Beautiful Wife: The Cold Boss is My Husband - Chapter 23

This was Yan Chengming’s first time doing something like this, and he was quite inexperienced. He had no idea how to begin. Just as he was at a loss, he remembered the private detective advertisement from the post he had just seen.

The contact information provided by Master Zhang turned out to be for QQ, a software he hadn’t used since graduating from middle school. Holding his phone, he spent two hours trying various passwords—from his birthday to the only day he ever scored full marks in math during his school years—until he finally managed to log in.

On the screen, the profile picture and username loaded accordingly. A pretentious, melancholic male avatar in stark black, white, and gray, with half the face obscured and only one eye visible, along with the glaring username “LordArrogant灬WhatCanYouDo丿,” nearly blinded Yan Chengming.

Yan Chengming: “…”

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to cringe, and quickly changed both his profile picture and username. After giving himself a more presentable makeover, he finally dared to add Master Zhang on QQ.

Master Zhang promptly accepted the friend request.

His personal signature lived up to its name—it was indeed very distinctive: “One-time transaction, no refunds. Counted by ID number, one person, one job per lifetime.”

[Yan Chengming: What are your rates?]

[Master Zhang: Basic price for catching infidelity: 8,888. Photo evidence retention: +2,000. Beating up the mistress: +3,000. Online exposure: +2,500. Additionally, we handle other information-gathering services [using legal and compliant methods]. Small business, serious inquiries only.]

Yan Chengming twitched at the corner of his mouth. Staring at the bloody “beating up the mistress” option, he typed a few words.

[Yan Chengming: Aren’t there any gentler methods? Although I’m quite tempted by the mistress-beating service, what if you accidentally hit my wife?]

[Master Zhang: Then I recommend you go for the basic package, dear.]

Yan Chengming hesitated for a moment.

[Yan Chengming: Alright.]

Master Zhang swiftly sent over a payment QR code.

Yan Chengming scanned and paid him 8,888.

[Master Zhang: Okay, dear, payment received.]

[Master Zhang: Please send me your ID number so we can register it on our end.]

While muttering to himself about whether providing his ID number might lead to illegal activities, and with the thought of reporting to the police if anything went wrong, Yan Chengming reluctantly sent over his ID number.

However, less than two minutes later, Yan Chengming received a refund notification.

[Yan Chengming: ?]

[Master Zhang: Dear, please check my signature. I don’t accept repeat business from the same person.]

[Yan Chengming: ???]

[Yan Chengming: Have I hired you before?]

[Master Zhang: My records show that you have.]

Yan Chengming was bewildered. He racked his brain, digging through every memory, but couldn’t recall even the slightest hint of such an event.

[Master Zhang: It’s also possible that someone else used your ID number to hire me, dear.]

Yan Chengming grew even more confused.

[Yan Chengming: Can you tell me what I hired you for back then?]

[Master Zhang: Sorry, dear, that’s confidential.]

[Yan Chengming: Even the ID holder can’t know?]

[Master Zhang: That’s right, dear. The transaction back then was under the highest level of confidentiality—even the person themselves cannot be informed.]

Yan Chengming wanted to say more, but as soon as he sent the message, a red exclamation mark appeared. The highly distinctive Master Zhang had already deleted him.

Yan Chengming: “…”

He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and thought, “Forget it! I’ll handle it myself!”

Besides, he couldn’t trust other men with surveillance and tracking tasks. What if something went wrong and Zhuo Xiao encountered a bad person? Yan Chengming convinced himself this way and posted a newbie guidance request on the forum he had just discovered.

Soon, enthusiastic netizens replied, offering advice.

2L: Do you have cameras at home? You can secretly install one, then leave and see if he brings anyone home or if he gets unusually excited and starts grooming himself after you’re gone.

Yan Chengming hesitated a bit and replied to the enthusiastic netizen: That doesn’t seem right… It feels like an invasion of privacy.

The enthusiastic netizen seemed a bit exasperated: Are you naive? At a time like this, you’re still worried about privacy? Let me put it this way: which do you want, morals or your wife?

Yan Chengming chose his wife without hesitation.

He secretly ordered cameras online and, while Zhuo Xiao was at the studio, installed one in the living room, one at the front door, and one in the backyard. By the time the installation technician arrived, it was almost dinnertime. Yan Chengming, anxiously estimating that Zhuo Xiao would be home soon, asked every minute, “Can you hurry up, sir?”

Finally, just as Zhuo Xiao texted him saying he’d be home in five minutes and told him to eat something if he was hungry, Yan Chengming sent the technician off.

Watching the technician leave, Yan Chengming hugged himself tightly in the chilly wind, his eyes vacant, muttering to himself, “It’s over. I think I’ve become tainted.”

The next morning, Yan Chengming casually brought it up at the breakfast table: “By the way, honey, I won’t be working from home today. I need to go to the office.”

Zhuo Xiao paused his chopsticks and looked up at him: “Do you have to?”

His lips turned downward, though it was unclear whether he was unhappy about Yan Chengming not staying home with him or worried about Yan Chengming’s safety.

For the first time, Yan Chengming realized that Zhuo Xiao’s words always seemed so understated, making them hard to interpret. He could only rely on his intuition to guess and replied, “Yes, I haven’t been to the office in a long time. It’s not appropriate, or everyone might forget there’s still a CEO. Don’t worry, I’ll bring two bodyguards with me.”

Zhuo Xiao nodded lightly.

As Yan Chengming was about to leave, Zhuo Xiao, as usual, hugged his waist reluctantly, rubbing his forehead against Yan Chengming’s lips and looking up at him: “Husband, it snowed heavily last night, and the roads are slippery. Be careful and drive slowly.”

Yan Chengming was taken aback for a moment. In that instant, he almost forgot all the strange things about Zhuo Xiao earlier. When he regained his composure, he kissed Zhuo Xiao’s forehead with mixed emotions and said, “Don’t come out. It’s cold outside.” Then he turned away, rubbing his face in the wind and snow until he calmed down before heading to the garage to drive.

An hour later, Assistant Liu knocked on the door of Yan Chengming’s office.

In his view, Yan Chengming, dressed in a suit and tie, sat upright in his leather chair, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor. His brows were furrowed, his expression serious, and his face was so close to the computer screen that his eyes were dry and red, yet he couldn’t bear to look away.

He looked like a workaholic handling an extremely important task, so focused that even Assistant Liu’s entrance couldn’t distract him.

In the heavy atmosphere, Assistant Liu paused his steps and timidly placed the documents on Yan Chengming’s desk. “Mr. Yan, the documents you requested.”

His voice was soft, yet it seemed to rouse Yan Chengming from his thoughts. Only then did Yan Chengming notice Assistant Liu’s presence. He shifted his gaze slightly toward the other man and gave a profound, inscrutable nod.

Assistant Liu quietly left the room, silently praising the CEO’s dedicated work ethic.

After Assistant Liu departed, Yan Chengming blinked rapidly, nearly shedding a tear. He rummaged through a drawer, pulled out a bottle of eye drops, tilted his head back, pried open his eyelids, and squeezed in a few drops. His eyeballs trembled briefly before rolling around.

Ever since arriving at the office and settling into his seat, he had turned on the surveillance feed to observe Zhuo Xiao’s every move. After he left, Zhuo Xiao had tidied up all the kitchenware, loaded them into the dishwasher, and cleaned the bedroom. The camera he had purchased was exceptionally clear, allowing him to see Zhuo Xiao’s beautiful profile as she worked. He had become so engrossed, his heart aching with tenderness, that he nearly forgot his actual tasks. It wasn’t until Zhuo Xiao went to the balcony to make a phone call that he snapped back to reality, berating himself for his lack of self-control.

His gaze returned to the computer screen, where he watched the figure on the balcony with a sour expression. “Making a phone call! The moment I leave, she starts making calls! Who is it that she has so much to talk to? What time is it already? I’m almost off work, and she still hasn’t started cooking for me. She must not love me anymore!”

As he spoke, he yanked out a tissue, biting down on it twice in frustration before spitting it out with a “pfft, pfft, pfft,” resembling a resentful young wife wringing a handkerchief, but with the aggressive flair of an alpaca.

As the time to leave work approached, he deliberately sent a message to Zhuo Xiao: “Honey, I’m about to get off work. I’m so hungry. What are we having for dinner today?”

On the surveillance feed, Zhuo Xiao paused, lowered the hand holding her phone, and began typing a reply.

[Zhuo Xiao: We’re having your favorite boiled fish.]

Yan Chengming glanced at his phone as he stood up to grab his suit jacket. He froze for a moment, checking the time. Boiled fish at this hour? Would the fish still be alive by the time he got home?

Puzzled, Yan Chengming drove home, having left work about twenty minutes early. He parked his car near the villa and opened the surveillance feed on his phone to pass the time before heading inside.

Strangely, Zhuo Xiao in the kitchen didn’t seem in a hurry to cook. She merely rinsed some rice, started a pot of rice cooking, and then sat down to read a book.

This was far from the scene Yan Chengming had imagined—his wife frantically preparing an elaborate meal for him. Just as he was growing more confused, he happened to glance up and saw a small yellow cap whizzing past his car window, following a very familiar route.

Five minutes later, on the surveillance feed, he watched as the small yellow cap pressed the doorbell to his home. Shortly after, Zhuo Xiao heard the sound and went to answer the door, accepting a pile of items from the delivery person.

He watched as Zhuo Xiao carried the items into the kitchen, unpacked all the takeout containers, and transferred the contents onto plates with practiced ease, looking like a seasoned offender.

Yan Chengming: “…”

His mind flashed back to what Zhuo Xiao had once told him: “Honey, I think takeout is unhealthy. It’s better to eat at home. From now on, I’ll cook for you myself, okay?”

While lost in thought, he instinctively glanced down at the surveillance feed again. At some point, Zhuo Xiao had returned to the front door, accompanied by Chen Xi. He saw Zhuo Xiao raise his arm, pointing toward the door as he said something to Chen Xi. Then, Chen Xi went to the equipment room, fetched a large broom, and began diligently sweeping the snow in front of the door.

Ten minutes later, Yan Chengming sat at the dining table, staring silently at the lavish feast adorned with fresh flowers.

If you said Zhuo Xiao was thoughtful—he had ordered takeout. If you said he was being perfunctory—he had even taken the time to plate the takeout.

Zhuo Xiao, however, seemed quite pleased. He picked up a piece of boiled fish with his chopsticks and placed it in Yan Chengming’s bowl. “Honey, try this. It’s my first time making it—how does it taste? Oh, by the way, did you notice how clean the front door was when you came back? I swept the snow today. It was so tiring.”

As he spoke, he rubbed his arm as if it were sore, his gaze lowered but constantly flickering toward Yan Chengming, as if waiting for something.