New Year’s Day arrived in the blink of an eye. After returning to the country days ago, Sheng Tangzhou finally made a trip back to the Sheng family home.
The Rolls-Royce cruised steadily toward Jinhu Mansion. Cen Wangyue sat in the car, listening to Sheng Tangzhou on an online video conference, gradually growing drowsy.
She covered her mouth and yawned. This man was truly a workaholic through and through—if this plastic husband of hers dropped dead from overwork one day, she wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
Once he kicked the bucket, she’d inherit his billions in style. Wouldn’t she then be the beautiful, wealthy widow of the capital—rich, gorgeous, and husband-free?
Perhaps sensing her boredom, Sheng Tangzhou had the driver play some soothing music to distract her.
Without even lifting his eyes from his tablet, he said, “Don’t secretly curse me to die early.”
Cen Wangyue clenched her fists and swallowed her second yawn. She glanced sideways at the man beside her. “How could I? Of course I want my husband to live a long, long life and stay young forever—that way I’ll never run out of money to spend.”
The driver in the front seat coughed several times out of nowhere.
She rolled her eyes inwardly. How did this damn man know everything? Couldn’t a married couple have a few little secrets between them?
Infuriating!
Unexpectedly, Sheng Tangzhou didn’t even look up, his tone flat. “You’d better be thinking exactly that.”
While the two bickered, they arrived at the Sheng residence.
The black Rolls-Royce pulled into the courtyard. The butler had been waiting at the door for some time and greeted the couple with a beaming smile as he led them inside.
This villa, located beside the wetland park, spanned nearly a thousand square meters, with the courtyard connecting to the natural lake within the park—a picturesque scene.
She could count on one hand the number of times she’d visited Jinhu Mansion, and she wasn’t familiar with the villa’s layout at all.
Today, the Sheng family was rarely all together. Old Mrs. Sheng had just returned from a trip with her youngest granddaughter, and even the fiancée of Sheng Tangzhou’s elder brother had come.
Aunt Zhao from Qinyuan was someone Old Mrs. Sheng had sent over, and over time, she’d heard bits and pieces about Sheng Tangzhou’s pitiful childhood.
His marriage to Cen Wangyue had been personally arranged by Old Mrs. Sheng. Looking across the entire capital, it seemed there wasn’t anyone who didn’t like her.
Cen Wangyue thought smugly to herself—she really did have a face that everyone loved.
In recent years, Old Chairman Sheng had fallen ill from overwork, his health deteriorating. Unfortunately, the infighting within Junsheng had grown increasingly fierce. Old Chairman Sheng favored his eldest son, naturally giving all the best resources to Sheng Bowen while dumping the loss-making, unprofitable businesses on Sheng Tangzhou.
Within two years, Sheng Tangzhou had turned the businesses under his charge from losses to profits. From that point on, a new faction of supporters emerged within the group, and in recent years, rumors had periodically circulated about him taking over Junsheng.
Just as his star was rising, Sheng Tangzhou founded Huajing himself, going head-to-head with Sheng Bowen’s Hongrui. In the early days of Huajing’s founding, Sheng Bowen had done plenty of underhanded things to squeeze his younger brother, terrified that he might do better than him.
The worst incident had nearly driven Sheng Tangzhou to the wall. After hearing Aunt Zhao’s account, Cen Wangyue couldn’t help but remark that the eldest Sheng brother’s methods were truly despicable.
The Cen family was harmonious, and she’d grown up spoiled in a honeypot. She only felt that Sheng Tangzhou must have endured a great deal of hardship growing up. If this plastic husband of hers treated her a little better, she might reluctantly spare him a bit of her affection.
Sheng Tangzhou wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and the couple played the part of a loving pair with perfect tacit understanding in front of the Sheng family, greeting everyone warmly.
“Ah Yue and Ah Zhou are here.”
Old Mrs. Sheng was helped downstairs by her young granddaughter, and when she spotted the couple from afar, her face was full of kindness.
“Grandma.”
The couple stepped forward and supported the old lady on either side as they led her to the living room.
Old Mrs. Sheng was even happier seeing her most beloved grandson and his wife.
She chuckled and said, “You haven’t been back in so long—Grandma has missed you both.”
Cen Wangyue smiled warmly at the old lady and asked with concern, “I’ve missed you too, Grandma. Did the cruise trip with Xiao Shu agree with you?”
Old Mrs. Sheng was past eighty but still in fairly good health. In her daily life, she loved playing mahjong and traveling, living a carefree and happy existence.
She laughed and said, “It agreed with me just fine. I’m still hale and hearty—no problem waiting to hold a great-grandchild.”
At the mention of children, Cen Wangyue’s cheeks flushed slightly, but Sheng Tangzhou spoke up before her. “Grandma, we’re still young. There’s no rush when it comes to children.”
Old Mrs. Sheng looked at her grandson and found him more and more exasperating. She raised her hand and tapped him on the head, complaining, “If you’d just spend a little more time with Ayue, would I be this anxious?”
“You go abroad and leave your wife at home. Our Ayue is so beautiful and lovable—you’d better cherish her properly.”
Sheng Tangzhou’s gaze swept over Cen Wangyue, and he didn’t argue. “Grandma, you’re right to scold me.”
The couple chatted with the old lady in the living room. Meanwhile, Sheng Bowen also returned with his fiancée Cheng Yanxin. He had his eye on the power behind the Cheng family—seeing that his younger brother had latched onto the Cen family, he wanted his future wife to come from the best family background too.
The two had gotten engaged in a hurry one month after Sheng Tangzhou’s wedding. At the time, Sheng Tangzhou was abroad and Cen Wangyue had gone to the United States to visit Fang Yinian, so both had tacitly skipped Sheng Bowen’s engagement banquet.
“Grandma, I’ve brought Yanxin to see you.”
Just then, a man and a woman walked in from the entrance, arm in arm. When they spotted the couple, they gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
The old lady saw her eldest grandson but wasn’t as warm as before. She gave a slight nod and exchanged a few casual pleasantries.
Before they could chat much, the old lady said, “Go see your father.”
With the eldest grandson gone, the atmosphere returned to its previous warmth and harmony.
She looked at her granddaughter-in-law with satisfaction. Her Ayue was beautiful in appearance and delightful in personality—the more she looked, the more she liked her.
Before long, a servant came over to say that Old Chairman Sheng had business with Sheng Tangzhou.
Sheng Tangzhou’s expression darkened slightly—he already knew what it was about. He composed himself and said to the old lady, “Grandma, I’ll head over first.”
Cen Wangyue looked at him with concern and said instinctively, “Then come back soon.”
Watching Sheng Tangzhou’s figure recede into the distance, Old Mrs. Sheng patted Cen Wangyue’s hand. “Come take a walk with me in the garden.”
Then she looked at Sheng Shuguan. “Xiao Shu, having your second sister-in-law here is enough.”
Old Mrs. Sheng led Cen Wangyue to the garden, pointing out the flowers all over the courtyard and introducing them—these were the old lady’s favorites.
“Azhou is a child who, though his temperament is a bit cold, has a good heart. He carries worries in his heart and doesn’t like to tell anyone.”
The words had barely left her mouth when Cen Wangyue froze for a few seconds, not quite understanding why the old lady had suddenly brought this up.
She gave a light cough. “Grandma, I know all this.”
Old Mrs. Sheng patted her hand. “Know what? Do you think I’m so old I’ve gone senile? Whether the two of you are getting along well—do you think I can’t tell?”
So Grandma knew everything after all…
Cen Wangyue looked at Old Mrs. Sheng with unease. “Grandmother, your eyes are as sharp as a hawk’s.”
Old Mrs. Sheng gave a light snort and remarked, “A-zhou never received much love from his parents since he was young. His parents had so many children but never treated them fairly—both of them have twisted ways of thinking.”
“He wears his dislike for others right on his face, and the more he likes someone, the less he wants anyone to find out. You thought the marriage alliance between the Cen and Sheng families was something he had schemed for a long time, but in truth, he came specially to beg me for it.”
Hearing this, Cen Wangyue stood frozen in place, disbelief shining in her eyes. “Grandmother, what are you saying?”
Old Mrs. Sheng curved her lips into a smile. “A-zhou has always liked you. Ever since your eighteenth birthday, he has secretly loved you.”