Chapter 3 – Refusal
The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air as she sat before her vanity, staring at the calendar again.
Two weeks until the engagement banquet.
Two weeks until she signed away her life to the man who would strip her of everything.
Her heart pounded. This time, she would not walk blindly into that cage.
The maid tapped lightly on the door. "Young Miss, the family is waiting in the study. They want to finalize details with Young Master Xu."
Xu Liwei. Her lips twisted. In her last life, his name had been sweet honey. Now, it was venom.
She rose slowly, smoothing the silken folds of her dress. Her fingers trembled—not with fear, but with anticipation. Today, the chains would snap.
The study was filled with polished wood and the low hum of conversation. Her father sat at the head, stern and commanding. Her mother hovered nearby, already discussing banquet menus. And there, smiling like a benevolent gentleman, was Xu Liwei.
The sight of him made her stomach lurch. He was as handsome as she remembered—refined features, warm eyes that once fooled her into thinking he was sincere. But beneath that mask lurked the man who would one day grind her into dust.
Beside him sat her cousin, Chen Yulan, demure and delicate, eyes lowered as if she couldn't bear to intrude. The picture of innocence. Only Liang Yue knew better.
"Yue'er," her father said, smiling faintly, "come, sit. We were just discussing your engagement."
Engagement. The word was a knife.
Liwei rose at once, moving toward her. "Yue, I was worried when you didn't come earlier. You've been quiet lately. Is something troubling you?" His voice was soft, practiced, the kind that had charmed boardrooms and bedrooms alike.
Beside him, Chen Yulan lowered her eyes demurely, the perfect image of a shy cousin unwilling to intrude. But Liang Yue caught the flicker of satisfaction hidden in her cousin's smile.
Once, she would have melted. Now, she saw only the wolf beneath the sheep's clothing. In her last life, she hadn't seen it. This time, she saw everything.
She met his gaze, steady and cold. "There is something troubling me."
The room fell silent.
Liang Yue's lips curled into something between a smile and a snarl. Her heart thundered, but her voice came out steady, like ice. This is it.
"I will not marry Xu Liwei."
Her father's head jerked up, his face darkened instantly. "What nonsense is this?"
Her mother gasped, one hand flying to her chest. "Yue'er! Do you know what you're saying? This marriage is already announced! Do you want the whole city laughing at us?"
Liwei froze, his mask slipping for the briefest second before he forced a wounded smile.
Stepping forward, the picture of concern. "Yue, if I've done something to upset you, please—let's talk it through. Don't—don't say things you don't mean."
Chen Yulan leaned forward quickly, concern painted across her features. "Cousin, you must be under stress. Brother Liwei cares for you so much. Please don't speak in anger."
Liang Yue let out a laugh. Low, sharp, startling in the quiet room. "Anger? No, cousin. For the first time, I am speaking clearly."
She turned to her father, her voice unwavering. "This engagement will not happen. Not today, not ever."
The words cracked through the air like thunder.
Her father slammed his hand against the table. "Ungrateful girl! Do you know how much this marriage means for the family? Do you know the opportunity you're throwing away?"
Opportunity. Yes, in her last life she had given them all an opportunity—to bleed her dry.
Liwei stepped closer, lowering his voice as though speaking intimately. "Yue, think carefully. Our families' futures depend on us. I—"
She cut him off, her eyes glinting. "You mistake me for the fool I was yesterday. But I have no intention of binding my life to a man I cannot trust."
For the first time, Liwei's expression cracked. The mask slipped, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. But he quickly recovered, offering a strained smile. "You're upset now, but you'll see reason. I'll give you time."
Yulan's lips curled into the faintest smirk before she smoothed it into a look of worry. "Cousin, please don't ruin your future over a moment of rebellion."
Liang Yue straightened her spine, her voice cold as steel. "My future will be mine to decide. Not yours. Not his. Mine. If you're so concerned then why don't you marry him."
Her father barked for her to return, but she turned on her heel, skirts whispering across the floor, and strode from the study without a backward glance.
Her heart thundered, but a savage satisfaction burned in her chest.
In her last life, she had walked into that room and signed her freedom away.
This time, she walked out.
And the game had only just begun.