Beautiful Wife: The Cold Boss is My Husband - Chapter 27

Perhaps it was the sight of the child sleeping peacefully after she sobered up, but in Du Ruo’s conflicted heart, maternal instinct temporarily prevailed. She stopped going out as often and began spending time with Yan Chengming.

But Yan Rong remained uneasy. Worried that Du Ruo might relapse into old habits, he hired a team of bodyguards to surround the villa, leaving no gaps. Whenever Du Ruo glanced out the window, she could see the guards below staring up with stern, watchful eyes.

Not only that, Yan Rong also disposed of all the alcohol in the house and the “revealing” clothes in Du Ruo’s wardrobe, replacing them with a new collection of “appropriate” attire that matched her status.

For a while, Du Ruo behaved quite obediently.

Yan Chenrui’s position in the family was rather awkward. Though he was the true native of the Yan household, the family’s restructuring made him feel like an outsider, obediently standing in Yan Rong’s shadow.

After shifting her attention back to the family, Du Ruo finally noticed this dynamic and began intentionally encouraging Yan Chengming and Yan Chenrui to play together.

She brought out a photo album from a trip abroad long ago and let the two of them flip through it.

In the playroom, the young boy and the child sat side by side, Yan Chengming’s head resting against Yan Chenrui’s elbow, his eyes wide with curiosity. Pointing at a photo in the album, he exclaimed, “Tall tower!”

Yan Chenrui nodded and said, “That’s the Achiata Tower in M Country.”

Du Ruo brought over the homemade popsicles the nanny had made that morning—one green and one red. The green one was kiwi-flavored, while the red one was strawberry.

Yan Chengming eagerly reached for the green one, but Du Ruo paused, pulling it back and handing him the red one instead. Softly coaxing him, she said, “Be good, Xiao Ming. Your brother likes kiwi flavor, and don’t you love strawberry too? How about having the strawberry one?”

Yan Chengming thought for a moment—strawberry was indeed delicious—and stretched out his chubby hand to take it.

Yan Chenrui felt a bit awkward as he looked at the kiwi popsicle before him. Rarely had anyone in this family paid attention to his preferences. He hesitated.

Du Ruo gently pushed the popsicle toward him and said, “It’s alright. I’ll ask the nanny to make more of this flavor for your brother this afternoon.”

Yan Chenrui hesitated for a moment before accepting it.

After spending time together like this for a while, Yan Chengming and Yan Chenrui, who had once been complete strangers, could now hold conversations and began to resemble brothers. Yan Chenrui no longer felt like an invisible presence in the household.

Yan Rong, convinced that his methods of restricting Du Ruo’s freedom were working, felt gratified to see her gradually embodying the role of a mother. One evening at the dinner table, he announced, “There’s a ball in a week that requires the entire family to attend.”

Du Ruo finally regained some freedom to go out, and she was overjoyed. However, after searching through her entire wardrobe, she couldn’t find a single gown that satisfied her. Just as she secretly contacted a tailor to have a custom gown made, Yan Rong sent her a box.

Inside was an expensive haute couture gown.

But… with its long sleeves, floor-length skirt, and high collar reaching her throat, what was meant to be an elegant dress felt to Du Ruo like an instrument of torture, imprisoning her soul.

All she had to do was stand beside Yan Rong, erase all traces of her individuality, and wear a standardized, dignified smile—fitting the image of a virtuous woman standing behind a successful man.

The ballroom was resplendent and magnificent, gleaming with brilliant light everywhere. Du Ruo hadn’t set foot in such a place for a long time. Though her outward appearance was casually controlled by others, her untouched heart trembled suddenly.

She smiled warmly, greeting guests and exchanging cheek kisses just as she had years ago before her marriage, only to be secretly glared at by Yan Rong.

While Yan Rong chatted with partners, accompanied by Yan Chenrui, Du Ruo held Yan Chengming’s hand and fetched him a small cake from the table.

“You are… Laura? Long-time no see.”

Du Ruo looked up and saw a familiar face—a tall, handsome foreign man named Maurice, a mix of French and British heritage. During her studies in France, the two had shared a beautiful romance.

She suddenly felt somewhat flustered, tugging uncomfortably at her evening gown as she replied nervously, “Yes… Maurice, long time no see.”

Maurice was as enthusiastic as ever, lavishing praise on Du Ruo, who had long lost her confidence: “You’re still as beautiful as before, like the most gorgeous clouds on the horizon… Oh, is this your child? He’s adorable too, like a little elf.”

The man reached out to touch Yan Chengming’s face, accompanied by a wave of strong perfume. Yan Chengming frowned, tightened his grip on Du Ruo’s hand, took a step back, and hid behind her.

Not tall enough, he didn’t see his mother’s expression at that moment.

“Ah… really?” Du Ruo gazed at the enthusiastic man, her eyes lingering.

Maurice and Du Ruo were cut from the same cloth. Raised in a romantic and free cultural atmosphere, he stood in stark contrast to the traditional, rigid, and controlling Yan Rong.

During their courtship, Du Ruo naturally saw everything about Yan Rong as perfect: his traditional rigidity was orderly and responsible, and his inadvertently revealed controlling tendencies were signs of care.

But once both shed their filters, engaging in fierce arguments with their ugliest faces, and tumbling through irreconcilable conflicts, even their virtues turned into flaws.

Perhaps sensing a slight loosening in Yan Rong’s control over her attitude, and with her body at home but her heart already flying away, Du Ruo couldn’t resist cautiously beginning to test the waters.

At the breakfast table, she casually mentioned, “The weather is nice today. I thought I’d take Xiao Ming to the park later.”

Yan Rong paused mid-bite and said, “Alright.”

Thus, under the pretext of helping Yan Chengming connect with nature, Du Ruo began regularly going on dates.

To the park, cafes, children’s playgrounds… anywhere was better than the suffocating home.

At an age when he understood nothing, Yan Chengming sat in a pile of building blocks at the children’s playground, coaxed by a staff member to play games with other kids. Suddenly looking up, he saw Du Ruo and Maurice kissing under a tree.

He didn’t know what it meant, but it made him uncomfortable. He burst into tears, prompting another staff member to come over, hold him, and comfort him. When nothing worked, they called for Du Ruo.

Uncertain how many times it had been, Du Ruo once again said at the dining table, “I plan to take Xiao Ming today to…”

As soon as Yan Chengming heard this opening, he knew what would follow. His long-standing resistance finally erupted, and he couldn’t help but shout, “I don’t want to go!”

Du Ruo’s face instantly changed, inexplicably tense as she replied weakly, “Why don’t you want to go? Didn’t you have fun? You love Shuang Shuang, the sister at the children’s playground, the most…”

Yan Rong keenly sensed something was amiss. Gripping Yan Chengming’s shoulders, his gaze unconsciously turned piercing, his tone severe: “Mingming, why don’t you want to go? Explain clearly.”

Yan Chengming was frightened by his tone and gloomy expression, wiping away tears as he spoke: “I don’t like that uncle…”

Yan Rong instantly understood what was happening. He stood up abruptly, demanding: “Uncle? What uncle? Du Ruo, you explain this to me clearly!”

Du Ruo’s face turned pale, stammering incoherently.

Yan Rong came over and grabbed her arm, using immense force. Soon, red marks circled her arm. Du Ruo already anticipated what he was about to do, screaming and struggling, trying to fight back, but was met with Yan Rong’s cold glare.

“You’ve already let him witness such a filthy scene. Do you want him to see his parents fighting too?”

His words turned Du Ruo’s face deathly pale. Her beautiful dream shattered abruptly. Only then did she realize what she had truly done wrong. She went limp, collapsing onto the floor, covering her face: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Yan Rong dragged her into the bedroom, and soon the sound of handcuffs came from inside.

Du Ruo thought this was punishment, so she didn’t struggle. She believed that after some time, Yan Rong would release her—she wouldn’t be locked in the bedroom forever.

But three days, a week, a month passed… Yan Rong showed no signs of relenting. Her world shrank from the vast Earth to Country C, City A, a villa… a single bedroom.

Her wings were clipped, her stage stripped away. The world was so large, yet she was trapped in a tiny corner.

She began a hunger strike, a silent protest, which thoroughly enraged Yan Rong.

“Starve then! I don’t believe you’ll refuse to eat even when you’re starving to death!”

In the middle of the night, Yan Chengming cautiously opened his eyes. He carefully sat up, then pushed open the door, his round eyes attentively observing the surroundings.

Confirming no one was around, Yan Chengming tiptoed to the kitchen. Just as he was about to push the door open, a shadow startled him.

He swallowed hard, trembling as he turned around, only to find it was Yan Chenrui. He immediately relaxed.

He took a step forward, clutching Yan Chenrui’s sleeve, whispering in a hushed tone: “I’m bringing food to Mom. Will you help me?”

Yan Chenrui looked down at him, his eyes complex. He glanced toward Yan Rong’s bedroom direction and slowly shook his head.

“Alright.” Yan Chengming was a bit disappointed.

Alone in the kitchen, he stealthily scooped some leftovers into a bowl—a bit of each dish, then some rice. Afterward, he tidied up, disguising it as untouched.

As he left, he saw Yan Chenrui still there and whispered again: “Brother, don’t tell Dad, okay?”

Yan Chenrui nodded.

So Yan Chengming, holding the bowl with his short legs, pushed open Du Ruo’s bedroom door like a cat. Yan Rong had handcuffed her; she couldn’t even leave the bed, so there was no need to lock the door.

The curtains in the bedroom were drawn tightly, not a sliver of light penetrating. The moment Yan Chengming pushed the door open, a dusty light spilled in, illuminating Du Ruo’s haggard face.

She was even thinner than when she danced. Before, though slim, her fair skin and vibrant spirit had made her appear healthy. Now, her thinness was utterly lifeless. It was unclear how many times she had cried—her face was wrinkled, her eyes dull and vacant.

Even the sound of Yan Chengming entering didn’t snap her out of it.

Yan Chengming cautiously approached and called out softly, “Mom.”

Du Ruo finally reacted.

She glanced at Yan Chengming, her eyes suddenly blinking as tears fell from her already dried-up pupils. It had been a long time since she had seen Yan Chengming. Yan Rong not only kept her locked up but also prevented her from seeing the child.

She had never had the chance to apologize to Yan Chengming.

Covering her mouth with one hand while crying, her voice hoarse, she said, “Xiao Ming, I’m sorry! Mom is so sorry… I didn’t know, I understood nothing. I regret it so much… Why did things end up like this?”

Yan Chengming didn’t understand. He simply held out the bowl in his hands to Du Ruo. “Mom, eat.”

Du Ruo sniffled and took it. She hadn’t eaten in a long time. After wolfing down the food, she finally regained some strength. She pulled Yan Chengming closer and asked, “Xiao Ming, do you want to stay with Mom or Dad?”

Yan Chengming was taken aback by her question and didn’t know how to answer.

Thinking he was hesitating, Du Ruo whispered gently, “Xiao Ming, come with Mom, okay? Mom will take you to see the mountains and lakes from the photo album.”

Yan Chengming’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Du Ruo nodded. “Really, but you have to help Mom get out.”

She knew Yan Rong kept all his important things in the study, including the key to the handcuffs.

After hearing her plan, Yan Chengming asked, “Mom, will you really come back for me?”

Du Ruo replied with utmost seriousness, “Really. Mom loves you the most. How could I lie to you? I’m not sure if there will be bodyguards at that time. I’ll go out first to check. Don’t come out, or if your dad catches you, he’ll punish you.”

Yan Chengming asked, “What if you get caught, Mom?”

Du Ruo paused, her expression sorrowful. “It’s fine. Even if he catches me and brings me back, it’ll be the same as now. At most, he’ll beat me. He can’t kill me.”

Yan Chengming didn’t understand. “Mom, what is death?”

Du Ruo glanced at the sky outside and didn’t explain. Instead, she handed the bowl back to Yan Chengming. “Be good, Xiao Ming. Go back now. Don’t let your dad find out you came here.”

As Yan Chengming carried the bowl out, he noticed Yan Chenrui was still outside, his eyes shifting as if observing the surroundings.

Yan Chengming whispered, “Brother, are you keeping watch for me?”

Yan Chenrui, caught off guard, nodded somewhat awkwardly.

Yan Chengming happily went into the kitchen to wash the bowl. He turned the water on low, trying not to make any noise. After putting everything back in its place, he let out a sigh of relief and bid farewell to Yan Chenrui.

“Brother, I’m going back now. You should go to sleep too.”

Yan Chenrui nodded but didn’t move immediately. He went back into the kitchen to check again, wiping the water stains around the sink with a tissue and conducting a second inspection.

Quietly closing the kitchen door, he turned to leave. Just as the tension in his mind began to ease, he was called to a halt.

Yan Rong stood behind him, his voice low and imposing. “What are you doing here? Did you bring her food?”

Yan Chenrui turned around with an expressionless face, meeting Yan Rong’s gaze. He could have easily made up an excuse, but under the piercing stare of Yan Rong—the only person in this household he could fully trust—his tongue seemed to knot.

After a long pause, he finally said, “It wasn’t me.”

“Not you? Then was it your brother?” Yan Rong, a self-made businessman, quickly grasped the key point.

“No…” Yan Chenrui’s voice sounded weak and pale.

Yan Rong stared at him coldly. “Then who was it? A ghost?”

The next day, Yan Chengming was punished by being forbidden to eat breakfast and made to stand as punishment. In Yan Rong’s words, since he had given his food to her, he didn’t need to eat anymore.

Yan Chengming felt it was terribly unfair. “Why? You’re a bad person!”

His expression when he shouted and cried was strikingly similar to Du Ruo’s. In an instant, all the unpleasant memories surged into Yan Rong’s mind. Furious, he snapped, “Why are you so disobedient now? Just like your mother!”

As a result, Yan Chengming’s punishment time was extended by another half hour.

Yan Chengming watched Yan Chenrui pass by with his head lowered, clutching his homework notebook, and glared at him with hatred. “Liar! You’re a liar!”

Yan Chenrui pressed his lips together, his face pale as he looked at him. He desperately wanted to explain—that he had been caught by Yan Rong, that it wasn’t intentional—but it was indeed his flawed “confession” that had led to this situation. If only he had been smarter, none of this would have happened.

So, he said nothing and silently walked away.

Yan Rong’s surveillance over Du Ruo became even more extreme, but Yan Chengming never forgot his “mission.” About a year later, he finally seized the opportunity when Yan Rong let his guard down and sneaked into the study.

He rummaged around until, beneath a vase, he found what appeared to be the key to the handcuffs. With sweaty palms, he clutched the cold, fate-deciding object and pushed open the door to Du Ruo’s bedroom.

Du Ruo had spent the past year in a daze, barely resembling a human being. She wept bitterly as she watched Yan Chengming rush in to unlock her handcuffs.

Yan Chengming said, “Mom, hurry. I’ll wait for you in the bedroom.”

Du Ruo immediately jumped off the bed, her legs so unsteady that she stumbled and fell to the floor. Having spent most of her time sitting on the bed, her leg muscles had atrophied, and her once graceful dancer’s legs were now useless.

With great effort, she struggled to her feet and staggered out of the room.

Yan Chengming watched her retreating figure before cautiously returning to his bedroom. With a sense of ceremony, he pulled the covers over himself and pretended to sleep, waiting for his mother to come and take him away.

The wait felt unbearably long. Having stayed up late searching for the key at the right time, Yan Chengming fell into a deep sleep within minutes, his breathing steady and even.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but suddenly, the downstairs area grew noisy. All the lights turned on, and Yan Rong’s furious voice echoed through the house as all the bodyguards sprang into action.

In front of a black car parked outside the villa, Maurice desperately tried to pull Du Ruo into the vehicle. But Du Ruo, tears streaming down her face, looked back and cried, “Xiao Ming, I have to go back for Xiao Ming…”

Maurice, seeing the bodyguards closing in, shouted, “If you go back now, you’ll never get out! Who knew the bodyguards would react so quickly? Listen to me, come with me now. Leave the child with him!”

Du Ruo hesitated.

Gritting his teeth, Maurice insisted, “Your child will have a better life with him! A stable home! You have to think about what’s best for him!”

Du Ruo blinked her teary eyes, frozen for a moment. In that instant, Maurice pulled her into the car and swiftly started the engine.

From Yan Chengming’s room, he could see the street below. He watched his mother get into the black car, which sped away, followed closely by the bodyguards chasing after it in another vehicle.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. His mother left him like a shooting star, never to be seen again.

A tear rolled down Yan Chengming’s cheek. “Mom…”

Didn’t you promise to come for me?

Mom, you’re a liar.

Although everyone who could be considered Yan Chengming’s friend knew that he “hated being lied to, and lying to him would lead to serious consequences,” no one knew the reason. Only his family knew—even Wang Lang didn’t.

During his teenage years, Yan Chengming resented his mother, blaming her for lying to him. Why did she abandon him so easily? He even began to wonder if she had done it on purpose. If she had promised to pick him up just to placate him, so he would help fetch the keys. Even the slightest mention of his mother in front of him was enough to sting his sensitive heart and make him explode.

But as he grew older and time passed, the resentment and hatred of the past gradually faded. What remained were the gentleness and companionship his mother had given him. After all, he had seen her locked away, reduced to a state that was neither human nor ghost.

Even if she had made mistakes, he couldn’t bring himself to blame her.

He even restrained himself from seeking news of her, afraid that if he found any trace, his mother would be discovered by Yan Rong again. She should live and die with freedom, her body decaying in the embrace of liberty, not locked away in a tiny bedroom, her selfhood extinguished, molded into a fixed shape.

All he could do was pour all his strength into despising and hating the act of deception itself.

Deception meant abandonment, mockery, and exploitation.

Especially a profound deception—in Yan Chengming’s eyes, it was a death sentence.