---
"I want you to help me deal with Eric and William… and make them delete everything they have."
There was a pause.
Then came a soft laugh.
Feminine.
Dangerous.
"You want to make a deal, Miss Su?" Laetania murmured. "Very well. But every favor has its price."
Su Meilin swallowed hard.
"I'll pay it. Whatever it is."
—
After hanging up, she put the phone on the bedside table.
The call with Laetania had left Su Meilin feeling strangely lighter.
She lay back on her bed, letting the satin sheets cool her skin.
Her eyes fluttered shut, but a small, victorious smile lingered on her lips.
"Just a bit longer," she whispered to herself. "Eric, William... soon, you'll be nothing but a bad memory."
---
The Next Morning…
The internet exploded before dawn.
#YirenNewEndorsement #NotGlowVine #SecretBrandRevealed #ElvaAllure
Social media platforms were burning hot.
The comments came in droves, flooding every platform.
Entertainment forums were flooded with thousands of posts.
Even unrelated hashtags were being hijacked by trending fans.
Yiren—the most beloved and top-ranked actress in the country—had just been announced as the brand ambassador for a mysterious new makeup line calling itself Elva Allure.
The announcement post was simple: a single photo of Yiren holding a shimmering silver and rose-gold face mask from the Elva Allure skincare line.
Her eyes sparkled, her skin glowed, and her lips were curled into a soft, confident smile.
No fancy words, no long captions.
—
But the reaction was volcanic.
"Queen Yiren never disappoints! She looks flawless!"
"Elva Allure packaging looks so expensive, I already feel poor."
"Yiren is an ethereal beauty! If she uses Elva Allure, so will I!"
"She could endorse rocks and I'd still buy them."
More curious voices began to rise through the fan adoration:
"Didn't she have a deal with GlowVine? What happened?!"
"Is GlowVine in trouble? Why would she leave at the peak of their collab?"
"Why did she jump ship? Is GlowVine being replaced?"
"I smell drama… someone dig deeper!"
—
Speculations swirled.
Why had Yiren dropped GlowVine Cosmetics, the long-reigning queen of the beauty industry?
Was there a scandal?
Was GlowVine falling?
---
At the secluded beautiful villa in Jingyun Imperial Garden, Mo Yuwei stirred her yogurt bowl calmly, dressed in a cozy cashmere robe as sunlight poured through her glass walls.
Just as she was taking another bite, her phone buzzed insistently on the table.
Her assistant's name flashed.
She frowned, swiping to answer.
"What is it?"
"President Mo, you should check Weibo—NOW."
Without a word, she tapped open her feed.
It only took two seconds for her to see it.
The top headline.
Yiren's photo.
She scrolled past fan comments and news articles, her lips twitching in quiet amusement.
"Su Meilin," she muttered.
She sipped her milk with practiced elegance, set her bowl aside, and stood up walking upstairs.
The creamy white robe slid off her shoulders as she walked into her walk-in closet.
The assistant's voice was still in her ear. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
Mo Yuwei chuckled faintly as she slipped into a sleek white blouse and a tailored navy skirt. "What should I say?"
"But... people online are starting to throw dirt on us. Some even say Yiren left because our quality dropped. They're saying we're old-fashioned, behind the trends. They think we got dumped."
"I don't chase rumors." She clipped on pearl earrings and slid into her Louboutin heels. "Besides, we both know Su Meilin's playing dirty. She just exposed her hand. That's all I needed."
He sighed. "So, what's the plan?"
She paused in front of the mirror, applying a soft red lipstick before replying, "We proceed as planned."
She turned and walked toward the door, grabbing her handbag with effortless grace. "Is Xu Jiaqi at the company?"
"Yes, she arrived ten minutes ago."
"Good. Tell her to wait in the conference room."
"Yes, Miss Mo."
As the call ended, she slid into her car and turned the ignition.
Her eyes narrowed slightly in the rearview mirror.
---
At the headquarters of Elva Allure, the office was buzzing like a hive.
Su Meilin sat at the head of a long conference table, sipping coffee from a porcelain cup, perfectly poised in a maroon suit that hugged her slender frame like a second skin.
Sunlight slanted through the windows, hitting the gold accents on her blazer.
Her assistant, Lu Anran stood nearby, tablet in hand.
"Well?" Su Meilin asked without looking up. "How's online now?"
"We're trending top three across platforms. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive."
"And GlowVine?"
Lu Anran hesitated. "No official response yet."
A slow smile curved Su Meilin's lips.
"Perfect," she said. "GlowVine Cosmetics has dominated the market for three years. That's long enough. It's time for the crown to change hands. The crown never fits forever."
"But…" Lu Anran glanced nervously at the screen.
"But what?"
"There's a problem."
"What problem?"
"The... The production team says they need at least a month and a half to meet the pre-order numbers and best quality."
Su Meilin's smile vanished.
"We don't have a month and a half." Her voice was low and cold. "We've already gone public. The audience is waiting. You want them to turn around and go back to GlowVine?"
"N-No, of course not."
"Then tell production to deliver in three weeks. I don't care how."
"They said it's impossible..."
"Then make the impossible happen. If you can't motivate them, replace them."
"Yes, CEO Su!"
—
She stood up and headed out, heels clicking with purpose and confidence.
At the staircase, she met Yiren and her manager.
Yiren wore a soft beige trench coat over casual jeans and a designer shirt, sunglasses perched on her head.
"CEO Su," Yiren greeted with a smile.
"Yiren," Meilin nodded. "Heading out?"
"Yes, we've got a shoot later. But we wanted to stop by first."
"Good," Su Meilin said as they descended. "You should start preparing for the full endorsement campaign. It'll be in your hands."
"I won't disappoint you," Yiren said, as she chuckled. "You've treated me so well, I'll make sure to return the favor."
Su Meilin nodded. "That's all I ask."
—
They exited the building side by side, chatting like old friends.
But the moment they stepped outside...
Flash. Flash. FLASH.
A swarm of reporters leapt from behind parked cars, cameras raised, microphones thrust forward.
They clearly had been waiting.
Yiren stiffened but quickly composed herself.
"Miss Yiren! Miss Yiren! A word, please!"
"Is it true you broke contract with GlowVine?"
"Why Elva Allure instead? Was there an issue?"
The actress adjusted her sunglasses and offered a polite smile. "No comment. I simply made a personal choice. Eleganze aligned with my goals."
"But isn't Miss Mo Yuwei the CEO of GlowVine? Aren't you afraid of backlash?"
Yiren's expression didn't change. Her voice dropped slightly. "I respect Miss Mo. But I made a decision I stand by. That's all."
She knew well what Mo Yuwei was capable of. The Mo family and the Chen family held serious influence. One wrong step and she'd be blacklisted overnight.
But she also knew Su Meilin wasn't just any rich socialite.
She was the fiancée of the richest most feared man in the country, Liang Yexuan.
She couldn't offend either side.
—
The reporters, not satisfied, turned their attention to Su Meilin.
Another reporter turned toward Meilin.
"Miss Su, the internet is buzzing… but we have to ask. Why is Liang Yexuan's fiancée here? Do you work with Elva Allure as well?"
Before Su Meilin could answer, Yiren let out a soft laugh.
"She's not working here. She's our boss."
A beat of stunned silence followed.
Even the reporters' fingers froze mid-click.
"What?" one whispered.
---