[Location: City A — Upscale Boutique | Time: 11:30 AM | Weather: Sunny]
Chen Yao stepped into the boutique, her heels clicking sharply against the white marble floor. The fragrance of fresh orchids and expensive perfume lingered in the air—a curated atmosphere designed to remind patrons they belonged to a different class.
The manager greeted her with a slight bow. "Miss Chen, your private fitting room is ready."
She nodded absently, barely hearing him.
Today, she wasn't here for fashion.
She was here to reclaim something. Pride. Presence. Maybe even perception.
As she passed the cosmetics aisle, her eyes landed on a familiar bottle—Sakura Mist. A scent she hadn't worn in years.
A scent she used to wear.
Qin Lingxi.
The scent clung to memory like a ghost. Lingxi had worn it the first time Chen Yao met her, long before she'd realized who she was.
And long before Xu Yichen had stopped smelling like cologne and started smelling like silence.
She walked on.
[Location: Xu Corporation HQ | Time: 12:00 PM]
In the executive conference room, Xu Yichen stood before a digital display, presenting to a group of department heads. Yuan Fei stood quietly by the wall, noting every expression, every flicker of resistance.
Yichen's voice remained cold, measured.
"As of now, any internal ties to Du Haoran's investments must be reported directly to me. I want a full audit."
Murmurs spread like fire.
A young executive raised her hand. "Sir, respectfully… this might cause internal pushback."
Yichen's gaze pinned her.
"Let them push."
After the meeting adjourned, Yuan Fei followed him into his office.
"Du Haoran is consolidating his outer assets. He's planning something."
"Let him," Yichen replied. "Desperation makes men predictable."
"And what about Miss Chen?"
"She signed the papers. It's done."
"But she hasn't let go."
Yichen paused at the window, staring out at the skyline.
"Neither has she."
He pulled out a drawer.
The scarf was still there—folded neatly, untouched.
[Location: Chen Villa — Yao's Bedroom | Time: 12:30 PM]
Chen Yao tossed her new dresses onto the bed, pacing slowly, her phone in hand.
She scrolled through photos—her and Yichen at company events, ribbon-cuttings, charity galas.
But in every image, his body leaned slightly away. His eyes didn't settle on her.
She clicked on a photo dated four years ago.
Yichen, half-smiling.
Lingxi, just in the background—unnoticed at the time.
But now, glaring.
She zoomed in.
"She was always there," she whispered.
Her phone buzzed with a call.
[Caller ID: Du Haoran]
She hesitated.
Then answered.
"I assume this isn't a courtesy call."
"Just checking in on an old friend."
"You mean the one you once told to leave Yichen because he was beneath me?"
A pause.
"I was wrong then. He's anything but beneath us now."
"Why are you really calling?"
"Because I think we both want the same thing: to keep the past where it belongs."
"And where does Lingxi belong in that picture?"
"In the background. Always."
She didn't respond.
"Let's meet. You and I—same side, maybe for the first time."
She ended the call without a word.
[Location: Qin Lingxi's Studio | Time: 1:00 PM]
The tiny studio smelled of charcoal and coffee. Lingxi sat cross-legged on the floor, sketching with long, practiced strokes.
She paused, looking out the window.
"They're aligning," she said aloud.
Her cat, curled beside her, blinked lazily.
She reached for her phone and opened a text thread with Yuan Fei.
Lingxi: Any updates?
Yuan Fei: Du Haoran contacted Chen Yao.
She didn't reply for a long moment.
Then:
Lingxi: Then I need to move faster.
[Location: Du Haoran's Office | Time: 2:00 PM]
Du Haoran adjusted his cufflinks and studied the mirror.
"Let them cling to the past," he muttered.
His assistant entered, holding a manila envelope.
"The report on Qin Lingxi."
"And?"
"Nothing too damning. But… her real identity is buried deep."
Du Haoran's eyes glinted.
"Dig deeper. The past always leaves fingerprints."
He poured a drink, toasting no one.
"Yichen, you may have returned with power—but I still hold the stories you want buried."
[End of Chapter 8]