On Thursday at noon, Cen Zhen received a message from Fu Linyuan.
He wanted her to accompany him home for a family dinner that evening.
Cen Zhen was more than happy to go.
After all, it was a great opportunity for a free meal.
For the past few days, Fu Linyuan had been preparing breakfast for her.
As for lunch and dinner, Fu Linyuan was often busy with work and frequently worked overtime. Most of the time, Cen Zhen couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him, so she had to figure out her meals on her own.
The cheapest fast-food meal cost at least ten yuan. With two meals a day, that added up to twenty yuan.
Counting the days, there were still twenty-one days left in the month.
It was going to be a long haul.
As usual, Jiang Feng came to pick her up.
On the way, Jiang Feng explained, “Madam, Mr. Fu has an unexpected meeting and will be busy for a while longer. I’ll take you there first.”
Cen Zhen smiled. “No problem. Thank you for your trouble.”
Jiang Feng was pleasantly surprised.
“You’re too kind. It’s my duty.”
It wasn’t that Jiang Feng was easily impressed, but his boss’s former fiancée, Miss Lin, had never been this polite or easy to talk to.
Back when the boss was dating Miss Lin, if he ever failed to pick her up himself, she would immediately darken her expression, her impatience and resentment plain to see. She would then berate him, a mere employee, blaming him for not making proper arrangements in advance.
In comparison, Jiang Feng felt Cen Zhen was an angel.
Half an hour later, the car arrived at the Wen family’s ancestral home.
As soon as Cen Zhen stepped out of the car, she spotted a gentle and kindly figure standing at the entrance of the old house.
Liang Wanxiang was dressed in an elegant blouse, her hair neatly combed, her eyes curved into a gentle smile.
She looked even more spirited than she had at the hospital.
Seeing this, Cen Zhen immediately hurried over, her voice sweet and respectful as she called out, “Grandma.”
Liang Wanxiang promptly took her hand and led her inside.
Along the way, she chattered away, asking how Cen Zhen had been lately, whether she was adjusting to life with Fu Linyuan, and if she had been mistreated.
Her tone was filled with genuine affection and concern from an elder to a younger family member.
Cen Zhen answered each question in turn.
Once they entered the living room, Liang Wanxiang began introducing her to the relatives. “Zhenzhen, this is your uncle and aunt.”
Cen Zhen obediently greeted them.
Wen Yifeng and Fang Qing were unpretentious people. After Cen Zhen greeted them, they warmly invited her to sit with them.
Only Wen Zhiyun sat stiffly to the side, her face sullen and clearly unwilling, her eyes openly expressing her unwelcoming attitude.
Fang Qing nudged her shoulder at the right moment.
“Wasn’t it you who suggested inviting your sister-in-law over to meet the family? Now that she’s here, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Wen Yifeng also teased his daughter. “A Yun, weren’t you always nagging your brother to find you a sister-in-law? Now that she’s right in front of you, are you suddenly feeling shy?”
Wen Zhiyun retorted indignantly, “I am not!”
Only then did Cen Zhen notice her.
She appeared to be around the same age as Cen Zhen.
Her delicate face was charming and striking, with beautiful features that carried a hint of arrogance and willfulness. Dressed in an exquisite little Chanel-style suit, her long hair slightly curled, she clearly had been pampered and doted on while growing up.
As their eyes met, Cen Zhen could clearly sense the hostility and unwelcoming attitude in her gaze.
Since the other party didn’t welcome her, Cen Zhen simply acted as if this person didn’t exist in the room.
Her expression remained completely unruffled as she shifted her gaze away and asked with concern, “Grandma, why don’t I see Grandpa?”
“He, I heard you were coming over for dinner today, and early this morning he insisted on being discharged from the hospital, but his attending doctor stopped him.”
Wen Zhiyun had taken the initiative to invite Cen Zhen to dinner at home, with the intention of putting her in her place.
But she never expected that before she could even deliver that warning, Cen Zhen had already ignored her first.
From the moment she entered the room, Cen Zhen had turned a blind eye to her hostile gaze, as if she were nothing but air.
Left speechless by her dismissive indifference, Wen Zhiyun felt both angry and stifled.
She increasingly felt that this woman, Cen Zhen, was not simple.
Her brother must have been tricked by her!
Unable to swallow her anger, she suddenly asked, “I heard you and my brother had a whirlwind marriage. I don’t understand—you only met him once. How could you be so sure you wanted to marry him?”
Her challenge was blatant.
The three elders in the living room frowned, exchanged glances, and tugged at her sleeves.
Cen Zhen saw it all.
But she was unafraid.
Meeting Wen Zhiyun’s provocative gaze, she smiled brightly.
“Little sister, are you perhaps underestimating your brother’s charm?”
Wen Zhiyun snorted coldly. “Of course I know whether my brother has charm or not. For women to fall in love with him is as easy as breathing air, but love at first sight and marriage are two different things!”
Cen Zhen raised an eyebrow. “So?”
“So, I have every right to suspect that you approached my brother with ulterior motives!”
As she grew increasingly impolite, Wen Yifeng’s brows furrowed tightly, and he scolded, “A Yun, Cen Zhen is your elder!”
Wen Zhiyun, still fuming, continued rudely, “I haven’t acknowledged her as my sister-in-law.”
“Grandma, Dad, Mom, don’t be fooled by her innocent and harmless appearance. She met my brother once and tricked him into going to the civil affairs bureau to get a marriage certificate. Clearly, she’s quite skilled.”
Wen Zhiyun was born when Fang Qing was already middle-aged.
From childhood, she had been especially doted on by her mother, who indulged her every whim.
But now, even Fang Qing couldn’t bear to listen any longer.
“A Yun, do you think anyone can make decisions for your brother?”
This silenced Wen Zhiyun. Indeed, her brother was very decisive, and no one could sway his choices.
As her expression shifted dramatically, Cen Zhen wore a perfectly measured smile.
“Your brother is handsome, has a great figure, is well-mannered, upright, and knows how to make money. He suits my taste, captivates my soul, and has won my heart.”
“He’s exactly my ideal type.”
“Tell me, when I finally meet a man like this, wouldn’t it be a shame to let him slip away? Of course, I had to do everything I could to coax him into getting the marriage certificate with me.”
Wen Zhiyun hadn’t expected her to be so unsubtle.
Not only did she openly declare her feelings for her brother in front of the elders, but she also bluntly admitted she was after his money.
The most infuriating part was that she made it sound so refined!
Immediately, she raised her voice indignantly.
“Stop pretending!”
“Everyone in Jingcheng knows my brother is infertile. He can’t possibly get you pregnant, and you’ll never have your own children in this lifetime. In this world, who doesn’t want their own flesh and blood? Can you really go your whole life without minding?”
The air instantly froze.
The faces of the three elders turned grim.
Yet Cen Zhen showed no sign of embarrassment at being questioned.
She said with a calm expression, “If he suddenly became fertile, that would bother me.”
Wen Zhiyun looked wary. “What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. To others, infertility might be your brother’s biggest flaw, but to me, it’s his most charming quality. He can’t have children, and I don’t want any—isn’t that a match made in heaven?”
After speaking, she even raised an eyebrow at her.
In her twenty-five years of life, Wen Zhiyun had truly never encountered a woman like this.
Good heavens, she completely defied all expectations.