Past self

Chapter : 2

Xiao Chen kept scrolling.

And scrolling.

And scrolling.

Each sentence felt strangely unreal.

Like strangers discussing another person entirely.

Not him.

Not the Xiao Chen who survived on instant noodles for years.

Not the Xiao Chen who practiced acting alone at night after supermarket shifts.

Not the Xiao Chen who spent half his income paying hospital bills for his mother.

Not the Xiao Chen who smiled until his cheeks hurt because people liked “sunshine personalities.”

None of those people online knew him.

Yet somehow they all sounded certain.

Liang Wen moved forward immediately and grabbed the iPad gently.

“That’s enough.”

Xiao Chen didn’t resist.

He simply leaned back against the sofa slowly before covering his eyes with one hand.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

His voice sounded quiet.

Too quiet.

Liang Wen looked away briefly.

In the entertainment industry, truth was often the least important thing.

“I know.”

Outside, thunder rolled across the city sky.

Xiao Chen lowered his hand again before staring toward the rain-covered windows.

“How did things become like this?”

No answer came.

Because neither of them truly knew.

Or maybe they both did.

Fame was fragile.

People loved idols like temporary dreams.

And dreams were easy to destroy.

—

At the exact same moment, across the city inside another towering entertainment company building, someone else was also reading those comments.

The office remained dim except for the cold white glow of computer screens reflecting across polished black furniture.

Wang Yu stood silently beside the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the rainy city below.

On the tablet resting across the desk nearby, Xiao Chen’s scandal headlines remained open.

The comments continued updating rapidly.

Cruel.

Mocking.

Relentless.

Assistant director Chen Hao stood carefully near the doorway, clearly nervous.

“Should we release a statement regarding the collaboration rumors?”

No response.

Wang Yu’s expression revealed absolutely nothing.

That was the frightening thing about him.

People inside the industry often described Wang Yu as unreadable.

Cold.

Controlled.

A man who hid thoughts so deeply nobody could predict his next move.

But tonight the silence surrounding him felt heavier than usual.

His gaze remained fixed on one particular photograph displayed online.

Xiao Chen leaving a studio two nights ago.

Head lowered.

Flashlights surrounding him from every direction.

Looking painfully alone.

Chen Hao spoke again cautiously.

“Public opinion is turning ugly very quickly.”

Still silence.

Then finally—

“Who started it?”

The question came calmly.

Too calmly.

Chen Hao swallowed slightly.

“There are suspicions another company pushed the rumors first, but nobody has confirmed anything yet.”

Wang Yu picked up the tablet slowly.

The article reflected faintly in his dark eyes.

For several long seconds, he simply stared at Xiao Chen’s picture.

Then quietly—

“Find out.”

Something in his voice made Chen Hao straighten immediately.

“Yes.”

The office door closed softly afterward.

Wang Yu remained standing alone beside the rain-covered glass.

Outside, the city lights blurred beneath the storm.

And somewhere beneath all the noise of the present, an old memory surfaced quietly.

Two years earlier.

Before scandals.

Before fame.

Before the world became cruel.

Back when Xiao Chen still smiled like nothing could truly hurt him.

—

Two years earlier.

Summer sunlight filled the narrow streets of an older neighborhood in Shanghai.

The apartment building looked worn down from years of rain and faded paint, but the small home inside carried warmth that expensive places often lacked.

Laughter.

Cooking smells.

Music from an old radio near the kitchen.

“Ge! Hurry up or you’ll be late again!”

Xiao Jun’s voice echoed through the apartment while running between rooms with one shoe untied.

“I’m coming!”

Xiao Chen emerged from the bedroom while struggling to button his shirt properly at the same time.

His mother stood near the stove cooking noodles while smiling helplessly at the chaos around her.

“You two act like the world ends every morning.”

“It does,” Xiao Jun replied dramatically. “School is suffering.”

Xiao Chen laughed immediately before stealing a dumpling from the plate beside the kitchen counter.

His mother slapped his arm lightly.

“That’s for your brother.”

“I’m also someone’s child.”

“You’re twenty-two.”

“I’m still emotionally young.”

The apartment filled with laughter again.

Small.

Simple.

Real.

Back then, life was difficult.

But happiness still existed in ordinary moments.

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