Blood.
It tasted like iron and regret.
Tang Xinyue lay on the marble floor of the banquet hall, her red gown torn and stained, her once-stunning makeup smeared by tears and betrayal. Around her, the glittering chandeliers still sparkled, the laughter of the elite still echoed faintly beyond the doors. But here—in this gilded corner of hell—she was nothing more than a dying villainess.
"Why?" Her voice trembled as she looked up at the people she had once called family.
Her father, Tang Weilin, stood unmoved, arms crossed, his cold eyes watching her like she was a stain. "You should've learned your place, Xinyue."
Beside him, Bai Ruxue, her beloved stepsister, shed crocodile tears. "Jie-jie, you brought this on yourself. We didn't want it to end this way."
Xinyue's gaze shifted to the man she had given everything to.
Jiang Yuze, her fiancé.
The same man who had promised her forever. The same man who had poisoned her tonight.
He knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her bloodied face. "It's funny," he whispered, smiling. "Even dying, you're still so proud. Do you finally see? You were never meant to be the heroine of this story."
Tears welled in her eyes—not from fear or pain, but from clarity.
She had been played.
Used for her wealth. Her connections. Her ignorance.
She was the stepping stone, the backup plan, the obstacle to be removed.
"Do it," her father said coldly. "End it before the press gets wind."
Jiang Yuze nodded. From his sleeve, he drew a glinting silver blade.
Xinyue laughed. Broken, bitter, haunting. "You'll regret this. All of you."
The blade plunged.
And everything went black.
---
Light.
It pierced her eyelids, soft and warm, like a morning sun she hadn't seen in years.
She gasped.
Her eyes flew open. No pain. No blood.
She wasn't in a banquet hall.
She was… in her room.
The soft lavender curtains fluttered in the breeze. Her vanity mirror reflected her unscarred face. Her calendar still showed the date—April 2nd—two weeks before her engagement to Jiang Yuze.
Her fingers shook as they traced her collarbone. No stab wound. No blood.
She jumped from the bed, flung open her closet.
It was all there. The dresses. The perfume bottles. The engagement gift she hadn't given yet.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Bai Ruxue:
> "Jie-jie! Are you free for tea today? I want to talk to you about Yuze-ge!" 💖
Xinyue stared, breath catching in her throat.
This wasn't a dream.
This was rebirth.
---
She stood before the mirror, her reflection both familiar and foreign. The innocent girl in the mirror didn't know betrayal yet. But she did.
"I won't play your puppet this time," Xinyue whispered, eyes hardening. "Let's see who gets the last laugh."
---
Later that evening, she arrived at the Tang family dining room—confident, poised, and cold.
"Ah, Xinyue, sit," Tang Weilin said gruffly. "We're finalizing the details of your engagement."
Xinyue offered a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Cancel it."
The entire room fell silent.
"What did you say?" he asked sharply.
"I said cancel it." She picked up her wine glass, took a slow sip. "I've decided Jiang Yuze isn't good enough for me."
Bai Ruxue's fork slipped from her fingers. "Jie-jie—"
"Save it," Xinyue said coolly. "I know exactly what you're trying to do."
Her father slammed his hand on the table. "You spoiled brat—!"
"I'm done being spoiled. I'll be dangerous instead."
She rose from her seat, her gaze sweeping across their stunned faces.