The office smelled of polished wood and faint lemon disinfectant. Lin Yue stepped into the glass-walled boardroom, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. Her eyes swept the room, not out of arrogance, but because she had learned quickly that observation saved you in this city.
And then she saw her.
Chen Xinyue.
Even standing under the sterile lights, Xinyue radiated elegance and control. Dark hair perfectly styled, silk blouse gleaming faintly, lips curved in that practiced smile that seemed to say I belong here and I am untouchable. Lin Yue felt a tiny flicker of annoyance or was it wariness curling in her stomach.
Xinyue's eyes caught hers immediately. Not a friendly greeting, not even a polite acknowledgment. A challenge. A silent, sharp-edged warning: You are in my space now.
Lin Yue straightened instinctively. Calm. Graceful. She had rehearsed this exact moment in her mind a thousand times over, but reality was sharper, colder, and more dangerous than imagination. She would not flinch. She would not shrink.
Zhang Wei stood beside her, his expression unreadable. He said nothing, observing with the same cool intensity he had shown since their wedding. It was both infuriating and infuriatingly reassuring.
Lin Yue took a steadying breath. She could feel her pulse in her temples, a quiet rhythm reminding her that she was alive and aware and unbroken.
Chen Xinyue's voice broke the silence, soft but carrying undeniable authority. Lin Yue, I've heard you are the new Mrs. Zhang. The emphasis on her married title made Lin Yue's chest tighten, not with fear, but with something sharper, a determination not to be intimidated.
Yes, I am, Lin Yue replied, her voice steady. She held Xinyue's gaze evenly, not polite, not submissive, just factual.
A flicker of surprise crossed Xinyue's face, quickly replaced by a faint smirk. I see. And you plan to stay, she asked, tilting her head in a gesture both casual and predatory.
Lin Yue's lips curved slightly. I do not plan to leave what is mine.
The words hung in the air like ice. For a moment, Xinyue said nothing, measuring her, judging her. Then she gave a small nod as if acknowledging a worthy opponent. Lin Yue could not tell if it was respect or a silent promise of war.
The meeting that followed was tense. Xinyue spoke first, her questions pointed but polite, each one designed to probe Lin Yue's knowledge and her ability to navigate complex social situations. Lin Yue responded carefully, choosing words that conveyed intelligence without arrogance. Every answer was a test, every glance a negotiation. She realized she was learning more about Zhang Wei too, about how he reacted in silence, about the subtle shifts in his posture that betrayed thought rather than feeling.
By the end of the session, Lin Yue's mind buzzed with exhaustion and exhilaration. She had survived her first encounter with Xinyue, had held her ground without losing composure. Small victories, but significant. She allowed herself a private smile, savoring the quiet satisfaction that came from knowing she had not been overlooked or dismissed.
Later, alone in the elevator, she allowed herself to exhale fully. The city lights outside blurred into streaks of gold and silver as the cabin descended, mirroring the swirl of thoughts in her head. This marriage, she realized, would be more complicated than she had imagined. Challenges would come not only from Zhang Wei's icy distance but from the ghosts of his past and the expectations of everyone around them.
Lin Yue pressed her palm against the glass, feeling the cold, smooth surface beneath her fingers. She would face these challenges the way she had faced everything else in her life—with careful calculation, unwavering composure, and a quiet refusal to be broken.
Yet even as she made this vow to herself, she could not ignore the traitorous flutter in her chest whenever Zhang Wei's gaze lingered on her, inscrutable but undeniably focused. Respect, curiosity, or something more complicated she was not yet ready to name.
For now, though, she would survive this first real test. And when the next challenge came, she would meet it just as fiercely, just as gracefully, and just as human as she was.