Xu Tian glanced at Liu iyu, who was now a few feet away stirring sothing in a pot. She looked calm, but her hand was stirring too fast.
Yu Holea didn’t look at her, but her voice stayed calm, like she was just talking about safety. "It’s important we all take responsibility, even for small things.
Like if soone spills sothing, they should clean it up right away—before soone gets hurt."
Liu iyu didn’t say anything, but her back stiffened.
"Even if they didn’t an to?" Xu Tian asked, pretending not to notice the tension.
"Intentions matter," Yu Holea said softly. "But actions matter more."
There was a quiet mont.
Then Liu iyu suddenly laughed. "Oh Holea, are you still talking about that silly little spill? I already said I was sorry!"
Yu Holea turned to her with a small smile. "I know. And I forgave you right away, didn’t I? I just don’t want anyone else getting hurt."
There was no anger in her voice. No bla. Just calm honesty.
The cara crew, who had started filming again, picked up every word.
Xu Tian nodded. "Yeah, we don’t want another close call."
Liu iyu looked around and gave a quick smile. "Of course! I’ll be more careful."
But her cheeks were red, and she stirred the pot even faster now.
Later, when the dishes were all done and everyone sat down to eat, one of the producers asked if anyone wanted to share thoughts about the trip.
Everyone took turns saying things.
When it was Yu Holea’s turn, she looked around and said,
"I learned a lot about teamwork. About how people show who they really are, not just in front of caras, but behind them too."
So people smiled. A few nodded.
Liu iyu was quiet.
Yu Holea continued, still with that sa soft voice.
"It’s easy to smile when people are watching. But real kindness shows when no one is. Like when soone helps without needing a thank you, or when they don’t pretend to be sweet just for a clip."
iyu looked up sharply. Her spoon froze in her hand.
Yu Holea took a small bite of food, like she’d just said sothing casual.
But the words lingered in the air.
After lunch, fans started posting clips from the al.
"Is Holea throwing shade?? "
"She’s so calm but... that felt like a ssage."
"Wait... was that about iyu?"
Soon, people started digging.
Clips of the water spill.
Clips of iyu interrupting Holea.
Clips of iyu clinging to her, always loud and sweet, but never quite... real.
A new thread popped up:
"Liu iyu: Sweet Girl or Just Acting?"
That night, in her room, Liu iyu scrolled through the comnts.
Her hands were shaking.
So people still defended her, saying she was cute, kind, misunderstood.
But more and more were saying:
"She’s fake."
"Holea never exposed her directly, but you can feel it."
"Real queens don’t need to be loud. They just shine."
Her manager called her and said,
"Don’t cling to Yu Holea anymore. Stay away from her. The shooting has ended today. Just do one thing.
Try to record a conversation where Yu Holea says that she wasn’t talking about you. We can use that recording later while clarifying the matter."
Liu iyu gritted her teeth but nodded.
The next morning, the house was quiet. Most of the crew was packing up. The show was over, and everyone was getting ready to leave.
Liu iyu stood in the hallway, holding her phone, already set to record. Her hands were sweaty, but she kept her smile ready.
She saw Yu Holea near the garden, picking so leftover herbs. She walked over slowly.
"Sister Holea?" iyu said sweetly.
Yu Holea looked up, calm as always. "Good morning."
iyu stepped closer. "Can we talk? Just for a second?"
Yu Holea nodded. "Sure."
They walked a little to the side, away from the caras. iyu held her phone low in her pocket, still recording.
"I just... I wanted to ask sothing," iyu began, her voice soft. "Yesterday, when you said that thing during lunch, you didn’t an , right?"
Yu Holea looked at her carefully. Her eyes were steady.
iyu gave a little laugh. "I an, so people online are saying it was about . But it wasn’t, right?"
Yu Holea was quiet for a mont. Then she spoke slowly.
"I didn’t say anyone’s na."
"Yeah, but... it sounded like you ant soone," iyu pressed.
Yu Holea turned her face to the garden again. "People can think what they want. I just said what I felt."
"But... you weren’t talking about , right?" iyu asked again, this ti with a tiny bit of panic in her voice.
Yu Holea looked at her.
Her voice was still soft, but this ti, a little firr.
"If you feel like it was about you... maybe ask yourself why."
iyu’s mouth opened, but no words ca out.
She stopped the recording in her pocket, her fingers shaking. This wasn’t what her manager wanted.
Yu Holea gave her a small smile—not an, just quiet.
"Good luck with everything," she said.
...........
Back in the car, Liu iyu sat with her phone in her lap.
She listened to the recording again.
Yu Holea never said, "It wasn’t about you."
But she never said it was, either.
iyu frowned, her heart heavy.
Her manager called right away.
"Well?" he asked, voice sharp. "Did she say it wasn’t about you?"
iyu swallowed hard. "Not exactly..."
"What do you an not exactly?" he snapped.
"She didn’t say my na," iyu said quietly. "But she didn’t say it wasn’t either."
There was a long pause.
"Send the audio," her manager said. "We’ll see what we can do with it."
iyu hesitated. Her thumb hovered over the file. Sothing about it felt... wrong. Sneaky. Like she’d just tried to trap soone who didn’t even fight back.
She was lost in her thoughts, barely noticing the road, when suddenly a black car pulled in front of hers and blocked the way.
Her driver hit the brakes hard. iyu grabbed the seat in front of her to keep from flying forward.
"What the—?" she mumbled.
The car in front didn’t move.
Then the door opened.
Zhao Yiran stepped out.
Tall, cool, and always looking like she had a secret, Yiran walked over to iyu’s window and tapped the glass lightly.
iyu blinked in surprise. Then she took a deep breath, fixed her face into a smile, and stepped out of the car.
"Yiran?" she said, trying to sound cheerful. "Why are you blocking the road?"
Zhao Yiran didn’t smile back. Her face was calm, her eyes sharp.
"I ca to talk," she said simply. "I know you hate Yu Holea."
iyu’s smile froze. "What? I don’t—"
Yiran held up a hand, stopping her. "It’s fine. You don’t have to lie. I hate her too."
iyu looked around nervously. "What are you even talking about?"
"I have a way to make her pay," Zhao Yiran said, her voice low and steady. "If you want in, say yes. If not, I’ll walk away now."
iyu frowned. "I don’t know what you an. Holea’s already... kind of winning. I don’t want more drama."
But Yiran didn’t budge. Her eyes didn’t blink.
"You’re already drowning in drama," she said. "Might as well swim."
iyu opened her mouth to argue—but then she paused. There was sothing about the way Yiran spoke. Like she knew things. Dangerous things.
"What’s your plan?" iyu finally asked, crossing her arms.
Zhao Yiran gave the tiniest smile and took out her phone.
"I’ll send you sothing."
A second later, iyu’s phone buzzed. New pictures appeared in her chat.
She clicked them open.
The first one showed two people from the back—Fang Jinhai and Yu Holea. Fang Jinhai’s arms were around her, and it looked like a hug. The second photo showed Yu Holea standing close to him, like they were talking secretly. The third photo made iyu freeze.
It was a picture of Yu Holea walking into Lin Zhihao’s room... at night. The hallway lights were off. Her face was half hidden, but it was clearly her.
iyu’s eyes grew wide.
"What... what is this?" she whispered.
Zhao Yiran’s lips curled into a cold smile. "What does it look like?"
"But... but Yu Holea is engaged," iyu said, her voice shaking. "She’s going to marry Qiao Jun. He’s a billionaire! Why is she getting close to other actors like this?"
Zhao Yiran shrugged lightly. "Maybe she’s not who she pretends to be. Maybe she likes being seen as perfect but hides things behind the scenes."
iyu bit her lip. "But I can’t... I can’t just accuse her of this. People might think I’m the one lying. I don’t know if I can do that."
Yiran’s smile stayed sharp, but she didn’t push her.
"You don’t have to do it. It’s up to you." Her tone was casual, but there was sothing more serious in her eyes.
"But think about it. She made you look bad. The fans already think you’re fake, rember? This is your chance to turn it around. You can show them the real truth."
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