Chapter 4: Mirror Hearts and Masked Lies
The grip on her wrist tightened as he yanked her closer to him, his eyes burning with nothing but rage for the girl in front of him.
"What did you do to her?"
His voice was rough, barely containing the storm brewing beneath his skin.
"Answer me!"
He barked again, fury lacing every word. Behind him, the platinum blonde girl burst into sobs, her entire body trembling violently like she couldn't bear to witness the scene unfolding.
"I'm asking you a question, Yunxia! What. Did. You. Do. To. Yue'er?"
Yunxia's lips parted, the words barely forming.
"Nothing... I didn't do an—"
She hadn't even finished before he shoved her aside like trash, as if her words held no weight.
"Li Shen!" Yue'er cried out behind him, suddenly rushing forward, her voice sweet and pitiful.
"Don't blame Sister Yunxia, okay? It was my fault... I wore the same dress she was going to wear on her wedding day. She must've gotten upset..."
She sniffled, wiping at her eyes as fake tears trailed down her cheeks.
"I just thought she looked really beautiful in it, so I wanted to try it on too. That's all."
She looked up at him with glassy eyes.
"I'm sorry... I just missed her. I didn't want her to leave me."
Li Shen's jaw clenched as he looked at the girl crying before him... and then at Yunxia, who lay where she'd been thrown, staring silently at the two of them.
She said nothing. Just watched.
Li Shen's POV
He felt Yue'er tremble beside him, her sobs muffled as she leaned into his shoulder. Her warmth. Her vulnerability. It tugged at something in him—something protective, something angry.
He looked at Yunxia, sprawled on the floor like a threat neutralized. Her eyes weren't pleading. No, they burned. But with what? Guilt? Hatred? Pain?
He clenched his jaw.
"Why is she always like this... so cold... so impossible to understand?"
He remembered the stories—how Yunxia had always been distant, proud. A little too confident in herself. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened between them. But seeing Yue'er cry like that—his heart couldn't take it.
Still... something didn't sit right.
Yunxia's voice had cracked when she spoke. She hadn't begged. She hadn't argued. That wasn't like her.
And those eyes... not the eyes of someone guilty.
He pushed the thought aside. No, he told himself. Yue'er was the one hurt. I saw it. I felt it.
But as Yue'er clutched his sleeve, whispering brokenly about the dress and how she didn't mean to upset her sister, a flash of confusion passed through his mind.
Yunxia had never cared about things like dresses or ceremonies...
So why would she hit someone over that?
A cold shiver slid down his spine, but he ignored it. Now wasn't the time to doubt Yue'er.
At least... not yet.
Yunxia's POV (Flashback)
I had just arrived at the wedding venue, the heels of my shoes clicking softly against the polished marble. Everything looked perfect—just as I had planned. The decorations, the music, the guests arriving in waves of excitement. It was supposed to be my day.
Then, Yue'er's mom—my aunt, the woman who adopted me—came rushing over, her face pinched with worry.
"Yunxia," she said breathlessly, grabbing my wrist. "Please be patient. Yue'er's still getting dressed. She's been so fragile lately... you know how her depression has been."
Depression. That was always the excuse, wasn't it? That was the golden card Yue'er played whenever things didn't go her way.
But I said nothing. Just nodded, biting back the frustration bubbling under my calm facade.
I waited.
And then she came out.
Out of my dressing room.
Wearing my wedding dress.
I blinked, half-expecting it to be some kind of sick joke. But there she was, twirling slowly like she belonged in it. Like she was the bride.
I wasn't surprised. Honestly? I was amused.
The dress sagged awkwardly on her frame—too big, too bold for someone so... small. She didn't have my curves, my poise, or my presence. She looked like a child trying on her mother's clothes.
And yet she stood there, smiling like she'd won something.
I didn't rage. I didn't scream. I just stood there, watching the scene unfold.
Let her make a fool of herself, I thought. Let everyone see how far she'll go for attention.
I chuckled softly to myself. Of course. Of course.
I had witnessed this exact scene far too many times.
She always liked taking what was mine. My toys. My friends. My praise. My spotlight. And now, my wedding day.
As expected, my aunt—no, my so-called adoptive mother—rushed over the moment she noticed me watching. Her face twisted into concern, but I could see the panic beneath it. Not for me, though. Never for me. Always for her.
"Yunxia, don't overthink this," she said quickly, placing herself between us like a human shield. "Yue'er was only trying it on—nothing more!"
Yue'er blinked up at me with those fake watery eyes. Her lower lip quivered like she was on the verge of tears. Oscar-worthy.
"Sis... I hope you're not angry," she sniffled. "I just wanted to see if the dress would suit me too, because you looked so, so beautiful in it..."
She reached up and dabbed at imaginary tears, her voice trembling like glass. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just really liked the dress. And besides... there were two of them, right? We could both wear the same one—twinsies!"
She smiled through the crocodile tears, trying to seem sweet.
My aunt nodded along, already playing the supportive mother hen.
"Yes, yes! That's a wonderful idea. You should let her have one, Yunxia. After all, she's your sister. And you know how Yue'er suffers from depression..."
That word again.
The invisible chain they used to keep me silent.
"Don't do anything that'll upset her," she added, voice firm now. "She probably just missed you, that's all. She didn't want you to leave her behind. That's why she did this."
Right.
Because it's always about Yue'er.
I walked up to her slowly, every step deliberate, calm. A thousand thoughts spiraled in my head but I kept my expression serene. Then I smiled — sweetly, almost too sweetly.
"You can have the groom too."
I could tell the guests were shocked. Heck, even Yue'er froze, her fake tears hanging mid-drip.
Now, you're probably wondering why I said that.
It wasn't out of heartbreak. There was none of that left.
I had found out days ago — they were cheating behind my back. Yue'er and my fiancé. And to add to the betrayal, she was already pregnant with his child.
But truthfully? I didn't even care.
I never truly loved him. He was just a political pawn, a move on the family chessboard. I was indifferent. Detached. My emotions? Long buried.
Turning on my heel, I walked away, leaving stunned gasps and whispers in my wake as I headed toward the dressing room. Let them talk.
I didn't owe any of them anything.
That's when she walked in — my supposed mother-in-law.
A powerful woman. Respected. Feared. But she was the only one who had ever shown me genuine care. Treated me like a daughter. Not for what I could bring politically, but just for being me.
She stepped into the chaos, took one look around at the scene — Yue'er in my dress, guests partying like everything was fine — and her face darkened.
"What is the meaning of this?" she snapped at my aunt.
No one answered. The room went cold.
Without hesitation, she walked up to Yue'er and—
SLAP.
The sound echoed like thunder across the venue.
Her voice cut through the silence:
"Why are you wearing the wedding dress I personally prepared for Xia Xia?"
Yeah. Xia Xia. That was the name she always used for me — soft and warm like a mother should sound.
And for a second, I felt something close to home again.
But that feeling didn't last long