Late at night, the Guo family mansion was dimly lit, but inside Guo Jiancheng's study, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. The old patriarch sat behind his massive wooden desk, fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface. Across from him stood a man dressed in black, his face hidden in the shadows.
"Everything is ready," the man said in a low voice.
Guo Jiancheng nodded slowly, a sinister smile forming on his lips. "Good. Then it's time to strike."
The man hesitated for a brief moment. "Are you sure about this? Lu Yichen is not an easy opponent."
Guo Jiancheng's eyes flashed with coldness. "That's exactly why we must make the first move. If we wait too long, he will only get stronger. We will hit him where it hurts the most."
The man nodded and silently disappeared into the darkness.
Guo Jiancheng leaned back in his chair, his smile widening. This was only the beginning.
Zi Ning was having trouble sleeping. She tossed and turned in bed, but the events of the past few days kept replaying in her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Guo Bao's disgusting smirk, the fear she had felt in that hotel room, and then—Lu Yichen's cold, powerful presence as he saved her.
She sighed and sat up, running a hand through her hair. This wasn't the first time Lu Yichen had come to her rescue. But why?
She had asked him directly, but he had only given her vague answers.
"I will protect you."
Those words echoed in her mind.
She didn't want to be a burden to him. She had spent years fighting on her own, surviving in the entertainment industry without anyone's help. She wasn't weak.
But at the same time…
She couldn't deny the sense of security she felt when Lu Yichen was around.
She glanced at her phone, debating whether to text him. But what would she even say?
After a long sigh, she got out of bed and walked to the window, staring at the city lights below.
She had a bad feeling about what was coming.
Author's Note: Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
The next morning, Zi Ning arrived at the film set as usual, but something felt different. There was an unusual buzz among the staff, whispers and hushed conversations passing from one person to another.
Jiang Yue rushed up to her the moment she stepped out of her car.
"Did you see the news?" Jiang Yue asked, her voice low but urgent.
Zi Ning frowned. "What news?"
Jiang Yue pulled out her phone and handed it to her. Zi Ning's heart dropped the moment she saw the headline.
"Zi Ning: The Mistress of a Powerful CEO?"
Below the headline was a blurry photo of her and Lu Yichen. It was taken from a distance, but there was no mistaking the moment—it was from the night he had saved her at the hotel. The way he had held her close, his protective stance—it was all captured in the image.
The article went into detail, claiming that she was Lu Yichen's secret lover, that she had seduced him to climb the ranks in the entertainment industry. It even suggested that she had betrayed Guo Bao for a richer man.
Her hands clenched around the phone.
"This is Guo Bao's doing," she said through gritted teeth.
Jiang Yue nodded. "Of course it is. He's trying to destroy your reputation."
Zi Ning took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "It won't work. The truth will come out."
Jiang Yue hesitated. "I don't know, Ning. The media is ruthless. Even if you deny it, the damage is already done. Your endorsements, your roles—everything could be affected."
Zi Ning's expression hardened. "Then I'll fight back."
She wasn't the weak girl Guo Bao thought she was.
She would not be silenced.
Meanwhile, at Lu Corporation, Lu Yichen sat in his office, casually scrolling through the same news article. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of cold amusement in his eyes.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
Chen Rui entered, looking serious. "Boss, do you want us to take this down?"
Lu Yichen set his phone aside. "No need."
Chen Rui hesitated. "But this could damage Miss Zi Ning's career."
Lu Yichen's lips curved into a smirk. "Let's see how she handles it first."
Chen Rui blinked. "You're testing her?"
Lu Yichen leaned back in his chair. "She needs to learn how to fight back. If she's going to stand by my side, she can't be weak."
Chen Rui nodded slowly. "And if she fails?"
Lu Yichen's eyes darkened. "She won't."
Zi Ning wasted no time. Instead of hiding, she walked straight into the storm.
She called for a press conference that same afternoon. The media, eager for more drama, gathered in large numbers, their cameras flashing as she stepped onto the stage.
Dressed in a simple but elegant white dress, she looked calm and composed, but her eyes burned with determination.
She took the microphone and faced the crowd.
"I know many of you have questions," she began, her voice steady. "So let me be clear—everything in that article is a lie."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
A reporter raised his hand. "Then can you explain the photo?"
Zi Ning didn't hesitate. "That night, I was in danger. Lu Yichen saved me. That's the truth."
Another reporter spoke up. "So you're saying there's nothing between you and President Lu?"
Zi Ning's heart skipped a beat.
She met the reporter's gaze and, for a brief second, thought about what she should say.
Finally, she answered, "My personal life is not for others to judge. But I will say this—I will not let false rumors define me."
There was a moment of silence before the reporters burst into more questions. But Zi Ning didn't answer any more. She had said what she needed to.
She turned and walked away with her head held high.