Su Nuo stared into Su Jin's cold, expressionless eyes—like a frozen lake in midwinter—and suddenly, her pupils contracted.
Realization struck her like lightning.
Could it be… "the drink was drugged?
"You're… you're not affected?" she stammered, eyes wide with disbelief.
Su Jin slowly crouched down beside her, calm as ever. Her gaze was emotionless, but beneath it was a sharp, glacial edge.
"Surprised?" she said softly, her voice laced with quiet mockery.
"You only had one job—coax me into drinking it. And your dear mother promised, didn't she? 'As long as Su Jin swallows it, you'll become the Fu family's young madam.'"
Su Nuo's breath caught. Her face twisted with fear.
"How…" How do you know what my mother told me?"
That was exactly what Gu Xiangyun had said to her. Her voice echoed in her ears now, urging her to drug Su Jin and seize the spotlight.
But now—she had fallen into the trap instead.
The medicine surged through her. Her body grew hotter and hotter. Her limbs trembled, a sticky sheen of sweat gathering across her brow. Her breathing became ragged, and even her voice had changed—low, sweet, and sultry.
Su Jin's eyes sharpened as she stood up slowly. Her voice was icy, each word deliberate:
"Because I've known everything… every filthy thing you and your mother have done."
She took a step back, towering above the now-shaking Su Nuo.
"Your mother wanted to ruin me at my own engagement banquet. Make you the leading lady, just like last time."
Her gaze hardened into frost.
"But I'm not the same Su Jin anymore."
In her previous life, she had escaped that night—barely. But the price was devastating.
She became a laughingstock. The Fu family immediately dissolved the engagement with Su Nuo, and the entire city branded Su Jin as a broken shoe. No one cared about the truth. Even though she was innocent, no one believed her.
That scandal clung to her like a curse. Even at university, whispers followed her. Pointing fingers. Mocking smiles. She could never shake it off.
All those memories rushed back now, flashing through her mind like a fast-spinning film reel.
But this time—Su Jin had never been clearer. Never more awake.
Her eyes turned cold. She slowly undressed, removing her elegant engagement gown. Then she went to Su Nuo—now flushed, disoriented, and barely conscious—and stripped off her dress as well.
Su Jin dressed Su nuo in her own gown and slipped into Su Nuo's.
Leaning close to her ear, she whispered the same line that Su Nuo had said to her in their previous life—her voice soft, but cutting like a blade:
"Enjoy it, my dear sister."
Just as she finished changing, there came a series of knocks at the door—three light taps.
Su Jin calmly returned three knocks on her side of the door. It was the same signal… the same code from that night on her previous life.
Right on cue, the door creaked open.
A janitor wearing a mask appeared with a cleaning cart. "Miss Su, I'm here to tidy up."
Su Jin nodded toward the bed.
"She's right there. You can take her out."
The cleaner didn't hesitate. He glanced at the figure lying dazed on the couch in the shimmering gown—believing it to be Su Jin—and quickly moved forward, stuffing her into the cart.
The scene, the words, the timing—everything was exactly the same as in her previous life.
Only this time, the victim wasn't her.
Everything proceeded without heaven's notice and hell's awareness.
After the others left, Su Jin calmly removed the gown she had worn, folded it neatly, and tossed it into the trash bin.
She then changed into a different outfit—simple, inconspicuous—and quietly slipped out of the lounge.
Meanwhile, the janitor pushed the drugged Su Nuo into a nearby room and exited swiftly, blending into the background.
Downstairs, the engagement banquet was in full swing. The grand hall buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and congratulatory toasts. No one suspected that something shocking had already taken place upstairs.
But in a quiet corner, a few reporters were whispering, their faces filled with disbelief and rising excitement.
"What? Are you serious?"
"Fu's fiancée was caught… with another man? That's explosive news."
"Come on, let's check it out!"
The group of reporters quickly gathered their gear and crept up the staircase, excitement gleaming in their eyes.
In the crowd below, Fu Siyan suddenly caught sight of the movement and frowned slightly. Something felt off.
Today is the engagement banquet between the Fu and Su families. He wouldn't allow anyone to ruin it.
His gaze swept across the room and landed on Assistant Xu.
Xu immediately leaned closer. Fu Siyan didn't need to say anything—his look said it all.
Xu gave a small nod, then tapped discreetly on the Bluetooth headset hidden under his collar.
"Sweep the second floor. Discreetly. No noise."
A moment later, the bodyguards began to move. One by one, they slipped away from the main hall, dispersing into quiet corners and heading upstairs, silent and swift.
Fu Siyan was just about to head upstairs when a figure suddenly stepped into his path.
"Mr. Fu, may I have a word?"
The speaker was a woman tightly wrapped from head to toe. Only her sharp, calculating eyes were visible.
Fu Siyan's gaze darkened the moment he heard her voice. Without even needing to confirm, he recognized her instantly.
"Gu Xiangyun?" he said coldly. "What gives you the right to block my way?"
Gu Xiangyun's voice remained calm and self-assured, her tone bordering on smug.
"This concerns the Fu family's reputation. If you're not interested, I won't insist. But I came to remind you—once this scandal breaks, it could drag the Fu family into ruin."
Her confidence was almost arrogant, as if she believed she held all the cards.
Fu Siyan's jaw tightened. "What scandal?"
"Su Jin was caught… entangled with another man," Gu Xiangyun said with a touch of theatrical pity. "The news is already starting to spread. But there's still time to change the outcome."
She took a small step closer, voice lowering conspiratorially.
"Switch the bride. Let Su Nuo take her place. As long as today's protagonist isn't Su Jin, the Fu name won't be tarnished. People forget scandals quickly—if you give them a more elegant story to focus on."
Fu Siyan stared at her for a moment, then a cold, mocking smile curved at the edge of his lips.
"So this is your plan…" Threaten me with a fake scandal to shove your daughter into the Fu family?"
His voice was low, lethal.
"You overestimate your cleverness, Madam Gu."
"No—no, I didn't mean to threaten you. I wouldn't dare," Gu Xiangyun said hastily, her tone anxious and pleading. "Everything I did was for the Fu family's sake. Of course… I admit, I had some selfish motives too."
She took a shaky breath, trying to sound sincere.
"But Su Jin… she's not as pure and innocent as she appears. Don't be fooled by her face. If you don't believe me, go upstairs and see it for yourself."
It was too difficult to persuade Fu Siyan with words alone. Only if he saw it with his own eyes would he believe that she was telling the truth.
Fu Siyan's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes turned icy as he gave her one final glance—then strode past her toward the second floor.
As he walked, he tapped the earpiece at his collar.
"Seal off the second floor. No one is to remain."
Assistant Xu immediately understood and gave the order through his headset.
"Clear the second floor. Lock down all access. Remove all non-essential personnel."
Within moments, security guards moved swiftly, ushering out everyone lingering upstairs—including the small cluster of eager reporters.
Though they grumbled in confusion, no one dared protest openly.
This was Fu territory. They knew better than to cross the line.
Still, their hearts burned with frustration.
Such a big story… and no photos. What a waste.
There were only two rooms on the second floor: the main lounge and a smaller break room originally meant for makeup artists. A single corridor connected them—there was no way around it.
When Fu Siyan stepped into the main lounge and saw it completely empty, his brows furrowed sharply.
Something's off.
Behind him, Gu Xiangyun's heartbeat grew faster and more erratic—each pulse pounding in her ears. Her lips trembled with anticipation.
Yes… it worked. That little bitch is finished today.
"She must be in the other room," she said quickly, barely able to contain her excitement.
Fu Siyan's gaze lingered on the lounge door for a moment, thoughtful and unreadable. Then he gave a cold command to Assistant Xu:
"Break the door open."
Assistant Xu gestured immediately, and two security guards stepped forward. Without hesitation, they raised their legs and kicked.
Once.
Twice.
Thud… CRACK.
The latch gave way under the repeated blows. And from within the room, sounds began to drift out.
They didn't need to see to understand what kind of scene was unfolding inside.
Fu Siyan's face darkened, a dangerous storm brewing in his eyes. He stood motionless for a second, as if weighing whether to witness it for himself.
Then—
"Xiao Jin… your body is so soft…"
A man's drunken, lascivious voice echoed from inside the room.
Gu Xiangyun clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, her eyes alight with vindictive glee.
It worked… It really worked. Now everyone will see who Su Jin really is.
Bang!
The door flew off its hinges as Fu Siyan kicked it open, the wood crashing against the wall with a deafening sound.
The room was now in full view—
Inside the room, a man and a woman were tangled together on the large bed, clothes in disarray, completely lost in passion.
Even with the door flung wide open, they didn't stop. The scene was lurid, shameless—undeniable.
Fu Siyan's expression turned to ice, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Behind him, Gu Xiangyun couldn't hold back her triumph. She leaned forward, eyes blazing with vindication.
"Now you believe what I said—"
But before she could finish her sentence, her voice caught in her throat.
Her eyes landed on the woman in the bed—her face, her hair, the necklace at her collarbone.
And then—
A scream ripped from Gu Xiangyun's throat.
She staggered back a step, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.
The woman on the bed wasn't Su Jin.
It was—
Su Nuo.