The soft hum of the city filtered through the large windows of the penthouse, but inside, the atmosphere was heavy with tension. Su Nian stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, her arms crossed as she stared out at the city lights, lost in thought. Behind her, Lu Cheng sat at the desk, going through the files on his laptop, his brow furrowed in concentration. The sense of urgency in the air was palpable.
The threats against Su Nian were no longer just vague warnings. They were real. The people from her past had already begun to move, and Lu Wei was only one piece of the puzzle. Su Nian had tried to bury the darkness of her past for years, but now it was coming to light—and it wasn't just her reputation on the line. The weight of Lu Cheng's family, his business empire, and their future together hung in the balance.
"NianNian," Lu Cheng's voice broke through her thoughts. He was no longer the calm, collected businessman she had known. There was a fierce edge to his tone now. "We need to take action. We can't wait for them to make the next move."
She turned to face him, her heart beating a little faster. Lu Cheng's gaze was fixed on her, intense and unwavering. She had never seen him like this—so driven, so determined. It was a side of him that, despite all his power, had always been hidden beneath the layers of his responsibilities.
"I know," she whispered. "I don't know what to do next. They have so much on me, Cheng. If they go public with any of it, I—I don't know how we can stop it."
Lu Cheng stood and walked toward her, his steps deliberate and steady. "You're not alone in this. We'll take control of the situation, not let them control us. They think they can break you, but they don't know who they're dealing with."
Her breath caught in her throat. His words were full of strength, but also an underlying promise—he wouldn't let anyone harm her. And that meant everything to her.
She stepped closer to him, looking up into his eyes. "What if they expose everything, Cheng? What if they ruin everything we've built?"
He cupped her face gently, his touch tender, but there was a fierceness in his eyes. "They can't ruin what we've built unless we let them. And we're not going to let them. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, NianNian. You're my future."
His words sank deep into her heart, making the knots of anxiety loosen slightly. But the fear still lingered, because Su Nian knew the battle ahead wouldn't be easy. There were enemies out there—people who would stop at nothing to destroy everything she and Lu Cheng had.
It wasn't long before the first strike came. The next day, an article appeared on one of the most notorious gossip websites, the headline flashing like a red flag: "Lu Cheng's Wife: A Dark Past in the Shadows". Su Nian's heart skipped a beat as she clicked on the link, dreading what she would find.
The article was a detailed exposé, recounting everything Su Nian had done before meeting Lu Cheng. It painted her in the darkest light possible—her involvement with shady business dealings, the criminal contacts she had worked with, the lies she had told. But worse than that, it included an interview with someone who claimed to have known her back then. The person spoke about her with such venom that Su Nian could feel the weight of their words crushing her from the inside.
She slammed her phone down on the coffee table, her hands shaking. "I knew they would come for me, but not like this. Not this fast."
Lu Cheng had been watching her closely, and he was already on the phone, his voice low and dangerous. "Get me a meeting with the website's editor. Now."
Su Nian stepped back from the table, her chest tightening. "Cheng, this is too much. I can't—"
He hung up the phone and immediately stepped toward her, his hand reaching for hers. "You're not doing this alone, NianNian. We'll fight this. You don't have to carry this burden on your own. We're in this together."
Su Nian felt a rush of gratitude, but it was quickly followed by an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. The weight of everything was finally breaking through. She had kept her emotions locked away for so long, but now they were spilling over. Tears welled in her eyes as she sank into his arms, letting him hold her tightly.
"I'm so sorry, Cheng," she whispered, her voice muffled against his chest. "I should have told you everything sooner. I didn't want you to look at me like I'm… like I'm dirty."
He pulled back slightly, lifting her chin so she could look at him. His eyes were soft, but there was no pity in them. Only love and resolve.
"Don't ever apologize for your past, NianNian," he said firmly. "It's who you were, but it's not who you are now. And it's definitely not who I see. You're my wife. And nothing, nothing that happened before matters to me. I love you for who you are today."
Her heart skipped at his words. She couldn't believe how much he truly cared. But even as she held onto him, the reality of their situation weighed heavily on her. The people trying to tear them apart weren't just after her—they were after everything she had with Lu Cheng.
Later that day, Su Nian and Lu Cheng arrived at the headquarters of the gossip website. The building was sleek and modern, but it didn't mask the malicious intent behind the scenes. The editor, a man in his late forties with a hard, calculating look in his eyes, led them into a glass-walled conference room.
"You two really think you can stop this?" he asked, sitting across from them with a smug smile. "The damage has been done. The story's already out there. Your wife's past is already public knowledge."
Lu Cheng's gaze was cold, his voice calm but chilling. "You've made a mistake. That article was false. You're spreading lies that have no basis in truth. If you don't remove it immediately, I'll take legal action. And I won't stop until your entire company is buried."
The editor's smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "I'm not afraid of a lawsuit, Mr. Lu. You know how this business works. The public eats up these kinds of stories. They love scandals. The more we push, the more traffic we get. You can't stop it."
Su Nian felt her heart race as the editor leaned back in his chair, clearly trying to provoke them. But before she could say anything, Lu Cheng's voice cut through the tension.
"Watch me."
He turned to the man with an icy glare. "You've just signed your company's death sentence. I'll make sure you regret ever crossing me."
As they left the building, the air between them felt charged with a new kind of energy. Lu Cheng had already made his calls, set the wheels in motion. Su Nian had never seen him this ruthless, and for the first time, she wasn't sure whether it made her feel safe or scared.
"Cheng…" Su Nian started, her voice tentative. "Do you think we can really stop this?"
Lu Cheng's grip tightened on her hand as they stepped into the elevator. "This is just the beginning. We'll take control of this, and we'll take them down, one by one."
Su Nian looked up at him, her heart swelling with emotion. This was the man she had chosen. This was the man who would fight for her no matter what. And as terrifying as it was, she realized she was ready to fight too. For her future. For their future.