The next day, beneath the upscale apartment, a car had yet to fully park when someone rushed out of it, face laden with anxiety as they sprinted into the building. Watching the rising elevator, Cenhuan gripped the newspaper in her hand. Earlier that morning, passing by the newsstand, she saw the huge cover on the entertainment section, and immediately called Lin Yue, but all she got was the cold voice of the answering service.
Her high heels clacked on the floor as she hurried to Lin Yue's apartment, knocking repeatedly with no answer. Pulling out her keys, she stumbled in, "Yueyue! Yueyue!" She looked around but didn't see her anywhere. Turning around, she saw the slightly ajar bedroom door and slowly walked in, only to find Lin Yue curled up in a corner, a pang of affection surging in her heart, "Yueyue..."
Lin Yue listlessly looked up, her eyes dull and vacant. Her dry lips twitched slightly, but no sound came out. Seeing her like this, Cenhuan swallowed the words she had been about to say. Remembering the news in the paper, Cenhuan felt a deep ache. Originally, the relationship between an artist and their agent was purely business, but from the very start, she took Lin Yue under her wing just as she was entering the music industry. The achievements Lin Yue had reached in the music industry and the tremendous effort and dedication they both had invested were unknown to others. Over the years, they had come to regard each other as family.
"Huanhuan, why are you here?" Lin Yue tried to pull herself upright, but a wave of dizziness hit, and she began to topple to the side.
Quickly stepping forward to support her, Cenhuan noticed the discarded newspaper. The large headlines were vaguely visible with a photo from her day at the airport. Just as Cenhuan was about to pick it up, Lin Yue grabbed it from the floor and spread it open.
"Famed pianist seemingly abandoned, hopes of marrying into wealth dashed." The headline stood out starkly atop a series of photos taken at the mansion the day before and the incident on the highway, all clearly pointing at Lin Yue.
Lin Yue's face turned deathly pale, her lips starting to tremble, "Yueyue..." Cenhuan watched her carefully. On the way here, she had already contacted the company. Normally, such news would have reached the company before release; there were connections between paparazzi and the agency ensuring any detrimental news was controlled instantly. But it was clear Yueyue had been brutally blindsided this time.
"It was him! It must have been him!" Lin Yue holding the newspaper, dashed outside.
"Yueyue... Yueyue..." Watching her run out, Cenhuan hurried after her. When she arrived downstairs, Lin Yue had already driven off in her car. Cenhuan quickly hailed another car, "Driver, please follow that red car in front."
In the high-rise of Zhuo Building, Lin Yue stormed into Zhuo Xiangnan's office, newspaper in hand. Zhuo Xiangnan, initially busy with documents, looked up irritably at her arrival. The secretary trailing behind Lin Yue entered, her face troubled as she noticed her boss's irritation.
Zhuo Xiangnan waved his hand to dismiss the secretary by the door, "What are you doing here?"
Feeling his icy stare, Lin Yue's eyes narrowed. She raised her hand and threw the newspaper at him, "You were right, with my status why would I suffer from the lack of men! It was my blind mistake to waste all these years on you!" Saying this, she spun on her heel and left the office, rushing out the door.
As Cenhuan, following behind by car, stepped out, she saw Lin Yue burst out of the building and quickly caught up to her, but only when Lin Yue turned around did Cenhuan see her face streaked with tears.
"Yueyue!"
Lin Yue, initially trying to break free, turned back at the sound, "Huanhuan..." Seeing her distress, Cenhuan quickly guided her back into the car.
On the way back to the apartment, Lin Yue wept silently in the back seat. Seeing her like this, Cenhuan could only sigh deeply in her heart. Love wounds deeply, and she had watched over the past two years how Lin Yue chased after Zhuo Xiangnan, cautiously nurturing that fragile relationship.
Zhuo Xiangnan unfolded the newspaper in front of him, looking at the enlarged headline and photo; although the article did not mention names, all the evidence clearly pointed to Lin Yue.
"What are you looking at? You're so serious," Lin Yao said, standing at the door with a smile in her eyes.
"Nothing," Zhuo Xiangnan replied as he tossed the newspaper into a wastebasket, then smiled and asked, "What brings you here?"
"Aren't you happy to see me?" Lin Yao asked as she leisurely walked towards the desk.
"How could I not be." Zhuo Xiangnan pulled her over and kissed her without hesitation.
Just as the two were inseparable, the office door was suddenly opened. Hearing the noise, Zhuo Xiangnan pulled Lin Yao into his arms and looked towards the door, waiting to see who it was before his expression returned to normal.
"I should get going," Lin Yao said, having seen the person leaning by the door. She wriggled out of Zhuo Xiangnan's embrace and left.
"Sorry to disturb you," Zhuo Xiangqiao said, leaning against the door and whistling.
"When did you get back?" Zhuo Xiangnan asked, adjusting his clothes and sitting down.
"Last night's flight." Zhuo Xiangqiao, lounging on the couch, lazily added, "Was that Lin Yao just now? Are you two back together?"
"Yaoyao just got back. I'm planning to take her to meet my parents soon."
After a while, Zhuo Xiangqiao left the office. He descended the stairs and got into a car, where a copy of this morning's newspaper was conspicuously placed on the passenger seat. Putting on sunglasses, he gently stepped on the gas, and the car sped away.
Back at the apartment, Lin Yue was silent, letting Cenhuan fuss over her. Seeing her haggard appearance, Cenhuan pushed her onto the bed to lie down. After checking the apartment and finding nothing to cook with, he left a note and quietly exited.
As soon as the door was closed, the seemingly sleeping Lin Yue immediately opened her eyes. She got up, pulled a box from under the bed, which was filled with various items, visibly topped by a photograph.
Just as Lin Yue was about to open the frame, the doorbell rang. She quickly pushed the items back under the bed and went to answer the door. Expecting Cenhuan, she was surprised to find a man standing there, leaning on the doorframe and flashing her a broad smile.