The Beautiful Wife I Picked Up Is A Little Mute - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Jealousy

To everyone’s surprise, just as he was about to turn away, Xie Mo’s hand was firmly caught by Tang Yingrui.

Tang Yingrui’s voice was hoarse, but his tone was exactly as it had always been: “Let’s go. Let’s go home.”

Thus, halfway through his movement, Xie Mo abruptly changed his mind. He allowed Tang Yingrui to lead him away, leaving the other man behind.

Ji Hanyue was driven to the brink of madness by jealousy. He had wasted so much energy searching for him, only to have Xie Mo follow someone else without a single backward glance.

What am I to him then?

With every step Xie Mo took, the tension in his back tightened. He didn’t dare breathe too loudly, terrified that Ji Hanyue would chase after them. But he didn’t. Ji Hanyue simply stood there, his shadow stretched long by the moonlight, his eyes fixed on Xie Mo’s retreating back. Deep within those pitch-black pupils, a terrifying ruthlessness swirled.

Originally, he hadn’t been that obsessed; he had thought he would just play with him until he was bored and then let him go. Now, he had changed his mind. He had never failed to get something he wanted.

Tang Yingrui stopped in front of Kou Xingyu and pulled Xie Mo slightly behind him. “Kou Xingyu, does the promise you made back there still stand?”

Kou Xingyu glanced at the nervous, head-bowed Xie Mo, then swept his gaze over their interlaced hands. He withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, just in time to see Ji Hanyue get into his car and slam the door with a deafening bang. Finally, he looked back at Tang Yingrui and, after a long pause, nodded.

“It stands. There’s a car in the back; the keys are in the ignition.”

Kou Xingyu was a man of his word; Tang Yingrui didn’t worry about him reneging. Having received his answer, Tang Yingrui led Xie Mo away without looking back.

The night was heavy, and the moon had hidden behind the clouds. The deep forest had fallen into a deathly silence, save for the rustling of dry branches in the wind. The Alphas who had been sent there had long since driven away; the quiet was now eerie. This storm was clearly not over; tonight was destined to be sleepless.

After wandering through the woods for a long time, they finally spotted a black jeep hidden behind some bushes. Tang Yingrui reached out to open the door, but before he could climb in, a playful voice pierced the night:

“Hi—”

Xie Mo trembled with fright. Zhou Minghe had dropped down from the roof of the car at some point, winking and waving at him. He looked between the two of them, feigning disappointment. “And here I thought the one you were pining for was Cui Yejin. Turns out it was someone else entirely.”

Tang Yingrui looked at him warily as a memory flooded his brain: “Why are you here?!!”

Zhou Minghe rubbed his chin and walked around to the driver’s seat. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have even seen this little Omega.” With that, he honked the horn. “Get in, get in! Let’s go. I haven’t had dinner; I’m starving.”

Tang Yingrui hadn’t forgotten the scene of Zhou Minghe walking out of Kou Xingyu’s room. It seemed that while he was away, Kou Xingyu’s life had been “eventful,” and he hadn’t let his lower half stay idle. He assumed the departure had been so hasty that they had simply left this Alpha behind.

Zhou Minghe, of course, had no idea what Tang Yingrui was thinking. He had intended to leave in his precious off-road vehicle after the show, only to find it gone. He had a voice message from his younger brother on his phone, the tone freezing: “The show isn’t over. Keep watching. I’ve taken the car.”

Cui Yejin hadn’t wanted him bringing the boy along, so he had simply taken the kid and left. Kou Xingyu had gotten into the car carrying his sister. And the only one left, Ji Hanyue, looked like a walking corpse, radiating a bone-chilling aura. Zhou Minghe was afraid that if he got into that car, the man might drive off a cliff in a fit of pique.

After searching the woods, he finally found this one vehicle. By the law of “first come, first served,” Zhou Minghe could have just driven away. Seeing Tang Yingrui’s face looking ghastly, Zhou Minghe curled his lip. “Tsk. You don’t want to get in? Then goodbye.”

Xie Mo’s eyes widened; he didn’t want to spend the night in this dark, creepy forest. But the Alpha had already started the car and sped off, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

“Let’s head toward the highway first. We might be able to catch a passing car,” Tang Yingrui decided, scanning the dark woods.

At first glance, Xie Mo had already taken off his jacket. Hearing the plan, he stared at the clothing spread on the ground for two seconds, then frantically rolled it into a bundle and hugged it to his chest.

“What are you doing?” Tang Yingrui frowned.

Xie Mo slowly put the jacket back on and signed: “I thought we were spending the night here, so I was preparing.”

…

The two moved quietly over piles of decaying leaves, the snap of dry twigs being the only sound. Suddenly, a blinding yellow light cut through the darkness—headlights! The glow cast flickering shadows on the leaves, feeling unspeakably strange in the silence.

Fifty meters away, a car sat waiting, its taillights glowing like a predator waiting for its prey. After so many harrowing events, Xie Mo had become a bit braver. He tugged at Tang Yingrui’s sleeve, pointing in that direction.

Tang Yingrui noticed it too and held his breath. “Stay here. I’ll go check the situation.”

Xie Mo shook his head, signing “Together” frantically. But the Alpha had already let go of his hand and was creeping toward the light. Xie Mo had to wait, watching Tang Yingrui’s back shrink into a small dot of light.

When that dot vanished, Xie Mo dazed for a moment, suddenly realizing he was all alone. Anxiety and fear crept up from his limbs, and his breathing slowed. Five minutes passed without a sound.

Xie Mo gripped his sweaty hands and took a deep breath, deciding not to wait anymore. But before he could take a step, a piercing scream shattered the silence. Immediately after, the car roared to life and sped off forward.

Xie Mo’s heart plummeted. He sprinted forward. He saw a figure on the ground wailing in pain. His heart jumped into his throat, worried it was Tang Yingrui.

Xie Mo knelt down to help the Alpha up. The person, who had been crying into their arms, suddenly turned their face. Unprepared, Xie Mo collided with a pair of eyes as black as an abyss.

As if struck by lightning, he jerked his hand off the person’s shoulder. His frayed nerves couldn’t take any more stimulation.

“Ah!” Nie Xi cried out again, frowning in pain. Seeing Xie Mo backing away, he looked hurt. “Why won’t you help me up… I think I broke something…”

Xie Mo wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his trembling fingers signing: “Why are you here? Where is Tang Yingrui?”

Nie Xi dusted the dirt off his pants and used a tree trunk to pull himself up, letting out a long sigh. “I wanted to see the show, but I lost my way. I couldn’t find the road, so I had to rest here.” He rubbed his knee, his voice full of grievance. “I was just dozing off when someone knocked on the window for a light. I opened it out of kindness, and that guy pulled me out, took the car, and drove off!”

He looked up at the sky. “My life is so bitter.”

The story was told with such sincerity, even his tone had a perfect tremor. Anyone would have been moved, and Xie Mo was no exception. But then he remembered Ji Hanyue saying Nie Xi was a liar, and he hesitated. He didn’t quite believe Tang Yingrui would leave him behind.

Nie Xi wiped his face and added casually, “Man, I’ve never seen that guy before. Who knew he’d be so malicious?”

True, Xie Mo thought. Nie Xi had never met Tang Yingrui, and he was indeed the only one in the woods. Still, Xie Mo asked one more time, signing fast: “Are you absolutely sure… he was the one who took the car?”

Nie Xi pulled out a cigarette pack and lit one. “What would I gain by lying to you? Do you think I enjoy playing ghost in the middle of the night?”

With no other choice, Xie Mo could only follow him. He didn’t know how long they walked. His steps felt like he was walking on clouds, and his head was buzzing. The Nie Xi in front of him was striding along until he felt a tug on his clothes.

He turned to see Xie Mo looking deathly pale, doubled over and gasping for air, looking like he was about to vomit. “Want to rest a bit?” Nie Xi suggested.

Xie Mo’s face was as white as paper. He had been on the move all day without rest; his Omega stamina had reached its limit. He licked his dry lips and nodded, his legs giving way as he slid down a tree trunk to sit on the ground. Then, Nie Xi watched as Xie Mo’s head nodded forward before he suddenly slumped over, falling directly into a pile of dry leaves.

He had passed out.

Nie Xi felt a twinge of pity. Such a well-behaved Omega, worked to the bone like this. Ji Hanyue’s heart really is made of iron to not feel bad for him.

Nie Xi finished his last cigarette and pulled out his phone to send a message:

“Get over here now.”