Chapter 21

Most people understand, at least in theory, that when observing the world, they should not limit themselves to surface appearances. There is, after all, such a thing as “miracles.”

Yet more often than not, people trust their first impression, what they see at a glance.

Turning a company with a registered capital of one hundred dollars into a sprawling enterprise is not impossible. It simply never seems likely to happen to a company that starts with one hundred dollars.

Vera’s husband’s indifference left a faint sting in her chest. This was, after all, where she was about to work. But she did not show it. Outwardly, she accepted his faintly mocking tone without protest.

Some women marched in the streets, bare-chested, shouting about equality. Others remained at home, quietly following their husbands.

Later that evening, after dinner was done and the child had been put to sleep, Vera returned to the bedroom in a silk nightdress after washing up.

She did not know whether it was because of that young man, but her mood felt ... off. The chemical currents in her body seemed unsettled. Her temperature was a little higher than usual.

She leaned against the headboard, half-reclining, her face flushed. She turned slightly, looking at her husband. Heat lingered on her skin. She raised an arm, about to say something to him.

Her husband, however, set the book aside, glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and lay down. “I’m tired. Let’s sleep.”

The anticipation, the faint spark she had not even fully acknowledged, was extinguished instantly, like a flame doused with cold water.

Her expression stiffened. The heat in her cheeks faded quickly.

After a few seconds of silence, she nodded, lay down, and pulled the thin blanket over herself. With a soft sigh, she drifted into sleep.