Having just given birth not long ago, with all her hormones not yet stabilized, it would truly be a miracle if she got pregnant again.
Mu Wanqing snorted coldly, with a faint, mocking smile. “Who knows? Anything is possible.”
“…”
Seeing him so frightened that he fell silent, Mu Wanqing felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Her sarcasm grew even sharper. “Don’t worry, even if I am pregnant again, we’ll still have to divorce. I won’t cling to you.”
“…” Wen Zhan pursed his lips, his expression utterly speechless.
Mu Wanqing grabbed her robe and draped it over herself, then turned and walked toward the door.
Wen Zhan watched her retreating figure, his mind seemingly lost in thought, and suddenly spoke up. “Are you sure you want to sleep in separate rooms?”
The woman didn’t even look back. “What’s the matter, Wen Xiansheng? Can’t bear to let me go?”
“Hah!” The man laughed with extreme disdain and said calmly, “If they find out we’re sleeping in separate rooms, it might reach the old man’s ears again.”
Mu Wanqing pulled open the door and, as she slipped out, tossed back a remark. “Then find a way to shut them up! If you, Wen Shaoye, can’t even handle such a small matter, you’re truly pathetic!”
“…” The man’s face turned ashen, once again left without a retort.
Lying down in the guest room, Mu Wanqing let out a long, heavy sigh, feeling as if the grievances she had suppressed for years had finally been released. From head to toe, she felt much lighter.
Since they were getting divorced anyway, why bother holding back? Tearing off the facade felt liberating!
Originally, she had intended to mention the expenses she had charged to his card that day, but he had been so infuriating that she nearly lost her temper and felt like hitting someone.
Forget it. A few hundred yuan meant nothing to him, so there was no point bringing it up.
Drowsiness washed over her. She yawned and soon drifted into a deep, heavy sleep.
But in the master bedroom, just a wall away, the man who had been thoroughly berated by her lay alone in the large bed, unable to sleep.
Wen Zhan stared into the darkness at the ceiling, the woman’s voice echoing repeatedly in his ears, gradually leading him to reflect.
Had he truly wronged her?
He turned over, forcing himself to close his eyes and stop thinking about it.
But the more he tried to suppress his thoughts, the more his mind wandered uncontrollably.
It was no wonder he doubted her character.
In the two years since their marriage, every time she met with the old man, he would inevitably be scolded.
The old man would berate him for being ungrateful, for not heeding the advice of his elders, for failing to cherish his wife, and for regretting it in the future.
Even the old man knew about their plans to divorce eventually.
If she hadn’t been stirring up trouble and complaining to the old man behind his back, how would the old man know about their affairs? Why would he be criticized so frequently?
And wasn’t her motive for scheming behind his back to use the old man’s authority to pressure him into investing more in their marriage?
She simply wanted to turn their fake relationship into a real one, to remain the Wen Family Young Madam forever.
After all, such a prestigious and illustrious family, with wealth that could last a lifetime of extravagance, was an honor that many people wouldn’t even dare to dream of in several lifetimes.
Especially given her previous poverty, tragic background, and lack of support.
Once someone like her seized an opportunity to turn her life around, she would never let it go.
After silently convincing himself of this, the turmoil in Wen Zhan’s heart gradually subsided…
Yes, that’s exactly it. That’s the kind of person she is.
Old Mr. Wen’s illness had thrown the entire Wen family into a state of tension.
Every day, a steady stream of people came to visit and accompany the old man.
Wen Zhan had a cold and aloof personality and wasn’t particularly close to his parents, but he was very attached to his grandparents.
However, Grandma Wen passed away relatively early, and he hadn’t been able to fulfill his filial duties much, which had always been a regret in his heart.
Therefore, he was especially attentive to his grandfather.
This was also why, two years ago when his grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and expressed a desire to see him settle down and find a good home for his comrade’s granddaughter, he was willing to marry Mu Wanqing.
No matter how busy he was with work, he would make time every day to visit the hospital, inquire about the old man’s condition, chat with his grandfather for a while, and coax him into eating a little more.
Originally, this was a good thing, but in the eyes of the other members of the Wen family, it was seen as having ulterior motives.
As Mu Wanqing carried the nourishing soup and walked to the door of the hospital room, about to push it open, she suddenly overheard whispers from around the corner of the corridor mentioning her husband’s name.
“The old man is just biased. We won’t even mention the granddaughters—they’ll marry out anyway, so just prepare a generous dowry for them. But there are three grandsons too! Instead of treating them equally, he insists on letting the youngest, Wen Zhan, take over the company. What gives?”
“Exactly! Your Wen Lei went into politics, his career is smooth, and he has no interest in business—that’s understandable. But my Wen Yan is two years older than Wen Zhan. By seniority, it shouldn’t be Wen Zhan’s turn either.”
“Blame your Wen Yan for not knowing how to play his cards right! Look at Wen Zhan—usually cold and aloof, quiet and reserved, but he sure knows how to perform in front of the old man! I heard the old man refused to eat yesterday, and Wen Zhan came over and spoon-fed him bite by bite. With that level of effort, who wouldn’t call him filial?”
“My Wen Yan is filial to the old man too!”
“Well, how many times has Wen Yan visited since the old man was admitted to the hospital? Look at Wen Zhan—he comes to report in every single day!”
“And there’s more! Back when the old man wanted to pick one of the unmarried grandsons to marry that wild girl, Wen Yan hid abroad on business trips for months, didn’t he? Look how shrewd Wen Zhan is—he accurately grasped the old man’s intentions, even giving up Lu Kejun, whom he’d liked for so many years, to marry a poor girl of unknown origins. No wonder he’s the favorite—he’s ruthless even to himself, so of course he gets things done!”
Mu Wanqing hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but the topic of conversation revolved entirely around her and her husband, making it impossible for her to walk away.
The two voices belonged to Wen Zhan’s eldest aunt and third aunt, both of whom had sons and daughters.
Wen Lei was the eldest son of the eldest aunt’s family and also the eldest grandson of the Wen family.
By convention, based on seniority, he should have been the one to take over the Wen Yuan Group as the new executive president.
However, Wen Lei had no interest in running a business or being a boss. After graduating with a master’s degree, he relied on his own abilities to enter the civil service system and now held a position at the provincial level, with a promising future ahead.
As for Wen Yan, the eldest son of the third aunt’s family and Wen Zhan’s second cousin, he should have been more qualified than Wen Zhan to inherit the company. But Wen Yan had a free-spirited and unrestrained personality, passionate about freedom. He held the title of vice president in the company, handling some less critical business, and whenever he had free time, he traveled the world.
Mu Wanqing had heard from others during family gatherings that this second cousin was an avid skier and diver. He went to the African savannah to watch animal migrations, explored Antarctica, conquered Mount Everest, and had even sailed solo on a single-handed sailboat for over a month—in short, his life experiences were incredibly rich and thrilling!
Rather than saying the old master favored Wen Zhan, it would be more accurate to say he was forced into this position by circumstances. He single-handedly shouldered everything for his two cousins, allowing them to live freely and choose the lives they wanted.
Yet the elders showed no gratitude at all, instead thinking so poorly of him and insisting he had ulterior motives.
Mu Wanqing grew angrier the more she listened.
Though she and Wen Zhan weren’t a normal married couple, her innate sense of justice made her want to defend him.
However, just as she was about to step out, Third Aunt spoke again: “I heard the old master is going to change his will. Wen Zhan has been showing extra filial piety these days—it must be related to this.”
Auntie was shocked. “What do you mean? Are you saying he wants to fight for more inheritance? How ambitious! Isn’t it enough that he’s inheriting the company?”
“Oh, who would complain about having too much money! Besides, he has a son and a daughter now—two children. Calculating by headcount, he can rightfully ask for more! It’s not his fault that your Wen Lei only had one child, or that my rebellious son disappears whenever I urge him to get married! It infuriates me!”
Auntie suddenly understood: “Now that you mention it, it makes sense! Human greed is insatiable. Wen Zhan seems honest, but who would have thought…”
“You’re talking nonsense! Wen Zhan isn’t that kind of person!” Mu Wanqing could no longer bear to listen and suddenly stepped out from around the corner, refuting them loudly.