Meng Ruozhao was pulled out of the warehouse by Yi Mo, who started gossiping with her.
"This gossip just gets more and more interesting. I heard that Qin Mu had a first love back in his school days."
"Even now, the screensaver on his phone is a photo of that girl's back in a school uniform skirt."
"They say the uniform is from Haicheng International School, but the two of them aren't together anymore."
"Some people say he was dumped, and it was a sudden breakup right after the college entrance examination. He had a car accident when he went to look for her and almost missed out on going to college."
"He didn't say a word throughout his freshman year in college. It wasn't until his sophomore year when he entered the entertainment industry and starred in his first movie."
"I still remember that movie was called *Secret Love*. He played the second male lead and won a newcomer award, which made him an instant hit."
"The teacher I asked was also a crew member of that movie, which is why she knows so much. She said that when he was filming, he often hid away alone and cried."
"At that time, they all thought he was too deeply immersed in the role, and they even advised him not to see any of his co - actors after the movie wrapped up so that he could get over it properly."
"Later, they found out that it wasn't because he was too into the role. He just kept thinking about his first love while filming."
"All these things were what he said after getting drunk. He said he had a long - term secret crush on his first love and had planned to confess after the college entrance examination."
...
Yi Mo shared all the information she had gathered.
Meng Ruozhao, however, keenly noticed the logical flaws in the story.
"Wasn't it a breakup with his first love? How could it be a secret crush and he was planning to confess after the college entrance examination?"
"How can you break up when you haven't even confessed? Is this story reliable, or are people just spreading rumors left and right?"
"Spreading rumors is a punishable offense these days, you know."
She didn't think Yi Mo was lying.
She just thought these rumors were simply absurd.
With a face like Qin Mu's, would he really suffer in love?
Yi Mo was also taken aback for a moment and looked a bit troubled. "You're right."
After a moment, she shook her head.
"Maybe he already considered them a couple in his heart, and the confession was just to make it more official."
"After all, dating before graduation would be considered puppy love. The girl he liked might be a good - girl type who didn't want to have puppy love."
"They were just one step away from confessing their feelings to each other, but then she disappeared."
Meng Ruozhao raised her eyebrows. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed her chin, and there was a hint of speculation in her eyes.
"According to what you're saying, if his first love was a good - girl type, why would she suddenly disappear without a single explanation?"
"The period after the college entrance examination is a crucial turning point in one's life. Unless there was a huge family crisis, there's no reason to just cut off the relationship like that."
"And the school uniform from Haicheng International..."
She paused. A vague figure suddenly flashed through her mind.
Why did it seem like she knew what the school uniform from Haicheng International looked like?
She even seemed to have seen someone wearing it.
Maybe when she was in school, she had seen students from Haicheng International of the same grade.
"By the way, how well does that movie crew member, your source of information, know Qin Mu?"
"And you can't take what he said after getting drunk seriously. Maybe he was just making up a story to gain sympathy while drunk."
Yi Mo wasn't happy about this and immediately retorted.
"How can you not take it seriously! That teacher said his eyes were all red when he was crying. He definitely wasn't faking it."
"Moreover, the plot of the movie *Secret Love* is almost an exact copy of what he said."
"Wasn't the second male lead planning to confess his love to the girl he had a crush on after the college entrance examination? But then the girl suddenly moved away. Later, he became a writer, and all his books were filled with the shadow of that girl..."
"Qin Mu added a lot of details when he was acting.
"For example, the old candy wrappers hidden in the second male lead's desk and the name initials repeatedly written in the notebook. The director even said that he brought the character to life."
The more she talked, the more excited she became, as if she had witnessed those events with her own eyes.
"Besides, he's already so successful now. If he wanted to gain sympathy, he would have used these things for publicity long ago. Why would he keep them hidden and only mention them after getting drunk?"
Meng Ruozhao listened quietly without interrupting.
Yi Mo had a point. With Qin Mu's current status, he really didn't need to rely on playing the victim to maintain his popularity.
But the timeline and details in those rumors always made her feel that something was off. It was like a jigsaw puzzle deliberately pieced together. At first glance, it seemed complete, but upon closer inspection, there were cracks everywhere.
However, these things had nothing to do with her.
She was just listening to the gossip.
"Okay, stop thinking about these things."
She patted Yi Mo on the shoulder and her tone became more relaxed.
"Anyway, these are other people's stories. They have nothing to do with us."
"Let's think about what to have for dinner later. I'll treat everyone to a good meal today."
Yi Mo pouted. She was obviously still immersed in the gossip about Qin Mu, but seeing that Meng Ruozhao didn't want to continue this topic, she could only mutter in agreement.
However, instead of suggesting what to eat, she rolled her eyes and whispered another piece of gossip.
"What were you doing with little brother Pei in the warehouse just now?"
"Why did I see little brother Pei's eyes were red? Was he crying?"
Meng Ruozhao was startled.
She thought Yi Mo hadn't noticed Pei Jiangmu's strange behavior.
But had he been crying?
No, right?
"No. We were just getting some stuff. He had something unpleasant happen at school, so he's in a bad mood today."
She didn't mention his skin hunger disorder.
Nor did she mention the hug between them.
The fewer people who knew about these things, the better.
"Hey, is it because he's about to graduate that he's under a lot of pressure and feeling annoyed?"
As expected, Yi Mo didn't think much of it and even seemed to empathize.
"Anyway, seriously, it's such a waste that he doesn't make use of his good looks."
"He's studying art. Does he want to be a painter or a designer? I'll keep an eye out for some opportunities for him."
Hearing this, Meng Ruozhao picked up the water cup on the table and took a sip. Her eyes fell on the street scenery passing by outside the window, and her voice was a bit absent - minded.
"He mentioned that he wanted to be a designer. He's been to some company interviews."
She paused, and her fingertips unconsciously drew circles on the cup wall.
But he really didn't talk to her much about his work. Maybe he felt embarrassed.
So she didn't know much about his career plan.
Yi Mo nodded. "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for him. If all else fails, he can create his own account and draw comics."
"With his looks, he can definitely build a reputation as the most handsome comic artist in history."
"Sometimes I follow some videos of artists. Some of the little comic stories are so heart - warming and cute."
Meng Ruozhao didn't want to give Pei Jiangmu too much advice on his career.
Everyone had their own path to follow. If he wanted to talk about it, he would initiate the conversation.
If she gave advice, it might be a burden to him instead.
"Come on, stop insisting on getting him to create an account."
"Based on what I know about him, he's a very low - key person and definitely doesn't want to be famous."