"Isn't that the Su family's fake daughter? I thought she was sent abroad because of that scandal. Why is she back now? What could the Jiang family be thinking?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Su are kind-hearted; they raised her as their own. If she had any sense of gratitude, she shouldn't have shown her face at Miss Su's wedding banquet."
Ignoring the malicious sneers and jeers from the crowd, Jiang Jinyue walked straight toward Su Pei'an and his wife.
"Yueyue, when did you get back?" Upon seeing her, Madam Su looked surprised, then immediately took her by the arm and pulled her toward a secluded area. "Why didn't you let us know you were coming back?"
Today was the wedding of her daughter, Su Yan, to the young master of the Ye family. All the distinguished figures of Longcheng were in attendance. Although they had handled the scandal involving Jiang Jinyue three years ago quite promptly, there were no secrets in this world. Rumors had run wild. They had had no choice but to send her abroad temporarily to minimize the fallout. Her return was one thing, but to choose the day of Su Yan's wedding to return… she couldn't be doing this on purpose, could she?
Madam Su’s gaze, previously warm, now held a dissatisfied scrutiny—just as it had three years ago.
"Didn't Su Yan tell you? She asked me to come back and be her bridesmaid," Jiang Jinyue said coolly.
"Absurd!"
Just as Madam Su was about to tell her to leave, Su Yan arrived.
"Mom, don't be angry. I was the one who asked Yueyue to come back and be my bridesmaid." Su Yan held up the hem of her wedding dress with one hand and hooked her arm through Madam Su’s, coaxing, "Yueyue and I grew up together. Since I'm getting married, I wanted her to witness my happiness. My brother agreed to it, too."
Hearing that Su Jing had agreed, Madam Su said nothing more. She turned to Jiang Jinyue and said, "Once the ceremony is over, go home first. We’ll discuss everything else tonight."
The banquet hall of the five-star hotel was adorned with red roses, creating a dazzling display. Su Yan walked through the sea of flowers in her custom-made gown, looking like a noble princess.
The praise and envy of the crowd came to a sudden halt with the arrival of Jiang Jinyue.
The crystal lights cast champagne-colored glints over Jiang Jinyue’s exposed, porcelain-white shoulders, turning the entire hall of red roses into a mere backdrop for her. The black lace highlighted the sharp, delicate outline of her shoulder blades, and her long legs, revealed by her ultra-short dress, seemed like blades forged in moonlight. Every step she took felt like a cut into Su Yan’s heart.
*Damn Jiang Jinyue, stealing the spotlight again.* Thinking of the plans she had made, Su Yan suppressed her jealousy and hatred, curling her lips into a sinister smile. If she couldn't stay abroad and insisted on coming back to humiliate herself, she had no one to blame but herself.
"What is Su Pei'an thinking? Using his daughter’s wedding to have an adopted daughter dress like that to lure guests?"
"That adopted daughter of the Su family is no good, either. Have you all forgotten what happened three years ago?"
"The Su family really is something else."
Waves of ridicule washed over them. Su Pei'an and his wife’s faces turned black as coal, yet they were forced to maintain their smiles.
"I wish you a lifetime of happiness, together forever, never to be parted!" Jiang Jinyue said, smiling as she presented her blessing and the ring.
Su Yan tugged at her new husband, Ye Zhan, who stood there stunned, and said with a stiff, insincere smile, "That goes without saying."
As the ring was presented to Su Yan, Jiang Jinyue leaned in close and whispered, "And one last thing: it will all come to nothing!"
Su Yan clenched her hands, struggling to keep the smile on her face. *Jiang Jinyue, just you wait!*
On the second-floor VIP viewing gallery, Lu Chenhuai swirled his glass of whiskey, his deep, dark eyes fixed on the figure disappearing behind the rose-covered archway downstairs.
Jiang Jinyue turned into the fire escape in her ten-centimeter heels. As she walked, she tore the lace rose from her wrist. The exit sign cast her shadow against the wall. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she were back in that club lounge three years ago, locked inside. There had been plenty of people that day, too.
A heavy sound of footsteps approached. Jiang Jinyue glanced toward the door, a cold smirk playing on her lips. She closed her eyes and lay down on the floor.
Su Yan, impatient to see Jiang Jinyue’s downfall, had used the excuse of changing her dress to leave the banquet hall and head to the pre-arranged room. Hearing the sounds from within, a triumphant smile appeared on her face. *Three years, and you haven't grown at all, Jiang Jinyue. You’ll always be the one I defeat!*
She was just about to turn and leave when a pungent fragrance hit her. By the time she realized what it was, it was already too late.
"Where did Su Yan go? Why hasn't she come out to host the guests?" Su Pei'an asked his wife.
"She went to change. She should be out soon!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a collective gasp rippled through the room. Su Pei'an and his wife turned to look, only to see the monitors, which should have been displaying wedding photos, now showing a live feed from a room. A man and a woman were caught in an intimate act; while the man's face was obscured, the woman’s face was clearly magnified—it was Su Yan, who had left to change and never returned.
Su Pei'an felt his head buzz and a suffocating pressure build in his chest. Then, he collapsed backward.
"Old Su! Old Su, what's wrong? Someone, help!"
Madam Su screamed, but the guests were too captivated by the scandalous display on the big screen. It was a hotel staff member who finally called for an ambulance.
Chaos erupted. Jiang Jinyue tossed her black lace wrist corsage into a trash can and headed for a secluded elevator to leave the building. As she looked down at her phone, she spotted a car pulling up in front of her and, without thinking, pulled the door open and climbed in.
"Miss Jiang’s aesthetic of revenge is truly spectacular."
A voice sounded from beside her. Jiang Jinyue had only one leg in the car when she realized she had gotten into the wrong one. Just as she was about to pull back, the low, deep voice spoke again. "Though next time you switch the security footage, remember to avoid the camera in the southwest corner."
Jiang Jinyue’s pupils contracted, but she went ahead and sat into the car. "Is Mr. Lu also interested in other people's scandals?"
She slid a backup flash drive into the garter on her thigh, the metal surface grazing her skin and sending a shiver through her. Lu Chenhuai leaned in abruptly, his fingertips brushing past her ear to pluck a rose petal from her hair, which he flicked out the window.
"Only yours."
A faint, woody scent lingered near her nose. For a fleeting moment of distraction, Jiang Jinyue looked up and gave him a smile that was both innocent and alluring. "President Lu, you aren't actually falling for me, are you?"
Jiang Jinyue was beautiful, possessing the delicate grace of a woman from the south. Yet, she always chose to show him this specific, seductive look.
Before Lu Chenhuai could speak, Jiang Jinyue pulled away. "Don't tell me, the esteemed head of the Lu Group has regrets? It was just a bird in a gilded cage—nothing worth fretting over, is it?"
Lu Chenhuai snapped his head toward the woman beside him. *She really was at the bar that night*, he realized. *She heard the jokes my friends were making in the lounge.*
"I was just kidding," Jiang Jinyue said, her smile nonchalant. "From now on, we’re practically relatives, aren't we? Cousin."