"Breaking News! The nation's goddess, international supermodel Yunyin, is rumored to be tying the knot!
"Once crowned the 'Face of Asia' and adored by millions, Yunyin has built a billion-dollar empire on her beauty, talent, and untouchable aura. But in a shocking twist, anonymous sources reveal that the superstar may be stepping away from the runway and into married life!"
"The question on everyone's lips: Will the goddess give up her fame and freedom for a mysterious man… or is there more to this marriage than meets the eye?"
"Industry insiders whisper that her groom is none other than Liang Xiyuan, the reclusive CEO of Empire Group, known for his cold precision, unmatched wealth, and ruthless control of Asia's financial markets."
"A man said to be allergic to love, obsessed only with power. Why her, and why now?"
The news anchor's voice echoed across television screens, playing on loop. Fans flooded social media, hashtags climbing to the top of trending lists within minutes.
"No way! Our goddess would never marry him!"
"Liang Xiyuan? The Iceberg CEO? What kind of match is that?!"
"She's giving up the runway for a ring? Impossible!"
"I thought she'd end up with her co-star Lu Tincheng"
Yunyin muted her phone, tossed it face down on the couch, and leaned back with a long sigh.
Outside, the world was on fire with speculation. Inside her apartment, silence wrapped around her like a vice.
Today at 10 AM, she would meet him, the man every gossip column was salivating over, the man her family insisted she marry.
And if the terms of the contract she brought went as planned, tomorrow would mark the start of the biggest performance of her life.
Yunyin's muted phone buzzed again, this time with the familiar ringtone assigned to her assistant.
Before she could answer, the door clicked open and in came Shen Rui, impeccably dressed as always, balancing a garment bag over one arm.
"Your outfit of the day, Yunyun.." he announced with a flourish, unzipping the bag to reveal a pastel pink dress that looked straight out of a spring campaign.
Delicate, feminine, photogenic. Exactly the sort of thing tabloids would eat up.
Yunyin barely glanced at it. "It's too cute, I feel like throwing up.." she said flatly.
Shen Rui raised a brow. "Too cute? The headlines call you a goddess, not a villainess buddy.. Pastel works."
She shook her head, scribbling something on her laptop. "I'm not going to walk into a marriage looking like a doll. I want something bold. Sharp. A statement. A look that says: don't underestimate me."
He exhaled dramatically. "So, black or red?"
"Both.." she replied without hesitation, lips curving into the faintest smirk.
While Shen Rui set the pink dress aside with a sigh, Yunyin scrolled down her laptop screen, eyes narrowing as she polished her draft.
Clause One: Full autonomy over her career. Marriage would not be an excuse to force her into retirement.
Clause Two: Financial independence maintained. Every cent she earned remained hers.
Clause Three: Mutual respect, no interference in each other's private lives unless agreed.
Her family didn't know about this, about her careful planning, her refusal to step into marriage blind.
They thought she was simply bowing to tradition at last, settling down before thirty like a "proper daughter" should. But Yunyin wasn't the kind of woman to gamble her future on blind faith.
Marriage, to her, was business. And if this man, this CEO everyone called ruthless, wanted her, then she would make sure he knew she came with terms.
She tapped the pen against her lips thoughtfully. What exactly is he hiding? Men like Liang Xiyuan never did anything without reason.
But she didn't know his real one. But she was sure, he had his own agenda. It would make it easier for her if he did.
"Bold it is, then.." Shen Rui's voice interrupted her thoughts. He held up a sleek black gown with a high slit and red stiletto heels that gleamed under the light. "If you're walking into war, you might as well do it dressed like a queen."
Yunyin's smile turned razor-sharp. "Exactly. But a gown isn't exactly what I was going for.."
Shen Rui blinked. "Not a gown? Then what?"
Yunyin rose from the couch, stretching as though the weight of the tabloids and her family's expectations didn't cling to her shoulders.
She walked toward the open wardrobe, eyes scanning the neat rows of designer pieces until her fingers brushed against crisp white fabric.
"This.." she said, tugging out a white high-waisted trouser, tailored sharp enough to cut glass.
From another hanger, she pulled a blood-red corset top, structured and daring, the kind of piece that drew the eye and refused to let it go.
Shen Rui's jaw dropped. "You're… wearing pants to meet your future husband?"
"Exactly.." she replied coolly, holding the corset against her frame in the mirror. "I'm not auditioning to be anyone's wife. I'm showing him exactly who he's marrying. Baddie, not a saddie buddy."
-_-
For a long moment, Shen Rui just stared, then shook his head with a half-smile. "Sometimes I forget you don't just play goddess on magazine covers. You really are one."
He crouched down, pulling another box from the bag. "Fine. If we're going bold, we go all the way.." From the tissue paper, he lifted a pair of scarlet stilettos, glossy and sky-high, finished with an oversized bow at the front, a deceptively playful detail on an otherwise lethal heel.
"Cute enough for the cameras.." Shen Rui murmured, placing them at her feet "but dangerous enough for him to remember where the power lies."
Yunyin slid them on, the added inches sharpening her silhouette into something untouchable. She reached for her laptop bag, but Shen Rui was already holding out a Guess handbag in matte black, understated but elegant.
"Practical, but chic.." he said, handing it over like an offering.
She slung it over her shoulder, the corners of her lips curling into the faintest, most dangerous smile. "Perfect. Now.." she said.
Yunyin's fingers hovered over her laptop for a moment, then she clicked Print. The hum of the home printer filled the silence, spitting out page after page of the contract clauses she'd crafted with surgical precision. When the last sheet landed neatly in the tray, she gathered them into a leather folder.
"Carrying the laptop looks desperate.." she said, slipping the folder into her bag. "This way, it feels deliberate."
Shen Rui gave a low whistle. "You really are planning to walk into a marriage like it's court."
"Marriage is court.." she replied, coolly fastening the clasp. "The only difference is the trial never ends."