Li Meilin stepped out of the ride and onto the velvet-lined walkway leading into the glittering ballroom of the Shangtai Grand Hotel. Camera flashes, laughter, and soft classical music poured out into the evening air like a warm wave. The investor party—co-hosted by Zenhua Media Group and one of the most prestigious private conglomerates in China—was already underway.
She took one step forward, then another, the sound of her heels like a steady heartbeat beneath her. She was alone— unlike what had been rumored around the company, but Li Meilin was confident because she was wrapped in elegance and silence. Her midnight green gown shimmered under the canopy of golden lights, hugging her frame with a quiet, striking allure. Her hair was pinned to one side in a cascade of soft curls, and her lips bore the soft stain of crushed plum.
Despite everything, she looked like she belonged.
As she stood at the entrance of the ballroom, she looked around. Indeed the venue was stunning.
Zenhua Media Group had spared no expense in transforming the grand ballroom of the Riverside Imperial into a glamorous event space. Crystal chandeliers hung like frozen waterfalls from the ceiling, casting diamonds of light across the room. Velvet drapes in Zenhua's signature deep green lined the walls, and a live quartet played soft jazz from an elevated stage.
Staff mingled with representatives from the investor's company, as well as media personalities, journalists, and a few familiar influencers.
Li Meilin stepped inside, and for a moment, the soft hush of admiration followed her like a tide.
She looked stunning.
She smiled graciously, her posture straight, confidence radiating with every step.
A few heads turned. Soft gasps and admiring glances followed her path like shadows.
"Is that… Li Meilin? From Strategic Communications?"
"Wow, she cleaned up well."
"Zhou Fan's girl, right? They say he's planning to propose soon."
She heard all of them. Meilin always heard them. And she often saw the gossips posted on the company staff hub.
Li Meilin smiled politely, as if the comments didn't sting, didn't stir the ache that had taken root in her chest since the day before. She moved past the murmurs, head held high, her fingers tightening slightly around her clutch.
Xu Minjie's words from last month whispered like a ghost at the back of her mind and she sighed, remembering them clearly.
"Be careful, Meilin. This place thrives on rumors. The second you make a splash, there'll be waves you can't control. Words spread fast in companies like ours. Especially about women like us."
She'd nodded back then, brushing it off. But now, walking alone where she had expected to arrive with Zhou Fan, those words felt heavier.
She scanned the room, searching—maybe hoping—for his face among the crowd.
Nothing.
Instead, she was met with flirtatious smiles from a group of male colleagues by the bar.
"Li Meilin! Looking absolutely ravishing tonight!" called Cheng Yi, a PR associate. "Where's Zhou Fan? You two always come together. Don't tell me he let you arrive alone?"
"He's on his way," she replied smoothly, summoning a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Running a bit late."
Cheng Yi raised a brow. "He'd better hurry, before someone else steals you."
More laughter followed, then there were a few raised glasses and a few camera flashes too.
"Meilin!" Weiwen, approached with a glass of wine, dressed in a beautiful pink dinner dress with a sling bag dangling off her chest. She pulled her away from the lustful gazes of those men. "You look gorgeous. I love the gown. Where's your plus one? Most of us thought that...Zhou Fan would accompany you?"
Li Meilin gave a short but sincere smile this time. "He had an emergency that I can't actually disclose right now. So I came alone."
Weiwen raised a brow but didn't pry further. "Wow, I hope he's okay then. The board's here today, so make sure you mingle. You've been doing excellently and meeting up with even tight deadlines. I'm sure the senior management will notice."
Meilin nodded. Her heart swelled at the encouragement.
She spent the next hour floating from group to group, engaging in discussions about campaign performance, upcoming projects, and the future of integrated digital strategies. More than once, senior staff complimented her articulation and insight.
At one point, one of the regional directors, Madam Lin, took her aside.
"Your work on the last quarter's internal rebranding deck was sharp. I'd like you to assist on the new inter-department presentation next month."
Li Meilin beamed, her eyes dreamy and her smile genuine. "I'd be honored, ma'am."
And just like that, the ache in her chest began to dull. Another hour went by with more speeches, wine, photo ops and by now, Li Meilin stood on the outdoor terrace of the ballroom, the city lights glittering below.
Then she slowly slipped away toward a quiet corner near the floral arch display, trying not to let her smile falter. Her breath hitched slightly, and she exhaled slowly, trying to slow her racing thoughts.
I will live a normal and fulfilled life.
She repeated the memory like a silent prayer, remembering why she'd taken a liking to Zhou Fan out of all the men that had approached her in the past few years.
The warmth in his voice. The conviction in his eyes. The first time he'd bought her coffee and asked how he could help relieve her stress. It was the little things he did that made her fall-in-love. Then that night when he'd told her they'd soon be engaged.
Then why did he ignore my messages all day?
The perfume of gardenias hung in the air. The champagne sparkled in the crystal flute she accepted from a passing waiter.
She stared at her reflection in the tall glass doors that led to the balcony. Her eyes looked too wide. Her lips too still. Her posture too perfect—as if she were waiting for someone to come and rescue her from her own doubts.
Her mind drifted, slowly, unwillingly, to something else. Something she tried to forget.
A memory.
Rain pouring down like sheets of grief.
A man in a dark suit standing under the broken street lamp...just a few nights after that dreadful incident had occurred. His face had been barely visible. His voice, however—cold, sharp, unforgettable.
"Keep a low profile for the rest of your life. Else…" he'd warned.
She had never asked what the "else" meant. She didn't want to know.
Her fingers gripped the edge of the champagne glass. "I'm doing the right thing," she told herself. "I'm aspiring to live a normal life, marry a simple company staff and just start a small family. Yes… I'm doing the right thing. I can't afford to draw too much attention to myself…" she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible above the jazz music.
Don't shine too bright. Don't let anyone see too much.
She took a sip of champagne, willing the bitterness in her chest to disappear with the bubbles.
Just survive the night. Then go home.
Just as she made her way back in, the room shifted. It started with hushes, like the air had been pulled out of the room.
It was the silence before a storm, the kind that only exists in parties where everyone notices something at once.
Li Meilin turned slowly.
And saw him.
Zhou Fan.
Arm in arm with a woman.
Not just any woman.
He Ruolan.
Heiress of Tianyi Holdings.
Or, it would be better to say she was the daughter of the very investor Zenhua Media had spent the last six months courting. Tall, graceful, with silken black hair and a crimson gown that shimmered like wine in candlelight.
Zhou Fan's arm rested comfortably around hers.
They weren't trying to hide anything. They weren't even pretending.
Li Meilin couldn't move.
Her entire body froze, rooted to the floor like her heels had been nailed into the marble tiles. Her vision narrowed, but her ears sharpened.
She could hear the surprise gasps. Chuckles. Snickers.
"Isn't that… Zhou Fan?"
"And He Ruolan? Oh my God. They look like a couple."
"They look perfect together."
"But wasn't he dating that girl from Strategic Communications? What was her name again?"
"Li Meilin. The one standing over there. Alone."
The champagne glass slipped from her hand in shock at how blatantly these people were gossiping about her when she was right there. Surprisingly, the glass didn't shatter. It just hit the floor with a soft clink, rolling gently toward the curtain.
No one noticed. But her heart did. Every beat suddenly became thunder. The room spun and Li Meilin gasped.
Her hand flew to her mouth, but no sound came out.
Only a breath. Sharp. Ragged. Silent.
Zhou Fan saw her.
She knew he did. Because they locked gazes for about three whole seconds. Then, ruthlessly, his eyes flickered her way for a split second and there was no guilt in them. No apology.
Then he looked away.
He whispered something into He Ruolan's ear and the heiress giggled.
Something inside Li Meilin cracked like porcelain. All the things she had excused. The way he dismissed her goals. How he never introduced her to his family. How he made her feel like an accessory to his ambition.
And now this.
She was not a woman anymore. She was collateral.
Stepping back, she turned and made her way toward the balcony, air escaping her lungs like a balloon deflating slowly.
She didn't cry.
Not yet.
But as the doors closed behind her, muffling the noise of laughter and music and betrayal— Li Meilin somehow knew. That nothing about tonight would ever be the same, and neither would she.