Beautiful Wife: The Cold Boss is My Husband - Chapter 7

Yan Chengming was a bit bewildered. Seeing his confusion, the manager explained, “That person claimed to be your family.”

Family?

Could it be Yan Chenrui? Surely it couldn’t be his father, Yan Rong. But where would Yan Chenrui get the money? Could it be his secret stash?

Muttering to himself, Yan Chengming hesitated for a moment before taking out his phone and unblocking Yan Chenrui—the “do-gooder who leaves no name”—from his WeChat blacklist.

As he was leaving the auction house, Yan Chengming locked eyes with Hao Tianlei from a distance. The other man’s eyes were blazing with anger, his face turning green. Yan Chengming didn’t mind adding fuel to the fire. As they passed each other, he glanced sideways and said, “Want to grab a drink together next time?”

“You…” Hao Tianlei, provoked repeatedly, felt a vein throbbing on his forehead. He finally couldn’t hold back and was about to explode when a hand from behind tugged at him.

“What the ** are you doing?” A voice as sweet as birdsong and fragrant as flowers came from behind.

A short-haired girl, wearing a short skirt and a mink coat, her makeup impeccably done and carrying a small purse, slapped Hao Tianlei’s waist with a sharp swish. Hands on her hips, she pointed and scolded, “You spend all day at home studying Yan Chengming. I thought you had a crush on him! Seriously, what the ** did he ever do to you? If I hadn’t seen your computer chat logs, I ** wouldn’t have known you were trying to poach the star player from his team…”

Hao Tianlei’s face shifted through a range of expressions. He wanted to cover her mouth but didn’t dare. Completely overpowered by Hao Qingtong, he raised his voice and said, “He actually refused to marry you! Who does he think he is, daring to look down on you? You’ve only ever liked one guy in over twenty years, and this is how he treats you?”

“I already said I don’t like him!” Hao Qingtong was furious, swinging her small bag with a loud thump. “You ** have two eggs hanging under your eyebrows. All they do is blink, not see! Where the ** did you get such a ridiculous idea?”

As the two of them argued, Yan Chengming, who had been about to leave, retracted his steps and stood with Gu Yu to watch the show.

Watching them, Yan Chengming felt a bit dazed. “I remember her being so quiet before. How did she mutate like this?”

“Seems like she had some mental health issues, with severe somatic symptoms. Her family sent her off for cultivation,” Gu Yu replied, though he wasn’t entirely sure either.

Yan Chengming winced, his ears aching from the sound of the nearby telegraph. “Is this cultivation you’re talking about… legitimate cultivation?”

“Not sure,” Gu Yu said. “But look at her now, her mindset is so much better. No more internal struggles. Her mouth might be dirty, but her heart isn’t. It seems pretty legitimate.”

Over in the midst of the argument, Hao Tianlei couldn’t take it anymore. “If it wasn’t a love letter, then what was it? Can you just tell me?”

“It was a thank-you letter! A thank-you letter for stopping me from killing myself! Happy now?” Finally unable to hold back, Hao Qingtong blurted out the secret she had kept for years in a fit of self-abandonment.

Hao Tianlei froze, his gaze shifting to Yan Chengming.

Yan Chengming shrugged.

He still remembered that day. Bored by the physics teacher’s lecture, Yan Chengming had skipped class and climbed to the rooftop of the teaching building to get some fresh air and take a nap. There, he saw a girl in a school uniform standing at the edge of the rooftop, one leg already halfway over.

In the blink of an eye, he rushed to save her, scraping his knees and face in the process. As a result, the moment he returned home, Yan Rong punished him by making him kneel, accusing him of disobeying orders and getting into another fight.

Taking advantage of the butler’s carelessness, he sneaked out and spent the night reading comics in his friend’s dorm. The next day, his eyes were bloodshot and barely open. To stay alert, he brewed some Biluochun tea in his thermos.

After school, a girl with long black hair, wearing a blue-and-white school uniform from a neighboring school, stopped him. Her face was cold and sharp, her dark eyes both piercing and heavy, and she carried the faint scent of burnt talisman paper. Yan Chengming, yawning, felt a chill under her gaze and asked warily, “Can I help you?”

“Thank you for saving Qingtong, but stay away from her,” the girl said after a long pause, her eyes seeming almost psychic, making Yan Chengming deeply uncomfortable.

“Huh?” Yan Chengming was baffled, his face a canvas of confusion. When had he ever gotten close to Hao Qingtong? All he’d done was accept a thank-you letter and some snacks from her. A letter that half-requested, half-threatened him not to reveal her suicide attempt.

The girl paused, her gaze lingering on Yan Chengming’s facial features before shifting to the thermos in his hand. “Is that Biluochun you’re brewing?” she asked.

Yan Chengming, still confused and growing impatient, replied, “Yeah, so what?”

Her tone was indifferent. “Nothing. Just be careful. Right now, you’re brewing green tea, but one day, you might get played by a ‘green tea’ girl.”

With that, she left, her steps light and swift.

To this day, Yan Chengming still hasn’t figured out what she meant. He glanced at Gu Yu beside him and asked, “Do you get it?”

Gu Yu hesitated. “I…”

He might have understood, but he didn’t dare to admit it.

Yan Chengming waved a hand dismissively. “Forget it. We’re about the same intelligence level. If I don’t get it, you definitely don’t either.”

Over on the other side, the argument had ended. Both of them had red faces and teary eyes. Hao Tianlei was even choking up a little. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Hao Qingtong held back her tears and snapped, “If you knew, the whole family would’ve known! They’d have watched me like a prisoner even more.”

After some back-and-forth, Hao Tianlei pulled Hao Qingtong over and carefully phrased his words: “Brother Yan, I was wrong before. Please don’t hold it against me. Let me treat you to a meal, and we can call it even, okay?”

“Ah, no need~” Yan Chengming waved it off. He exchanged a look with Gu Yu, then immediately pulled out his phone. “No need for a meal. Here, I’ve got a business proposal you might be interested in. Let me send you a file.”

His tone was so natural that Hao Tianlei had already taken out his phone before he even realized what was happening.

…

Yan Chenrui had just finished a meeting and was about to drink some coffee to perk up when the office door swung open. Yan Chengming strode in as usual, leaving chaos in his wake, and tossed a document at him.

“What is it this time?” Yan Chenrui asked, rubbing his temples. He glanced at the content, paused, and pressed his lips together.

The title was printed in bold black letters: Resignation Letter.

Yan Chenrui looked up. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Yan Chengming raised an eyebrow. “Exactly what it says.”

Watching Yan Chenrui’s expression darken, and remembering the 8 million he owed him, Yan Chengming coughed and explained, “I originally wanted a subsidiary to execute that proposal, but then I thought if there’s any risk, the Yan Group would have to bear it too. So, I figured I might as well start my own company.”

“But my company isn’t entirely unrelated to Yan Corporation either. How about you provide me with some startup resources, and once I start making money, I’ll reinvest it back into Yan Corporation?” Yan Chengming noticed Yan Chenrui frowning, seemingly contemplating the feasibility of his proposal, and pressed further, “What do you think? Sounds like a good deal, right?”

Unfortunately, Yan Chenrui didn’t respond immediately. He slowly walked over to the desk, retrieved the proposal that had once been tossed into the trash, and flipped through it as he remarked, “If you have the money to start a company, you might as well invest it directly into Yan Corporation. That way, you won’t risk losing it all with your reckless ventures.”

“Didn’t I already invest before? It was completely useless.” Yan Chengming snorted. “Your new technology is like a bottomless pit. Any money thrown into it disappears without a trace. We need to find a sustainable way to generate income, that’s the only way to open up new revenue streams.”

“What if you fail?” Yan Chenrui paused thoughtfully before suddenly asking.

Yan Chengming chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ve set aside some funds. Enough for Yan Corporation to struggle on for a while if it’s on the brink of bankruptcy. And if things get really bad, I can always call in some favors.”

“Favors? What kind of favors? The kind from those spoiled, partying heirs you drink and fight with?” Yan Chenrui’s tone was cold but less sharp than before, his retort sounding more like a casual jab.

Yan Chengming clicked his tongue. “What does it matter what kind of favors they are? If I say they’re usable, they’re usable.”

In his mind, he was thinking of the favor he was owed by Hao Qingtong.

With their current relationship, the Hao siblings would undoubtedly do their best to help him with anything he asked. But relying solely on them would hardly sway the business decisions of the older generation. If Hao Qingtong were to reveal that Yan Chengming had saved her, it might move the Hao family elders. However, she didn’t want her family to know about her past suicide attempt, and Yan Chengming had no intention of reopening old wounds.

So, unless it was a matter of life and death, he couldn’t bring himself to ask for their help.

Yan Chenrui let out a cold humph, reluctantly agreeing with Yan Chengming’s idea. With a wave of his hand, he signed Yan Chengming’s resignation letter. “Get out.”

Back in his car in the company parking lot, Yan Chengming hesitated for a moment before pulling up Yan Chenrui’s WeChat and, for the first time ever, sent a few words.

[Yan Chengming: What about Dad?]

[Yan Chenrui: You can’t accomplish anything if you’re too cautious.]

The ever-diligent Yan Chenrui replied instantly, his words as sharp as ever. Yan Chengming could almost picture him frowning as he typed.

Yan Chengming raised an eyebrow.

[Yan Chengming: I didn’t think you knew that saying.]

[Yan Chenrui: .]

[Yan Chenrui: Just keep me blocked.]

Yan Chengming was taken aback. So, Yan Chenrui had tried to message him before.

…

After a long day of running around, Yan Chengming pushed open the door to his home, covered in dust and exhaustion, and was startled the moment he stepped inside.

Zhuo Xiao was standing by the door, wearing an apron, but it was clear that the clothes underneath were carefully coordinated. A soft apricot-colored thin sweater and light brown loungewear, simple and comfortable in design, from a limited edition of a luxury brand.

Yan Chengming barely recognized it and suspected it was something Zhuo Xiao had recently bought. After a moment of surprise, he walked in, sniffed the air, and noticed that the scent in the room was fresher than yesterday, and the space was even tidier.

“Honey, did you clean up?” Yan Chengming’s eyes swept over Zhuo Xiao’s smooth, neatly styled hair and the smiling expression on his face. He couldn’t help but feel that Zhuo Xiao didn’t look like someone who had spent the day cleaning. There was no trace of fatigue, only an inexplicable radiance.

Instead, the dark-faced driver he had seen before entering the house had a dazed, almost soul-departed expression, with uneven black foundation on his face and a few streaks of it trickling down his neck with sweat.

Just as Yan Chengming was muttering to himself, Zhuo Xiao let out a soft hum. Instantly, Yan Chengming stopped overthinking and, with a heart full of affection, gently stroked Zhuo Xiao’s cheek as he asked, “Are you tired?”

“Not at all,” Zhuo Xiao shook his head, then took Yan Chengming’s arm and led him to the dining room, seating him at the table. “Honey, you’ve worked hard. I made something delicious for you.”

Click.

As he spoke, Zhuo Xiao casually switched off the light, plunging the room into darkness.

The familiar table at home had taken on a new, elegant look. A gray tablecloth and carefully arranged silver plates were adorned with fragrant, vibrant roses. In a glass lantern, a candle flickered with a warm, golden glow, casting the meticulously cooked steak on the plate into an amber hue that stirred the appetite. Silver cutlery gleamed coldly…

Yan Chengming swallowed hard.

Another click followed as Zhuo Xiao deftly uncorked a bottle of red wine. The enticing ruby liquid slid down the transparent glass, splashing into the bottom with a pleasant yet ominous sound.

Yan Chengming’s legs began to tremble.

Zhuo Xiao held the wine glass, leaning slightly forward to offer it. Almost immediately, Yan Chengming felt a light pressure on his shoulder—gentle, yet overwhelmingly oppressive.

“Thank you, dear,” he forced himself to stay calm as he took the glass, his mind racing.

Zhuo Xiao sat across from him. Noticing Yan Chengming’s hesitation, a trace of confusion crossed his beautiful face. “Honey, don’t you like it? Is it not to your taste? Why aren’t you eating?”

Prompted by his words, Yan Chengming nervously picked up the knife and fork.

The cold touch of the cutlery helped him regain a bit of composure. Trembling, he met Zhuo Xiao’s ambiguous, watery gaze and cautiously asked after a moment’s hesitation, “Honey, is today a special occasion?”

He hadn’t prepared anything at all…

He was totally screwed!!!