Bright Summit Entertainment finally decided to stop letting rumors ferment like poison in a sealed bottle.

They scheduled a major interview for Elena Zhang, meant to answer every scandal, whisper, and malicious theory once and for all.

Originally, the company wanted a full press conference, a chaotic battlefield where reporters could throw questions like knives.

But Cai Jun fought hard for a controlled setting.

A one-on-one interview.

It was safer.

More professional.

And most importantly, it reduced the risk of Elena accidentally saying something too honest, too blunt, or too sharp.

Because Elena Zhang didn’t know how to play the game of showbiz hypocrisy.

She preferred to crush it.

*

Dragon Palace Home 10;

Before the interview day, Elena invited Cai Jun to Dragon Palace Home 10.

The moment Cai Jun stepped through the gates, she froze.

Her manager’s instincts screamed at her: this place isn’t a mansion... it’s a fortress dressed in luxury.

When the butler politely took her coat, Cai Jun glanced around at the grand foyer. The ceilings were impossibly high, the lighting warm and elegant, the marble floors polished like glass.

This wasn’t the kind of house a celebrity bought.

This was the kind of house a dynasty lived in.

"Elena," Cai Jun asked cautiously, "you bought a new mansion?"

Elena, holding Ice Cream in her arms like a fluffy white prince, shook her head.

"No. This is my fiancé’s. But it’s our home now."

At her feet, Popcorn trotted in circles, sniffing Cai Jun’s shoes with the seriousness of a customs officer.

Cai Jun stiffened.

Fiancé’s home?

She had seen luxury residences before. She managed artists, after all. She had walked through celebrity villas and wealthy CEO penthouses.

But this...

This was on another level.

After the recent redecoration, the mansion no longer felt cold like a tomb. It felt lived-in. Warm. Comfortably powerful.

And then she noticed something strange.

Monograms.

On the pillows, on the curtains, on the decorative cloths and even embroidered on a set of cushions.

DX.

Cai Jun narrowed her eyes.

"DX... sounds familiar... hmmm..."

Elena didn’t respond. She simply walked forward, leading her inside.

Cai Jun’s heels clicked against the marble floor as she followed.

Then she stopped so suddenly she almost stumbled.

Her eyes widened.

At the top of the twin staircases hung a massive portrait.

It was Elena... beside a tall, coldly handsome man.

And between them were Ice Cream and Popcorn posed like noble heirs.

Cai Jun’s throat went dry.

"Elena..." she asked slowly, voice trembling, "is that your fiancé?"

"Yes."

Cai Jun stared at the man’s painted face, trying to search her memory.

He looked familiar.

Not like an actor.

Not like a singer.

Not like a model.

Familiar in the way powerful men were familiar: from newspapers, business magazines, and whispered names in high society.

"Why do I think I’ve seen him before...?" Cai Jun murmured.

Elena didn’t answer. She simply kept walking.

They entered the drawing room.

A tall man sat on the sofa reading a newspaper like he owned the air in the room.

Popcorn immediately dashed toward him, rubbing against his legs and meowing loudly.

Ice Cream also wriggled in Elena’ arms, demanding to be put down.

The man lowered the newspaper and casually petted Popcorn’s head, as if greeting a prince.

Then he looked up.

His gaze landed on Elena.

The sharpness in his eyes softened.

"Darling," Elena said, walking closer, "my manager is here."

The man stood.

He gave Elena a brief nuzzle, a gesture so intimate and natural it made Cai Jun’s brain short-circuit.

Then he turned to her.

Cai Jun found herself staring at them like an idiot.

They looked too perfect together.

Too... unreal.

Like a romance novel cover brought to life.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to act professional.

"Hello," she said stiffly, "my name is Cai Jun of Bright Summit Entertainment Company. I’m Elena Zhang’s manager. It’s nice to meet you, Mister...?"

The man stepped forward and offered his hand.

His handshake was firm, controlled, and overwhelmingly authoritative.

"Hello. Welcome to our home, Miss Tang. Thank you for taking care of my fiancée. My name is Jin Di. It’s also nice to meet you."

Cai Jun’s soul left her body. "J-Jin... Jin Di?!"

Her jaw dropped.

Her eyes widened so much they looked painful.

President-CEO of Jin Corporation.

The elder brother of Jin Yang.

One of the most untouchable men in the country.

And Elena Zhang had casually brought her here like this was normal.

"Y-you... Elena... you’re engaged to... Jin Di?! The Jin Di?!"

Elena nodded calmly. "Please sit down, Elder Sister Yiyi."

Cai Jun did not sit down.

She collapsed like a sack of rice. "Yes... yes... I need to sit down... oh..."

The butler wheeled in Da Hong Pao tea and biscuits.

Cai Jun ate biscuits as if her life depended on them.

She drank tea.

She ate more biscuits.

When she finally came back to her senses, she realized she had devoured the entire plate.

Then the conversation began.

Cai Jun was suddenly full of energy, as if her panic had been converted into managerial ambition.

She suggested revealing Jin Di’s identity to the public immediately.

That would crush all the rumors about Enrique Valdez and Maestro De Luca.

But Elena rejected it without hesitation.

Cai Jun sighed, thinking deeper. "...You’re right. Now isn’t a good time to reveal that your fiancé is Jin Di. Your foothold still isn’t stable. People will say you’re using him to climb."

Jin Di didn’t deny it.

He simply watched Elena, his gaze calm but protective, as if the world could say whatever it wanted.

As long as Elena didn’t waver.

The three of them discussed the upcoming interview, anticipating the questions that would surely come. They planned what Elena could say, what she should avoid, and what boundaries should be made clear.

Cai Jun was finally preparing to leave when she noticed the monograms again.

She suddenly froze.

"DX..." she whispered. "So sweet. So romantic... your names together all over the mansion."

She blinked, then added casually, "Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the company co-producing the film Strong Yet Broken is also called DX Productions."

Jin Di looked up from his tea.

"En. It’s my company."

Cai Jun nearly died a second time.

*

The Interview Day;

On the day of the interview, Elena and her team arrived at a different TV station, not the one used for MusicFest Tonight.

As expected, the building entrance was packed.

Fans screamed.

Paparazzi shoved forward like starving wolves.

Reporters held microphones high, desperate to catch a single sentence from Elena.

Song Yuqing stayed glued to Elena’s side, while Simon hovered like an anxious bird. Several bodyguards formed a tight protective circle around them.

"We love you, Boss Elena!"

A group wearing suits waved banners proudly.

The Black Stars.

Elena softened, pausing to interact with them. She signed autographs and took pictures, smiling warmly.

For a moment, it looked peaceful.

Then...

Tomatoes flew through the air.

Red splatters rained down like filthy insults.

Elena’s expression didn’t change. Her reaction was immediate and coldly efficient.

She took an umbrella from Simon’s bag and snapped it open above them.

Tomatoes slammed against the umbrella, splattering juice down the sides. The force made her hands shake slightly, but she didn’t let go.

Some bodyguards were hit.

But Elena wasn’t.

A man’s voice screamed through the crowd.

"I DON’T ACCEPT YOUR ENGAGEMENT, Elena Zhang! BREAK UP WITH YOUR FIANCÉ AND I’LL FORGET MY ANGER AND RETURN TO BEING A BLACK STAR!"

Elena’s eyes turned icy.

Not shocked.

Not afraid.

Just... disgusted as if she had just stepped on something rotten.

The real Black Stars erupted instantly.

"Who wants you back?! The Black Stars don’t need you!"

"Even if you beg to return, you’re not welcome!"

"Get lost! Don’t bother our boss!"

Song Yuqing leaned close and whispered urgently, "Xiulan, we need to hurry inside. Now."

Elena nodded and then she turned toward her true fans, voice calm but firm. "Everyone, don’t lose your temper. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me. Thank you for your support. Please know that I always appreciate you."

The Black Stars’ eyes turned red with emotion.

"Boss Elena, we’ll follow you forever and ever!"

"We’re not like those fake fans!"

With a final smile and a wave, Elena was escorted into the building.

The tomatoes and hateful shouting continued behind her, but Elena didn’t flinch.

Her grip tightened around the umbrella.

Not from fear.

From anger.

Because no one had the right to command her life.

Especially not when it came to Jin Di.

Security finally rushed in and restrained the anti-fan who had thrown the tomatoes.

An assistant director hurried over, pale-faced, apologizing repeatedly.

Elena waved it off.

She refused to let this become a spectacle.

The AD was visibly relieved and led them toward the studio.

*

The interview would take place on the long-running talk show: "A Closer Look with Feng Jiu."

Madam Feng Jiu was one of the most respected interviewers in the country. A woman with sharp eyes, a sharper tongue, and decades of experience cutting through lies like a knife through silk.