By the time morning came, the internet was on fire.
My phone was buzzing with so many notifications you'd think it had a seizure. I didn't have to check to know who had caused such a frenzy.
I unlocked it and there it was, Wei Han's exclusive interview trending at the top of every social media platform.
Sigh!
"I am here because I am a responsible person. I was young, and foolish. I let myself hurt the woman I loved most. Seeing my Jiang Rui rise again only reminds me how much her art inspired me. I will apologize publicly to her if she allows me."
'That translates to him being a reformed parasite host.'
I patiently sipped my coffee and stared at his interview.
Oh! How he had rehearsed humility!
From the hands that once tore my sketches apart, to his downcast and wronged eyes, I had to admit he knew the game.
"Oh, he's playing good," I muttered, still observing his saint look.
'Don't give him too much credit host. He's just a predictable dog.'
I arrived at my studio an hour later dressed for battle. If the press wanted a picture, then I'll have to serve them on my terms.
Huang Zeming was already there, not so surprised, scrolling through headlines.
"They really think he is remorseful! I think he is a romantic tragedy." He said dryly, clearly not amused.
"He is just trying to manipulate public sympathy," I replied, dropping my items on the table. "And his ass is using my name to do it."
He glanced at me, his eyes searching for something.
"You know for such a fire designer, your taste in men is tragic..." his voice was casual but it stung.
"Whatever. Tell me something I don't know."
"Do you want me to help you handle him?"
"No," I said, smiling faintly. "I know how to handle him best."
Zeming just chuckled, but I didn't miss the flicker of concern in his eyes before he masked it.
For the time he has known me, I know he has seen how I have turned my emotions into armor. That too in the middle of the press circus.
If only he knew that was the only way I had learned to survive.
By midday, my inbox was already full of interview requests. They all wanted one thing from me. My response.
But I gave nothing.
No response.
No hint.
No reaction.
Instead, I did the unexpected after hours.
I uploaded a single photo to my account, a close up of a beautiful white fabric spilling across my cutting table, covered with gold threads.
My caption was simple but spoke volumes.
"Some stories deserve endings rather than rewrites."
Within an hour and a half, my post had hit a million likes. I knew Wei Han's PR team was scrambling for a better answer, while his new found fans turned defensive.
Lu Jinghao wasn't left out either. He sent me a single message. Naturally, it was a meet up.
(You up for coffee? I have a feeling today's gonna be more exciting.)
I smiled but still dressed up anyway. He had chosen a quiet café perfectly hidden behind his office tower, one favourable to celebrities.
I still turned heads the moment I walked in. Not that I blame them...
Lu Jinghao stood up to greet me. He didn't utter a word, but he let his gaze linger on me, longer than usual, as if to capture this moment.
'Poor thing is trying to convince himself whether you are real or not.'
"Your ex is really determined. Now the whole city knows you two once had a past." he said once we sat.
"Tragic...but I'm aware."
"So, do you plan to ignore him?"
"I plan to let him dig a fitting grave for himself." I spoke, stirring my latte. "All he wants from me is an emotional reaction."
He leaned back, eyes glinting. "So...are you gonna give that to him?"
"Why would I?"
He chuckled, but his tone immediately softened.
"But still, if he dares to cross a line, go ahead and tell me. My legal team will immediately come through things, faster than you can ever imagine."
I tilted my head in amusement.
"Oh...protective now, are we?"
"I'm just strategic," he replied, but the corner of his mouth betrayed him. It was warm and teasing.
"I hope you realize that you are my designer now. If bad press gets to you then my brand is also hurt."
"Of course," I replied, subtly mocking him.
" Everything here is just business."
Despite his words, his fingers under the table brushed against mine as he reached for his cup.
Whether or not it was accidental, the contact lingered more than it should have.
'Host that is some flirtation I see. Your heart rate seems to be elevated.'
I ignored both parties. One machine, one human.
That evening, the next twist came earlier than expected.
Wei Han had released a montage. There were old clips of us working together in the early days, with his slow motion and nostalgic voice over.
"Even if we are apart, I will always respect the fact that we have built dreams together."
"Is this man retarded? Respect? Really? He had once deleted half my drafts just because he woke up and felt like it."
The comments were naturally chaos.
Some were sympathizing while others were in outrage.
And the same way a flower blooms, a particular hashtag started trending.
#ForgiveWeiHan.
I laughed out loud. Forgive? I had forgotten his existence up until he came looking for me.
'Host, he has sponsors backing the campaign. They are pushing the narrative that you mutually broke up, blah blah blah.'
"Of course he is. It is easy to predict his moves." I murmured.
'So what's our next move host?"
I smiled thinly. "We Nova, counter with creation."
'I love that. Vengeance via fashion.'
The next morning, I gathered my team and announced a surprise drop.
I called this collection, the unforgiven. There were five looks. All gold and black.
They had leather, silk and even chain embroidery, signifying broken bonds. I had each outfit named after an emotion buried.
Rebirth, regret, betrayal...I already loved the attention this was going to gain.
My star of the show, a beautiful sheer black mesh with liquid gold gown, which was structured like it was ready for war, sat pretty in the center.
The more I looked at it, the more I saw paparazzi and the press giving it the most exaggerated name.
Within ten hours, the teasers had dominated every social media platform.
Poor Wei Han tried posting again, something along the lines of wishing me well, only to be drowned under various comments from fans and models trying to win a chance to work with me.
'Ouch! That is some emotional damage inflicted.'
Zeming , who had visited me earlier, grinned the more he watched the analytics.
"If I was him, then I'd hate you. With zero effort, you just replaced his redemption arc with your fashion."
"Good," I said, setting down my tablet. "Let him choke on the glitter. At least it's pretty glitter."
That night, as the emotions from earlier faded, I found myself alone in the studio again. That is always how it ended. Alone.
A harsh reminder if you'd ask me.
The city seemed full of life from below.
I watched as my reflection shimmered against the polished glass, looking untouchable.
Despite all these, for the first time in a while, I felt tired.
I had invested a lot in being unbreakable and I ended up forgetting how heavy the armor I had on was.
In the midst of my thoughts, the door opened quietly.
Lu Jinghao stepped in, tie in absentia, and sleeves rolled as usual.
He didn't utter a word but just set a bag in the counter.
"Here's dinner," he said. "You have probably forgotten to eat something."
Well, Mr CEO was not wrong. " You shouldn't be doing this. If you keep feeding me I'll start expecting it."
He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
I smiled, taking a seat opposite him, as he unpacked the take out boxes.
Silence reigned as we ate. The atmosphere was easy and unforced.
Then out of nowhere, he said, "I love what you did.You handled the whole thing beautifully. But remember, you don't always have to deal with it alone."
There was something in his voice that made me look up. His gaze was steady, unyielding but soft. The kind of soft that didn't need permission to care.
"I know," I replied quietly. "But I am already used to fighting by myself."
"Do you ever think that maybe it's time you didn't have to?"
His words hung there, with a hint of danger and fragility.
'I detect some emotional tension host. Hehe...there seems to be a seed blooming.'
I laughed softly at his and Nova's words.
"Do you always talk like that?"
"Only when I mean it."
" Mmh. Then I will think about it."