Chapter 26

In the adult world, things were never simply good or bad.

Lin Xiuxi had used her influence to get the executive fired—maybe not out of kindness or a desire to help the girl, but she’d still done a good thing.

Kristen had refused to commit perjury—legally fair and just—but morally, she’d faced condemnation.

There was no pure good or bad in this world, no absolute black or white.

Years had passed. What was settled back then didn’t need to be re-litigated now.

Zhao Yu only said, “Tingting, you have to look forward.”

Kristen lowered her head, scooped two spoonfuls of soup and rice into her mouth, but big tears splashed into the bowl. Had she regretted it? Maybe only she knew.

No one spoke again. They finished the meal in silence. Finally, Kristen wiped her tears and smiled. “I will.”

Lin Zhinan’s gossip cravings were finally satisfied, but after hearing the whole story, she felt even more weighed down. During her afternoon nap, she grabbed her pillow and snuck into Zhao Yu’s bed.

Zhao Yu was half-asleep, vaguely aware of someone curling up beside her—she knew it was her.

Lin Zhinan poked at Zhao Yu’s long, thick lashes. After a long moment, she whispered, “Yu Yu, let me ask you something. If something like that happened to me, would you commit perjury for me?”

Zhao Yu kept her eyes closed and swatted her finger away. “What’s the difference between this question and ‘If your mom and I both fall in the water, who do you save first?'”

Lin Zhinan pretended to choke her. “Answer me!”

Zhao Yu said, “No.”

Lin Zhinan froze. Then Zhao Yu added, “But I’d chemically castrate whoever hurt you.”

She wouldn’t just do nothing.

Lin Zhinan was so happy she planted a kiss on Zhao Yu’s cheek.

Zhao Yu kicked her off. “Your drool!!!”

They wrestled on the bed for a bit, then lay side by side, staring at the ceiling in a daze. Lin Zhinan sighed. “Ah, Tingting’s really pitiful, but Lin Xiuxi holding it against her all this time doesn’t seem totally wrong either… It’s just… my feelings are so complicated.”

Zhao Yu counted the rings on the ceiling lamp shade. “It’s not just about what happened back then.”

Lin Zhinan turned her head. “Hm?”

Zhao Yu said, “What bothers Lin Xiuxi more is that someone beneath her in status and background is gradually overtaking her in popularity.”

Lin Zhinan thought about it. “Yeah, she’s so proud.” She turned and hugged Zhao Yu. “Ah, the outside world is so dangerous. I want to go home.”

But everyone knew that with Shining Five’s current momentum, they’d definitely renew their contract when it expired. The status of a national girl group was hard-earned. No one could guarantee they’d maintain this popularity if they went solo.

They’d become famous as Shining Five—the result of five girls’ combined strength. They made Shining Five, and Shining Five made them. That bond couldn’t be broken. If they disbanded, they’d likely lose that edge and become just another face among countless solo artists.

Previous disbanded groups had followed that pattern.

So as long as they wanted to stay famous and hold onto their national status, disbanding wasn’t an option.

The sanatorium incident didn’t make much of a splash online—after all, it was years old, and the company had always protected Kristen’s image well.

After the concert, Kristen’s idol drama aired. Her character was very likable, and her popularity soared—during the show’s run, discussions about her even overshadowed Zhao Yu’s.

That was the benefit the film and television industry could offer artists these days. Most top idols inevitably transitioned to acting.

Zhao Yu didn’t care much, but Lin Xiuxi was furious. Her drama hadn’t been as successful as Kristen’s. She’d rejected that script, and the company had passed it to Kristen. Who could have predicted this outcome? Regret was useless.

So their private conflicts grew worse. Before, Kristen had always avoided her and remained silent when provoked. But lately, perhaps buoyed by her rising popularity, she’d started pushing back. When Lin Xiuxi attacked, Kristen would sometimes retort.

Zhao Yu always had to step in.

Lin Xiuxi was a little afraid of her—she couldn’t win a physical fight. Kristen also listened to her and would fall silent again. Zhao Yu felt the company should give her a peacemaker award.

Lin Zhinan often sighed privately. “With this much tension in the group, I really wonder how much longer we can last.”

But no one expected things to unravel so quickly.

After Christmas, Shining Five had just released their fourth album when a scandal broke online: A Shining Five member was having a secret affair with a company executive, trading sex for career advancement. The executive was married, and the exposé came from his wife.

Fans were happily celebrating the new album, working hard on the charts—the album news was trending at number one. But within moments, that trend was replaced by this scandal.

The exposé was posted on INS by the executive’s wife herself.

A woman’s intuition is sharp. She’d noticed an unfamiliar perfume on her husband and long hair on his shirt. Suspecting infidelity, she’d hired a private detective.

The detective had photographed the executive with a woman—intimately.

In the photos, the woman wore a long khaki coat with the collar turned up and a black scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face. She also wore a mask and hat, the brim pulled low—her face completely hidden.

The photos were taken in a hotel garage. The executive opened the car door for her, they embraced, and walked into the elevator arm in arm. The final photo showed the executive dropping her off at home—still fully disguised—as she walked into the townhouse where Shining Five lived.

The executive’s wife demanded that the member step forward and apologize, or she wouldn’t let it go.

This set off a firestorm. No one cared about Shining Five’s album release anymore. Everyone flooded the post, frantically speculating which of the five it was.

The woman was heavily disguised, the photos were blurry, and it was winter—heavy clothing made body type impossible to judge. Only the final photo—of her entering the Shining Five dorm—confirmed it was one of the five.

But sharp-eyed netizens quickly noticed that the khaki coat had recently been worn by Lin Zhinan at a brand event.

That one article of clothing was enough for netizens to conclude the person in the photo was Lin Zhinan.

Zhao Yu didn’t find out until evening.

She’d been recording an indoor talk show—five hours of filming, and her head was spinning when she came out. As soon as she left the studio, her assistant told her.

Zhao Yu was stunned. “Impossible! It can’t be Nan Nan! Give me the phone! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

The assistant looked miserable. “I wanted to, but Bro said not to disturb your recording.”

Zhao Yu called Lin Zhinan while rushing back to the dorm.

On the third try, someone answered.

Zhao Yu blurted out urgently, “What’s the situation now? Are you at the dorm? I’m coming back—has the company issued a denial?”

There was a long silence before Lin Zhinan’s low voice came through. “It’s useless.”

Zhao Yu’s heart sank. “What do you mean useless—”

The assistant beside her shouted in panic, “The company just released a statement! They’re… they’re expelling Lin Zhinan from the group?! And the executive also apologized on INS, saying he’s sorry!”

Zhao Yu’s heart dropped like a stone.

Lin Zhinan’s voice was hollow. “They took back all my overseas social accounts and changed the passwords. The only one I can still log into is Weibo. But it doesn’t matter. No one would believe me anyway. By expelling me, they’ve cemented this scandal as fact. I have no proof that it wasn’t me.”

The exposé had been out for hours. The executive must have known about it for a while. He’d also learned from his wife that her only evidence was those few photos.

The wife didn’t know who the other woman was—that’s why she’d asked her to come forward voluntarily.

Because of that coat, netizens had already pinned it on Lin Zhinan.

And Lin Zhinan was the least popular in the group. Making her take the fall—and expelling her from the group—was the best way to save Shining Five.

Now, with the company’s expulsion statement and the executive’s non-defensive apology, both were effectively confirming that Lin Zhinan was the person in the photos.

No one would believe a word she said without evidence.

The woman in the photos had to be one of Shining Five—and that person could only be Lin Zhinan.

Zhao Yu hurled her phone against the car window.

The driver sped all the way back to the dorm.

When she got out, reporters were camped outside. They swarmed the moment they saw Zhao Yu.

As she pushed through with her assistant’s help, a reporter shouted loudly, “As one of the only two Chinese members, what do you have to say about your teammate’s shameless behavior?”

Zhao Yu whipped around.

The flashbulbs were blinding—capturing her furious, cold expression. She said, “The person in the photo is not Lin Zhinan.”

“Then who is it?!”

“Other than her, who else could it be? Who do you think it is?”

“The company has already expelled her. The facts are clear. Why are you still defending her?”

Zhao Yu wanted to smash their cameras.

The assistant was on the verge of tears. “Let’s go! Please, don’t argue with them. Nan Nan is more important right now.”

Zhao Yu finally turned and strode toward the dorm.

The living room lights were blazing. Lin Xiuxi and Heya were on location today—only Kristen was home. The company representatives had just left, taking Lin Zhinan’s signed termination agreement with them.

Zhao Yu headed straight for Lin Zhinan, who was sitting on the sofa.

She sat with her head down, expression flat, but deep exhaustion and helplessness in her eyes. For all those hours, she must have fought, resisted, argued—but in the end, she’d signed the termination document.

The world of capital didn’t care about reason.

Seeing Zhao Yu come in, Lin Zhinan looked up and tried to smile.

Zhao Yu clenched her fists.

She closed her eyes, then slowly turned to Kristen, who was sitting nearby. “It was you.”

Kristen jerked her head up, eyes wide.

Zhao Yu said each word deliberately: “The person in the photos was you, wasn’t it?”

The room was so quiet you could hear every breath.

Kristen stared at her, frozen solid.

Zhao Yu walked over, picked up Kristen’s phone lying nearby, and held it out to her. “Log in. Tell everyone the woman in the photos is not Lin Zhinan—it’s you.”

Under Zhao Yu’s emotionless stare, Kristen’s calm composure finally crumbled.

She lowered her gaze, a bitter smile curving her lips. “You never really considered me a friend, did you?” She slowly looked up, the smile fading. “Only Lin Zhinan is your friend—isn’t that right?”

Zhao Yu closed her eyes wearily. “I don’t want to argue about this right now. Either you explain, or I will.”

Kristen violently knocked her hand away.

The phone flew out of Zhao Yu’s grasp and crashed to the floor.

Kristen’s eyes were bloodshot, her voice almost hoarse with desperation. “You only care about her, don’t you?! You want me to explain. You want me to confess. Aren’t you worried about ruining me?!”

Zhao Yu met her gaze. “Tingting, you did this. You should bear the consequences—not let someone else take the blame.”

Kristen gritted her teeth. “It wasn’t me!”

Zhao Yu’s voice was calm. “It was you. That day you left in that coat, I came back to the dorm to pick up a document. I saw you. After the sanatorium photo incident, you became very cautious—so you wore her coat and disguised yourself fully. You’d already planned that even if you were caught on camera, you’d never admit it. Am I right?”

Kristen’s pupils widened as she stared at her.

Zhao Yu pulled out her own phone.

Kristen shot up and grabbed Zhao Yu’s wrist.

Zhao Yu looked up. The girl before her still had that innocent, harmless look, but her eyes were red enough to bleed. Her lips trembled as she whispered, “Please, Yu Yu… please… don’t do this.”

Zhao Yu was unmoved. She pried Kristen’s fingers off one by one.

She looked at her for a long moment—and Kristen finally saw the resolve in her eyes.

Kristen let out a strange laugh. “Go ahead. Explain. Tell everyone. Who do you think will believe you? Everyone knows how close you two are. She’s already been kicked out—she’ll only drag you down with her. Didn’t you say you wanted to become an unstoppable top star? Only I can stay with you. Only Shining Five can make your dream come true. You want to destroy me? You want to destroy your own dream too?”

Zhao Yu looked at her like she was a stranger. Shocked. Disappointed. Disgusted.

Kristen knew that look well.

So many people had looked at her that way before, making her break down and sob through countless nights.

She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Had she been wrong not to commit perjury? Was she wrong not to risk her own future by offending the executive? Was she wrong to refuse being bossed around by people like Lin Xiuxi? Was she wrong to want more resources, to escape her humble origins?

But everyone thought she was wrong.

And now, even her only friend looked at her like that.

Deep resentment welled up in the girl’s eyes. She finally snapped, shoving Zhao Yu hysterically: “If it weren’t for you, I’d already be with An Zewen! How could I have ended up crawling into a forty-year-old man’s bed?! You ruined me! And now you have the nerve to blame me?! Huh?! What gives you the right?!”

Zhao Yu stumbled back two steps.

When she looked up, she saw snow had started falling outside.

Zhao Yu suddenly remembered—three years ago, on this very Christmas Day, she and Lin Zhinan, carrying big dreams, had boarded a plane to Korea together.

Back then, they’d never imagined they’d come this far.

Lin Xiuxi had returned at some point. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, watching them like it was a show. Her half-smile didn’t hide her schadenfreude.

Zhao Yu could almost hear her say: I warned you.

She slowly looked around the room.

A teammate watching the show. A teammate hysterical. A teammate silent.

In that moment, Zhao Yu realized.

It was over.

This group—there was no reason for it to exist anymore.

…

In the early hours of Christmas morning, Zhao Yu, member of Shining Five, announced her departure from the group on all major social media platforms.