Zi Yan stood in front of the mirror, her fingers trembling slightly as she clutched the letter. The words repeated in her mind.
"Your real name is Zi Ning. You are the lost heiress of the Zi and Yan families."
Heiress.
For twenty years, she had lived as Zi Yan, a forgotten girl struggling in an unforgiving world.
Now, she knew the truth.
She was never meant to be abandoned. She was meant to stand at the top.
Her blood boiled at the thought.
Wang Yin had taken that from her.
Her childhood. Her family. Her name.
Zi Yan closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.
No.
She was not Zi Yan anymore.
She was Zi Ning.
And she would take back everything that was hers.
She gripped the letter tightly, then set it down. There was no time to waste.
Zi Yan—no, Zi Ning—picked up her phone.
There was only one person she could trust right now.
She dialed the number.
A deep, steady voice answered almost immediately.
"Zi Yan?" Lu Yichen's tone was calm, but there was a hint of worry beneath it.
Zi Ning took a deep breath. "I need to see you."
Silence.
Then—
"Where are you?"
"Home."
"Wait for me."
The call ended.
Zi Ning placed the phone down, her hands clenching into fists.
She had spent too long hiding.
Now, it was time to fight back.
Half an hour later, Lu Yichen arrived.
He stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning her face.
"You found something," he said immediately.
Zi Ning nodded and handed him the letter.
Lu Yichen read it, his expression turning darker with every second.
When he finished, he looked up.
"Zi Ning," he said, testing the name.
Zi Ning exhaled. "That's who I really am."
Lu Yichen's gaze locked onto hers.
"You've always been strong, but now you know where you belong." His voice was firm. "What do you want to do?"
Zi Ning's hands balled into fists. "Take everything back."
Lu Yichen nodded.
"I'll help you."
Zi Ning looked at him, eyes filled with determination. "This is my battle, Lu Yichen."
Lu Yichen stepped closer. "And I'll be right beside you."
She didn't argue.
She needed allies. And there was no one she trusted more than him.
Zi Ning sat down, thinking carefully.
She needed to act fast.
The world still thought she was just an actress, a scandal-ridden celebrity.
She had to change that.
"We need to confirm my identity first," Zi Ning said. "The Zi and Yan families…" She hesitated. "They think I'm dead, don't they?"
Lu Yichen's jaw tightened. "Most likely."
Zi Ning exhaled slowly.
"Then I need to make them believe I'm alive."
Lu Yichen's lips curled into a smirk. "That won't be difficult."
He pulled out his phone.
"Leave it to me."
Zi Ning watched him, a small fire burning in her chest.
For the first time in years, she was no longer just surviving.
She was preparing for war.
And she was going to win.
The next morning, a news article shook the country.
"Zi Yan: The Forgotten Heiress?"
A well-known investigative journalist had published an explosive report.
It detailed Zi Yan's mysterious past, the rumors of a missing heiress, and shocking new evidence suggesting she was connected to the Zi and Yan families.
Social media exploded.
People who once mocked her were now in shock.
"Wait… Zi Yan is actually from a rich family?"
"If this is true, then someone must have deliberately hidden her identity!"
"This sounds like a drama! Who did this to her?!"
Zi Ning sat in her apartment, reading the comments.
The truth was coming to light.
Now, it was only a matter of time before her so-called family reached out.
The entire city was in an uproar.
Zi Yan—the scandal-ridden actress—was actually the lost heiress of the Zi and Yan families?
Major news outlets picked up the story, discussing the shocking discovery.
On social media, people couldn't stop talking about it.
"Zi Yan has always been so beautiful. Now we know why! She was born into wealth!"
"If this is true, why was she abandoned for so many years?"
"Someone must have hidden the truth! Maybe her family doesn't want her back!"
Every major news channel ran the story.
Everyone wanted to know one thing—was it true?
Inside the grand Zi family estate, an elderly man sat stiffly in his chair.
Zi Rong, the current head of the Zi family, held the newspaper in his trembling hands.
His granddaughter…
The little girl they had lost twenty years ago…
Was she truly alive?
A deep, shaky breath left his lips.
Beside him, a tall man with sharp features spoke calmly.
"Grandfather, if this is true, we need to confirm it immediately."
Zi Heng, the eldest grandson of the Zi family, had always been calm and composed. But right now, even his voice held urgency.
Zi Rong closed his eyes. "Find her."
Zi Heng nodded. "I already have men investigating."
But another voice cut in, cold and displeased.
"What's the point?"
A woman in her mid-forties crossed her arms, her expression filled with disdain.
"She's been missing for twenty years. She has no connection to us anymore."
Zi Rong's eyes snapped open, sharp with authority.
"Zi Qian, that is my granddaughter you are speaking about."
The woman pursed her lips but didn't argue.
Zi Heng ignored her. He had more important matters to handle.
At the same time, in another grand estate, the Yan family was also in chaos.
Yan Bai, the head of the family, stood frozen in his study, his hand gripping the edge of his desk.
"Yan'er…" he whispered.
His little girl.
His daughter.
Alive?
His wife, Madam Yan, covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. "We have to find her."
Yan Bai turned to his eldest son, Yan Zhou. "Go. No matter what it takes, bring her home."
Yan Zhou nodded and left immediately.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious apartment, Wang Yin's face had turned pale.
How could this be happening?
She had spent years suppressing Zi Yan, making sure no one took her seriously.
And now?
She was suddenly an heiress?!
Guo Bao, who sat beside her, was equally frustrated.
"That damned reporter! Who leaked the story?!" he hissed.
Wang Yin clenched her fists.
"It doesn't matter. We have to act fast. If the Zi and Yan families accept her, she will crush us."
Guo Bao's eyes darkened. "Then we can't let that happen."
They exchanged a look.
Zi Yan had to disappear before she could claim her identity.
Zi Ning sat in her apartment, staring at her phone.
It had been ringing all morning.
Reporters. News stations. Curious strangers.
But she ignored all of them.
Then, a new call came in.
Zi Family - Zi Heng
She inhaled sharply.
The Zi family had finally reached out.
Her hands tightened around the phone before she pressed accept.
"Hello?"
A deep voice spoke. "Miss Zi Yan?"
Zi Ning took a slow breath. "That was my name. My real name is Zi Ning."
A short silence.
Then—
"I am Zi Heng. I would like to meet with you. Are you available?"
Zi Ning's lips curled slightly.
"I was waiting for you."
Two hours later, Zi Ning arrived at a high-end café.
Zi Heng was already waiting.
The moment she stepped inside, their eyes met.
Zi Heng studied her carefully.
She had the same features as the Zi family.
Those sharp eyes, that strong presence.
She looked just like their grandmother when she was young.
There was no doubt. She was truly the lost heiress.
Zi Heng stood up. "Zi Ning."
Zi Ning's heart pounded, but she didn't let it show.
She sat down gracefully. "You believe me?"
Zi Heng nodded. "Yes. But I need proof."
Zi Ning pulled out the old pendant she had worn for years.
It had the Zi family crest engraved on the back.
Zi Heng's breath caught.
"That pendant…"
"It was given to me when I was a child," Zi Ning said.
Zi Heng exhaled.
"Come with me."
Zi Ning met his gaze. "To the Zi family estate?"
Zi Heng nodded.
Zi Ning's fingers curled around the pendant.
It was time.
She would finally meet her true family.