A hen that couldn't lay eggs

Early the next morning, Gu Wenze woke from his sleep.

He instinctively reached beside him. The cold touch made him frown, and he slowly opened his eyes.

He turned to look. The space beside him was empty, with no sign of anyone else.

Only then did Gu Wenze remember that Qiao Hua had moved out of this room.

An inexplicable irritation rose inside him. He threw back the covers, got out of bed to wash up, then dressed and went downstairs.

Only the newly hired Nanny was busy in the kitchen. The breakfast on the dining table was still steaming, untouched.

Gu Wenze frowned. "She's not up yet?"

Realizing that "she" meant Qiao Hua, the Nanny explained, "Miss Qiao is still resting."

Gu Wenze glanced toward the second-floor guest bedroom. The door was tightly shut, and there was no movement.

In the past, Qiao Hua would have breakfast ready long before Gu Wenze woke, waiting for him at the dining table.

Yet now she was sleeping in even later than he was.

Gu Wenze sat at the table with a grim expression, telling himself that he couldn't be happier to have that woman out of his sight, where she wouldn't ruin his appetite.

Before him were the sandwich and coffee he had eaten for years. They looked more or less the same, yet something was missing from the taste.

By the time he finished breakfast, half an hour had passed.

Gu Wenze checked the time. Qiao Hua still wasn't up. He couldn't tell whether she was deliberately avoiding him or genuinely still asleep.

The irritation in his chest steadily intensified. He picked up his jacket, rose, and left.

Hearing the car engine fade away outside, Qiao Hua opened the guest bedroom door and took a breath of fresh air.

Gu Wenze had finally left.

Actually, Qiao Hua had been up since early morning. To avoid eating at the same table as Gu Wenze, she had stubbornly waited until he left before showing herself.

When Qiao Hua came downstairs, the Nanny said, "Miss Qiao, Mr. Gu just left."

Qiao Hua sat down to breakfast and said casually, "I was waiting for him to leave before coming down."

The Nanny hadn't heard her clearly. "What?"

Qiao Hua brushed it off. "Nothing."

As Qiao Hua enjoyed her lovely breakfast alone, she faintly heard the doorbell. The Nanny wiped her hands on her apron and hurried to answer it.

Then the Nanny's voice reached her. "Miss Qiao, you have a visitor."

Someone was here to see her?

Qiao Hua paused midbite and turned around in confusion, immediately spotting the older woman behind the Nanny.

Weng Fenghua smiled warmly. "Having breakfast?"

Assuming Weng Fenghua had come to see Gu Wenze, Qiao Hua said through a mouthful of food, "Mrs. Weng, your son has gone out."

Weng Fenghua looked at her with a smile. "I'm not here for him today. I'm here for you."

Qiao Hua nearly choked. "For me?"

Weng Fenghua's smile was gentle. "I'm going shopping in a bit. Are you free to come with me?"

Qiao Hua gave Weng Fenghua a strange look.

Why does she suddenly want to take me shopping?

Didn't she say before that I wasn't worthy of going out with her, and tell me to stay home rather than embarrass her in public?

Is she trying to use this chance to humiliate me again?

A fox never visits the henhouse with good intentions. That must be it.

Recalling the things she had done to Qiao Hua in the past, Weng Fenghua looked a little ashamed.

She tightened her grip on her handbag and maintained a calm smile. "Don't overthink it. I just realized we've never been shopping together, so I thought I'd invite you."

Thinking Weng Fenghua wanted another chance to insult her, Qiao Hua made up an excuse to politely decline. "I'm going out to look for a job today. You should find someone else to shop with."

Weng Fenghua froze. "You're looking for a job?"

Qiao Hua nodded.

Didn't you used to say I had no career and spent all day living off your son's money?

Now I'm going to be an independent woman and earn my own money.

Besides, your son spends every day with Jiang Nan. Who knows when he'll kick me out?

I'd better find a backup plan before I end up on the streets.

Lost in her thoughts, Qiao Hua completely missed the complicated expression on Weng Fenghua's face.

Weng Fenghua already had an idea. She patted the back of Qiao Hua's hand. "There's no rush to find a job. One day won't make a difference. Let's go shopping first."

Without giving Qiao Hua a chance to refuse, Weng Fenghua pulled her away.

"Hey, I haven't finished my breakfast!"

Half an hour later, Qiao Hua found herself at a downtown shopping mall, still unsure how she had ended up there.

Weng Fenghua walked into a luxury boutique with practiced ease, and a sales associate immediately approached. "Mrs. Weng, you're here."

Weng Fenghua lifted her chin slightly. "I've brought my daughter-in-law to browse."

Qiao Hua shot Weng Fenghua a disbelieving look.

In all the years since she had married into the Gu Family, this was the first time Weng Fenghua had acknowledged her as her daughter-in-law.

Had the setting been appropriate, Qiao Hua would have reached out to check her forehead for a fever.

The sales associate regarded Qiao Hua with newfound respect and gestured invitingly. "Of course. This way, please."

As she spoke, she instructed another colleague to close the store so they could serve the two women exclusively.

Weng Fenghua calmly browsed the jewelry in the glass display cases, finally stopping in front of a necklace.

"Qiao Hua, what do you think of this necklace?"

Qiao Hua really couldn't appreciate something so expensive. "It's okay," she said halfheartedly.

Weng Fenghua looked up at the sales associate. "Take it out and let her try it on."

Qiao Hua was stunned. "Me?"

"Didn't you say you liked it?" Weng Fenghua said. "You have to try it on to see how it looks."

Qiao Hua was about to decline, but the sales associate had already approached with the necklace, smiling. "Miss Qiao, let me help you try it on."

One associate lifted Qiao Hua's cascading, silky black hair while the other deftly fastened the necklace around her neck.

Qiao Hua's neck was long and fair. With the delicate diamond-studded necklace adorning it, she looked like a perfect work of art.

Even the sales associate couldn't help praising her. "Mrs. Weng, this necklace looks absolutely beautiful on your daughter-in-law."

Weng Fenghua's eyes brimmed with satisfaction. "Very nice. Wrap it up."

"Hey, wait!"

Coming to her senses, Qiao Hua hurriedly stopped the sales associate and looked at Weng Fenghua. "Mrs. Weng, wasn't I supposed to be accompanying you shopping? Why are you buying something for me?"

Weng Fenghua looked a little awkward.

Qiao Hua had saved her life yesterday. It was only right to thank her.

But Weng Fenghua couldn't tell her the truth, so she found another excuse. "You've been married into the Gu Family for years, and I've never bought you any jewelry. Consider this a gift from me."

Qiao Hua's imagination ran wild. Is this another version of "I'll give you five million to leave my son"?

She suddenly regretted choosing something so cheap. She should at least have picked jewelry worth a few million to make it worthwhile.

Seeing Qiao Hua standing there lost in thought, Weng Fenghua took the opportunity to have the associate package the necklace and paid by card.

Just like that, Qiao Hua found herself with a necklace worth hundreds of thousands.

After leaving the store, Weng Fenghua went to the restroom. Qiao Hua waited outside, holding the bag and feeling utterly bored.

"Well, isn't this the Gu Family's daughter-in-law?"

A snide voice suddenly came from behind her.

Qiao Hua turned and saw two women clad in luxury brands from head to toe standing behind her, their faces full of disdain and mockery.

One of them noticed the bag in Qiao Hua's hand, its logo unmistakable.

"If I remember correctly, nothing from that brand costs less than six figures. I wonder where she got the money."

"Do you even have to ask? She's obviously spending her husband's money again."

"Some people really have no shame. She slept her way into the Gu Family, and now she spends someone else's money without a shred of guilt."

"Exactly. A hen that can't lay eggs. If it were me, I'd have had the sense to get a divorce long ago, instead of clinging on like certain people."

From their tone, Qiao Hua guessed they were friends who were usually on good terms with Weng Fenghua.

After all, Weng Fenghua had called her a hen that couldn't lay eggs in front of everyone before. She had married into the Gu Family three years ago and hadn't conceived a single child.

The original Qiao Hua had wanted to get pregnant, but Gu Wenze hadn't. He wore a condom every time they did it.

Except for one night just over a month ago, when Gu Wenze got drunk and forgot to use protection.

And Qiao Hua had gotten pregnant from that one time.

Just what you'd expect from the domineering CEO in a melodramatic novel. He never missed.

Just then, an icy voice cut in from the side. "Who are you calling a hen that can't lay eggs?"

Weng Fenghua stood at the restroom entrance, her expression grim.

The two women failed to notice anything wrong with Weng Fenghua's expression. They eagerly went over and linked arms with her, tattling, "Mrs. Weng, you're just in time. Look at that luxury shopping bag your daughter-in-law is holding. She must have spent a fortune of your son's money again."

They knew Weng Fenghua had always hated Qiao Hua. If she found out Qiao Hua was throwing money around, she would surely give her a dressing-down.

Yet Weng Fenghua remained perfectly calm. "I bought it for Qiao Hua. Is there a problem?"

Both women froze.

"Y-you bought it for her?"

Weng Fenghua gave them a sidelong look. "Qiao Hua is my daughter-in-law. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to buy her a necklace?"

"But Mrs. Weng, don't you hate your daughter-in-law?" one of them asked in a lowered voice.

"Yes, you even said you were going to kick her out and welcome Jiang Nan into the family," the other added.

Weng Fenghua looked a little uncomfortable and raised her voice. "That was before. Now, Qiao Hua is the only daughter-in-law I recognize."

The two wealthy women exchanged bewildered looks, unable to understand why Weng Fenghua, who had always despised Qiao Hua, had suddenly changed her attitude.

Weng Fenghua didn't care what they thought. Her words carried a warning. "If you ever dare speak to my daughter-in-law like that again, we won't be seeing each other anymore."

Without looking at their expressions, Weng Fenghua took Qiao Hua's hand and led her away.

Is she possessed today? She's actually standing up for me?

Something's wrong. Very wrong.

A trace of guilt flickered in Weng Fenghua's eyes. "Don't take their words to heart. You're my only daughter-in-law."

Qiao Hua waved a hand and said breezily, "It's fine. They have a point."

If the original Qiao Hua had left sooner, she wouldn't have died so young.

Unfortunately, the supporting female character was destined to be cannon fodder.

Weng Fenghua started to speak, then remembered that she had said some of those things herself and swallowed her words.

As the car drove along, Qiao Hua initially thought they were going home, but she soon noticed something.

Looking at the scenery outside, Qiao Hua realized this wasn't the road they had taken earlier. "Where are we going?" she asked in confusion.

"You'll know when we get there," Weng Fenghua said.

Before long, the black sedan stopped in front of a downtown skyscraper, where the words "Gu Group" gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

Qiao Hua finally got to see for herself what a company in a domineering-CEO novel looked like.

It was the sort of building people could see simply by looking up from the street, yet could never hope to reach.

Weng Fenghua led Qiao Hua into the company. Upon seeing her, the receptionist immediately stood and greeted her respectfully. "Mrs. Weng."

"Is Wenze upstairs?"

"Yes, Mr. Gu is in his office."

Weng Fenghua acknowledged her and took Qiao Hua upstairs.

Everyone knew Weng Fenghua had never liked her daughter-in-law. Bringing Qiao Hua here probably meant she intended to humiliate her again.

Once the two women left, the receptionist hurried to share the news in the group chat.

In no time, word that the CEO's wife and mother had appeared at the company together spread through the employee group chats.

A few minutes later, the elevator stopped on the top floor. The two women stepped out and approached the CEO's office.

The office door was ajar, and Gu Wenze and Jiang Nan's voices drifted out.

"Wenze, will Qiao Hua be angry if she finds out I came here?"