The morning sunlight spilled gently through the wide glass windows of Yue's penthouse.
She sat by the window, sipping tea, her phone buzzing endlessly with notifications.
Every headline screamed the same thing:
> "Lian Yue and Rian Zhao — The Power Couple of the Year."
"Ex-boyfriend Wei Jun humiliated at Zhao family dinner!"
Her lips curved faintly. She didn't even need to read the comments to know what they were saying. The world had finally turned its eyes away from her past — and toward her future.
The sound of slow footsteps behind her made her glance back.
Rian Zhao was standing by the door, already dressed in a crisp black suit. His tie was slightly undone, his expression calm but unreadable.
"You didn't sleep much," he said quietly, noticing the faint circles under her eyes.
She shrugged lightly. "Too many people talking about us online. Hard to ignore."
He gave a low chuckle, walking closer until he stood behind her chair.
"Let them talk," he murmured. "The more they talk, the less they question our engagement."
Yue looked up at him through the reflection in the glass. "You sound like you've done this before."
He smirked faintly. "I've lived long enough to understand how people work."
Something about the way he said it made her heart skip — but she brushed it off.
He leaned down slightly, his voice smooth and teasing.
"Besides… it's not so hard pretending to like you."
She turned, meeting his gaze with a raised brow. "Who said you're pretending?"
For a second, the air stilled. Then he smiled — the kind of smile that wasn't cold this time, but slow, deliberate, dangerous.
> "Careful, Yue. You might make me believe it's real."
Her breath caught, but before she could reply, her phone rang.
The caller ID: Mei Rong.
"Miss Yue," Mei's voice came through, slightly panicked. "There's a rumor spreading online… something about your university years. Someone's leaking your old letters and photos."
Yue's calm expression vanished. "Who started it?"
"We're tracing the account now," Mei said. "But it looks fake — and organized."
She hung up, her eyes darkening. "Lin Xinya."
Rian folded his arms. "She's not giving up easily."
"She never did," Yue replied coolly. "But this time, I'll end it before she begins."
---
Meanwhile — at Lin Xinya's Apartment
Lin Xinya threw her phone onto the couch, laughing as she watched the online chaos grow.
"Serves her right," she sneered. "She embarrassed me in front of everyone — let's see how she likes it when her 'perfect' image crumbles."
Wei Jun, standing by the window, frowned slightly. "You've done enough, Xinya. Drop it."
She turned sharply, her tone rising. "You're still defending her? After everything she did to us?"
He sighed. "She didn't choose me, I get it. But ruining her reputation won't fix anything."
"You still love her," Lin spat bitterly. "Don't you?"
He didn't answer.
Her laughter turned cold. "Then fine. I'll destroy her myself. When I'm done, no one will even remember the name Lian Yue."
Wei Jun's face darkened. "You're crossing a line—"
But she cut him off. "You crossed it first when you fell for her."
---
Back at Zhen Corporation
Later that afternoon, Yue arrived at her company. Everyone bowed respectfully, but she could feel the tension in the air — whispers, glances, murmurs about the new scandal.
As she walked toward her office, Rian Zhao's car pulled up outside the building. He stepped out, his presence alone silencing the gossip.
He walked straight in, eyes locking on her.
> "You should've called me," he said simply.
"I can handle this," she replied.
"I know," he said, voice softening just a little. "But you don't have to."
For a long moment, their eyes held — two people who had both died once, both reborn to rewrite their fates.
But only one of them knew that truth.
---
As they stood together, the storm outside was already brewing — Lin Xinya's plan taking shape in the shadows.
But for now, with Rian Zhao beside her, Yue felt something she hadn't in a long time.
Not revenge.
Not anger.
But a strange, unfamiliar calm — almost like safety.
> "This time," she thought quietly, "I won't lose."