"Miss Yuexin, it has been a long time."
A voice, deep and smooth, cut through the tension. The crowd instinctively parted as a tall man approached. His black suit was perfectly tailored, his posture commanding, his every step radiating power.
The heir of the Lu family—Lu Shen.
Whispers broke out at once.
"Why is Young Master Lu speaking to her?"
"Didn't he always ignore the Zhao daughters?"
"What's going on?"
Yuexin's lashes lowered for a moment. She remembered this man from her past life. Aloof, ruthless, and untouchable—he had once crushed the Zhao family's ambitions with a single order. Back then, she was too insignificant for him to even glance at.
Yet tonight, his eyes lingered on her as though she were the only person in the room.
"Young Master Lu," she greeted softly, her lips curving. "It has indeed been a long time."
Lu Shen studied her for a beat, his gaze unreadable. "You've changed."
Yuexin's smile deepened. "Change is good, isn't it? Without it, one risks becoming… forgettable."
The words hung between them, sharp and deliberate. And though she said them lightly, everyone present felt the shift—the once invisible Miss Zhao had just declared war on the very society that had ignored her.
Even Lu Shen's lips curved ever so slightly, as though amused.
Meanwhile, Su Wei's face darkened as he watched. He had come tonight to support Zhao Rourou, believing Yuexin would remain her usual submissive self. But this… this woman conversing with Lu Shen as though they were equals—this was not the Yuexin he knew.
For the first time, a flicker of unease crossed his heart.
Zhao Yuexin accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. The golden liquid caught the chandelier light, shimmering like molten sunlight. She lifted it slightly, her gaze sweeping across the guests, finally landing on her cousin.
"To Rourou's birthday," she said sweetly. "May she always… live in the spotlight she loves so much."
The words were polite, yet every guest could hear the undertone—mockery cloaked as blessing.
Laughter rippled through the hall, low and knowing. Rourou's face stiffened, her smile on the verge of cracking completely.
Zhao Yuexin took a sip of champagne, her red lips curving into the faintest of smirks.
This is only the beginning, she thought. From tonight onward, no one will ever dare treat me as a shadow again.
TO BE CONTINUED