Evening fell over the Zhao estate, and yet the house was far from calm.
Whispers ran through the corridors, servants exchanging looks as they carried dishes into the dining hall. News traveled fast in the city, and by now, every major household knew: the eldest Zhao daughter had secured the Chen collaboration.
The same collaboration that everyone had believed would belong to Zhao Rourou.
Rourou was the first to hear it.
She had just returned from a boutique, her arms laden with shopping bags, when her phone buzzed with a message from one of her socialite friends.
Congratulations on your sister's success! I heard the Chens signed with her today. Didn't you say you were handling it?
The smile froze on her lips. She stood in the doorway, staring at the words as if they were poison.
"What… what do you mean?" she whispered.
Another message came. It's already in the business circles' group chat. Everyone's praising her.
Her grip tightened on her phone until her knuckles turned white. Heat flushed her cheeks, humiliation rising like bile.
Zhao Yuexin.
That useless orphan. That piece of dirt her mother had pitied and dragged into their home. How dare she—how dared she—steal what was hers?
Lin Yumei noticed her daughter's dark expression and frowned. "Rourou? What's wrong?"
"Mother…" Rourou's eyes glistened with angry tears. "That bitch stole it. She stole the Chen collaboration from me!"
The teacup in Lin Yumei's hand slammed against the saucer with a sharp crack.
"What did you say?"
"She—she went to the Chen Corporation today. She signed the deal I was supposed to sign. Everyone's already talking about it. They think she's capable now!" Rourou's voice rose in hysteria. "How could she do this to me?"
Lin Yumei's face twisted with fury. "That slut!"
The dining hall that night simmered with tension.
Father Zhao sat at the head of the table, his usual stern expression darker than usual. He had already heard the news from his business contacts, and it unsettled him. For years, Zhao Yuexin had been nothing but a shadow, timid and forgettable. Yet now, she had appeared in the spotlight out of nowhere—stealing a collaboration his favored daughter had been preparing for.
"Yuexin." His deep voice cut through the clatter of cutlery. "Is it true? You signed a deal with the Chens today?"
All eyes turned to her.
Zhao Yuexin sat gracefully, her back straight, her chopsticks poised. She didn't flinch under their glares.
"Yes," she said softly. "I signed it."
The room erupted.
"You shameless thief!" Rourou slammed her hand on the table, her voice shrill. "That was my project! I worked on it for weeks. How dare you snatch it away?"
"Worked on it?" Yuexin arched a brow. "Funny. I recall you spent last week at the spa, and the week before at a friend's villa. When, exactly, did you work on it?"
"You—!"
Lin Yumei jumped in, pointing her finger. "Don't twist words! You've always been jealous of Rourou. Admit it, you stole her plan and presented it as your own!"
Yuexin placed her chopsticks down gently, her calmness a stark contrast to their rage.
"Stealing requires evidence, Auntie. Can you provide any?"
The words were like a blade cloaked in silk.
Father Zhao's frown deepened. "Enough. Yuexin, explain yourself. Why did you go to the Chen Corporation?"
Yuexin turned her gaze to him, her eyes steady. "Because opportunity doesn't wait. I saw a gap in their market strategy, and I offered a plan to fill it. They recognized its value and signed. That is all."
Her words were measured, neither arrogant nor submissive.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Even Father Zhao couldn't deny that her explanation sounded… reasonable.
Meanwhile, Rourou seethed, her nails digging crescents into her palm.
"Father! Don't be fooled. She only managed it because she knew I was preparing something. She must have overheard me and rushed ahead—"
"That's enough!" Father Zhao's voice cracked like thunder.
Rourou flinched, tears welling.
Lin Yumei rushed to soothe her, glaring daggers at Yuexin. But Yuexin only lowered her gaze, hiding the faintest curve of her lips.
One strike. One clean strike, and Rourou's flawless mask had begun to crack.
Later that night, as the mansion quieted, Yuexin returned to her room. She had just settled at her desk when the door burst open.
Rourou stormed in, her face blotched red with fury.
"You think you're clever, don't you?" she hissed. "Enjoying stealing my things? Father might be confused now, but soon everyone will see what you really are—a parasite!"
Yuexin lifted her head slowly, her eyes cold as moonlight.
"Funny," she murmured, "that's exactly what I was about to say to you."
Rourou froze.
Yuexin rose from her chair, her steps measured as she approached. For once, she didn't shrink back. She looked her cousin straight in the eye.
"I won't be your stepping stone anymore, Rourou. Every stage you try to climb" she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I'll be there first. Every light you think belongs to you I'll take it. And when you finally fall, don't blame me. Blame yourself."
The words were venom wrapped in velvet.
Rourou's face drained of color.
"You… you'll regret this!" she spat, before storming out and slamming the door.
Yuexin exhaled softly, her lips curving in a smile that never reached her eyes.
The game has only just begun.
Far across the city, in his penthouse office, Lu Shen leaned back in his chair as his assistant finished the report.
"…and according to sources, there was a major scene at the Zhao estate tonight. Zhao Rourou is reportedly furious with her cousin."
A low chuckle escaped Lu Shen's throat.
"Interesting."
His gaze drifted to the window, the city lights glittering like stars below.
"She's not the same woman I remember," he murmured. "This Zhao Yuexin… she's hiding thorns."
He closed the file with deliberate calm.
"Let's test her, then. See how sharp those thorns really are."
The night outside deepened, but the game had only begun.
TO BE CONTINUED