CHAPTER 14:THE TRAP BEGINS

Mei Xing returned to the mansion that night with a renewed sense of clarity. Now that Zhao Chen was on her side, she didn't feel as isolated. Together, they could begin dismantling the web of lies spun by Madam Lin and Mei Li. But she also knew that any wrong step could alert them—and if they sensed her awakening, they'd strike first.

So she decided to play the role they expected: the silent, emotional Mei Xing who was slowly unraveling.

The next morning, she smiled politely at breakfast, complimented Madam Lin's outfit, and even thanked Mei Li for a "lovely tip" she'd given the day before about office management. Mei Li raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard.

"Looks like someone's finally relaxing," she said, a little too smug.

"Oh, I'm learning," Mei Xing replied sweetly. "Sometimes it's better not to fight, right?"

Madam Lin gave an approving nod, clearly buying the act. But inside, Mei Xing was already setting her trap.

That afternoon, she met Zhao Chen again, this time at a quiet teahouse in town where no one from the Lin household would spot them.

"I've created a dummy proposal," she said, sliding a folder across the table. "It looks just like the YunTech deal but has fake financials and planted errors."

Zhao Chen flipped through the pages, impressed. "If Mei Li takes the bait…"

"She'll push it forward, believing it's a real opportunity," Mei Xing said. "And once she does, we'll have proof that she's actively manipulating company affairs without proper clearance."

"And your mother?"

"We'll see how deep her involvement goes once the plan unfolds. But I suspect she'll try to protect Mei Li—and that will only make her guilt clearer."

Zhao Chen leaned back, nodding thoughtfully. "You've thought this through well. But we need someone inside to leak the proposal—someone they trust, not you or me."

Mei Xing smiled knowingly. "I've already spoken to Secretary Wu."

Zhao Chen's eyes widened. "Your father's assistant?"

"He's loyal to my father, not my mother. And when I showed him the inconsistencies in the original deal, he agreed to help discreetly."

Zhao Chen grinned. "You're more brilliant than you let on."

Mei Xing chuckled softly, but her eyes remained serious. "This isn't just about me anymore, Chen. It's about justice—and protecting everything our family built before greed poisoned it."

That night, back at the office, Secretary Wu did exactly as planned—he slipped the dummy proposal into a folder marked Priority Review and left it on Madam Lin's desk.

By morning, the trap was set.

Now all Mei Xing had to do… was wait.

But far away, in another part of the mansion, Mei Li stumbled upon the same file and her eyes lit up with ambition.

"This could be my chance," she whispered to herself.

She didn't know it yet—but she had just walked right into Mei Xing's snare.