Looking back, perhaps it was after that night that the cracks in their relationship began to show.
Chen Zhizhong’s life in Hong Kong was far from easy. Everyone knew he was the commoner son-in-law who had seduced the eldest Miss Xiao, forcing a marriage after the fact. They assumed he was nothing more than a useless ornament. The Xiao family looked down on him, and while the employees were respectful to his face, the work they turned in was always perfunctory. Unwilling to complain and further solidify his reputation as a kept man, he slept only three hours a day, spending every waking moment outside of eating and sleeping buried in financial statements. By the end of that year, the returns on the small fund he managed had doubled, finally allowing him to gain a foothold in the company.
Xiao Heling was overjoyed. When they returned to the main family estate for the Lunar New Year dinner, she insisted on dragging Chen Zhizhong along and sang his praises loudly before Madam Xiao. She had coached him beforehand to say something pleasing, but when faced with Madam Xiao’s scrutinizing gaze, Chen Zhizhong felt as if he were back in the living room of that villa in the Cambridge suburbs. The words caught in his throat, and even his smile became stiff.
"What is wrong with you!" On the flight back to Hong Kong, the resentment Xiao Heling had suppressed all the way finally erupted. "I told you a thousand times before we left to be more respectful to my mother, to try and please her. Look at your face—it’s as dark as the bottom of a pot!"
Chen Zhizhong didn't care to argue with her. He turned his head, pretending to look at the scenery outside the window. But Xiao Heling continued to ramble incessantly. Their child, who had been sleeping, was woken by the adults' quarreling. After waiting a few minutes without anyone tending to him, he began to wail.
Xiao Heling busied herself with soothing the child, and Chen Zhizhong quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He opened a report he was halfway through reading. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xiao Heling holding the child, coaxing him with a toy. She had gained some weight after giving birth and never quite returned to the slender, ethereal physique of her youth. However, she was not unattractive; on the contrary, her meticulous grooming added a touch of mature, seductive grace.
She was beautiful, yet she gradually ceased to stir his heart. Chen Zhizhong played the role of the model husband, but in the dead of night, he found himself missing the girl who had clung to him and wept at Heathrow Airport. That thin, fragile frame, like a fledgling shivering in his arms; those eyes filled with tears, a black so deep it turned blue, transparently reflecting his own image.
Women are naturally sensitive. Chen Zhizhong believed his behavior never crossed a single line, yet Xiao Heling sensed something amiss from a source she couldn't even identify. He swore his loyalty to her countless times, but based on her own life experiences, she stood ready to face an imaginary enemy. At first, she would dress up glamorously every day at noon to seek him out for lunch, but Chen Zhizhong’s social circle was vast, and his midday schedule was usually packed. After being stood up several times, she switched to making relentless, soul-crushing phone calls after six in the evening, continuing until Chen Zhizhong could no longer bear it and would excuse himself early from his business dinners to go home.
Chen Zhizhong valued his pride. Being mocked by outsiders for being henpecked naturally soured his mood when he returned home, leading to inevitable arguments. To find some peace, he only worked harder, creating a vicious cycle.
The cycle was broken during the Mid-Autumn Festival the following year. Xiao Heling had repeatedly reminded Chen Zhizhong to come home early for dinner, and he had indeed arranged his work in advance. However, the US stock market crashed that night. He was forced to watch the markets while eating, and halfway through the meal, he retreated to the study for an emergency conference call with the US trading team. When the meeting finally ended, he let out a long sigh and took off his headset, only to find Xiao Heling leaning against the doorframe. She was watching him in silence, her expression grim.
"Do you think you're so impressive?" she said slowly. "Day after day, you don't come home. It’s nothing but work, work, work—is there really that much to do? Or are you keeping someone else outside?"
Chen Zhizhong snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you? There is no one. Truly, no one! Why won't you believe me?"
Xiao Heling sneered. "You are the Xiao family's son-in-law. You should leave the dirty, exhausting work to others. Why do you need to be on the front lines every single day? My father is the Chairman, and even he comes home for dinner every night."
Chen Zhizhong tried to reason with her. "How can you compare my situation to your father's? The personnel relations here in Hong Kong are intricate and complex, and I’m a newcomer. It’s only right that I work harder. If my business performance is poor and I can't gain a foothold, it would bring shame to you as well."
But Xiao Heling flew into a rage. "Who dares to gossip about me? Tell me who it is, and I’ll have my uncle fire them!"
"Can you please stop being so sensitive..."
"Hmph, I knew you were hiding something from me!"
"I'm not... Forget it. Just pretend I didn't say anything."
He gave up on communicating with her and turned his gaze back to the candlestick charts on his computer screen. Chen Zhizhong did not realize that his response, which he thought would settle the matter, appeared to her as nothing but exhaustion and impatience. This was the final straw for Xiao Heling.
"Don't think you're so irreplaceable," she spat out a harsh threat and slammed the door. Even the water on Chen Zhizhong’s desk shook from the impact.
The next day, he experienced firsthand just how powerful her cryptic threat was. For the first time since he joined the asset management company, Xiao Heling’s uncle called him into his office for a private talk. He announced that the group, appreciative of his proactive performance, was transferring him from Hong Kong back to Singapore to manage the shipping business. "You start next Monday."
"But the overseas fund has only just been established; its operations are still immature." Chen Zhizhong felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He tried to argue his case. "The other projects I have on hand have only just started. At the very least, I should stay until the handover is complete."
The older man looked at him with a hint of pity. "This is not a decision I can make."
"When you first arrived, I didn't like you much. But now, I admit you are a capable young man." He sighed. "...It’s a pity."
When Chen Zhizhong returned home, the house was in chaos. Xiao Heling stood in the center of the mess, directing the servants to pack her belongings into crates, her face beaming with joy. He grabbed her hand and, ignoring her protests, led her into the study. It was the same place, just the two of them. He looked at her with a dark, brooding gaze.
"What did you say to your mother?"
Xiao Heling stiffened her neck. "You know exactly what."
It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. Chen Zhizhong said heart-wrenchingly, "Why didn't you ask for my opinion? Do you have any idea how much effort I spent here to build what we have now? Because of one word from you, it’s all gone!"
"Yes, because of one word from me." Xiao Heling sneered. "I hope this lesson teaches you how to prioritize correctly."
Chen Zhizhong was stunned. He understood her subtext perfectly. Xiao Heling knew exactly what she was doing.
She had finally become a carbon copy of her mother.
