An hour before JJ's record label and Bright Summit Entertainment Company made their announcement, something long-dormant stirred online.
For almost two years, Elena Zhang had been silent.
She hadn't defended herself when rumors tore through the internet. She hadn't explained when her social media accounts were wiped clean. She hadn't responded when Bai Lu and Jin Yang's posts dragged her name into scandal and mockery.
No statements.
No clarifications.
No presence at all.
Then, on that quiet morning, every one of her empty accounts updated at the same time.
There were no words.
Only a single video.
The opening scene was dim and restless.
Club music throbbed through the speakers as the camera followed the back of a teenage girl in a skimpy dress and towering heels.
Neon lights reflected off wet concrete as she crossed a parking lot, her steps unsteady yet confident. She climbed into a sleek sports car, the engine roaring as she sped into the night.
The screen cut to black.
Screeching tires.
Metal twisting.
And then a deafening crash.
Sirens shattered the silence.
The video resumed with frantic motion.
Paramedics rushed through hospital doors, wheeling a bloodied body on a gurney. The girl's face remained hidden, her blood splashing across pristine white tiles as the doors of an operating room slammed shut.
The next scene slowed.
A hospital room.
Machines humming.
A motionless body on the bed.
The camera lingered just long enough for discomfort to settle before shifting to a calendar on the bedside table.
Pages flipped forward. One month. Then another. Faster and faster, time accelerating until it blurred.
The image dimmed.
The sounds changed, muffled and distant, as though submerged underwater. Breathing echoed first, deep and steady.
A heartbeat followed, loud and rhythmic. Gradually, both weakened. Slowed.
Until there was nothing.
Complete darkness.
Complete silence.
Then, a pinpoint of light appeared at the center of the screen.
It expanded, brightened, and burst outward, revealing an otherworldly mountain forest drenched in soft light.
Wildflowers bloomed in impossible colors.
A fairy moved among them, her golden hair glowing, and her emerald eyes alive with divinity.
She wore a flowing white dress that shimmered with every step.
She reached a deep blue lake and knelt at its edge, fingers brushing the surface.
Suddenly, the water surged.
The fairy was dragged violently beneath the surface, pulled into darkness.
As she sank, another figure appeared below her, floating upward. It was the teenage girl from before, still dressed in the skimpy outfit. Her eyes were closed. Her skin was pale. Black hair drifted like ink in the water.
The two figures met.
They shared the same face.
Yet they were utterly different.
One glowed with life and calm power.
The other carried exhaustion, recklessness, and decay.
The fairy reached out and pulled the lifeless girl into her arms.
When they touched, their forms merged.
Light dimmed.
Golden hair darkened to black.
Emerald eyes faded into deep brown.
The merged figure opened her eyes and swam upward with controlled grace, breaking through the surface.
The scene snapped back to the hospital room.
The girl on the bed gasped.
Her eyes opened.
For a fleeting second, a faint emerald light shimmered within dark brown pupils.
The screen faded to black.
A wordless melody rose in the background, soft and haunting, carried by a voice that sounded almost unreal.
The final image appeared.
The back of a young woman standing beneath a blooming sakura tree. Pink petals drifted around her like falling snow. She wore a deep emerald gown, elegant and restrained. Her long black hair flowed down her back, heavy and still.
She turned.
The camera closed in on her face. Her phoenix eyes were sharp, calm, and distant all at once. Her lips curved into a subtle, knowing smile.
Black screen.
Then bold letters emerged.
REBIRTH
Below it appeared a name.
Elena Zhang
And a date.
Two weeks from now.
The logo of JJ's record label faded in, glowing briefly before the screen went dark.
The silence that followed was deafening.
*
Ever since the heated rumors involving Elena Zhang, Jin Yang, and Bai Lu erupted, a large number of netizens had developed a daily habit.
They hovered over the three celebrities' social media pages like sentries on duty, refreshing feeds obsessively, afraid of missing even the slightest movement.
So when Elena Zhang's long-silent accounts updated without warning, the reaction was instantaneous.
The video spread like wildfire.
Likes climbed so fast the numbers blurred.
+247
+78,115
+396,142
And still climbing without any stop.
Comments poured in faster than moderators could keep up.
"Oh my God. What did I just watch? Did Elena Zhang just announce her comeback with a video?"
"She finally updated! Everyone, go watch it!"
"Is that really Elena Zhang? She feels… different. More mature. More elegant."
"Pfft. Elegant? No matter how much a chicken dresses up, it'll never become a phoenix."
Others watched more carefully, replaying the video again and again.
"That accident scene… it lines up with the police report. And the hospital part—did anyone notice the calendar? I counted. She was in a coma for a whole year."
"So the rumors were true? She really was unconscious all that time?"
A pause followed that realization, then a shift in tone.
"Then, isn't it kind of cruel? Everyone kept saying she was pregnant and hiding out of shame, when she was actually lying in a hospital bed the entire time."
"Poor girl."
That sympathy didn't last long.
"Don't be fooled. Her reputation didn't come out of nowhere. This is obviously just another gimmick."
"Exactly. Elena Zhang is famous for chasing attention."
"Look at the end of the video. 'Rebirth'—she's releasing something in two weeks."
"Wait. That logo… isn't that JJ's record label?"
"No way. Don't tell me JJ signed her."
"I refuse to believe it. Did his standards really drop this far? Why would he sign someone like Elena Zhang?"
Some voices, however, were hesitant to dismiss her so quickly.
"Did you actually watch the whole thing? The video wasn't trashy at all. The concept, the imagery, the music—it's obvious she's trying to change her image."
"Hah. Of course she is. She's desperate. Too bad it's already too late. Everyone hates her."
"Not everyone. I won't defend her personality, but her voice has always been good. Her old songs were shallow, sure, but she could sing. I'm actually curious about what she'll release this time."
Then a long comment appeared, standing out among the noise.
"I want to share something real. I heard Miss Zhang sing in person once. I was having lunch with friends at a restaurant when a young woman suddenly sat at the piano and started singing. Her song made me cry so hard I couldn't stop. It was the most beautiful song I've heard in years. I didn't even know who she was at the time, so I wasn't influenced by any rumors. I hope people give her another chance. If that song is any indication, her new music will be incredible. I can't wait for these two weeks to pass."
Replies followed almost immediately.
"Now I'm actually curious. I'll wait until 'Rebirth' is released before judging."
Another voice scoffed.
"So she fell so low she's performing in restaurants now? That's embarrassing."
"Hey! Don't look down on restaurant performers."
The debate raged on, growing louder by the minute.
An hour after the video went live, the fire was fed again.
JJ shared the video on his personal account.
So did his record label.
So did Bright Summit Entertainment Company.
Speculation exploded anew.
Minutes later, both the label and Bright Summit released official statements.
Elena Zhang was now an artist signed under them.
Her comeback album, titled Rebirth, would be released in two weeks.
The internet erupted.
This time, there was no doubt left.
Elena Zhang had returned.
And the world was watching.