The Web of Lies

Yiran walked beside Lu Zeyan, her steps measured, her heartbeat steady.

The further they moved into the estate, the more the setting changed.

Gone was the polished, formal elegance of the main hall.

The laughter grew quieter. The conversations sharper.

Here, the real game was being played.

It was in the way the guests moved—not mingling, but maneuvering. The way their words carried weight beneath the pleasantries, like knives wrapped in silk.

This wasn't just a gathering of business elites.

These were the people who pulled the strings.

Lu Zeyan moved through them effortlessly, his presence commanding without effort.

No one questioned him. No one stood in his way.

And Yiran?

They were watching her.

Not openly, not obviously. But she felt it. Unspoken curiosity. Calculations being made.

She had stepped into a world she was never meant to enter.

And now, she had no choice but to play the part.

Lu Zeyan finally stopped near an intimate seating area—a polished, dimly lit corner where only a handful of people sat in quiet discussion.

Yiran recognized one of them instantly.

The man from before.

The one who had tested her.

He was speaking to another guest, his posture relaxed, but his gaze flicked toward her the moment she arrived.

Next to him sat an older man—refined, imposing, his graying hair perfectly styled.

And when he looked at her, Yiran felt it instantly.

This wasn't curiosity.

This wasn't amusement.

This was judgment.

Lu Zeyan greeted him with a small nod. "Chairman Xu."

The name sent a quiet ripple through Yiran's mind.

Xu Haoran.

A powerful figure in the business world, yes. But more importantly—

A man whose name had been whispered in the Xia household before.

Xu Haoran's gaze flicked over her, assessing.

Then, he finally spoke.

"So, this is the girl."

Yiran's fingers tightened slightly.

The girl.

Not Mrs. Lu. Not Miss Xia.

Just—the girl.

And in that moment, she understood something.

Xu Haoran didn't care about her marriage.

He cared about something else entirely.

Xu Haoran's words hung in the air.

"So, this is the girl."

Yiran didn't react.

Didn't flinch.

But inside, her thoughts raced.

The girl.

Not Mrs. Lu. Not Yuxuan. Just 'the girl.'

She met Xu Haoran's gaze carefully. His expression was unreadable, but his posture spoke of absolute authority.

He wasn't testing her like the man from before.

No—he had already made his judgment.

The question was—about what?

Yiran exhaled lightly, keeping her voice smooth. "Chairman Xu. I don't believe we've met before."

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "No, we haven't."

He took a slow sip of his drink, watching her over the rim of his glass.

"But I've met your father."

Yiran's fingers tensed.

Xia Guotai.

Of course. Her father's name carried weight in business circles.

But the way Xu Haoran said it—it wasn't business-related.

This was something else.

Something older.

Something buried.

Lu Zeyan remained silent beside her.

Yiran stole a quick glance at him, searching for a clue—why wasn't he saying anything?

He simply leaned back, watching. Waiting.

Xu Haoran set his glass down. "Tell me, Miss Xia."

Not Mrs. Lu. Miss Xia.

A deliberate choice.

"What do you know about your family's past?"

The question sent a sharp pulse through Yiran's chest.

This wasn't about Yuxuan.

It wasn't about her marriage.

This was about something much bigger.

Yiran kept her expression neutral.

Inside, her pulse thrummed like a warning bell.

What do you know about your family's past?

Xu Haoran's voice was calm, measured. But there was weight behind his words.

This wasn't idle curiosity.

This was a test.

Yiran inhaled lightly, tilting her head. "That's a broad question, Chairman Xu."

His lips curled faintly. Not a smile. Something colder.

"Is it?"

He studied her for a second, his gaze sharp—the way a hunter watches a trap it has set.

"You don't strike me as the type to be unaware of her own family's affairs."

Yiran held his gaze.

She knew what he was doing.

He was pressing, waiting for hesitation.

Waiting for any sign that she knew something—or that she was lying.

Carefully, she placed her untouched glass on the table.

"My father is a businessman," she said smoothly. "I'm sure he's had many dealings over the years. But if you're asking me to recall a specific one, you might have to be more direct."

A flicker of amusement passed through Xu Haoran's eyes.

She had turned the test back on him.

For the first time, Lu Zeyan moved.

Not much—just a small shift in posture, the way his fingers tapped once against his glass.

But Yiran caught it.

He was entertained.

Xu Haoran exhaled lightly, as if debating something.

Then—he leaned in slightly.

And in a quiet voice, he murmured—

"Tell me, Miss Xia… do you believe everything your father has told you?"

Yiran's blood ran cold.

This wasn't about business.

This was about something else.

Something her family had buried.

Do you believe everything your father has told you?

The words coiled around Yiran like a noose.

A question disguised as an observation.

A quiet push, meant to see if she would pull away—or stumble forward.

Yiran exhaled lightly, tilting her head. "Chairman Xu, I wasn't aware my father's honesty was a topic of interest."

Xu Haoran smiled. "Everything is a topic of interest, Miss Xia. If you know where to look."

The way he said it… as if he knew something she didn't.

She kept her expression unreadable, but inside, her mind raced.

What was he trying to get her to admit?

What exactly had her father done to make a man like Xu Haoran test her like this?

She could feel Lu Zeyan's presence beside her—silent, unmoving.

He wasn't interfering.

Because he wanted to see how she would handle this.

Of course.

Yiran smiled faintly. "Forgive me, Chairman Xu, but I was under the impression that tonight was a social event."

Xu Haoran chuckled. "And yet, aren't the most dangerous conversations the ones hidden behind small talk?"

Her nails pressed lightly into her palm.

There it was.

The warning.

This wasn't small talk.

This wasn't just a test.

Xu Haoran was telling her—without saying it outright—that she had walked into something far beyond her control.

And Yuxuan?

Had she known?

Had she disappeared because of this?

A slow chill crawled up Yiran's spine.

She had thought she was here to play a role.

But now…

She wasn't sure if she was the player—or the target.

The air between them felt heavier now.

Xu Haoran's words still lingered—not a threat, not a question, but a shift.

A shift in how he saw her.

Not just as Lu Zeyan's wife.

Not just as Xia Yuxuan's replacement.

But as something else.

Something he was still deciding the worth of.

Yiran held his gaze carefully, keeping her posture relaxed. She wouldn't let him see her unease.

She had spent her entire life in a family where emotions were weaknesses.

And if Xu Haoran was testing her, she wouldn't fail.

After a beat of silence, he exhaled lightly and leaned back in his seat. "You have your father's restraint, at least."

Yiran smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

His lips curled into something unreadable. "You should."

Another test.

Another subtle, unspoken message.

Then, just as smoothly as the conversation had begun, he ended it.

He lifted his glass again, shifting his attention away from her. Just like that, she had been dismissed.

Yiran hesitated, just for a second.

Then—

"We're leaving."

Lu Zeyan's voice cut through the air, calm and firm.

Not a question.

A statement.

Yiran glanced at him, but his expression was unreadable. He had let the conversation happen—but he had chosen when it ended.

Without waiting for her reaction, he turned and began walking away.

Yiran exhaled lightly, turning back toward Xu Haoran one last time.

His gaze flicked toward her, and then—a slow smirk.

Not quite amusement.

Not quite approval.

A warning.

She wasn't sure why, but a feeling crept over her.

That this wasn't the last time they would speak.

Tucking that thought away, Yiran turned and followed Lu Zeyan, matching his pace as they wove through the crowded room.

And then—

She felt it.

A presence.

Not Xu Haoran.

Not Lu Zeyan.

Someone else.

Her steps slowed slightly, her fingers tensing.

She didn't turn around.

Didn't make it obvious.

But her instincts were screaming now.

Someone was watching her.

And unlike Xu Haoran—

This person wasn't testing her.

They were waiting for her to fail.