Chapter Four:A Scandalous Trap

Lin Xinyi had survived the gala, but the night was far from over.

The moment she and Chen Wei stepped outside, flashes of cameras exploded around them. Reporters. Dozens of them.

"Miss Lin! Is it true that you seduced CEO Chen into this engagement?"

"Rumors say you had an affair with Gu Tian before this. Any comment?"

"Mr. Chen, are you aware of Miss Lin's past?"

Xinyi's stomach twisted. She knew this was coming.

Someone was trying to destroy her reputation.

She had barely processed the words when a reporter shoved his phone screen toward them. A leaked photo.

Her breath caught.

It was a picture of her and Gu Tian.

It wasn't inappropriate, but it was intentionally misleading Gu Tian leaning in close, a smirk on his lips, his hand reaching toward her. Anyone seeing it would assume the worst.

The air around them turned ice cold.

Chen Wei didn't move. He didn't say a word.

Xinyi's heart pounded. Would he believe the rumors? Would he abandon her here?

Before she could speak, Chen Wei let out a sharp laugh low, cold, and full of warning.

"Is this your best attempt at a scandal?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement.

The reporters went silent.

Chen Wei wrapped an arm around Xinyi's waist, pulling her close.

"This is the woman I chose to stand beside me," he said, his gaze sweeping over the reporters. "Do you think I'd make that choice without knowing everything about her?"

Xinyi's breath caught. He was defending her. Again.

The whispers stopped. The cameras lowered slightly.

Then Chen Wei turned to look at her, his dark eyes filled with something unreadable. "Let's go."

Without another word, he led her toward the car, shutting the door behind them as the driver sped off.

The moment they were alone, the silence was suffocating.

"You're quiet," Chen Wei finally said.

Xinyi clenched her fists. " I" She stopped. What could she say?

Thank you for saving me? For protecting me?

Before she could find the words, he sighed. "Don't let them get to you."

She blinked. "You believe me?"

Chen Wei turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze. "I don't need to believe. I know."

Her chest tightened. Why was he always like this? Cold one second, protective the next.

Before she could respond, his phone rang.

He picked up. "Speak."

Xinyi watched his expression darken.

"I see," Chen Wei said. Then, he smirked. A dangerous smirk. "So that's who's behind this."

Xinyi sat up straight. "Who?"

Chen Wei ended the call and looked at her. "Gu Tian."

Her blood ran cold.

Xinyi didn't expect to see Gu Tian again so soon.

But Chen Wei made the decision for her.

The next day, he called for a meeting. Not in his office. Not in public.

At a private lounge.

The place was empty except for three people. Xinyi, Chen Wei, and Gu Tian.

Gu Tian leaned back in his chair, smiling like he owned the place. "CEO Chen, this is a surprise."

Chen Wei didn't respond. He merely took a seat across from him, exuding power with every movement.

Xinyi sat beside him, her hands clenched in her lap.

Chen Wei's voice was lethal. "I'll get straight to the point. You spread that rumor."

Gu Tian didn't even try to deny it. "And if I did?" He smirked. "It's not like I lied."

Xinyi's nails dug into her skin. Bastard.

Chen Wei let out a soft chuckle. But his eyes were cold. Deadly.

"Gu Tian," he said, swirling the wine in his glass. "Do you know what happens to people who try to touch what's mine?"

Xinyi's breath caught.

Gu Tian's smirk faltered for the first time. "What's yours?"

Chen Wei leaned forward. "Lin Xinyi is mine."

The words sent a shiver down her spine.

Gu Tian's expression darkened. "Is that what she is to you? Just something you own?"

Chen Wei smiled lazily. "No." His voice dropped to a whisper. "She's something I protect."

Xinyi's heart stopped.

Gu Tian looked between them, his jaw tightening. He had lost.

Chen Wei stood, adjusting his cufflinks. "This is my only warning, Gu Tian."

Then he placed a single business card on the table.

Gu Tian glanced at it and his face went pale.

Chen Wei didn't wait for a response. He simply took Xinyi's hand and walked away.

The car ride back was silent.

Chen Wei was calm as always, but Xinyi was a mess inside.

She had spent so long trying to stand on her own, proving she didn't need anyone.

But Chen Wei kept stepping in. Kept protecting her.

And now, he had called her his.

Finally, she broke the silence. "Why?"

He turned to her. "Why what?"

"Why do you keep defending me?"

His dark eyes searched hers, unreadable as ever. Then, he smirked. "You're my fiancée."

"That's not a real reason," she shot back.

Chen Wei leaned in slightly, his voice low. "Then let me give you a better one."

Xinyi swallowed hard as he reached out his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

The air between them shifted.

"You're under my protection, Lin Xinyi," he murmured. "Whether you like it or not."

Her breath hitched.

Because in that moment, she realized something terrifying.

She wasn't sure if she hated it anymore.