She put down her phone and suddenly wondered if Uncle Zhang might think she was strange — clearly living under the same roof, yet instead of asking Shen Lingfeng directly, she'd sent him a WeChat message to ask about breakfast.
She shook her head and decided not to dwell on it.
From the fridge, she took out some milk, poured two cups, and warmed them. Then she fried two eggs and toasted four slices of bread.
She drank one cup of milk, ate one fried egg, and one slice of toast.Her appetite was always small, and since she spent most of her day sitting behind a counter with little physical activity, that was enough.
She had arranged for Sister Qin to pick her up at seven-thirty, but after breakfast, it was still not yet seven. So she sat in the dining room scrolling through social media to pass the time.
There, she saw a new post from Jin Ximeng: he was preparing to return to China.Many of their mutual friends and classmates commented, welcoming him back.
So she also left a comment:
[Welcome home.]
Her friend Lin Jing commented too:
[Senior, bring back those chocolates you gave me and Zhenzhen last time!]
Beneath Lin Jing's comment, several people asked what chocolates they were talking about, and why only the two of them got some.
Lin Jing replied:
[Because none of you can compare with the bond between our senior and my dear Zhenzhen. You're lucky if you get some random American candy.]
Jin Ximeng responded:
[Don't worry, I've already bought them.]
Xu Zhen smiled as she read the thread, happy that her kind, big-brother-like senior was coming home. They'd be able to see each other more often now.
She exited WeChat and was about to open another app when Lin Jing sent her a voice message. Xu Zhen tapped play:
"Zhenzhen, your dear childhood sweetheart is coming back! Now that he knows you're married, will he be heartbroken?"
Xu Zhen chuckled, recognizing Lin Jing's teasing tone.
She was about to send a playful reply when she heard movement at the dining room doorway. Looking up, she saw Shen Lingfeng standing there.
She had no idea when he'd arrived. He stood tall and straight in a white shirt and black trousers, the collar and cuffs slightly undone.
But his eyes were dark and heavy, as if he was still shaking off his morning temper.
Then she realized—had he heard that voice message? Was that why he looked so cold?
On second thought, it didn't make sense. He didn't see her as a real wife anyway; why would he be angry over something like that?
So instead of explaining, she said lightly,
"Good morning. I made breakfast for you too."
A low hum came from his throat — "Mm." He sat down at the table and started drinking his milk in silence.
Xu Zhen glanced at the time — almost seven-thirty.
"I'll head to work first," she said, standing up and quickly walking out of the dining room.
She didn't see the way Shen Lingfeng's gaze followed her until her figure disappeared from sight.
It had been pure coincidence — he'd just walked into the dining room when that voice message played. He froze on the spot.
"Dear childhood sweetheart." "Heartbroken."Those words carried too much meaning to ignore, hinting at something more than friendship.
To say he wasn't angry would be a lie. No matter how detached he acted, the fact remained — she was his wife now. Hearing such words made his mood sink.
And the fact that she'd offered no explanation before walking away only worsened his irritation. He even let out a silent, bitter laugh.
So what if he's her childhood sweetheart? So what if he's heartbroken?In the end, what Xu Zhen wanted was someone who could pay off her debts and give her a life of comfort — a rich man like him.
As he ate the breakfast she'd made, he silently berated her character in his mind.
Xu Zhen, of course, didn't think twice about that voice message. Lin Jing often joked like that, and she was used to it. She soon forgot all about it.
She had no idea that, because of it, Shen Lingfeng had already judged her harshly in his heart.
Downstairs, she stepped out of the apartment building to see Sister Qin already waiting in the car — she had arrived early.
Sister Qin looked to be around forty, her long hair neatly pinned into a bun, dressed in a gray suit that made her appear dignified and professional. Her eyes were warm and kind.
"Good morning, Madam."
"Good morning, Sister Qin. Have you had breakfast?"
"Yes, Madam."
Sister Qin helped Xu Zhen into the back seat and closed the door. Then, getting into the driver's seat, she asked if they should leave now.
"Yes, let's go," Xu Zhen replied.
Though Sister Qin called her "Madam," her tone was warm and respectful, never overly formal. It put Xu Zhen at ease.
She truly disliked being treated with exaggerated reverence—it only made her uncomfortable.
Sister Qin drove smoothly. Even though Xu Zhen didn't know how to drive, she could tell from instinct that her chauffeur was experienced.
Not wanting to distract her, Xu Zhen pulled out her phone again and scrolled through WeChat Moments.
There, she saw a new post from her stepfather, Wang Yong, from the night before — a bar photo.He was surrounded by women in heavy makeup and revealing outfits, bottles and glasses cluttering the table.
It wasn't the first time she'd seen such indecent photos on his feed. Every time, they made her angry — and sorry for her mother.
Her mother must have seen them too. She could only imagine how much it hurt.
But her mother refused to leave Wang Yong, choosing instead to endure the pain.
If Xu Zhen didn't need to keep tabs on him occasionally, she would've blocked him long ago.
Feeling irritated, she closed WeChat and stared out the car window, watching the passing traffic. Eventually, she sent her mother a message:
[Morning, Mom. I was busy over the weekend and couldn't visit. What have you been up to these past couple of days?]
Her mother was usually an early riser, so she should've seen the message by now.
But by the time Xu Zhen arrived at the Lantian Branch Bank, there was still no reply.
When the car stopped out front, she opened the door herself before Sister Qin could help.
"No need to get out, Sister Qin. I can manage."
Having always been independent, Xu Zhen instinctively disliked troubling others with small things.
But there was no way Sister Qin would let her get out unassisted with an injured leg. She quickly came around to help her out of the car.
Since there were steps at the entrance, Sister Qin supported her up to the door before returning to the car.
It was just past eight. Only the security guard was there to unlock the doors; the rest of the staff hadn't arrived yet.
Seeing Xu Zhen show up on crutches, the guard was stunned and praised her for being so dedicated.
"I'm still just an intern," she explained with a small smile.
The guard nodded knowingly — she was clearly worried that taking too much leave might affect her chances of becoming a full-time employee.
She made her way to the private banking counter, and soon after, others began to arrive.
When Yang Hui saw her with crutches and heard what happened, she gaped.
"You're way too hardworking! That's insane!"
Xu Zhen just smiled.
"It's just a sprain, not a big deal."
"How did you get here? Don't tell me you took the subway?"
"No, someone drove me," she answered vaguely.
"If they don't make you a full-time employee after this, it'd be a crime against heaven."
Xu Zhen laughed at Yang Hui's exaggerated seriousness and said nothing more.