Mysterious Beautiful Wife at Home (GL) - Chapter 04

Bayin Road, running north-south, served as the central axis of Liuli City and its most bustling thoroughfare. To the east stood government buildings, while the west was lined with commercial offices. The tallest structure was the landmark of the Chi Shang Group, dominating the skyline, yet flanked by the twin towers of the Xiao Group.

Chi Nian’s destination was the hidden gem of Bayin Road, Dian Apartments. Far from luxurious, these mid-to-high-end apartments were
mostly occupied by white-collar professionals. Under Chi Nian’s guidance, Zhang Yuning rode into the complex unnoticed before dawn.
Chi Nian used fingerprint recognition to enter, as if everything had been prearranged.

The apartment was on the 68th floor. Standing in the elevator, Zhang Yuning glanced uneasily at the surveillance camera. Wouldn’t
this expose their whereabouts? Wasn’t she afraid the Chi family would track them down?

“What are you worried about?” Chi Nian noticed her caution.

“We’re practically under Chi Jing’s nose.”

“So what?”

“The most dangerous place is the safest?” Zhang Yuning didn’t understand her strategy. After finally escaping, shouldn’t they be
carefully avoiding Chi Jing while planning a counterattack?

Chi Nian was far from simple. Her every move made Zhang Yuning suspect that the naive, cheerful heiress was merely a facade for the
world.

The power struggles of wealthy families ran deep. With only shares and no connections, how could Chi Nian compete with the old-
guard shareholders led by Chi Jing?

Chi Nian didn’t answer, yawning sleepily instead. The elevator dinged, and they stepped out into a private, standalone unit.
Normally, this building should have two units per floor; decent for the city center, but hardly fitting for someone of Chi Nian’s
status.

But when Chi Nian opened the door, Zhang Yuning realized how limited her perspective had been. The two units had been merged into
one, transforming the entire floor into a luxurious open-concept space. The eastern wall was entirely glass, offering an
unobstructed view of the city’s skyline. From this vantage point, they could see past the surrounding skyscrapers, directly facing
the headquarters of the Chi Shang and Xiao Groups.

There was no balcony, every corner offered a view. In front of the glass wall stood an astronomical telescope and a long-lens
camera. The entire home was voice-controlled, and a workstation was set up by the window, fully equipped with computers, laptops,
projectors, and even a robotic assistant.

Zhang Yuning noticed the clear division between the east and west sections. The east served as the workspace, while the west was
the living area. The layout—two bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen—was well-defined, separated by sliding
doors like two parallel worlds: one a battleground of power and ambition, the other a haven of ordinary life.

“I’m going to sleep. Wake me at 7 for breakfast,” Chi Nian said before disappearing into the master bedroom.

“I’m a bodyguard, not a house—” The door shut before Zhang Yuning could finish. No chance to refuse not that she really could.

She wasn’t a housekeeper. Was she really expected to handle daily chores on top of security? Cooking? She could do it, but cooking
for someone else? That was a first.

This place must have been prepared in advance. Did Chi Nian plan this all along? Zhang Yuning found her very strange, completely
clueless about what would happen next. If Chi Nian were to reclaim her family’s business in the future, it would be a tremendous
boon for the third young miss. Should she inform her patron about this plan?

There was no need to rush, there were still three months left. She needed to thoroughly investigate the doubts in her mind.

Lost in thought, Zhang Yuning walked to the kitchen. The double-door fridge was stocked with fresh ingredients, everything arranged
ahead of time. Wasn’t she supposed to be confined? How could there just happen to be such a fully prepared house? It wasn’t strange
for Chi Nian to own property, but under the dual threats of a car accident and house arrest, how could she so effortlessly move
into a place where everything was ready?

Having stayed up all night, Zhang Yuning was feeling drowsy. The open kitchen’s bar counter had a coffee machine, so she made
herself an Americano. Walking to the floor-to-ceiling window, she noticed the faint glow of dawn in the east, the sun not yet
risen, tinged with a subtle red hue as if night were desperately holding back the day.

Rubbing her tired eyes, she began reviewing everything that had happened the night before.

Zhang Yuning ran a small clinic, treating only minor ailments like colds, fevers, and allergies. With minimal investment, she
managed it herself, employing just one nurse. She was rather casual, often skipping work on a whim, leaving the nurse to handle
prescriptions alone.

After seeing the news that day, she had decided to sneak into the Chi family’s properties at night. Zhang Yuning had scouted five
of their mansions, only to discover that Chi Jing’s residences were transient, each housing different women nothing particularly
useful.

It wasn’t until she reached the research facility that things took a turn. When she fainted, she hadn’t been struck hard. It must
have been the drugs.

When had she been drugged? Whatever it was had made her, a woman of strong will, lose control and end up in bed with Chi Nian.

Afterward, they had worked together to find an escape route. The whole process had gone smoothly; no obstacles, no alarms, no
pursuers. It was all too smooth, making Zhang Yuning suspect it might have been staged by Chi Nian herself. She even questioned the
authenticity of the car crash.

This Chi Nian before her was truly suspicious.

With these doubts in mind, Zhang Yuning casually prepared some breakfast. There was still half an hour until seven, and her
curiosity got the better of her. She walked to Chi Nian’s bedroom door.

Hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand to knock but stopped. Instead, she turned the doorknob gently; it wasn’t locked. The
room was dark, curtains drawn, with only the faint glow of a small nightlight plugged in near the foot of the bed, casting a warm
yellow hue.

The room was sparsely furnished, just a king-sized bed and a wardrobe. The minimalist decor made the soft light from the nightlight
add a touch of warmth.

Tiptoeing to the bedside, Zhang Yuning saw Chi Nian lying on her right side, her bag beside the pillow, her left hand gripping the
strap even in sleep—a posture of vigilance. That bag had never left her hand, from the secret room to here. Even if it were a
limited-edition global exclusive, for someone as wealthy as Chi Nian, it wouldn’t be a big deal, right? Unless there was something
important inside?

Chi Nian’s sleeping face was beautiful, though her brows were furrowed, as if she were in a state of high tension. Zhang Yuning
recalled examining the car crash victim. Chi Nian had suffered a head injury. Given the trauma, surgery would have been necessary,
leaving scars. Even with cosmetic procedures, traces should still be visible based on the timing of the accident and recovery.

She seemed to be sleeping deeply. Just be careful. If caught, I’ll say I came to wake her up.

With that thought, Zhang Yuning moved to the inner side of the bed, crouched down, and gazed at that sleeping face. Her heart
wavered slightly, but she still proceeded. Chi Nian’s hair partially covered her face, so Zhang Yuning leaned in slowly, gently
brushing the strands aside with her fingers. She remembered the wound was above the temple, so she lightly traced her fingertip
through the hair, searching for any trace of a scar.

Nothing. There really was nothing. This didn’t make sense. She hadn’t mistaken the person in the car accident, it was definitely
Chi Nian. And as someone with some medical knowledge, she couldn’t have misremembered the location of such a noticeable injury.

Was this Chi Nian really Chi Nian? If not, how could she be in the Chi family’s mansion? If not, where did she get the money for
such a grand house? But then, where was the scar from the accident?

A series of questions only deepened Zhang Yuning’s confusion. It was like stumbling into fog within fog.

Afraid of waking Chi Nian and finding no trace of the old scar, she reluctantly withdrew her hand.

At that moment, Chi Nian’s previously furrowed brows relaxed. Her bare arms lay exposed outside the covers. Zhang Yuning stood up,
preparing to leave quietly, but the room felt chilly. Worried Chi Nian might catch a cold, she couldn’t resist bending down to pull
the thin blanket up over her.

However, Chi Nian had one arm tucked under the blanket and the other tightly gripping a bag strap, making it impossible to adjust
the covers. Zhang Yuning tried lifting her hand to tuck it in, but suddenly Chi Nian’s eyes snapped open, glaring at her.

“What are you doing?” Chi Nian’s voice was icy, her sharp gaze piercing enough to cut through flesh.

Zhang Yuning had just touched the hand holding the bag. Seeing the hostility, she quickly let go and offered a pale excuse: “I came
to call you for breakfast.”

“Is it time yet?”

“Almost.”

“I said seven o’clock means seven o’clock. No need to come early.” Chi Nian spoke sternly, her vigilance heightened perhaps overly
sensitive about the bag. She remained lying on her side, unmoving, only pressing the bag tighter against herself.

Zhang Yuning had only meant to show concern, but the sharp rebuke left her feeling indignant. She didn’t bother arguing and simply
turned to leave.

“Stop.”

Zhang Yuning halted but didn’t turn around.

“You still haven’t answered what you were trying to do just now.”

Zhang Yuning’s face paled instantly, but she turned back slowly, her tone defiant. “What was I doing? Stealing your precious bag,
or coveting your beauty?”

Chi Nian sat up, the blanket slipping down. She had been sleeping naked, without a stitch of clothing.
Zhang Yuning felt her eyelid twitch involuntarily, her heart pounding wildly as memories of their intimate embrace flooded back.

How they had pressed so close there wasn’t even a sliver of space between them, clinging tightly as if trying to meld into one.
Her thoughts were spiraling into chaos again. Zhang Yuning averted her gaze, refusing to look, but then Chi Nian’s tone turned
teasing:

“The latter is fine. The former isn’t.”

“Not interested.” Zhang Yuning felt irritated and was about to leave.

“You weren’t like this last night.”

Chi Nian’s voice had shifted back to its usual lightness, laced with amusement, effortlessly teasing her.

“A momentary impulse driven by drugs. Did Miss Chi actually take it seriously?” Zhang Yuning countered sharply.

“You can pretend it never happened?”

“I can. Can you?” Zhang Yuning turned to face her directly, her voice cold and indifferent.

Chi Nian indeed fell silent. She didn’t speak, the dim light unable to illuminate the expression on her face. After a moment, she
leaned back against the headboard and looked up with a faint smile: “No.”

“I promised to be your bodyguard for three months, and I won’t go back on my word. You can rest assured.”

Zhang Yuning still felt somewhat irritated, but it didn’t lessen her suspicions about Chi Nian. What incredible thing could be
hidden in that bag? The more she was denied a look, the more determined she became to find an opportunity to peek.