Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sound of the champagne flute shattering was like a loud alarm bell echoing through the banquet hall, piercingly sharp. I stood frozen in place, a mix of rage and humiliation coiling into a suffocating sensation that left me breathless. My gaze was locked onto Zhou Qi’an. The reason that had completely vanished from his face was just like his half-unbuttoned shirt-suddenly, he looked pathetic and disheveled.

“Zhixia, let me explain-” His voice was laced with panic as he tried to grab my hand, but I shoved him away.

Gu Lan stood behind him, her face pale, a glimmer in her eyes that seemed to be both a plea for mercy and self-reproach. Her lips trembled slightly. “Zhixia, don’t make a scene yet. There are still so many people outside…”

I let out a cold laugh, one filled with biting irony. “What, is kissing your man something that can only be done quietly in a restroom?”

Zhou Qi’an’s face turned as dark as the night. With his dignity nowhere to be found, he scrambled to explain. “I drank too much. She suddenly… I never even thought about…”

This excuse was like a castle in the air, utterly incapable of withstanding the torrent of rage inside me. I raised my hand and slapped him, the crisp sound ringing out sharply against the festive noise of the banquet.

Just then, the sound of a recording suddenly played from a phone-something I never expected would come from those closest to me. My heart constricted violently as I heard my mother’s cold voice: “Don’t worry, she’ll sign the prenuptial agreement. The house will be in your name; she won’t dare make a fuss… We have to keep a tight grip on her this time.”

Zhou Qi’an’s relaxed laughter followed in the recording. “Auntie, I truly love her. Getting married just happens to solve a few problems at the same time.”

I froze. The scent of wine in the air mixed with his words, battering my consciousness. A suffocating pain spread from my chest. I hadn’t just been betrayed by a man; I had been sold as a bargaining chip by the mother I trusted.

Gu Lan suddenly reached out, gripping my wrist tightly and pressing a small USB drive into my palm. Her nails grazed my skin as she pleaded in a low voice, “Zhixia, don’t make a scene here. Go back and watch what’s on this… Your mother doesn’t just want your house.”

I looked into her eyes. What flickered there wasn’t triumph, but deep unease and fear.

The knocking on the door grew more urgent. I knew time was running out, and a wave of overwhelming fury and despair surged within me. I had thought this was a sweet engagement, but now, it felt as though I had become a pawn for everyone to manipulate.

I gripped the USB drive, a flash of absolute resolve striking my mind. I turned, pushed open the stall door, and walked toward the hall. Instantly, every gaze in the room converged on me like a surging tide.

I stepped onto the stage, the intense spotlights enveloping me in an instant. My heartbeat was deafening amidst the clamor, and it felt as if the air in the entire hall had frozen. I plugged in the USB drive. The screen went black for a moment before flickering to life.

Clear voices immediately rang out through the banquet hall. The cheerful piano music came to an abrupt halt, and the entire scene became suffocatingly quiet. The crowd seemed to freeze in that moment, and even the fragrance in the room carried a hint of despair.

“She’s been dependent on me since she was a child. As long as I speak up, she’ll sign it.” My mother’s words were like a knife, slicing through the muddled life I had lived until now.

“Once my capital turnover is sorted out, she’ll have me and she’ll have you as her mother. Who loses?” Zhou Qi’an’s voice drifted through the air, his laughter stabbing into the ears of every listener like needles.

“I’m sorry, everyone, for interrupting your meal.” My voice was loud and clear. The microphone in my hand trembled slightly, but it did nothing to hide the fury in my heart. “This recording is a business negotiation between my mother and my fiancé from a week before the engagement. The product is me. The price? A house plus a bunch of shares.”

Shocked whispers erupted around me. Faces full of bewilderment flashed before my eyes. Under the lights, Gu Lan’s face grew even paler, looking like shattered porcelain.

My mother rushed forward, trying to snatch the microphone. “Lin Zhixia, have you gone mad! Turn it off, now!”

Just as she spoke, the screen switched, showing her in a law firm discussing the details of a share transfer with someone, her expression full of calculation and smugness. Her self-righteous, secret maneuvering was ruthlessly exposed in that moment.
“Gu Lan, get up here.” I called out, my voice laced with a mixture of rage and hatred that fueled an indescribable surge of energy within me.

She hesitated before stepping out from the crowd. Approaching me, she sank to her knees, looking utterly helpless and small. “It wasn’t me. I was scared too… I just wanted a formal status. I’m sorry, Zhixia.”

Every eye in the room was fixed on her. In that moment, the guests seemed to realize that the web of deception surrounding me was far more intricate than they had imagined.

I stared into her eyes. I didn’t choose to let go of my hatred; instead, I decided that right here, right now, I would settle the score with all this entanglement and darkness once and for all.

“This banquet doesn’t necessarily end in my defeat,” I resolved privately. No matter what the future held, this was my final stand against these traitors.

With that decision, countless small voices surged within me-not just regarding my feelings for Zhou Qi’an, but also the long-festering rift between me and my mother.

I knew I was fighting against fate. What I needed now was the courage to truly grasp the key to my own life.

Under the bright lights, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, I took that step forward, taking in every scheme and calculation. And this was only the beginning.

“My mother might be the grandmaster of this chessboard, but I will be her most formidable opponent. Now, it’s my turn to strike back.” A tremor of emotion rose within me. The long-held endurance and helplessness finally transformed into a fearless strength.

I would leave everyone at this feast dazed and confused. Just wait and see whether I am the one ruined, or if their plans end up becoming a total farce.

Then, from the shadows of the backstage, He Xingchuan’s figure gradually became clear under the lights. His expression was cold, hands tucked in his pockets as he monitored the scene. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, as if he were trying to deduce my next move. Although my sense of control over this storm was growing clearer, I still harbored doubts regarding his presence and intentions.

Just as I was preparing to launch a new round of confrontation, He Xingchuan tilted his head slightly, as if sensing my internal struggle. He cast a meaningful look my way, his lips curling into a faint, cold, yet provocative smile. In that moment, I realized he would become a pivotal piece in this battle, even if his motives weren’t necessarily pure.

Meanwhile, the murmurs around us erupted into a din. Relatives stared wide-eyed, their whispering growing louder in the chaos, like a rising tide. “What’s wrong with her?” “Is this their deal?” “Her mother is actually that kind of person?”

I knew that once I started, there was no turning back. The moment I chose to face the crowd’s scrutiny, I decided to see this through to the end. I would not be a woman who allowed herself to be treated as a sacrifice.

However, one question still demanded an answer: What was He Xingchuan’s true intention? His gaze was like a flash of lightning, constantly striking at the small fortress I had built, and that sense of unease crashed against my heart once more.

My resolve deepened, even as I kept my future maneuvers hidden. Everyone at the banquet was like a piece set on a board; I had to flip them one by one to see who would emerge as the true winner. The Lin Zhixia of this moment was no longer that innocent girl who could be manipulated at will.

“The game that follows is the real showdown between us.” My heart was as hard as iron, my gaze steady as I prepared to launch a fearless counterattack.

As the volume in the room continued to rise, the chaotic atmosphere of the banquet became even more pronounced. I could feel that piercing gaze locked onto me, as if every step forward only deepened the entanglement between us. Ultimately, everything would come back to that USB drive and the path I had chosen.

I finally understood that the game between me and He Xingchuan had only just begun…