Zi Ning walked out of the press conference with steady steps, but as soon as she was out of sight, she let out a slow breath. Her hands were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. The flashing cameras, the relentless questions, the way they tried to twist her words—she had expected it, but facing it head-on was another matter.
Jiang Yue caught up with her, her face full of worry. "You handled that well, but this isn't over. The media will keep digging, and Guo Bao won't stop here."
Zi Ning's eyes turned cold. "Let him try. I'm done playing the victim."
Her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced at the screen and saw Lu Yichen's name. Without hesitation, she answered.
"Come to my office," his deep voice said. No greeting, no explanation.
Zi Ning frowned but didn't argue. "I'll be there soon."
Jiang Yue looked at her curiously. "Lu Yichen?"
Zi Ning nodded. "Yes. I need to see him."
Jiang Yue sighed. "Be careful, Ning. His world is dangerous."
Zi Ning smiled faintly. "So is mine."
Inside Lu Corporation's towering skyscraper, Zi Ning walked past rows of employees who glanced at her curiously but didn't dare to say anything. By now, they had all seen the headlines. Some whispered as she passed, but she ignored them.
When she reached Lu Yichen's office, Chen Rui was waiting outside. He nodded at her before opening the door.
"Go in. He's expecting you."
Zi Ning stepped inside and saw Lu Yichen standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the city. His tall figure, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, radiated power.
"You handled yourself well," he said without turning around.
Zi Ning crossed her arms. "If you're calling to test me again, I don't have time for this."
Lu Yichen finally turned to face her, his dark eyes studying her. "You're upset."
She let out a sharp laugh. "Of course, I am! I wake up to lies about me, I have to defend myself in front of the whole country, and now you're acting like this is some kind of game!"
Lu Yichen's expression didn't change, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. "I never said it was a game."
Zi Ning exhaled, trying to calm herself. "Why did you call me here?"
Lu Yichen walked over to his desk and picked up a file. He handed it to her. "Because this isn't just about Guo Bao. Someone else is pulling the strings."
Zi Ning opened the file and scanned the contents. There were financial records, secret transactions, and hidden deals—evidence of corruption and dirty business.
Her fingers tightened around the pages. "Who?"
"Guo Jiancheng," Lu Yichen said. "Guo Bao's father."
Zi Ning's stomach turned. She had always thought Guo Bao was the main problem, but if his father was involved, things were far worse than she had imagined.
Lu Yichen continued, "Guo Jiancheng has been preparing for this for a long time. He wants to ruin you, and he wants to weaken me. This scandal was just the first step."
Zi Ning looked up at him. "Then what's the next step?"
Lu Yichen's gaze darkened. "A trap."
Author's Note: Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
That evening, Guo Jiancheng sat in his private study, sipping tea as Guo Bao paced in front of him.
"She's not breaking!" Guo Bao growled. "She even held a press conference and turned the media against us! Damn it, Father, what do we do now?"
Guo Jiancheng chuckled. "Calm down. This is just the beginning."
Guo Bao frowned. "What do you mean?"
Guo Jiancheng leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with calculation. "Lu Yichen is a powerful man, but even he has weaknesses. And the biggest one right now is his attachment to Zi Ning."
Guo Bao scoffed. "What attachment? He barely shows emotion."
"Exactly," Guo Jiancheng said. "And that's why we need to make him show emotion."
Guo Bao raised an eyebrow. "How?"
His father smiled. "By making him lose her."
Guo Bao's confusion turned into excitement as he realized what his father was planning.
"You mean—"
Guo Jiancheng nodded. "Yes. It's time to get rid of her for good."
Zi Ning sat in her apartment, staring at the file Lu Yichen had given her. The weight of it pressed heavily on her chest.
Guo Jiancheng was no ordinary enemy. If he wanted her destroyed, he would stop at nothing.
She had thought Guo Bao was her worst nightmare, but now she realized he was just a pawn in a much bigger game.
A sudden knock at her door made her jump.
She cautiously walked over and looked through the peephole.
It was a delivery man.
Strange. She hadn't ordered anything.
Still, she opened the door slightly. "Yes?"
"Delivery for Miss Zi Ning," the man said, handing her a small package.
She hesitated before taking it. "Who sent this?"
The man shrugged. "No name. Just an address."
Zi Ning frowned. She thanked him and closed the door, staring at the box in her hands.
Her instincts told her something wasn't right.
Carefully, she opened it.
Inside was a single USB drive.
She plugged it into her laptop, and a video file appeared.
When she clicked play, her breath caught in her throat.
It was security footage—of her.
Of the night in the hotel.
But this time, the angle was different.
It made it look like she had willingly followed Guo Bao into that room.
And worse, the video had been edited to make it seem like she had been the one seducing him.
Her hands shook as she realized the truth.
This was Guo Jiancheng's next move.
This was the trap.
And if she didn't act fast, her career—and her life—would be over.
Zi Ning's fingers curled tightly around the edges of her laptop. The fabricated video played in front of her, each second twisting the truth into a cruel lie. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she watched herself—edited, manipulated—to look like the one seducing Guo Bao.
Her body tensed with anger. The hotel scandal had already shaken her, but this… This was meant to destroy her completely.
She quickly ejected the USB drive and slammed her laptop shut. Her mind raced. Who had sent this? And more importantly, what did they want? Was it a warning, or were they planning to release it?
Her phone rang, breaking her thoughts. She grabbed it without checking the caller ID.
"Hello?" Her voice was sharp.
A slow chuckle came from the other end. "Miss Zi Ning, you've seen the video, haven't you?"
Her grip on the phone tightened. "Who are you?"
"Someone who wants to help you," the voice said smoothly. "Or destroy you. That depends on you."
Zi Ning's jaw clenched. "What do you want?"
"Meet me at Phoenix Lounge. Midnight. Come alone." The line went dead.
She lowered her phone, her mind spinning.
Phoenix Lounge. A high-end bar known for its private VIP rooms. Whoever this was, they weren't ordinary.
She had two choices—ignore the call and risk the video being leaked, or go and face whoever was behind this.
There was no real choice.
She had to fight back.