The night deepened, the city gradually quieting.
In the master bedroom of Jiuxi Bay, only a dim bedside lamp remained lit.
Shen Yunmian leaned against the headboard, holding her phone. On the screen was the video the reporter had sent. Her finger hovered over the play button for a long time before finally pressing it.
In the video, Yu Sheng leaned in, her breath seeming to pierce through the screen, scorching her ear. That calm "Don't move" sounded again, like a feather brushing her heart, sending a shiver through her.
She replayed the video.
Again.
And again.
Yu Sheng's approaching profile, that whispered moment, the heat of her breath… every detail magnified endlessly. Knowing it was fake, knowing it was just an act, she was like someone addicted, greedily drawing comfort from the illusion.
Until her eyes grew sore, her consciousness blurred, and the phone slipped from her hand—yet the screen remained stubbornly lit, looping that fleeting moment of "intimacy."
Shen Yunmian sank into a chaotic dream.
It was the same seaside restaurant, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows showing a dazzling night view—only now even more intoxicating than reality.
Yu Sheng didn't leave.
She stood in front of her, still in that sharp black suit, but her gaze was no longer cold and distant.
Yu Sheng approached her on her own.
This time, it wasn't a misaligned illusion.
Soft lips, carrying undeniable force, pressed against hers—not a whisper by her ear, but a real kiss.
Shen Yunmian froze in shock, then was overwhelmed by ecstatic joy. She responded fervently, arms wrapping tightly around Yu Sheng's waist as if trying to pull her into her very bones. Between tangled breaths and lips, she murmured broken pleas, her voice trembling with tears:
"I'm sorry, Sheng Sheng… I'm sorry…"
Yu Sheng didn't respond to her apology, only bit down harder on her lower lip, carrying a hint of punishment. Then suddenly, she shoved her back, her body slamming hard against the cold glass window.
Behind her was the suspended night view, the sense of exposure making her dizzy with shame.
But Shen Yunmian had no time to think. She clutched Yu Sheng's hand tightly, afraid she would leave again. Fortunately, Yu Sheng didn't push her away, only gripped her waist roughly, the force strong enough to leave marks.
Those usually cold eyes now burned with dark fire. Her voice was hoarse as she commanded:
"Lift your leg."
Shen Yunmian froze instantly, overwhelming shame washing over her. Instinctively, she wanted to refuse such a humiliating position.
"Be good." Yu Sheng leaned down, her scorching breath brushing her ear again, seductive like a devil's whisper. "Listen… and I'll forgive you."
I'll forgive you.
Those words shattered all her resistance.
Her body stilled completely. She closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling violently, and obediently—struggling—followed the command.
The cold glass pressed against her skin, sending a shiver through her.
Yu Sheng leaned closer, trailing along the fragile line of her neck, forcing her to tilt her head back as she silently endured this punishment tangled with shame and overwhelming sensation.
At the peak of it all, her voice broke, almost crying as she pleaded from the depths of her heart:
"Sheng Sheng… please… forgive me… okay?"
In an instant—
Everything stopped.
The heat and intimacy froze solid.
Yu Sheng lifted her head. The fire in her eyes vanished completely, replaced by a bottomless coldness.
Her hand shot out, gripping Shen Yunmian's throat harshly!
The force was enough to suffocate her instantly.
"Shen Yunmian, keep dreaming."
The icy voice pierced straight into her heart.
Shen Yunmian jolted upright in bed!
Her chest heaved violently as she gasped for air, her forehead drenched in cold sweat.
The suffocation from the dream felt so real, her throat still tingling with phantom pain.
The bedroom was utterly silent, filled only with her ragged breathing.
Under the dim light, the phone screen beside her was still glowing, silently looping that video—Yu Sheng leaning close to her ear, calmly whispering, "Don't move. Let them take a few more convincing photos."
That fleeting moment of "closeness" in the footage stood in stark, absurd contrast to the dream.
Shen Yunmian stared blankly at Yu Sheng's profile on the screen—so calm it was almost cold—and an indescribable sense of absurdity flooded over her like icy water.
Slowly, she lifted a hand to cover her face, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
She was like a ridiculous clown, directing and acting in her own tragedy, performing a one-woman show for an audience that didn't exist.
Absurd to the extreme.
And… pitiful to the extreme.
—
The carefully staged "loving" photos and videos, combined with the guidance of professional online commentators, quickly shifted the direction of public opinion as if guided by an invisible hand.
The once rampant rumors of a "marital breakdown" were instantly reinterpreted as gossip about a "wealthy wife couple having a spat" and a "CEO chasing her wife through a crematorium arc." Netizens eagerly discussed Shen Yunmian's affectionate gaze in the photos and Yu Sheng's "intimate" whisper, as if they had personally witnessed a story of reconciliation.
However, the tide of public opinion always turns in unexpected places.
While tracing the relationship between the two, the name Lin Ruoyan resurfaced like a hidden reef beneath the water.
All the scandals she had painstakingly cultivated in the past, tying herself to Shen Yunmian, now became the most ironic evidence.
"Wasn't it always rumored that President Shen and Lin Ruoyan were a couple?"
"I bet the marriage trouble is because of a third party."
"+1, Lin Ruoyan totally looks like the 'white moonlight' type."
Speculation ran wild.
Some of Lin Ruoyan's more extreme fans even began twisting the narrative to defend their idol:
"Don't you understand business marriages? There's no love!"
"My girl and President Shen grew up together—they have deep feelings. Yu Sheng is the one who stole someone else's love!"
"Exactly, Yu Sheng is the real third party relying on her family background!"
The internet instantly descended into chaos, with rumors flaring up once again.
Seeing this, Lin Ruoyan thought she had found a chance to turn things around. She secretly increased her investment in online manipulation, trying to push the narrative of "Yu Sheng as the vicious original wife in a business marriage" and "Lin Ruoyan as the unrequited white moonlight," even managing to push it onto trending topics for a time.
Yu Sheng scrolled through the absurd comments on her phone, her expression unchanged. She simply let out a faint scoff, tossed the phone aside, and continued working on her documents.
A clown jumping around—hardly worth a glance.
Gu Wanqing, on the other hand, was furious, practically jumping in anger. "Lin Ruoyan, that scheming green tea! Does she have any shame? Back then she was the one clinging to Shen Yunmian for hype, and now she dares to flip the narrative? Sheng Sheng, just wait—I'll get people to drag her online right now!"
Su Qingyu, however, remained calm and stopped her. "Don't rush. Someone is even more anxious than we are to deal with this."
Sure enough, they didn't have to wait long.
That very afternoon, the official account of the Shen Group released a rare personal statement, worded directly by Shen Yunmian herself, clear and decisive.
In the statement, Shen Yunmian denied all ambiguous rumors involving Lin Ruoyan. She clearly stated that her relationship with her wife Yu Sheng was deeply affectionate, and that previous conflicts were entirely due to her own "carelessness and poor judgment in maintaining proper boundaries in personal interactions, failing to provide her wife with sufficient security, causing her distress." She solemnly promised that she would "strictly regulate her words and actions moving forward, clarify boundaries, and eliminate any personal relationships that could cause misunderstandings."
It was practically a direct condemnation of Lin Ruoyan for lacking boundaries, declaring that their past rumors were completely unfounded.
Even more ruthless, at the end of the statement, Shen Yunmian tore apart Lin Ruoyan's carefully crafted "rich heiress" persona, stating bluntly: "Ms. Lin Ruoyan is the daughter of a deceased driver of the Shen family. Out of consideration for past ties, the Shen family has provided her with support over the years. There has never been any relationship between us beyond that of family acquaintances. Any further rumors will be pursued legally."
The phrase "driver's daughter" was like a resounding slap across Lin Ruoyan's face—and it also woke up many previously misled fans.
As soon as the statement was released, public opinion exploded.
The most vocal fans immediately fell silent, while many bystanders mocked Lin Ruoyan as a "fake heiress clinging to a real wealthy family." Already declining in popularity due to fewer resources, her reputation completely collapsed, triggering a wave of mass unfollowing and backlash.
Her carefully woven dream was torn apart so mercilessly that Lin Ruoyan nearly ground her teeth to dust as she read the overwhelming ridicule online. Years of scheming, reduced to a joke.
The overwhelming anger made her lose all reason.
She no longer cared about anything else and rushed to the Shen family's old residence to find her only remaining "ally"—Zhou Yaqin.
"Aunt Zhou! Look at what Yunmian has done—she actually treated me like this for Yu Sheng!" Lin Ruoyan cried pitifully, handing over the statement on her phone, her voice full of grievance and provocation. "She's completely under Yu Sheng's control now—whatever Yu Sheng says goes. She's clearly trying to drive away everyone close to Yunmian!"
Zhou Yaqin's expression grew darker as she read the statement. Seeing her own daughter admit fault and apologize publicly for hurting Yu Sheng made her even more furious.
Sensing this, Lin Ruoyan pressed on while the iron was hot. "Aunt Zhou, think about it—because of Xingyao, Yu Sheng lost her child. How could she not resent you? Now she's getting close to Yunmian and sowing discord. What if… what if she keeps whispering in Yunmian's ear and turns her against you and Xingyao? Will you still have any say in this family then?"
Her words were like a venomous snake, striking precisely at Zhou Yaqin's most sensitive nerve. Thinking of her daughter's recent coldness and restrictions toward her, a chill crept up from her heart. She couldn't just sit and wait.
A ruthless determination flashed in Zhou Yaqin's eyes as she lowered her voice and said decisively:
"No more waiting. Tonight—we will make it happen!"
"I'll make Yunmian see clearly who truly deserves her love! This marriage must end!"
—
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