The courtroom was a battlefield.
Rows of reporters filled the gallery, cameras poised like weapons. On one side sat Liang, smug in his sharp suit, lawyers flanking him like vultures. On the other, Chenxuan and Yuexi, a united front beneath the storm of flashbulbs.
The charges were brutal: corruption, stock manipulation, coercion. Liang's legal team painted Chenxuan as a tyrant, a man unfit to lead a company, a man whose marriage—fake, failed, humiliating—proved his moral bankruptcy.
Each word felt like acid.
But Chenxuan never flinched. His gaze, calm and impenetrable, never left his enemy.
When it was his turn, his lawyer unveiled the evidence: bank records, offshore transfers, signed contracts showing Liang funneled millions into tabloids and hired men to target Yuexi.
Gasps rippled through the courtroom.
The judge frowned. "Vice President Liang, how do you explain this?"
Liang's smirk faltered. He sputtered, grasping for excuses, but the weight of proof was crushing.
And then—an unexpected voice cut through the air.
"I can explain," Yuexi said, standing from her seat.
The courtroom went silent.
She walked to the center, shoulders straight despite the tremor in her hands. "I was accused, slandered, used as a pawn in Liang's schemes. I was called names, reduced to headlines. But I refuse to be silent any longer."
Her voice grew stronger, clear and steady. "I am not a gold-digger. I am not a scandal. I am Lin Yuexi. And I will not let anyone—man, rumor, or corporation—define me again."
The gallery erupted in applause before the judge called for order. Cameras flashed wildly.
Chenxuan's chest tightened. Pride swelled in him—not because she was defending him, but because she was reclaiming herself.
Liang's final attempt to protest collapsed under the avalanche of evidence and Yuexi's testimony. By day's end, the judge declared him guilty of embezzlement, fraud, and defamation.
As guards escorted him out, Liang shot Chenxuan a venomous glare. "This isn't over."
Chenxuan's reply was steel. "Yes, it is."
That night, outside the courthouse, reporters swarmed.
"Mr. Lu! Miss Lin! What's next for you two?""Are you reconciling? Was this all proof of your love?"
For once, Yuexi didn't flinch from the cameras. She only glanced at Chenxuan, heart pounding.
He looked back at her, something raw and unguarded in his eyes. In that moment, surrounded by the chaos of the world, the walls between them crumbled.
Without hesitation, he took her hand.
"Lin Yuexi," he said, voice steady despite the crowd, "I was a fool once. I let you go when I should have held on. I doubted you when I should have trusted. But if you'll allow me…"
He dropped to one knee. Gasps rippled through the crowd, reporters nearly dropping their cameras.
"…I want to start over. No contracts. No conditions. Just you and me. Will you marry me—again?"
Yuexi's breath caught, tears welling. Her heart screamed yes, though her lips trembled on the word.
"You ridiculous man," she whispered, laughing through the tears. "Yes. A thousand times yes."
The crowd exploded in cheers. Cameras flashed like fireworks.
Chenxuan rose, pulling her into his arms. Their kiss wasn't just a promise—it was a victory, a declaration that love, scarred and tested, had survived the fire.
Weeks later, the world had shifted.
Liang sat behind bars, his empire of lies in ruins. Lu Corporation had not only recovered but flourished, its shares stronger than before.
And Yuexi? She stood under studio lights once more, cameras rolling—not as scandal's victim, but as the star of her comeback drama.
Backstage, Chenxuan watched, pride written across his face. When she finished her scene, she walked straight into his arms, still glowing with adrenaline.
"You're staring," she teased.
"Always," he said softly. "Because now, you're not just mine in name. You're my wife, my equal, my everything."
She smiled, resting her head against his chest. "And you, Lu Chenxuan, are finally learning how to be a proper husband."
He laughed, the sound warm and unburdened. For the first time in years, the future stretched wide before them—uncertain, imperfect, but theirs.
Together.
✨ Epilogue:The tabloids called it "The Greatest Love Story Showbiz Has Ever Seen."But for Yuexi and Chenxuan, it was simply the truth: love wasn't about contracts or appearances. It was about fighting side by side, falling, rising, and choosing each other again and again.
The End.