"Bye, sweetie!" Wen Ming called out, her cheeks flushed as she practically skipped towards the car with her husband. Xia Yingying watched her parents' newlywed-like antics with amused affection.
"Mom," she teased, raising an eyebrow, "Should I expect a baby sister soon?"
"You!" Wen Ming playfully pouted, then ducked into the car, her laughter echoing faintly.
Xia Yingying's father roared with laughter. "Focus on giving us a grandchild first, Yingying!"
Heat flooded Xia Yingying's cheeks and neck. "Dad!" she protested, fleeing upstairs to her room, the sound of his hearty laughter chasing her until she shut the door firmly.
Alone, she carefully unpacked the exquisite gown. Tonight, the show begins. Her primary objective: Lu Quinzue. His address was notoriously secret, but the route from her past life was etched in her memory. She slipped into her car, determination steeling her resolve.
---
**Lu Residence**
Lu Quinzue scanned financial reports on his tablet in the cavernous living room. The sharp 'ding-dong' of the doorbell was immediately followed by the unexpected sound of the heavy front door swinging open. He looked up, icy surprise flickering in his eyes.
A young woman stood silhouetted against the entrance hall light, breathtakingly beautiful. 'How did she bypass security?' A cold fury settled over him. 'Heads will roll tomorrow.'
"Lu Quinzue," she announced, stepping inside with unnerving confidence. "I am Xia Yingying, daughter of the Xia family. Twenty years old. Your grandmother requires a daughter-in-law, and I require a powerful alliance. Marry me." Her gaze held his, direct and unwavering, a flicker of challenge beneath the surface.
Lu Quinzue leaned back, a predator assessing prey. "Bold," he drawled, his voice dangerously low. "What makes you believe you qualify?"
"Your grandmother," Xia Yingying countered smoothly, "prefers elegance and temperament. Mine aligns perfectly with her tastes."
"Several candidates meet that vague criterion," he countered, his sharp eyes dissecting her. "Why you?"
Xia Yingying took a breath. This was the gambit. "Because," she stated clearly, "I can treat your grandmother's illness."
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Lu Quinzue went utterly still. His grandmother's condition was a fiercely guarded secret, known only to immediate family and trusted physicians. His gaze narrowed, becoming glacial, predatory. "Who told you?"
Xia Yingying felt a primal shiver of fear. 'He trulyisterrifying. "Knowledge is my currency," she deflected, meeting his gaze despite the icy dread coiling in her stomach.
He rose, a panther uncoiling, and closed the distance with deliberate slowness. His hand lifted, his fingers cool beneath her chin as he tilted her face up. "And what," he murmured, his breath ghosting over her skin, his face mere inches away – a masterpiece of masculine beauty, from the sculpted jawline and fathomless blue eyes to the jet-black hair and sharp, elegant brows – "do you suppose happens to those who lie to me?"
Xia Yingying swallowed hard. "I don't lie about things that matter."
A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes. "Done gawking?" he asked, a trace of dry amusement finally coloring his tone.
She managed a defiant pout. "So? Do we have a deal?"
A slow, deliberate nod. "We have a deal."
"Good. One more thing," Xia Yingying pressed. "I need to accompany you to the gala tonight."
"Fine."
"And..." She gestured towards the garment bag she'd carried in. "May I use a dressing room? I brought my gown."
Lu Quinzue found the slight nervous tuck of her hair behind her ear unexpectedly... disarming. "This way." He led her to a luxurious guest suite.
Minutes later, Xia Yingying emerged from the walk-in closet, transformed. Lu Quinzue, adjusting his cufflinks in the sitting area, froze. The gown clung to her like liquid moonlight, accentuating every perfect curve, the delicate sparkle catching the light. She was a vision of breathtaking allure. His gaze lingered, a spark of raw appreciation igniting before he ruthlessly banked it.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, subtly adjusting his stance. "Ready?"
Xia Yingying approached, a radiant smile on her lips. "This time, she vowed silently, he will fall." A sudden, sharp memory from her past pierced her resolve: the drugged haze, his body against hers, the fragile life conceived that night, cruelly stolen by Hu Mingyou's hand – a revelation from her death throes. The smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of profound sorrow.
Lu Quinzue noted the sudden shift, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. One moment radiant, the next shadowed by grief. Xia Yingying pushed the memory down, hardening her heart. "Revenge. For my family. For my child." She linked her arm firmly with his. "Let's go."
The stunned silence of the household staff was palpable. Their notoriously private, fastidious young master, allowing a woman into his personal space? Arm in arm? The whispers began before the door even closed behind them.
Lu Quinzue ushered her into the driver's seat of his Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita – one of only two in existence. Xia Yingying couldn't suppress a small gasp. "Filthy rich doesn't even begin to cover it."
---
**The Gala**
Tang Qing emerged from his sleek Mercedes-Benz, offering a hand to Hu Mingyou. They glided down the red carpet, her hand clasped possessively in his.
"Her gown is stunning!"
"Designed by Chen Dixon of Tekwen Group, I heard."
"Tang Qing must have spent a fortune!"
"I thought he was engaged to that Xia girl?"
"Rumor has it she's just a pretty vase he tolerates."
Hu Mingyou preened inwardly, carefully masking her smug satisfaction behind a demure smile. She drifted towards a cluster of society women.
"Please," she simpered, "don't speak ill of Sister Xia. I wouldn't want to cause trouble..."
"Oh, Hu Mingyou, you're too kind!" one woman gushed. "She clearly stands between you and Tang Qing!"
Hu Mingyou sighed dramatically. "True love endures all. If Sister Xia insists on the marriage... I will step aside. My family lacks the standing, after all."
Tang Qing slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "No one comes between us, Youyou. I'll give you the world." He kissed her temple, radiating smug satisfaction.
Hu Mingyou buried her face in his chest, feigning shyness. "Brother Tang..."
A sudden ripple of awe silenced the chatter. A low, powerful growl announced an arrival that dwarfed Tang Qing's Mercedes. The Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita slid to a stop like a silver ghost.
"Lu Quinzue!"
"The 'Lu' Quinzue? Here?"
"And... who is that with him?"
Lu Quinzue emerged, an aura of absolute power preceding him. Then, he extended a hand, helping his companion alight. Gasps echoed across the entrance. Xia Yingying, resplendent in her fishtail gown, diamonds shimmering like captured stars, was a goddess descended. Every other woman's beauty seemed instantly dimmed.
Before Hu Mingyou could react, a voice cut through the murmurs: "Isn't that... Xia Yingying? Tang Qing's clingy fiancée?"
Wu Ning, a sharp-eyed woman frowned. "Something's off... Look at the gowns."
All eyes darted between Xia Yingying and Hu Mingyou. The designs were undeniably similar, but the execution, the fabric, the sheer presence... Hu Mingyou's dress suddenly looked like a cheap imitation. Heat flooded Hu Mingyou's face; she wished the ground would swallow her.
Xia Yingying met Hu Mingyou's mortified gaze with a smile colder than ice. Her eyes then snapped to Chen Dixon, hovering nearby, basking in reflected glory. Xia Yingying's voice, clear and carrying, sliced through the tension.
"Chen Dixon," she announced, "former designer for Tekwen Group. Fired for embezzlement and design theft. Specifically," she continued, locking eyes with the now-pale woman, "the theft of Li Lizue's work. The dress she," Xia Yingying gestured disdainfully towards Hu Mingyou, "is wearing? Stolen. As for this..." She indicated her own gown. "The original."
As if summoned, police officers materialized. "Chen Dixon, you are under arrest for fraud, embezzlement, and intellectual property theft. Evidence has been submitted." Handcuffs clicked shut.
"B-Boss! Please!" Chen Dixon stammered, desperation in her eyes as she looked at Xia Yingying.
"Boss?" The collective gasp was audible. The "useless vase" was the boss of Tekwen Group?
"Take her away," Xia Yingying commanded, her voice devoid of mercy.
A rival of Hu Mingyou couldn't resist. "And to think Hu Mingyou was bragging all night about her 'unique' stolen dress!" Laughter, sharp and mocking, followed.
Xia Yingying spared Tang Qing and a mortified Hu Mingyou only the briefest, coldest glance before turning away, scanning the crowd for Lu Quinzue. Hu Mingyou seethed, humiliation warring with vicious hatred." Xia Yingying, you will pay." She said in a lower voice only audible to her.
Wu Ning murmured, "Strangers? They act like they've never met. Hardly the clingy fiancée described."
"Why would she cling to Tang Qing," another observed shrewdly, "when she arrives with Lu Quinzue? And 'useless vase'? Clearly, the rumors were vicious lies."
Xia Yingying found herself surrounded by curious well-wishers. A young heiress dared to ask, "How did you and Mr. Lu meet?"
Xia Yingying offered a practiced, charming smile. "Oh, just a chance encounter." She glanced towards Lu Quinzue, who was approaching. "Ahzue prefers to keep our private life just like that – private. Forgive me, I can't indulge further."
Lu Quinzue reached her side, his arm possessively sliding around her waist. "My fiancée is correct," he declared, his voice resonating with conviction. He looked down at her with startling tenderness, then bent his head, pressing a firm, deliberate kiss to her forehead. The gesture sent a jolt through Xia Yingying. If she weren't part of the act, she would have been utterly convinced. He acts so flawlessly.