Chapter 106: Does She Truly Wish to Destroy Him?

Inside the police station, several anti-fans who had caused trouble for Jiang Yao were undergoing a stern lecture.

In the adjacent room, a policewoman poured a glass of water for He Yunqing. "Mr. He, regarding whether to settle this matter, we still need to consult Ms. Jiang's opinion."

He Yunqing replied with an expressionless face, "I am here to convey Ms. Jiang's decision: there will be no settlement."

Manager Cai, familiar with He Yunqing's temper, offered a faint smile to the officer. "Our stance is that the law should take its course. If we indulge this kind of behavior, it will only embolden them further next time."

The policewoman nodded and stepped out.

Manager Cai sighed softly and pulled out her phone to attend to work, silently praying that no further complications would arise.

No sooner had she finished her prayer than her eyes fell upon a news notification sent by a friend. She clicked on it, and her expression immediately turned ghastly.

"Yunqing, Yunqing!" she urged, nudging him and signaling for him to look at the screen.

He Yunqing took the phone. As he read the words, his face chilled to freezing.

It was an article about him.

Ordinarily, he never paid attention to such things. As an entertainer, he was the subject of countless headlines—both praise and criticism—every single day, and he had long ceased to care. But this piece involved someone else: Jiang Yao.

"Unmasking the Woman Behind the Top Male Star—Who Exactly Is She?"

The article was accompanied by photos surreptitiously taken some time ago. Once published, it immediately ignited a firestorm of discussion. The comments section was flooded with vitriol.

"So that’s her? She doesn’t look like much."

"I know her. I think her name is Jiang Yao."

"Does she have a Weibo? I’m going to go check."

"I was her classmate in middle school. That wasn't her original name; it was Jiang Xiaoqing."

"Haha, Jiang Xiaoqing! She was so loose back then. Rumor has it she even had a thing with one of our teachers."

"I heard she had an affair with her stepfather..."

Below, a torrent of vile, unspeakable accusations piled up.

He Yunqing’s clear eyes gradually darkened, and his fingers turned white as he gripped the phone with enough force to strain his knuckles.

"Yunqing," Manager Cai said, her voice laced with worry. She had never seen him look like this. "In the internet age, news travels fast. Listen to me—before this turns into an even greater catastrophe, let go. Do it not just for yourself, but for Ms. Jiang."

Her eyes grew red. "Ms. Jiang has already suffered so much. How can you bear to let her be hurt again? If this continues, malicious people will pick her life apart until nothing remains. You know what kind of person she is, but others don't. How can you expect her to go on living? While things haven't reached the point of no return, there is still time."

He Yunqing gripped the phone tightly, his gaze lowering. His long lashes trembled slightly, as if he were grappling with a harrowing decision. After a long silence, he tossed the phone back to Manager Cai, stood up, and strode out.

***

Lying in her hospital bed, Jiang Yao had not yet seen the news about herself. She was busy watching old videos of He Yunqing.

The footage captured the subtle details of the man’s past, back when his face still held a trace of youthful innocence.

In variety shows, he would jump into freezing water again and again in the dead of winter, just to win a game and earn a chance to perform his music. In interviews, he spoke with a smile about being rejected by directors and producers time after time, and how he proved himself through sheer ability. In behind-the-scenes clips, he insisted on performing his own stunts, leaping from great heights while rigged to a wire.

He had been injured countless times; minor hurts were left to heal on their own, and even with major injuries, he could never stay in the hospital for long. Almost every time, he had to suppress the pain and continue filming.

The glamorous He Yunqing that the public saw hid a life of immense hardship. No one’s success came easily, yet he had never uttered a word of it to her.

Watching the man’s perpetually gentle smile on the screen, Jiang Yao felt a sudden, sharp ache in her nose. She raised her hand, her fingertips slowly stroking the screen as if she could touch his sharp, handsome features through the glass.

He was a man born to greatness. The fact that he was willing to abandon his status as an heir to a medical fortune to carve out a path in the entertainment industry showed just how much he loved his career.

"Jiang Yao, do you really want to destroy him...?"

She murmured to herself, leaning her body against the wall and taking a deep breath. Her long lashes were already misted with tears.

He Yunqing arrived that evening, bringing her favorite noodles from the shop she loved.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Jiang Yao smiled. "Much better. The doctor said I can be discharged in three days. You’re so busy preparing for the concert—you shouldn't keep running over here."

"Manager Cai said she already gave you the ticket?" He Yunqing asked, mentioning the concert. He had originally intended to give it to her himself, but he hadn't expected Manager Cai to beat him to it.

"Yes," Jiang Yao nodded.

"It’s the best seat in the front row, reserved especially for you," He Yunqing said with a smile.

Jiang Yao lowered her head and opened the takeout. "Yunqing."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember the first time you bought me food? What it was?"

He Yunqing looked at the bowl of noodles. The atmosphere between them was warm, yet it felt as if something were being forcibly torn apart.

"Yes." It was in the hospital hallway on her birthday—also a bowl of noodles.

"That day was my birthday."

"I know."

"Do you know? For many years before that, I hadn't eaten 'longevity noodles'." Jiang Yao kept her head down, taking a large mouthful of noodles. "That bowl of noodles was the best I’d ever had in years. I wonder if tonight’s will be just as good."

"A-Yao..." He Yunqing started, but hesitated.

"I’m thinking," she said, a cold, solitary tear falling with a *plop* into the steaming bowl, "that when my next birthday comes, you’ll accompany me to eat longevity noodles again, and we'll be truly happy."

There was less than a month until her next birthday.

He Yunqing watched her trembling body, but he did not answer.

Unable to wait for his reply, Jiang Yao bit her lip hard and began to shovel the noodles into her mouth. Soon, the bowl was empty. When she finally looked up, the tears were gone, leaving only bloodshot eyes.

She looked at him as if nothing were wrong and smiled faintly. "I’m a bit tired today. I’d like to sleep early."

"Alright. I’ll come see you tomorrow."

"Yunqing." As she watched him turn to leave, she couldn't help but call out to him.

He Yunqing turned back.

"Good luck with the concert," Jiang Yao’s voice choked up. "I hope that from now on, every single day goes smoothly for you."