---
On the cracked screen of Lin Rui's phone, a paused video showed Lin Yue mid-laugh, her delicate features glowing under the soft gallery lights.
Her hair was pinned elegantly to the side, smiling softly as she stood beside a striking woman in a lavender silk dress.
"That's her," Lin Rui said excitedly, zooming in on the screen. "That's Lin Yue! I didn't recognize her at first... she looks so different now."
Lin Chengbi's eyes narrowed, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Different, huh? Looks like someone's been eating well."
"But that's not the best part," Lin Rui continued, voice rising.
"See this woman?" he said, tilting the phone toward his parents. "My friend told me she's a CEO from the Capital. Her company's called... uh, GlowVine Cosmetics or something."
They fell silent for a beat.
Then...
"What?!" Li Meihua snapped, "You're telling me this brat knows a CEO now?! A CEO from the Capital?!"
Lin Rui nodded, pushing the phone closer. "Yeah. The whole place was crawling with bigshots. My friend said he even saw one of those rich art masters fighting over her painting!"
Rage twisted her face as her fingers trembled.
"She's even standing next to her like they're equals! Smiling like a bastard. " Her voice screeched. "This little whore! So that's why she never came back!"
"She's forgotten us already," she spat. "Thinks she's above us now that she's with rich people."
"Maybe," Lin Rui said, hesitating slightly, "maybe she didn't want people to know she came from... you know... here."
Li Meihua turned on him with a glare, her face darkening. "Are you saying we're shameful?"
"No! No, Ma!" he stammered, backing up.
But the words struck a nerve.
Lin Chengbi, who had been scratching his belly absentmindedly while sipping beer, suddenly paused and leaned forward, a glint of something wicked dancing in his eyes.
"She thinks she's above us now, huh?" he muttered, tapping ash from his cigarette onto the dirt floor. "Tch. How dare she?"
"She's forgotten who fed her, who raised her. That miserable wretch!" Li Meihua snapped, her hands flying to her hips. "Doesn't matter if we removed her name from the registry. We raised her."
Meanwhile, Lin Chengbi sat quietly, rubbing his chin. His mind was racing. A plan was already forming.
He chuckled, low and sinister.
"She's rich now," he said, voice calm and oily. "She's surrounded by people with money... Art collectors, CEOs, celebrities."
Li Meihua spun around. "So?"
"But she severed ties with us legally," Lin Rui pointed out. "She's not on the registry anymore…"
"Doesn't matter," Chengbi scoffed. "She owes us. We raised her. You think society cares about a severed household record? No. They care about sympathy. You know what'll happen when I show up at her gallery and cry in front of those rich people?"
His lips curled into a twisted smile.
"They'll pressure her. She'll cave. Rich or not, she's still a girl. Weak-hearted. Soft. She'll give us money just to get rid of the guilt."
He laughed aloud now, slapping his thigh.
"We're rich, Meihua. Rich!"
Li Meihua blinked, the anger slowly giving way to greed.
Her mind started spinning.
Li Meihua's face then lit up with greed. "She'll pay off all your debts."
"She has to," Chengbi repeated, beginning to laugh. "We're rich! You hear me? RICH!"
Soon, the room was filled with their cackling, each person already sinking into their fantasies.
"I want one of those big fridges," Li Meihua said, already imagining it. "The ones with double doors and ice that comes out with a push!"
"I want that electric bike I saw on TV!" Lin Rui added.
Chengbi leaned back and stretched. "Let's get a new house too. A big one, in the city."
Li Meihua's eyes glittered. "I want to show those snobby neighbors we're not losers anymore."
Their laughter echoed through the compound, the wind blowing through the rusted iron gate.
---
Evening fell on the city, soft golden lights illuminating the skyline like scattered stars.
In a sleek, matte-black car gliding along a quiet avenue, Liang Yexuan sat in the backseat, eyes closed, features sharp as a sculpture.
He was dressed in a tailored black suit, the crisp collar of his white shirt peeking just above. His expression was unreadable, calm and cold.
At the front, Jin Shu glanced into the rear-view mirror and then turned slightly, his voice even and respectful.
"Young Master," he said, " The Chairman called just now."
Liang Yexuan didn't open his eyes.
Jin Shu hesitated before continuing. "He said... you should take Miss Su Meilin to the business dinner tonight. To let people know she's your fiancée and start... cultivating feelings."
Silence filled the car.
Liang Yexuan remained quiet, eyes still closed, but there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Jin Shu hesitated, then leaned slightly back and lowered his voice. "Also... we found the culprit."
That made Liang Yexuan open his eyes slowly.
"But there's no clear evidence yet," Jin Shu added, handing him the silver MacBook with a single document open—one image embedded inside.
Liang Yexuan took the laptop and stared at the photo on the screen.
His lips curled up slowly, dangerously, into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "So it's you... Interesting."
"Since they want to play," His voice dropped to a whisper. "Then I'll play them to death."
He closed the laptop with a soft click, smirking and handed it back. "Fine. Where is she?"
"Miss Su is waiting in her car. Parked just ahead, near the restaurant."
Liang Yexuan leaned back again, his long fingers tapping the armrest. "Good."
---
Just as their car turned the corner near the luxurious restaurant, they saw a sleek black Maybach parked neatly against the curb.
A moment later, the door of the Maybach opened, and Su Meilin stepped out.
She wore a figure-hugging white dress that accentuated every curve of her body, her long legs catching the last rays of sunlight.
Her makeup was flawless, lips a delicate pink, and her dark hair swept elegantly over one shoulder.
She walked toward Liang Yexuan's car and opened the door, sliding inside beside him.
"Yexuan," she said shyly, her voice soft as cotton candy.
He didn't look at her.
Not even a glance.
Su Meilin's smile faltered for a split second before she quickly hid it behind a sweet expression.
She sat up straighter, trying to calm her racing heart.
He's so handsome, she thought, eyes trailing over his strong jaw, his icy eyes, the air of detached nobility around him.
Just one look from him could melt me...
"I'm... I'm happy," she said, trying to sound light. "That you're willing to go public with me tonight. It means a lot."
Silence.
Why is he always like this? Cold. Distant.
Liang Yexuan closed his eyes as if she didn't exist.
Su Meilin felt her heart twist.
She clenched her fists on her lap.
Does he know... about the paparazzi? she wondered, stealing a glance at his profile. He hasn't said anything, but… I was careful. I made sure no trail led back to me.
But this man... He wasn't just smart. He was dangerous.
Liang Yexuan could feel her eyes on him.
Of course, he knew.
The moment the photos surfaced, he had known.
But he said nothing.
---
They arrived at the restaurant entrance—a stunning building lit with crystal chandeliers and golden light pouring out onto the street.
Jin Shu got out first and walked to Liang Yexuan's door. With a respectful bow, he opened it.
Liang Yexuan stepped out, tall and magnetic in his dark gray suit.
The valet bowed low, recognizing him instantly.
Inside the car, Su Meilin waited.
She sat with perfect posture, chest puffing up, smiling faintly.
Her heart fluttered, waiting for that one moment—waiting for him to offer his hand like a gentleman.
To help her out.
To show the world she was the woman beside Liang Yexuan.
But what he did next shocked her.
---