Mysterious Beautiful Wife at Home (GL) - Chapter 37

Zhang Yuning didn’t absorb a single thing from the movie. Her thoughts drifted far away as she absentmindedly stared at the screen. Chi Nian, on the other hand, was completely at ease—so natural that it felt like just another routine date for her.

She would rest her head on Zhang Yuning’s shoulder, link arms with her, and occasionally interlock their fingers. These small, intimate gestures only deepened the ache in Zhang Yuning’s heart.

She was torn. Struggling to suppress her growing feelings for Chi Nian while simultaneously trying to retaliate against her actions.

She worried about the illness threatening Chi Nian’s life, yet she was also biding her time, waiting to uncover all her secrets.

There were things she wanted to ask, but the words stuck in her throat. Even if she did voice them, Chi Nian wouldn’t answer. The ensuing silence would only make Zhang Yuning more sensitive and suspicious.

By the time the movie ended, Zhang Yuning still didn’t know its title. She only heard that the international actress Lu Jingyan had single-handedly boosted the box office. Her supporting role was supposedly brilliant—so brilliant that Chi Nian pointed out several highlights, but Zhang Yuning didn’t remember a single one.

Around them, couples whispered about the plot, exchanged kisses, or fed each other snacks. These affectionate scenes were impossible to ignore.

But the difference was—those were real couples. She was just a bed partner.

The sweetness and beauty were nothing more than a facade.

The more Zhang Yuning thought about it, the more it hurt. Contradictions and pain clashed violently within her.

When the movie ended, Chi Nian remained seated for a long time. She had barely touched the snacks but finished her milk tea. Zhang Yuning hadn’t expected someone as health-conscious as Chi Nian to drink something like that.

It was as if she was indulging herself, releasing the soul long imprisoned within her body. The real her, suppressed for too long, desperately craving a moment of freedom.

Dusk approached, painting the sky in two extremes—one side bathed in colorful twilight, the other shrouded in gloomy darkness. It mirrored Zhang Yuning’s current state of mind.

Chi Nian stepped aside to take a call. Zhang Yuning didn’t know who was on the other end, but the conversation had already lasted ten minutes.

Sitting on a roadside stone ledge, Zhang Yuning’s mood remained heavy. She gazed at the darkening western sky, her eyes flickering toward Chi Nian just as she turned around. A beam of light caught her profile, wrapping her in a warm glow. Her bright, smiling eyes seemed to speak volumes.

Zhang Yuning’s heart skipped a beat, its rhythm thrown into disarray. She quickly lowered her head, afraid Chi Nian might notice the infatuation in her gaze.

She loved the moon. Only by constantly feeding herself other psychological distractions could she barely suppress the restless turmoil inside. Unable to resist, Zhang Yuning unlocked her phone and reopened the encrypted file containing information about An Lin. The woman she suspected might be the moon.

All her investigations pointed to An Lin being the likely candidate, yet many traits didn’t align.

Lost in thought, she stared at her phone until the shadow beside her stretched across her legs under the setting sun. Only then did she realize Chi Nian had returned and was staring at her screen.

“Why are you looking at Xiao Lin’s photo?” Chi Nian asked, puzzled.

Zhang Yuning hurriedly put her phone away, about to explain, when Chi Nian suddenly understood. “You investigated me?”

“No, I—”

“You went to my alma mater?”

Zhang Yuning’s lips parted, but no words came out. She bit her lower lip, hesitating, when Chi Nian leaned down with a faint smile. “You didn’t actually think my moon was Xiao Lin, did you?”

“Isn’t she?”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. At this point, she didn’t want to hide it anymore.

Straightening up, Chi Nian crossed her arms, amused. “So, what did you find out?”

“Not much. I’m not even sure.”

“So, you’ve been agonizing all this time over whether Xiao Lin is your moon?” Xian Zhufu remarked.

Zhang Yuning felt the embarrassment of having her thoughts exposed and tried to mask her reaction, abruptly standing up. “Let’s go back,” she said.

“We haven’t finished talking.”

“What’s there to talk about? You wouldn’t tell me anyway.”

“You never asked.”

“Then I’m asking now—will you answer?” Zhang Yuning, provoked, decided to voice her thoughts directly.

Chi Nian paused, as if considering, though only briefly. With an unsparing smile, she nodded patiently. “Ask away.”

“Is she the moon?”

“No.”

As expected. Zhang Yuning gazed at her, the words on the tip of her tongue no longer something she could suppress. “Then your moon—”

Chi Nian arched a brow, expression unchanging, as if waiting for her to finish the question.

“Never mind.”

“Why not ask?”

“I don’t want to know anymore.” She had already had the chance that night but chose not to hear the answer, instead throwing herself into Chi Nian’s arms.

Yet if she didn’t press further, Chi Nian truly wouldn’t respond. She took Zhang Yuning’s hand and said, “Let’s go home. I feel like having some plain congee.”

“Mm, I’ll make it for you when we get back.”

The two tacitly dropped the subject, their interaction natural and comfortable. Soon after, they returned to Dean Apartments. Zhang Yuning cooked dinner while Chi Nian requested congee and some light snacks, though she herself took the initiative to prepare pasta. They bustled around the kitchen together, and in a few fleeting moments, Zhang Yuning wished this could last forever.

If only they could stay like this—living together in quiet simplicity, weaving each other into the fabric of daily life. How wonderful would that be? But the beauty of this moment felt like a fleeting dream, and before she even woke from it, Zhang Yuning already felt the pang of loss.

All their “sweet” interactions today had been out of the ordinary, like a mourning ritual before parting, or perhaps the last burst of happiness. She knew it would be brief, yet she couldn’t tell when the final curtain would fall.

After puttering around the kitchen for a while, Zhang Yuning ladled out the congee and brought out the dishes she had prepared. Chi Nian had already set the pasta on the table but had slipped away to her room.

Zhang Yuning looked up and saw her carrying out the moon lamp, plugging it in beside the dining table and setting it up herself.

“Why bring it out again? Planning to return it to me?”

“I told you, gifts given should never be taken back. I won’t return it to you.”

“There might not be a moon tonight, so you’ll have to make do with the lamp.”

Chi Nian rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the lamp before turning to Zhang Yuning with a soft smile. “Looking at you is enough. The lamp just complements you.”

“Cut it out.”

“You don’t seem to believe me.”

“Which of your words can I trust?” Zhang Yuning sat down, twirling pasta around her fork. The marble table reflected Chi Nian’s shadow as she drew closer. When Zhang Yuning looked up, Chi Nian’s kiss suddenly landed on her lips.

Zhang Yuning’s limbs went weak, nearly dropping her fork, but Chi Nian pulled away as quickly as a dragonfly skimming water.

“Still don’t believe this?”

Chi Nian teased casually, her offhand intimacy enough to throw Zhang Yuning into disarray. Why? She tossed her fork aside, frustration written all over her face. “Do you think it’s fun to mess with me? Or do you just enjoy seeing me react like the moon?”

The emotions bottled up about the moon finally erupted at this moment. The more flippant Chi Nian’s tone, the more it stung.

Chi Nian’s smile froze for a moment. Originally sitting face-to-face, she now walked around the table to stand beside Zhang Yuning. She turned Zhang’s pouting face toward her and gave it a gentle pinch. “Silly, the moon is you.”

Zhang Yuning looked up in astonishment, her expression one of utter disbelief. Chi Nian must be teasing her again, spouting nonsense and empty flattery—none of it worth believing.

How could the moon possibly be her? Had Chi Nian lost her mind? She’d never known this wealthy young lady since childhood and had absolutely no connection to the moon. If Chi Nian didn’t want to answer, she didn’t have to say something so absurd.

She wasn’t the moon, nor did she want to be.