Scene One: Sudden Crisis
After Taiyang and Qin Che finished their intense lovemaking, their panting still echoing in the room, the phone rang at an inopportune moment. Both reached for their phones almost simultaneously—Qin Che called Shen Manlin, Taiyang called Xiaotian—only to hear the other side exclaim in unison: “Oh no!”
Taiyang’s face instantly turned cold, a sense of foreboding surging in her heart. She looked at Qin Che and saw fury burning in his eyes, like a volcano about to erupt. Qin Che snatched up his phone, swiped the screen rapidly, and discovered a set of photos already circulating wildly online—images of her embracing Lu Ziang on the rooftop and entering a restaurant together, so clear they seemed deliberately taken. The caption was sharp and cutting: “Wow! This woman really knows how to play! Switching from one to another, scandals never end!” The comments were filled with curses: “How can she seduce men everywhere, you cheap bitch!” Some mocked: “Qin just helped her whitewash her image, and now she’s hooking up with Lu Ziang—where’s your face?”
Taiyang’s heart tightened. Fear and helplessness welled up inside her as she muttered softly, “How could this happen… Who’s targeting me… One thing after another…” She looked at Qin Che, trying to explain: “Qin Che… that time on the rooftop, I didn’t know he would find me there… I was crying on the rooftop when he suddenly appeared to comfort me… We didn’t cross any lines! The restaurant was… He helped me investigate the director, and part of the evidence came from him… I…”
Qin Che’s atmosphere dropped to freezing point, his gaze sharp as a blade, his voice low and filled with anger: “Hmph, the rooftop was a private meeting, right? And conveniently photographed! The restaurant investigation was just a cover for a date, wasn’t it? Three days, huh? Three whole days?” His words dripped with jealousy and distrust, stabbing Taiyang’s heart. She hurriedly continued: “No… I was just in a bad mood, and he happened to be there… The restaurant was really for evidence; we didn’t do anything inappropriate…”
Yet Qin Che refused to listen to any further explanation. Rage consumed him, his eyes filled with disappointment and coldness, as if he had already decided she was that kind of “promiscuous” woman. Without a word, he turned and left her room, not leaving a single sentence behind. Taiyang stood alone in the room, the air still lingering with the warmth and scent from moments ago, her heart filled with grievance and helplessness. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Qin Che: “I’m sorry… Ziang and I really are just colleagues… I didn’t lie to you or deceive you…”
A few minutes later, Qin Che replied coldly: “But you didn’t inform me at all. I don’t want to see you for now. Move back tomorrow morning!” Taiyang stared at the message, her heart aching as if cut by a knife. Although she could return to her small apartment, she didn’t want to leave—she couldn’t bear to part with the time they had spent together, couldn’t bear to leave him. All night, she couldn’t sleep, silently shedding tears as she packed her luggage, wondering how to resolve this storm, her heart filled with confusion and pain about the future.