The Counterattack Begins
Author's Note: Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
Zi Yan sat in her apartment, staring at the USB drive in her hand.
Her heart pounded.
Lu Yichen's words echoed in her mind.
"Lin Hao isn't just a liar. He's a criminal."
If this was true, then this wasn't just about a fake scandal anymore.
This was bigger.
She took a deep breath and plugged the USB into her laptop.
A folder popped up on the screen.
Inside were several video files, bank statements, and chat records.
Her eyes narrowed.
She clicked on the first video.
[Video 1: Lin Hao's Real Face]
The footage showed Lin Hao in a dimly lit bar, sitting with a few shady-looking men.
His expression was smug.
He leaned back in his chair, swirling a glass of wine.
"You think I care about that woman?" Lin Hao laughed.
"She was just a stepping stone. A stupid one."
The men around him chuckled.
"Didn't you say she gave you money?" one of them asked.
Lin Hao smirked.
"Yeah. She thought I loved her. Always gave me cash when I needed it."
He shrugged.
"But after she got famous, she stopped caring about me. So I took what I could and left."
One of the men scoffed.
"And now you're acting like a victim?"
Lin Hao grinned.
"Of course. The public loves a sob story."
Zi Yan clenched her fists.
Her nails dug into her palm.
This was proof.
Lin Hao had admitted everything.
She clicked on another file.
This one was a bank statement.
It showed large amounts of money being transferred from her account to Lin Hao's.
Back when she was still naïve.
Back when she thought he actually loved her.
Zi Yan's chest tightened.
She had been so blind.
So foolish.
She clicked on the last video file.
And what she saw made her blood boil.
[Video 2: Lin Hao & Xu Ming's Deal]
Lin Hao was sitting in an office.
Across from him was Xu Ming.
The man who had started this scandal.
The video was grainy, but their voices were clear.
Lin Hao leaned forward, a greedy smile on his face.
"You want me to ruin Zi Yan, right?"
Xu Ming nodded.
"Make it believable. Make yourself look like the victim. I'll handle the rest."
Lin Hao chuckled.
"As long as I get my payment, I don't care what happens to her."
Zi Yan's hands shook.
So it had all been planned.
From the beginning.
Lin Hao was nothing more than a puppet.
And Xu Ming was pulling the strings.
Her eyes turned cold.
They wanted to destroy her?
Then she would destroy them first.
Meng Jie called.
"Zi Yan, we need to act fast. The public is waiting for your evidence."
Zi Yan took a deep breath.
"I have everything. Bank records, chat logs, even videos of Lin Hao admitting the truth."
Meng Jie sounded excited.
"Then let's release it."
But Zi Yan wasn't done yet.
"No," she said.
"Not just yet."
Meng Jie was confused.
"What do you mean?"
Zi Yan's lips curled into a smirk.
"I want them to suffer first."
She had a plan.
And it was time to put it into motion.
The Public Turns
The next morning, Lin Hao made another public appearance.
He stood in front of reporters, looking miserable.
"I never wanted things to turn out like this," he said with a sigh.
"I just… I just want an apology from Zi Yan."
The reporters ate it up.
They bombarded him with questions.
"Are you saying Zi Yan really abandoned you?"
"Do you still love her?"
Lin Hao lowered his head, pretending to be sad.
"I… I don't know. But I can't forget her."
He wiped at his eyes dramatically.
And just like that, people believed him again.
"Poor guy! Zi Yan should apologize!"
"She must be feeling guilty now!"
"How can she stay silent?"
Zi Yan watched the interview from her phone.
She smirked.
He wanted to act?
Then she'd let him act.
For now.
Later that evening, a mysterious account posted online.
It was an anonymous leak.
And it contained one of the videos from Zi Yan's USB.
The one where Lin Hao admitted to using her for money.
The internet exploded.
"Wait… so Lin Hao is the one who used Zi Yan?"
"This changes everything!"
"Did he just admit to scamming her?!"
People were shocked.
And just like that, public opinion shifted.
Lin Hao panicked.
His phone rang nonstop.
Xu Ming called him.
"What the hell is this?! Who leaked that video?!"
Lin Hao was sweating.
"I—I don't know! Maybe Zi Yan had something!"
Xu Ming's voice was ice cold.
"You said she didn't."
Lin Hao gulped.
"I—I thought she didn't."
Xu Ming clenched his teeth.
"Fix this. Now. Or we're both going down."
But Zi Yan wasn't done.
The next morning, another video was leaked.
This time, it was the deal between Lin Hao and Xu Ming.
Now, the whole world could see it.
And the reaction was chaos.
"So Xu Ming planned the whole scandal?!"
"Lin Hao sold out Zi Yan for money?!"
"They deserve to be ruined!"
The comments turned into anger.
People who had supported Lin Hao now called him a snake.
Xu Ming's name was being dragged through the mud.
And Zi Yan?
She just waited.
Because this was just the beginning.
Lin Hao tried to run.
But the media was ruthless.
They caught him outside his apartment, shoving microphones in his face.
"Lin Hao! Do you have anything to say about the leaked videos?"
"Did you really betray Zi Yan?"
"Was your entire sob story a lie?"
Lin Hao's face was pale.
"I—I don't know anything about this!"
But his lies no longer worked.
No one believed him anymore.
His fans abandoned him.
His sponsors dropped him.
And as for Xu Ming—
His company's stock plummeted.
He tried to control the damage.
But it was too late.
Zi Yan had already won.
That night, Zi Yan finally released her official statement.
It was simple.
"The truth always comes out. Thank you to those who believed in me."
She didn't need to say anything more.
Because Lin Hao and Xu Ming had destroyed themselves.
Zi Yan sat back on her couch, feeling the tension drain from her body.
She had survived.
No—
She had won.
Lu Yichen's voice broke the silence.
"Happy?"
She turned to look at him.
He was standing by her window, watching her with calm eyes.
Zi Yan smiled.
"Not yet."
Because this wasn't over.
She had defended herself.
Now, it was time to take back everything they stole from her.
And she wouldn't stop until they paid the full price