My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 3

“Yeah…” Tang Jinzhi’s voice was dry as she turned to gaze out the window at the unfamiliar world. “It feels like the sky is truly falling.”

Her resentful tone suggested she was on the verge of tears.

A flicker of surprise crossed Jie Xiangyi’s eyes. She hadn’t expected Tang Jinzhi to answer her seriously, rather than brushing her off.

Jie Xiangyi hesitated, unsure whether to press further. Tang Jinzhi’s emotional state was fragile; though she appeared composed on the surface, she was on the verge of another breakdown.

Oblivious to Jie Xiangyi’s internal conflict, Tang Jinzhi gripped her water cup tightly, lost in her own anguish. After mulling it over, she finally found the right words to convey her pain to Jie Xiangyi.

“Imagine you’ve worked tirelessly on your graduation project for nearly a year, only for it to vanish the instant before submission. All your published articles are also deleted with a single click, and you can never recover them. What would you do?”

Tang Jinzhi spoke in a flat tone, attempting to make Jie Xiangyi “empathize” through these simple words. Yet, after speaking, she remained dissatisfied.

She felt that her pain could no longer be adequately described in words.

Jie Xiangyi desperately wanted to argue that her graduation project didn’t require a full year of work, but she politely listened to Tang Jinzhi’s advice, trying to imagine herself in that hypothetical situation.

However, she couldn’t truly empathize with something that hadn’t actually happened. Even just thinking about it made Jie Xiangyi feel suffocated.

If Tang Jinzhi had truly experienced such a thing, Jie Xiangyi could finally understand why she was so despondent.

Before Jie Xiangyi could offer any comfort, Zhang Yueqi entered the room, carrying freshly bought meals in both hands.

“If something like that ever happened to me, I’d kill someone!”

Zhang Yueqi had overheard Tang Jinzhi’s words as he entered. Heaven knows how terrifying such a statement must sound to a college student who had just been utterly crushed by their advisor! It was scarier than any ghost!

“Don’t ever say such vicious things again! It’s terrifying!”

See? Anyone would go mad.

“I wrote a million words…” Tang Jinzhi murmured, her voice wistful and barely audible. Her long lashes drooped slightly, veiling her dimmed eyes.

Zhang Yueqi, who was walking to the table to open a takeout box, didn’t hear her, but Jie Xiangyi, sitting on the bed, heard clearly.

Jie Xiangyi’s eyes widened slightly. A million words—such a staggering number! She couldn’t imagine what Tang Jinzhi had written.

Noticing Jie Xiangyi’s slightly shocked expression, Tang Jinzhi, who had just poured out her heart, felt the tightness in her chest suddenly ease.

She lowered her head and took a few sips of water. The water moistened her lips and slid down her parched throat. Tang Jinzhi straightened up slightly, looking a bit more refreshed.

Having narrowly escaped death, she knew she shouldn’t wallow in self-pity. She needed to quickly adapt to her new identity and pull herself together.

Tang Jinzhi glanced around. Besides the thermos Xiangyi had used to pour her water, there was nothing else on the bedside table.

“Is my phone here?” she asked.

And ideally, it should unlock with facial recognition.

Jie Xiangyi shook her head. “No, there’s nothing here. I’ll bring it over later when I go home.”

Tang Jinzhi looked puzzled. Jie Xiangyi said she’d bring it over when she went home?

Didn’t she say they’d only met yesterday? Why did it sound like they were living together?

Tang Jinzhi couldn’t help but ask, “Are we living together?”

Zhang Yueqi, who had been quietly observing, couldn’t resist interjecting, “Of course you’re living together! You’re married now.”

She looked at the two women with genuine innocence, clearly not understanding why Tang Jinzhi would even ask such a question.

Jie Xiangyi glanced sideways at Zhang Yueqi. Although Zhang Yueqi knew their marriage was arranged, she didn’t realize they had only met yesterday. It was understandable why she would react this way.

“Yes, the accident happened when you were moving in today. Fortunately, the housekeeper was home and brought you here.”

Jie Xiangyi had only moved into the neighborhood recently herself. The proximity to the hospital made it very convenient for her.

As for… what Tang Jinzhi had said yesterday about moving her things but not staying often…

Jie Xiangyi lowered her gaze, her expression complex as she looked at Tang Jinzhi lying in bed, her eyes occasionally showing a hint of confusion.

It seemed they would truly have to live together now.

Tang Jinzhi, upon learning she would be living with Jie Xiangyi, breathed a sigh of relief.

The introductions had mentioned her strained relationship with her “cheap” relatives. Compared to dealing with those people, Tang Jinzhi would definitely choose the more approachable woman in front of her.

At least being hospitalized assured Tang Jinzhi that Jie Xiangyi wouldn’t abandon her.

However, Tang Jinzhi still couldn’t quite understand something.

Why was Zhang Yueqi being so enthusiastic towards her?

He had been watching over her even before she woke up. Even if Jie Xiangyi had asked him to help, he didn’t need to run around so tirelessly. Normally, he would have left once she regained consciousness.

“Hey! Can you two come eat already? I’m starving!” Zhang Yueqi whined, cradling his face and gazing at them with a plaintive look. It was almost two in the afternoon—didn’t these two feel hungry? Couldn’t they smell the delicious food?

Hearing this, both women snapped out of their thoughts and turned to look at him.

Tang Jinzhi sat up, swung her legs off the bed, and stood up. Thankfully, her legs were fine, just a few scrapes. Her right arm, however, still throbbed. The doctor had said she had a large bruise on her shoulder and a sprained elbow, warning her not to move her right hand too much.

As she approached the table, Tang Jinzhi’s eyes widened slightly. How could there be so much food? The table was nearly overflowing.

Four dishes and a soup, including fish and meat, were spread across half the table, along with pastries, steamed buns, and fried dough sticks.

Tang Jinzhi glanced at the unopened box by the table leg. Was that crawfish? Was this even appropriate?

At the time, Jie Xiangyi hadn’t paid much attention to what Zhang Yueqi had brought back to eat. Standing with her back to him, she hadn’t seen anything at all.

Now, both of them stood frozen in surprise.

Jie Xiangyi frowned slightly, raising her gaze to Zhang Yueqi, who was about to start eating. “Are you throwing a banquet?”

She knew Zhang Yueqi loved to eat, but this seemed excessive.

Zhang Yueqi grinned, chopsticks between his teeth, and declared confidently, “I didn’t know what you guys liked, so I bought a little of everything.”

“Why didn’t you just call and ask?” Jie Xiangyi retorted.

“Well… what should we do now?” Zhang Yueqi’s eyes darted around before settling on Jie Xiangyi, his bright eyes blinking innocently. “How about… we invite Doctor Qiu to join us?”

Jie Xiangyi narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Zhang Yueqi’s face. She let out a soft hum of amusement, slowly pulled out a chair, and sat down. Then, she gestured for Tang Jinzhi to sit beside her.

“Porridge or rice?” Jie Xiangyi asked Tang Jinzhi, completely ignoring Zhang Yueqi’s expectant gaze.

Tang Jinzhi glanced at Zhang Yueqi, considered for a moment, and shrugged. “Porridge, I guess.”

Jie Xiangyi nodded, opened the porridge container, and handed it to Tang Jinzhi.

Watching their casual interaction, Zhang Yueqi couldn’t stand it any longer. After just a minute, he burst out, “Jie Xiangyi, why are you ignoring me?!”

Jie Xiangyi smiled, her tone teasing but with a hint of sarcasm. “Thanks to Doctor Qiu, we have so much delicious food. We just wanted to eat some before she arrived and it was all gone.”

Tang Jinzhi stirred her steaming porridge with a spoon, her head lowered as she raised an eyebrow. She seemed to understand, and the corners of her lips curled upward.

Gossip was the best appetite stimulant.

Zhang Yueqi swallowed nervously, feeling unnerved by their smiles. She didn’t dare speak.

“You clearly don’t know what Doctor Qiu likes to eat,” Jie Xiangyi said mercilessly, exposing Zhang Yueqi’s true motives. “You’ve been hanging around the hospital every few days, too afraid to approach Qiu Wanjun directly, so you keep bothering me. Even if she’s not annoyed, I certainly am.”

Jie Xiangyi had gone to the Civil Affairs Bureau yesterday, and none of her other friends knew yet—except Zhang Yueqi.

Zhang Yueqi had been particularly bothersome lately, and Jie Xiangyi had long suspected something was up.

Tang Jinzhi’s smile deepened. She finally couldn’t resist lifting her head, her eyes crinkling as she gazed at Zhang Yueqi with a fiery, scrutinizing look.

Case solved.

Zhang Yueqi hadn’t been running errands for Tang Jinzhi at all. She had simply been volunteering to help as an excuse to approach Doctor Qiu.

Seeing the rare smile on Tang Jinzhi’s face, Jie Xiangyi’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. The listlessness that had been clinging to Tang Jinzhi seemed to dissipate considerably.

Catching a glimpse of Zhang Yueqi’s flushed face out of the corner of her eye, Jie Xiangyi quickly realized what was happening and chuckled softly.

She couldn’t help but let her gaze linger on Tang Jinzhi’s face for a few extra seconds, the amusement in her eyes deepening.

So she’s such a gossip enthusiast, huh?

Even Zhang Yueqi had noticed Tang Jinzhi’s love for gossip. Overwhelmed by Tang Jinzhi’s intense gaze, she nearly buried her head under the table.

She quickly raised her hands in surrender. Fine, I’ll confess!

But just as she admitted to having a crush on Doctor Qiu, the other two cut her off.

Zhang Yueqi, eager to continue the story, was about to launch into more details, but Tang Jinzhi waved her off.

I may be a gossip, but I really don’t need to hear about Doctor Qiu’s kindergarten days from you, Zhang Yueqi.

As Tang Jinzhi wished, Jie Xiangyi called Qiu Wanjun over.

Then… Doctor Qiu arrived, ate, and left. She was very busy.

Tang Jinzhi glanced at Zhang Yueqi, who was still obediently eating, and fell silent.

Is she a quail? Too afraid to say a single word to her crush.

Even though Tang Jinzhi and Jie Xiangyi weren’t close, Jie Xiangyi still remembered to pick up food for her, knowing her hand was injured. Why couldn’t Zhang Yueqi learn to do the same?

Hmm, Jie Xiangyi is actually a pretty decent person.

Jie Xiangyi finished her simple meal and left, needing to retrieve Tang Jinzhi’s phone.

Tang Jinzhi, meanwhile, returned to bed, lying motionless as she pondered her next steps.

Zhang Yueqi remained in the VIP room, grunting as he peeled crayfish. He was quite content, though too shy to chat with Qiu Wanjun. Just sharing a meal with her was enough.

The room’s window remained open for ventilation. A fine drizzle fell outside, and occasional gusts of wind carried the cool March air into the room, dispelling the drowsiness that threatened to overwhelm Tang Jinzhi.

Halfway through his meal, Zhang Yueqi realized how eerily quiet it was. Why hadn’t Tang Jinzhi made a single sound?

Suspecting she might be asleep, he immediately stopped eating, worried about disturbing her. He glanced toward the bed and froze.

Tang Jinzhi slowly withdrew from her mental rehearsal of the plot, wondering when Jie Xiangyi would return. She turned her head and met Zhang Yueqi’s indescribable gaze.

Tang Jinzhi: ?

Why is Zhang Yueqi looking at me like that again?

Zhang Yueqi opened his mouth, cleared his throat, and said somewhat awkwardly, “If you’re bored, you can chat with me. Don’t bottle up your worries alone; it’s bad for your health.”

He had been observing Tang Jinzhi for a while now, but she had been staring blankly at the ceiling, not even blinking. While there was nothing to be afraid of, Zhang Yueqi found her expression of utter despair unsettling.

Tang Jinzhi, unaware that her absentmindedness had been misinterpreted, chuckled softly. “I don’t have any worries.”

Zhang Yueqi clearly didn’t believe her, assuming she simply didn’t want to talk. “Oh… Well, is there anything physically bothering you?”

Especially mentally, he thought.

Tang Jinzhi shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Zhang Yueqi sighed heavily. “You say you’re fine, but you can’t even move your hand. I wonder how you fell.”

Tang Jinzhi smiled but remained silent, though she suddenly sensed something was off.

Zhang Yueqi continued earnestly, “No matter what, your body is your own. You need to take better care of it.”

His words sparked a flash of insight in Tang Jinzhi’s mind, instantly grasping the crucial point.

Tang Jinzhi froze, her pupils trembling, her breathing growing heavier.

Her body… is her own!