Tan Qing’s voice was neither too soft nor too loud, and the slight rise in intonation at the end of his sentence made the rhetorical question all the more justified. Zhu Lianzhen had no way to refute it, and his fingers unconsciously curled. Just as the atmosphere was about to turn delicate, a commotion erupted at the press conference.
Zhu Lianzhen immediately turned his head, listening closely to the manager’s speech.
“The company does indeed have plans for Acemon’s comeback this year. However, this time, we will fully consider the circumstances of all five members and respect their choices. After all, the group’s activities have been suspended for two years, and readjusting may not go smoothly. So, we are not ruling out the possibility of maintaining the current situation.
“I know everyone is very concerned about the group’s future, and I also hope to give Acemon’s fans an answer as soon as possible.”
A comeback… for the group?
Zhu Lianzhen looked at Tan Qing in surprise. “You knew about this beforehand?”
Tan Qing lifted his eyelids slightly. “I asked about it before. At the time, Pei-jie told me there were no plans yet. Maybe they recently changed their minds.”
Anything related to Acemon was a big deal. Zhu Lianzhen knew the company must have already made arrangements. He had always assumed the group had reached the end of the road and that the reason they hadn’t officially disbanded after two years was merely to leave fans with some dignity.
Now, hearing there was a chance for a fresh start, he suddenly felt a surge of motivation, pushing aside Pei Qiao’s earlier admonitions.
When he looked at Tan Qing again, his expression had steadied considerably. “What do you think of what Pei-jie said? Are you for or against it?”
“I need some time to think about it,” Tan Qing replied neutrally.
“Then take your time.” Zhu Lianzhen stood up. There were far more important things to handle than pretending to chat with Tan Qing—he had to find Pei Qiao and get to the bottom of this.
Tan Qing remained seated, watching as Zhu Lianzhen’s figure receded into the distance. After a long while, he finally pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed the red stop button on the recording app.
A new audio file was automatically saved.
He played it from the beginning—it contained every word of his conversation with Zhu Lianzhen from the moment they reunited. Every syllable was clear, even the unintentional pauses perfectly preserved.
When a person is nervous, no matter how well they control their facial expressions, their true emotions inevitably reveal themselves through their voice. Zhu Lianzhen was the worst at lying and acting—any slight hesitation was easily detectable.
After replaying the recording several times, Tan Qing finally deleted it. The phone spun half a turn between his fingers before he tossed it back into his pocket.
–
After the press conference ended, Pei Qiao’s throat hurt so much that she didn’t want to speak. Yet, Zhu Lianzhen kept following her, bombarding her with questions. Unable to tolerate it any longer, she said, “I’ll call a meeting in a few days to discuss it. Stop worrying about this and remember to go back to school for your makeup exam.”
Zhu Lianzhen said, “Help me take down the trending topic first.”
“What trending topic?” Pei Qiao instinctively worried that a competing company had planted false press. When she checked her phone, she saw that it was “QingZhen: True Affection.”
It was common for idol groups to have CPs. Although “QingZhen” wasn’t something the company had initially promoted, even Pei Qiao was surprised that its popularity had lasted this long.
“Just leave it up. Free publicity shouldn’t go to waste.” Pei Qiao wasn’t too concerned. As she scrolled through Weibo, she suddenly called out to Zhu Lianzhen, “Wait a minute—when did you and Tan Qing unfollow each other?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she waved at Tan Qing, who wasn’t far away. “You, come here too.”
Zhu Lianzhen immediately thought: This is bad.
Pei Qiao glanced around to confirm that no one else was nearby before speaking. “Today reminded me—I need to ask you two something, and I want an honest answer. Back then, you two weren’t in a relationship, right?”
The sudden question completely stunned Zhu Lianzhen.
A secret buried deep in his heart for years was suddenly dragged into the open. His confidence vanished in an instant. He didn’t even consider lying. His lips parted slightly in shock, and he automatically answered honestly, “We broke up—”
Before he could finish, a warm touch covered the back of his cold hand. Tan Qing’s voice completely overrode his. “I’ve always been single.”
Zhu Lianzhen held his breath as Tan Qing discreetly squeezed his wrist.
Turning his head, he saw Tan Qing looking calm and composed as he asked, “Xiao Zhu must have been too busy to date, right?”
Their eyes met for a brief moment. Zhu Lianzhen’s mind went blank for a second, but then everything clicked.
So this was what Pei Qiao meant—she had been asking whether either of them had ever dated anyone. He had misunderstood the ambiguity and nearly “pleaded guilty” on the spot.
“Of course.” He exhaled in relief.
“You two are so much easier to manage than the leader.” Pei Qiao was too relieved to notice the guilt on Zhu Lianzhen’s face. “Ji Yunting has been tangled up with some girl lately. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid again.”
“Got it,” Tan Qing responded, releasing Zhu Lianzhen’s hand without drawing attention.
“And remember to follow each other on Weibo,” Pei Qiao ordered, not even bothering to ask what conflict they’d had before. To her, Acemon members falling out with each other was nothing out of the ordinary—she was already used to it.
“If everything goes smoothly, there’ll be a lot of schedules in the first half of the year. You two will need to step up your fanservice, too.”
After giving the instructions, Pei Qiao left, leaving the two of them standing there in silence.
They waited for the elevator in silence. Tan Qing glanced at him and said, “Sorry about the trending topic. I dragged you into this.”
Zhu Lianzhen muttered, “What’s the use of apologizing? It’s too late to take it down anyway. Just leave it.”
“If I had been more careful and hadn’t gotten photographed, this wouldn’t have happened.” Tan Qing sounded as if he was seriously reflecting. “It won’t happen again. Don’t be mad.”
Zhu Lianzhen responded stiffly, “I’m not mad. You don’t need to apologize.”
Even though they hadn’t interacted in the past two years, their names still seemed inextricably tied together. If one of them made the news, the other was bound to be mentioned. Zhu Lianzhen often felt that the closest synonym to “True Affection” was “a haunting ghost.”
The elevator arrived at their floor. The two of them stepped into the narrow space one after the other. Zhu Lianzhen pressed the B1 button, then took a step back, leaning into the corner.
Tan Qing spoke again. “About what Pei-jie mentioned earlier regarding fanservice, I know it’s an extra burden for you. I’ll find time to talk to her and make sure you’re not put in a difficult position.”
Zhu Lianzhen slowly turned his head to look at him.
The single-direction lighting in the elevator accentuated Tan Qing’s striking features, making them appear even more defined. However, the way he looked at Zhu Lianzhen was particularly pure, softening the natural allure of his eyes. It kept his expression from being too imposing, making it instead more appealing.
Unfortunately, having just been tested by him not long ago, Zhu Lianzhen could only remain on guard in front of that face.
“So you don’t find it difficult? You make it sound like I’m the only one unwilling to cooperate with fanservice.” Zhu Lianzhen’s tone was laced with impatience. His gaze lingered briefly on Tan Qing’s face before quickly looking away.
Tan Qing’s lips curved into a good-natured smile. “The company must have its reasons for arranging things this way. I trust them, so of course, I’m willing to cooperate.”
The elevator stopped at the first-floor lobby. As the doors opened, Zhu Lianzhen immediately raised his arm, pressing the close button while blocking Tan Qing’s way.
He let out a dry laugh. “The way you said that makes it sound like you think I’m being immature.”
Tan Qing’s expression remained unchanged, his politeness intact. “That’s not what I meant. As your teammate, I respect all of your choices.”
“You never even blush when saying these scripted lines.” Zhu Lianzhen’s voice was low. He had no interest in arguing over meaningless matters and got straight to the point. “Just to be clear, my reluctance to do fanservice has nothing to do with you. After all, those old photos haven’t leaked yet. Who knows, one day they might—”
“They’ve all been wiped clean,” Tan Qing interrupted.
Zhu Lianzhen was momentarily stunned. “CEO Chu told you that? He didn’t mention it to me.”
“I confirmed it with him. Don’t worry,” Tan Qing said. “All data has been thoroughly erased. That stalker reached an agreement with the company—took the money and left the country. If she ever tries anything again, the legal department has solid measures in place. After all, it wasn’t a small amount.”
Zhu Lianzhen opened his mouth slightly, unsure of what to say, but the tension inside him finally eased.
“Any other questions?” Tan Qing looked at him. “If not, can you let me go now, Xiao Zhu?”
Zhu Lianzhen said nothing and swiftly pressed the open button.
As soon as the elevator doors slid apart, he walked out faster than Tan Qing, even forgetting to say goodbye.
After two years of no contact, Zhu Lianzhen had almost forgotten how to have a normal conversation with Tan Qing. The moment he spoke, he instinctively wanted to oppose him. It was better to avoid him early—talking too much would only lead to more mistakes.
His emotions had fluctuated throughout the day, but thinking about the group’s comeback, he eventually felt a sense of relief.
–
“Did Pei-jie record today’s meeting? Get me a copy.” The moment Zhu Lianzhen stepped through the door, he collapsed onto the sofa, stretching out his legs. He reached into his pocket for his earphones but found nothing. After rummaging through his bag, they were still nowhere to be found.
Ah-Xu immediately stepped in to help. “What are you looking for?”
“My earphones.”
Ah-Xu pulled out a spare pair of over-ear headphones from her bag, but Zhu Lianzhen didn’t even glance at them. “Not these. I need my AirPods. I was just using them in the car.”
“Maybe you left them on the table?”
“Probably. Go check for me.”
“It’s still snowing outside.” Ah-Xu hesitated. “They’re not that valuable. I’ll just buy you a new pair tomorrow on my way out.”
The house was full of high-quality sound systems, so there was no real need to insist on a particular pair. Zhu Lianzhen hesitated for a moment before accepting the suggestion. “Alright.”
Noticing the slight disappointment on his face, Ah-Xu guessed he was sentimental and casually asked, “Are those earphones special?”
“Someone gave them to me.”
“Then losing them would be a shame.” Seeing that the snowfall outside had lessened, Ah-Xu decided to head back to the company to look for them. Maybe if the boss was in a good mood, she might even get a red envelope as a reward.
But just as she was putting on her coat, Zhu Lianzhen told her not to bother. Ah-Xu turned back. “What’s wrong?”
Zhu Lianzhen frowned at his phone. “Tan Qing picked up the earphones.”
He had originally planned to message the staff on WeChat to ask them to keep an eye out. But when he saw an update on his Moments feed, his compulsive tendencies kicked in, and he couldn’t help but click on it.
And just his luck—there it was. Tan Qing had posted a “Lost and Found” notice, with a photo of his earphones, case and all.
The caption: Found these by the vending machine on the first floor of the company. If they’re yours, contact me as soon as possible.
“At least they weren’t lost.” Ah-Xu was familiar with Zhu Lianzhen’s social circle. Over the two years that Acemon had been on hiatus, the only teammate he had completely lost contact with was Tan Qing.
There was probably some unresolved conflict between them, which was why they couldn’t even be bothered to keep up appearances. That was personal business, and as his assistant, she hadn’t pried.
Right now, Zhu Lianzhen’s mind was flooded with questions: He found them by the vending machine—does he know they’re mine? These earbuds are pretty common… he probably wouldn’t think of me, right?
His doubts were written all over his face. Ah-Xu, guessing he just didn’t want to interact with Tan Qing, suggested, “Just say they belong to your assistant. I’ll pick them up for you tomorrow.”
Zhu Lianzhen thought for a moment. “Forget it, just leave them with him.”
Ah-Xu: “But didn’t you say they were a gift? Shouldn’t you get them back?”
Zhu Lianzhen was silent for a few seconds before replying softly, “Doesn’t matter. Tan Qing gave them to me in the first place—might as well return them now.”
Ah-Xu’s brain froze for a moment, completely dumbfounded.
From what she knew about Zhu Lianzhen, if he didn’t see eye to eye with a friend, he’d rather cut ties cleanly. And his relationship with Tan Qing had already reached the never speak again stage, which was proof enough of how much he disliked him.
And yet, he still wore the earphones Tan Qing had given him every day. Even after newer models came out, he stubbornly refused to replace them… What kind of friendship was that?
Their eyes met. Noticing the strange look on Ah-Xu’s face, Zhu Lianzhen lowered his head, as if hesitating.
Since the group was going to resume activities, he’d inevitably be spending time with Tan Qing again. It was better to give his assistant some “precautions” in advance. Ah-Xu was quick-witted—she could handle things before he even had to ask.
Making up his mind, Zhu Lianzhen finally spoke. “Actually… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
Ah-Xu put on an “I’m all ears” expression.
“So, um, how do I put this?” Zhu Lianzhen struggled to find the right words. “First, let me clarify: it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that this is difficult to talk about.”
Ah-Xu was understanding. “No need for formalities between us.”
Zhu Lianzhen lounged on the sofa, trying his best to appear calm, casual, and indifferent, as if recalling an insignificant past event. “If I had to sum it up simply… Tan Qing and I… he and I…”
Ah-Xu: “You and him?”
Just as Zhu Lianzhen was about to say it, a sudden mental block hit him, and the second half of his sentence came out barely above a whisper. “We used to be a thing.”
Ah-Xu didn’t catch it. She tilted her head. “What?”
“WE USED TO BE A THING!” He inexplicably felt his face heat up.
Ah-Xu was momentarily dazed. When she finally processed what he’d said, she couldn’t help but blurt out, “Holy shit.”
She had been Zhu Lianzhen’s personal assistant for years, knowing practically every big and small detail of his life. But this unexpected confession completely shattered her perception. “I’ve seen houses collapse, but I’ve never seen one rise from the ground like this!”
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