The ballroom sparkled with light and laughter as the orchestra played softly in the background. The atmosphere was festive, perfect for a high-society engagement celebration. But something shifted in the air the moment Li Rourou stepped up to the center of the grand hall, champagne flute in hand and an almost too-innocent smile on her lips.
Li Xinyue stood near the banquet table, her red gown glowing under the crystal chandelier, a stark contrast to the soft lavender of her sister. Her fingers tightened ever so slightly around the stem of her glass. She knew that smile. It wasn't harmless.
Rourou cleared her throat gently, tapping her glass with a silver fork. The delicate chime rang out across the room.
"May I have everyone's attention, please?"
Conversations dwindled. Heads turned. Even the orchestra faded into a soft hum as the spotlight unintentionally shifted to the youngest Li daughter.
"I know tonight is a special night," she began with a soft, melodic voice. "A celebration of love. Of commitment. Of family." She smiled sweetly at Xinyue. "And I couldn't be happier for my dear sister and her fiancé, Shen Yichen."
Applause broke out, polite and expectant. Li Xinyue kept her face composed, even as something inside her twisted.
"But," Rourou continued, "I thought we could make it a little more... exciting."
A few chuckles spread through the crowd. Curiosity flickered across the guests' faces.
"I was thinking," she said, eyes now playfully sweeping toward Shen Yichen, who stood not far from Xinyue, brows furrowed in confusion, "what if we ask him a simple question? One harmless question."
"Rourou," Xinyue's voice was low but firm, a warning. But the girl didn't stop.
"If both sisters stood before the same man... Which one would he choose?"
The room fell into stunned silence.
Whispers stirred almost immediately.
"Is she drunk?"
"Is this some kind of game?"
"What is she doing?"
Xinyue's eyes locked with Shen Yichen's. He looked startled, unsure, but Rourou had already stepped toward him with a smile that danced with mischief.
"It's a simple question, Yichen-ge," she said, voice sweet. "Let's imagine for a moment—just a moment—that there was no engagement. No rings. No expectations. Only choice."
Li Xinyue stood still, her red gown flowing like flame beneath her feet. She could feel her father's gaze from across the room, her mother stiffening near the entrance, but she didn't look at them.
Her eyes were only on him.
Shen Yichen hesitated. "Rourou, this isn't—"
"Who would you choose?" she asked again, softly now. "Me or her?"
A beat.
Then two.
And then—
"…You."
The word left his lips like a dagger, soft yet sharp, slicing the silence in half.
Gasps echoed. One guest dropped their glass.
Li Xinyue didn't flinch. Not even a blink. Her heart was pounding, but her face remained untouched.
She stepped forward, slow and deliberate.
The crowd parted for her like water, all eyes on the woman in red. There was a stillness to her steps—like the calm before a storm.
She reached them. Her sister. Her fiancé.
Her voice was calm when she spoke. "Then there's no need to continue this engagement."
"Xinyue," Shen Yichen started, reaching out.
She stepped back.
"I won't share," she said coolly. "Not love. Not loyalty. And certainly not my name."
There was something regal in her tone, something final. The crowd watched in breathless awe.
Rourou's smile faltered.
"Congratulations," Xinyue said softly, glancing between them. "You've won him."
And then, with the poise of a queen, she turned.
But she didn't walk toward the door.
Instead, her gaze landed on the tall man standing at the far end of the hall—her longtime rival, his cold eyes already watching her with interest.
With barely a pause, Li Xinyue crossed the ballroom and stood before him.
She tilted her head.
"Marry me," she said, voice low but clear. "Let's give them something worth talking about.