Age Entertainment's creative team fluttered around her, adjusting, admiring.
Below, however, chaos brewed.
"He's really going to do it," Li Zeyan muttered, briskly walking after his boss.
Leng Shiyan kept pace beside him, scowling. "He promised Mo Tianyi he'd pursue her publicly. I thought he was bluffing. But crashing a shoot?"
Li Zeyan tried stepping in front of Leng Xuanmo. "Sir, please. Barging in like this—it's reckless. She's working."
Leng Xuanmo barely slowed, his gaze set upward. "I'm not hiding anymore. She can turn me away a hundred times, but I won't stop unless she tells me she feels nothing."
"dude" Shiyan said quietly. "This isn't like you. You always think three steps ahead."
"I did," Xuanmo replied, jaw set. "And I lost her. Now, I'm following my heart. Just this once."
Li Zeyan sighed, glancing at the rooftop entrance. "At least don't do it in front of the cameras."
"I'm not here for the cameras," he said. "I'm here for her."
Without another word, he pushed open the rooftop door.
***
The sudden creak of the entrance drew heads. Lu Jingyan had just finished a pose, her expression soft as the photographer murmured praise. She turned—
And her entire body stilled.
He walked in like a shadow stepping into the light—Leng Xuanmo, in a slate suit, eyes fixed only on her.
Gasps rose from the staff. Mei Xiaotong instinctively stepped forward, already gesturing to halt the cameras, but Lu Jingyan raised one hand. "It's fine," she said.
He approached, slowly, steadily, stopping just short of her.
"You really don't care about making a scene, do you?" she said, voice quiet, contained.
"I told Mo Tianyi I'd pursue you. Publicly. Truthfully," he said. "This is me keeping that promise."
Her expression didn't change, but the flicker in her gaze betrayed something deeper—something fragile.
"And this is how you start? Crashing my set?"
"I've waited. I've kept my distance. But I realized—waiting won't bring you back. I needed you to see that I meant it."
Whispers spread behind them. Mei Xiaotong crossed her arms, staying close.
Lu Jingyan turned slightly toward the crew. "Ten-minute break, everyone."
The rooftop thinned, though several lingered just out of earshot, too curious to walk away completely.
Jingyan faced him fully now. "What do you want from me?"
"Another chance."
"To do what? Tear down another part of me?"
His breath hitched. "No. To rebuild everything I destroyed."
She let out a soft laugh, hollow and sharp. "You think one appearance here fixes that?"
"No," he admitted. "But it's a start. I won't ask you to forgive me right now. I just want you to know I won't run anymore."
"I don't need a shadow chasing me," she said. "I've already learned how to walk without one."
He looked down briefly, pain flashing across his face. "I know. I saw you. I watched you rise again, on your own. And I'm proud of you."
That softened her features, just for a second. "Then don't ruin it by dragging your guilt here."
"I'm not here out of guilt," he said. "I'm here because I still love you."
Silence pressed between them. Mei Xiaotong turned away slightly, giving them space she didn't want to admit they deserved.
Finally, Lu Jingyan stepped back. "I have a shoot to finish."
He nodded. "I'll be here. Just watching. Not interfering."
"You always interfere," she murmured, turning back to the camera.
But she didn't stop him from staying.
***
From the rooftop's edge, Leng Xuanmo stood silently, arms folded. His gaze didn't leave her even once as she resumed her poses—powerful, graceful, untouchable.
Li Zeyan and Leng Shiyan joined him.
Shiyan whispered, "She didn't send you away."
"No," Xuanmo replied. "But she didn't forgive me either."
"That's going to take time."
"I'll wait," he said simply.
Down below, Lu Jingyan glanced once in his direction.
Just once.
But it was enough.
He had taken the first step.
And he would take the rest—one by one.