Zi Ning sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone when a message from Xu Jie popped up.
"Something bad happened. Come to the studio now."
Her chest tightened. She had a bad feeling about this. Without thinking, she grabbed a coat and rushed out of the apartment.
The rain poured outside, soaking the streets. Just as she stepped out, a black car pulled up in front of her building. The door opened, and Lu Yichen stepped out, holding an umbrella.
"Where are you going?" His deep voice cut through the sound of the rain.
"Xu Jie called me. Something urgent at the studio," she said, hurrying towards the car.
Lu Yichen's sharp eyes studied her. Without another word, he opened the car door for her. "Get in. I'll take you."
She hesitated for a second before nodding. The rain was heavy, and she didn't have time to argue.
Inside the car, silence filled the space. Zi Ning's mind raced with possibilities. Was it Wang Yin again? Did Guo Bao pull another trick? Or was it something even worse?
Lu Yichen glanced at her. "Whatever it is, don't panic. I'm here."
His words gave her a bit of comfort, but her heart remained restless.
When they arrived at the studio, the atmosphere was tense. Staff members whispered among themselves, throwing nervous glances at her as she walked in.
Xu Jie was waiting for her in his office. The moment she stepped in, he locked the door behind her. His face was pale, his hands gripping his phone tightly.
"What happened?" Zi Ning asked, her voice firm.
Xu Jie hesitated for a moment before handing her the phone. "See for yourself."
Zi Ning took the phone and pressed play.
A video popped up on the screen. It was a recording from a hotel room, the camera hidden somewhere in the corner. The quality was grainy, but everything was clear enough.
A woman sat on a bed, wearing a red silk dress. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her face was turned slightly away from the camera.
Then, a man entered the room. He walked up to the woman, and she turned her face towards him.
Zi Ning's blood ran cold.
The woman in the video looked exactly like her.
The same face, the same features. But something was different. The woman in the video had a seductive smile, her eyes filled with something that wasn't her.
The man leaned in, whispering something in her ear before placing his hand on her waist.
Zi Ning's hands tightened around the phone. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
"This… this isn't me!" she said through gritted teeth.
Xu Jie nodded quickly. "I know it's not you. But the internet doesn't."
Zi Ning's breathing became unsteady. "Who leaked this?"
Xu Jie's expression darkened. "Wang Yin."
Zi Ning clenched her fists. She should have known.
Lu Yichen, who had been silent, finally spoke. His voice was cold, filled with danger.
"She's playing a dirty game. But she made a mistake."
Zi Ning looked up at him. "What mistake?"
Lu Yichen's lips curled into a smirk. "She underestimated you."
The scandal spread like wildfire. Within hours, Zi Ning's name was all over the internet.
"Zi Ning's secret life exposed!"
"Shocking video of Zi Ning with a mystery man!"
"The real face of the popular actress?"
Social media was in chaos. Some fans defended her, saying the video could be fake. But many believed it, throwing insults and accusations at her.
"I can't believe this. She looks so innocent, but she's actually like this?"
"Disgusting. She fooled everyone."
"I knew she wasn't clean. Just another actress using her body to climb up."
Zi Ning felt like she was suffocating. It wasn't just an attack on her career—it was an attack on her as a person.
But she refused to hide.
That afternoon, she made a decision. She called for a press conference.
The media swarmed the venue, cameras flashing as she walked onto the stage. She stood tall, facing the sea of reporters without fear.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke.
"This video is fake," she said, her voice steady. "And I will prove it."
The reporters erupted into chaos, throwing questions at her. But Zi Ning wasn't done.
"I will take legal action against those spreading these lies. And I will not back down."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Back at the Lu Group office, Lu Yichen sat at his desk, tapping his fingers against the table.
His assistant, Zhou Wei, stood in front of him. "Sir, we've traced the source of the video. It was released from an anonymous account, but the IP address was linked to a private network in the Wang family's estate."
Lu Yichen's eyes turned ice-cold.
"Prepare a response," he ordered. "Make sure everyone knows that this is fake. And dig deeper into Wang Yin's connections."
Zhou Wei nodded and left.
Lu Yichen leaned back, his jaw tightening.
Wang Yin thought she could destroy Zi Ning with this?
She had no idea who she was dealing with.
Meanwhile, at the Wang estate, Wang Yin sat in her room, smiling as she refreshed the trending topics.
Zi Ning was finished.
With this scandal, no brand would dare work with her. No director would cast her. And Guo Bao…
She glanced at her phone. Still no message from him.
Wang Yin's smile faded.
Why wasn't he calling? Wasn't this what he wanted?
Suddenly, her bedroom door slammed open.
Her father, Wang Haoran, stormed in. His face was dark with anger. "You useless fool!"
Wang Yin's eyes widened. "Dad—"
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Wang Haoran threw his phone on the bed. The screen showed Lu Yichen's latest statement.
"The so-called video of Zi Ning is an edited fake. The law will handle this matter. And to those responsible—be prepared to face the consequences."
Wang Yin's blood turned cold.
Lu Yichen was backing Zi Ning?!
Her hands trembled. "I—I just wanted to ruin her reputation. I didn't think—"
Wang Haoran slammed his fist against the table. "Idiot! Do you think Lu Yichen is someone you can play with?!"
The door burst open again. This time, it was a bodyguard. "Sir, bad news! The Lu Group's legal team has filed a lawsuit against Miss Wang Yin!"
Wang Yin's body went numb.
She thought she had won.
But she had just declared war on Lu Yichen.
And there was no escaping now.