The next morning, Xu Zhen called the branch office director and said she had sprained her ankle and needed to take a day off.The director didn't make things difficult for her, saying it was fine—if the personal banking counter got busy, someone from the corporate counter would be reassigned to help.
That evening, Lin Jing sent her a WeChat message asking when she'd be free to go out for dinner.Xu Zhen had to tell her she'd sprained her ankle and couldn't go out.Lin Jing said she would come visit.Xu Zhen hurriedly refused: [No need to come see me. It's not serious, I just need a few days of rest.]Then she told a lie: [My husband will take care of me.]She was afraid that if Lin Jing came, everything would be exposed.
Lin Jing assumed that Xu Zhen simply wasn't ready to introduce her husband yet, so she didn't press further:[Alright, contact me if you need anything. When your foot's better, let's find a time to meet—it's been so long.]Feeling guilty, Xu Zhen typed just two words: [Alright.]
By Sunday afternoon, the swelling in Xu Zhen's foot had gone down a little and the pain had eased, but she still couldn't walk without aggravating the injury—it would only slow her recovery.After checking online, she found that it usually took about half a month for such an injury to heal.But she worried her supervisor would be displeased if she took that many days off—after all, she was still in her probation period.
She was sitting on the living room sofa, troubled, when she suddenly heard someone keying in the door code.It must be Shen Lingfeng coming back.His assistant had said he'd be on a business trip for a few days—she had expected at least four or five days, maybe even a week. She hadn't thought he'd return on the third day.
When Shen Lingfeng entered, he saw Xu Zhen sitting on the sofa, her left leg propped up on a chair, her ankle visibly swollen.His eyes narrowed slightly—she really had sprained it.
"You're back," Xu Zhen said, looking up at him.He glanced at her face, expression unreadable, and replied with a faint "Mm."He seemed about to say something, but stopped, picked up his suitcase, and walked past her out of the living room into his bedroom.
Seeing how cold he was, Xu Zhen decided to ignore him and went back to worrying about her sick leave.Maybe she could ask Lin Jing to drive her to and from work. Lin Jing had a car, and her office was near the Lantian branch—it would be on her way.
Inside the bedroom, Shen Lingfeng noticed that the clothes he had left on the bench at the end of the bed were gone—Xu Zhen must have washed them.Before marriage, he had hired a housekeeper to handle chores. Afterward, he had dismissed her temporarily—because he wanted to see how Xu Zhen would manage a home, how she would act as a wife.
Now that she was injured, everything must have been inconvenient. He wondered how she had managed these past three days.He took out his phone, intending to call the housekeeper to come back for cooking and laundry.But just before dialing, he stopped.
Ordinary families didn't have housekeepers. If Xu Zhen thought marrying him meant living a pampered, idle life of luxury, she was mistaken.He wouldn't give her the chance to indulge in that illusion.It was just a sprained ankle, nothing serious. Her other foot and both hands worked fine—she was only a little inconvenienced.If she had managed these past three days, she could manage a few more.
Raised under his stern grandfather's discipline, Shen Lingfeng had grown up in a militarized environment.When he'd been injured or sick abroad, he'd always endured it alone, shaping his tough, unyielding nature.He needed to keep testing Xu Zhen—to shatter her fantasy of a wealthy wife's easy life once and for all.
He walked out of the bedroom and into the living room. Xu Zhen was staring blankly at her injured foot, lost in thought. His deep gaze narrowed slightly."Did you buy groceries? What's for dinner?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Xu Zhen turned to him. "Ah, I bought some the day you left for your trip—still haven't finished them. They'll do for tonight."As long as you don't expect anything fancy, she thought.
Seeing his brow start to crease, she quickly added, "There's still some beef and vegetables left. I can make beef noodle soup—with cilantro, if you like."If he wasn't satisfied, he could deal with his own dinner.He was a man of privilege—probably couldn't cook anyway. If he didn't want to eat her food, he could go out.
Shen Lingfeng noted her easy tone and calm expression and replied coolly, "Beef noodles, then."
"Do you eat cilantro?" Xu Zhen asked."I do.""Do you need my help? Your foot's injured," he offered."No need, I can move slowly," she replied without hesitation.She didn't want him touching her at all.
He gave her a deep look. "If you need help, call me."Then he turned and went to his study.
Glancing at the clock—past six already—Xu Zhen decided to start dinner. She got up slowly, hopping on one foot and supporting herself on tables and chairs as she made her way to the kitchen.As she took ingredients from the fridge, a thought struck her—maybe when Shen Lingfeng had offered to help, he meant help with cooking, not help her move to the kitchen.She might have misunderstood.
That misunderstanding was… awkward.No wonder his expression earlier had seemed a bit strange.Would it be weird to call him back now to help?After a moment's thought, she decided against it—he'd probably just get in the way.What bothered her most was moving around, and she was already in the kitchen anyway.
Halfway through cooking, she suddenly felt indignant—here she was, injured, making dinner, while Shen Lingfeng, perfectly healthy, was doing nothing. It was ridiculous.She thought of her mother—enduring humiliation, hardship, and still being ordered around by Wang Yong and his son even when sick.She refused to become a woman like her mother.
She picked up her phone, intending to call Shen Lingfeng over to help. Even if he couldn't cook, he could at least set the table or pass her things.But she didn't have his WeChat, nor his business card, nor his phone number.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure at the kitchen entrance. Looking up, she saw Shen Lingfeng standing there.He had been in his study, but guilt had gnawed at him—he'd felt like a cruel husband ignoring his injured wife—so he came to check on her.But seeing her calmly focused on cooking, she didn't look upset at all.
Xu Zhen didn't care why he was there—she quickly seized the chance before he left."Since you're here, could you get the bowls and chopsticks? The noodles are almost ready."
Glancing at her, Shen Lingfeng thought he'd done the right thing coming—she did need some help.He walked to the cupboard without a word and took out two sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Afraid he'd leave again, Xu Zhen said, "Don't go yet—the noodles will be done in a moment. I'll need you to carry them to the table."Shen Lingfeng said nothing, just stood by the table, his cold gaze quietly observing her.Watching her skillful movements, smelling the aroma filling the kitchen, he realized she'd been cooking for years—and cooked well.To Shen Lingfeng, that was a virtue.In a household, bad food was a disaster.