Early the next morning, Cen Zhen saw the message from Shi Fangshu asking to meet, knowing full well it was nothing good, she decisively ignored it.
The entire morning passed without a reply from Cen Zhen.
Unable to hold back, Shi Fangshu made several calls to Cen Zhen.
But without exception, none went through.
Listening to the repeated busy tone from the receiver, her expression darkened bit by bit.
Zhao Lingxi, standing beside her, deliberately sighed with feigned regret, her tone full of provocation.
“Mom, you see? My sister really has climbed to a higher branch and now can’t be bothered with us.”
As she spoke, she secretly observed Shi Fangshu’s expression, and seeing her growing angrier, she immediately added fuel to the fire.
“Before, even though she wasn’t close to us, she at least answered your calls. But now, she’s completely ignoring us.”
Zhao Lingxi’s few provocative remarks successfully ignited Shi Fangshu’s anger.
Her mother, who had always been soft-spoken and prone to backing down in the face of trouble, now flushed bright red, her tone more forceful than ever before.
“Come on! You’re coming with me to the company to find your sister. I want to ask her myself what she means by this—does she even still see me as her own mother?”
Zhao Lingxi couldn’t have been happier.
She had heard that Fu Linyuan’s grandmother had passed down her family heirloom bracelet to Cen Zhen.
Such a precious item—even Wen Zhiyun, the biological granddaughter, wasn’t qualified to inherit it. If something happened to it while in Cen Zhen’s possession, Cen Zhen would definitely be in deep trouble.
Just thinking about it put her in a good mood.
At noon, when colleagues were heading downstairs in groups for lunch, Cen Zhen was still busy.
Just two days ago, she had been in a relaxed state, but today, she was assigned all sorts of tasks.
Clearly, someone higher up had given the order.
As for who it was, it was obvious.
Just as she was busy organizing reports, a delivery person in a specific uniform entered the office, holding an exquisitely crafted meal box. After glancing around, he asked:
“Excuse me, which one of you is Ms. Cen Zhen?”
As soon as he spoke, everyone in the office turned to look at Cen Zhen.
It wasn’t because she had ordered food to the office, but because the restaurant’s prices were far beyond the reach of ordinary employees like them, who earned a few thousand a month on average.
Everyone’s eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity.
Soon, hushed whispers broke out.
“How can she afford such an expensive meal? That place is terrifyingly expensive—I could never afford to eat there in my lifetime…”
“She must have gotten an allowance from the chairman. That’s how it is when poor people suddenly come into money—she probably wants to show off to us.”
“True, she is the chairman’s illegitimate daughter…”
Cen Zhen paid no attention.
When the delivery person approached her, she calmly said, “You must have the wrong person. I didn’t order anything.”
After verifying her identity, the delivery person handed her the meal box again.
“It was ordered by a gentleman for you. The information is correct. Please sign for it.”
At this point, the murmurs started up again.
After a moment’s hesitation, Cen Zhen finally accepted it.
“Thank you.”
When she returned to her seat, her phone immediately vibrated. It was a message from Fu Linyuan: 【Did you receive the meal?】
Cen Zhen was surprised. 【Did you order this for me?】
【Yes.】
Actually, Cen Zhen wanted to ask why he had suddenly ordered a meal for her.
But the man was busy with countless affairs every day, and still had to work late into the night at home. Such a trivial matter wasn’t worth asking about.
She simply accepted it openly, 【Thank you.】
With just a few words, the conversation ended—very much like a contractual couple.
During the quiet meal, Cen Zhen suddenly realized why Fu Linyuan had ordered food for her. It was probably just a matter of social courtesy, especially since she had personally cooked a meal for him and his sister the night before.
By the time she finished eating, her colleagues had gradually returned.
Cen Zhen focused on her work, but she could still clearly sense the increasingly peculiar looks they were giving her.
Not long after, Zhao Dahai’s assistant appeared.
“Cen Zhen, Chairman Zhao requests your presence in his office.”
Upon hearing this, the people around immediately erupted in chatter.
“I knew it. I knew her high-profile behavior would lead to trouble. Earlier, when I was downstairs, I saw Chairman Zhao’s wife and daughter. They arrived looking furious, probably here to give Cen Zhen a hard time.”
“Honestly, Cen Zhen deserves it. A secret love child who dares to act so boldly…”
“Tsk tsk, this is going to be interesting. Cen Zhen is finally going to get what’s coming to her.”
“…”
There was no shortage of such comments around her.
Cen Zhen was used to hearing them and paid no mind.
However, at the moment, she had no intention of going. “Assistant Chen, I still have work on hand…”
Before she could finish, the man interrupted, “Cen Zhen, Mrs. Zhao said you are to go up immediately. If you delay, you know the consequences. She doesn’t want you to defy her.”
After he said this, the onlooking colleagues became even more certain that Chairman Zhao’s wife was here to confront Cen Zhen.
For a moment, everyone was excited.
Was Shi Fangshu threatening her?
Cen Zhen felt an inexplicable heaviness in her heart. Despite her reluctance, she still wanted to see what was going on.
She made her way to the chairman’s office.
As soon as she entered, Cen Zhen saw the family of three sitting neatly on the sofa. Before she could speak, Shi Fangshu angrily questioned her first.
“Cen Zhen, why didn’t you answer my calls?”
Cen Zhen replied coldly, “I was busy.”
“What could you possibly be busy with as a clerk?”
Glancing at Zhao Lingxi out of the corner of her eye, she curled her lips into a mocking smile. “You’ll have to ask your precious daughter about that.”
Zhao Dahai had always been protective of Zhao Lingxi. Hearing Cen Zhen’s sarcastic remark, his expression immediately darkened.
“Stop trying to frame your sister! Your incompetence, low efficiency, and inability to do your work properly or quickly are no excuse for your excuses!”
Cen Zhen was accustomed to his favoritism.
Uninterested in arguing with him, she got straight to the point.
“Why have you summoned me with such fanfare?”
Seeing her indifferent attitude, Shi Fangshu felt deeply disappointed in her daughter and decided not to beat around the bush.
Her gaze fixed intently on Cen Zhen’s wrist as she spoke directly:
“I heard that after you married Mr. Fu, his grandmother gave you a bracelet. Since you don’t attend any important occasions regularly, wearing it would be a waste. Your sister is constantly being looked down upon in her in-laws’ family. So, how about lending her the bracelet for a few days?”
Zhao Lingxi immediately nodded, looking as if it were only natural.
“Exactly, sis. Now that you’ve married Mr. Fu, you can have anything you want. It’s just a bracelet—lend it to me for a couple of days.”
Zhao Dahai, on the other hand, spoke in a commanding tone, “Cen Zhen, take off your bracelet and give it to your sister. She’s the lucky star of our family. If you lend it to her, you might share in some of her good fortune.”
After hearing the shameless words from the three of them, Cen Zhen looked up, her gaze as cold as ice.
“Why should my bracelet be given to her?”