Mysterious Beautiful Wife at Home (GL) - Chapter 33

Zhang Yuning didn’t want to accept any of Chi Nian’s kindness, but she also didn’t want to make it too obvious. Emotional reactions might alert Chi Nian to something amiss. She slowed her pace, the umbrella above her never leaving.

Turning her head, she saw raindrops clinging to Chi Nian’s shoulders and forehead. Because Zhang Yuning was taller, Chi Nian had to hold the umbrella high.

What a hypocrite. Does she think these seemingly tender, considerate gestures will soften me? If Chi Nian wanted to play this game, Zhang Yuning would play along. Let’s see who outplays whom in the end.

The clock at Butterfly Manor struck twelve on the dot, its heavy chimes sending tremors through the heart. This manor, a place where light and shadow intertwined, seemed shrouded in conspiracy, its darkness seeping everywhere. Zhang Yuning’s heart, too, was tainted by gloom.

It was hard not to judge others by her own harsh standards, just like the survival rules of the slums. Survival was instinct; survival was desire. To protect oneself, one could resort to any means—betrayal, malice, selfishness, scheming.

How did I end up back in this abyss after finally escaping it?

You forced me into this… With that thought, Zhang Yuning stepped forward with a bright smile and took the umbrella from Chi Nian. “How could I let the boss hold an umbrella for me?”

Chi Nian’s eyes flickered with something painful. Her brows furrowed briefly before smoothing out, and she forced a faint smile as she got into the car.

And just like that, their visit to Butterfly Manor came to an end. Zhang Yuning hadn’t even exchanged a single word with Xiao Changying. Tonight’s meeting felt like a setup designed specifically for her just to administer that second injection.

But she hadn’t come in vain. From Chi Nian’s behavior to the Third Miss’s reaction, and even Lan Chengjin’s words, she could piece together that Chi Nian had a vast network of power and influence behind her.

Chi Nian was formidable. If these projects were part of a grand scheme, then she was the one holding all the pieces, calmly controlling the entire board. The Third Miss of the Xiao family, police heavyweight Mo Lindi, top scientists from the research institute, two doctors from the biotech lab. All of them worked for her.

She truly had connections that reached the heavens. Zhang Yuning couldn’t fathom how Chi Nian had managed it.

Even her fake brother, who had once tried to harm her, was no longer a threat. The internal strife within the Chi family seemed to have ended. Now, even Xi Mengge, who controlled the Chi family’s finances, had stepped forward, showing Chi Nian nothing but utmost concern.

Zhang Yuning’s thoughts weighed heavily on her, and her wariness and suspicion of Chi Nian deepened.

“Xiao Zhang, can you promise me one thing?” Chi Nian suddenly spoke.

“No smoking or drinking?” Zhang Yuning guessed her request.

“Mhm. Promise me, just for a month.”

“Sure, whatever you say.”

Chi Nian’s gaze seemed doubtful. Zhang Yuning glanced at her and smiled nonchalantly, trying to act as if none of it mattered. But Chi Nian fell silent.

What did her silence mean? Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted? Zhang Yuning obediently following orders, dutifully testing the drugs for her whether as an experiment or a substitute, at least she still had value.

Shouldn’t Chi Nian be happy?

Chi Nian was lost in thought, while Zhang Yuning pretended to be carefree, even humming a tune as she drove back to Dean Apartments.

From today onward, she and Chi Nian would engage in a battle of wits. If Chi Nian wanted to act, Zhang Yuning would play along to the end. Whether it was affection or pretense, Zhang Yuning had nothing to lose. She was alone in this world, with no attachments.

She could afford to play this game.

That lunatic Chi Nian! Why did she have to resort to such extreme methods against herself? Whatever her ultimate goal might be, Zhang Yuning would definitely retaliate against such underhanded tactics. She wasn’t about to just roll over and take it.

She picked the wrong person to mess with. What an idiot.

Strangely, after the Butterfly Manor injection incident, Chi Nian barely left the house and significantly reduced her interactions with Zhang Yuning. Though they lived under the same roof and even shared a bed, they hardly spoke.

Zhang Yuning’s attitude was cold, and Chi Nian should have sensed it yet her response was equally icy. The two were like a quarreling couple, neither willing to back down first.

Lately, Zhang Yuning hadn’t suffered from chills again. Chi Nian remained as she always was—occasionally weak, her complexion poor—but since she hadn’t gone out or exerted herself, her condition wasn’t as severe as before. Zhang Yuning played the role of a housekeeper, handling chores and cooking. The three-month deadline wasn’t far off, and only about 20 days remained of the one-month period Chi Nian had mentioned. Whatever her plans, she was bound to make a move soon.

Zhang Yuning used every spare moment to dig deeper into Yu Qinghua and Aileen while also attempting to hack into Chi Nian’s office computer. Perhaps many secrets lay hidden there.

As for that bag, she waited patiently, sensing the right moment would come. Zhang Yuning was willing to bide her time.

Lately, the weather had been damp and rainy, though the temperature was rising. The house was kept at a constant temperature with the air conditioning. Every night, Zhang Yuning would draw the curtains and turn on the moon lamp for Chi Nian. It had become a habitual routine.

Recently, Chi Nian had taken to reading before bed, spending half an hour with medical books in English. There was no way to glean anything from them.

Zhang Yuning used this time to turn in early, conserving her energy as if preparing for battle. Just staying vigilant against Chi Nian, observing her every move, and secretly cracking the home’s electronic systems was mentally exhausting.

But tonight, as she sat by the bed, she suddenly noticed something was missing.

“Where’s the moon lamp?”

The room lacked its most understated yet striking feature—the moon lamp. The ridiculous gift she had spent hours piecing back together from shattered fragments, a tangible reminder of her status as a mere substitute.

“Put it away,” Chi Nian replied, flipping a page without looking up, her tone indifferent.

Zhang Yuning felt a pang of irritation. So now she didn’t even care for the moon lamp anymore?

“If you’re not using it, give it back to me.”

Only then did Chi Nian set the book aside and lift her gaze. Her deep eyes were calm as still water, betraying no emotion. After a pause, she smiled faintly. “You can’t take back a gift once it’s given.”

“Useless things have no value. Better to return it.”

“I won’t.”

Zhang Yuning couldn’t help but ask, “Weren’t you fond of it before? Why stop using it now?” Not that she cared about the lamp. After learning she was just a stand-in, not throwing it away was already the greatest mercy she could offer Chi Nian. Still, out of sight, out of mind. Even if she got it back, it would just end up in the trash.

Chi Nian patted the bed, signaling for Zhang Yuning to come closer. Wondering what trick she was up to now, Zhang Yuning slowly moved in until only ten centimeters separated them. Whatever the case, she wouldn’t shy away from closeness anymore—nor would she deliberately avoid it.

Chi Nian set the book aside and turned off the bedside lamp. The faint glow flickered dimly—had the nightlight in the socket malfunctioned? The hazy light cast Chi Nian’s face in an ambiguous shadow.

Chi Nian’s smile now brimmed in her eyes as she turned to gaze at her: “The moon is right beside me—why would I need a moon lamp?” As she spoke, her hand caressed Zhang Yuning’s face with tender affection, enveloping them in an endless haze of intimacy and revealing the deep infatuation in Chi Nian’s eyes.

Zhang Yuning noticed Chi Nian’s gaze growing increasingly hazy. The blanket covered half of her body, while the spaghetti strap dress accentuated the curves of her chest. She remembered Chi Nian’s words from last time: “With light inside the room, why would I need to look at the moon?”

She really did see her as the moon.

Zhang Yuning didn’t resist the closeness. Instead, she leaned in without hesitation, nearly brushing against Chi Nian’s nose, their breaths mingling in the charged space between them.

“You really do love the moon, don’t you?”

Chi Nian’s eyes focused on hers, and as they locked gazes, the surge in Zhang Yuning’s chest swelled like a tidal wave, crashing forward. She pinched Chi Nian’s chin and asked, “Do you love the moon—or me?” She didn’t know how the words had escaped her. It was a mix of spite, imbalance, and pent-up frustration, all unleashed in this moment.

Staring at Chi Nian, she couldn’t imagine what expression she wore—perhaps resentment, perhaps injustice. A thousand emotions tangled into knots inside her. She wanted an answer, yet she didn’t.

Chi Nian’s gaze grew distant, the depth of her daze morphing into something like obsession. She shifted from stroking Zhang Yuning’s face with one hand to cradling it with both, just about to answer—when Zhang Yuning abruptly kissed her.

Didn’t she want to know the answer? Yet she was terrified Chi Nian might say she preferred the moon, or worse, admit outright that Zhang Yuning was just a stand-in for someone else.

She had never imagined that letting go would make her this bold. The kiss, laden with heavy emotions, was domineering, even rough. But Chi Nian responded with eager passion, intensifying the emotions bottled up inside Zhang Yuning. In an instant, every hidden desire burst forth.

Was it possessiveness? Or hatred for Chi Nian’s manipulations? Zhang Yuning no longer knew. All she knew was that after receiving that response, she was utterly lost.

This was the first time she had been fully conscious while intimate with Chi Nian. Caught between reason and emotion, she chose to let both coexist—testing reactions while claiming recklessly.

She heard Chi Nian’s soft murmurs, felt the yielding secrets beneath her touch. Zhang Yuning felt adrift in chaos, unable to tell whether this was a dream or reality.

Were they in the villa’s basement or Dean Apartments? Who was she? Where was she? And who was the woman beside her? The unknown loomed like a beast from the abyss, roaring toward her, and she channeled all her fear into Chi Nian.

Occasionally, she even heard Chi Nian call her “A-Ning.” Wasn’t that the name from her dreams? Had Chi Nian really said it?

Chi Nian held her tightly, nails leaving faint scratches on Zhang Yuning’s back, teeth marking her shoulder. Whether from exhaustion or the emotional and physical battle, Zhang Yuning soon succumbed to sleep as well.

Like a drunken misdeed, she had vented all her grievances with force. She wasn’t even sure if she had hurt Chi Nian.

When she awoke, disoriented, sunlight streamed through the window cracks, illuminating a rotating lamp—wasn’t that the moon lamp? Zhang Yuning squinted her eyes open, only to find Chi Nian already gone.

She sat up, her limbs aching, and realized she was completely naked with a slight headache. The events of last night were vivid in her mind. From the foreplay to the eager movements, every position and action. Zhang Yuning remembered it all clearly. This time, she was certain it wasn’t a dream or the influence of drugs. She had been the one to pounce on Chi Nian, to take her.

Was it really worth going this far for a substitute? Chi Nian, did you do this just to survive, or to distract yourself from longing?

There hadn’t been even a second of hesitation or doubt. When her kiss landed on Chi Nian’s lips, the response had come naturally. So naturally it felt routine, habitual.

Zhang Yuning dressed and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains. The sky had finally cleared today. Beneath the moonlight lamp lay a sticky note.

She picked it up and saw a string of numbers left by Chi Nian—likely a phone number.

Right. She didn’t even have Chi Nian’s contact information. Her own phone was unreachable to others, so was Chi Nian not home?

Stepping out of the bedroom, she glanced around. Sure enough, she was gone.

She dialed the number, expecting to reach Chi Nian, but a strange woman answered instead: “Hello, who are you looking for?”

“Chi Nian,” Zhang Yuning replied without hesitation.

“She’s taking a bath,” the woman said.

Zhang Yuning’s heart sank. It was eleven in the morning—taking a bath?? “Where is she?” she asked coldly.

“Ju’an Hot Springs.”

“Tell her bodyguard is on the way.”

Hanging up, Zhang Yuning quickly changed clothes, grabbed her jacket, and rushed out the door. Last night, they had been intimate, and now Chi Nian was with some random woman, soaking in a bath? What the hell was going on??