Upon hearing this, Fu Linyuan was visibly taken aback, his gaze carrying a hint of obvious confusion as he looked at her.
“Practical?”
Cen Zhen wore an expression of utter frankness. “Otherwise, how about lending me a few hundred bucks for meals?”
The air fell silent for two seconds.
Fu Linyuan paused briefly, not responding immediately.
Cen Zhen grew somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze and forced a dry laugh. “I know this might seem like taking advantage, but if you don’t want to…”
Before she could finish, the man’s apologetic voice sounded again.
“Sorry, it was my oversight.”
Without further explanation, he decisively and without hesitation pulled a supplementary card from his wallet and handed it to her.
“Ten million per month. Is that enough?”
Cen Zhen held the heavy, substantial card in her hand, instantly stunned, her eyes widening considerably.
How much?
Ten million!
And that’s ten million every month!
Is this how the world of the wealthy works?
How can he say ten million with the same casualness as one hundred yuan?
Cen Zhen felt both flattered and overwhelmed.
Emotionally, of course, she wanted to pocket this sparkling sum—come on, it’s money! Why refuse what’s offered?
But rationally, she pushed the card back.
“This card feels too hot to handle. I’m afraid I’ll lose it. Just lend me five hundred yuan.”
Fu Linyuan raised his hand and gently pressed hers. The pressure was light, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
His eyes were steady, his jawline sharp and distinct, the composed aura of someone long accustomed to authority subtly radiating around him.
There was no sense of oppression, yet it made it instinctively impossible to refuse.
“Keep it.”
His voice was low, his tone calm and resolute.
“Cen Zhen, we are husband and wife. From now on, my money is your money. You don’t need to feel any psychological burden.”
With those words, Cen Zhen’s heart skipped a beat.
It felt as if a faint electric current had brushed through her chest, her heart inexplicably tightening, and her breath involuntarily hitched for half a second.
For a moment, Cen Zhen was dazed.
Aren’t they just a contractual couple?
The next noon.
Fu Linyuan received a notification of a deduction from the supplementary card in his office.
Glancing at the expenditure of 15 yuan, he subtly furrowed his brow. After a moment’s hesitation, he sent a message to Cen Zhen.
[Have you had lunch yet?]
When she received the message, Cen Zhen was holding her expense ledger, jotting down the details.
After recording the date and purpose of the expense, she began unpacking her lunchbox.
Cen Zhen: Just eating now.
Cen Zhen: The shop owner noticed I didn’t come yesterday and specially gave me an extra scoop of meat. It smells so good~
Just from her words, Fu Linyuan could sense her satisfaction.
Unconsciously, the corners of his lips curved upward.
But when he opened the picture, his smile froze.
There were only two dishes in total.
Spicy and sour shredded potatoes, and lotus root slices stir-fried with meat.
The portions were small, the oil content minimal, and the so-called meat was mostly fatty, with only a few scattered bits of lean meat.
He had observed her eating habits the day before—she loved meat, especially lean meat, which she never turned down. But fatty meat? She wouldn’t even glance at it, let alone pick it up with her chopsticks.
His brow unconsciously furrowed, a trace of barely noticeable heartache flickering in his eyes. [This lunchbox costs 15 yuan?]
Cen Zhen replied with a voice message.
“Yeah, and it’s a bit pricey too! If I brought my own lunch, it would definitely be much cheaper. Let me tell you, I’m an amazing cook! Just give me the ingredients, and I can whip up a full imperial banquet!”
In just one sentence, she conveyed several different emotions.
Fu Linyuan curved his lips, 【If there’s a chance, I’d love to try it】
Just as the message was sent, Jiang Feng brought in an exquisite insulated lunchbox. “President Fu, your meal is ready.”
As he spoke, he began arranging the dishes.
Sake-marinated tender foie gras.
Steamed egg custard with black truffle.
Pan-fried silver eel.
Stir-fried Longjing tea shrimp.
Blanched seasonal Chinese kale.
Coconut-scented pumpkin and millet soup.
Chicken soup stewed with Chinese yam and fox nuts.
Each of these dishes, taken individually, looked far more delicious than the simple, plain boxed meal Cen Zhen was eating.
Slightly frowning, he instructed in a low voice, “From now on, order an extra portion of my work meal for Cen Zhen.”
Jiang Feng was taken aback.
This was the first time he had seen his boss show such concern for someone.
After the initial surprise, he quickly responded.
“Understood.”
Just after the instruction was given, Cen Zhen’s reply quickly appeared on the phone in Fu Linyuan’s hand.
【No need to wait for later, I can let you try it tonight】
【Cheap Husband】: I’ll come pick you up tonight.
【Cen Zhen】: ok.
In the afternoon, Cen Zhen wasn’t assigned any reception tasks, so she began planning in her head what groceries to buy after work.
In the meantime, she even snuck a call to her grandmother while idling in the restroom.
During the call, the elderly woman repeatedly asked if she had enough money and emphasized again and again not to transfer any more money to her bank account.
Cen Zhen obediently agreed, saying she wouldn’t do it again.
But how could the elderly woman not know? Cen Zhen always promised well but let the words go in one ear and out the other.
“Zhenzhen, Grandma doesn’t need money. Keep your salary for yourself. It’s not easy living in a big city—don’t shortchange yourself. As for buying back the garden villa, Grandma can figure it out on her own. A few days ago, someone from Yuncheng came to ask me to custom-make a few qipaos and paid tens of thousands as a deposit…”
Hearing this, Cen Zhen grew unhappy.
“Grandma, didn’t we already agree? I’ll handle the garden villa matter. You’re getting older now, and your health isn’t great, so please don’t take on those delicate jobs anymore.”
Knowing that such words wouldn’t get through to the elderly woman, Cen Zhen had to emphasize more firmly.
“Grandma, don’t think just because I’m not by your side that I don’t know you had a hypoglycemic episode yesterday.”
Sure enough, after she said this, the other end fell silent.
Cen Zhen took the opportunity to add, “Grandma, listen to me. Your health is what matters most. Only when you’re well will Aunt Shuqing feel at ease when she returns. Isn’t that right?”
After she finished speaking, the other end of the phone remained quiet for a while.
A long time passed.
Then, the elderly woman’s worried voice came through.
“Zhenzhen, do you think my daughter can still be found?”
She went missing at the age of five, and they had searched tirelessly for forty-five years without a single clue.
To be honest, Cen Zhen wasn’t sure either.
But Aunt Shuqing was her grandmother’s only hope in this world, and she didn’t want the elderly woman to lose her sole emotional anchor.
With an uplifted and resolute tone, she said, “Grandma, we will definitely find her. We mustn’t lose heart!”
With these words, the elderly woman regained some of her spirit.
“Yes, we will definitely find her.”
After hanging up, Cen Zhen remained lost in thought, squatting alone in the restroom for a long time.
In truth, every year on her birthday, she would make a wish for her grandmother and Aunt Shuqing to reunite as mother and daughter as soon as possible.
But fate played its tricks, and after all these years, there hadn’t been a single useful clue.
At six in the evening, Cen Zhen clocked out on time.
However, just as she stepped out of the building, she was stopped at the entrance.
“Cen Zhen, how could you get married so hastily?”