The headline exploded across every screen in the city.
LU ZHIYUAN'S SPOUSE: A POOR SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT WHO MARRIED INTO POWER?
The article was everywhere—business news, gossip forums, social media feeds. Photos of Shen Yaojin from years ago appeared beside pictures of him now, dressed in tailored suits, standing beside Lu Zhiyuan.
The contrast was cruel.
The Past They Dug Up
Yaojin stared at the screen in his bedroom, phone trembling in his hand.
There was a picture of him at sixteen, standing in a worn school uniform, hair slightly messy, smiling awkwardly at a science fair booth. Another photo showed him sitting alone in a classroom, head down, pencil in hand.
Then came the words.
"Sources say Shen Yaojin came from a financially unstable family, relied on scholarships, and was known as a quiet loner in school. Former classmates describe him as 'weak,' 'easy to target,' and 'always alone.'"
His chest tightened.
They even dug that up…
He remembered the whispers. The laughter. The hands that shoved his books off the desk. The notes stuck to his back that said poor kid and omega trash.
He remembered the teacher who told him to "ignore it" because he should be grateful he was even allowed there.
He remembered eating lunch in the bathroom because the cafeteria felt like a battlefield.
He remembered pretending not to care.
I thought I left that behind, he thought.
But the internet never forgot.
Media Storm
Lu Zhiyuan's office was chaos. Assistants rushed in and out, phones ringing nonstop, board members demanding emergency meetings.
He stood by the window, reading the article on his tablet. His expression didn't change.
But everyone in the room could feel the temperature drop.
"Do we release a statement?" an assistant asked nervously.
"Not yet," Zhiyuan said.
A board member's face appeared on the large screen. "This is exactly what we warned you about. His background—"
"His background is irrelevant," Zhiyuan interrupted.
"It affects the company image!"
Zhiyuan's gaze sharpened. "Then change the image."
Silence filled the room.
The Boy He Used to Be
Back in his room, Yaojin scrolled further. Someone had posted an anonymous confession thread.
"He was bullied a lot. People took his things. Some alphas used to mess with him just to see him cry. He never fought back."
Yaojin's fingers curled.
I did fight back.
Just… not loudly.
He remembered one boy who ripped his project apart in front of the class. Another who locked him in the supply closet. A group who called him omega failure because he didn't fit their idea of what an omega should be.
He remembered going home and pretending everything was fine. Pretending he wasn't exhausted from surviving school.
He thought about the person he had become now—calm, controlled, quiet.
They think I was weak, he thought. They don't know how much strength it took just to stay.
A Creepy Message
His phone buzzed.
Unknown: I remember you from school. You're famous now. You always looked better when you were scared.
Yaojin froze.
Another message came.
Unknown: You shouldn't have left. Weak omegas belong where they started.
He stared at the screen, heart racing.
Someone from the past found me.
Zhiyuan Finds Out
Zhiyuan entered Yaojin's room without knocking. He rarely did when he was angry.
"You saw it," Zhiyuan said.
"It's everywhere," Yaojin replied quietly.
Zhiyuan walked closer and took the phone from his hand again. This time, he didn't just remove it—he read the messages.
His jaw tightened.
"Who sent this?"
"I don't know."
Zhiyuan turned away and typed something rapidly. "I will find out."
"Zhiyuan," Yaojin said softly.
Zhiyuan paused.
"I'm not embarrassed," Yaojin said. "I just… forgot how it felt."
Zhiyuan looked at him.
"They called me weak," Yaojin continued, voice quiet but steady. "But I survived. That's not weakness."
Zhiyuan stared at him for a long moment.
"You're not weak," he said.
The words were simple. But they landed heavy.
Second Couple Tension
Bai Lianyi found Han Zexu reading the news in the break room.
"You shouldn't read that trash," Lianyi said, taking the tablet from his hand.
"It's about Yaojin," Zexu replied quietly.
"And?"
"He's my friend."
Lianyi studied him for a moment. "You care too much."
Zexu met his eyes. "So do you."
Lianyi frowned slightly.
"Why else would you be here instead of in your office?" Zexu asked.
Lianyi didn't answer.
Damn omega, he thought. Too perceptive.
War Begins
Later that night, Lin Meiqi watched the chaos unfold on multiple screens. Stock prices fluctuating. Trending topics. Debates.
She sipped wine, satisfied.
"Poor boy," she murmured. "You climbed so high, just to be dragged back down."
Her phone buzzed.
Journalist: This story is huge. People are obsessed with his bullied past. Want to add more?
Meiqi smiled.
Meiqi: Not yet. Let him breathe for a bit. Then we break him properly.
Yaojin stood on the balcony that night, city lights reflecting in his eyes.
The boy who ate lunch in the bathroom.
The boy who pretended not to cry.
The boy who studied until midnight because success was his only escape.
He thought he had buried him.
But the world dug him up again.
Behind him, Zhiyuan stepped closer. He didn't touch him. He just stood there. Solid. Silent. Present.
"You can't erase the past," Zhiyuan said quietly. "But you can control who gets to use it."
Yaojin exhaled slowly.
"I won't let them use me again," he said.
Zhiyuan's eyes darkened.
"Good," he said. "Because I won't either."