As soon as Song stepped off stage, he was greeted by his manager, Hu, who was glaring with arms crossed and eyes rolling.
"Ugh, I'm so furious!" Hu fumed, handing Song his water bottle.
Song raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
"One of your crazy fans," Hu explained, "She went to the airport and threw tomato juice all over Zoe, shouting that she was your fan and telling her to stay away from you. The whole thing was such a ridiculous, backfiring stunt! How did she even think this was a good idea?"
Song stopped in his tracks, his expression darkening. "When did this happen?"
Hu handed him his phone. "See for yourself. I've told you before, those overly obsessed fans of yours are going to cause big trouble one day. Now it's all over the internet, with everyone saying you encouraged your fans to bully others. It's so bad, they're even attacking people in real life now!"
Hu was visibly upset, clearly frustrated with the more extreme fans in Song's fanbase. Song, however, paid little attention to his tone, taking the phone and scrolling through the online updates, his brows furrowing as he read. The backlash was massive, and although it was entirely the fan's fault, Song was still caught in the crossfire. The situation irritated him, yet he felt powerless to change it.
After handing the phone back, he kept walking. Hu kept pace beside him, suggesting, "Shouldn't we issue a response? We can't let something like this hurt your reputation."
"No need." Song replied, boarding the car. He pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to Ting: Ting, do you have Zoe's WeChat? I need to get in touch with her.
Ting replied almost instantly: Ah, so now you remember me! You ignored me the last time I invited you over. Only remember me when you need help, huh?
Song chuckled, sending back a playful emoji of a tiny cartoon character begging for forgiveness. A moment later, Ting forwarded Zoe's WeChat contact info, adding, I don't know why you need to reach her, but let me warn you: that girl isn't as simple as she seems.
Song replied: Got it. Thanks, Ting.
Without hesitation, he sent Zoe a friend request.
Meanwhile, Zoe turned to Lan. "I'm going to post a message on Weibo."
Lan raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning to post?"
"First, to let everyone know I'm okay. Second, to clarify that I have no idea who that girl is."
Lan hesitated. "Look, Zoe, this incident is actually a good thing for you. The online attention is through the roof because of her supposed connection to Song. If you post now to clarify things, it might not work out in your favor. Even if you don't believe that girl is actually one of Song's fans, there's no proof either way. We didn't make her claim it, and we're not obligated to say she isn't. This incident has made you the victim here, and that sympathy is invaluable for a rising star like you."
The truth was, Lan was tempted by this opportunity. She saw it as a chance for Zoe to step into the spotlight, gaining sympathy and a surge in popularity. For a newcomer on the rise, that meant everything—more recognition, more job offers, and of course, more money.
But Zoe shook her head. "Lan, piggybacking off that brand event was one thing. But this? I can't sit back, knowing he might also be dragged down, and still enjoy the benefits. It just feels…wrong."
Lan sighed. "Fine. I get it."
Zoe wasn't naive, but she wasn't someone who'd stand by and let someone else's reputation suffer on her behalf, either. She logged into her Weibo account and drafted her post, showing Lan before publishing.
@Zoe: Just got off the plane, and I'm overwhelmed by everyone's concern. To let you know, it was just tomato juice—I'm fine, no injuries. I've also seen a lot of speculation that the girl was one of Song's fans, supposedly acting out over the dating rumors. I want to clarify that the girl never said she was his fan, and there's no evidence supporting that she was. Airport security has called the police, so let's all remain calm for now. Thank you, everyone, for your kindness! I'm incredibly grateful for your warmth.
Just then, her phone vibrated with a message from Chen: You're alright, right?
Looks like he'd seen the news online. Several celebrities she'd worked with had also reached out after seeing the updates, though Chen's response had come in a bit later. Zoe thought of him as something of an enigma—a man who showed warmth toward her from the moment they met, though his background seemed unusually ambiguous. Her instincts, sharpened by her work in the industry, kept her wary.
She typed back a brief reply: I'm fine, thanks for asking.
Right then, a WeChat friend request popped up.
"Song."
Zoe blinked, momentarily taken aback by the friend request. She hesitated, not quite sure what to make of it. Just then, Chen messaged again: It's probably fine, but just to be safe, maybe get checked out at a hospital. Who knows if the juice had any irritants?
Taking his advice to heart, Zoe turned to Lan, suggesting they visit a hospital once they checked in at their hotel.
Later, after they'd arrived, Lan received a call from airport security. Their investigation revealed that the girl had bought a drink after passing security and poured it into a disposable cup to create her "weapon." Thankfully, it was just standard tomato juice with no harmful additives. They'd also identified the girl and had already contacted the authorities.
"Finally!" Lan sighed in relief after the call. "Even if we can't get her charged, she'll at least get a scare! Where's her sense of decency?"
Zoe's phone buzzed again with another friend request from Song. This time, he'd added a note: "It's really me—Song."
With a slight smile, Zoe accepted his request. She didn't doubt his identity, especially given that it came through Ting's referral. Still, she was both surprised and curious to see him reaching out.