Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Running into Tan Zongmin wasn’t exactly a coincidence.

That afternoon, the station had suddenly assigned me to interview a certain celebrity.

He was notorious for his foul temper, a small-time star who acted like a big-shot diva.

Even after finding himself a powerful sugar mommy, he’d cheated on her.

The scandal had recently become the talk of the city, putting him squarely in the “spotlight.”

And this thankless assignment had been handed specifically to me.

The interview had barely begun when I realized the rumors about how difficult he was weren’t exaggerated.

At first, he sat with his legs crossed, tossing out the occasional halfhearted reply as though every word cost him dearly.

Then I asked about his recent love life, and he rewarded me with a faceful of coffee.

Turning the tables on me, he sneered, “Zhong the Paparazzo, you haven’t even cleaned up your own mess, yet you have the nerve to call someone else dirty.”

The commotion shattered the restaurant’s quiet atmosphere, drawing the attention of the few other patrons.

I shot to my feet, frantically trying to keep the coffee from soaking through my clothes.

It was then that I caught sight of the corner that had previously been hidden from view.

Tan Zongmin was seated quietly behind me.

His expression was dark and unreadable.

Across from him sat his arranged marriage partner.

Everything clicked into place. At last, I understood why they had insisted that I take this interview.

Tan Zongmin’s mother had wanted me to see this.

His gaze remained fixed on me for a long moment.

I hurriedly looked away, pretending I had never seen him.

Perhaps his distraction was too obvious, because his arranged marriage partner asked curiously, “What are you looking at?”

When Tan Zongmin didn’t answer, his companion followed his gaze and started to turn around.

Only then did Tan Zongmin look away. “Nothing,” he said coolly.

I relaxed a little.

Thank goodness. Thank goodness he hadn’t come rushing over to play the hero.

The last thing I wanted was to ruin his arranged marriage.

It was better for us to maintain this silent understanding and pretend we hadn’t seen each other, that we were complete strangers.

I calmly picked up my bag, wiped my face a few times, and walked out of the restaurant in disarray.

Several gusts of wind swept past, making my drenched clothes rustle against my skin.

Hong Kong’s usually mild winter caught me off guard with a chill that nearly knocked me off balance.

The bitterness of the Americano belatedly rose to my nose.

It was a little bitter and a little cold.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.

But more than that, what followed was a sense of relief.

It was shameless of me, really.

I didn’t want to be the villain in our relationship.

Because I had to admit, I had gained far too much from it while we were together.

Tan Zongmin had been too good to me.

So good that I had no right to be the one to end things.

Without Tan Zongmin, I wouldn’t even have had the chance to remain in Hong Kong.