Cen Wangyue didn’t have a deep impression of that birthday banquet seven years ago. Many people had come that night.
There were plenty who wanted to invite her to dance, but she wasn’t sure whether Sheng Tangzhou had been among them.
Later, she’d had too much to drink and only remembered kissing a man whose face she couldn’t quite make out, along with the pleasant woody scent on him—but that didn’t prove anything either.
The scene that night had been chaotic, and by the time she woke up the next morning, she’d already forgotten about it.
The images in her mind kept flashing back. If they had met seven years ago, could the man who took her first kiss have been…
A bold guess formed in Cen Wangyue’s mind.
Old Mrs. Sheng called her several times in succession, and seeing that she seemed preoccupied, asked, “Yueyue, what’s wrong?”
Cen Wangyue paused for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. “I’m fine, Grandma. I was just thinking about something from the past.”
The two of them were strolling and chatting in the garden, and Old Mrs. Sheng casually steered the conversation toward the juiciest gossip in the capital right now—the bloody feud between the Pei and Xie families.
Cen Wangyue had no doubt that the old lady was young at heart and kept up with the times when it came to drama.
In the sunlit study on the second floor, Sheng Tangzhou watched this scene in the garden.
“What exactly are you thinking regarding the Zhongyu acquisition?”
Sheng Zhaolin’s words pulled him back from his memories. Sheng Tangzhou stood by the window, his expression unreadable.
He snapped back to attention and looked at his father. “What?”
Sheng Zhaolin said flatly, “Hand the Zhongyu acquisition over to your elder brother. You two are brothers after all—why not work together? Hongrui and Huajing will eventually be merged into Junsheng anyway. Let the outside world see that the brothers get along well.”
Sheng Tangzhou let out a light scoff. He’d worked on this for a whole year, and now his father wanted Sheng Bowen to come in and reap the rewards while he got nothing? There was no way that was happening.
This father of his might as well have been dreaming if he thought that would work.
Sheng Tangzhou’s expression turned cold. “Dad, you can keep dreaming about that one.”
With those words, he couldn’t be bothered to look at his father’s face cycling through shades of red and white.
Coming out of the study, Sheng Tangzhou went straight to the garden to find his wife.
When Old Mrs. Sheng saw him approach, she quickly waved her hand to indicate she was heading back to her room to rest, leaving the two of them alone.
Under the sunlight, their eyes met, and she saw the smile melting into his gaze.
Cen Wangyue looked at him. “Grandma asked if we’d like to stay the night here. The house hasn’t been lively in a while.”
Afraid he might not want to, she added, “Grandma didn’t insist. If you don’t want to, it’s fine—no pressure. It’s not like you sleep well here anyway.”
Since it was Grandma’s suggestion, Sheng Tangzhou was willing to accept. “It’s fine. Just one night.”
Around noon, a servant came to invite them to the dining hall for lunch.
Cen Wangyue looped her arm through his, rubbing her cheek against his sleeve. “Sheng Tangzhou.”
Sheng Tangzhou’s gaze rested quietly on her as he responded calmly.
She narrowed her eyes and said to him, “From now on, I’ll treat you better.”
A hint of pleasure crept into his deep, low voice. “Alright. I’ll work hard to make money and strive to make you the richest woman in the world.”
Cen Wangyue grinned so wide she couldn’t close her mouth. This man really knew what she wanted.
She tugged at her lips. “Thank you, husband. Then you’d better live a long, long life.”
The sunlight stretched their shadows long and slanting across the ground.
Since their marriage a year ago, Cen Wangyue had crossed paths with the Sheng family a few times, but their relationship had always remained superficial. With Old Mrs. Sheng present today, the family appeared harmonious and amicable.
The Sheng family was particular about their meals—from the tableware to the table setting, and even the dining room’s decor and calligraphy were meticulously arranged. There were no fewer than eight cold dishes and over a dozen hot dishes.
The biggest change in the household was actually Madam Sheng herself. Perhaps because Cen Wangyue had married Sheng Tangzhou, she had begun trying to show concern for her second son.
Li Longyu picked up a shrimp and placed it in Sheng Tangzhou’s bowl. “These shrimp were delivered fresh this morning. Why don’t you try some?”
Hearing this, Sheng Tangzhou frowned slightly at the shrimp in his bowl and was about to speak.
Cen Wangyue was faster than him—she directly picked the shrimp out of his bowl and said with feigned sweetness, “Mom, Tangzhou is allergic to seafood. He never eats shrimp.”
Sheng Tangzhou shot her a puzzled look, and she responded with a wink.
If the two of them could hear each other’s thoughts, Cen Wangyue’s tail would be wagging with joy.
She wore an expression that said, “I just scored you points.”
The fact that she knew about Sheng Tangzhou’s seafood allergy was thanks to a casual chat she’d had with Aunt Zhao, which she’d happened to overhear.
Today, she finally had the chance to put it to use and put on this little performance in front of Madam Sheng.
Old Mrs. Sheng picked up a spare rib and placed it in Sheng Tangzhou’s bowl, then said to her daughter-in-law in a flat tone, “Tangzhou has been allergic to seafood since he was little. He likes the spare ribs Nanny Wu makes. Didn’t you know any of this?”
Li Longyu was rendered speechless by her mother-in-law’s rebuke. In a family like theirs, each child had several nannies assigned to them, and she truly didn’t know more about Sheng Tangzhou’s childhood than Aunt Zhao, who had been with him since he was young. She had only been trying to ease the tension between them for the sake of her daughter-in-law.
Why on earth did Nanny Wu have to make shrimp today of all days?
She muttered under her breath, “People’s tastes change…”
Sheng Zhaolin pretended not to notice and steered the conversation toward Sheng Bowen’s marriage, hinting that there were several auspicious dates this year and that they should pick one to hold the wedding soon. With his second son already married, it was time for Sheng Bowen to form an alliance with the Cheng family. With both the Cen and Cheng families as their right and left arms, the Sheng family’s standing would only grow more secure.
Old Mrs. Sheng gave a faint sneer. Her son and daughter-in-law really weren’t up to much.
Just from one meal, Cen Wangyue could smell the undercurrents of scheming. The atmosphere in the Sheng family was worlds apart from her own—she’d much rather be back home.
No wonder Sheng Tangzhou didn’t want her coming back often. All this scheming and maneuvering—who could put up with it?
Cen Wangyue had no desire to get involved in the Sheng family’s affairs. After dinner, she went to the garden by herself to take a stroll and aid her digestion.
She hadn’t been there long when Sheng Shuguan came looking for her.
Sheng Shuguan was about to graduate from university. Unlike Sheng Bowen, this younger sister had been spoiled by Madam Sheng into a carefree, simple-minded girl. Sheng Tangzhou had no conflicts of interest with her, and their relationship was fairly decent.
Cen Wangyue played the role of the gentle, kind sister-in-law in front of her, patiently listening to her talk about campus anecdotes, occasionally mixed in with gossip from the upper circles of the capital.
She had no idea how Sheng Shuguan’s information network was so well-connected—some things even Cen Wangyue didn’t know about, yet Sheng Shuguan recounted them with vivid detail.
Cen Wangyue said in a gentle voice, “Xiaoshu, with all the inside knowledge you have, you really should become an entertainment reporter.”
Sheng Shuguan looked at her with surprise. “Second sister-in-law, how did you know I’m majoring in journalism?”
Cen Wangyue stroked her chin and gave her a deep look. “That major suits you well…”
The two often talked past each other, yet somehow every topic connected in a bizarrely seamless way. Sheng Tangzhou strolled over to find them.
Sheng Shuguan looked at her second brother with a sly grin. “Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are so sweet—you haven’t even been apart for a moment since dinner, and you’re already rushing over to find her. How loving!”
Cen Wangyue coughed lightly, thinking to herself that this Sheng Xiaomei really had no idea what she was talking about. Apart from Old Mrs. Sheng, the two of them were the closest in the household. If it weren’t for promising Grandma she’d stay the night, she would have bolted right after lunch.
She didn’t like staying at Jinhu Mansion at all.
Sheng Tangzhou didn’t bother to refute it at her words, silently accepting the fact that he doted on his wife. A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips. “Come on, let’s go back for an afternoon nap.”
Those six light words made Cen Wangyue’s heart skip a beat, and a blush crept across her cheeks.
She looked up at her husband and answered shyly, “Okay.”
Sheng Shuguan watched her brother and sister-in-law walk away, feeling an inexplicable joy like she’d just shipped a real-life couple. She pulled out her phone, snapped a sneaky photo of their retreating figures, and sent it to her sisters’ group chat.
[Sheng Shuguan]: I hereby declare—I’m a fan of this couple!
[Sheng Shuguan]: Who on earth started the rumor that my second brother and second sister-in-law don’t get along? They’re clearly head over heels for each other!