Shen Ruyin skipped lightly down the hallway toward the private dining room, humming a random tune, one hand twirling her clutch, the other brushing her curls over her shoulder.
Her cheeks were still warm from the earlier encounter, her thoughts delightfully tangled in the image of The Siren in the Suit. His glare. His voice. His face.
She giggled to herself.
"Who knew this city had such delicious men just... walking around?"
She was in a wonderful mood.
Then she stepped into the dining room—and the atmosphere slapped her across the face.
Thick. Cold. Miserable.
She paused for a split second, scanning the table.
Her eyes found Wei Wanwan, already scowling.
Yulia, pretending to smile, eyes flitting between her and the others.
Wei Mingliang, who looked like he'd forgotten how to blink.
And Wei Zhenhai, sitting tall at the head of the table, his expression caught between excitement and worry.
But Shen Ruyin? She just beamed.
"Sorry I'm late!" she sang, sliding into the chair beside Yulia and crossing her legs with elegant flair. "Traffic. And, you know... life."
Wei Zhenhai stood a little to introduce her. "This is Shen Ruyin, Yulia's daughter."
"She has a twin sister," Yulia quickly added, turning to Ruyin. "Where's Ruxi?"
Shen Ruyin rolled her eyes and pulled a shrimp from a platter. "She's busy. Her assistant said she's buried in some project. Wouldn't even pick up."
Yulia's smile tightened. "Of course. She's always... unavailable."
"I sent a text," Ruyin added, chewing. "It's not like I didn't try."
Wei Zhenhai gave her a reassuring nod. "It's alright. Maybe next time."
Meanwhile, across the table, Wei Wanwan had turned an impressive shade of pink.
Her fork clinked sharply against her plate as she stared at the red-haired girl now stealing everyone's attention—again.
That hair. Those eyes. That attitude.
It was her.
The girl from the mall.
"You," she blurted. "You're the one who stole my bracelet!"
Shen Ruyin blinked. "Huh?"
Wei Wanwan scoffed. "At Yin Yue Centre. You were rude, you ignored me, and the staff basically threw me aside because you waltzed in and—"
"Ohhh," Ruyin said suddenly, laughing. "That was you?"
She tilted her head and smiled innocently. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone's assistant."
Wei Wanwan's mouth dropped open.
Yulia's wine glass froze halfway to her lips.
Wei Mingliang snorted.
Wei Zhenhai cleared his throat, but before he could say anything, Shen Ruyin clapped her hands. "But really, don't take it personally. I was having a great day, and that bracelet was so cute."
Wei Wanwan seethed. "Unbelievable."
"Wanwan," Zhenhai said sternly, "she's younger than you. Just let it go."
"But—"
"She didn't know who you were," he added with finality. "Let's not ruin the evening over a bracelet."
Wei Wanwan slammed the car door shut as she arrived at her mother's villa.
The entire drive from the hotel had been a whirlwind of muttering, hair-flipping, and kicking the front seat when her frustration peaked. Nothing had helped. Not the soft music playing through the car, not the calming tea offered by the driver.
She was still livid.
Dinner had been humiliating.
Every second of Shen Ruyin's smug smile was burned into her memory. That arrogant redhead had taken the spotlight, the attention, the praise—and somehow, even her bracelet, twice now.
Wanwan barged into the villa like a storm ready to break, her heels clicking furiously against the marble floor.
"Mom!" she yelled. "Where are you?!"
From the sunroom, Zhao Wenqing looked up from a tea set and raised an elegant eyebrow. "What's gotten into you now?"
"She humiliated me! Twice!" Wanwan cried, throwing her purse down and flopping onto the sofa. "She's loud, arrogant, rude—she called me an assistant in front of everyone!"
Zhao Wenqing sighed, setting down her porcelain cup. "You're talking about Yulia's daughter?"
"Shen Ruyin," she hissed. "She's a menace."
Wenqing dabbed her lips with a silk napkin. "You've always been dramatic, Wanwan."
"This isn't drama! I called Duo, my assistant, to look into her and her family. Guess what?"
Zhao Wenqing didn't guess. She just sipped.
"Nothing!" Wanwan exploded. "There's nothing about them! No articles, no social media presence, no scandals, no trace! It's like they just appeared out of nowhere!"
"They just moved to China," Zhao Wenqing said calmly. "Yulia mentioned it once. They've lived abroad for years."
"Then how am I supposed to compete with her?! I don't even know her weakness!"
Zhao Wenqing gave a bitter smile. "If she's anything like her mother, her weakness is probably herself."
Wanwan paused, eyes narrowing.
"She walks around like she owns the world," she muttered. "Acts like she's royalty. I need to find out who they really are—what they're hiding. No one walks around with that kind of confidence unless they're covering something up."
Wenqing raised a brow. "So what's your plan?"
Wanwan stood up, straightened her dress, and smirked.
"I'm going to find a crack in that glass mask. And when I do... I'll shatter her."