“I only meant to put a tiny amount of something in the wine to make him a little dizzy. Last night was my birthday party, and I wanted Chen Jiarang to take you home.
I thought that while he was lightheaded and not fully aware, you could take the opportunity to confess your feelings to him. But who would’ve thought my cousin would accidentally take the glass that was meant for Chen Jiarang?”
She sniffled.
“When Chen Jiarang and I clinked glasses, the waiter mixed up the drinks. My cousin happened to be sitting beside him and drank it in one gulp. And… and then you went into the wrong room.
I saw with my own eyes that you walked into my cousin’s presidential suite. I spent forever checking the security footage before I found you. But… I was too scared of my cousin. I didn’t dare drag you out of his room…”
Meng Shuling stood frozen, her mind reeling.
So from beginning to end, it hadn’t been because she’d taken the initiative, nor had Lu Yannan taken advantage of her vulnerability.
It had all been an absurd accident.
But even so…
What had happened between her and Lu Yannan was simply unbelievable.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked,
“What about Chen Jiarang? Does he know?”
Duan Tiantian shook her head, wiping away her tears.
“He doesn’t. I went to see him afterward and told him you’d had something come up and had to leave early. He even asked if you weren’t feeling well.
Lingling, I really didn’t do it on purpose. If I’d known it would turn into something this terrible, I never would’ve put anything in the wine.”
Meng Shuling lowered her head and looked at the man’s dress shirt she was wearing. An indescribable heaviness settled in her chest.
She had believed it was her own humiliation, and that Lu Yannan had taken advantage of her weakness.
Instead, it had been one enormous misunderstanding from beginning to end.
But what did that change?
The fact remained that she and Lu Yannan had crossed a line they never should have.
“Lingling, don’t be upset. I know I was wrong. You can scold me or punish me however you want. I just… please don’t be angry with me.”
Grabbing her hand, Duan Tiantian’s voice broke with emotion. She was genuinely afraid Meng Shuling would distance herself forever. She was even more terrified that the matter would grow out of control—that Lu Yannan would hold her accountable, or that the Meng family would find out.
Meng Shuling gently patted her hand and forced out a strained smile.
“I’m not blaming you. I know you meant well. It’s just… this whole thing is too ridiculous.”
She couldn’t truly resent the best friend she’d grown up with. What was done was done. No amount of blame could change reality. All she could do was swallow the bitterness and bear it herself.
She asked Duan Tiantian to drive her back to her apartment first so she could change clothes. Wearing Lu Yannan’s shirt made her feel uncomfortable every passing second.
The moment she changed back into her own clothes, her phone rang.
The screen flashed two words:
Dad.
Her eyelid twitched.
Meng Zekun had always been strict with her and cared more than anything about the Meng family’s reputation.
After being out all night, he had undoubtedly already found out.
As soon as she answered, Meng Zekun’s furious voice came through the phone, stern and commanding.
“Meng Shuling, come to my office at the Meng Group immediately.”
There was no room for negotiation.
The call ended the instant he finished speaking.
Holding her phone, she didn’t want to go, but she didn’t dare disobey her father. After taking a moment to compose herself, she hailed a taxi to the Meng Group headquarters.
The Meng Group was one of the capital’s long-established corporations, but it was nowhere near the century-old Lu family, whose influence and power were unmatched. Over the years, the Meng family had managed to maintain its place in the industry largely through occasional collaborations with the Lu family.
The older generations of the two families shared some history. Old Master Meng had once served as Old Master Lu’s executive secretary.
Because of that connection, Meng Zekun had always held the Lu family in great respect and had long hoped to establish even closer ties with them.
As soon as Meng Shuling stepped into the president’s office on the top floor, the oppressive atmosphere made her instinctively realize something was wrong.
Meng Zekun sat behind his large desk, his face dark and grim. The cigarette between his fingers had already burned halfway down.
“Dad, I’m here.”
Meng Shuling lowered her eyes.
“So you finally decided to show up?”
Meng Zekun crushed the cigarette into the ashtray, stood up, and pointed accusingly at her.
“Meng Shuling, tell me—what on earth have you been doing lately? First, you chased after Chen Jiarang so openly that the whole city knew about it. You’ve completely embarrassed the Meng family.
Everyone’s laughing at us behind our backs, saying the eldest daughter of the Meng family shamelessly threw herself at a man.”
Meng Shuling looked up calmly, unwilling to accept the accusation.
“I like Chen Jiarang. I pursued him openly and honestly. How does that disgrace the Meng family?”
Meng Zekun let out a cold laugh, his voice growing even harsher.
“Openly and honestly? Then explain why you didn’t come home all night! Where were you last night? Don’t think I don’t know. You stayed at Jingyi International Hotel the entire night! You were with Chen Jiarang, weren’t you?
Meng Shuling, are you determined to completely destroy the Meng family’s reputation before you’ll be satisfied?”
His people had already reported everything to him. The moment he learned his daughter had spent the night away from home—and at a hotel owned by the Lu family, no less—he’d been so furious he hadn’t slept all night.
The Meng family might be wealthy, but they were still a level below the Lu family. The last thing he wanted was for his daughter to become the center of a scandal that would tarnish the family’s name.
“I wasn’t!”
Meng Shuling hurried to defend herself, but when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t bring herself to reveal what had happened with Lu Yannan the previous night.
All she could do was swallow her grievance.
“I just got drunk and stayed at the hotel for the night. It’s not what you think.”
Meng Zekun frowned.
“Then what is it? Starting today, you’re staying at home and reflecting on your behavior. You’re not allowed to leave the house. You’re not allowed to mention Chen Jiarang’s name again. And you’re certainly not going out making a spectacle of yourself. Stay home and think carefully about what you’ve done.”
“I’m not reflecting on anything. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I be forbidden from leaving the house?”
Meng Shuling had always been stubborn by nature. Being scolded without any regard for the truth—and then confined to the house—filled her with hurt and anger.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Seeing how defiant she remained, Meng Zekun’s expression darkened further. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly.
“I’m telling you this because now is not the time for you to be willful. The Lu family is currently choosing a marriage partner for Lu Yannan. Every prestigious family in the capital has their eyes on this opportunity.
For the Meng family, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
For the next while, you’ll stay at home, behave yourself, and stop causing scandals. If the Lu family chooses you and you marry Lu Yannan, the Meng family will finally secure its place among the elite of the capital—and you’ll enjoy wealth and privilege for the rest of your life.”
Meng Shuling stared at him in disbelief.
She had never imagined that her father intended to marry her off to Lu Yannan.
That cold, aloof man she couldn’t stand.
The very man she’d slept with the night before.
Her father actually wanted her to marry him?
A surge of absurdity and anger rushed through her.
“A political marriage? That’s impossible! I will never marry Lu Yannan! I’d marry anyone else—or stay single for the rest of my life—but I would never marry someone like Lu Yannan!”
Her voice rang through the office, every word filled with firm rejection.
At that very moment, the office door was gently pushed open.
A tall, commanding figure stood in the doorway, radiating an aura of effortless nobility and icy detachment.
It was Lu Yannan.
He had just finished discussing a business partnership with the Meng Group.
Originally, he’d come back to finalize a few remaining details with Meng Zekun.
Instead, the moment he reached the door, he heard Meng Shuling’s words—every last one of them, brimming with unmistakable disgust.
His sharply sculpted features remained unreadable as his deep gaze settled calmly on Meng Shuling. His thin lips pressed together slightly.
It was obvious he had heard every word of the conversation.
“Chairman Meng.”
Following the voice, Meng Shuling turned around—
—and her eyes met Lu Yannan’s.