The car drove through the busy road of country L, the night nice. Outside, skyscrapers were plastered with towering movie stars and models, faces that looked perfect and entirely untouchable. People swarmed the crosswalk, hurrying toward lives that actually belonged to them.
Xin Yi leaned her forehead against the glass, the vibration of the road rattling her skull. She watch a group of teenagers on the sidewalk, they were doubled over laughing at something one of them had said, their joy loud and effortless.
A sharp ache of envy hit her. She hadn't seen Mia in months. Grandma Shen Mei made sure of that, her voice still echoing in Xin Yi's head like a sentence.
"A Wang cannot be seen with a commoner. You must choose a circle that makes you stronger."
How happy Mia must be now, Xin Yi thought. Free to go where she wanted, without a name acting like a rope around her neck.
"Xin Yi?"
A gentle tap on her leg made her jump. She turned away from the window to find Wang Li Chen watching her from the seat beside her.
The driver swung the car into a sharp U-turn, the tires humming against the asphalt. Xin Yi looked back at the shifting streets, wondering just how much further this "Wine House" actually was.
"I hope you're not still upset about what Grandma and Grandpa did," Wang Li Chen said. He reached over, cupping her hand in his as if she was a fragile piece of glass. "They were only trying to protect you from the rumors out there."
"And what you did on the set?" Xin Yi's voice was barely a whisper. Flat and emotionless.
"C'mon, Xin Yi. You know I was doing that for you too." Li Chen leaned closer. "If Wu Chunhua had gone to the police, think of the damage it would have done to our names. I didn't want people thinking you only get ahead because you're a Wang. Please, forgive me."
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. It felt cold.
Too tired to keep fighting a conversation that went in circles, Xin Yi just nodded. She slumped back into the seat and slowly pulled her hand out of his grip, returning her gaze to the window.
Her mind drifted to Wang Li Chang. She didn't see him in the mansion today. Was he hiding because of the headlines, or has he already hopped on a flight back to America to avoid the fallout?
The thought sent a familiar ache through her chest. That was all he's good at, running away from people as if they'd never existed in his life to begin with.
The car slowed, the smooth purr of the engine dying down as they reached the destination. They say in silence for a few seconds while the driver made a quick call. Without a sound, the massive gates began to slide open on their own, beckoning them into the shadows of the estate.
Xin Yi had expected to wine house to be a massive estate or another fortress like the Wang mansion. Instead, it was a sleek, portable glass farm house sitting in the center of a field so flat and empty it looked leveled to the ground.
As the car pulled up to the entrance, Xin Yi didn't wait for Wang Li Chen or the guards. She reached for the handle and pushed the door open herself, stepping out before they could play their parts.
Her louboutin heels sank slightly into the earth. She was dressed for a gala, not a field, wearing a white, knee-length gown with a deep, open back. The makeup artist spent hours turning her face into a mask of perfection, and her long hair fell over her shoulders in Princess curls. She looked exactly like the woman the public wanted to see, but as she stared at the glass house, she realized that while she was ready for the cameras, she wasn't ready for anything uncomfortable.
"Welcome!"
A woman dressed in full cowboy attire stepped forward to meet them. She had the same sharp posture as Grandma Shen Mei. A red hat shadowed half of her face, but voice sounded like that of someone who had seen many winters.
"I'm Mrs. Wine House," she said, extending her hand. She strained her neck, peering at Xin Yi with a look that felt like she was checking a horse's teeth.
"Good evening, Mrs. Wine House," Xin Yi replied, taking the woman's hand.
"Good evening," Li Chen added, stepping into take his turn with the handshake.
"We've been waiting for an hour now," Mrs. Wine House said, turning her heel to lead them inside. "We figured you two had a lot of mess to settle today. Luckily, your third partner arrived earlier than ever."
Third partner?
Before they could ask, they stepped into the living room. It was a massive, open space with four plush armchairs arranged in a square at the center. The cameras were already in place, and the media crew snapped into their positions the moment they spotted the Wang's.
"Finally!" One muttered.
But Xin Yi's eyes went straight to the chairs. Sitting there, looking perfectly calm, was Wang Li Chang.
Why was he here? No one had mentioned a three person interview. She stood frozen for a second, her mind racing to catch up.
"Okay, let's get moving." Mrs. Wine House barked, her cowboy hat dipping as she nodded towards the set. "You love birds have already burned an hour of our time."
The room blurred into a flurry of motion as the crew signaled for them to sit. Xin Yi and Wang Li Chen were directed to a single chair, forced to sit close enough that she could feel the heat of his presence.
"Tonight on the Wine House show, we have the wangs," Mrs. Wine House began, her voice dropping into a practiced, professional tone as she faced the glowing red light of the main camera. "Wang Xin Yi, Wang Li Chang, and Wang Li Chen. Tonight, we'll be asking exclusive questions hand picked by the Wine House itself."
Xin Yi's heart Hammered against her ribs, a frantic, rhythmic thumping. What are they going to ask? Grandma's warning echoed in her head, don't answer anything, but what was she supposed to do if they looked her right in the eyes?
Lord, please let this be over quickly, she prayed silently,her hands clenching in the fabric of her gown.
"The first question is for you, Wang Li Chang," Mrs. Wine House said, turning toward him with a sharp tilt of her red hat. "You've ghosted country L for five years now without a word of explanation. Tell us, what made you vanish, and why did you decide to reappear so suddenly?"
"Well," Wang Li Chang began. He shifted in his seat leaning forward with a kind of effortless charm that made people want to listen to him. "I wouldn't say I ghosted my home."
Liar, Xin Yi thought, her jaw tightening.
"I just wanted to give everyone a chance to miss me," he said with a half smile. "In truth, my grandpa's company in the States was crumbling. I knew if I told him I was going there to fix it, the pressure of his expectations would have been too much to carry. I chose to leave quietly, work in the shadows and save the legacy before coming back to country L."
"A hero for the family," Mrs. Wine House mused. "But why the sudden return? Surely there was more work to be done across the ocean."
"I came back because..." Li Chang paused, his gaze softening. "There is someone special I've missed dearly. I left without a word, and I know she must hate me for it. I'm back to ask for her forgiveness."
"Oh! A secret queen?" Mrs Wine House pressed a hand to her lips playfully.
"That," Li Chang said with a light, dismissive laugh, "is a secret."
"Well, wherever you are, if you're watching this, please forgive our prince!" Mrs. Wine House laughed, then immediately turned, her eyes locking onto the other brother.
"Now, for you Wang Li Chen. You are the most famous, highest paid actor in country L, bringing in record breaking profits alongside Wu Chunhua for your family's empire. How does that weight feel? And now, with your fiancee stepping into the spotlight beside you...how does it all make you feel?"
Xin Yi's stomach twisted. She sat perfectly still, her heart a mess of confusion. Did Wang Li Chang mean her? Or was he talking about some girl in America while she sat here like a fool.
"What else can I say?" Wang Li Chen leaned out, his smile oozing a practiced golden boy confidence. "I've always been the best, and I plan on staying there. As for my fiancee, I'm just thrilled she's finally fulfilling her dream of becoming an actress. Love you, babe."
He leaned over and pressed a quick, possessive kiss to her lips.
Across from them, Wang Li Chang felt something like a physical tear in his chest, but his expression remained composed. He didn't blink, he just kept his eyes locked on the cameras.
"And for you, miss Xin Yi," Mrs. Wine House said, shifting the spotlight. "The film where you played as an extra alongside Wu Chunhua is a massive hit at the box office. Although it's not finished with the seasons because of what happened on set today. Well everyone is dying to know, what exactly happened on set today?"
Oh boy! This was it. The trap. Xin Yi's throat went dry, her voice failing her before she could even start. Her sweaty palms gripped the silk of her gown so hard her knuckles turned white. She shifted in the chair, her mind a blank, static roar as she stared into the black lens of the camera.
"I...well, i_"
"She's such a bad liar," Wang Li Chang interrupted.
The room went dead silent. Every Head turned toward him, stunned.
"We can't hide the truth anymore," he continued, a smirk playing on his lips.
What is he doing? Xin Yi screamed in her head.
"The truth is," Wang Li Chang said, leaning into the light, "Xin Yi has been developing a new project she wants to film with Wu Chunhua. Everything you saw today, the coffee, the shouting, the drama with my brother and me. It was all a rehearsal. A bit of real life thrilling marketing to introduce the series to the public. And clearly," he chuckled, "it worked perfectly."
"Isn't that right, Li Chen?" Wang Li Chang asked, his voice smooth as silk but his eyes sharp as flint.
"Yeah, of course," Wang Li Chen answered. He forced a brief dry laugh, though his eyes betrayed his confusion. He was clearly scrambling to keep up with his brother's lie.
"Wait...so the incident with the coffee?" Mrs. Wine House leaned in, her cowboy hat tipping forward in genuine shock. "You're saying Xin Yi burnt Wu Chunhua for all this thriller?"
"Actually, it was the opposite," Wang Li Chang said, leaning back with effortless confidence. "Well Chunhua burned herself to frame Xin Yi as the villain. But again, all an act. I've been coordinating with her for a week from the States, planning every detail of the reveal. We even have a project meeting scheduled very soon."
"People, I am speechless!" Mrs. Wine House turned to the camera, her face lit up with thrill of a massive scoop. "The Wang's have fooled us all! A real life masterclass in marketing for their upcoming project. Country L, stay tuned, the Wang's are back with a banger."
The interview drones on, Xin Yi barely heard the rest. By the time they walked off set, the Internet was exploding. Headlines shifted from 'Scandal' to 'Genius'.
Xin Yi, who had been losing followers by the second, suddenly saw her numbers skyrocket into the millions. The public was obsessed with how "composed" she had stayed, praising her for playing the villain so convincingly even when it dragged her name through the mud.