The city lights flickered outside the window, but Zi Ning's mind was far from the peaceful night. Liu Meng's words echoed in her ears, heavy and cold.
"The family you lost. The power you were meant to inherit."
What did it all mean? What truth had been hidden from her all these years?
Sitting in Lu Yichen's penthouse living room, Zi Ning clenched her fists, her heart burning with questions. She needed answers. She could no longer sit and wait while others tried to tear her life apart.
Lu Yichen entered the room with a glass of warm milk, placing it gently in front of her. "Drink this. You haven't eaten much today," he said softly.
Zi Ning smiled faintly at his thoughtfulness but didn't reach for the glass. "I met her today," she said, her voice steady. "Liu Meng."
His expression darkened instantly. "Alone?"
"I had to," Zi Ning explained. "I needed to face her myself."
Lu Yichen sat beside her, his sharp gaze never leaving her face. "And what did she say?"
Zi Ning took a deep breath. "She said… I'm part of her revenge. That my real family is connected to the people who ruined her life."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Lu Yichen's fingers tightened into a fist. "She's playing mind games, trying to shake you. Don't let her get inside your head."
Zi Ning shook her head. "I don't think she's lying. And if there's even a chance she knows the truth about my past, I have to find out."
Lu Yichen's jaw clenched. "Then we'll find the truth. But I won't let her hurt you."
Zi Ning softened at his words, leaning into his warmth. "I know. But I have to be strong enough to protect myself too."
The next day, Zi Ning returned to the film set, but the air felt heavier than before. The crew whispered behind her back, their curiosity sharpened by the new rumors spreading online.
A fresh wave of articles had surfaced—hinting at a mysterious past, an unknown family, and suggesting that Zi Ning wasn't who she claimed to be.
As she walked toward her dressing room, Wang Yin's mocking voice reached her ears.
"Must be hard," Wang Yin said with a fake sigh. "Living a double life. Poor Zi Ning, pretending to be someone else while her real past is catching up."
Zi Ning stopped in her tracks, turning slowly to face her. Her expression was calm, but her eyes burned cold.
"Worry about yourself, Wang Yin," Zi Ning said smoothly. "You should focus on fixing your terrible acting instead of spreading lies."
Wang Yin's smile faded. "Enjoy your time in the spotlight while you can. Once the truth comes out, you'll lose everything."
Zi Ning tilted her head, her tone cutting. "The difference between us, Wang Yin, is that I don't need to scheme to stay on top. But you? Without your tricks, you're nothing."
The color drained from Wang Yin's face as Zi Ning brushed past her and entered the dressing room, slamming the door shut behind her.
Inside, Li Wei stood waiting, his face pale with worry. "Zi Ning, we need to do something. The rumors are out of control."
Zi Ning took a deep breath, pushing aside her anger. "Let them talk. The truth will come out on my terms, not theirs."
"But if Liu Meng keeps feeding the media—"
"I'm not afraid of her," Zi Ning interrupted. "I'm going to find out what she knows, and when the time is right, I'll strike back."
Li Wei studied her for a moment, then sighed. "You've changed. You're stronger."
Zi Ning's expression hardened. "I've had no choice."
That evening, Zi Ning met Xu Jia at a private lounge. The air was thick with the scent of leather and whiskey as Xu Jia handed her a sealed folder.
"I dug deeper," Xu Jia said quietly. "Liu Meng's story is… complicated."
Zi Ning opened the folder, scanning the documents inside. The more she read, the colder her heart became.
Liu Meng had once been a rising star in the corporate world—until a mysterious incident destroyed her career overnight. The company that crushed her? A powerful conglomerate called the Zi Corporation.
Zi Ning froze. "Zi Corporation?"
Xu Jia nodded. "It's one of the most secretive and wealthy families in China. They've stayed out of the public eye for decades. But their influence is everywhere."
Zi Ning's chest tightened. Was this connected to her forgotten past?
"There's more," Xu Jia continued. "Rumor has it… they lost a child over twenty years ago. A girl."
Zi Ning's heart pounded.
"Liu Meng believes you are that lost child," Xu Jia finished.
The room spun for a moment. Zi Ning pressed a hand against the table, steadying herself. Could it be true? Was her real family still out there, searching for her?
Lu Yichen's voice echoed in her mind: "No matter what happens, you're not alone."
She wasn't alone. And she wasn't weak.
"I need to meet them," Zi Ning said firmly. "The Zi family."
Xu Jia hesitated. "It won't be easy. They don't trust outsiders. And if Liu Meng has already made her move…"
Zi Ning's eyes flashed with determination. "I don't care how hard it is. I need to know the truth."
When Zi Ning returned to the penthouse, Lu Yichen was waiting for her, his face unreadable.
"You're late," he said quietly.
Zi Ning walked to him, her heart pounding with everything she had learned. "I know who Liu Meng is after. The Zi family. And Yichen… I think I might be their lost child."
For the first time, shock flickered in Lu Yichen's eyes. But it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"If that's true," he said, stepping closer to her, "then we'll uncover every secret they've hidden. But Zi Ning… are you ready for what you might find?"
Zi Ning lifted her chin, her voice steady. "I've spent too long living in the dark. It's time I find the truth—no matter the cost."
Lu Yichen's gaze softened with pride and something deeper—something fierce and unyielding. "Then I'm with you. Always."
As Zi Ning met his eyes, a fire burned in her chest.
No matter who tried to break her—Liu Meng, the Zi family, or anyone else—she wouldn't back down.
The truth was waiting. And she was ready to face it head-on.