Chapter 8: First Day, New Life
998 Words
Monday morning.
The June sunlight danced through the leaves, slipping past the glass windows and flooding the quiet villa with a warm glow.
Tư Như Hân wore a modest beige office dress, her long hair tied into a simple ponytail. Her light makeup enhanced the natural clarity of her features soft, fresh, and effortlessly pure.
She stepped out the grand front doors, gracefully refusing the private car that Butler Hứa had arranged for her the night before.
She knew all too well this was just a casual arrangement ordered by the husband she had never even met.
Yet she still wanted to be independent from the very first step.
Only by walking on her own two feet could she feel at peace.
Tư Như Hân walked slowly through the tree-lined paths of the luxurious neighborhood, phone in hand as she looked up bus routes.
A few moments later, she stood quietly at the bus stop.
It was her first time taking public transportation in this completely unfamiliar city.
No more private chauffeurs.
No more whispers about the “fallen heiress of the Tư family.”
Right now, she was just a regular office worker, starting from nothing.
The No. 29 bus arrived right on time.
She boarded and took a seat by the window, her eyes full of curiosity as she observed the bustling city of A.
Towering buildings stood side by side.
Crowds bustled through the streets in a steady stream of motion.
Everything was unfamiliar, yet strangely captivating.
After a 30-minute ride, she got off near the city’s financial district.
The Đạt Đông Corporation headquarters stood tall like a symbol of power modern architecture clad in reflective blue glass, dazzling in the sunlight, both majestic and cold.
“Wow… 66 floors…”
Her eyes sparkled with wonder.
Her heart brimmed with quiet determination.
“Do well… You must do well.”
Tư Như Hân walked into the grand lobby, where a line of people was already waiting for the elevator.
She looked up at the golden sign: Đạt Đông Group, the words glinting under the lights and felt her heart quietly stir.
“From today on, I’m a tiny part of this place.”
There was no doubt this was her new workplace.
Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the reception desk.
The receptionist in uniform gave her a soft smile, then checked her name on the list and guided her to the 9th floor the Human Resources department.
After completing her onboarding, she was assigned to a mentor named Lâm Hân, who was in charge of introducing her to the administrative department and her job duties.
Lâm Hân led her through the spacious office, where rows of desks were neatly arranged.
The atmosphere was professional and focused everyone’s attention fixed on their computer screens.
The rhythmic clatter of keyboards created a kind of harmonious office symphony.
“You’ll be working on the 5th floor. The upper floors are for senior executives,” Lâm Hân explained as they walked.
“Everyone here is super motivated and capable. I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine.”
Tư Như Hân smiled and nodded obediently.
She hadn’t expected her first day to go so smoothly no awkward stares, no unnecessary questions.
It felt… relaxing.
Once she was shown her desk, she began to familiarize herself with the workflow, quietly learning the procedures and entering basic data just like any other new employee.
It wasn’t until just before lunchtime that she overheard bits of a conversation from nearby desks:
“Hey, did you hear? The CEO didn’t attend the executive meeting again today.”
“Of course. President Dục is super aloof. Always swamped with work. Barely anyone gets to see him.”
“I heard he’s insanely good-looking too he even made the cover of a finance magazine!”
Tư Như Hân lifted her head slightly, ears perking up.
The name “President Dục” made her heart jolt.
That surname… Dục?
In this entire city, besides her mysterious husband…
Was there even anyone else with the surname Dục?
Her heartbeat quickened.
A hint of panic flickered in her eyes.
She hurriedly pulled out her phone and searched on Baidu.
In all of City A, only one family had the surname Dục.
No way.
She had done her research.
The Dục family’s corporation was called Lập Đông.
She worked for Đạt Đông.
Tư Như Hân ruffled her hair, her brain quickly shifting gears.
Could this company be a subsidiary of the Dục family empire?
Was the CEO that the employees just mentioned… someone from the Dục family?
Could it be someone from her husband’s side?
She made an educated guess — the man she married probably ran Lập Đông directly.
That’s what her research had shown, anyway.
As long as she avoided that mysterious man, she’d be fine.
But now, she might’ve accidentally walked straight into one of his companies?
She had tried so hard to avoid the Dục family’s influence…
She had carefully picked from dozens of companies, determined not to rely on the Dục name.
And yet here she was.
Still, it was fine.
As long as they didn’t know she was working here, everything would be okay.
Besides, they didn’t know who she was anyway.
Her name on paper meant nothing.
There was no need to deliberately avoid anyone.
She didn’t know much about the company’s structure anyway — she worked in the administrative department and had little to no contact with upper management.
After comforting herself with this logic, a new thought emerged:
What exactly did the people from her husband’s family look like?
Out of curiosity, she searched again.
What she didn’t know was
The online information had long been encrypted and hidden by Dục Hàng’s personal order.
Lập Đông had quietly rebranded into Đạt Đông at the beginning of last year.
Everything had been done in silence seamless and private.
The fact that Tư Như Hân had missed it…
Was only natural.
- Writer
