Сhаpter 4: Тhе Оnе-Yеar Agreеmеnt
Cen Wаn felt uneаsу, аfrаid thаt Lu Вeiхun wоuld bring uр divоrce аgain, but she couldn’t kееp аvоiding thе issuе fоrevеr.
Ву ten o’сlоck in thе evening, Cеn Wan wаs growing sleeрy. Unсle Zhаng сame in аnd urged her not tо wаit аnу longer, but shе insistеd оn stаying up. Аs therе was a distinсtion betwеen mastеr and servant, Unсlе Zhаng had nо сhoice but tо leаvе.
At elеven o’сloсk, shе сouldn’t hоld on anу longer аnd fеll аsleep on the sofa. Outsidе, rаin began to fall.
Сеn Wan slept lightlу, аnd she was already awake when she heard familiar footsteps, though she didn’t open her eyes.
Vaguely, she could clearly sense his approach. Dozens of seconds later, a hand slipped under the bend of her knees, and she was lifted into someone’s arms.
Lu Beixun carried her toward the guest bedroom. Cen Wan squinted her eyes, stealing glances at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lu Beixun cared about her, even if she didn’t understand why he wanted a divorce.
Or perhaps he truly didn’t love her anymore and was only treating her this way out of a sense of marital responsibility.
Lu Beixun had noticed the moment she opened her eyes but didn’t call her out. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, not looking down at the girl in his arms.
After placing her on the guest bed, Lu Beixun straightened up. Cen Wan clung tightly to his neck, refusing to let go. She opened her eyes, meeting his deep, unfathomable gaze, and smiled sweetly. “Lu Beixun, you still care about me, don’t you?”
Lu Beixun paused for a moment, his expression cool and distant. His voice was flat, betraying no emotion. “No.”
Cen Wan searched his expression for any hint of something more, but aside from his aloof detachment, she found nothing.
“Why do you want a divorce?” Cen Wan frowned slightly.
Lu Beixun pried her hands from his neck and said coolly, “It’s better for both of us.”
“It’s not better at all,” Cen Wan sat up on the bed, looking at him earnestly. “It’s my fault. I was reckless. You don’t have to forgive me, but I’m begging you, don’t divorce me.”
“If you’re angry with me, you can hit me, scold me, or even stab me a few times if you have to. I just don’t want a divorce.”
When she mentioned stabbing her, Lu Beixun’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Cen Wan thought of all the things she had done to Lu Beixun in her previous life. She truly deserved to die. Unable to hold back, she slapped herself hard across the face.
A warmth enveloped her wrist as Lu Beixun grabbed her hand. Cen Wan looked up at him. Lu Beixun’s jaw was tense as he stared down at her, his voice cold and stern. “What are you doing?”
Cen Wan had struck herself hard enough to leave a red mark on her cheek, but she didn’t feel any pain. She pleaded with Lu Beixun, “If you want a divorce, give me a one-year probation period. When it’s over, if you still want to divorce me, I’ll agree. I won’t ask for any assets either, okay?”
“I’ve never asked you for anything before. Please, just agree to this one thing, okay?”
A year later, if he still insisted on divorce, she would accept it. Whether they divorced or not, she would do everything in her power to treat him well.
Once he was sure she wouldn’t hurt herself again, Lu Beixun released her hand and left the guest room. Cen Wan thought he had refused and sighed, lying back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He really was different now.
In this life, everyone was the same as in her previous life—except for him. Only he was different.
Nearly a minute later, she heard movement and looked toward the door. Lu Beixun walked to the bedside with an ice pack and a towel in his hands, handing them to her. His voice was as cold as ever. “Take care of it yourself.”
Cen Wan stared at him in disbelief. In her previous life, whenever she was hurt, he would personally tend to her, even if she didn’t like it. His attitude was firm, leaving her no room to refuse.Now, just getting an ice pack from him made her happy. One should be content and find joy in life: “Thank you.”
“What about the observation period…”
“Fine.” With that, Lu Beixun left, closing the door behind him.
Cen Wan tossed and turned excitedly in bed, unable to fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. All night, she thought about how she would treat him well from now on.
Though she had slept late, she woke up early, washed up, and headed straight to the kitchen.
With a mother whose cooking rivaled that of a five-star chef, she knew how to make a simple breakfast—otherwise, she would have been too embarrassed for her mom.
Shortly after entering the kitchen, she ran into Uncle Zhang, who had come to cook. Cen Wan smiled politely: “Uncle Zhang, I’ll handle it. You can sleep a little longer.”
“Are you sure, Madam?” Uncle Zhang asked, mainly worried she might hurt herself.
“I’m sure.”
In her previous life, Cen Wan had been at odds with Lu Beixun, but she had always treated every servant in the Lu residence well, and they respected her in return.
Uncle Zhang left the kitchen. Last night, Madam had taken the initiative to approach Lu Beixun, and the two hadn’t argued—a sign that their relationship was warming up. For this pampered young lady to get up early and cook, it could only be for the master.
So, he decided not to interfere.
She wasn’t very familiar with Lu Beixun’s tastes and preferences, so she prepared both Chinese and Western-style breakfasts, spending two busy hours in the kitchen.
Looking at the breakfast spread on the table, she felt immensely grateful to heaven for giving her a culinary genius of a mother. Otherwise, she truly would have been a useless young lady, the kind people called a good-for-nothing.
Being able to make breakfast filled her with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
While others had grand ambitions and aspirations from a young age, all she had ever wanted was to spend money and take it easy. In elementary school, with eight classes a day, she slept through six and spent the other two waiting for school to end.
So, being able to make breakfast was worth a little pride and self-satisfaction.
Lu Beixun came downstairs dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, exuding an air of noble elegance.
As Uncle Zhang entered, Lu Beixun glanced at him: “Uncle Zhang, call Madam for breakfast.”
Just as Uncle Zhang was about to speak, a small head peeked out from the kitchen, holding a spatula. Cen Wan blinked at Lu Beixun: “I’m right here.”
Lu Beixun paused, and Uncle Zhang explained: “Madam made the breakfast.”
“Understood.” Lu Beixun walked into the dining room and was slightly taken aback by the breakfast on the table. Cen Wan poked her head out again: “Go ahead and eat. I’m frying eggs and will be done soon.”
Soon, the eggs were ready. Cen Wan brought out the plate and placed it on the table: “I made a bit of everything. Pick what you like.”
“Don’t go into the kitchen again in the future.”
Cen Wan ignored his comment: “Try it quickly.”
Throughout the entire breakfast, Lu Beixun didn’t say a word. Whether it was delicious or not, whether it suited his taste—she had no idea.
To her, it was passable—not bad, just ordinary.
They say that to win a man’s heart, you must first win his stomach. She couldn’t stop at just breakfast; she needed to improve her cooking skills. She would learn to make soups, stir-fries, Chinese dishes, and Western cuisine.
She decided that once Lu Beixun left for work, she would go home to see her mom and learn how to cook from her.
The pampered little good-for-nothing was finally going to step up.
Lu Beixun’s coldness toward her hurt, but whenever she remembered how, in her previous life, she had plunged a dagger about twenty centimeters long into his chest and seen the look of utter despair in his eyes, she thought about how much he must have suffered in that moment.
In this life, no matter how Lu Beixun treated her—whether good or bad—she would wholeheartedly treat him well.
“After breakfast, I’ll have the driver take you back.” Lu Beixun finished his meal and wiped his hands with a towel.Cen Wan was taken aback. Hadn’t they agreed not to divorce for now? Why was he still sending her back? “I’m currently in the observation period.”
“Living together makes observation easier. Otherwise, how would you know whether I’m good or bad, or if I’ve changed? So I can’t go back.”
Suddenly, Cen Wan thought of something and raised an eyebrow at him. “Unless you come back to the Lu residence with me.”
Lu Beixun fell silent.
She added, “You choose: either I stay here with you, or you come back to the Lu residence with me. No matter what excuse you’re thinking of right now, I won’t listen. Wherever you are, I’ll be there.”
She was determined to stick to him like a stubborn plaster, impossible to shake off.
After a long silence, Lu Beixun spoke. “Let’s go back to the Lu residence.”
“Great!” Cen Wan’s face lit up with a smile. “Do you need to pack? I can help.”
“No need.”
Lu Beixun was about to leave for work when Cen Wan called out to him in the living room. He paused, and she hurried over to stand facing him.
Grabbing the fabric of his shirt at his waist, she rose on her tiptoes and lightly kissed his thin lips, pulling away immediately. “I’ll wait for you at the Lu residence. Drive carefully and stay safe on the road.”
The lingering warmth of her lips left Lu Beixun stunned. He stared straight at her, and Cen Wan smiled before turning and heading upstairs.
Lu Beixun watched her retreating figure intently until she disappeared around the corner, only then withdrawing his gaze and leaving the living room.
Having tasted a bit of sweetness, Cen Wan was overjoyed. Not long after Lu Beixun left, she returned to the Cen family home. This time, she ran into the person she hated to the bone.
She glared fiercely at Cen Xiu, who was sitting on the sofa, hatred surging in her heart. He was the one who had orchestrated the fire that killed her parents and sister, and he was also the one who schemed to make her kill the man she loved with her own hands.
Watching him chat and laugh with Father Cen and cheer up Mother Cen, a flicker of mockery passed through her eyes. He was such a good actor. If not for being reborn, she would never have believed that this gentle, refined man was the true villain.
Cen Xiu looked over at her with a warm smile. “Wan Wan, what brings you home today?”
“This is my home. I can come back whenever I want,” Cen Wan replied, not bothering to hide her feelings. “Do I need to report it?”
Faced with Cen Wan’s hostility, Cen Xiu was momentarily taken aback, his expression turning slightly awkward as he touched his nose. Mother Cen quickly stepped in to smooth things over, scolding Cen Wan.
Cen Xiu said, “Mom, it’s fine. Wan Wan might just be in a bad mood today.”
Of course, seeing him put her in a bad mood.
Mother Cen found it strange but didn’t press further. Even on her worst days, Cen Wan had never spoken harshly to Cen Xiu before.
Father Cen said, “Luo Luo is back. She’s upstairs.”
Cen Wan didn’t spare Cen Xiu another glance. After greeting her parents, she went upstairs and knocked on Cen Luo’s door.
“Come in.”
Cen Wan entered to find Cen Luo packing. Cen Luo glanced up at her before continuing to pack, head bowed.
Cen Wan’s nose tingled with emotion.
Cen Luo said, “Miss Cen, this top student is heading back to school in an hour. Please cherish the time you have with me.”
Cen Wan couldn’t help but laugh, her sadness vanishing instantly. “Are you crazy?”
Cen Luo suddenly remembered something, tossed her clothes onto the bed, and walked over to Cen Wan. She linked arms with her and cooed, “Sis~”
The word “sis” sent shivers down Cen Wan’s spine. Whenever Cen Luo called her that, she knew something was up.
Cen Luo shook her arm. “I’m out of pocket money. Sis, could you sponsor me a bit?”
Cen Wan replied, “No.”Cen Luo pouted in grievance, “Good sister~ Miss Cen, how can you bear to see your own sister so broke she can only eat instant noodles?”
“Alright, alright.” Cen Wan couldn’t stand her whining. “I’ll transfer the money right now. What have you been doing at school? You’re spending even more than I did back then.”
After receiving the money, Cen Luo showered Cen Wan with a stream of flattery before finally answering her question, “I bought a limited edition figurine.”
Cen Wan gave her a helpless look. “Figures, I should’ve known.”