The air in the banquet hall shifted.
Though the music played on and laughter buzzed faintly, everyone's attention clung to the woman in red...the woman they had once dismissed as an ornament of the Zhao family.
Zhao Yuexin could feel their gazes on her, but she welcomed them. Each glance was proof that she was no longer invisible.
Her cousin, Zhao Rourou, forced another smile, but her eyes betrayed her. The corners twitched, the whites gleamed with fury, and her grip on Su Wei's arm tightened enough to turn her knuckles pale.
"Cousin Yuexin," Rourou said sweetly, her voice louder than necessary. "It's so nice to see you after such a long time. You've… changed."
Every ear leaned in.
Yuexin tilted her head, sipping her champagne slowly. "Yes," she said softly, yet the words sliced like a blade, "I realized there's no point in staying in someone else's shadow. I'd rather shine on my own."
The crowd murmured. The implication was clear.
Rourou's mask wavered, but before she could respond, Su Wei stepped forward. "Yuexin, don't speak that way. Rourou has always cared for you—"
Yuexin finally turned her eyes on him, the man who once shattered her heart. In her past life, she had clung to his words, believing his false promises. This time, she felt nothing but disdain.
"Su Wei," she said calmly, her tone sharp as glass, "when did I allow you to speak for me?"
The words landed like thunder. Gasps erupted, and even the musicians faltered for a beat.
Su Wei's face flushed, his lips pressing together tightly. No one had ever dared dismiss him so bluntly in public.
But Yuexin had already turned away, as though he didn't exist.
From the shadows of the crowd, Lu Shen watched. His tall figure leaned lazily against a marble column, a glass of wine untouched in his hand.
Most women in high society bent themselves into delicate shapes before him—laughing too loudly at his faintest words, stealing glances as if their lives depended on it. Yet this woman…
She ignored Su Wei with the poise of a queen, tore apart her cousin's mask with a single sentence, and wore her confidence like an untouchable crown.
Interesting.
When Yuexin's gaze swept casually across the hall, it collided with his. For a fraction of a second, the noise, the light, the whispers—all seemed to fade.
Her eyes lingered, cool and calm, acknowledging him but not seeking him. Not flattering, not begging. Simply equal.
That, more than anything, stirred his curiosity.
"Miss Zhao," Lu Shen finally said, breaking the silence between them. His voice, low and steady, carried easily despite the music.
The crowd parted again, whispering feverishly.
"He spoke to her again…"
"This is unprecedented. He never entertains small talk at these gatherings."
"Could it be…?"
Rourou's face stiffened, panic flashing across her carefully painted features. This was her birthday, her banquet—yet the man she had admired for years was looking at Yuexin instead.
Yuexin lowered her glass, her crimson lips curving slightly. "Young Master Lu."
"You've surprised me tonight," Lu Shen said.
The room collectively held its breath. His words were neither praise nor insult, but when spoken by him, they carried weight enough to topple reputations.
Yuexin's lashes lowered. "Life is full of surprises, isn't it? One moment, you think you know a person. The next, they're nothing like you imagined."
She said it lightly, but her eyes flickered briefly toward Su Wei and Rourou. The implication was not lost on anyone.
The crowd erupted in hushed excitement.
"Sharp words…"
"She's not afraid of offending anyone!"
"She's… incredible."
Even Lu Shen's lips curved faintly. Not a smile he rarely smiled but something close, something dangerous.
TO BE CONTINUED