My Mysterious Darling Wife (GL) - Chapter 19

Chi Nian leaned against Zhang Yuning’s chest, her delicate fragrance filling the air. The subtle scent of her hair and the alluring aroma of her skin stirred Zhang Yuning’s heart. A slight tilt of her head would bring her lips to Chi Nian’s forehead.

She dared not move, unsure if Chi Nian was asleep. She held her breath, afraid even the slightest movement might awaken the woman in her arms. Zhang Yuning’s mind was fixed on the two notebooks within easy reach, sleep eluding her.

After enduring for about half an hour, she finally heard Chi Nian’s even breathing. She first tested the waters with a tentative movement. When Chi Nian didn’t react, she cautiously reached for the notebooks again.

Sleeping on her left side, Chi Nian’s right arm rested around Zhang Yuning’s waist, while her left hand lay beneath, clasping Zhang Yuning’s fingers. Suddenly, Chi Nian shifted, burrowing deeper into the embrace. Zhang Yuning lifted her chin and relaxed her shoulders, adjusting to make her more comfortable.

Seeing Chi Nian remained unaware of her movements, Zhang Yuning mustered the courage to open the black notebook. Thanks to the dim nightlight, she could make out several lines of numbers followed by surnames, resembling dates. Could this be a record of social engagements?

She pressed down on the cover and struggled to turn the pages with one hand. The pages continued to show numbers and incomplete strokes. Zhang Yuning, with her exceptional shorthand skills, immediately entered a memorization mode, committing the contents to memory.

Could this be some kind of code or cipher? Each page contained similar entries, along with extreme terms like birth, injury, death, and salvation. These were accompanied by abbreviations like M, and X which were incomplete and utterly incomprehensible.

Someone’s writing is even more cryptic than mine, Zhang Yuning thought. Perhaps it’s a way to prevent eavesdropping. Chi Nian’s guard was up, her vigilance no less sharp than her own. After meticulously copying the entire notebook, Zhang Yuning struggled to memorize its contents, finally committing the black notebook’s contents to memory.

Chi Nian slept soundly in her arms. Zhang Yuning lowered her gaze, seeing only her long eyelashes. Gazing at the woman in her arms, her heart surged with emotion. Zhang Yuning closed her eyes tightly, steadied her emotions, and switched the notebooks. She opened the white-covered documentary notebook.

This was the notebook Chi Nian had used to record her chilling episodes. Zhang Yuning flipped to the first page and found exactly what she expected 12HC, 6HS. She surmised this meant 12 hours of chills followed by 6 hours of sleep. The current date was written beside the numbers. Beyond this page, however, the notebook remained blank.

Zhang Yuning flipped the notebook over and discovered the back pages were densely filled with similar entries. Her gaze froze on dates that didn’t match the current day, while the numbers next to HC and HS steadily increased from small to large. What could this mean?

The date format was ambiguous, making it impossible to tell whether the numbers represented years or months. The back pages even included small icons, likely representing the weather.

I’ll jot this down for now, Zhang Yuning thought, focusing on the content. She forced herself to memorize the entries, knowing she wouldn’t retain them for long. I should be able to memorize all of this within two hours.

After finishing, she carefully returned the notebooks to their original positions. Chi Nian had relaxed her guard, otherwise she wouldn’t have left her bag so carelessly on the bedside table. Since Zhang Yuning couldn’t reach it and didn’t know if there were other items inside, she decided to abandon the attempt for now.

Her curiosity burned even hotter. What did the entries in the notebooks mean? The black notebook resembled a strange code that might be decipherable through various methods, while the white notebook’s records likely concealed even deeper secrets.

After reading, Zhang Yuning couldn’t sleep. The images from the notebooks flashed repeatedly through her mind. Afraid she might forget them if she drifted off, she resolved to transcribe everything while the memories were still fresh.

Chi Nian was using Zhang Yuning’s right arm as a pillow, making it impossible to move without waking her. Zhang Yuning endured the discomfort, staring out the window at the drizzling rain, trying to pretend Chi Nian beside her was just air.

But since childhood, she had never shared a bed with anyone. She had slept wrapped in tattered clothes scavenged from trash cans, huddled under bridges on snowy nights, and curled up beside strangers’ cars—but she had never experienced the warmth of companionship.

Chi Nian in her arms felt both unfamiliar and strangely comforting, a warmth likely stemming from their intimate embrace.

A rainy night, a roof overhead, a bed to sleep in, and someone in her arms—this was a dream for many. Yet Zhang Yuning, now possessing it, dared not savor the moment. She forced herself to stay awake, diverting her attention, refusing to fully immerse herself in the experience.

Children unblessed by fate have no right to ask for more. When they occasionally receive a piece of candy, they hold it in their mouths for as long as possible, reluctant to chew, letting it melt slowly to savor every moment, etching the memory into their hearts forever.

After about half an hour, Zhang Yuning cautiously tried to withdraw her arm. Chi Nian stirred but didn’t wake, simply turning over to lie flat on her back. Zhang Yuning noticed Chi Nian’s face was deathly pale, as white as paper.

Is she sick? Zhang Yuning leaned over to check her temperature, but Chi Nian felt normal. Yet her breathing was so faint, barely audible.

Zhang Yuning reached out to feel the carotid artery in Chi Nian’s neck, timing her pulse. The gesture suddenly reminded her of the car accident. That day, Chi Nian had been critically injured in the driver’s seat, unconscious and on the brink of death. Zhang Yuning had checked her pulse the same way, only to be knocked unconscious herself.

Withdrawing her hand, Zhang Yuning recalled these strange experiences and felt Chi Nian was a dangerous person.

After finally freeing her pinned arm, Zhang Yuning lifted the covers and slowly slid to the edge of the bed. She quietly got up in stealth mode and went to the study, where she began typing everything she had seen into an encrypted file on the computer.

However, despite racking her brains and trying every password-cracking method she knew, she couldn’t decipher the contents of the black notebook. The white dates and durations recorded in it, which she had marked on her calendar and cross-referenced with historical records and news archives, revealed no clues.

What could this mean? Zhang Yuning was at a loss. She shut down the computer, transferred the data to her phone, and resumed assembling the moon lamp.

By the time drowsiness finally overtook her, Zhang Yuning realized it was already two in the morning. I can stay up later than an eagle, she thought.

Slipping quietly back to the bed, Zhang Yuning found Chi Nian sleeping peacefully. She gently lay down, but before she could close her eyes, Chi Nian suddenly rolled over and wrapped her arms around her again. Chi Nian’s head rested on Zhang Yuning’s shoulder, still asleep, the movement seeming almost unconscious.

Zhang Yuning sighed softly, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The April rain had left Glass Island damp and humid. After the Qingming Festival, the neighborhood began to bustle with activity. Occasionally, someone would knock on the door downstairs to buy medicine, which Zhang Yuning would let them take themselves. They were all neighbors, and after getting familiar with them, she never worried about them not paying. This self-service clinic had become a lifeline for the local residents.

Their daily life at home settled into a quiet routine meals, rest, and occasional tasks from Chi Nian, such as hacking into website backends. Simple tasks were easy enough, but complex ones could take Zhang Yuning two or three days to complete. Most of these tasks were related to the Chi Shang Group’s research. Chi Nian seemed particularly interested in the scientist’s research topic from their last encounter, having stolen a wealth of encrypted research data.

Zhang Yuning discovered that Chi Nian was also sending this data to someone else. Who could she be leaking these top-secret materials to? If the police caught her, she could easily be charged with commercial espionage.

Zhang Yuning was certain that Chi Nian was planning something big, biding her time and quietly working on a major undertaking.

Chi Nian was captivating when she worked, so focused that she seemed completely immersed in her own world, perfectly embodying the saying, A woman who is truly focused is the most beautiful.

She always worked sitting on the balcony floor, having Zhang Yuning print out stacks of documents for her each day. She would then piece together fragmented information and send it out.

Xiao Zhang, Chi Nian suddenly called out.

What can I do for you?

Coffee. Chi Nian looked visibly tired. She had started with one Americano a day, then increased it to two, and now she wanted another.

Her complexion was poor. Even when she wore light makeup at home, her pale skin still looked almost sickly when she slept.

You’ve already had two cups.

Just one more. Chi Nian rubbed the corners of her eyes, as if fighting off drowsiness.

Zhang Yuning couldn’t help but find it strange. With a sleep schedule of 10 PM to 7 AM, Chi Nian’s routine was healthier than anyone she knew. How could she still be so tired?

Are you feeling unwell? I could draw some bl00d and run tests downstairs. The equipment is available. As a doctor, Zhang Yuning knew Chi Nian’s fatigue could stem from various factors. While a thorough examination wasn’t possible, checking for basic underlying issues seemed prudent.

No need.

But your complexion is poor.

Chi Nian raised her eyebrows slightly, forcing a smile. Do you think I look less beautiful now?

Of course not.

Are you worried about me?

Mm.

A flicker of surprise crossed Chi Nian’s eyes, followed by a smile. It’s nothing, don’t worry, she said in a low, husky voice, her breath shallow, sounding somewhat anemic.

Perhaps I should get her something to replenish her qi and bl00d. Astragalus for qi, jujubes for bl00d, donkey-hide gelatin too…

Before he could finish the thought, Chi Nian said, Don’t even think about making me astragalus soup. I won’t drink it.

Zhang Yuning’s eyes widened. How did you know what I was thinking?

Is she some kind of mind reader?

Chi Nian smiled mysteriously, her eyes crinkling at the corners. It’s a secret.