Later that day, Song Meiqi returned to her apartment, collapsing onto the familiar softness of her queen-sized bed.
Her gaze drifted upward, settling on the quiet comfort of her wallpaper before shifting to the sunset spilling through the glass windows. It slipped past the drapes, casting long, stretched shadows across the room.
Everything felt still. Too still.
The silence wrapped around her, and with it came a restless feeling she couldn't quite shake.
Her time in Province A had been… soothing. There were no paparazzi chasing her, no suffocating schedules, no expectations to uphold an idol's perfect image. For once, she could just be ordinary Song Meiqi.
If she could, she would have stayed longer.
As she sank into the quiet comfort of her bed, the world around her softened. Her eyelids began to grow heavy, then gently closed, and before she knew it, sleep quietly claimed her.
…
Yet, in the capital, not far from Willow Park, stood the towering headquarters of GL Holdings. Inside, employees worked diligently as the clock neared the end of the workday.
Wang Zi Rui, however, paid no attention to the time. He flipped through every page of the documents on his desk, his brows tightening as he read further.
"Si Qi!" he called out.
Si Qi, clad in a tailored suit, appeared immediately—as if he had been waiting just outside the door. Zi Rui tossed a paper toward him, precise enough for him to catch it with ease. He glanced down. It was the list of funding allocations for the Camellia Resort Project.
His eyes narrowed as he compared the numbers.
"Boss… does this mean our suspicions were right?" Si Qi asked, looking up at him. "That bootlicker Ma Guodong really used substandard materials to pocket the money?"
Zi Rui rubbed the crease between his brows, trying to ease the surging headache. "It's not that simple," he replied.
"Ma Guodong wouldn't dare do something like this. The one behind it… is someone powerful enough not to fear the consequences."
Si Qi blinked, his mind racing as he tried to piece together who it could be.
Zi Rui locked eyes with him. "I want every piece of information you can find on Solid Construction Ltd. and… the acting president of Greenland Corporation."
Si Qi nodded, his usually bright expression turning serious. The Wang family was the most powerful in Country C. Whoever dared to embezzle money from them was either a fool—or courting death.
Just then, a knock echoed through the room. A woman in formal attire entered, carrying another stack of documents for Zi Rui to sign. Her name was Shuying. She served as Zi Rui's company secretary. While Si Qi handled many of his personal affairs, Shuying oversaw matters within the company.
She set the documents neatly on Zi Rui's desk. As she bent slightly, her brown curls fell forward in soft waves, framing her composed features.
"Boss, Secretary He said President Wang is available to meet at four this afternoon," she said, straightening to her full posture.
Zi Rui gave a brief nod and dismissed her. Calm as ever, he rose from his seat while Si Qi gathered the remaining files, each one revealing more flaws in the budget.
They walked out of the office together, city sunlight spilling across the glass floors. But as Zi Rui stepped into the corridor, a sharp, piercing headache forced him to close his eyes for a moment, his teeth gritting against the sudden pain.
Si Qi quickly moved to support his arm. "Boss, you've been working without rest for the last two days. Do you want to take a break?"
Zi Rui shook his head, steadying himself and returning to his usual calm expression. "I'm fine," he said reassuringly, though Si Qi couldn't help but worry. He knew Zi Rui well—how he ignored his own health, no matter the cost. A true workaholic.
Shuying, who had been watching from the side, let a faint smile tug at her lips. So it's true, then? The rumor about Secretary Si Qi and her boss…
The thought lingered, teasing her imagination, before she shook it off and returned to her work.
The Next Day…
Song Meiqi knocked twice before stepping into the A&R office. Inside, A&R Director Ms. Xu sat with two other men—one of whom she recognized as their producer, Producer Hack.
Ms. Xu's lips curved into a bright smile the moment she saw Meiqi. She had been anticipating the direction of her new song, though it was clear she already had a vision in mind, having listened to Meiqi's demo a few weeks earlier.
Meiqi greeted them with a polite smile.
"Xiao Qi… I listened to your demo, and well… I can say you've improved a lot. I didn't know you could compose," Producer Hack said, his tone teasing, though there was a hint of pride beneath it.
Meiqi blushed, both shy and pleased by the compliment from a producer she had worked with for so long.
Ms. Xu chuckled softly at her reaction. Then, as if remembering something, she gestured toward the man seated beside Producer Hack.
"Oh, by the way, this is Michael. He's a guitarist, lyricist, and producer. He'll be helping you with the lyrics," she said smoothly, as if the decision had long been made.
Meiqi's eyes widened at the mention of his name. Michael was one of the most popular songwriters in all of H. City at the moment, known for his soulful R&B style—exactly the kind of sound she had been aiming for.
Meiqi's gaze locked onto him. He wore a gray sweater and baggy pants that suited his lean frame. His hair, a blend of beige and brown, fell in soft curls to the side, framing his face. His eyes slanted slightly downward, giving him a calm, gentle aura.
"It would be an honor," Meiqi said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.
Right now, it was better to focus on her work—on her dreams—than to think about running into Si Haoran or Zheng Mengyao. Besides… she wasn't the one who needed to hide.
And yet, as if fate insisted, the moment they called for a break after two hours of brainstorming, Meiqi stepped out for coffee—only to run straight into Mengyao.