Luo Bing’s eyes widened at Zhang Ruo’s words, her face flushing red with fury.

"You!" she yelled, raising her hand as if to slap her.

But Zhang Ruo didn’t even spare her a glance.

She kept walking, her heels clicking steadily against the floor, leaving Luo Bing seething where she stood.

Then, halfway down the hall, Zhang Ruo suddenly stopped.

She turned back, her eyes locking with Luo Bing’s trembling figure.

"As for the accident," she said, her tone cold and deliberate, "don’t you know better than anyone else what happened back then?"

Her gaze sharpened. "If I were you, I’d be the one most fearful for her return... because who knows? Everything from the past might just come back to light."

Luo Bing’s hands shook.

Zhang Ruo smiled faintly, then turned away again, walking off without another word.

Left behind, Luo Bing stood frozen in the hallway.

Something flickered sharply in her eyes.

She almost lost her balance, her knees weakening, but she caught herself just in time.

Memories from the past clawed at her mind, sending a sudden shudder down her spine.

What had happened during the accident?

It felt as if Zhang Ruo already knew everything.

But why should it matter now?

"No," Luo Bing muttered under her breath. "There’s no way that will ever come to light."

Straightening her back, she forced a smile.

"She’s just jealous of my success," she told herself, before striding away.

...

Zhang Ruo pushed open the bathroom door, her steps unsteady.

The moment she reached a stall, she gripped the wall and retched hard.

Nothing came out except a bitter wash of bile.

But the disgust in her chest only swelled stronger—because of them.

The cheating couple.

The manager who had switched sides without hesitation.

Her stomach twisted again, and she bent over, retching once more.

When the heaving finally stopped, she staggered to the sink.

Her reflection stared back at her—pale skin, messy hair, the faint tremor in her hands.

She shoved her damp strands back, but some clung stubbornly to her cheek where the water had splashed.

The faucet hissed as she let the water run, its sound filling the quiet room.

Her thoughts, though, were loud.

That accident had shattered everything.

Hua Jing was supposed to receive her Lifetime Achievement Award that night.

It would have been another peak in a career already dazzling enough to rival anyone’s—anyone except Fu Jing Rong.

And yet... even he had ended up in an accident that very same night.

The timing was too perfect. Too clean. Too suspicious.

It didn’t feel like fate—it felt like planning.

Someone had made sure it happened. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She had tried, relentlessly, to find out who.

Every lead she followed was cut short.

Even Mao Li, the head of Blue Entertainment, had told her bluntly to stop digging.

But the whispers she had caught...

The brakes.

They’d said the brakes had failed.

Impossible.

Hua Jing’s car was always inspected before she got behind the wheel.

So what happened that day?

How could it have failed then—of all moments?

So many questions clawed at her mind, but the answers were buried somewhere she couldn’t yet reach.

She lifted her gaze to the mirror again.

The woman staring back hardly looked like herself anymore.

Too much had happened in the year since Hua Jing’s accident.

She had gone to the hospital more than once, clinging to hope each time.

But the sight that always greeted her...

Hua Jing lying there, pale and motionless, her frame shrinking a little more with every visit.

It was like watching a candle burn down to nothing.

Every spark of hope Zhang Ruo carried into that room was snuffed out before it could take hold.

One day, the Hua family barred outsiders from visiting.

Since then, it had been over eight months without seeing her.

Eight long months of wondering what was happening behind those closed doors.

The whole situation reeked of secrecy.

But without proof, all she had were suspicions.

And the ache in her chest.

Hua Jing had worked harder than anyone.

Zhang Ruo had been there from the very beginning, watching her climb each rung with grace and kindness.

She treated everyone equally, never letting her fame warp her heart.

A person like that should never have suffered such a cruel fate.

And the thought of her waking up only to discover that everything she had built—everything she had deserved—had been handed to someone unworthy...

That thought made Zhang Ruo’s heart splinter all over again.

Zhang Ruo washed her face one last time, letting the cool water chase away the heat in her cheeks.

With a final glance at her reflection, she straightened her shoulders and stepped out.

The hallway air felt heavy, but it was nothing compared to the sudden wave of fragrance that hit her the moment she returned to the rehearsal room.

Roses.

They were everywhere now, bright red and scattered across the space like a declaration.

Xu Ming had transformed the atmosphere completely.

Even the coffee in everyone’s hands was his doing, a gesture that had them grinning like children.

Someone approached her with a cup, smiling as they held it out.

She glanced at it, shook her head, and said softly, "No, thank you."

The server walked away without a word.

On stage, Hua Ling had returned for her second rehearsal.

This time, her singing slipped even further off-key, the notes wobbling and falling flat in places.

Zhang Ruo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

A twisted sort of joy bubbled in her chest at the sight, but it was quickly chased away by the sourness that followed.

If it were Hua Jing on that stage, there would be no backup track to hide behind—only her own clear, steady voice.

No shortcuts.

No hiding.

Hua Jing had always sung with a live band, her performances full of life and skill.

Compared to that, Hua Ling’s stage presence couldn’t even reach halfway.

The gap was a chasm.

Zhang Ruo’s eyes stung, and she lowered her gaze before the tears could spill.

A shadow fell over her.

One of the managers held a tablet out to her. "Should we upload these photos we’ve taken of her?"

Zhang Ruo glanced at the screen.

The images were dazzling—Hua Ling bathed in flattering light, every angle perfected.

It was obvious how much effort had gone into making her look like a star.

Zhang Ruo hesitated, but her voice came out steady.

"All of them will be fine. Upload them by tonight."