The ballroom of the Crown Peninsula Hotel shimmered beneath crystal chandeliers, casting golden light over the city's most powerful elite. Music drifted softly through the air, and champagne flowed in slender flutes like liquid gold.
Qin Shuang stood near the center of it all — dressed impeccably in an off-shoulder mermaid gown, her lips curled in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
She needed this. A well-timed reappearance.If she could control the optics, redirect the attention, maybe she could reclaim her image.
But the moment she saw Zhen walk through the entrance — tall, cold, and dressed in a sharply cut black suit — Qin's fingers involuntarily tightened around her clutch.
And then Ruoxi followed behind him.
The pair looked like they walked out of a power magazine spread: Ruoxi's sleek crimson gown swept the marble floor as she walked with calm purpose, her hair twisted in a low chignon that framed her sharp features.
They didn't make a scene.They didn't even approach her immediately.
They let her feel it first — the tension, the shifting eyes of nearby guests, the way conversations faltered around her as whispers began again.
Zhen finally made his way to the drinks table near Qin. He didn't look at her immediately — just poured himself a drink and took a long, unhurried sip.
"Lovely venue," he said mildly, his voice a perfect contrast to the weight in the air.
Qin turned, forcing a smile. "Zhen. You're looking well."
He glanced at her then — eyes cool, unreadable.
"Funny. I could say the opposite."
Ruoxi stepped forward now, her voice smooth as silk. "You've been very busy lately, haven't you, Miss Qin? Stirring up drama… failing to cover your tracks."
Qin stiffened. "If this is about those baseless rumors online—"
"Rumors?" Zhen interrupted, his tone suddenly sharper. "No. We're past that."
He slipped his phone from his pocket, displaying a few messages on the screen — digital correspondence between a marketing firm and an anonymous client. Qin's name was buried in the metadata. Unshakable.
Qin's eyes flicked down, then up — her mask beginning to crack.
"I don't know what kind of games you two are playing—"
"No games," Ruoxi said, her voice now laced with steel. "But you've been playing one for too long. You just weren't very good at it."
Zhen leaned closer, his smile more chilling than warm.
"You went after the wrong people, Qin. Liyana never retaliated, but we're not bound by the same grace."
Qin's pride kicked in. She straightened, trying to match his glare. "I built myself from the ground up. I don't owe any of you explanations. And that girl—"
"—is ten times the woman you'll ever be," Ruoxi snapped before she could finish. "She worked harder, played smarter, and she still had the decency not to smear your name. You, on the other hand, went for character assassination and gossip rags."
"Why are you both even involved?" Qin spat. "This is between me and her!"
"No," Zhen said flatly. "This is about the people you hurt. Liyana isn't your only victim. You used innocent staff members to leak schedules. You tried to sabotage business deals. You used the media like a puppet stage, and you thought no one would push back?"
He took a step closer.
"You're not dealing with shadows anymore, Qin. You're dealing with fire."
Guests around them had quieted, sensing the weight in the air. Some had started recording discreetly. Qin noticed — and it sent a jolt of panic through her chest.
Ruoxi softened her voice, but her words were lethal.
"You might want to leave now, before the wrong person records the wrong soundbite and makes you tomorrow's headline — again."
Qin's jaw clenched. "You two are bluffing. You wouldn't dare cause a scene at an event like this."
Zhen simply tilted his head.
"We don't have to," he said smoothly. "You've already done that yourself."
Thirty minutes later, Qin slipped out of the side exit of the hotel. Her heels clicked against the pavement in sharp, angry staccato.
The photographer from a small fashion outlet followed her discreetly — snapping a photo of her face half-turned, shadowed, humiliated.
The caption would write itself.
"Socialite Qin Shuang Leaves Gala Abruptly After Confrontation with Lu Group Executives."
Back inside, Zhen and Ruoxi returned to their seats, content to let the event resume.
"Think she'll retaliate?" Ruoxi asked, sipping champagne.
Zhen shrugged. "She's too off-balance now. Let her stew."
"And Liyana?"
"She doesn't need to know tonight. Let her have peace. Just for once."
Across the city, Liyana sat on a private rooftop garden, Damien beside her, their hands entwined beneath the stars.
Unaware — for now — that two of her fiercest allies had just closed another chapter of her war… one she never had to lift a finger to fight.