Beautiful Wife: The Cold Boss is My Husband - Chapter 6

Yan Chengming prided himself on being a rational person. In situations like this, he knew he had to stay calm. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and asked, “…Who are you?”

Chen Xi was about to answer when Zhuo Xiao shot him a warning glare. He quickly shut his mouth.

Zhuo Xiao rushed toward Yan Chengming in his slippers, moving so hastily that he stumbled on the perfectly flat floor only to fall neatly into Yan Chengming’s arms.

Yan Chengming’s mind was still seething with anger, but his body instinctively caught Zhuo Xiao. He thought he had hidden his emotions well, but every flicker of irritation was written plainly on his face, all of which Zhuo Xiao, sharp as ever, noticed immediately.

So Zhuo Xiao let out a pitiful whimper in his arms, “Husband, don’t misunderstand.”

As he spoke, his long lashes fluttered, and a single tear slid down his pale, fever-flushed cheek—looking utterly heartrending.

Yan Chengming’s head buzzed, his anger momentarily displaced by a surge of tenderness. His words tangled in his throat, unsure whether to demand answers or offer comfort.

He opened his mouth, only to let out a disjointed sound: “I—”

Zhuo Xiao didn’t give him a chance to speak. Clutching his sleeve with damp, pleading eyes, he pointed at Chen Xi and said, “Husband, there’s nothing between us. He’s just the driver I found for our family.”

Chen Xi: “…?”

So, when Zhuo Xiao had mentioned starting from the bottom, he meant as a driver? That was rock bottom.

Yan Chengming blinked. “A driver? Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve handled it.”

“But you like driving yourself,” Zhuo Xiao sniffled. “I was afraid you’d refuse and get upset. But then I remembered last night when I went to pick you up. It was pouring, and I was so weak I let you fall. I felt so guilty. Look, it still hasn’t healed… sob.”

Zhuo Xiao spoke in a mournful tone, reaching up to touch the wound on Yan Chengming’s temple. “You’re so busy with work. I didn’t want to distract you with something so small. I thought I’d handle it first and tell you once I found the right person. I never meant for this misunderstanding to happen.”

“I didn’t hide it from you on purpose.”

By the time Zhuo Xiao finished speaking, most of Yan Chengming’s anger had already dissipated. He was tough. He’d spent the whole day running around with his injury and hadn’t thought much of it. But now, with Zhuo Xiao’s cool fingers gently brushing against it, the pain seemed to flare up faintly.

Deeply moved, Yan Chengming thought, Ah, Zhuo Xiao really went through all this trouble for my sake.

He let out a heavy sigh, swallowing back all his reproaches.

Zhuo Xiao mistook the sigh for a bad sign and immediately looked up at him anxiously. After hesitating for a second, he pressed a hand to his forehead and leaned even more heavily into Yan Chengming’s embrace. “Husband, I—I still feel a little dizzy. Maybe the fever hasn’t fully gone. Could you help me to the room to rest?”

“Of course, of course. Just rest well. I’ll talk to him,” Yan Chengming said, wrapping an arm around Zhuo Xiao as he guided him toward the bedroom.

Having just averted a storm, Zhuo Xiao, now safely tucked under Yan Chengming’s protective hold, still managed to sneak a glare back at Chen Xi.

A silent warning not to say anything out of line.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi who had just been forced to witness an entire performance of sickeningly sweet marital affection remained frozen in shock, still struggling to process what had just happened.

“Damn it, why is his notoriously ruthless and cold-hearted uncle, known as the ‘Grim Reaper,’ acting like a delicate flower? And why is he crying pitifully in the arms of a man who doesn’t look particularly bright, with his collar half-open revealing ambiguous marks, exuding some kind of pure yet seductive charm?”

Did no one tell him his uncle came to City A to engage in this kind of business?

Chen Xi rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, feeling as if something in his mind had shattered.

Fifteen minutes later, the living room.

Yan Chengming, dressed in a sharp suit, sat on the sofa with his long legs crossed, scrutinizing the pretty boy in front of him with a stern expression from head to toe.

After a long silence, he finally spoke: “Where are you from?”

Chen Xi, trembling like a little chick, answered honestly, “City B.”

Yan Chengming wasn’t stupid. The things Zhuo Xiao had told him only proved that Zhuo Xiao wasn’t the problem but it didn’t clear this pretty boy of suspicion for trying to seduce his wife. Otherwise, why would he dress so provocatively? He’d never even dressed like that himself… No.

He scoffed, raising an eyebrow, his tone far from friendly. “Judging by your outfit, you seem well-off. Why would you apply for a job as a driver?”

Chen Xi gritted his teeth and improvised: “The diamond ear studs are fake. Five bucks for a whole pack of knockoffs. The suit is rented for fifty bucks, also a counterfeit. I thought I should dress formally for the interview to match your imposing presence as the employer, but I guess I overdid it. I’ll tone it down next time!”

Yan Chengming hadn’t expected him to have such refined taste, actually appreciating his handsomeness. He looked at Chen Xi with newfound respect. “Ahem… Well, if that’s how you feel, I suppose it’s fine. What’s your expected salary?”

Seeing his attitude soften, Chen Xi pressed on: “I’ll take whatever salary you offer.”

Unexpectedly, Yan Chengming’s lips thinned, his mood taking a sharp downturn. “Young man, don’t disrupt the market.”

Chen Xi winced. He hadn’t expected Yan Chengming to have such a strong sense of fairness. He let out a pitiful whine, trying to salvage the situation. “Sir, I’m truly desperate! I grew up in an orphanage, dropped out of school early, and without qualifications, it’s hard to find work. I saved up from odd jobs to get my driver’s license, that’s why I came to try my luck.”

His sob story reminded Yan Chengming of Zhuo Xiao. His similarly tragic background, growing up in the mountains with only his grandmother, who fell seriously ill, forcing Zhuo Xiao to work and study hard until he met Yan Chengming.

He remembered that rainy night when Zhuo Xiao rushed into his home, trembling in his arms, crying, “Brother Yan, Grandma’s condition has worsened. I don’t know what to do. You’re all I have now.”

Yan Chengming hadn’t planned on taking him in, but Zhuo Xiao was just so pitiable. He held him close and said, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Thinking of this, Yan Chengming’s heart softened a little, though he still hesitated. “Your face! Did you put something on it? Why is it so pale?”

Chen Xi’s mouth twitched. Gritting his teeth, he replied, “No, I didn’t. If you don’t like it, I can wear black foundation to work every day.”

This answer struck a chord with Yan Chengming. Pleased, he declared, “Good! Let’s sign the contract now!”

…

That night, Yan Chengming proudly brought a bowl of bird’s nest soup he had personally prepared to Zhuo Xiao. “Here, open up. Drink this, and you’ll feel better.”

After waking up, Zhuo Xiao was already feeling much better, but seeing Yan Chengming so pleased with himself, he obediently nodded and opened his mouth.

After swallowing a mouthful of the most disgustingly unpalatable bird’s nest soup, Zhuo Xiao’s pale face turned as white as a sheet. Suppressing the numbing sensation on his tongue, he said, “Honey, you’re the best.”

Yan Chengming was thrilled.

He was genuinely overjoyed. In the past, it had always been Zhuo Xiao taking care of him, while he lounged around like a pampered lord. Never did he imagine that now, with their roles reversed, he could actually do a pretty good job.

His wife, docile as a fluffy little kitten, let him do as he pleased. His vanity and sense of self-worth were satisfied like never before, and he even felt more motivated at work.

Seeing how much Zhuo Xiao seemed to “enjoy” the meal, Yan Chengming scooped two more spoonfuls of bird’s nest soup and fed them to him. By the time the bowl was empty, Yan Chengming looked at the barely conscious Zhuo Xiao with heartache and pulled the blanket over him.

With the air of a man who had accomplished a great deed, he left the room. The moment he was gone, Zhuo Xiao, who had been lying still as a fish on the bed, immediately turned grim-faced, covered his mouth, and bolted to the bathroom, followed by the sound of retching.

…

Auction House.

“Sir, this way, please.” The attendant held an invitation and gestured, leading the guest into a private booth.

Yan Chengming’s suit today was even more extravagant than usual, his slicked-back hair gleaming, his demeanor as flamboyant as a peacock, exuding an air of decadent luxury.

He was in high spirits, humming a tune.

Thanks to the presence of the pretty boy—no, now the dark-faced driver—Yan Chengming’s competitive spirit had been ignited. His outfits grew increasingly flamboyant, his custom-made perfumes changed daily, and at night, he made sure Zhuo Xiao experienced his charm firsthand. Their relationship had grown even stronger during this time.

Watching Yan Chengming bid on the eighth item, Gu Yu finally couldn’t hold back and reminded him, “Do you even have enough money? I heard your family froze your cards. Hao Tianlei hasn’t even shown up yet. Maybe tone it down a little?”

“No worries, my racing club brings in plenty too.” He’d even invested some of it in Yan Corp before. Yan Chengming snorted and called over his agent, whispering something in his ear.

The item Hao Tianlei had his eye on was an antique jade bracelet, a gift for his sister.

While waiting, Gu Yu brought up another topic: “About what you mentioned to me earlier. I’ve thought it over, and I’m willing to join you.”

“That’s fantastic.” Yan Chengming raised an eyebrow at him.

“Next up, we have an exquisite antique-grade jade bracelet… Starting bid, 3 million.”

The auctioneer’s introduction caught their attention. Soon, bidding began.

“Sir, the current bid is 8 million. What would you like to do?” The agent leaned in and whispered hesitantly to Hao Tianlei.

Hao Tianlei had expected to secure the bracelet for around 6 million, which would have been more than enough. But today, for some reason, someone kept outbidding him. At first, it was a normal back-and-forth, but then the other party started raising the bids drastically, pushing him to the brink. His competitive fire flared, and he gritted his teeth, raising the bid to 7.5 million, thinking the other side would back off at such a high price. To his shock, they countered with 8 million!

Hao Tianlei was now absolutely certain. Whoever was bidding against him was doing it deliberately to spite him.

Who could it be?

The only person he’d recently crossed was Yan Chengming. As the realization dawned on him, Hao Tianlei’s face darkened.

The agent on his side asked for his opinion, but he was truly in a tight spot. The bid had already reached this price, and he was in too deep to back out now. If he gave up at this point, the humiliation would be unbearable.

Gritting his teeth, he squeezed out the words from between them: “8.01 million.”

The agent placed the bid as instructed, fully expecting the other side to back off soon. After all, bidding too high risked getting stuck with an overpriced item, and the opponent’s goal was likely just to make him pay through the nose.

Yan Chengming heard the opponent’s stingy “8.01 million” and let out a muffled laugh through his nose before casually making a gesture.

The auctioneer on stage noticed and paused, raising a hand to announce, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve just received a special signal.”

As the auctioneer and the manager confirmed the details, the room fell silent before erupting into murmurs: “Lighting the Sky Lantern… The Yan family has such boldness, directly taking over the auction. No matter the price of that bracelet, he’s determined to have it!”

Inside the private booth, Yan Chengming hummed a tune as he signed the confirmation documents brought by the manager, his mind filled with images of Hao Tianlei fuming in frustration.

Heh, another chance to show off.

Gu Yu found it amusing. “Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective to drive up the price and make him buy it himself, taking a hidden loss?”

Yan Chengming glanced at him, flicked the check in his hand, and smirked. “That’s not my style~”

Unexpectedly, a while later, the manager returned with the check and said respectfully, “Mr. Yan, the payment for the jadeite bracelet you won has already been covered by someone else.”