The next morning, Zi Yan sat in Lu Yichen's living room, sipping tea. The warmth of the drink spread through her body, but her mind was restless.
After everything that had happened, she should have felt safe. Guo Bao was finished, Wang Yin was on the run, and she was no longer in danger.
But something didn't feel right.
Her gut told her this wasn't over.
Just as she was deep in thought, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen. Unknown Number.
She hesitated.
After a moment, she answered.
A distorted voice came through.
"You think you've won, Zi Yan?"
Her fingers tightened around the phone. "Who are you?"
The voice chuckled. "Someone who knows the truth about your past."
Zi Yan's heart skipped a beat.
"My past?"
The voice continued, low and taunting.
"The family you lost. The accident. The reason why you were abandoned. It's all connected, Zi Yan. And if you want to know the truth…"
There was a pause.
"Meet me at Red Moon Café. Tonight. Come alone."
The line went dead.
Zi Yan sat frozen, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
Her past?
Memories flashed through her mind.
The faint image of a woman's voice calling her name. The sound of a car crashing. The feeling of waking up in a strange hospital, not knowing who she was.
She had always wondered.
Why had she lost her memories?
Why had she been adopted into a middle-class family when she clearly didn't belong there?
And now, someone had answers.
But was it a trap?
That evening, Zi Yan stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her coat.
She had made up her mind.
She needed to go.
She had lived in the dark for too long. If there was even a small chance she could uncover the truth, she had to take it.
Just as she turned to leave, the door opened.
Lu Yichen stood there. His eyes darkened the moment he saw her dressed to go out.
"Where are you going?"
Zi Yan hesitated.
"I… need to meet someone."
Lu Yichen stepped forward, his presence overwhelming. "Who?"
Zi Yan met his gaze. "Someone who knows about my past."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Lu Yichen's jaw tightened.
"Do you trust this person?"
Zi Yan looked down. "I don't know."
Lu Yichen's expression turned cold. "Then you're not going."
Zi Yan frowned. "Lu Yichen—"
He grabbed her wrist gently but firmly.
"You just escaped danger, and now you're walking into another one?" His voice was low, controlled, but Zi Yan could hear the frustration in it.
"I have to take this chance," she insisted.
Lu Yichen's fingers tightened slightly. "Then I'll go with you."
Zi Yan shook her head. "They said to come alone."
Lu Yichen's face turned even darker.
"Then it's a trap."
Zi Yan sighed. "I know. But I still have to go."
She pulled her hand away. "I've spent years not knowing who I really am. I can't ignore this."
Lu Yichen's fists clenched.
She was too stubborn.
But he also understood.
He sighed. "Fine. But if anything happens, call me immediately."
Zi Yan nodded.
And with that, she walked out.
Zi Yan arrived at the café just before midnight.
The place was nearly empty. A few customers sat at the back, minding their own business.
She took a deep breath and walked in.
A waiter approached her. "Miss Zi?"
Zi Yan tensed. "Yes."
The waiter gestured to a private booth. "This way."
Zi Yan followed him.
The booth was dimly lit, hidden from the rest of the café. A figure sat inside, face covered by a hat and mask.
She slid into the seat opposite them.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, the stranger spoke.
"You really came."
Zi Yan studied them carefully. The voice was male, but distorted.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
The man chuckled. "Someone who knows the truth."
Zi Yan's patience thinned. "Stop playing games."
The man leaned forward. "You were never abandoned, Zi Yan."
Her breath hitched.
The man continued.
"You were taken."
Zi Yan's eyes widened. "What?"
The man's voice lowered.
"There was no accident. It was planned."
Zi Yan's heart pounded. "You're lying."
The man shook his head.
"Your real family is powerful, Zi Yan. But someone didn't want you to return to them. So they made you disappear."
Zi Yan's hands trembled.
"Who?" she whispered.
The man hesitated.
Then, he slid a small envelope across the table.
"Everything you need to know is in here."
Zi Yan reached for it, her fingers shaking.
Before she could open it, the man stood up.
"I have to go."
Zi Yan grabbed his wrist. "Wait!"
But before she could say anything else, he pulled away and disappeared into the night.
Zi Yan sat frozen, staring at the envelope in her hands.
The truth was right in front of her.
And she was terrified to open it.
Zi Yan sat in her apartment, staring at the envelope.
She took a deep breath and slowly opened it.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
And the words written on it sent chills down her spine.
"Your real name is Zi Ning. You are the lost heiress of the Zi and Yan families."
Zi Yan's vision blurred.
Zi and Yan families?
Two of the wealthiest families in China?
She was their daughter?
Her breath came fast.
It didn't make sense.
Why hadn't they found her?
Why had she lived all these years as a nobody?
She turned the paper over.
There was a list of names.
People involved in her disappearance.
Her fingers tightened as she read the last name.
Wang Yin.
Her blood ran cold.
Wang Yin had been involved in her kidnapping.
Zi Yan's nails dug into her palm.
Everything—her suffering, her lost childhood, her struggles—it was all because of Wang Yin.
Anger burned inside her.
She would not forgive her.
Wang Yin had taken everything from her.
Now, it was time to take everything from Wang Yin.
Zi Yan stood up, eyes cold.