The next morning—
Everything changed.
Lian Hua hadn't even opened the flower shop yet when her phone started ringing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Unknown numbers.
Messages.
Notifications.
Her heart began to race.
"What is going on…" she murmured.
She opened one message.
Then another.
Then another.
Photos.
Her breath caught.
The balcony.
Her and Zhen Wei.
Close.
Too close.
Even though the moment itself wasn't fully visible—
It was enough.
More than enough.
"…how did they get this?" she whispered.
Before she could think further—
The bell rang loudly.
She looked up.
Customers were already outside.
More than usual.
Watching.
Waiting.
Her chest tightened.
Slowly—
She walked to the door and opened it.
The moment she did—
Voices started.
"Is it true?"
"Are you really with him?"
"Did he bring you to that event?"
Questions came all at once.
Overlapping.
Pressing.
Lian Hua stepped back slightly.
"I—please—one at a time…"
But it didn't stop.
For the first time—
Her peaceful little flower shop felt overwhelming.
"Hey."
A familiar voice cut through the noise.
Chen Kai.
He stepped in quickly, placing himself slightly in front of her.
"Alright, that's enough," he said calmly but firmly.
"She's not answering questions like this."
The crowd hesitated.
"She's just a florist," someone muttered.
Chen Kai's expression sharpened slightly.
"And you're just a customer. So act like one."
The tension shifted.
Slowly, the crowd began to disperse.
Murmuring.
Still watching.
But backing off.
The door closed.
Silence.
Lian Hua let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"…thank you," she said softly.
Chen Kai turned to her.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
But it wasn't convincing.
"This is what I meant," she said quietly.
Chen Kai sighed.
"Yeah… this is the part no one talks about."
She looked down at her phone again.
More messages.
More photos.
More attention.
"It's too much," she admitted.
Before Chen Kai could respond—
The door opened again.
Zhen Wei.
He stepped inside quickly.
His expression—
Not calm.
Serious.
Sharp.
Focused.
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" he asked immediately.
"I—there's too much happening—"
"I know," he said.
He walked closer, his gaze scanning her face.
"Did anyone say anything to you?"
She hesitated.
"Just questions."
His jaw tightened.
"I'll handle it."
She shook her head.
"You can't control everything."
"I can control this."
"That's not how it works," she said softly.
Zhen Wei stepped closer.
Too close.
"You don't have to deal with them," he said.
"But I already am."
Silence.
For a moment—
They just looked at each other.
Then Lian Hua said something he didn't expect.
"This is your world."
His expression shifted slightly.
"And now… it's affecting mine."
The words were calm.
But heavy.
Zhen Wei's voice lowered.
"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."
"It's already happening," she said gently.
That—
That made him pause.
Because for the first time—
He couldn't deny it.
The pressure.
The exposure.
The consequences.
They were real.
And they weren't going away.