The Beautiful Wife I Picked Up Is A Little Mute - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Disconnected Number

After delivering that long string of words, Tang Yingrui gave Xie Mo no time to process. He hung up.

When Xie Mo tried to call back, the operator informed him the number was no longer in service.

Didn’t Tang Yingrui say he wanted to stay with him forever? Didn’t he say he’d stay by his side even if it meant death? How could he break his word so easily?

The light in Xie Mo’s eyes faded—it turned out everything Ji Hanyue said was true. Tang Yingrui really had abandoned him.

The bedroom door creaked open halfway. Seeing the housekeeper’s worried expression, Xie Mo hurriedly sniffed, blinking away the tears swirling in his eyes.

The housekeeper asked concernedly, “Mr. Xie, should I call a doctor to check on you?” His face looked even worse just in the time it took to answer a phone call.

Xie Mo stuffed the phone back into his pocket and shook his head to indicate he was fine. He saw the housekeeper raise his hands, brow furrowed as if searching his memory, before formally signing: “Want to go for a walk? I can accompany you.”

After gesturing, the man scratched his graying hair a bit awkwardly and smiled. “I didn’t get it wrong this time, did I? I’m getting old; my memory is failing me.”

Xie Mo felt slightly better. He forced a small smile and signed back: “Thank you, no need.” Ji Hanyue certainly wouldn’t allow him to go out.

…

In the afternoon, Ji Hanyue actually returned home. Seeing that Xie Mo’s eyes were still swollen, he had the housekeeper prepare an ice pack for him to hold against his face to reduce the swelling.

Xie Mo remained immersed in his own thoughts, staring blankly at the air. He didn’t have any particular reaction to Ji Hanyue’s return—until Ji Hanyue walked over and, as was his habit, took his hand to lead him toward the second floor.

Xie Mo’s heart plummeted. Did he only come back to do that? He was extremely reluctant, yet he didn’t dare pull his hand away.

At the entrance to the master bedroom, Ji Hanyue turned to look at him. He saw the Omega’s dejected, unwilling state with perfect clarity.

“Xie Mo.”

Xie Mo looked up at the sound of his name, only to hear Ji Hanyue say three words unhurriedly: “Give me a smile.”

“…?” Xie Mo was momentarily dazed. He pursed his lips and pulled up one corner of his mouth—a mockery of a smile.

Ji Hanyue’s face remained expressionless. “Xie Mo, if you like smiling like that, keep that face on whenever you see me from now on.”

Another threat. Xie Mo had never met such an unreasonable Alpha. Even an Alpha like Tang Yingrui wouldn’t make such strange demands.

Xie Mo pouted, braced himself, and turned up the corners of his mouth, squeezing out a forced, radiant smile for Ji Hanyue. It lasted three seconds before his face returned to normal.

A faint, almost imperceptible chuckle came from above. Xie Mo looked up in confusion. Ji Hanyue’s face was back to its cold mask. “That smile was ugly. Do it again.”

“…”

Even the most obedient person has a temper. Xie Mo clenched his fists, pushed open the bedroom door, walked straight to the bedside, and began taking off his clothes with his back to Ji Hanyue.

The area on the back of his neck where the scent-blocking patch sat was densely covered in hickeys and bite marks. Though his pale, beautiful body was a bit thin, he had curves where they belonged. It seemed the recent forced feedings had been effective; he felt a bit more substantial now, less bony.

A few suspicious finger marks lingered in the small of his back, silent accusations of some past loss of control. Xie Mo hung his head, his fine hair obscuring his eyes, showing only the small crown of his head. His fists were clenched tight at his sides—a picture of “just get it over with” martyrdom.

But deep down, Xie Mo was still terrified. He stared at the bedsheets, counting the wrinkles to distract himself. One, two, three, four…

Before he could get to ten, his vision went dark as a garment was pulled over his head. Ji Hanyue stood behind him, his tall frame almost completely overshadowing the Omega. He lifted Xie Mo’s arms to slide them into sleeves, straightened the hem, and turned the boy around.

The heating in the room was high, so the Omega’s cheeks always carried a faint pink flush, like a ripe, juicy peach. Ji Hanyue’s gaze darkened, his throat bobbing. “Do you need me to help you put on your pants, too?”

It took several seconds for Xie Mo to realize he had misunderstood Ji Hanyue. His earlobes instantly turned crimson. He scrambled to reach for his pajama pants.

Ji Hanyue suddenly handed him a pair of jeans that were exactly Xie Mo’s size. “Are you sure you want to wear those bright yellow pajama pants out of the house?”

When he realized Ji Hanyue was taking him out, Xie Mo was undeniably thrilled. He had been here for over half a month, and his only range of activity had been the villa. He hadn’t seen the sun outside for far too long. He suddenly felt a bit nostalgic for the days of picking up plastic bottles—it was tiring, but it was free.

“What are you thinking about?” Seeing him dazed, Ji Hanyue scooped him up onto his lap and dressed him in the pants with a few quick movements.

The winter sun poured down without reservation, chasing away the bone-chilling cold. Such clear weather was a rare treat in this freezing season.

The car drove smoothly with Ji Hanyue’s assistant at the wheel. Xie Mo curled up quietly in the back, his eyes occasionally drifting to the scenery flashing by outside. He wanted to ask where they were going, but turning his head, he saw Ji Hanyue with his arms crossed, leaning against the seat with his eyes closed. He pouted and didn’t wake him.

Ji Hanyue looked like a different person when he slept. He shed his sharp edges and that overbearing pressure. His features were relaxed; if one didn’t know his temperament, he looked like quite an easy person to get along with.

Of course, that was only while he was sleeping. Normally, to Xie Mo, he was no different from a monster. One look into those deep eyes and you knew disaster was coming.

The drive was short. Soon, the car turned into a massive parking lot and stopped. “Young Master, we’ve arrived.”

Ji Hanyue opened his eyes. He saw Xie Mo shrinking to the other end of the seat, looking like he wanted to be eight hundred meters away. Xie Mo was hesitating whether to get out when Ji Hanyue’s arm hooked around his shoulder and pulled him over.

Ji Hanyue bit his lip and set another rule: “Don’t sit so far away from me in the car.”

Xie Mo lost track of which unreasonable demand this was. His spine went stiff as Ji Hanyue kissed him several times. Only when Xie Mo couldn’t take it and reached out to block him did Ji Hanyue let go and open the door.

In a state of total confusion, Xie Mo followed them into an elevator. People got on midway, but once the doors closed, everyone fell into a tactful silence. The atmosphere was strangely solemn and tense, filled only with the hum of the rising elevator.

Xie Mo tugged at the hem of his clothes, only then realizing something was off. Everyone in the elevator was dressed in formal black-and-white suits. Xie Mo looked down at his own clothes and breathed a secret sigh of relief—thankfully, his padded coat was white, so he didn’t look too out of place.

He stole a glance at Ji Hanyue, quickly withdrawing his gaze when Ji Hanyue started to look back. Ji Hanyue was also in white, matching him slightly.

In the next second, the back of his neck was given a firm but gentle squeeze. Ji Hanyue continued to stare straight ahead.

The elevator “dinged” open, and the group stepped out onto the polished marble floor.