The Beautiful Wife I Picked Up Is A Little Mute - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Don’t Overthink It

Xie Mo slept exceptionally deeply this time. When he woke up, he habitually let out a long stretch.

But halfway through the motion, he suddenly collided with a pair of eyes inches away from his own. Ji Hanyue was leaning over, staring at him, his cold, handsome face filling Xie Mo’s vision.

In the next second, flustered, Xie Mo’s hand accidentally landed right on Ji Hanyue’s face.

“Awake?”

If Xie Mo could speak, his scream would have been heard for miles. He retreated by reflex, scooting back until he hit the very edge of the bed and could go no further. Still shaken, Xie Mo looked down at himself.

He had already been changed into clean, soft pajamas. The bandage on his head had been removed; the wound wasn’t large and had already scabbed over. Xie Mo’s throat tightened as he nervously scanned his surroundings. He was in a completely unfamiliar room; outside the floor-to-ceiling windows stood the cold, bustling skyscrapers of a prosperous city.

Xie Mo was confused: Wasn’t I just in the forest? Why is Ji Hanyue here?

Before he could piece together a single thought, his slender white ankle was suddenly seized by Ji Hanyue. The Alpha’s eyes were as dark as ink. His fingers pressed against the smooth, pale skin, tightened, and gave a forceful yank.

Xie Mo lost his balance, falling backward and being pulled weightlessly into the other man’s embrace. There was no longer half an inch of space between them.

Ji Hanyue looked down into his terrified eyes. His slightly cool fingers traced a path across Xie Mo’s cheek. The touch felt like a snake’s tongue sliding over skin, making Xie Mo’s scalp tingle with dread.

“Are you that afraid of me?”

His thumb traced the curve of Xie Mo’s jaw before suddenly clamping down with force, leaving two immediate red marks on the skin. Xie Mo winced in pain, forced to look up and meet Ji Hanyue’s gaze.

“Then why did you leave without saying a word?”

Xie Mo’s heart hammered against his ribs. He wanted to scream that it was Ji Hanyue who had used deception to keep him trapped! But the Alpha before him seemed to have lost his reason; his face was dark and predatory, giving Xie Mo no chance to reach for a pen to write.

He was pinned roughly to the bed. Ji Hanyue grabbed the collar of the pale yellow pajamas and ripped downward; the sound of tearing fabric echoed all the way to his waist. Realizing what was about to happen, Xie Mo protectively crossed his hands over his chest, his head shaking violently in denial.

Since the night he left Ji Hanyue, Xie Mo hadn’t cried. But now, under the terrifying weight of this physical restraint, the tears were forced out once more.

The man who used to wipe his tears away now watched his breakdown with cold, silent eyes. His movements did not stop for a second.

…

At noon, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

After a moment, the door opened from the inside. Ji Hanyue stood there, his silk robe tied loosely at the waist, looking down at the person outside.

“Hello, Master Ji. I am Fu Yan.” The visitor was polite and mild-tempered. “The birthday banquet yesterday was unpleasant, so my young master has prepared a replacement lunch for today. It’s just across from the hotel.”

Ji Hanyue rubbed his messy hair and gave a low grunt. “Understood.”

As Fu Yan turned to leave, he was suddenly called back.

“Wait. Please tell the front desk to send up a set of clothes.”

…

Xie Mo had a nightmare. He dreamed he was trapped in a tiny, lightless stone chamber. There was no sky, no earth, only the damp, cold stone floor.

In the next second, countless vines burst like living creatures from the corners and cracks, binding his hands and feet. The vines were thick and oily, a sickly green color, covered in uneven, pulsing lumps. They felt alive.

He struggled with all his might, but the restraints only tightened. As the lashes fell, waves of sharp pain followed one after another. His body slowly lost sensation, his tears dried up, and he could only lie helplessly on the ground, enduring the endless torment.

After an eternity, a sliver of light finally broke into the black room. The hopeless punishment finally ceased.

Ji Hanyue pulled him up. The Omega in his arms was frowning deeply, his back drenched in cold sweat—clearly a nightmare. After changing Xie Mo into the newly delivered clothes, Ji Hanyue patted his burning cheek, finally calling him out of the dream.

When Xie Mo opened his eyes and saw it was Ji Hanyue, his eyes instantly flushed red. Tears threatened to spill again—this was more terrifying than the nightmare.

Ji Hanyue didn’t like that look. His fingertips paused before he laid the boy back down, his voice calm. “Get ready. I’m taking you to eat.”

It had been too late to return to City Z the previous night, so they had stayed in the hotel arranged by Cui Yejin. Xie Mo didn’t move; he hugged his knees and sobbed silently, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.

As noon approached, Ji Hanyue stared at him for several minutes. Finally, unable to take it, he walked over, slid his arms under Xie Mo’s knees, and carried him to the bathroom.

Xie Mo kept his head down the entire time, his shoulders shaking with sobs. Ji Hanyue truly didn’t know how such a small Omega could produce so many tears. He had cried all night, and now he was starting again upon waking.

“Xie Mo, my patience is limited,” Ji Hanyue said flatly.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Xie Mo watched the man in the mirror. He struggled to get down from the embrace. He clumsily wiped the tears from his face. By habit, he reached out to pull Ji Hanyue’s hand to write, but then he stopped himself. Instead, he wrote directly on the foggy surface of the mirror: “What did I do wrong?”

Ji Hanyue suppressed the hostility in his expression. He ignored the question, squeezed toothpaste onto the brush, and walked out of the bathroom.

A few minutes later, he pushed the door open and firmly led Xie Mo out. As soon as they entered the hallway, they ran into Nie Xi and Ren Wen. Nie Xi acted as if nothing had happened, greeting them with a smile. “Going to eat together?”

Seeing others, Xie Mo finally stopped crying, though he remained silent as Ji Hanyue led him by the hand. If there were a ranking for most hated Alphas, Ji Hanyue would undoubtedly be number one, and Nie Xi would definitely be in the top three.

Nie Xi’s eyes flickered to the purple bruises on the Omega’s collarbone. The pale skin was densely covered in bite marks, a clear testament to the Alpha’s “hard work.” Furthermore, Xie Mo was completely enveloped in the scent of Ji Hanyue’s Cypress Wood pheromones—a silent announcement to the world that this Omega belonged to an Alpha.

From the moment he was seated, Xie Mo remained dejected and listless. Suddenly, he felt a slight touch on his finger. Ji Hanyue squeezed his hand.

Xie Mo looked up in a daze, only then realizing that the long table, which had seemed empty, was now full of people. After seeing their faces, Xie Mo’s heart trembled violently.

Sitting directly opposite him was the kind Beta who had saved him. To the Beta’s left sat his partner—a cold-looking Alpha with a visible temper. Further down, the Alpha who had left them in the forest last night was talking in low tones to another Alpha who looked remarkably like him. His expression was frustrated—completely different from his previous playful demeanor.

In short, almost everyone at the table was a familiar face. Xie Mo was hit by an overwhelming shock. All these people… are Ji Hanyue’s friends? That kind, handsome Beta was one of them too.

“Eat,” Ji Hanyue said, pressing chopsticks into his hand. “What, have you gone stupid?”

Xie Mo blinked slowly. Finally, gathering his courage under the table, he pulled Ji Hanyue’s hand and wrote: “Why did you bring me here?”

Ji Hanyue nonchalantly placed some food in Xie Mo’s bowl. “It’s just a meal. Don’t ask ‘why’ so much. After we eat, we’re going back to City A.”

The others at the table didn’t react much to Xie Mo’s presence, as if they had expected him. Except for the Beta. Xie Shi was focused on his food and didn’t usually pay attention to others, so it was only when he reached for a dish that he noticed Xie Mo across from him. He was genuinely surprised, especially seeing how close Xie Mo and Ji Hanyue were sitting. By chance, he locked eyes with the Omega’s desolate gaze.

Ji Hanyue’s mind was in a mess; he just wanted to get Xie Mo back home before any more trouble arose. Suddenly, someone called his name. Xie Shi looked conflicted but voiced his concern anyway:

“This Omega… is he your partner?”

Xie Mo felt a surge of tension and immediately shook his head. At the same time, Ji Hanyue responded casually, “Yeah.”

Noticing Xie Mo’s panicked tug on his sleeve, Ji Hanyue’s expression didn’t change as he added, “He’s just sensitive and likes to cry. Otherwise, he suits me perfectly.”

Opposite them, Xie Shi sat up straighter, his gaze moving back and forth between the two. His tone was serious. “But looking at him, he doesn’t seem to care for you very much.”

Ji Hanyue remained composed. “We had a small argument last night. He’s just throwing a tantrum.”

Everyone present knew that Xie Shi was the love of Cui Yejin’s life. He was a man of facts and a very straightforward person. After Ji Hanyue spoke, Xie Shi cleared his throat and added: “Don’t overthink it.”