Chapter 65: The Price of a Misstep
The ballroom remained in a heavy silence long after the Leng family had departed. The shattered glass and wasted wine at Ruolan's feet felt like a stain she couldn't wash away, no matter how much she wanted to.
She clenched her fists, nails biting into her palm.
She had spent years carefully weaving an image of herself as the perfect daughter, the perfect cousin—the one everyone adored. But in a single evening, that image had cracked.
Gu Zeyan hadn't spared her a glance.
Li Shen had watched with amusement, not concern.
And the rest of the elites? They whispered, their eyes filled with ridicule.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
"Ruolan," Chen Meiyu hissed under her breath, grabbing her daughter's wrist. "What were you thinking?"
Ruolan flinched at the sharpness in her mother's tone. "I—I just wanted to—"
"Enough!" Meiyu's grip tightened. "You embarrassed yourself. Worse, you embarrassed us. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Ruolan's throat tightened.
But before she could answer, her father, Leng Zhiyuan, spoke.
"Go home."
His tone was calm, but that was what terrified her the most.
He wasn't yelling.
He wasn't scolding her.
He was simply…done.
Ruolan's eyes widened, panic rising in her chest. "Father—"
"Leave," Zhiyuan said again, turning his back to her.
Meiyu paled but said nothing, merely pulling Ruolan away as discreetly as possible.
It was over.
For tonight.
But Ruolan swore it wouldn't be the end.
Not yet.
---
Meanwhile, in the Leng family's private estate, a much different scene unfolded.
Jiang Yuixen leaned back on the plush velvet couch, a pleased smile on her lips. "That went better than I expected."
Leng Zhen chuckled, pouring himself a glass of wine. "It was bound to happen. Ruolan was always going to make a mistake sooner or later."
Qiuhan, sitting beside Qingxue, swirled his own cup of tea. "It was pathetic."
Qingxue said nothing, merely reaching for a book on the table, her fingers idly flipping through the pages.
Leng Yuxian studied her before smirking. "You were bored the entire time, weren't you?"
She didn't deny it.
Leng Jiuhan grinned. "Should I make things more fun next time?"
"Don't." Leng Haoyu sighed, rubbing his temples. "If you cause trouble, Mother will make us all suffer for it."
Jiuhan huffed. "So unfair."
Yichen, stretched across a chair with a lazy smirk, shot him a look. "You're just mad Qingxue didn't need you to intervene."
Jiuhan scowled, crossing his arms. "She never does."
A chuckle echoed from across the room.
"That's what makes her Qingxue," Gu Zeyan said, stepping inside.
All eyes turned toward him.
Li Shen, right behind him, casually leaned against the doorframe. "You left before the real fun could begin."
Qingxue finally looked up, her silver-blue eyes as unreadable as ever. "Did I?"
Li Shen grinned. "Ruolan nearly passed out from shame. It was quite the show."
Zeyan's gaze lingered on Qingxue. "You knew she'd try something."
It wasn't a question.
She met his eyes. "Of course."
Ruolan was predictable. All desperate people were.
And desperate people always made mistakes.
Zeyan's lips curled slightly. "Smart as always."
Li Shen sighed dramatically. "It's so unfair. Shouldn't you at least pretend to be surprised sometimes?"
Qingxue shut her book. "No."
Yichen burst into laughter, while Jiuhan outright grinned.
Leng Zhaoyan smirked. "Get used to it, Li Shen. Our sister doesn't care for dramatics."
Li Shen placed a hand over his chest. "Tragic."
Zeyan merely observed, his golden eyes deep in thought.
The game had only just begun.
And Qingxue?
She was already steps ahead.