The world did not take kindly to Jiang Yue's sudden announcement that she was now the legal owner of golden leaf Publishing House, the prestigious home of poetry.
Headlines were already rolling out within hours:
> "Heiress Poet or Schemer? Jiang Yue's Convenient Inheritance Shocks Industry."
"Zhou Meili: 'Talent is one thing, fraud is another.'"
"Li Zhenkai Silent on Jiang Yue, Protecting a Mistress?"
Zhou Meili, freshly back on the social stage, gave the media the soundbite they were hungry for. Standing outside a charity gala, her hair flowing like silk, she smiled sweetly into the camera.
> "Publishing is a serious business. I just hope the public isn't being deceived by… appearances."
The undertone was poison, and everyone heard it.
The next morning, Jiang Yue stood in the vast, marble-floored boardroom of Golden leaf Publishing. Executives lined the table, some curious, others skeptical. Her system was eerily silent, almost like it was letting her choose her fight.
One of the gray haired directors coughed.
"Miss Jiang, with all due respect, our company cannot be entrusted to an untested… celebrity poet. The rumors are damaging already. Investors are nervous."
Another chimed in, sharp:
"And Zhou Meili is publicly questioning the legality of your inheritance. Do you have proof?"
Jiang Yue inhaled deeply, palms clammy. Her instinct was to panic, but then she remembered Li Zhenkai's words: "I don't help. I choose. And I've chosen you."
She lifted her chin.
"My proof is in the law, in the contract signed by the late Chairman. But my proof as a leader…" She paused, then smiled faintly. "…will be in my poetry and the success I bring to this house."
The silence was thick. Her words weren't the calculated business jargon they expected, but they landed with weight.
Suddenly, the glass doors burst open. A journalist barged in camera flashing.
"Miss Jiang! Zhou Meili says your inheritance is fabricated! That you bribed lawyers to get this position, care to comment?"
Gasps filled the room. Executives stiffened.
Jiang Yue froze, her heart thundering. Here it comes. The smear.
Before she could answer before her bad luck could pull the floor out from under her another voice cuts in.
"Comment this," said Xu Jianyu, Li Zhenkai's razor tongued friend, striding in like he owned the place. "Defamation is still a crime, isn't it? Or has the press forgotten basic law?"
He plucked the camera out of the journalist's hand, tossed it onto the table, and leaned against the edge lazily, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Then, very deliberately, he turned to Jiang Yue.
"You know, Miss Jiang, if you wanted attention, you should've just called me. I would've gladly stood shirtless beside you in Times Square with a sign: 'Buy her poems.'"
The boardroom collectively choked.
Jiang Yue blinked. "What ?"
Xu Jianyu winked. "What? Too forward?"
At that exact moment, her clumsy hand fumbled her teacup, and hot tea splashed right onto his lap.
He yelped, leaping up. "Hot! Damn it !! Oh oh, that's spicy !!"
Jiang Yue gasped, mortified. "I—I didn't mean !!"
But Xu Jianyu only grinned, biting back a laugh.
"You're lucky I like pain."
The boardroom went dead silent. Half of the executives looked scandalized; the other half looked like they were watching a bizarre romance drama unfold live.
Jiang Yue wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
Meanwhile, Li Zhenkai was watching the chaos unfold from a shadowed corner of the room, having slipped in unnoticed. His phone was already out, his voice cool as ice as he called his PR head.
"Protect her company. Every outlet running Zhou Meili's smear, shut them down. No trash talk tolerated. Mobilize the legal team.oh and Yes. Sue the media house if necessary."
Qin Yuze, his other childhood friend, raised a brow beside him.
"You like her."
Li Zhenkai didn't even glance up. "I handle chaos."
Qin Yuze, smirked. "Funny. You only handle her chaos."
By the end of the meeting, the boardroom was in shambles, half of the executives whispering about the "eccentric but brilliant" new heiress, the other half calling their lawyers.
Jiang Yue stood awkwardly in the center, cheeks burning from Xu Jianyu's shameless theatrics.
Then Li Zhenkai finally stepped forward, his voice calm but carrying authority.
"This meeting is over. Anyone questioning her inheritance can bring their lawyers. But if you value your careers, I suggest you adapt quickly. Golden leaf has a new era ahead."
Every head in the room turned to him. His presence silenced all doubts.
Xu Jianyu, still dabbing his lap with tissues, smirked at Jiang Yue.
"Congratulations, boss. You're officially my idol. I'm starting your fan club. First meeting is tonight. Membership fee: one smile."
Jiang Yue groaned.
And across the table, Li Zhenkai's jaw tightened. He muttered under his breath low, sharp, and just audible enough:
"Useless flirt."