A Mysterious Warning

The attempted poisoning at the banquet was a clear warning.

Someone wanted Zi Yan gone.

But who?

Wang Yin?

Or someone even more dangerous?

Zi Yan knew one thing—this was only the beginning.

She couldn't afford to let her guard down.

And then, just as she was preparing for bed, her phone vibrated.

A message.

Unknown Number: "Be careful. The people targeting you won't stop. They will come for you again."

Zi Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Who was this?

And why were they warning her?

She quickly replied.

Zi Yan: "Who are you?"

The message was read but no response came.

Her grip on the phone tightened.

Someone was watching her.

But were they a friend?

Or another enemy?

Zi Yan barely slept that night.

Her mind replayed the events of the banquet over and over.

The waiter.

The poisoned drink.

The mysterious message.

Too many things didn't add up.

By the time the sun rose, she had made a decision.

She needed to take action.

She wasn't going to sit around and wait for her enemies to strike again.

She had to find out who was behind this.

And she knew exactly where to start.

Lu Yichen had taken the waiter to a private location for questioning.

Zi Yan arrived at the secluded warehouse, where Lu Yichen's bodyguards were waiting.

She walked inside and saw the waiter tied to a chair, trembling.

Lu Yichen stood nearby, his arms crossed.

The moment he saw Zi Yan, he spoke.

"He hasn't talked yet," he said coldly. "But he will."

Zi Yan nodded and stepped forward.

She looked down at the waiter, her eyes sharp.

"Tell me who sent you," she said.

The waiter shook his head frantically.

"I don't know! I was just given the drink and told to serve it to you!"

Zi Yan narrowed her eyes.

"By who?"

The waiter hesitated.

"I… I don't know their name. But it was a woman."

Zi Yan's expression remained calm, but inside, she was furious.

Wang Yin.

It had to be her.

She took a deep breath.

"You understand that you almost killed me, right?" she said softly.

The waiter's face turned pale.

"I swear, I didn't know what was in the drink! I was just following orders!"

Lu Yichen scoffed.

"A coward like you wouldn't have done this without being paid a lot of money."

The waiter swallowed hard.

Zi Yan leaned in.

"Tell me the truth," she said, her voice dangerously low.

The waiter's lips trembled.

After a long pause, he finally broke.

"I don't know her name, but she's rich. She gave me an envelope full of cash and told me to make sure you drank that wine. If I failed, she said I'd regret it."

Zi Yan's hands clenched.

This wasn't just a random attack.

It was a calculated move.

And if her enemies were willing to go this far—

They wouldn't stop here.

She exhaled slowly.

"Did she say anything else?"

The waiter hesitated, then nodded.

"She said… this was only the beginning."

Zi Yan's heart turned cold.

After leaving the warehouse, Zi Yan sat in Lu Yichen's car, deep in thought.

Lu Yichen watched her carefully.

"You think it's Wang Yin?" he asked.

Zi Yan nodded.

"She has the motive. She hates me. She doesn't want me to take back my place."

Lu Yichen tapped his fingers against the steering wheel.

"She's not smart enough to do this alone," he said.

Zi Yan frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Lu Yichen met her gaze.

"She's impulsive and arrogant. Poisoning you at the banquet? That's too risky. Someone else is backing her."

Zi Yan considered his words.

Could it be true?

Was Wang Yin just a pawn?

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again.

Another message.

Unknown Number: "You don't have much time. Watch your back."

Zi Yan's fingers tightened around the phone.

She showed the message to Lu Yichen.

His expression darkened.

"Who is this?" he asked.

Zi Yan shook her head.

"I don't know. But whoever they are… they're watching everything."

Lu Yichen's eyes turned sharp.

"This means you're in even more danger than we thought."

Zi Yan exhaled.

"I need to find out who's sending these messages."

Lu Yichen smirked.

"Leave that to me."

When Zi Yan returned to the Zi Family mansion, she was greeted by an unexpected scene.

Her father, Zi Haoran, was sitting in the living room, his face stormy.

Across from him sat an uninvited guest.

Wang Yin.

Zi Yan's expression darkened.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

Wang Yin stood up and smiled sweetly.

"Zi Yan, I was just visiting Uncle Zi. After all, I'm your childhood friend."

Zi Yan's jaw tightened.

"Childhood friend?" she scoffed. "Is that what you're calling yourself now?"

Wang Yin ignored the insult.

Instead, she turned to Zi Haoran.

"Uncle Zi, I was just telling Zi Yan how happy I am for her return. I know we had misunderstandings before, but I really want to fix things."

Zi Yan clenched her fists.

She knew exactly what Wang Yin was trying to do.

She was trying to win over her father.

Zi Haoran looked between the two women, his expression unreadable.

Then, he sighed.

"Zi Yan, sit down," he said.

Zi Yan hesitated, then sat.

Wang Yin smiled as if she had already won.

Zi Haoran cleared his throat.

"Wang Yin was just telling me about how things were when you were away. She says you two had… conflicts?"

Zi Yan laughed coldly.

"Conflicts?" she repeated. "That's one way to put it."

She turned to Wang Yin.

"Tell me, Wang Yin. Does 'conflict' include ruining my career? Spreading false rumors? Trying to destroy my life?"

Wang Yin's face stiffened.

"I… I never meant for things to go that far," she said, feigning innocence.

Zi Yan smirked.

"Is that so?"

She pulled out her phone and tapped on it.

Then, she played a recording.

It was from a few months ago.

A voice echoed through the room.

Wang Yin's voice.

"Zi Yan is nothing. I'll destroy her and make sure she never recovers."

The color drained from Wang Yin's face.

Zi Haoran's expression turned icy.

He turned to Wang Yin, his voice cold.

"You think I'm a fool?" he said.

Wang Yin panicked.

"Uncle Zi, I—"

"Get out."

Wang Yin froze.

Zi Haoran's voice was sharp.

"I don't want to see you in this house again."

Wang Yin clenched her fists but forced a smile.

"Of course, Uncle Zi. I'll leave."

She stood and walked to the door.

But before stepping out, she turned to Zi Yan.

Her fake smile disappeared.

She leaned in close and whispered.

"This isn't over."

Then, she left.

Zi Yan watched her go, her expression calm.

She knew Wang Yin wasn't done.

But neither was she.

This time, she would strike first.