My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 19

Jie Xiangyi froze in place, stunned by Tang Jinzhi’s nonsensical accusation. Her body stiffened, her mind racing in confusion.

“I… I didn’t.”

She had only hugged Tang Jinzhi. How could that be considered seduction?

Tang Jinzhi struggled free from Jie Xiangyi’s embrace. Taking advantage of Jie Xiangyi’s momentary daze, she ducked her head and darted away.

Jie Xiangyi’s bewildered gaze swept over Tang Jinzhi’s flushed cheeks, and her heart skipped a beat.

Is she… embarrassed?

Just from a hug?

The tension in Jie Xiangyi’s expression eased, and a smile flickered in her eyes.

If this counts as seduction, Tang Jinzhi is certainly easily swayed.

Tang Jinzhi returned to the living room, her face burning from her neck to her ears.

This is so embarrassing.

It’s all Jie Xiangyi’s fault! Why couldn’t she just talk properly instead of hugging me?

Tang Jinzhi patted her flushed cheeks and looked up to meet Zhang Yueqi’s fiery, gossipy gaze.

Noticing her glance, Zhang Yueqi immediately teased, “Your face is so red!”

Tang Jinzhi weakly protested, “Cough… It’s just really hot in here.”

Zhang Yueqi grinned mischievously. “All done with your intimate moment?”

“Hehe, what did Jie Xiangyi do to make you blush like that?”

Tang Jinzhi gritted her teeth, dodging Zhang Yueqi’s gossipy gaze. “Mind your own business, kid.”

Zhang Yueqi leaned forward, his hands gripping the sofa back, his bright eyes blinking mischievously. “But I’m not a kid, and you’re not an adult either! So tell me, what were you two doing in there?”

“If we’re neither kids nor adults, then what are we?” Tang Jinzhi retorted.

Zhang Yueqi tilted his chin. “We’re big kids.”

Tang Jinzhi stared at him, speechless.

Ignoring him, she poured herself half a glass of water and sat down beside him. After draining the glass, the heat in her body subsided slightly. “I need to discuss something with you,” she said.

Zhang Yueqi blinked, stunned.

Discuss something with her?

Few people ever asked for her input on serious matters. She straightened up and asked, “What is it?”

“You said you’re bored, right?” Tang Jinzhi continued. “I need your help with something. You’ll work for me, but I won’t pay you.”

Zhang Yueqi was bewildered by this short statement.

Tang Jinzhi needs my help? I’ll work for her?

But what can I even do?

I’m only good at eating and having fun.

Wait… no pay?

Zhang Yueqi thought he must have misheard. “Did you just say I’d be working for you? And you’d pay me?”

Tang Jinzhi rolled her eyes. “What’s wrong with your ears? I said you’d be working for free.”

Ridiculous, she thought. Where would she even get the money to pay Zhang Yueqi?

Zhang Yueqi’s eyes widened slightly. “Have you no shame?”

Tang Jinzhi smirked. “But I’ll feed you.”

Zhang Yueqi scoffed. “Do I look like I need your food?”

After all, she had brought all the food today.

“Still, what exactly do you want me to do?”

Zhang Yueqi didn’t care about getting paid. She was just incredibly curious about what Tang Jinzhi could possibly need her help with.

Tang Jinzhi explained her idea, confident that Zhang Yueqi wouldn’t refuse. It was easy work—just playing a murder mystery game. She could even invite friends to join. What could be better?

Zhang Yueqi looked at her strangely. “Just play a game?”

Tang Jinzhi nodded. “We need people to test it out, find bugs, and see how it works. It’s really important to me.”

“Of course, I don’t like going out. So if there’s anything I need you to run errands for, I’ll at least feed you. You’ll have to do some work for me.”

Zhang Yueqi: “That’s it?”

Whether or not meals were included, Zhang Yueqi couldn’t believe how easy this job was—just playing games.

He almost felt like he should be paying Tang Jinzhi.

Tang Jinzhi smiled. “Just test two scenarios. I’m mainly checking the effects. You have a bigger task: finding friends to play. At least six people, preferably seven.”

Zhang Yueqi waved dismissively. “That’s all? No problem. I don’t need you to cover meals. Just finding people to play? Leave it to me.”

Tang Jinzhi maintained her smile.

In truth, apart from recruiting testers, the rest was a piece of cake—just photocopying a few personal scripts or running errands to buy groceries.

Tang Jinzhi could cook, but she didn’t do it daily. When hungry, she’d order takeout. Cooking was more of a stress reliever, something she enjoyed learning in her spare time.

Her offer to cover Zhang Yueqi’s meals wasn’t just talk.

Hearing Jie Xiangyi’s stern tone about cutting off Zhang Yueqi’s allowance, Tang Jinzhi worried he’d be too broke to even afford food.

With Zhang Yueqi’s job settled, Tang Jinzhi began chatting casually with him, her eyes occasionally darting toward the bedroom.

Jie Xiangyi was taking forever to shower.

By the time the restaurant staff delivered their meal, Jie Xiangyi finally emerged, her hair freshly blow-dried.

Before Tang Jinzhi even reached the living room, she could hear the two of them muttering as they unpacked their meal boxes.

“This restaurant belongs to my family. Of course the staff would deliver the food. Here, your wife loves these braised shrimp.”

“Braised shrimp? I like them too.”

“Then have your wife peel them for you.”

“Braised shrimp don’t need peeling. They’re not crayfish.”

“Fine, next time I’ll order crayfish and have your wife peel them for you.”

Tang Jinzhi was almost desensitized to Zhang Yueqi’s constant use of “your wife.”

Jie Xiangyi felt the same way. She had initially thought it would be difficult to get used to, but Zhang Yueqi’s casual tone made it impossible to maintain any awkwardness.

Too much awkwardness would seem affected.

When Jie Xiangyi emerged from the bedroom, Zhang Yueqi nudged Tang Jinzhi with her elbow and deliberately announced, “Your wife’s here.”

Tang Jinzhi: “……”

What else could she call Jie Xiangyi?

Jie Xiangyi glanced at them both, her gaze settling on the top of Tang Jinzhi’s head.

Tang Jinzhi didn’t dare meet her eyes.

How embarrassing.

A faint smile curved Jie Xiangyi’s lips as she moved past Zhang Yueqi and sat down close to Tang Jinzhi.

Just as Tang Jinzhi was about to lean toward Zhang Yueqi, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Jie Xiangyi leaned in close to Tang Jinzhi’s ear, her voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t.”

Didn’t? Didn’t what?

Didn’t seduce her?

Did she really need to explain again? Couldn’t she just let it go?

Tang Jinzhi couldn’t tell if Jie Xiangyi was doing this on purpose, but she lowered her head even further, mortified by the memory of her own behavior.

Jie Xiangyi had seen her at her most embarrassing.

Tang Jinzhi cursed inwardly, wondering which of them was truly more innocent. She blushed and flushed at just a hug.

Could she really be so easily flustered by Jie Xiangyi’s teasing?

Tang Jinzhi refused to believe it.

She was a seasoned armchair strategist when it came to romance!

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a soft, breathy laugh beside her ear.

Gentle and light.

Tang Jinzhi’s heart skipped a beat.

When Zhang Yueqi accidentally bumped her, she startled back to reality and glared at the source of the sound.

Jie Xiangyi wore an innocent expression.

Seeing Tang Jinzhi’s “You’re seducing me again!” look, Jie Xiangyi felt like she finally understood.

She thought Tang Jinzhi should really reflect on why she was so easily seduced.

“I really didn’t…”

By now, no one even remembered what she was explaining.