The image wasn't staged. That's what made it all the more viral.
Leng Xuanmo, dressed in a sleek charcoal suit, standing quietly beside Lu Jingyan at a contemporary art gallery in City Y. She wore a minimalist black dress, her hair loosely tied. He didn't touch her. Didn't say anything loud or dramatic. He simply stood beside her, eyes fixed on her face, as if the entire exhibit didn't exist beyond her silhouette.
A quiet appearance. Subtle, restrained — but not missed.
Within hours, Weibo caught fire.
*#LengXuanmoAppearsWithLuJingyan*
*#GalleryBoyfriend*
*#FromBetrayalToRedemption*
*#LuJingyanComebackQueen*
The captions were relentless.
#He stood there like a knight in an art gallery.#
#He looked at her like he owed her the world.#
#From enemies to… lovers again?#
#Jingyan's glow-up is real. She didn't even flinch.#
#Are we getting a modern fairytale or a tragedy?#
#She deserves an apology, not attention.#
#But you have to admit… the man's persistent.#
Netizens were divided. Some rooted for redemption. Others sharpened their claws in criticism. But the majority? They watched — invested, curious, emotional.
Golden Age Entertainment gave no official statement. Neither did Leng Conglomerate. But the public didn't need confirmation. The photos, leaked by gallery guests, painted their own picture.
A man trying to fix what he broke.
A woman who no longer needed fixing.
---
*[Mo Conglomerate – Executive Office, Afternoon]*
Mo Tianyi had been watching the news scroll across his feed all morning. It was impossible not to.
He opened his door, only to find Lu Jingyan already sitting cross-legged on his office couch, sipping a cup of green tea, face perfectly unreadable.
"Didn't know you were here," he said.
"I figured you'd be dramatic if I told you."
He chuckled and took the seat beside her, phone in hand. "Well, dramatic is what the internet's being right now. Want to see your favorite headline?"
"No."
He ignored her and read anyway. "Leng Xuanmo's Love-Lorn Stare—Is Lu Jingyan the Real Winner Here?"
She sighed, setting the cup down. "They make everything sound like a soap opera."
"Isn't it?" he said, glancing at her.
"Girl gets destroyed. Reinvents herself. Boy realizes he messed up and follows her to an art gallery? We're just missing a violin in the background."
"Nothing happened," she said coolly. "He showed up. I didn't leave. That's it."
"You didn't leave," Mo repeated, raising a brow. "That's big."
"I wasn't going to cause a scene."
"No. You just let him stand next to you like he belonged there."
She glared at him. "It was an art gallery. I don't own the building."
He smirked. "I'm just saying. The old Lu Jingyan would've walked out the minute he entered the room."
Her voice dropped. "The old Lu Jingyan didn't know what she was doing."
Mo's gaze softened. "And the new one?"
"Knows exactly what she's doing." She looked him in the eye. "Which is why I didn't react."
There was a pause. He reached for his tablet, scrolling to a close-up from the gallery.
"This one," he said, turning it toward her. "The way he's looking at you here — it's not PR. It's not performance. That's a man trying not to lose you again."
She glanced at the screen. Then away.
"Doesn't mean he deserves a second chance," she murmured.
"No. But it means you have one now — to choose what you want, not what they tried to make you."
She leaned back, weary but calm.
He nudged her. "Be honest. Part of you was glad he came."
She hesitated. Then quietly, "No one's ever followed me before."
Mo smiled. "And now you have Leng Xuanmo trying to romance you through curated lighting and minimalist sculptures."
She laughed despite herself. "He's terrible at subtlety."
"He's terrible at everything except being obsessed with you."
"Mo Tianyi."
He lifted both hands. "Hey, just saying what the rest of the internet is already screaming."
She rolled her eyes, but the tension had eased.
"Anyway," he added, walking to his desk, "if he shows up at your next brand shoot, I'm calling security."
She smirked. "I'll wear a red dress just to spite him."
He grinned back. "Deal. Just don't be surprised if he brings a red tie to match."