He Called Me Crazy, Then Regretted

Chapter 2

At that exact same moment, the bullet comments on the big screen exploded like wildfire.

A: [Princess Leila? Isn't that Grey's long-dead idealized unforgettable first love?]

B: [Accounts for Sunset at the Underworld are strictly non-tradable! How the hell did Selene get her hands on this one? Don't tell me she hooked up with some sugar daddy from the game company?]

C: [Selene will stoop to any lows to chase clout. Can't wait to watch her crash and burn!]

On set, every single person held their breath, completely frozen in place.

Grey lifted his head and stared right at me, his gaze icy enough to freeze water solid. That frigid stare made my hand tremble so hard, my phone almost slipped right out of my grip and clattered to the floor.

I'd never in a million years imagined my secret identity would be exposed in a nightmare scenario like this.

The man I'd pined after for years was standing mere feet away, but I didn't even have the right to own up to who I really was.

Off to the side, a meddlesome female guest put on a dramatic show of surprise. "Oh my gosh, Selene, I had no idea you played this game, and you're at this high level? Looks like we're all counting on you to carry us to victory today!"

After Grey shot to superstardom, old clips of him playing the game got dug up by fans, and our matching couple avatars sparked a massive frenzy online.

Back then, Grey had posted a response on X: She is gone. She is the sacred, untouchable love in my heart. Please respect that.

That one simple line was all it took. From that day on, his fans forbade anyone from so much as mentioning that name, turning it into a universal taboo.

Right now, Grey's stare was boring into me like a sharpened blade, and the snarky jeers in the bullet comments showed no signs of slowing down.

I sat there dead silent, stupidly hoping that if I stayed small and quiet enough, I could just disappear into thin air.

The host stepped in quickly to defuse the tension. "Alright, everyone looks ready to go! Let's get this game started, shall we?"

This game was supposed to be my strongest suit, but every time my mind drifted back to the icy coldness in Grey's eyes, I couldn't focus on saving my life. After yet another clumsy misstep, my health bar drained completely, and my in-game character crumpled to the ground in a heap.

I stared at my in-game character waiting to respawn, and couldn't help but glance up at Grey.

He was looking down, his long, elegant fingers tapping rapidly across his screen. His avatar darted around the map under his control, every single hit landing dead-on. With Grey's final blow, the boss crumpled to the ground, and the round ended.

He set his phone down hard on the table, his voice ice-cold. "If the account isn't yours, don't force yourself to play it."

My fingers clamped down so hard on my phone that my knuckles went white. Back in those days, the second a boss landed a hit on me, Grey would yank me behind him immediately. He'd tell me, "I've got you. You don't have to be that good. I'll always protect Princess Leila."

I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth ached, forcing the burning tears at the back of my eyes to stay down.

Thanks to my garbage performance, the barrage of comments in the livestream got even more vicious.

A: [Grey is always so polite to everyone. His attitude today makes it obvious he's seen right through Selene's fake, two-faced act]

B: [Did none of you hear that? That account isn't Selene's…]

C: [No wonder. With that trash skill of hers, there's no way she could ever reach Peerless King rank]

After filming ended, Grey strode straight for the exit. I followed him almost before I knew what I was doing, my voice small and tentative. "Grey? Can we talk for a second?"

He lifted his eyes, his expression cold and unforgiving. "Do we even know each other?"

A dull, throbbing ache spread through my chest, creeping steadily to every last corner of my body. I fumbled for words. "That account just now..."

Grey cut me off, his gaze sharp as shards of ice. "If you're supposed to be dead, you should stay dead. Don't crawl out of the grave just to… gross everyone out."

My whole body went rigid, my feet locking in place mid-step.

So… he'd known it was me this whole time?

I watched him walk further and further away, my nails digging slowly into the palm of my hand. The pain was so bad I couldn't even summon the strength to open my mouth.

Amelia appeared out of nowhere, and asked in a low, cautious tone, "Are you holding up well?"

I shoved down the suffocating, dull ache in my chest, my breaths coming ragged and sharp. "Amelia, I clearly gave you my alt account. Why the hell was my main logged in?"

Amelia's eyes darted away for a second, her words hesitant and evasive. "I…"

My stomach dropped straight to my feet. "Why did you do it? I told you over and over, that account was off-limits."

"The company figured that your high-ranked main account would get you more clout. No one guessed today's special guest would be Grey," Amelia sighed lightly, her expression tight with helplessness. "It totally backfired on us, that's all."

I squeezed my eyes shut, too drained to force a single word out.

I had no idea how much of her story was true, but what other choice did I have besides buying it? Let's be real here, I was nothing more than a cash cow for the company. I didn't have the right to question any call the company made.

The roar of rowdy chatter drifted over from the entrance.

A whole horde of reporters and paparazzi had already crowded there, and Grey was trapped dead center in the crush of bodies.

"Grey, what's your take on Selene logging into Princess Leila's account?"

"Were you actually in a relationship with the owner of Princess Leila's account back in those days?"

Those entertainment reporters were like sharks that caught a whiff of blood, eyes wild with excitement, bombarding him with sharp, relentless questions, one right after the other.

I froze at the corner, staring at Grey's back, and my heart clenched suddenly.

The next second, Grey's cold, crisp voice cut through the noise, landing like a sledgehammer straight to my chest. "No. It was all just a stupid bet we made when we were younger."