Beautiful Wife: The Cold Boss is My Husband - Chapter 1

1 a.m.

Deafening music pounded against eardrums as flashing red and green lights swept over the well-dressed heirs lounging on plush sofas before sliding across the gyrating escorts in the dance floor.

“Ugh, another breakup. My love life’s been a mess lately,” lamented a slick-haired playboy, his face twisted in misery as he crossed his legs and pulled a delicate male waiter into his lap.

“You just don’t get it, always throwing yourself at them. How’s that ever gonna work?” Hao Tianlei set down his glass and glanced at the man sitting at the head of the table, downing drinks nonstop. “Brother Yan’s got experience in this. Care to share some wisdom?”

The long, central sofa was occupied solely by the man. His hair was slicked back, his features sharp and deep-set, and though he sat with an imposing air, his expensive tailored suit somehow exuded an untamed wildness.

Hearing this, Yan Chengming thumped his empty glass. Who knew which one it was by now—onto the table. With a mysterious tap on the wristwatch adorning his left hand, he smirked devilishly. “What wisdom? It’s all natural talent. The one I’m with? Fell for me at first sight, couldn’t live without me. Now, he’s at home every day trying to please me. Using those artist’s hands to cook and do my laundry. Won’t even let me hire a maid.”

As he spoke, a smug gleam flashed in his eyes. If he had a tail, it would’ve been wagging sky-high by now.

Crouched behind the sofa, Wang Lang couldn’t bear to watch this shameless boasting. Though he’d been drinking, he wasn’t drunk just barely sober enough to function. With trembling hands, he fished his phone from the tight pocket of his dress pants, shook the alcohol haze from his mind, and dialed.

Two seconds later, a cool, pleasant voice answered. “Hello?”

Wang Lang gulped, stood up to glance at Yan Chengming’s flushed ears and neck, then quickly crouched back down, whispering urgently, “Brother Zhuo, Yan-ge’s drunk again. Can you come pick him up?”

A brief silence followed before the voice returned, icy but suppressing a faint undercurrent of anger. “Put him on.”

Hesitating, Wang Lang stood and nudged the still-rambling Yan Chengming from behind, handing him the phone while mouthing, “Brother Zhuo.”

Yan Chengming’s alcohol-fogged brain stalled for a second before he took the phone, cleared his throat, and put on a show of authority. “What is it?”

The voice that had been as cold and hard as sharp stone moments ago now softened, dripping with tenderness. “Honey, which bar are you at? Are you feeling sick from drinking? Should I come get you?”

The smooth, practiced concern sent Yan Chengming’s heart fluttering, his soul practically floating. But then he glanced at the circle of friends watching him, and pride won out. “Since when do I have to report my whereabouts to you? Just wait at home! I’m having fun with my friends at the ‘Starlight Supreme VIP Lounge, 5th floor’—don’t ruin the mood!”

His tone was heated, but he made sure to enunciate each word of “Starlight Supreme VIP Lounge, 5th floor” with deliberate emphasis.

On the other end, Zhuo Xiao’s voice carried a hint of amusement beneath its gentleness. “Got it. Starlight Supreme VIP Lounge, 5th floor. I’ll be right there.”

Yan Chengming snorted and hung up, turning back to his friends with a raised glass. “C’mon, let’s keep drinking. Ignore him, always causing trouble!”

After another round of drinks, Yan Chengming, who had been barely maintaining his so-called “domineering CEO” demeanor, could no longer keep up the act. His face was flushed red like a monkey’s bottom as he sprawled on the sofa, muttering incoherently.

“Hey, didn’t you say you weren’t drinking anymore just a few days ago? What’s with today?” Wang Lang patted his back to help him catch his breath, then leaned in closer to catch Yan Chengming’s drunken ramblings: “Zhuo Xiao… wife… wuwu…”

Beside them, Hao Tianlei nudged Wang Lang, looking surprised. “You didn’t know? Brother Yan proposed something at the company today, but his older brother shot it down. They had a huge fight; must be feeling pretty down. Then again, he’s always been about saving face, never likes to talk about these things with people around him. I only heard some gossip.”

Wang Lang gave him a deep look, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Since you know Brother Yan cares about his image, keep your mouth shut.”

Hao Tianlei, usually sharp as a tack, suddenly played dumb, waving his hand dismissively. “Ah, we’re all family here. Brother Yan won’t mind.”

Just then, Wang Lang’s phone lit up with an incoming call from “Brother Zhuo.” He answered immediately while struggling to maneuver Yan Chengming’s tall, bulky frame, wedging the phone between his shoulder and ear. “Hey, Brother Zhuo, we’re coming out now.”

As he was about to leave the private room, someone behind him called out, “Brother Yan’s leaving, let’s see him off.”

Three or four of their so-called friends, including Hao Tianlei and that slick-haired guy, followed Wang Lang to the underground parking lot.

In the vast parking lot, a silver Rolls-Royce Phantom stood out the most. The door opened, and out stepped a man in a black peaked-lapel wool coat, his long hair casually tied back. His features were exquisitely beautiful, yet his demeanor and aura were icy.

The slick-haired guy gulped, staring dumbfounded. “Holy shit, is that a man or a woman? So damn pretty.”

Hao Tianlei glanced at the newcomer, his tone oddly strange. “A man. Brother Yan’s little canary—oh wait, they got their marriage certificate last month. Now he’s the official wife.”

“Husband?” Zhuo Xiao called out tentatively, testing Yan Chengming’s level of sobriety.

The soft, warm voice brushed past his ear, vaguely familiar. The next second, a pair of hands wrapped around his arm. Yan Chengming’s brain, which had been sluggishly processing “Who’s calling me?” short-circuited completely, and he shuddered violently.

As if touching something filthy, he shoved away the clinging force with a sudden burst of strength, wailing tragically, “Don’t touch me! I have a wife!”

The force sent Zhuo Xiao off-balance. Caught off guard, he crashed into the car with a sharp hiss, his waist throbbing painfully. His eyes instantly welled up with tears as he pressed his lips together, looking at Yan Chengming with hurt. “Husband, you hurt me.”

That tone—soft, delicate, and a little affected could only belong to his wife!

Yan Chengming sobered up instantly. He forced his bleary eyes open, slurring as he swayed forward. “Zhuo Xiao? Sorry… I—I didn’t see clearly.”

Just as he reached out to pull Zhuo Xiao up, there was a sudden, lightning-fast movement. The car door swung open, and an overwhelming force from the side shoved him violently into the car.

“Holy shit, who’s trying to murder me?!”

The angle was off, and the motion too abrupt. Yan Chengming’s bare forehead, slicked back in a pompadour, slammed into the door with a thunderous crash. Like a man struck by a blunt weapon, he collapsed half-dead onto the seat, eyes squeezed shut.

Wang Lang took a step back as he noticed the bruise on Yan Chengming’s forehead. “Brother Yan, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“It’s fine,” the culprit replied wearily, rubbing his temples with an air of calm.

Before Wang Lang could say anything else, the Rolls-Royce Phantom sped off with a screech.

The slick-haired guy and Hao Tianlei didn’t approach. Watching Wang Lang walk back while fiddling with his phone, the slick-haired guy sighed enviously, “Ah, I wish I had a beautiful wife who’d dutifully pick me up no matter how late I drank. That’d be the life!”

Hao Tianlei scoffed, adjusting his glasses. “If you shower her with villas, cars, and resources, you could have that too. Isn’t that how it works with trophy wives?”

Just as Wang Lang put his phone down, he caught Hao Tianlei’s words and sneered, “Cut the crap. So what if the marriage alliance with your sister fell through? Taking advantage of someone being drunk to badmouth Brother Yan behind his back—do you really think he’s stupid? Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Brother Yan may be kind and loyal, but he’s no pushover.”

Hao Tianlei fell silent.

…

The night raced past outside the car.

Yan Chengming had Zhuo Xiao’s coat draped over his head, completely covering his handsome face. He had been mumbling about being cold in his half-conscious state, so Zhuo Xiao had taken it off and covered him with it.

Something kept vibrating incessantly, the buzzing noise unbearably annoying. Yan Chengming struggled to open his eyes and fumbled around. “What the hell…?”

Zhuo Xiao glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “It’s your phone, hubby. Can you hand it to me?”

“Oh.” Yan Chengming’s alcohol-slowed brain processed the request before his uncooperative hands finally managed to fish out the phone.

Zhuo Xiao’s beautiful profile floated in and out of his blurry vision, even splitting into eight overlapping images under the starlit roof. It was like witnessing the reincarnation of a shadowy overlord. Yan Chengming swallowed hard, too embarrassed to admit he couldn’t see clearly, and simply leaned forward to toss the phone toward the front.

The phone flew through the air like a projectile, tracing a perfect arc. If Zhuo Xiao hadn’t known Yan Chengming’s brain was currently malfunctioning, he might have thought the man was trying to kill him.

With a slight tilt of his head, Zhuo Xiao kept one hand on the wheel while effortlessly catching the phone mid-air with the other. He glanced at the screen.

[Wang Lang: Zhuo-ge! I’m begging you! He’s drunk, not stupid! Please act more convincing!]

[Wang Lang: He hates being lied to. If he finds out, we’re both screwed!]

Zhuo Xiao’s gaze lingered on the messages for an uncomfortably long time before he finally turned the screen off without replying.

…

Halfway home, the sky unleashed a torrential downpour. Rain lashed against the windows, obscuring the view.

By then, Yan Chengming had quieted down in the backseat, breathing deeply in peaceful slumber. Zhuo Xiao glanced at his foolish expression in the rearview mirror, and the coldness in his features softened slightly.

After parking the car in the garage, he grabbed an umbrella from the door—a sleek, understated black one—and opened it before pulling open the rear door.

He patted Yan Chengming’s flushed, feverish cheek and murmured gently, “Hubby, we’re home. Time to get out.”

Yan Chengming didn’t stir.

With no other choice, Zhuo Xiao tried to haul him out single-handedly. Unfortunately, Yan Chengming was tall, muscular, and dead weight, collapsing onto Zhuo Xiao like a boulder.

Staggering under the weight, Zhuo Xiao barely managed to stay upright as he dragged them both out.

The rain was relentless, the wind howling as if deliberately drenching the unfortunate couple.

Yan Chengming was being dragged along, feeling like a sack of potatoes. He let out a drunken hiccup and began groping at Zhuo Xiao. “Wifey, so much water… wanna take a bath with me?”

Zhuo Xiao’s suit pants and shirt were soaked through, his usual elegance completely ruined. Meanwhile, Yan Chengming was flopping around like a fish, making it impossible to hold the umbrella steady. When the rain began splashing onto his face, Zhuo Xiao’s handsome features darkened instantly. He had just opened his mouth to say, “Stop moving—”

When Yan Chengming suddenly retched straight toward him.

Zhuo Xiao’s eye twitched. Before he could even think, his body reacted on instinct. He shoved Yan Chengming face-first into the flowerbed. Yan Chengming’s head landed right in the cluster of hostas, his hair instantly drenched by the rain, his slicked-back style ruined, leaving him a complete mess.

Zhuo Xiao: “…”

Now he was genuinely starting to panic.