The Zhao estate was never truly quiet. Even at night, the corridors carried faint echoes. maids moving with careful steps, guards patrolling, the distant clink of porcelain in the kitchens. Within this constant rhythm, whispers flowed like an undercurrent.
And lately, those whispers had a new center.
"Second Miss is different these days. Did you see the way she walked into the hall last night? So calm, so poised."
"They say even Madam Han praised her. Some believe she might catch the eye of noble houses now."
"Careful! Don't speak too loudly. If Madam Lin hears...."
The maids fell silent, lowering their gazes. But their glances lingered, betraying the spark of curiosity and admiration.
For years, the servants of the Zhao estate had treated Yuexin as a shadow. present but disregarded, overshadowed by the brilliance of Rourou. Yet now, after one dazzling victory, the scales had shifted ever so slightly. Servants who once bowed perfunctorily to her now dipped a little deeper. Some even smiled when she passed.
It was small. Subtle. But in a household built on status and perception, it was dangerous.
Lin Yumei noticed it too.
The next morning, she sat with Rourou in the sunlit tea pavilion, a gentle breeze stirring the curtains. From a distance, they looked like an idyllic mother-daughter pair sharing breakfast. Up close, Lin Yumei's eyes gleamed with calculation while Rourou's simmered with envy.
"Mother, it's infuriating," Rourou muttered, stabbing at a delicate pastry with her chopsticks. "Even the servants look at her differently. Can you imagine? Servants daring to gossip about her as if she were worth noticing!"
Lin Yumei placed her cup down, unruffled. "Let them gossip. A little rise will only make her fall harder. That is the beauty of it, Rourou. Yuexin's brief moment of light only makes the darkness ahead inevitable."
Rourou pouted, but her eyes glowed with anticipation. "When will Father announce it?"
"Soon," Lin Yumei answered smoothly. "I spoke with him last night. He is considering assigning Yuexin a project to prove herself."
At that, Rourou perked up, her lips curling. "A project? Oh, Mother, that's perfect! She'll have no idea how complicated it can be."
Lin Yumei smiled, her elegance chilling. "Indeed. And of course, we will ensure it is far more complicated than it appears."
Later that day, in the main study, Zhao Jinghai sat with his advisors, listening to reports about the company's expansion plans.
"The new luxury development requires a design portfolio for the gala," one manager reported. "We must present it to investors within the month."
Zhao Jinghai's gaze shifted to his wife, seated gracefully at his side. Lin Yumei inclined her head, her voice soft yet persuasive.
"Husband, this might be the perfect opportunity for Yuexin's… test."
Zhao Jinghai frowned. "The gala? That's not a small matter."
"All the better," Lin Yumei replied smoothly. "If she can handle it, then she proves her worth. If not, then we know her little success was nothing more than luck."
The advisors exchanged hesitant glances. One of them cleared his throat. "Chairman Zhao, forgive my boldness, but entrusting such responsibility to Second Miss may invite risk. She is untested."
Zhao Jinghai leaned back, fingers steepled. "Which is why this will serve as her trial." His voice carried the weight of finality.
Thus, the decision was made: Zhao Yuexin would be placed in charge of preparing the Zhao family's portfolio for the upcoming gala.
That evening, the news spread quickly through the household.
"Second Miss will oversee the gala preparations?"
"I thought such matters always went to Eldest Miss."
"Perhaps the chairman wishes to test her skills. Still… what a heavy burden."
The whispers were filled with doubt. To the servants and even some of the family's associates, Yuexin seemed poised for failure.
Rourou, overhearing these murmurs, felt triumphant. That night, she returned to her mother's chambers with a gleeful smile.
"Mother, it's done! Everyone already believes she'll fail. When she does, no one will be surprised."
Lin Yumei's lips curved. "Belief is a powerful tool, my dear. When the world expects someone to stumble, even the smallest misstep becomes confirmation. By the end of this, Yuexin will be branded incompetent."
"And the best part?" Rourou added eagerly. "I'll be the one to step in and 'save' the situation. Then Father will praise me instead."
Lin Yumei reached over, patting her daughter's hand. "Exactly. You'll be the shining savior, while she is the failed shadow. It will restore the natural order."
But while mother and daughter wove their schemes, Yuexin sat in her chambers, quietly reading through the portfolio documents she had been given.
She turned each page slowly, her expression calm. On the surface, everything seemed ordinary: supplier lists, design drafts, schedules. But to her trained eye, to her memory of a life once lived, the flaws stood out like cracks in porcelain.
Tampered invoices… incorrect supplier names… deadlines too tight to be possible.
Yuexin closed the folder with deliberate care.
"So," she murmured, "they've already begun."
Her reflection in the window smirked back at her, eyes cold and sharp.
In my past life, I trusted these documents. I worked day and night, only to discover at the last moment that nothing aligned. They humiliated me before the board, stripping me of dignity while Rourou stepped in to 'rescue' the situation.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the folder.
But this time, I won't waste energy fixing their mess. No, this time, I'll let them dig the hole themselves… and then I'll make sure they fall into it first.
Over the next days, the Zhao estate buzzed with activity. Rourou visited the design wing frequently, feigning interest while secretly feeding misinformation to Yuexin's team. Lin Yumei discreetly met with suppliers, offering bribes to delay shipments or deliver inferior materials.
Servants carried tales back and forth, each one exaggerated a little more:
"They say Second Miss is overwhelmed already."
"She hasn't even secured the first shipment. How can she manage the whole gala?"
"I heard Eldest Miss might step in if things go wrong."
Each whisper was a needle meant to pierce Yuexin's reputation. And yet, whenever she appeared, she carried herself with unshaken grace.
She accepted the documents with calm hands, listened to the false reports with a serene smile, and dismissed the gossip with quiet dignity.
To the schemers, her composure looked like ignorance. To Yuexin, it was strategy.
Let them think I'm blind, she thought. The more confident they are in my downfall, the sweeter their despair will taste.
Lin Yumei and Rourou watched from the sidelines, misinterpreting her calm as helplessness.
"Look at her," Rourou whispered one afternoon as they spied from the balcony. "She's just sitting there, nodding at every lie they tell her. She doesn't even know she's walking straight into the trap."
Lin Yumei allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. "Exactly as planned. Soon, when the board reviews the portfolio, she'll have no excuses. The evidence will speak for itself."
Rourou giggled, her eyes alight with malice. "I almost pity her. Almost."
But late at night, in the privacy of her chambers, Zhao Yuexin spread out the tampered documents on her desk. One by one, she circled the flaws with red ink, annotating them with sharp notes.
Then, she pulled out her own set of contacts...people Lin Yumei and Rourou had long forgotten she could reach. In her previous life, she had cultivated friendships and alliances that bore no fruit because she had been too trusting. Now, with knowledge reborn, she knew exactly whom to call upon.
Her lips curved in a dangerous smile.
This time, when they think I'm walking into their trap, I'll already be waiting at the other end.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating her cold, determined gaze.
TO BE CONTINUED