After lunch, Zoe reconnected with Lan, slipped on her hat and sunglasses, and prepared to leave.
"I'll go first," Zoe said to Song. "You should wait a bit before heading out."
Song nodded. Zoe walked to the door, then paused, a thought crossing her mind. Without looking back, she said, "Anyway, I benefited from all this. Thanks." She opened the door and stepped out.
For a moment, Song just stood there, lost in thought. Then he chuckled, glancing down at the selfie they'd taken earlier. In the photo, they both wore bright smiles, though their pose was casual and not particularly close—just an ordinary, friendly snapshot.
Yet somehow, to Song, they looked good together in that picture.
He suddenly felt reluctant to post it.
A public Weibo post could wait; he could keep this one to himself, no need to share it with the world. After a few moments of reflection, he logged into Weibo, typed a message, and posted it.
Ten minutes after Zoe had left, Song finally stood up to leave, exiting through the restaurant's back door without attracting any attention. His car was waiting right outside, so he hopped in and drove away.
"Quick! Follow him!"
Nearby, in a white van, Lin Xiaomiao, an entertainment reporter, urged her team into action. She'd been trailing Song for ages, hoping for a big scoop. After her previous failed attempt to infiltrate Zoe's dressing room, Lin was more determined than ever to find proof of something brewing between the two.
Seeing Zoe show up today had sent Lin's radar into overdrive.
"I can't believe it! Song really is involved with Zoe!" one of Lin's colleagues muttered in shock. "All that denial, and here they are together!"
Lin smirked. "Stay on him. Once we get something solid, we'll be ready to break the news!"
Another team member sighed. "Finally, some progress! I'm exhausted from following Song around for months."
Lin kept her focus. "Hang in there. If we wrap this up, the boss promised a big bonus—at least 200,000 each if we get real evidence."
Their driver, Lao Huang, whistled. For reporters like them, always hustling under the sun and rain, real money was the only thing that mattered.
Just then, Lin's phone vibrated with a notification. She glanced at it—a news alert from a search engine: Song Chi once again clarifies he's single!
Lin scoffed, assuming it was just another PR ploy to reassure his fans. But as she read the details, her face went blank. Song had just posted a Weibo update ten minutes ago—a post she'd missed while watching his car.
Song's post read: Here in Hainan for a shoot, and by chance bumped into Zoe, who I was on the hot topic list with recently. We decided to grab lunch and meet properly for the first time. Just a new friend I made thanks to a random trending topic. Nice to officially meet you, Zoe! Oh, and for the record, I'm single—yes, that same single Song Chi from the rumors last week.
Lin's heart sank. This one post had derailed her entire three-month-long mission. She bit her lip, feeling the sting of failure.
"Xiaomiao, what's wrong?" her colleague He Shuang asked.
Lin handed her the phone. He Shuang's brows knitted as she read it. "Do you think Song realized we were following him and posted this on purpose?"
"I don't know," Lin muttered, frustration clear in her tone. "But with that post out there, our photos from today are worthless. He's one step ahead."
"Lao Huang, stop following him. Let's head back."
"We're really giving up?" Lao Huang asked.
"Yeah. He's got no other plans for the afternoon, and he'll be heading back to Shanghai directly. There's no point in sticking around."
Lin stared out the window, her mind churning. They'd received an anonymous tip three months ago claiming Song had a hidden relationship, and since then, she'd trailed him relentlessly. But aside from vague rumors, there'd been no concrete evidence. Even the late-night photos of Song and Zoe at the same hotel were not from her team.
As an experienced reporter, Lin prided herself on integrity. Without solid proof, she'd never put out groundless speculation. But that brand event shortly afterward—the one that put Song and Zoe together on the same stage not long after their rumors—had seemed too coincidental to ignore. Her instincts had been on high alert ever since, leading her here to Hainan, and to this disappointing outcome.
Meanwhile, after picking Zoe up, Lan didn't head back to the hotel; they went straight to the airport.
"So, what'd you two do?" Lan asked, curious.
"Just had lunch. What else?" Zoe replied with a hint of exasperation.
Lan grinned. "Did you see Song's post on Weibo?"
Zoe shook her head. "What did he post? Our selfie? He did mention posting something to prevent another round of dating rumors."
Lan didn't respond, just gave Zoe a slightly odd look.
"What's with the look?" Zoe asked, puzzled.
Lan finally said, "Maybe you should check for yourself."
A sense of foreboding filled Zoe. She quickly pulled up Weibo, and when she saw Song's post, her face fell.
Lan looked at her knowingly. "You know, for someone who's had rumors with almost a dozen female celebrities, you're the only one he's publicly interacted with afterward. And it's not just that—he even tagged you along with a single status, making it sound suspiciously like a hint."
"He's crazy...and so is everyone else," Zoe said, rolling her eyes.
Lan turned serious. "Are you really not interested in him at all?"
Zoe fell silent, gazing out the window before finally replying in a low voice, "Lan, I'm not in a place where I can even think about dating."
Lan's expression softened at her response.
"Zoe, what happened back then wasn't your fault."