Chapter 3 : Tangled Bonds and Hidden Truths

Outside the bathroom, Chen Yanxing sat on the sofa, scrolling through Shen Mengke’s WeChat.
She tapped into Shen Mengke’s Moments and saw a photo.
A sharp scream came from the bathroom.
Her hand flinched, accidentally liking the post.
She gave a wry smile, moved to undo it, then paused and saved the photo instead.

Shen Mengke’s Moments were full of life—cats, dogs, blue skies, white clouds, food, scenery, and her, almost always smiling.
Her profile background was a sea of clouds shot from a mountaintop, vast and soothing.
Chen Yanxing stared until her eyes stung, then scrolled through Shen Mengke’s posts, landing on her avatar: a fluffy Bichon Frise running happily in the sun, silly but adorable.
Her WeChat name was just a sun emoji.
No trace of gloom anywhere.
Faking this kind of joy seemed impossible—Shen Mengke genuinely lived happily.
After seeing this, Chen Yanxing couldn’t reconcile it with the scandalous posts she’d glimpsed on Shen Mengke’s phone.
She downloaded Weibo on her brand-new phone.

The shower stopped.
Chen Yanxing closed her phone as Shen Mengke emerged, barefoot, wrapped in a blanket, hair dripping onto the floor.
Shen Mengke glanced at her, then at the open curtains, frowning.
Before she could speak, Chen Yanxing stood and pulled them shut.
The room darkened, and Shen Mengke’s mood lifted.
She flicked on the bedside lamp, noticing her scattered clothes from last night neatly arranged on the bed.
She shot Chen Yanxing a look.
The woman sat on the sofa, back turned, scrolling aimlessly on her phone’s blank screen.

Shen Mengke smiled silently, dressed, and roughly towel-dried her hair, ensuring it stopped dripping before tossing the towel back into the bathroom.
Perfect timing—Fan Shi knocked.

“Hey, morning!” Shen Mengke opened the door, grinning.
Fan Shi gave her a helpless look, closing the door behind her.
“Didn’t you say you were just clearing your head last night?
How’d you end up…”
Fan Shi paused, spotting Chen Yanxing.
“You… actually slept with someone?”
Shen Mengke grinned, nodding.
She walked over, pulling the curtains open.
Sunlight flooded in, pooling between Fan Shi and Chen Yanxing.

“Introductions,” Shen Mengke said.
“Fan Shi, my ace agent.
Fan Jie, this is Chen Yanxing, my girlfriend.”
Fan Shi’s gaze shifted to Chen Yanxing, shocked.
“The Chen family?”
Chen Yanxing looked up, meeting her eyes.
Fan Shi was polished—brown blazer, black heels, long wavy hair in a low ponytail, pearl earrings dangling.
She was the opposite of Shen Mengke’s laid-back vibe, her competence clear at a glance.

Shen Mengke laughed, smugly eyeing Fan Shi, as if saying, ‘My girlfriend’s a catch, huh?’
Chen Yanxing stood calmly.
If Shen Mengke knew her identity, she wasn’t ordinary, and neither were her associates.
She stepped forward, shaking Fan Shi’s hand.
“Fan Jie, pleasure to meet you.”
Fan Shi stiffly returned the handshake.

Shen Mengke adjusted her clothes.
“Fan Jie, the stuff?”
“Oh, in the bag.”
Fan Shi pulled out two caps and disposable black masks, handing them over.
“The car’s ready.
Since she’s your girlfriend, are you leaving together?”
Shen Mengke’s hair was still wet—caps were uncomfortable.
She stuffed hers back into Fan Shi’s bag, earning a glare.
She laughed, slipping on a mask and turning to Chen Yanxing.
“What do you think?”
“I’d prefer our relationship stays low-key,” Chen Yanxing said.
Shen Mengke nodded.
“Got it.
Fan Jie, let’s go.
You wait thirty minutes—paparazzi should be gone by then.”

The door shut behind them.
Fan Shi whispered, “What’s going on?
Are you going public?”
Shen Mengke glanced at her, smirking.
“What?
Just having fun.
Didn’t you hear her say she wants it low-key?”
“Girlfriend, and it’s just fun?”
“Girlfriend’s just a title for the bed.
Not like we’re getting married—no strings attached.”

Fan Shi often disagreed with Shen Mengke’s views, but as long as it didn’t hurt her or her career, she let it slide.
“Just be careful.
Don’t get caught.”
Shen Mengke nodded carelessly.

The car waited outside the hotel.
Shen Mengke stepped out and slid in, catching a glimpse of movement nearby.
She glanced back, spotting figures in the distance, and sneered—they weren’t even pretending to hide.
Fan Shi looked too, then at Shen Mengke.
“I can’t control your love life, but… how’d you get tangled with a Chen?”
“What’s the issue?” Shen Mengke asked, touching her now-drier hair, nonchalant.
“The Chens look down on the entertainment world.
Watch out—you might get played.”
Shen Mengke’s hand paused, meeting Fan Shi’s eyes.
“But Chen Xingxing’s in the industry…”
Fan Shi scoffed.
“You’re no Chen Xingxing.
She’s the Chen family’s darling, untouchable.
No one dares spread her scandals—people who trash her online get banned the next day.”
Sighing, Fan Shi grabbed a towel from the car to dry Shen Mengke’s hair.彼女

“They think the industry’s dirty, but Chen Xingxing’s clean.”
Shen Mengke laughed, her mind flashing to Chen Yanxing’s odd expression when she mentioned Chen Xingxing earlier.
“Fan Jie, know anything else about the Chens?
Twins, but they don’t look alike, and their names?
One’s Yanxing, so refined, the other’s just Xingxing, so casual?”
“Why’s Yanxing a monk while Xingxing’s the favorite?
Because she’s cuter?”
Fan Shi shook her head.
“No clue, but some say Xingxing’s a stage name.”
Shen Mengke nodded, that made sense.

An hour later, Chen Yanxing slipped out the hotel’s back door, cap on, and got into a black car.
“Nice cap—where’d you get it?”
A hand reached for it as she settled in.
Chen Yanxing leaned back, frowning.
“Don’t touch.”
“Tch, stingy.
It’s just a cap.
I’ll buy you ten.”
The woman pulled a phone from her bag.
“Here, got your phone back.
Mine…”
Chen Yanxing took it, hesitating, then looked up.
“Ren Zhou.”
Ren Zhou froze, unnerved by her serious tone.
“What?”
“I’ve been good to you, right?”
“Uh?”
“This phone’s mine now.”
“…”

Ren Zhou laughed, exasperated.
“Miss High-and-Mighty, you short on phones?”
“Fine, keep it.
No idea what you’ve been up to in the mountains, getting scammed out of a phone.
Don’t tell people you know me—embarrassing.”
Chen Yanxing chuckled, saying nothing.
Her hand brushed the cap, Shen Mengke’s wet hair flashing in her mind.

“Hold up, wrong cap?”
Back home, Fan Shi was about to set the cap down when she noticed its pattern.
“What?” Shen Mengke took it, inspecting.
It wasn’t her usual cap but her fan merch one, with “SMK” printed on it.
Both black, similar material, the only difference was the letters—her usual one had a simple “K” from her college days.

“Guess so.”
Shen Mengke shrugged, hanging it aside.
“Wrong cap, no big deal.
They’re all the same.”
Fan Shi agreed, dropping it.
“Rest up.
Don’t browse online—I’ve got it handled.”
“I got you a day off from the set…”
“No need,” Shen Mengke cut in, tying back her hair.
“I’m good for the afternoon.”
“You sure you’re ready?”
Shen Mengke nodded.
“Yup.”

Fan Shi studied her, ensuring she wasn’t forcing herself, then nodded.
“Alright, I’ll send Xiao He to pick you up later.”
Shen Mengke nodded, watching Fan Shi leave.

Xiao He was Fan Shi’s assistant.
Shen Mengke wasn’t a big star, so the agency never assigned her a dedicated assistant.
When Fan Shi was busy, Xiao He stepped in.

Once Fan Shi left, Shen Mengke collapsed onto the sofa, limp as a puddle.
She closed her eyes, last night flooding back—jumbled, illogical, fragmented.
She hadn’t been drunk, yet her memory felt broken.

The room darkened.
Shen Mengke opened her eyes, glancing outside.
The sky was overcast—more rain.
Lately, it poured constantly, as if the heavens were tearing some bond apart.

Soon, a downpour hit, shaking the plane trees outside, leaves falling.
Shen Mengke closed her eyes again, the storm pulling her back to that bed, that humid, stifling night.
She saw Chen Yanxing, aroused, her eyes like a starving wolf’s, locked on her prey—dangerous.
Yet Shen Mengke had approached, from standing before her to being pinned down.
It happened so fast.
Their mutual desire erased any need for words.
They were beasts, driven by primal need.

Pleasure built, her breathing heavy.
She arched her neck, lost in the dreamlike ecstasy, reaching new heights.

Outside, the storm quieted, a breeze carrying the scent of earth, bringing a strange joy.

Meanwhile, the source of her pleasure, Second Miss Chen, returned home to face questions and scolding.

Rain poured outside.
Chen Yanxing handed her dripping umbrella to a servant, her shoulders wet.
She removed her cap, entering the living room.
Footsteps sounded—someone emerged from an upstairs room.
Chen Xingxing.
Chen Yanxing squinted, sizing her up, but another voice stole her attention.

“Where were you last night?”
Chen Zhiyu sat on the sofa, waiting for her return.
Chen Yanxing lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions, and approached.
“Mother.”
“Do you know how many people were waiting for you last night?” Chen Zhiyu demanded.
Chen Yanxing nodded, offering no explanation.

Even used to her daughter’s ways, Chen Zhiyu was furious.
“Speak!
Where were you?
Not answering calls, turning off your phone!”
Chen Yanxing glanced up, her eyes cold.
“Lost my phone,” she said, staring at her mother on the sofa.
Chen Zhiyu laughed, incredulous.
“Lost your phone?
Does the Chen family not give you enough money to buy another?
You didn’t come home because of that?
What, were you fighting a thief?”
Upstairs, Chen Xingxing snickered mockingly.
Chen Yanxing’s lashes flickered, but she said calmly, “Got lost.”
Her tone was confident, showing no guilt.