The Amber Pavilion's dining hall is all glitz and fake laughs, chandeliers throwing light like they're trying to blind you to the truth. To most people, it's just a fancy lunch for Haicheng's rich wives and spoiled heirs. To me, it's a slaughterhouse—everyone's here to carve up someone else's reputation.
I show up ten minutes late, just enough to get the whispers going. Every eye in the room locks on me, sizing me up like I'm a cracked gem they can't decide whether to buy or toss.
"That's Xu Lanying?" someone mutters. "The one who snagged Lu Shen with some shady deal?"
Shady. Cute word for betrayal.
My silver-gray dress catches the light like liquid steel, and I let a half-smile play on my lips—cold, no warmth. The air's thick with fake sweetness, and I can smell the trap coming.
There she is, at the center of it all—Sun Ruoxi, my stepsister. She's all soft pink and delicate pearls, playing the innocent angel men trip over themselves to save. Her laugh tinkles like glass, but I know better. She's a snake in a sundress.
"Lanying!" she calls, standing up, all wide-eyed surprise. "Didn't think Mrs. Lu's busy schedule would let you come."
The room chuckles, like it's a cute little jab. I tilt my head, smile sharp. "Wouldn't miss it, Sister. Someone's gotta keep your gossip fest from getting out of hand."
Her lashes flutter—too fast, a crack in her act. "Gossip? Oh, you mean those silly rumors about you marrying Lu Shen for… convenience? I'd never believe that."
The silence that follows is heavy, like everyone's holding their breath, waiting for me to snap. She's fishing, wanting me to flinch, to show weakness.
I don't.
"Convenience?" I say, voice smooth as a blade. "You'd know all about that, Ruoxi. Didn't you once tell me love's for suckers who can afford it?"
A few people smirk, trying to hide it. Ruoxi's face goes pale for a split second—nobody else catches it, but I do. Gotcha.
I lean closer, hand resting on the table. "But you're right about one thing—contracts aren't transactions. They're mutual. Consent's a beautiful thing, don't you think?"
The room shifts. A couple of old society ladies—who used to whisper about the "pathetic Xiao girl"—are now watching me like I'm a new kind of predator. Someone chokes on their laugh, disguising it as a cough.
Ruoxi tries to recover, flashing a shaky smile. "Lanying, you're misunderstanding—"
"No," I cut her off, voice soft but deadly. "I get it. Crystal clear."
When lunch wraps up, Ruoxi bolts to the powder room, probably to fix her face or her ego. I hear her assistant whispering as they slip out, something about reporters waiting to snap "Mrs. Lu, the Contract Bride" shots when I leave. Classic Ruoxi—always ready to twist the knife.
But then her assistant's voice cracks. "Miss, the photos… they're gone. Wiped."
"What?" Ruoxi hisses, and I can imagine her perfect mask slipping. "I told them—"
"Lu Corporation's Legal Division shut it down," the assistant says, sounding spooked. "Said they'd sue if anything ran without permission."
Ruoxi's voice drops to a whisper. "Lu Shen's protecting her?"
"Nope," the assistant says. "The order came from Mrs. Lu herself."
I wish I could see her face right now.
Outside, I slide into my car, the afternoon breeze cool against my skin. My phone buzzes. One message.
Operation complete. Media trail cleaned. Source: Sun Ruoxi's PR team.
I smirk. "Nailed it."
Another message pops up, from a blocked number.
Lu Shen: You knew she'd pull something.
I type back, calm as hell.
Xu Lanying: Duh. I left the bait.
His reply comes fast.
Lu Shen: Note to self—don't piss you off.
I laugh under my breath, watching Haicheng blur past the window. "Keep that in mind, Lu," I mutter. "We'll be just fine."
That night, the internet lights up. A post goes viral:
Leaked: Sun Ruoxi's PR firm caught spreading lies about Mrs. Lu—Sun family on the ropes?
One comment sits at the top, anonymous but screaming me:
Never start a fire when the queen's already holding the match.
Somewhere across town, Ruoxi's phone is probably blowing up, her perfect little world starting to crack.