My Mysterious Darling Wife (GL) - Chapter 10

Back in the car, Chi Nian leaned back, her profile turned toward the window. Soft sunlight bathed her, yet a heavy sense of solitude settled over her. She stared out the window, seemingly seeing nothing, the glass faintly reflecting her blurred face.

The entire ride passed in silence. The seemingly perfect social interaction had vanished without a trace, leaving Chi Nian as she had been before—enveloped in a cold, isolating aura.

Zhang Yuning couldn’t understand why Chi Nian always exuded an indescribable sadness, as if she had once slept through despair and, upon awakening, still found no hope. The lighthouse in her eyes would occasionally flicker to life, only to be extinguished again.

What secrets lay hidden in her heart? Which facet of Chi Nian was the true one?

Zhang Yuning could sense a hidden strength simmering beneath Chi Nian’s frail frame—a magnetic force that tugged at her own heart.

A Chi Family heiress shouldn’t be like this. The Chi Nian she had seen at the social gathering earlier seemed more like the Miss Chi of public perception, the Miss Chi the world expected.

She resolved to stop trying to decipher Chi Nian. Any further attempts would only shatter her own defenses, not break through Chi Nian’s impenetrable walls. She feared that one day, her own steel-reinforced armor would be crushed by some unknown, terrifying force.

Zhang Yuning’s small clinic was located in an ordinary residential area, on the ground floor of an apartment building. She had purchased both floors of the storefront, using the lower level as the clinic and the upper level as her residence. A private staircase inside the clinic provided direct access to her home, making it incredibly convenient.

Accustomed to living independently, Zhang Yuning ran the clinic primarily for basic ailments and medication sales. Her main income came from selling coding online, sometimes gaming equipment, and even participating in horse races—a diverse range of income streams without a fixed job. Of course, working for Xiao Changying paid significantly better. This very house was purchased with the bonus she received for designing the security system for Third Miss’s Butterfly Manor.

Having been away for several days, Zhang Yuning had converted the clinic into a pharmacy. Assuming she would be staying with Chi Nian for an extended period, she had told her nurse not to come in, planning to permanently repurpose the space as a pharmacy.

Chi Nian’s luxury car stood out starkly in this ordinary residential neighborhood, drawing immediate attention. Yet Zhang Yuning stubbornly drove it in, hiding it around a corner and occupying a temporary parking spot.

After helping Chi Nian out of the car, Zhang Yuning remained uneasy. The surroundings were far too ordinary, with surveillance cameras only at intersections and her clinic entrance, lacking any real security measures.

She glanced around, instinctively becoming vigilant despite knowing the area like the back of her hand and being familiar with her neighbors. After all, she was now Chi Nian’s bodyguard, and her safety was her primary responsibility.

What are you so worried about? This is your territory, Chi Nian said, her tone shifting as she gazed at the Zhangzhang Clinic sign above the door, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

Sunlight once again bathed her profile, rekindling the extinguished light in her eyes.

Was it the sunlight’s doing, or the reward of novelty? Stepping down to street level, she seemed more relaxed and at ease than usual, as if the touch of everyday life had grounded her.

Territory…

Zhang Yuning used to joke with her patients, My territory, my rules. In reality, she regularly brought free medicine to the slums every month. Having picked up some medical skills along the way, she miraculously passed her certification exams and became a makeshift doctor, her purpose far from financial gain.

Hearing such street slang from Chi Nian’s lips felt both strange and strangely familiar.

We can leave after the checkup, right? Zhang Yuning assumed it was just a quick look.

Leave? Chi Nian raised an eyebrow. You’re staying here tonight.

What?

Zhang Yuning froze, staring at Chi Nian in disbelief. She had never brought anyone home before even when Xiao Changying’s people came, they either stayed downstairs or met her elsewhere.

My place…

Before she could offer an excuse, Chi Nian had already opened the door. Only a few people knew about Zhang Yuning’s habit of not locking her door.

Was this just a coincidence?

Chi Nian didn’t give her a chance to speak.

Miss Chi, my place isn’t suitable for guests, Zhang Yuning said, hurrying inside to block her path. I don’t have spare clothes or anything prepared. It’s really not appropriate for someone of your status.

I told you not to call me Miss Chi.

Then…

You’ll be punished for not following my rules, Chi Nian said, adopting a bossy tone.

Alright, alright, whatever you say. But staying at my place…

Then your punishment is to have me stay at your place, Chi Nian declared, her voice firm and leaving no room for argument. Zhang Yuning’s mouth moved silently, utterly speechless.

As she spoke, Chi Nian scanned the surroundings. The single-story clinic was about 80 square meters, divided into two rooms one housing the medicine cabinets and the other serving as the doctor’s office, which contained a medical bed for administering IV drips and treating minor injuries.

Chi Nian never gave Zhang Yuning a chance to say no. She found the staircase herself and asked, Does this lead directly into your home?

Yes… The word caught in Zhang Yuning’s throat, unwilling to be spoken. Before she could finish, Chi Nian had already started climbing the stairs.

No, Chi… no, Boss…

Suddenly unsure what to call her, Zhang Yuning was bewildered by Chi Nian’s daily antics. What is she even planning?

Forget it. She’s the boss. She’s the boss. Zhang Yuning repeated the mantra countless times in her mind, resigned to the situation.

She never imagined that compromise would become her daily routine.

Chi Nian reached the door, grasped the handle, and smiled faintly. Not locked either? As she spoke, she turned the handle, and the door swung open.

There’s no point locking interior doors, Zhang Yuning retorted, refusing to admit she found carrying keys inconvenient. She believed no lock was truly secure, especially since her lock-picking skills had never failed her.

The two floors were the same size, but the second floor, though residential, only had two rooms. Compared to Chi Nian’s mansion, it felt like a cramped hovel.

Yet the layout of this floor was truly astonishing, bordering on bizarre. Few would arrange their home like this, but for Zhang Yuning, it seemed perfectly normal.

The entrance opened directly into an open-plan kitchen, with a bar counter serving as the dining table. A corner seemed sufficient for meals. The key feature was the sofa next to the bar, separated by a narrow passage from a large tatami-style bed. It felt like the bedroom wasn’t quite a bedroom, the kitchen wasn’t quite a kitchen, and the living room wasn’t quite a living room.

Chi Nian glanced around without showing surprise, as if this peculiar layout were perfectly normal to her. She walked through the passage toward the inner rooms, leaving only the bathroom and a separate study.

Zhang Yuning had renovated the apartment, making the study absurdly large—almost the entire space of the apartment had been sacrificed to accommodate it.

A light-wood desk, nearly as wide as the western wall, held three massive monitors. Apart from a notebook and a few scattered A4 sheets, the desk was bare. An ergonomic gaming chair stood before it. The eastern wall was lined with bookshelves, but instead of books, they were filled with instant noodles, potato chips, and other junk food.

A whiteboard stood before the bookshelves, covered in dense scribbles that looked like a mix of letters and numbers, scrawled haphazardly with strange lines and the occasional Chinese annotation. The handwriting was so illegible it was nearly incomprehensible.

When Chi Nian glanced at her chicken-scratch handwriting, Zhang Yuning hurried over with an eraser and scrubbed the whiteboard clean. After all, her handwriting was illegible, and only she could decipher what she’d written.

Chi Nian smiled silently, watching Zhang Yuning frantically erase the board. Her gaze then fell on the trash can on the floor, where two books with torn pages lay discarded, giving the impression of having been read and then abandoned.

This place is so cramped, it’s not really suitable for living, Zhang Yuning persisted, still trying to dissuade Chi Nian from staying the night.

Chi Nian seemed not to hear her. She walked straight to the only habitable spot in the room, stroking the cream-colored cushion on the bay window. Do you sleep here at night?

Not necessarily. I can sleep anywhere.

Zhang Yuning’s solitary life was utterly casual and lacked any routine. Her home was sparsely furnished, sometimes looking uninhabited. The decor followed a minimalist, cold aesthetic, dominated by gray and white tones, even the curtains were a muted gray, devoid of any warm colors.

The bay window is too narrow. I’ll take the bed.

You probably didn’t bring any cosmetics or toiletries, did you? I don’t have any here, not even pajamas, Zhang Yuning said, still clinging to hope.

Chi Nian looked at her, a playful smile in her eyes. Are you trying to subtly kick me out?

Not exactly.

If not, there’s a travel kit in the trunk. Could you bring it up for me?

This sounds like she came prepared, Zhang Yuning thought, speechless. She couldn’t find any reason to refuse Chi Nian’s request, nor could she bring herself to issue another eviction notice. Might as well resign myself to it. It’s just for one night anyway.

Chi Nian won’t be comfortable sleeping here. If she doesn’t sleep well, she’ll naturally want to leave tomorrow.

Fine, Zhang Yuning reluctantly agreed. Chi Nian settled contentedly on the bay window. The second floor wasn’t high, so even gazing at the distant blue sky and white clouds required tilting her head back.

Following instructions, Zhang Yuning brought up the travel bag. It was still early, and she worried about the two of them being awkwardly alone in the house, staring at each other.

But Chi Nian immediately assigned her a task extract all critical information from the day’s data. This would keep her busy until late into the night, at least.

Once Zhang Yuning immersed herself in work, she became completely focused. Back in her own space, working on her widescreen monitor, she could accomplish twice as much in half the time. With three screens running simultaneously, she estimated she could shave another two hours off the original workload.

One worked in the study, the other in the living room. Zhang Yuning had no idea what Chi Nian was doing she couldn’t hear a sound. Of course, when she was working, she was practically deaf, her eyes glued to the screens.

As evening approached, Zhang Yuning’s stomach began to rumble, reminding her that they hadn’t had dinner yet. She instinctively reached for instant noodles, but then she saw Chi Nian placing a bowl of noodles on the table.

The instant noodles had been cooked in a new way, topped with two soft-boiled eggs and a squeeze of ketchup, with a small dollop of chili sauce on the side.

Eat up. Then get back to work and finish your overtime.

Though shocked that Chi Nian had personally cooked the noodles, Zhang Yuning couldn’t bring herself to express gratitude. The demanding tone of the next sentence more than canceled out the gesture.

Zhang Yuning picked up a mouthful of noodles, wondering who would add ketchup before chili sauce when cooking instant noodles? And why insist on two soft-boiled eggs? This was her favorite way to eat them, something no one else knew. She only bothered with it when she had the time and inclination, usually just eating them plain.

Where did you learn to make instant noodles like this? she asked Chi Nian suspiciously, deeply suspecting her brain had been hacked. It couldn’t just be a coincidence, could it?

I wanted to add some greens, but your fridge only had ketchup, chili sauce, and kimchi.

True enough, Zhang Yuning thought, this bowl probably contained the last two eggs in the house.

I’ll buy some next time, she mumbled, stirring the noodles before taking her first bite. Her mood felt strangely complicated.

Is it good? Chi Nian suddenly leaned down, asking softly, her voice tinged with a hint of anticipation.

Zhang Yuning looked up mid-bite, the noodle still dangling from her chopsticks. The light in Chi Nian’s eyes hadn’t faded, reflecting her own image within them. A chord in her heart inexplicably resonated.