The superstar lifted his fingers to his lips and took another long drug on the cigarette.

However, the puff was too violent this time so he choked inadvertently, sending out a spurt of heart-wrenching cough.

"Cough—cough, cough…"

It was heartbreaking.

Under the bad bout of coughing, his fingers let loose the cigarette and it fell to the carpet, filling the air with a burnt smell.

The manager furrowed his brows, rushed to switch on the floor lamp, and then approached him.

The actor's damp hair was fully exposed under the lights.

He lifted his head with a look of surprise. When he saw that it was Qin Zhou, his eyes turned dim gradually.

The ex-manager walked to his side and sat down, sizing him up with anger in his eyes. He was wet throughout, especially his head; it was as if he had only put on a robe perfunctorily after a bath without wiping himself dry. Water could still be seen dripping from the edge of his wet crop.

His heart thoroughly ached for the superstar.

How did the man before him end up in such a dismal state?

The man he knew in the past was always proud and aloof, like a king above the rest. He would never display such vulnerability.

His heart did not just ache for him; he could not understand the reason for the change as well.

"Xingze, how did you end up like this?"

After he ended his contract with the superstar to become Yun Shishi's agent, the superstar had not engaged another agent since.

The actor had his studio and team to manage his career.

The man opened his eyes lazily and kept quiet. Grabbing the cigarette box from the table, he took another stick to his lips and was about to light it up, but Qin Zhou snatched it from his mouth, yelling, "Do you know how much nicotine you've inhaled already? Why are you still smoking?"

His eyes strayed at the ashtray.

The ashtray was full of cigarette butts. Really. How many sticks has this chap smoked while sitting here silently?

He bellowed, "You are about to start your recording for your new album. Don't you care about your vocal cords anymore?"

The star simply responded dully, "Return it to me."

"You can't smoke anymore!"

He gave a command and confiscated the cigarette box.

The man watched him without violent objection. He just shut his eyes and let his body sink on the sofa, an unconcealable look of loneliness hanging on his face.

The agent sat in the seat across him and did not speak anymore.

The silence seemed to go on forever before the superstar finally opened his mouth.

"What should I do if I fall in love with someone I shouldn't love?"

Perhaps due to his excessive smoking, his voice sounded hoarse and deep, revealing a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.

The agent had not seen him so vulnerable before.

"Eh?" The star's eyes blinked in bewilderment.

The man sitting across from him had to force himself to stay emotionless, retorting coldly, "Don't miss her, don't think of her, don't look at her, and don't hold any hopes regarding her."

The star did not reply and only closed his eyes without any expression.

Qin Zhou continued cruelly. "Cut off those feelings; make a clean break."

"Make a clean break?"

The young chap replied dully, "If only it is that easy."

"…"

His mentor could only keep quiet.

The star uttered with much pain and frustration, "But… I want her."

"Her? Is it Shishi?"

The agent held his head resignedly.

"There are so many women out there; why must it be her?"

"She gives me the feel," he replied after a long pause.

The agent could not accept that, though.