84: Honesty and Crisis

In the darkness, Yoona's tearful question pierced Lin Feng's heart like a long, thin icicle.

"The news... is it all true?"

Lin Feng looked into her tear-filled eyes, which were full of grievance, confusion, and a final, flickering spark of hope.

He didn't answer immediately.

The room was silent, save for her stifled sobs and the whispers of the city of Los Angeles, which never sleeps, outside the window.

Lying was the easiest choice.

But Lin Feng knew it was also the most foolish.

One lie would require countless more to cover it up. And the girl in front of him didn't deserve to be treated that way.

He slowly walked over to her and crouched down, bringing his gaze level with hers as she sat on the floor.

"The photos are real."

Lin Feng spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable sincerity.

Yoona's body trembled, and the tears she had just managed to stop began to flow again.

"But the story is fake," Lin Feng added immediately.

He reached out to wipe away her tears, but she instinctively turned her head away.

Lin Feng's hand stopped in mid-air; he didn't pull back, but he didn't move forward either.

"Yoona, look at me."

His voice was soft, yet it possessed an irresistible power.

Yoona turned her head very, very slowly, looking at him through blurred, teary eyes.

"This is Los Angeles, this is Hollywood, the world's largest vanity fair."

"Here, skill is important, but exposure, connections, and buzz are just as vital."

"I'm just a rookie, an Asian with yellow skin. No matter how well I play, in their eyes, I'm still an outsider."

"I need allies. I need a way to keep all the cameras focused on me so they don't dare to ignore or suppress me so easily."

Lin Feng didn't speak quickly; he dissected the rules of this cruel world piece by piece, laying them out before Yoona.

"Taylor Swift, she's a pop queen and one of the top celebrities in this country. By standing with her, I can stand in the center of the spotlight."

"It's a transaction, a social relationship of mutual benefit. She needs the freshness and buzz I bring her, and I need the massive prestige she brings me."

"It's all for my career, to gain a firm foothold here."

What he said was half-truth and half-lie.

But every word carried the coldness of reality and the helplessness of doing what one must to survive.

Yoona's crying gradually subsided.

She looked into Lin Feng's eyes; there was no evasion or guilt, only a sense of openness.

She could feel that he wasn't lying to her.

But... "What about me?"

She asked with a sob.

"What am I? That... that smokescreen in your news?"

"No."

Lin Feng's answer was firm and decisive.

He suddenly grabbed her cold hand.

Then, he pulled up his sleeve to reveal his wrist.

On that fair skin, there was a scar that had faded significantly but was still clearly visible.

"Do you remember this?"

Lin Feng's voice became incredibly gentle.

Yoona's gaze fell on the scar, and her pupils quivered.

Of course she remembered.

It was months ago, in South Korea, in that chaotic underground parking lot.

He had gotten it when his wrist was slashed while saving her from an out-of-control car.

That was the beginning of their story.

"This was the start of our story, and I will never forget it," Lin Feng said, staring into her eyes, emphasizing every word.

"Taylor Swift is the 'leading lady' for the whole world to see."

"But you..."

He leaned closer and whispered in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"...are mine alone."

Boom.

Those last words hit the softest part of Yoona's heart like a warm electric current.

In that moment, all her grievances, insecurities, and suspicions were completely shattered.

She couldn't hold back anymore and lunged into Lin Feng's arms, weeping loudly.

This time, it was a catharsis, a release.

Lin Feng held her tightly, feeling her tremble in his arms.

He gently patted her back, as if soothing a frightened kitten.

His face was filled with an inseparable tenderness.

But his heart was filled with guilt.

He knew he had only used his high emotional intelligence and clever words to temporarily defuse a bomb.

But the fuses to those bombs were still clutched in his hand.

This dangerous balance wouldn't last long.

He held Yoona, enjoying this brief moment of warmth while also sensing the crisis that could erupt at any time.

The crying in his arms gradually subsided.

Yoona looked up, her eyes red and swollen like a rabbit's.

She looked at Lin Feng; though there was still a trace of fragility in her gaze, there was more of a rebuilt trust and dependence.

Just as the atmosphere had begun to soften.

"Buzz—Buzz—"

The urgent vibration of a cell phone broke the silence in the room.

It was Yoona's phone on the sofa.

Lin Feng held her and didn't let go.

Yoona hesitated for a moment before breaking free from his embrace to pick up the phone.

The name flashing on the screen was her Agent's.

She answered the call.

"Oppa?"

On the other end of the line, the Agent's Korean, frantic to the point of being out of tune, poured out like rapid-fire machine gun fire.

Lin Feng couldn't understand it.

But he saw Yoona's face drain of color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The face that had been flushed from crying just moments ago instantly became paler than before, even taking on a look of terror.

"What?!"

Yoona let out a short cry of alarm.

The hand holding her phone began to shake uncontrollably.

A few seconds later, as if she had lost all her strength, the phone slipped from her hand and fell onto the soft carpet.

"What's wrong?" Lin Feng immediately stepped forward to support her swaying body.

Yoona looked up with hollow eyes, her lips trembling, unable to form a complete sentence for a long time.

"TMZ..."

"They... they..."

She took several deep breaths before squeezing out the words that had terrified her in a trembling voice.

"They caught... surveillance screenshots of you... entering the hotel's staff entrance!"

Lin Feng's heart sank abruptly.

Even though he had been careful enough, he had still underestimated how pervasive those hyenas were.

As if remembering something, Yoona frantically picked up the phone from the floor and clicked on the link her Agent had just sent.

The homepage of TMZ, North America's largest gossip media outlet.

A headline even more eye-catching and explosive than the one from earlier that day appeared on the screen.

[The Pop Queen is Just a Smokescreen? Lin Feng's Late-Night Tryst with a Mysterious Woman—The Emotional Drama of the Year!]

Below the headline was a surveillance screenshot that, although blurry, still clearly showed the profile of Lin Feng's face!

The 'crematorium' situation had been completely publicized and ignited!

Almost at the same time, the phone in Lin Feng's pocket began to vibrate wildly.

Countless calls and messages flooded the screen like a tide, instantly overwhelming the entire interface.