Song broke the silence. "The food's here. Let's eat."
Zoe nodded, and the two ate quietly for a while without speaking.
It wasn't until Zoe had eaten about half a bowl of rice that she finally asked, "Earlier, you mentioned Zhao Qin wasn't hospitalized due to a heart attack. So, what was the reason?"
Song chuckled, a teasing glint in his eye. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"That's the whole reason I'm here. Stop keeping me in suspense, okay?" Zoe rolled her eyes lightly, and the atmosphere between them seemed to naturally shift back to an easy rapport, as though the earlier silence had never happened.
Song said, "I heard that he got a little too wild with someone last night and ended up in the hospital."
It took Zoe a moment to process his words, her expression shifting as realization dawned. "A little too wild" suddenly made sense, and she couldn't help the flicker of embarrassment and confusion that danced in her eyes—like the faint glimmer of fire caught in the night breeze.
Unsure how to respond to such a topic, she remained silent.
Song, noticing her hesitation, changed the subject slightly. "Have you heard anything about Zhao Qin before?"
Zoe frowned. "No, why? Is there something I should know?"
After a brief pause, Song said, "He's...well-known for certain things. If you ask around, you'll find out he's quite the player. He's been involved with a lot of female celebrities. Considering his decent looks and the fact that he holds the reins to a hit show like Geological Talk, it's not surprising that plenty of people are drawn to him."
Zoe responded with a simple, "Oh. I met him for the first time yesterday."
"Well, just a word of advice—keep your distance. Getting too close to someone like him will spark rumors."
"Wow, some people must have way too much time on their hands," Zoe muttered as she sipped her orange juice.
Then, she casually shifted gears. "But, Song, why did you ask me out for lunch today? It couldn't have just been to apologize, could it?"
The question caught Song off guard. He opened his mouth but couldn't immediately find the words. Across from him, Zoe's face glowed with a teasing smile, her charm seemingly magnified in that moment.
Song had encountered countless beautiful women in showbiz, each one unique in their own way, yet none had captivated his attention quite like Zoe. There was an inexplicable pull about her, a spark that he couldn't ignore.
He didn't deny it: he was attracted to her.
What frustrated him, though, was how disarmingly easy she made him feel like a fumbling teenager again—tongue-tied, flustered, as though his confidence had been left at the door.
"I just wanted to meet you in person, to get to know you a bit. Does that work as a reason?" Song finally managed to say.
Zoe nodded with mock seriousness. "Of course, it's an honor to be invited by a superstar like you. I'm just worried we'll get photographed again and end up trending."
"Speaking of which, didn't we say we'd take a selfie and post it on Weibo ourselves this time?" Song picked up his phone. "Should we do it now?"
"You're serious about posting it?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah," Song replied firmly. "If we post it ourselves, it's better than someone else snapping a candid and making up a story."
"Won't your fans get upset?" Zoe raised an eyebrow.
"That's their business," Song said simply.
"Aren't you worried about losing followers?"
"That's the company's concern."
Zoe tilted her head in curiosity. "Then what is your concern?"
Song smiled, meeting her gaze. "The only thing I care about is whether it's something I genuinely want to do."
Zoe laughed softly. "Wow, you're really taking full advantage of being at the top of your game."