“Good.” Wen Zeli raised an eyebrow and headed upstairs.
His phone chimed.
He tapped it open.
Wen Zexin: You dog, word’s already out about you seeing Lan Qin off last night. Tsk tsk, you’re a dead man. Just wait for Miss Shen to deal with you.
Wen Zeli: Show your older brother some respect.
Wen Zeli: Unfortunately for you, I already told her myself.
Wen Zexin: Director Shen wasn’t mad?
Wen Zeli: Remarkably generous.
Xiao Ran: Oh? Should I be congratulating you, then?
Wen Zeli: You flatter me.
That’s what you get from a marriage alliance — a wife with this much grace.
The tall man’s figure disappeared around the stairwell corner. Down in the living room, the housekeeper didn’t dare make a sound, slipping past the liquor cabinet, planning to busy herself in the kitchen for a while before coming back out.
Just then, her phone slipped from her hand.
She hurried to pick it up.
But Shen Xuan, who’d risen from the sofa at some point without her noticing, reached down and grabbed the phone first, handing it back to her.
And right at that moment.
A WeChat notification popped up on the screen.
It read: 【Sister Lan Qin】
Quite intimate.
Shen Xuan glanced down at it.
The housekeeper laughed awkwardly, taking the phone back. “Director Shen, what would you like for lunch?”
Shen Xuan looked away from those four characters — Sister Lan Qin — toward the housekeeper’s young face, and said, “Anything’s fine, I’m not picky.”
The housekeeper tucked the phone into her apron pocket, composing herself, and smiled. “All right, I’ll decide, then.”
Shen Xuan nodded.
She walked back and sat down on the sofa.
Listening to the housekeeper — who called her Director Shen but saved Lan Qin’s number under “Sister” — bustling about behind her.
Once the housekeeper had ducked into the kitchen.
And was sure Shen Xuan couldn’t see her, she pulled out her phone and checked WeChat.
A message from Lan Qin.
【Xixi, he was up all night drinking. Get him some milk in a bit.】
The housekeeper hesitated.
Then recorded a voice reply: “Got it, Sister Lan Qin.”
Once upon a time.
She’d been certain the young master would end up marrying Sister Lan Qin.
Ah well.
Fate had other plans.
Still, only Sister Lan Qin actually cared about the young master. Director Shen wasn’t just cold on the outside — her heart was ice too. She clearly didn’t care about him at all. No wonder the young master still couldn’t let go of Sister Lan Qin.
Shen Xuan had plenty of friends in arranged marriages of her own — her close friend Chen Yi was about to marry Wen Zexin, and Chen Yi had already braced herself, prepared to live out a marriage of polite distance.
Courteous and distant — the best way to survive a marriage of convenience.
She’d just finished flipping through her magazine when the housekeeper appeared, carrying a breakfast tray upstairs. Catching Shen Xuan’s glance, she paused and said with a smile, “I figured the young master hadn’t eaten breakfast, so I made him some warm milk too.”
Shen Xuan made a small sound, looked away, and picked up her phone to scroll through it.
The moment she opened it, she saw Lan Qin had posted to her feed.
Lan Qin: A glass of milk in the morning helps warm the stomach.
Shen Xuan paused.
Looking at the photo.
The background, the cup, the tray — identical to what she’d just seen in the housekeeper’s hands.
She glanced toward the stairs.
The housekeeper’s figure had already vanished onto the second floor, the space now empty, just a faint trace of milk in the air. At that same moment, the Shen Group chairman sent her a message.
“Xuan’er, come by the office.”
Shen Xuan: “Okay.”
Once upstairs, Wen Zeli found himself somewhat unaccustomed to the new house. His personal residence was in Kyoto’s Tower 188 — a three-hundred-square-meter unit with one bedroom, two living areas, and a study.
He’d only bought this villa in order to marry Shen Xuan.
Since Miss Shen surely wasn’t used to living in an apartment.
Both bedrooms faced the staircase, one directly across, the other at an angle. The door of the room directly opposite was closed — no need to guess, that had to be the “new bedroom” Miss Shen was occupying.
Wen Zeli tugged his shirt loose from his waistband, rubbing the corner of his mouth, and walked toward the angled room instead. This room was plain gray, monotone, more like a single’s bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, undoing his buttons, exposing a broad stretch of chest, his eyes lowered, unmistakably exhausted.
Footsteps sounded at the door.
Wen Zeli paused, crossing his long legs, leaning back, and glanced over with narrowed eyes.
He looked, in that moment, both lazy and thoroughly up to no good.
The housekeeper’s steps faltered, her ears reddening slightly, before she laughed. “Young master, eat some breakfast before you sleep.”
Wen Zeli tugged at his shirt, covering a bit of his abs, and scoffed. “Knock next time before coming up.”
“Oh, got it.” The housekeeper had worked for Wen Zeli long enough to know his temperament well. She stepped around the corner, set the tray on the nearby table, then tapped the milk cup, saying slyly, “This… Sister Lan Qin asked me to arrange it.”
Wen Zeli glanced at the pristine white milk cup.
No particular reaction.
“Get out.”
“Okay.” The housekeeper turned and fled.
Closing the door behind her for Wen Zeli.
Today was the second day of the marriage, and the staff at Shen Group headquarters hadn’t expected the eldest daughter to actually show up at the office — dressed, no less, in her usual pantsuit, looking exactly as she always had.
Chang Xue startled too, hurrying over. “What are you doing here?”
Shen Xuan handed her bag to Chang Xue. “My dad called me in.”
“Holy crap.” Chang Xue looked her up and down. “You don’t look even remotely like a woman who just had her wedding night.”
Shen Xuan paused, glanced at Chang Xue, and said nothing.
The office had actually been decorated a little — somewhat festive, with wedding candies placed on every employee’s desk. Chang Xue and the others had arranged all of it. Shen Xuan’s eyes caught the celebratory characters as she walked toward the chairman’s office.
Chang Xue handed her the bag.
Then asked, carefully probing, “Young Master Wen didn’t come home last night?”
Shen Xuan pushed the door open. “No.”
With that, she left the comment hanging and walked into the office. Her father, Shen Xiaoquan, hair streaked with gray, sat behind his large desk, his expression stern. “Do you know Wen Zeli went to see Lan Qin off after the wedding ended last night?”
So this was what it was about, after all.
Shen Xuan pulled out a chair and sat, rolling a cigarette for her father. “I know.”
Shen Xiaoquan slammed his hand on the desk. “This Lan Qin is nothing but trouble.”
Shen Xuan looked at her father. “She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Shen Xiaoquan studied his composed, level-headed daughter — even now, her expression hadn’t shifted at all, as if everything being said outside had nothing to do with her whatsoever.
Shen Xiaoquan sat back down helplessly, taking the cigarette his daughter handed him. “In the past, Wen Zeli and Lan Qin’s relationship was practically the stuff of legend. Now that he’s married into an arranged union, I’m afraid some people are already casting you as the mistress in this story.”
“Wen Zeli’s always done things his own arrogant way — if he does it, he owns it, which is exactly why word got out that he went to see her off.” Shen Xiaoquan let out a cold laugh.
“Every bit the lone wolf.”
Shen Xuan said nothing, quietly rolling her cigarette.
Shen Xiaoquan tapped his daughter’s forehead. “Forget it.”
“Just hold your position as the eldest Wen young master’s wife steady. As long as it hasn’t come to catching him in bed with someone, don’t make too much of a scene over it.”
Shen Xuan gave a faint smile. “Okay.”
Since it was a marriage of convenience, this kind of thing was always a possibility. Besides, the Wen family really was powerful — even the Shens couldn’t guarantee they’d come out on top in any conflict with them.
Shen Xiaoquan sighed, glancing at his computer screen.
Which was.
Filled entirely with news about Wen Zeli seeing Lan Qin off.
Lan Qin had said she was going abroad — seemingly forever — though in reality, she was only going there for classes.
Shen Xiaoquan patted his daughter’s head again.
“I called you in for another reason too. Chengsheng Financial is holding a shareholders’ meeting today. Do you have time to go?”
Having his daughter come to work the day after her wedding — Shen Xiaoquan felt a bit guilty about it. But worried she might read too much into being left idle, he asked anyway.
Shen Xuan took a tissue, wiped her hands, and thought for a moment. “I have time.”
A flicker of sadness crossed Shen Xiaoquan’s eyes.
Having time meant Wen Zeli hadn’t been paying her any attention — which was exactly why she was free.
He waved a hand.
“Go on, then.”
Coming out of the office, Chang Xue was waiting outside — she served as CFO of Shen Group. Shen Xuan told her to prepare the materials, and the two of them set off for Chengsheng.
The staff around the company, seeing Shen Xuan hard at work the day after her wedding, were thoroughly stunned; as for the rumors circulating — that Young Master Wen had been out with another woman just last night —
Most of them now believed it seventy or eighty percent.
In the car.
Chang Xue said, “Chengsheng just brought on a new shareholder recently, holding more shares than we do. Word is they’re planning to restructure the management team, which is why they’re calling this meeting.”
Having been consumed by wedding preparations lately, Shen Xuan hadn’t been keeping close tabs on company affairs.
She nodded.
Arriving at Chengsheng, they took the internal elevator up. The waiting shareholders looked mildly surprised to see Shen Xuan, but quickly composed themselves, exchanging nods before taking their seats.
The Shen family held the largest stake in Chengsheng Financial, though not a controlling one — giving them only veto power over management decisions. Within the industry, Shen Xuan had always carried that same icy reputation, running things without a hint of sentimentality.
Plenty of people found her intimidating.
And being intimidated by her only fed the gossip further.
The day after her wedding, and she’d already shown up for a shareholders’ meeting?
The meeting began.
The newly added shareholder still hadn’t arrived. Left with no choice, Chengsheng’s chairman offered Shen Xuan his congratulations first. “Director Shen, happy wedding! It was an honor attending yesterday — quite the grand affair—”
The room full of shareholders turned as one to look at Shen Xuan.
Shen Xuan nodded calmly. “Thank you.”
Just then.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
A tall figure appeared in the doorway; everyone looked up — and gasped—
Then turned as one, once again, to look at Shen Xuan.
The man walking in was Wen Zeli, now changed into a black shirt and slacks, still knotting his tie. He raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Sorry I’m late.”
He took the suit jacket his assistant handed him and put it on unhurriedly, his gaze sweeping the room, landing briefly on Shen Xuan. He paused, then smiled. “Director Shen’s here too?”
Shen Xuan looked at him, her lips a soft pink, and said, “Just arrived myself.”
“Oh?” Wen Zeli took his seat, no longer looking at Shen Xuan, flipping through the materials on the table with his fingertips.
Only then did everyone in the room draw a sharp breath.
This new shareholder — was Wen Zeli?!
The married couple, suddenly, on the same stage? About to go head-to-head? And what kind of couple even was this — greeting each other with nothing but “Director” this and “Director” that!
Chang Xue tugged at Shen Xuan’s sleeve under the table, eyes wide with shock.
Shen Xuan lowered her head, pulled her sleeve free, and picked up the materials on the table, beginning to review them too. The couple sat across from each other through the entire meeting.
Without a single exchange of words, or even eye contact.
By the time the meeting ended.
Several shareholders rose to shake Wen Zeli’s hand; he leaned back casually in his chair, sleeves rolled up, shaking hands one after another. Once he’d made his way around the room, Shen Xuan stood too, and their eyes met across the space between them. Wen Zeli leaned forward, hand braced on the table, and extended his hand toward Shen Xuan in front of everyone.
A handshake.
Shen Xuan paused for a second, then reached out. Her fair, slender hand, soft with the ease of a pampered upbringing, met his palm in a brief, formal shake.
“Congratulations, Director Wen.”
Wen Zeli looked at her, smiling. “Thank you.”
The moment he finished speaking, Shen Xuan withdrew her hand, casually pulled a tissue from the table, wiped it lightly, then called out to Chang Xue, “Let’s go.”
The whole room of shareholders stared, dumbstruck.
Wen Zeli leaned against the table, raising an eyebrow.
After a long moment.
He too picked up a tissue and wiped his own palm.
Everyone in the room: “…”
Crystal clear.
This marriage was not a happy one.