The world did not slow down just because Yaojin wanted it to.
If anything, it moved faster—hungry for his fear, eager for his fall.
The Former Classmate
The café was quiet. Too quiet.
Yaojin sat by the window, fingers wrapped tightly around a cup of untouched tea. He had agreed to this meeting out of impulse—maybe guilt, maybe curiosity.
Luo Chen.
A former classmate.
Someone who had once laughed with him… and later laughed at him.
"You changed," Luo Chen said, sliding into the seat across from him. His smile was polite but sharp. "You used to be so… invisible."
Yaojin lowered his gaze. "People grow."
Luo Chen leaned back, studying him like a specimen. "Or they climb using others. That's what everyone is saying now."
Yaojin's fingers trembled.
"So you believe them?"
"I believe what I see." Luo Chen glanced at the luxury outside, the security detail across the street. "You married Lu Zhiyuan. Power, money, influence. The quiet omega suddenly becomes untouchable."
Yaojin's voice was soft. "That doesn't mean I manipulated anyone."
Luo Chen's eyes softened for a second—but only a second.
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
And that hurt more than hate.
Lin Meiqi's Public Trap
Lin Meiqi watched from her car across the street, eyes glinting.
Her assistant whispered, "Do we release the footage now?"
"Yes," Meiqi said sweetly. "People love coincidence. Let them think this meeting was planned."
Minutes later, a video hit social media:
"Former classmate confronts Shen Yaojin—truth finally exposed?"
The internet exploded again.
Zhiyuan Arrives
The café door opened with a quiet chime.
Lu Zhiyuan walked in.
The atmosphere shifted.
People stared. Phones lifted.
He walked straight to Yaojin and placed a hand on his shoulder—firm, protective.
"Are you done talking?" Zhiyuan asked Luo Chen, voice calm but cutting.
Luo Chen swallowed. "I was just—"
"You were just forgetting your place," Zhiyuan interrupted, gaze cold. "If you have questions, ask me. Not him."
Yaojin looked up at him, heart racing.
Zhiyuan turned to Yaojin, expression softening. "Let's go."
And no one dared to stop them.
The Boardroom War
That evening, Zhiyuan sat at the head of a long boardroom table. Executives watched nervously.
"Investor confidence is wavering," one director said. "The rumors—"
"Are irrelevant," Zhiyuan said calmly. "And if any of you think my spouse is a liability, you're free to resign."
Silence fell.
"I built this empire on control and loyalty," he continued. "Anyone who attacks what belongs to me is not welcome in it."
The message was clear.
Zexu and Lianyi
Han Zexu sat on the rooftop, scrolling through the news again.
Bai Lianyi joined him, hands in his pockets.
"You're staring holes into your phone," Lianyi said.
"I'm worried," Zexu admitted. "Yaojin doesn't deserve this."
Lianyi scoffed. "No one deserves anything in this world."
Zexu looked at him. "You're lying."
Lianyi paused.
"…Maybe," he muttered. "But caring too much gets you hurt."
Zexu smiled faintly. "Then I'll get hurt."
Lianyi stared at him, expression unreadable.
Meiqi's Next Move
Lin Meiqi poured herself wine, scrolling through trending topics.
#ShenYaojinTruth
#OmegaSchemer
#LuZhiyuanProtects
She laughed softly.
"Let's see how long your protection lasts."
Her phone buzzed. Another message from Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei: He warned me. But I can still get close.
Meiqi: Do it. Make him doubt himself.
Zhang Wei's Approach
The next day, Yaojin stood in a bookstore, pretending to browse.
"Long time no see."
That voice.
He froze.
Zhang Wei stood behind him, smiling gently.
"You shouldn't be here," Yaojin whispered.
"Why? Afraid?" Zhang Wei asked, stepping closer. "Or afraid of what people will think if they see us talking?"
Yaojin's chest tightened.
"You always cared too much about others," Zhang Wei continued softly. "That's why you were easy to manipulate."
Before Yaojin could reply, a hand gripped Zhang Wei's wrist.
Lu Zhiyuan had arrived.
His eyes were dark.
Cold.
Territorial.
"You were warned," Zhiyuan said quietly.
Zhang Wei smiled nervously. "I just wanted to talk."
"Talk again," Zhiyuan said, "and you won't like the consequences."
Quiet After the Storm
That night, Yaojin stood on the balcony again.
But this time, he didn't feel alone.
Zhiyuan stood beside him, arms crossed.
"They're trying to break you," Zhiyuan said.
"They're succeeding," Yaojin whispered.
Zhiyuan turned to him. "No. They're just making you stronger."
Yaojin looked at the city lights.
For the first time, he felt anger instead of fear.
Maybe… I'm done being weak.