Mysterious Beautiful Wife at Home (GL) - Chapter 17

Zhang Yuning never took afternoon naps and rarely slept during the day. Whether it was due to physical discomfort or the comfort of Chi Nian’s embrace, she had fallen into a deep, unguarded slumber.

This sleep was solid, devoid of unnecessary dreams like being under full anesthesia, as if she had drifted into another world where nothing needed to be thought about, nothing could be seen, only a void.

Falling asleep had been easy, but waking up was abrupt. Zhang Yuning’s eyes snapped open as if she had just returned from a celestial journey. Who was she? Where was she? What had happened? Sitting up, she realized she had been lying on the bay window, the pillow and blanket neatly arranged. Someone must have taken care of her.

Chi Nian? She closed her eyes deeply, recalling the details. This wasn’t a dream, it had really happened. She had leaned against Chi Nian’s shoulder and then remembered nothing afterward.

She had fallen asleep in someone else’s arms? It was unbelievable. Zhang Yuning didn’t have many friends. Lan Chengjin could be considered somewhat close, but with everyone else, she kept her distance, never forming deep connections, let alone letting her guard down.

She vividly remembered how bone-chilling the cold had been, yet now she felt completely fine. No signs of a cold, no fever, no discomfort. Zhang Yuning stood up and walked toward the living room and bedroom, only to find a lavish dinner laid out on the bar counter.

Chi Nian, had she cooked again?

Having barely eaten all day, the table was filled with her favorite dishes. Her stomach growled in response.

“Eat.” Chi Nian walked out carrying a bowl of soup, wearing an apron like a perfect housewife, her beauty ethereal.

The words “devoted wife” flashed through Zhang Yuning’s mind. Chi Nian’s noble status shouldn’t have brought her into a kitchen, yet her gentle, natural movements made it seem like she belonged there.

Zhang Yuning felt a pang of guilt, remembering how long she had been cared for and seeing Chi Nian doing these “menial tasks.”

“Thank you.” Beyond these three words, she didn’t know what else to say.

Chi Nian crossed her hands, resting her chin on them, smiling. “Then how do you plan to repay me?”

“Tell me how you’d like me to repay you. Just name it.”

“Anything?” Chi Nian ladled her a bowl of soup and handed it over. How could she be so effortlessly adept at taking care of someone?

The young mistress of the Chi family, skilled at domestic care? It sounded like a fairy tale.

Zhang Yuning took the bowl and looked at her. “Anything. Just say the word.” She took a sip of the soup, only to hear Chi Nian reply, “Then repay me with your hand in marriage.”

The words made Zhang Yuning choke on her soup. Not only did it fail to go down, but it surged back up, leaving her coughing violently.

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Chi Nian’s teasing grew bolder. Zhang Yuning didn’t look up, refusing to engage, afraid the conversation would spiral. Besides, having had a few erotic dreams about her, she was already drowning in shame.

She lowered her head, wiped her mouth, and silently continued drinking the soup.

Throughout the meal, Zhang Yuning remained quiet. Chi Nian only ate a vegetable salad and said nothing more.

It was a meal full of flavor, the first time Zhang Yuning had ever felt a sense of home. Years of solitary living, a haphazard bachelor lifestyle, had always been casual. Those distant, unattainable things had never felt real.

The ideals of a home for two, three meals a day, and four seasons together had nothing to do with her. Survival was enough. The arduous journey of the flesh would eventually end when the time came. So, she neither yearned for it, nor anticipated it, nor made plans. But now, the ideal was no longer an abstract concept, it had taken concrete form.

This fleeting distance seemed even more unattainable. If it was destined not to last, it might as well have never existed at all.

After dinner, Zhang Yuning tidied up as usual. Chi Nian didn’t leave, watching her the entire time.

Only when Zhang Yuning stepped out of the kitchen did Chi Nian finally speak up: “Remember not to get caught in the rain from now on.”

It was then that Zhang Yuning recalled the slight chill she’d felt last night when she went downstairs. But could such a light drizzle really have made her unwell? No, that wasn’t it. Chi Nian was hinting at something. Had she seen her going downstairs?

“I…” She wanted to lie her way out of it but changed her mind at the last second. “Okay.”

“If you break your promise again, I’ll have to punish you.”

“Punish me how? What’s left to punish?”

“There are plenty of ways.”

Zhang Yuning had only been accompanying Chi Nian to meet people, acting as her bodyguard outside. But what were they now? Roommates? Bedmates?

Bedmates,. Zhang Yuning inwardly scoffed at herself, surprised by the flicker of anticipation she felt toward such a relationship. In her mind, Chi Nian had many faces. The one in bed, the everyday version, the socialite, the melancholic, the complex, the enigmatic.

She even wanted to peel back all those layers of complexity and see Chi Nian stripped bare. What was she truly like inside? What kind of person was she, at her core?

Lost in these thoughts, Zhang Yuning felt she had nothing worth Chi Nian’s attention or admiration. Maybe none of this had anything to do with her at all. Perhaps Chi Nian simply had secrets she couldn’t afford to reveal, or maybe Zhang Yuning did serve some small, insignificant purpose.

“Miss Chi, what exactly do you want from me?”

“You’re calling me that so formally again.”

Zhang Yuning chuckled lightly, unfazed. “We barely know each other. There’s nothing wrong with me calling you that, is there? These past few days, I’ve been wondering. What are you really after? What’s your goal?”

“You.” Chi Nian answered effortlessly, a faint smile playing on her lips. Zhang Yuning’s eyes flickered with surprise. “Me?”

“You’re skilled, tech-savvy, capable in combat, and sharp. I’ve always needed a female bodyguard by my side, and you just happen to fit the bill.”

So that was it. Zhang Yuning had expected this answer, but hearing it aloud still sent waves of disappointment through her. She couldn’t bring herself to ask anything else.

Why take care of her? Maybe because a bodyguard who lost their strength lost their value.

Why be so lenient with her? Maybe because Chi Nian simply disliked conflict and preferred not to argue.

Why insist on living in her home? Maybe the most ordinary places were the most unexpected. Who would think Miss Chi would live in a common apartment?

Every question had a perfectly reasonable answer. But Zhang Yuning didn’t buy it. Disappointment aside, reason prevailed. There were still things left unsaid, and she wouldn’t ask again. She’d find out on her own.

An awkward silence settled between them. Then, the security alarm on the monitor vibrated again. Barely ten seconds later, a knock sounded at the door.

Her apartment could only be accessed through the shop downstairs. Who would come knocking at her inner door? Even if it was unlocked, who would dare barge straight up?

Zhang Yuning immediately grew alert, raising a finger to her lips in a “shush” gesture toward Chi Nian. At this moment, she no longer thought about exposing Chi Nian, her only concern was protecting her.

“Go to the study,” she instructed Chi Nian before swiftly pulling out the retractable baton stashed by the entryway. Tucking it behind her back, she approached the door and peered through the peephole.

Before she could get a clear look at the visitor, a deep female voice sounded from outside: “It’s Mo Lindi. Open the door.”

Mo Lindi?? The chief superintendent of Liuli Island herself, coming in person? Had they really failed to evade police investigation after all?

“Let her in,” Chi Nian’s voice rang out. She hadn’t gone to the study, standing composedly instead.

Zhang Yuning checked the surveillance feed, confirming Mo Lindi had come alone. No police cars in sight. Understanding Chi Nian’s intent, she cautiously opened the door.

Mo Lindi stood at 178 cm, her curly hair tied high, clad in a black stand-collar jacket with a gun holstered at her waist. Her presence was formidable, almost oppressive. She strode in with a stern face, not even sparing Zhang Yuning a glance.

“When do you plan to return?” she demanded, her gaze fixed solely on Chi Nian. The two seemed to have some history or had Mo Lindi known all along?

So, was this disappearance orchestrated by Chi Nian herself? Zhang Yuning remained silent, absorbing every clue.

“In a week.”

“That news report stirred up Chi Jing. I rounded up a few scapegoats, but it won’t hold them off for long.”

Chi Nian remained unflappable, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Superintendent Mo, I’ll trouble you for one more week.”

“Fine. No one will disturb you here, but if you start running around and things spiral out of control, even I won’t be able to help.”

Mo Lindi’s tone held no deference. Their exchange was level, resembling collaboration or perhaps the shorthand of old acquaintances. Zhang Yuning couldn’t quite pin it down. Mo Lindi was notoriously eccentric, impervious to influence, and dismissive of everything. Her allegiances had always been unclear. Though she held high authority in the police force and commanded widespread respect, she never curried favor with the powerful.

What method had Chi Nian used to secure the help of someone like her?

“Alright, I’ll take my leave.”

Their conversation lasted barely two minutes, terse and to the point. Mo Lindi had likely come to issue a warning and a reminder, while also scoping out Chi Nian’s whereabouts. Before leaving, she finally cast a deep glance at Zhang Yuning but said nothing more.

Arriving soundlessly at the door was terrifying enough, but to stride into a private residence with such unshakable composure, her oppressive aura nearly suffocating. Only Mo Lindi could pull that off.

Zhang Yuning suddenly realized that Chi Nian was surrounded by “formidable allies.” Even Third Miss Xiao Changying had instructed her to obey Chi Nian’s orders. This woman was truly formidable. If that was the case, wasn’t control over the Chi Shang Group practically within her grasp?

“You don’t actually need protection,” Zhang Yuning said, eyeing Chi Nian. “With Mo Lindi shielding you, is there anyone in all of Liuli Island who could harm even a hair on your head?”

“There is,” Chi Nian replied, lowering her eyes with a faint, somber smile. “Even her sky-reaching abilities would be useless.”

“Why? She’s Mo Lindi.”

“But she isn’t you.”

Zhang Yuning froze. Every time she heard these ambiguous, almost teasing words, her heart would flutter in confusion. She couldn’t decipher their meaning, let alone tell if Chi Nian was just toying with her.

“A small fry like me isn’t worth Miss Chi’s appreciation.”

“Say something like that to me again, and see what happens.” Chi Nian’s expression darkened, her displeasure evident. This was no joke.

“You’re threatening me now?” Zhang Yuning could have obediently kept quiet, but her rebellious streak kicked in. Curiosity about what Chi Nian would do next led her to deliberately add, “I said, thank you for your appreciation, Miss Chi.”

Chi Nian stared at her expressionlessly, her cool demeanor instantly drained of color, her skin turning so pale it looked almost sickly.

“Is this how you repay me?”

“I, well…”

Zhang Yuning stammered, but Chi Nian grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bed. “I said you’d repay me with yourself. Your punishment is to hold me while we sleep tonight.”