Beautiful Wife: The Cold Boss is My Husband - Chapter 24

Yan Chengming angrily devoured two large bowls of white rice with pre-made boiled fish, finally calming down enough to say, “It’s pretty good, just… uh, tastes a bit like takeout from a restaurant.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them and quickly glanced guiltily at Zhuo Xiao’s expression.

Hearing this, Zhuo Xiao’s sensitive heart understood something. His hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly before he lowered his gaze and bowed his head.

Unsure of Zhuo Xiao’s reaction, Yan Chengming swallowed nervously and hesitantly said, “Actually, I just saw outside…”

Before he could finish, Zhuo Xiao suddenly covered his face, his shoulders shaking, his long black hair cascading down, obscuring his expression. But he seemed to be sobbing. A muffled voice came from behind his fingers as Zhuo Xiao’s pitiful tone took a winding, dramatic turn: “Husband, I didn’t mean to. I was just too busy with work and didn’t have time to cook for you, so I secretly ordered takeout just this once. Please don’t blame me, okay… whimper.”

Yan Chengming: “…”

He took a deep breath, his deep eyes widening in disbelief.

Wait, who’s blaming him?

Perhaps it was a reflex, but just as Yan Chengming felt he held the moral high ground, his body moved before his mind caught up. Before he knew it, he had already wrapped an arm around Zhuo Xiao’s shoulders.

He tried to pull Zhuo Xiao’s hands away to wipe his tears, but even though he had already grasped those slender wrists, they remained firmly in place for some reason. Zhuo Xiao whimpered again, “Husband, it hurts!”

Yan Chengming immediately let go, patting Zhuo Xiao’s back as he said gloomily, “I’m not blaming you. Takeout is fine to eat, and besides, I ate a lot of it too.”

Halfway through his sentence, Zhuo Xiao unexpectedly lowered his hands, his eyes red, his gaze fixed on Yan Chengming as he let out a muffled, “Hmm?”

Images of himself secretly eating takeout and disposing of the evidence flashed through Yan Chengming’s mind. Instantly, his eyes darted away, avoiding Zhuo Xiao’s gaze as he quickly changed the subject: “I think it must be hard for you to handle both cleaning and cooking all by yourself at home. How about we hire a housekeeper? Then you can focus on your work.”

He wondered if he had set his expectations too high for Zhuo Xiao, putting too much pressure on him, which led to secretly ordering takeout and having Chen Xi sweep the yard. Cleaning and cooking every day—it was only human for Zhuo Xiao to get tired and slack off occasionally. It wasn’t like he did it on purpose.

He thought this would be a heartwarming suggestion for Zhuo Xiao, but instead, Zhuo Xiao suddenly looked up, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, his eyes even more shattered as a single tear slowly slid from the corner of his eye. His gaze at Yan Chengming was filled with disbelief: “Husband, are you saying you don’t even want the food I prepare for you anymore?”

His voice took on a strangely mournful tone: “Husband, do you not love me anymore? Do you have someone else outside?”

Yan Chengming: “…Huh?”

He’s stealing all my lines!

Yan Chengming was utterly defeated. He hugged Zhuo Xiao to comfort him: “No, I really don’t! Fine, fine, do whatever you want.”

So, what if it’s takeout? It’s not like he’s some delicate, pampered prince! He’ll eat it! He’ll eat it while pretending to be clueless and crazy!

“Do whatever you want… sob.”

As soon as he said those words, Zhuo Xiao truly broke down in tears. He repeated Yan Chengming’s impatient remark, tears pattering down as he sat there pulling tissues to wipe his face, his whole face turning red. Every time Yan Chengming reached out to touch him, he dodged away.

It was very much like a liquid cat curving into a serpentine shape to evade the human hands reaching out from all directions.

Yan Chengming: “…”

He grew so anxious he began pacing in circles, sighing and fretting for a long while. Finally, gritting his teeth, he reached out with one hand to touch Zhuo Xiao’s right arm while the other lay in wait. Seizing the moment when Zhuo Xiao dodged to the left, he grabbed Zhuo Xiao’s left shoulder, then slid his palm down to Zhuo Xiao’s waist. With a forceful tug, he lifted Zhuo Xiao into his arms.

Zhuo Xiao’s eyes widened, and he even forgot to squeeze out more tears. The sudden loss of balance made him instinctively cling to Yan Chengming like an octopus, wrapping his legs tightly around Yan Chengming’s waist.

He looped his arms around Yan Chengming’s shoulders and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, “Husband, what are you doing?”

If Yan Chengming had a tail, it would be thrashing wildly on the floor right now. He strode coldly and ruthlessly toward the bedroom, as if possessed by the spirit of a domineering CEO: “I’m going to eat you.”

The domineering CEO novels he read in school taught him that when faced with such an unsolvable problem, don’t panic—just do it once and it’ll be fine.

Zhuo Xiao fell silent, quietly tightening his legs a little more.

When they reached the bedroom, Yan Chengming tossed Zhuo Xiao onto the bed. The soft mattress made Zhuo Xiao’s body bounce a few times. He looked up to see Yan Chengming’s black shirt clinging tightly to his full chest muscles, further outlining his powerful waist. With a cold expression, Yan Chengming unbuttoned his shirt with one hand, revealing his wheat-colored collarbone and chest bit by bit.

Zhuo Xiao’s throat moved. “Husband…”

Yan Chengming let out a scoff, gritting his teeth as he said, “Didn’t you say I don’t love you anymore? Now I’ll show you just how much I love you.”

Zhuo Xiao: “…”

For some reason, his toes curled on their own.

…

A long time later, Yan Chengming leaned against the headboard, shirtless, while Zhuo Xiao, exhausted, had already fallen asleep. Under the covers, faint red marks were visible on his chest, and tear stains still lingered on his face. One of his hands rested on Yan Chengming’s left chest, his head nestled against Yan Chengming’s right chest as he slept soundly.

Yan Chengming clicked his tongue, looking at Zhuo Xiao sleeping peacefully in his arms, feeling a somewhat weathered impulse to light a post-coital cigarette.

He truly regretted blurting out those words earlier. He should have pretended not to know and quietly observed Zhuo Xiao’s every move from the shadows. Yesterday had been too impulsive, and he wasn’t sure if Zhuo Xiao had noticed his odd behavior. In any case, he needed to be more careful from now on.

He couldn’t let something like today happen again. Thankfully, he was clever! He had used his body to numb Zhuo Xiao’s senses.

“Sigh.” Yan Chengming let out a complicated sigh and gently stroked Zhuo Xiao’s cheek. He wondered what kind of mindset Zhuo Xiao had when interacting with him. If Zhuo Xiao really had something going on with someone else, why could he still sleep in his arms so defenselessly like this?

Lost in thought, his rough fingers unconsciously brushed past Zhuo Xiao’s nose. Zhuo Xiao wrinkled his nose slightly, his eyelids parting just a slit as he instinctively snuggled closer. The warm breath from his words brushed against Yan Chengming’s skin: “Husband, aren’t you sleeping yet?”

His eyes were hazy, clearly drowsy, and he had asked this question in a state of half-consciousness.

Yan Chengming was taken aback for a moment. He glanced at the brightly lit bedroom, propped himself up to turn off the light, then snuggled into the blanket, pulling Zhuo Xiao close. His large hand rubbed against Zhuo Xiao’s lower back, and he rested his chin on the other’s head. “Sleep now, baby.”

Zhuo Xiao whispered softly, “Mm.”

The next day, Yan Chengming still planned to observe Zhuo Xiao as originally intended. Today, he decided to stay at home and see if Zhuo Xiao would call that man again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to ask directly, but he had already asked once before, and Zhuo Xiao had deliberately evaded the question. He figured that even if he asked again, Zhuo Xiao wouldn’t tell him.

Yan Chengming suspected that the man Zhuo Xiao was talking to was always the same person, because Zhuo Xiao’s tone of voice never changed—a tone Yan Chengming had never heard before, so unfamiliar it made him uneasy. He didn’t even dare to wonder which tone was Zhuo Xiao’s truest self. The possibility of a 50% chance of either answer made him anxious, his heart aching.

With that, his thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Yan Chengming shook his head, trying to clear the jumbled thoughts from his mind, and picked up a water cup, pretending to walk toward the kitchen.

It was now eleven in the morning, and Zhuo Xiao was busy inside.

Perhaps stimulated by yesterday’s events, Zhuo Xiao was cooking with extra care today. In the morning, he had made handmade rice balls for Yan Chengming. And now, Yan Chengming saw him handling a large piece of pork ribs, with beef and fish laid out beside him.

It looked like a feast was in the making.

Zhuo Xiao held a kitchen knife, his eyes fixed intently on the ribs, his expression solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Yan Chengming had originally intended to help, feeling that constantly observing Zhuo Xiao through the camera in the study was a bit too creepy. Observing should be done up close, immersing oneself in the moment.

But just as he cleared his throat and approached the kitchen, ready to say, “Honey, how about I help you?” he saw his gentle and lovely wife raise his arm, holding a gleaming, sharp kitchen knife high in the air. His gaze was cold and bloodthirsty, and even though he was only handling ribs, it gave off the unsettling vibe of dismembering a body.

Crack, the ribs split cleanly.

Yan Chengming felt a twinge of pain in his spine, instinctively taking a step back. He wondered if it was time to check the nooks and crannies of the house for a book titled One Hundred Ways to Kill Your Husband.

Zhuo Xiao chopped the ribs quickly. Before Yan Chengming could recover, he had already cut all the ribs into small pieces. Then, he let out a soft sigh, and his cold expression instantly softened, as if the bloody scene from moments ago had been an illusion.

Next, Zhuo Xiao picked up the seasoning bottles nearby. These seasonings were likely newly purchased and still sealed. Yan Chengming watched as Zhuo Xiao, who had once struggled to open a milk bottle, expressionlessly opened the jars.

One per second. Zhuo Xiao opened three jars and was just picking up the fourth when Yan Chengming couldn’t hold back any longer. He cleared his throat and took a step forward, pretending to pass by the kitchen with his water cup.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yan Chengming saw Zhuo Xiao pause at the sound, blinking at the bottle of cooking wine in his hand. Then, with quick steps in his slippers, Zhuo Xiao walked to the kitchen entrance and locked eyes with Yan Chengming.

The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Yan Chengming broke into a cold sweat, terrified that Zhuo Xiao had noticed his earlier spying.

In the midst of the tension, Zhuo Xiao spoke up. He handed the cooking wine bottle in his direction toward Yan Chengming and extended his other hand, looking pitiful as he said, “Honey, I can’t open this. Can you help me? Look, my palm is all red from trying.”

Yan Chengming glanced at his slightly reddened palm and thought to himself. Of course, it’s red. Even I’d get red palms from opening three jar lids barehanded.

But he didn’t point it out. Instead, he silently took the cooking wine bottle from Zhuo Xiao, twisted it open with ease, and handed it back.

Zhuo Xiao took the bottle, leaned in, and kissed the corner of Yan Chengming’s mouth. “Honey, you’re amazing. Thank you, darling.”

Yan Chengming could barely suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

In the afternoon, Yan Chengming pushed open the study door and paused at the sight of Zhuo Xiao.

In his line of sight, Zhuo Xiao was holding one of his documents, a slight frown on his face as he read intently. Zhuo Xiao was an art student, so logically, he shouldn’t understand company documents. Yet his gaze held a thoughtful look, as if he wasn’t completely lost.

Hearing him enter, Zhuo Xiao immediately looked up, closed the document in his hands, and placed it with the others on the desk. “Honey, I just came in to grab something and noticed your desk was a bit messy, so I thought I’d tidy it up. I hope I didn’t mess anything up?”

Yan Chengming walked over and glanced at the desk. “It’s fine. What were you looking at just now?”

“Oh, I was just curious. I’ve never seen company documents like these before, so I wanted to see what they looked like. I don’t understand any of it,” Zhuo Xiao said, blinking innocently. He then pinched Yan Chengming’s arm lightly. “Honey, you should get back to work. I won’t disturb you anymore.” With that, he pushed the door open and left.

After he was gone, Yan Chengming frowned and flipped through the documents on the desk. “He organized this quite well. It doesn’t seem like he doesn’t understand. Could it be that he worked as an assistant during a part-time job before?”

Muttering to himself, he picked up the document Zhuo Xiao had been reading. It had only arrived yesterday, and he hadn’t reviewed it thoroughly yet. As he opened it, the first few pages seemed normal enough. But when he reached a certain page, Yan Chengming read two lines, and his expression grew serious.

Five minutes later, Yan Chengming stood by the window, gazing at the scenery outside with a furrowed brow as he dialed Gu Yu’s number. “Yes, it’s the document you handed to me yesterday. I’ve found a significant issue…”

After explaining everything to Gu Yu, Yan Chengming hung up the phone, feeling utterly drained. It was as if he were splitting into two people—one struggling to manage the growing demands of his company, and the other meticulously navigating the treacherous waters of his marriage.

He rubbed his face, took a large gulp of coffee, and massaged his throbbing temples, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Based on his recent observations, Zhuo Xiao was indeed different from what he had imagined. Aside from the suspicious behavior of making secret phone calls, none of his other actions seemed to point toward infidelity.

He clearly ordered takeout but claimed to have cooked it himself. He could easily open jar lids barehanded, yet pretended to be weak and helpless, saying he couldn’t open them.

This slight difference did indeed surprise Yan Chengming a bit. Although he was displeased with Zhuo Xiao for using such a small trick on him, overall, it was acceptable. After all, Zhuo Xiao was a living, breathing person—unlike the master thieves in movies who would go to any lengths to deceive others, even fabricating their identity, name, age, and life story. Yan Chengming detested grand deceptions, but Zhuo Xiao’s harmless little act wasn’t quite deception; it was more like flirting… no, more like a touch of romance.

Was he overthinking it? Could it be that Zhuo Xiao wasn’t cheating? Yan Chengming wasn’t sure whether he should continue observing. Perhaps he should make another appointment with the neurology department to check if he was hallucinating.

Early the next morning, Yan Chengming turned on the surveillance footage as usual, though he held little hope. He no longer expected to find anything unusual or related to infidelity from Zhuo Xiao. It was just habit that made him click on it again.

Yan Chengming muttered to himself, “Let’s make today the last day. If nothing unusual happens, I’ll ask Zhuo Xiao about the phone call again tomorrow.”

On the screen, Zhuo Xiao was arranging flowers in a vase in the living room. For years, a vase of yellow roses had sat on their living room table. From the moment Yan Chengming first noticed it, the flowers had always been in full bloom, never wilting for three years—though recently, they had started to look a bit droopy.

Just as Yan Chengming thought Zhuo Xiao was taking the yellow roses out of the vase to change the water, Zhuo Xiao suddenly glanced at his phone and walked toward the door. When he returned, he was holding a fresh bouquet of cut flowers—delicate yellow roses, identical to the ones in the vase, only fresher.

Zhuo Xiao tossed the old, wilted yellow roses into the trash, then trimmed the stems, removed excess leaves and spent blooms from the fresh ones, placed them in the vase, and set it back on the living room table.

Yan Chengming: “…”

It suddenly occurred to him that when they had just established their arrangement and moved in together, he had once remarked while looking at the yellow roses that had suddenly appeared in the living room, “These flowers are quite pretty. It’d be nice if they could stay in bloom forever.”

So, because of that one offhand comment, Zhuo Xiao had been secretly replacing the cut flowers for three years? Just to ensure Yan Chengming would always see vibrant, blooming yellow roses.

Lost in thought, Yan Chengming heard a knock on his study door.

Zhuo Xiao pushed it open and peeked his head in. “Honey, I’m heading out to buy some groceries.”

“Alright,” Yan Chengming replied absentmindedly.

The first hour passed without anything seeming amiss.

By the second hour, Yan Chengming vaguely felt something was off. Hadn’t they just bought groceries two days ago? Their household usually bought enough for the entire week, and with no guests visiting recently, there was no way they could have eaten through the stock so quickly.

By the third hour, Yan Chengming finally realized something was wrong. What kind of grocery shopping took three hours? It wasn’t like they lived in the middle of nowhere—the supermarket was right nearby.

“Damn it!” Yan Chengming smacked his forehead, grabbed his car keys in a panic, hastily threw on a jacket, and rushed out without a second thought for his appearance.

Zhuo Xiao had actually ambushed him!

Taking advantage of his inattention and lowered guard to sneak off and meet some other man—this time, he was determined to find out exactly who this third wheel constantly clinging to his partner was!

Yan Chengming quickly started the car, but as his hands gripped the steering wheel, it suddenly dawned on him: he had no idea where Zhuo Xiao had gone.

His expression instantly turned grave, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel, cold sweat beading on his forehead. After a long moment, his phone chimed—a news notification. Yet it was this single alert that triggered a memory.

Pressing his lips together, he unlocked his phone and opened a vehicle tracking app recommended by the car manufacturer. Back when he bought the car, Yan Chengming had first discreetly learned Zhuo Xiao’s preferences before purchasing it himself, so the account logged into the app was Yan Chengming’s.

He had always considered the app useless, nothing more than a gimmick. Since installing it, he had never opened it once. He never imagined he would end up using it in such an ironic way today.

Yan Chengming saw that Zhuo Xiao’s car was located near a café in the city center—not near any supermarket at all!

He wiped his face and called up his phone’s built-in AI assistant. “Look up this restaurant for me.”

A pleasant female voice responded, “The restaurant you’re inquiring about is located in the Arts and Culture District of City A. It features an upscale, retro style with an artistic atmosphere and is a favorite among discerning coffee enthusiasts. It also enjoys high online visibility, with many young couples choosing to visit and share their experiences here…”

“Stop.”

Hearing the word “couples,” Yan Chengming’s heart twisted painfully, his eyes stinging. He tried to cut off the AI, but unfortunately, the built-in assistant wasn’t very intelligent and continued reciting the search results as if it hadn’t heard him.

Amid the ongoing narration, he sniffed discreetly, looked up at the sky, and forced himself to calm down. Then, pale-faced, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

The black Maybach vanished down the road.

Inside the café, soft music played in the background. Zhuo Xiao watched the man sitting across from him—dressed in a suit, wearing glasses, and intently flipping through a thick stack of documents with a serious demeanor.

Zhuo Xiao, however, was growing impatient. He glanced at his wristwatch, his lips pursed in displeasure, and broke the silence. “Attorney Yang, what do you think of this evidence? Is it enough to put Zhuo Anxiong away for life?”

Attorney Yang adjusted his glasses. “While this evidence appears substantial, it was obtained through private investigation. The legality of its sources is questionable and may not be accepted by the prosecution. It could be excluded as illegally obtained evidence. You should prepare yourself for that possibility… I can only help you assess the admissibility and weight of the evidence. This is a serious criminal case, and during the actual investigation and trial phases, it will primarily be led by judicial authorities.”

Zhuo Xiao clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Sensing his dissatisfaction, Attorney Yang added, “I will do my utmost to assist you. You must also trust in the power of our legal system.”

Zhuo Xiao’s expression softened briefly before he said, “Don’t tell anyone about our meeting today. Remember—you haven’t seen me, and you don’t know anyone named Zhuo Xiao.”

Attorney Yang smiled and nodded. “Of course, Mr. Zhuo. We legal professionals are always discreet.”

Zhuo Xiao said nothing more and waved over a server. “The item I left with you earlier—where is it?”

The server paused for a moment before replying, “Just a moment, sir. I’ll fetch it for you right away.”

After a while, the server approached, carrying a large plastic bag filled with colorful vegetables—vibrant bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli—a lively, festive assortment. In the other hand was a beautifully designed cream cake for two, clearly a high-end product.

Lawyer Yang watched silently as the rustic vegetable basket, completely at odds with the café’s chic, bourgeois ambiance, was presented. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he looked at Zhuo Xiao with newfound respect.

Zhuo Xiao nodded calmly, taking the plastic bag of vegetables and the cake from the server with an elegant poise, as if he were holding a high-end briefcase.

Yan Chengming sped along the road, his eyes darting between the windshield and his phone screen, where a small dot representing Zhuo Xiao’s car was displayed. He feared the dot might vanish before he arrived.

The journey, which should have taken forty minutes, was completed by Yan Chengming in just twenty-five. From across the street, he could see the café, its interior filled with overlapping silhouettes, making it impossible to discern whether Zhuo Xiao was inside.

In that moment, clinging to a final shred of hope, he ignored the location data on his screen and fantasized that Zhuo Xiao wasn’t there. But unfortunately, as Yan Chengming pulled into the nearest parking lot, he spotted Zhuo Xiao’s unmistakable car parked nearby, shattering all his illusions and revealing the harsh reality.

Yan Chengming’s normally robust complexion paled even further. He stood in front of Zhuo Xiao’s car for two seconds, then, like a robot programmed to react, suddenly snapped back to reality and strode toward the café.

About one and a half meters away from the café, Yan Chengming caught sight of Zhuo Xiao.

Dressed in a suit he would never wear at home, Zhuo Xiao sat with utmost solemnity across from a man who was also impeccably dressed in a suit, appearing refined and scholarly. His posture was elegant, his gaze toward the other man intensely focused, and his lips moved continuously, forming word after word. Yan Chengming wondered just how much Zhuo Xiao liked the man across from him to be so talkative.

Then, he saw Zhuo Xiao stand up and take something from a waiter—a large bag? Filled with food?

Was it just a prop he had to buy to deceive him?

Yan Chengming’s eyes reddened, but his feet seemed glued to the ground, unable to move. It was as if as long as he didn’t push open that glass door, the beautiful dream of their marriage wouldn’t shatter.

He was truly useless.

The thought even crossed his mind: “If I go back now and pretend nothing happened, will things go back to how they were before?”

At the same time, Zhuo Xiao, who was preparing to leave, paused, his footsteps halting.

He seemed to have spotted a familiar figure outside the window.