The award show had ended in chaos. Jiang Yue was now the unwilling star of a global meme:
> Tragic Muse in Oversized Drip.
Clips of her walking confidently down the carpet in Tessa's oversized hoodie and Dean's tailored coat had gone viral overnight. Edits, fan art, and hashtags exploded across Weibo, Twitter, and Instagram. Some fans swooned at her "authentic charm," while others mocked her as "unprepared" and "attention-seeking."
And fueling the fire? Zhou Meili.
Within hours, the so-called real heroine had posted a perfectly timed photo of herself in a designer gown with the caption:
> When you're meant to shine, no wardrobe can fail you.
The comment section boiled. Some praised her elegance. Others compared her to Jiang Yue. Hashtags like #GoddessVsTragicMuse and #WardrobeBattle trended side by side.
"Damage control," Li Zhenkai said the next morning in his office, voice cool as steel.
The room was packed Fang Zixuan lounging lazily in a chair, Xu Jianyu scrolling through his phone, Tessa standing protectively by Jiang Yue, and Jiang Yue herself, sinking into the leather seat, hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands like a shield.
"This isn't funny," Jiang Yue muttered under her breath.
Fang Zixuan smirked. "Oh, it's hilarious. You broke the internet. People are writing, think pieces about oversized hoodies symbolizing rebellion against fashion elitism."
"Zixuan." Li Zhenkai's voice cut like ice. "Not helping."
Fang Zixuan threw up his hands in the air "Fine, fine. But the girl has more PR heat than any influencer I've seen in years."
Jiang Yue lifted her gaze. "And half of it is negative."
Li Zhenkai leaned forward, elbows resting on the desk. His gaze pinned her like a hawk locking onto prey. "That's why I said, damage control."
"The first order of business: Zhou Meili, Her smear campaign will escalate," Xu Jianyu said calmly, sliding his phone across the desk. "She's already bought articles framing you as 'unprofessional' and 'a fluke poet.'"
Jiang Yue's stomach knotted. "Of course she did."
"She thrives on image," Li Zhenkai said flatly. "And she assumes you can't fight back."
Jiang Yue's lips trembled. "Because I'm… me?"
"No," Zhenkai said, his voice quiet but firm. "Because she underestimates chaos."
That afternoon, they all attended another high-profile event, a charity gala. Zhou Meili, of course, made her grand entrance in a diamond studded gown. Cameras flashed like lightning, fans screamed her name, and the media drank in every second.
And then came Jiang Yue.
She wore a simple, elegant black dress, courtesy of Tessa's emergency fashion contacts. Nothing flashy, no diamonds, just clean lines and understated grace.
It should've been unremarkable.
But with Li Zhenkai walking beside her in a crisp black suit, his hand resting on her lower back in quiet possession, every camera in the room turned.
The press went insane.
"CEO Li with mystery poet girlfriend!"
"Tragic Muse turns elegant overnight!"
"Couple goals?"
But Zhou Meili wasn't having it, at the cocktail hour, she floated gracefully toward them,with her smile sugar sweet but eyes razor-sharp.
"YueYue," she purred, her voice just loud enough for reporters nearby to catch. "You look… better tonight. I was worried after that little wardrobe mishap yesterday."
The room's attention shifted. Cameras clicked. A silence stretched, waiting to see Jiang Yue falter.
Jiang Yue's system pinged in her head.
[Luck Probability Shift: 70%. Warning Potential Disaster.]
Jiang Yue opened her mouth, about to stammer something, when
A waiter carrying a tray of champagne tripped right in front of Zhou Meili.
CRASH.
Golden liquid splashed across her designer gown, soaking the diamonds, staining the silk.
Gasps erupted. Cameras went click click click.
"Oh no!" Jiang Yue clapped her hands over her mouth, her bad luck striking again. But this time, it wasn't hers to bear.
Zhou Meili's perfect smile cracked. "Y-you—!" She spun toward Jiang Yue, fury trembling under her skin.
The reporters swarmed instantly. "Miss Zhou! How do you feel about the spill? Will this affect your appearance tonight?"
"Is it true you were shading Miss Jiang on social media?"
"Do you think this is karma?"
Her humiliation was broadcast in real time live..
Jiang Yue's system beeped again.
[Luck Transfer Complete. Disaster redirected.]
She nearly laughed out loud.
But beside her, Li Zhenkai's expression didn't shift. He simply slipped his arm around her shoulder and murmured in her ear, low enough that only she heard: "Do not gloat. She'll use it against you."
Jiang Yue swallowed and nodded.
Still, when their eyes met across the room, her trembling with suppressed laughter, Zhou Meili seething in champagne soaked silk, she was still glowing but not with confidence only in champagne and the battle lines were officially drawn.
Later that night, Li Zhenkai was on the phone. His voice was cold enough to freeze iron.
"Shut down the gossip blog. All of it."
"Yes, file the lawsuit. I want the publisher's head on my desk by morning."
"Protect her brand. No trash talk tolerated."
He hung up and turned to Fang Zixuan, who had been watching with open amusement.
"You like her," Fang Zixuan said, grin spreading across his face.
"I handle chaos," Zhenkai replied evenly.
Fang Zixuan leaned back, crossing his arms. "Mm. Sure. Handling chaos doesn't usually involve lawsuits, brand protection, and walking someone into a gala like she's your"
"Zixuan."
The single word was enough to shut him up. But when Zhenkai's gaze flicked back to Jiang Yue, still laughing softly with Tessa across the room, Dean caught the truth anyway.
For Jiang Yue, though, the night ended quietly.
As she sat in the car ride home, she stared out the window, her reflection shimmering in the glass.
"I don't fit here," she whispered.
"You fit where I put you," Zhenkai said without hesitation, his gaze locked on her.
She froze, heart hammering.
And her system chimed softly:
[Luck Shield: Stable.]