The Beautiful Wife I Picked Up Is A Little Mute - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Competing for Superiority

If he had anticipated encountering such things, Xie Mo would never have gone back, even if it cost him his life. But what was done was done; Ji Hanyue had a point, and Xie Mo opened his mouth, only to find he lacked the confidence to argue back.

The nerves that had been stretched tight throughout the first half of the night had kept him in a state of high alertness. Now that he had relaxed and the hour was late, Xie Mo couldn’t fight off the sleepiness anymore. He leaned against the seat, propping himself up with his hands on either side, his head bobbing as it sank lower and lower. His eyelids began to fight, and he was on the verge of drifting off.

Just as drowsiness was about to fully submerge his consciousness, the car braked suddenly—

Xia Yi had slammed on the brakes to avoid a child hopping across the road. Xie Mo pitched forward, but instead of falling, he was caught by a firm arm around his waist and pulled steadily into a warm embrace.

He was naturally thin, with barely any meat on his bones, and as he curled into the man’s chest, he seemed even more fragile. Ji Hanyue looked at his dazed state and felt an inexplicable softening in his heart.

Xie Mo leaned against his chest, so tired he was barely conscious. He made a couple of stray gestures with his hands before falling into a deep sleep. Ji Hanyue recognized the sign for “Thank you.” His Adam’s apple moved, but he said nothing, only tightening his hold on the person in his arms.

During the day, this Omega always thought of staying far away, yet now he had completely lost his guard. A duplicitous Omega.

…

Xie Mo was woken up by the urgent need to use the bathroom. With his eyes half-closed, he groogily climbed out of bed in the dark. After walking a few steps by instinct, there was a muffled “thud” as his forehead slammed squarely into a wall.

The sleepiness vanished instantly; he was wide awake. This was neither his familiar home nor Ji Hanyue’s villa. His brain processed slowly for several seconds before the fragmented memories pieced themselves together. He remembered Ji Hanyue saying he would take him out to “play.”

He took a deep breath and fumbled for the light switch. Warm yellow light flooded the room, revealing a layout completely different from Ji Hanyue’s house, though the decor remained luxurious. He had no time to admire it; finding a toilet was the priority.

He pulled open the bedroom door and peered left and right down the corridor lined with Persian rugs, only to bump straight into a figure at the corner.

“Hi, long time no see.”

Nie Xi had just stepped onto the second floor. His suit collar was slightly open, revealing a broad expanse of deep-red chest as he leaned against the railing with a smile. His gaze swept over Xie Mo’s sleepy face. He had intended to play the host, but then he remembered the nonsense he had told Xie Mo before.

He felt a bit of a headache. Who would have thought Ji Hanyue would actually bring Xie Mo here? He had assumed it was just a fling.

As he was thinking, he saw Xie Mo raise his hands. The expected question didn’t come; instead, the boy simply signed a standard question: “Where is the bathroom, please?”

“I’ll take you there.” Perhaps this person really had forgotten him. After all, it had been three full months since their last meeting.

Nie Xi’s phone chimed. It was a message from his brother: “Xiao Xi, if you can’t hang on, come upstairs and sleep.”

He had been quite sleepy, but hearing Nie Chongshi say that made him feel as though his brother thought he couldn’t handle his liquor. “I only came upstairs to use the bathroom!” Nie Xi’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “I’m perfectly sober, I could drink another crate no problem!”

The reply came quickly: “There’s a bathroom downstairs, too.”

Nie Xi felt like he was losing face. “I just happen to like using the one on the second floor.”

He felt no affection for this brother; in fact, he harbored hostility. Or rather, he had no memory of him at all before the age of ten. Since he could remember, he had been the star of the family, getting whatever he wanted and being spoiled to the point of lawlessness.

Until his tenth birthday, when his father suddenly brought home a strange youth, saying this was his brother who had returned from abroad to celebrate with him. From then on, he realized he wasn’t an only child. Across the ocean, there was an older brother five years his senior, being meticulously groomed as the family heir.

His brother was burdened with great expectations and would take over the company as soon as he came of age. Meanwhile, Nie Xi was just a “little waste” raised in the manor.

Over the years, Nie Xi always wanted to compete with Nie Chongshi. But no matter what he learned, he always lost. In the end, only drinking allowed him to barely reclaim some pride—after all, Nie Chongshi always maintained a stiff posture and only took small sips.

As for Nie Chongshi, perhaps because he had always known of this younger brother’s existence, he wasn’t surprised when they met. He had even given Nie Xi an exquisite ring, one of only two in the world crafted by top British artisans.

After the company affairs were fully handed over to Nie Chongshi, their parents went abroad to enjoy their retirement. Nie Xi, still having studies to complete domestically, had no choice but to live under the same roof as his brother.

…

The night grew deep, and the guests had mostly dispersed. In the living room, only the late-arriving Ji Hanyue remained, along with Ren Wen, who was curled in a corner of the sofa, sleeping soundly. Ji Hanyue’s relationship with Nie Chongshi wasn’t exactly close, but they weren’t strangers either; they could chat casually.

As Nie Xi walked over, he vaguely heard his name mentioned in their conversation. He forced a cold smile. “What are you two chatting about so happily?”

Ji Hanyue glanced at Nie Xi, as if suddenly remembering something important. He stood up from the sofa and said as he headed toward the stairs, “Your brother says he wants to hand the company over to you.”

Nie Xi shook his head without a second thought. “No thanks. I don’t want to be bound by those rules and regulations.” He was used to his lifestyle.

Nie Chongshi patted the empty seat beside him, a gentle smile on his lips as he gestured for him to sit. Nie Xi felt uncomfortable but sat down stiffly, making small talk: “How is your hearing recovery going? I don’t think you needed to rush back; the medical facilities in England are better. It wouldn’t be too late to return after a full recovery.”

The half-year of treatment had been in vain; the permanent damage to his eardrums was irreversible. In reality, aside from a few close friends, few people knew Nie Chongshi was deaf. Since this was a major matter that could affect the Nie family’s stock price, it was kept quiet. Usually, Nie Chongshi wore invisible, in-ear hearing aids. Even if noticed, most people would mistake them for regular earphones.

“Does Xiao Xi really not want to see his brother that much?” Nie Chongshi smoothed down a stray lock of hair that had curled while Nie Xi slept. He explained, “The company needs me; I can’t be away for too long.”

Nie Xi subtly brushed Nie Chongshi’s hand away and moved to the side. This brother of his was sometimes terrifyingly hypocritical; Nie Xi could never understand what he was really thinking. “How could that be? I’ve missed you to death.”

In the vast hall, ignoring the dead-to-the-world Ren Wen, only the two biological brothers who shared no affection were left. Just as Nie Xi was about to open a bottle of wine to ease his irritation, a voice reached his ears, its tone unreadable:

“Xiao Xi, the car accident you arranged was very successful. For a moment, I really thought I was dead.”

Nie Chongshi’s lips quirked, and he looked at him with a smile in his eyes. “But Brother doesn’t blame you.”

Nie Xi’s heart thundered. The wine bottle slipped in his palm, nearly crashing to the floor. He knew all along. But why is he only saying it now?