Lin Qianyu lounged in her office, a glass of wine in her hand, her gaze cold and calculating. Her minions stood ready, every eye attentive to her slightest gesture.
"Everything is proceeding as expected?" she asked softly, though the sharpness in her voice brooked no argument.
"Yes, Miss Lin," one assistant replied, bowing slightly. "All of Shen Anran's routines, both work and personal, have been documented. Even her social interactions—friends, acquaintances, relatives—everything."
Lin Qianyu's lips curved into a faint, predatory smile. "Excellent. I want her entire world fragile. Not just in his eyes at work… but in every corner. Make her stumble socially. Make her appear careless, thoughtless, even unworthy of his trust. Every misstep, no matter how minor, must be magnified."
Another assistant stepped forward hesitantly. "Miss Lin… do you mean… like a public misunderstanding?"
"Exactly," Lin Qianyu said, swirling the wine in her glass. "We start with rumors. An offhand comment to the wrong person. A dinner invitation misinterpreted. Perhaps a social media post taken out of context. The world must see her as imperfect, distracted, unreliable. If he sees it… he'll think he's justified in punishing her. That is the ultimate goal."
A chill ran through the room. Even her minions felt the cruelty in her plan, yet they did not flinch. They had learned that Lin Qianyu never failed.
Meanwhile, in the villa, Shen Anran's day was unraveling in ways she could not yet comprehend. Her hands trembled slightly as she organized his documents for the morning briefing. She had already noticed Beichen's eyes, sharp and calculating, watching her every move. His silence was oppressive, a subtle accusation she could not defend against.
"Anran," he said suddenly, his voice calm but heavy with scrutiny.
"Did you remember to confirm the appointments for tomorrow? I asked you twice."
"Yes, I did," she replied softly, forcing calm into her voice. "Everything is scheduled. No conflicts."
His gaze hardened. "You're certain?"
"I'm certain," she whispered.
Lin Qianyu appeared at that moment, perfectly timed, as if on cue.
"Beichen, I just thought—perhaps she's overwhelmed. She's been very busy lately," she said softly, letting the last words hang with subtle insinuation.
Shen Anran felt her chest tighten. "I'm fine," she said quickly, though her voice cracked slightly. "I can handle it."
Beichen's jaw tensed. "I'll be the judge of that," he muttered, his eyes lingering on her with cold scrutiny. Every word was weighted, heavy with unspoken doubt.
Later, Lin Qianyu gathered her minions in private.
"The work is important, but we cannot rely on office matters alone. Her personal life is vulnerable. Friends, acquaintances, even her image in the company and social circles—every one of these must be compromised carefully. Make her reputation faintly… tarnished. Just enough that Beichen sees the cracks."
"Yes, Miss Lin," the minions replied in unison, eager to obey.
Lin Qianyu's lips curved. "Start small. A misplaced comment. A dinner she was supposedly invited to, but 'didn't attend.' Perhaps a social post suggesting negligence. Nothing overt, nothing she can directly prove. Let the world's whispers echo louder than her own voice."
Shen Anran, meanwhile, felt herself unraveling quietly. That evening, as she prepared dinner, she overheard Beichen speaking on the phone.
"She didn't attend the luncheon," he said sharply. "I can't believe she would be so careless. Is she always like this?"
"I'm sure it's nothing serious," Lin Qianyu replied softly, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Perhaps she has been distracted lately. You know… there could be… other things on her mind."
Shen Anran's heart lurched. Other things? What could that mean? She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She had done nothing wrong—nothing. Yet the way Beichen's voice sounded… doubt, disappointment, and even anger bled through every word.
That night, she gathered her courage, trembling as she approached him.
"Beichen… I didn't miss anything. I… I didn't do anything wrong. Please, you have to believe me," she said softly, her voice almost breaking.
He turned to her slowly, eyes cold, almost unreadable. "Believe you? Anran… every day, I see mistakes, I see carelessness, I see signs of… distraction. And yet, you tell me everything is fine?"
Her eyes filled with tears, blurring her vision. "I… I try. I try so hard. I just want you to see me. To trust me. Don't doubt me… please. I love you, Beichen."
He said nothing. His silence was worse than any accusation. Shen Anran felt it pressing down, suffocating her, and for the first time, her heart shook with a fear deeper than loneliness—fear that his judgment, influenced by Lin Qianyu's whispers, might destroy everything she had quietly built.
The next morning, rumors began circulating among staff and acquaintances, small, harmless-seeming comments twisted to suggest incompetence, neglect, and distraction.
Lin Qianyu had orchestrated it so carefully that it seemed accidental, inevitable, beyond Shen Anran's control.
Beichen confronted her again, voice low, simmering with barely contained anger.
"I heard about the luncheon… why weren't you there? Do you not care about appearances?"
"I… I had no invitation. I didn't know it was happening," Shen Anran replied, voice trembling, tears threatening. "Please, you have to believe me…"
Lin Qianyu's voice floated behind him, soft as silk. "Beichen… it could be simple oversight. But sometimes, small things reveal bigger truths. Perhaps she is… distracted, after all."
Distracted. Negligent. Careless. Words meant to wound without touching flesh. Shen Anran could only stare, feeling the cold suffocation of disbelief settle in her chest.
Later that night, she sat alone in the kitchen, hands wrapped around a mug of lukewarm tea.
She whispered to herself, "Why does love feel like this? Why does trying… make it worse? I only wanted to be enough for him."
Tears slipped silently down her cheeks, unheeded, unnoticed. She clung to hope like a fragile thread, praying that somehow, Beichen would see the truth, that somehow, he would remember the love they had shared before doubt poisoned it.
But Lin Qianyu's schemes were only beginning, and the storm that Shen Anran had not yet realized was already tightening its grip, leaving her fragile, vulnerable, and slowly breaking under the weight of suspicion, lies, and heartbreak.