Chapter 6: Tabloids, Tea, and Total Misunderstandings
1033 Words
Morning sunlight filtered through the Zhao family villa’s tall windows, elegant and serene—completely at odds with the chaos that awaited Zhao Sera.
She was still groggy, hair a mess, enjoying her cup of jasmine tea when the first maid rushed in, looking pale.
“Miss Sera! The news—!”
Sera blinked. “Relax, Xiaohui. Did the stock market collapse? Did aliens finally land?”
The maid shoved a glossy magazine into her hands. On the cover: a slightly blurry but damning photo of Jin Victor gripping her wrist, both of them staring at each other like characters in a slow-burn drama.
The headline screamed:
“Victor Jin’s Secret Flame? Zhao Family’s Younger Heiress Caught in Scandal!”
Sera promptly choked on her tea. “WHAT?! That’s not—! We weren’t—! I was just trying to—ugh!”
Before she could finish flailing, the door swung open.
Her sister, Zhao Ling, swept in like a storm wrapped in silk. Perfectly composed, perfectly terrifying.
“Sera,” Ling said sharply, tossing another paper onto the table. “Explain this.”
Sera glanced at it, winced. This one was worse—some columnist had gone wild, speculating that Sera was using her “youthful charms” to ensnare Victor Jin, who, of course, had never been linked romantically to anyone before.
“Oh, come on!” Sera groaned. “I didn’t seduce the human glacier! He’s not my type! My type is… warmer! Like hot chocolate, not frozen vodka!”
Ling pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’ve embarrassed the family. Do you realize how this looks? Victor Jin is not someone you can afford to be entangled with.”
“I’m not entangled! He entangled me!” Sera protested, waving the magazine. “Look at this! He grabbed my wrist! I was minding my own grape business!”
“Grapes?” Ling repeated flatly.
“…Long story.”
Before Ling could retort, the villa’s butler announced coldly: “Miss Lian Meiyin has arrived.”
Perfect. Just what they needed.
Moments later, Lian Mei floated into the sitting room, wearing a powder-pink dress and a smile that could kill with kindness. She looked from Ling to Sera with wide, innocent eyes.
“Oh, dear,” Mei cooed, carefully setting down her purse. “I saw the news this morning. Poor Sera. People can be so cruel with rumors.”
Sera narrowed her eyes. “Rumors? That photo is practically in 4K.”
Mei tittered delicately. “But of course, you didn’t mean anything by it. Still… people may misunderstand. They might even think you’re distracting Victor away from his responsibilities to the Lin family.”
Ling stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Mei’s smile was all sugar. “Oh, nothing at all. Only that Lin Han depends on Victor’s support. And if Victor… favors Sera, then naturally, people might question where his loyalties lie.”
The room chilled ten degrees. Ling’s expression didn’t change, but her silence was enough.
Sera slammed her teacup down. “Excuse me? I didn’t do anything! Why are you acting like I lured him with a trail of grapes?!”
Mei gave her an apologetic look. “Of course not, Sera. I know you’re too… innocent for that. But outsiders won’t see it the same way.”
With that final dagger cloaked in sympathy, Mei excused herself gracefully, leaving behind a trail of perfume and malice.
Sera growled, throwing herself dramatically across the couch. “I hate her.”
Ling sighed. “She’s not entirely wrong. Victor’s reputation matters, and so does Lin Han’s. If people believe you’re interfering—”
“I’m not interfering! I’m trying to help you two get together!” Sera burst out.
Ling froze. “What?”
Sera slapped her hand over her mouth. “I mean—uh—I’m helping… in the way a little sister should! By… sabotaging other women and dragging handsome men around ballrooms! Normal sisterly things!”
Ling gave her a long, suspicious look.
Before she could interrogate further, another voice cut in.
“Miss Zhao. Miss Sera.”
Both sisters turned. Lin Han stood in the doorway, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, colder than winter. His gaze lingered briefly on Sera, unreadable.
Oh no.
“Lin Han,” Ling greeted calmly.
“Mr. Lin,” Sera squeaked, trying to hide the scandal magazine behind her back.
“I came to discuss yesterday’s gala,” Lin Han said. His eyes flicked to Sera again. “The rumors have… caused unnecessary complications.”
“I swear I didn’t start them!” Sera blurted. “I don’t even like glaciers! Do you know how uncomfortable it is to hold hands with a snowman?!”
Both Ling and Lin Han stared at her.
Sera coughed. “Uh. I mean. Misunderstanding. That’s all it was.”
Lin Han’s expression didn’t soften. “Regardless, it would be best if you avoided further… interactions with Victor.”
That stung more than she expected. Why do I care if he thinks I’m a flirt? I don’t! Nope. Totally unaffected.
Ling nodded, serene as ever. “Sera, listen to him.”
Sera threw her hands up. “Fine, fine. I’ll avoid the human icicle. But don’t come crying to me when he suddenly decides to haunt the family like a ghost with perfect cheekbones.”
Neither of them dignified that with a response.
That evening, Sera sat in her room, moodily stabbing fruit with a fork.
The system pinged.
[Mission Progress: -5%. Relationship stability decreasing.]
Sera groaned, flopping onto her bed. “Negative five percent?! Are you kidding me? I’m doing my best out here! Do you know how hard it is to control gossip in this world?!”
[Suggestion: Subtle methods may yield better results.]
“Subtle? Do I look like a subtle person to you?”
[Negative.]
“…Rude.”
She sighed, rolling over dramatically. “Okay, Zhao Sera, think. If I don’t fix this, Ling and Lin Han will sink faster than my GPA in college. Time for… Plan B.”
A grin slowly spread across her face.
“Plan B: Coffee Ambush.”
- Writer
