DaoistgLEwUX

Zhong Shuning, the adopted daughter of the Zhong family, was ousted from her home on the very night her fiancé arm-in-arm with a new lover topped entertainment headlines.
 
Scandals swirled around her as she later became entangled with the most powerful man in the city. Society mocked her as nothing more than a passing plaything for Mr. He's whims.
 
But what none realized was this:
 
The moment he laid eyes on her,
 
he conceived a scheme as audacious as moonlight poaching —
 
to steal the moon that rightly belonged to the heavens.

Orchestrated Romance

Rain lashed against the car windows like prison bars. Zhong Zhaoqing's voice cut through the suffocating silence.

"Zhong Shuning, you'd better hurry..."

The muffled conversation drifted to the front seat. He Wenli adjusted his cufflinks, observing the tension through the rearview mirror. His driver Chen Zui kept glancing nervously at the storm outside.

When the limo halted at Xiangxie Hotel, Zhong Shuning hesitated.

"Just drop me here," she murmured, clutching her bag tighter.

Chen Zui suddenly emerged with a black trench coat.

"Mr. He insisted." His tone bordered on desperation. "New, never worn."

The garment carried a faint sandalwood scent - dangerous in its purity. As she slipped it on, warmth seeped through damp fabric, but the real chill came when she spotted Zhou Boyu across the hotel lobby.

Inside the private dining room, forks clinked against crystal. Seven pairs of eyes turned predatory as she entered.

"So the prodigal daughter returns." Zhong Zhaoqing's sneer mirrored his wife's cold stare.

Adopted daughter Zhong Mingyue smiled sweetly, her plastic smile masking calculation.

"Sis must be tired. We started without you."

The lie hung thick. This was the sister Zhong Shuning never had - a street-smart salesgirl who'd won their parents' hearts through calculated vulnerability.

Zhou Boyu's hand lingered on Zhong Mingyue's waist as he served her shrimp cocktail. His gaze met Zhong Shuning's for a split second before darting away. The diamond ring on his finger caught the light - a promise broken.

"Darling, your ankle..." Zhong Mingyue's voice dripped honey. "That old injury? You should let Boyu accompany you home."

The insinuation hung like a noose. Zhou Boyu's sudden cough didn't mask his guilt as Zhong Shuning hung He Wenli's coat on a nearby chair.

Outside, Chen Zui fumed in the driver's seat.

"That snake Zhou! How dare he court two women!"

He Wenli exhaled smoke rings, observing the hotel's neon glow through rain-streaked glass.

"Poor Zhou. His empire of lies crumbles when rain falls."

His phone buzzed - security footage of Zhong Shuning's limping exit. He traced the scar visible above her heel in that brief moment.

"Sir?" Chen Zui dared. "Shall we expose Zhou's deceit?"

"Patience." He Wenli's eyes narrowed. "Let the spider weave its web."

Back inside, Zhong Shuning's phone buzzed. A message from Zhou Boyu read: "My mother insists you join us tomorrow for family photos. 3 PM. My apartment."

She stared at the screen until letters blurred. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, rain blurred city lights into a watercolor haze. Somewhere in this storm, a predator circled.

chapter 2