Mysterious Beautiful Wife at Home (GL) - Chapter 18

“The bed is so big, there’s no need to hold me while sleeping.” Zhang Yuning refused to acknowledge her own vulnerability. Showing weakness to Chi Nian was inherently dangerous.

Their previous intimacy had been due to being drugged. There was no conscious control, no restraint. But now, something was subtly changing. The time was too short; she couldn’t accept it.

How could she open her heart to someone she barely knew?

“Opening her heart” those words felt so distant to Zhang Yuning. Beyond her loyalty to Third Miss, she wanted no unnecessary emotions.

“The rain will last for days. Don’t go out during this time.”

As Chi Nian spoke, she walked to the bed and, unusually, opened her bag. Zhang Yuning’s gaze fixed on her hands as Chi Nian pulled out two thin notebooks, one with a black cover and the other white clearly distinct.

She wrote something inside, not many words, more like markings. After finishing, she closed them again.

“What are you writing? If it’s about schedules, I can help you keep track,” Zhang Yuning asked deliberately.

“You had chills for twelve hours and slept for six.”

She was actually recording the times Zhang Yuning had been unwell. Zhang Yuning was baffled. “Why are you keeping track of this?”

“My memory isn’t good.”

“There’s no need to record something like this.”

Chi Nian replied lightly, “I only record what needs to be remembered.”

“You guarded your bag so fiercely just for these two notebooks?”

Chi Nian had just finished writing when Zhang Yuning spoke. She turned her head, her eyes shimmering with an unreadable light. Silently, she closed the notebook and returned it to her bag, falling into silence.

What kind of secret was this that she couldn’t speak of? But Zhang Yuning wasn’t in a hurry now. Chi Nian’s one-week agreement with Mo Lindi would soon arrive, and many mysteries would be revealed.

What she wanted to know most was her own role in all of this.

“Go take a shower, then come to bed.”

Zhang Yuning glanced at the time. “It’s too early.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“A little, but—”

“No buts. I’m tired too. Holding you for so long was exhausting.”

Zhang Yuning hunched her shoulders slightly, recalling the feeling of being in Chi Nian’s arms, intoxicating. Even a fleeting memory was enough to unsettle her. She had no reason to resist, so she obediently went to shower early.

Holding each other while sleeping, how would that work? Side by side? Facing each other? What position would they sleep in? Under the shower, Zhang Yuning’s thoughts were in turmoil. She knew all too well that her boundaries with Chi Nian were gradually eroding.

Chi Nian had laid out a swamp. Zhang Yuning knew it was dangerous, yet she kept stepping in, all while reassuring herself that it was to uncover the truth hidden within.

As she showered, Zhang Yuning ran her hands over her body, recalling the sensation of the chills. A shiver ran through her. Now, her body had no fever, no discomfort. This illness had struck strangely. It wasn’t a cold at all.

Had she contracted some virus? Zhang Yuning stood under the shower, lost in thought. Chi Nian’s reaction was even weirder than the illness itself. She had an inscrutable depth, as if she knew everything yet remained expressionless. Her care felt both genuine and calculated unsettling.

The human heart was unfathomable. Nothing in the world was more complex. Zhang Yuning had seen the darkest corners of the world, the ugliest sides of human nature. She refused to trust anyone, Chi Nian included.

She turned off the hot water, took a deep breath, hesitated, then switched to cold. If getting drenched in the rain had caused the chills, then maybe a cold shower would prove it.

Staring at the cold water faucet, Zhang Yuning slightly raised her fingers, about to turn it on, when Chi Nian suddenly barged in, causing her to immediately withdraw her hand.

Chi Nian stood by the door, wearing a black T-shirt that reached her thighs, fastened only by the middle button. The oversized collar revealed her alluring figure through the sheer blouse, her curves accentuated. The lightweight chiffon fabric added to the garment’s transparency, making her look irresistibly seductive. More enchanting than the neon lights on a rainy night, like a gleaming black pearl, radiant and dazzling.

She seemed to know exactly where Zhang Yuning’s things were stored. This particular outfit wasn’t something Zhang Yuning wore often, nor was it kept in an obvious spot, yet Chi Nian had somehow managed to dig it out.

“You’ve been showering for quite a while today.” Chi Nian’s timing was impeccable, as if she had X-ray vision.

Stepping out of the shower, Zhang Yuning calmly wrapped a towel around herself and shot Chi Nian a glance. “You could at least knock before coming in.”

“I did. You didn’t hear me.”

“Did you?” Zhang Yuning wondered. Had she really been that distracted?

“Yes.”

Zhang Yuning smoothed her damp hair. Without hesitation, Chi Nian reached into the mirror cabinet and pulled out a hairdryer. She moved around as if this were her own home, never needing to ask where anything was, helping herself with eerie familiarity.

“I can do it myself.” Zhang Yuning reached for the hairdryer, but Chi Nian lifted it out of her grasp, locking eyes with her. “Let me dry it for you.”

“No need. I’m not an invalid.”

“Then you can dry my hair next time.”

“No. We’re not that close.” Zhang Yuning refused outright. She wasn’t comfortable with intimate gestures.

A playful smile curled at Chi Nian’s lips. “What counts as ‘close,’ then? Hugging doesn’t count? Sleeping together doesn’t count?”

“I’m your bodyguard, not your—”

“Not my what?”

Zhang Yuning fell silent, gently taking the hairdryer from her, ready to drop the subject. But Chi Nian leaned in, tilting her head with a smirk. “You could also be my bed partner.”

Bed partner. Was Chi Nian laying a honey trap? A woman this tempting, always batting her eyes. Who could resist?

But Zhang Yuning refused to keep being teased and cornered. She decided to fight back. The towel hung loosely around her, and Chi Nian’s gaze drifted downward. Without another word, Zhang Yuning stepped closer, bracing one hand against the wall as she leaned into Chi Nian’s face, their noses nearly touching.

“If you want me as a bed partner, that’s fine. It’s not like I’d be at a loss. With a beauty like you throwing yourself at me, why would I say no?”

It was meant as a taunt, but Chi Nian’s eyes softened with emotion. Gazing at her intently, she murmured, “Do you want me again?”

The words sent a shiver through Zhang Yuning’s heart. Chi Nian’s warm breath fanned across her face, sending waves of heat through her.

Lifting Chi Nian’s chin, Zhang Yuning felt a surge of desire. The dreams of the past few days wove together into vivid new images. The passion and entanglement from before replaying in full, from beginning to end, like watching an adult film. Every movement, every position, even the whispers too indecent for daylight, now echoed clearly in her mind.

Chi Nian didn’t pull away. Instead, her gaze grew fiercer. With effortless grace, she rested a hand on Zhang Yuning’s waist, meeting the so-called “counterattack” with unshaken composure.

Zhang Yuning’s body tensed as the towel suddenly slipped off, a chill jolting her awake. She hastily took two steps back, turned on the hair dryer, and began drying her hair with her head lowered. In a sober and rational state, she simply couldn’t bring herself to do such things.

What exactly was this? Friends with benefits? Bed partners didn’t necessarily have to share a bed, did they? She didn’t know how to face Chi Nian. Their relationship was becoming increasingly ambiguous.

Chi Nian stood with her arms crossed, watching her with a faint smile before silently walking out.

The sound of the hair dryer became the loudest noise in Zhang Yuning’s world. The noise was good—better than listening to the turmoil inside her. She needed to shut out the world for a while. After calming down, she wanted to wrap herself up.

She wished she could take another cold shower to wash away whatever spell Chi Nian had cast on her.

It took an eternity before her hair was finally dry. By the end, she was just mechanically holding the dryer, unsure of what she was even doing. Staring into the mirror, she suddenly noticed how haggard she looked. Dark circles under her eyes, her skin sallow.

Just a few sleepless nights and she was already like this? Zhang Yuning patted her cheeks, realizing she really needed to catch up on sleep. Ever since getting entangled with Chi Nian, she hadn’t had a proper night’s rest. Maybe going to bed early and waking up early wouldn’t be so bad.

Walking to the bed, she discovered her blanket was gone. Normally, each having their own blanket kept a safe distance between them, but tonight, it seemed Chi Nian was determined not to let her off easy.

The lingering warmth still flushed Zhang Yuning’s face. Seeing her approach, Chi Nian lay down, a playful smile on her lips. “Come here. Hold me.”

“Do we really have to do this?”

“Weren’t you the one who said, ‘When a beautiful woman throws herself at you, it’d be a waste not to take her’?”

“You’re the kind I can’t afford.” Zhang Yuning climbed into bed, barely settling down before Chi Nian scooted closer and wrapped her arms around her. “Then consider repaying me for a hug.” Her voice suddenly softened, laced with drowsy lethargy.

She nestled against Zhang Yuning’s shoulder, pressing close in silence. But Zhang Yuning’s gaze fell on the black-and-white journal lying beside the pillow. She turned slightly to face Chi Nian, lifting her left hand. Just within reach.

Were these two notebooks the secrets hidden in that bag? The urge to uncover the truth stirred in her again, but the woman in her arms wasn’t fully asleep yet. Not yet.

One more try. She’d take the beating if she had to.