Mysterious Beautiful Wife at Home (GL) - Chapter 38

Once the topic of the moon was broached, it either ended abruptly or dragged on endlessly. Yet neither of them wanted to lay their cards on the table. Zhang Yuning didn’t want to hear it, and Chi Nian didn’t offer any further explanation. But by clearly stating that An Lin wasn’t the one, Chi Nian confirmed that the person symbolizing the moon did exist.

Zhang Yuning couldn’t let it go, nor did she want to engage in pointless arguments. Compared to this, the mystery of Chi Nian’s deteriorating health was far more urgent to unravel.

She lowered her head and silently ate her noodles. After removing her makeup, Chi Nian looked utterly exhausted, as if she lacked the energy to explain further—or perhaps she simply had no desire to.

Once again, silence settled between them, with only the moon lamp spinning quietly, casting an alluring and enigmatic glow. Chi Nian grew visibly weaker, leaving her meal unfinished to take a shower.

From the moment Zhang Yuning noticed Chi Nian’s frailty, her condition had never improved. No amount of nourishing tonics could make up for it. If Zhang Yuning wanted to uncover this secret, she would have to speed up her efforts to decrypt the files on the computers in the office area.

After cleaning up from dinner, Chi Nian emerged with her hair down, dressed in a red spaghetti-strap nightgown, and headed into the office. Zhang Yuning bided her time. Tonight, dark clouds blanketed the sky, obscuring the moon, its faint glow as delicate as Chi Nian’s frail body.

Chi Nian seemed to be working on something at the computer before putting on headphones, as if joining a conference call. The conversation was entirely in English. Zhang Yuning downloaded an auto-translator and also put on headphones, pretending to play a game while the hidden listening device in the office did its work.

It was a sneaky move, but the only way to peek into Chi Nian’s secrets.

To avoid detection, Zhang Yuning pulled up a game interface on her device and sat on the couch outside. Through the headphones, she heard the voices of several people—both men and women.

“We need the data from Third Young Miss before we can proceed.”

“This research isn’t easy to complete. Without Dr. Ai Lin and Professor Yu’s research data, we’re essentially working barehanded.”

“Even if we develop the drug, we’ll still need to conduct trials, which means human test subjects. There are too many obstacles.”

“Miss Chi’s investment is long-term. Third Young Miss demands results within five years, but Miss Chi wants them in three. It’s tough.”

“If we can obtain the research results from those two professors, three years isn’t impossible. Let’s all do our best—no one should underestimate their own expertise.”

The last voice sounded like one of the experts from the earlier seminar. Clearly, this was a medical team discussing their work. It seemed Chi Nian had indeed been scouting experts for her project during that trip. Third Young Miss was deeply involved in the collaboration, and both Yu Qinghua and Ai Lin were mentioned in the conversation.

Though Zhang Yuning only grasped fragments, it was enough to confirm that Chi Nian had an unwavering obsession with a certain drug research project. Otherwise, why would Third Young Miss ask for five years while Chi Nian demanded three? But could her body even last that long?

What data were they trying to obtain? The discontinued research results from the SO Anti-Cancer Lab? Were they really planning to restart the SO Lab, with Chi Nian and Third Young Miss leading the charge?

Such a massive undertaking without government approval would be illegal—could they really pull it off? If the Chi family and the Xiao Corporation joined forces on this project, who could stop them? Two rival families, once united, could accomplish anything.

Why wasn’t Chi Nian saying anything? Zhang Yuning was desperate to hear what she would say.

She pressed her earpiece, and the meeting fell into silence. After a long pause, Chi Nian finally spoke: “The reporting and follow-up on this achievement will be handled by you and Third Miss going forward. I’ll step back for now.”

Zhang Yuning hurriedly removed her earpiece and turned to look. Chi Nian had already stood up, her head lowered in thought. How could it suddenly come to this? This project was clearly spearheaded by Chi Nian herself, yet she was stepping back—was it due to health reasons?

A red figure passed by her side. Chi Nian stopped, and Zhang Yuning looked up at her, only to find a tiny listening device clenched in her palm.

“You’ve grown bold, using tactics meant for others on me?” With that, she tossed the device—smaller than a fingernail—onto Zhang Yuning.

She had forgotten Chi Nian had a dark web team, forgotten she must have counter-surveillance equipment. Careless.

But at this point, Zhang Yuning no longer wanted to mince words or keep pretending.

“I know your hacker team is formidable, that you have all sorts of experts around you. What am I, in comparison?”

“And that’s your excuse for eavesdropping on me, for trying to hack into my computer?” Chi Nian’s face was stern, her eyes icy, displeasure at the breach swirling between her brows.

Zhang Yuning stood up, firing back: “If you’ve done something shady, why fear others finding out? You know exactly what you’ve done to me—whether I’m a substitute or an experiment, I don’t need you to tell me. I’ll find out what I want to know myself. Yes, I eavesdropped. I enjoy underhanded tactics. Don’t forget how we met.”

“An experiment?” Chi Nian’s eyes flashed with disbelief.

“Am I not?”

“You think you’re my experiment?!” Chi Nian’s voice hardened, her gaze incredulous.

“If not, then why did you inject me repeatedly? Why deliberately sleep with me? Why hire me as a bodyguard just to find chances to drug me? You even colluded with Third Miss to lure me to Butterfly Manor—do you take me for a fool, Chi Nian?” Finally, Zhang Yuning mustered the courage to vent all her pent-up grievances.

The barrage of questions left Chi Nian’s breathing uneven, countless emotions flickering in her eyes—but soon, she regained her composure. Like a turbulent sea, after the towering waves, the surface calmed once more.

Coolly, she said, “Don’t forget what you just promised me today.” Again, Chi Nian sidestepped the questions.

“You didn’t actually take our act seriously, did you, Chi Nian?”

Chi Nian frowned deeply. “What act?”

“Sleeping with you, watching movies with you, cooking for you—it was all to uncover your secrets, your motives.”

“And what else?”

“Don’t think I cared about Yue Liang or was jealous. I just wanted revenge.”

“Go on.” Chi Nian’s expression remained unreadable. Whether her emotions had peaked or she was simply accustomed to restraint, the sorrow in her eyes ran deeper than the ocean.

Sadness, perhaps, was her very essence. Chi Nian had never laughed freely; the rare moments of honesty and tenderness she showed were mustered with all the strength she had.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Yuning hesitated to say more hurtful things. But with her eavesdropping exposed today, there was no point in pretending anymore.

“Keeping me by your side is like sitting on a time bomb.” She tried to provoke Chi Nian with extreme words.

“You want me to send you away, is that it?”

Zhang Yuning had spoken out of turn in the heat of the moment, but if Chi Nian had said even a single word to stop her, she wouldn’t have stayed. Reason told her she was free—Chi Nian couldn’t keep her. It might even be easier to pursue everything she wanted to know on her own, through her own channels of investigation, surveillance, or even stalking.

But she had just promised Chi Nian today, and she wanted to keep that promise for once.

For the sake of that fragile, brittle vulnerability. For the sake of the countless times her heart had raced. For the sake of the truth buried deep inside—that she didn’t want to leave, that she wanted to stay, to be there for her, to possess her, even to save her.

Zhang Yuning wanted to know all the secrets. She wanted to stand by Chi Nian and face these things together, to overcome the hardships side by side—whether it was illness or drug trials, she was willing. If only they could be honest with each other, why would she resort to such underhanded methods to deal with Chi Nian? If only they could open their hearts, how could she bear to confront Chi Nian so harshly when she was this weak?

She didn’t answer Chi Nian’s retort, but Chi Nian, too, left those pressing questions unanswered.

“In half a month, I’ll set you free.” With those calm words, Chi Nian turned and walked toward her room. Her composed indifference drove Zhang Yuning mad. What was the point of asking? She would never tell.

To Chi Nian, she was just an outsider.

Helpless, Zhang Yuning sank back into the couch with a deep sigh, her heart throbbing painfully. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, and an unfamiliar sense of powerlessness settled in her chest.

Her attempt to get closer to Chi Nian had failed. The desire for revenge was fading too. In such a short time, the barren wasteland of her inner world had transformed into patches of oasis—only for those lush greens to wither like fleeting mirages, destroyed once more by harsh reality. Life was cruel. Things you couldn’t have—if you forced them, it would only end in tragedy.

There was an insurmountable wall between Chi Nian’s world and hers. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break through.

Zhang Yuning truly wanted to walk away, but she hated herself for being unable to. She had already said such hurtful, unforgivable things, yet Chi Nian hadn’t lost her temper. Apart from reprimanding her for eavesdropping, her emotions remained as steady as a mountain.

The only one spiraling was Zhang Yuning. The only one who cared—was her, alone.

By day, their relationship had seemed like that of lovers. By night, it had plummeted to freezing point. Zhang Yuning didn’t leave, but she didn’t know how to face Chi Nian either, so she simply slept on the couch.

The following days passed in near silence. Zhang Yuning would cook and leave the food out; Chi Nian would take a few bites. Every morning, she attended video conferences, rested in the afternoon, and went to bed early at night.

It was like a stalemate or a silent battle of wills. Neither would yield, neither would compromise. Occasionally, Zhang Yuning would try to catch Chi Nian’s gaze, but she always failed.

Chi Nian truly could shut everything out, cutting off all connection, acting as if Zhang Yuning didn’t exist.

Zhang Yuning’s mood plummeted. She even abandoned the thought of hacking into Chi Nian’s computer. Staring at the screen, her mind would wander, unable to focus—her heart stolen away by Chi Nian to who-knows-where.

To be so utterly infatuated with someone—how ridiculous. It seemed she had fallen for Chi Nian. Not just a passing fondness, but a deep, consuming obsession.

Tonight, Liuli City was drenched in another torrential downpour. Standing before the glass wall, the curtain of rain blurred her vision. Watching the heavy downpour streak past, Zhang Yuning suddenly felt that Chi Nian was like this watery veil—so close, yet forever obscuring what lay beneath. Nothing could part it.

She kept herself closed off from everyone, withdrawn, curled up, walking alone on her path.

Before, when she slept on the sofa, Chi Nian would pull her into the bedroom. But now, she didn’t care at all. This cold indifference left Zhang Yuning sleepless every night.

Since she couldn’t let go, maybe she should take the initiative. Going against her own feelings was hard—she had never cared so deeply about anyone before. For the first time, Zhang Yuning understood how uncomfortable it was to fight against herself, how agonizing it was to suppress and restrain her emotions.

It was ten o’clock. Chi Nian was probably asleep.

She tiptoed into the room without knocking, only to find Chi Nian bent over the trash can. Zhang Yuning walked around the bed and saw her wiping away a nosebleed, traces of blood still smeared near her ear.

Her heart ached violently, as if being gnawed by countless ants, torn apart by a beast—utterly shattered.

Her chest tightened with anguish as she watched Chi Nian struggle to clean the blood, her own feet rooted to the spot, too heavy to move. Chi Nian merely looked up calmly, finished wiping, then used a wet wipe to clean her nose and mouth. She tied up the trash bag and lay down peacefully.

No wonder Chi Nian had been taking out the trash every day lately. No wonder she always retreated to her room early. No wonder she avoided appearing in front of her, hiding her sickly, exhausted face.

Zhang Yuning walked to the bedside, knelt down, and leaned over her, lips trembling as she choked out the words: “Chi Nian… what’s really wrong with you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m dying.” Chi Nian smiled bitterly, yet her expression remained fearless.