My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 43

Tang Jinzhi saw no point in arguing further with Xie Xiangyi, who had already made up her mind. It was futile; Xie Xiangyi was determined to believe Tang Jinzhi loved her, and she was too stubborn to give up until she got her way.

“Let’s go home…” Tang Jinzhi urged, gently pushing Xie Xiangyi toward the hospital exit. The rain had subsided, and the wind had died down, so they decided to walk back.

As Xie Xiangyi grasped her hand and stepped out of the hospital, she beamed, “I knew you loved me.”

Tang Jinzhi chuckled softly and immediately agreed, “Yes, yes, I do. You’re so beautiful and accomplished, of course I love you. Marrying you feels like winning the lottery.”

She flattered Xie Xiangyi into a daze, her smile barely contained. Xie Xiangyi, never one to hide her emotions, wore her satisfaction and joy plainly on her face.

Tang Jinzhi was beginning to understand Xie Xiangyi’s personality better:

Xie Xiangyi had two extremes.

Xie Xiangyi could be completely indifferent or utterly unconcerned about most things that came her way. Take their marriage, for instance. On the day they registered, both women were remarkably casual. When their families arranged the union, Xie Xiangyi agreed without the slightest resistance.

Her family pushed her left, and she went left; they pushed her right, and she went right, offering no resistance whatsoever. She was like a small, easily manipulated object, content to be placed wherever fate dictated, with no opinions of her own—or if she did have them, she kept them tightly suppressed.

But when Xie Xiangyi encountered something she truly desired, she transformed into someone stubborn and unyielding, determined to achieve her desired outcome at all costs. In short, she became “pigheaded.” Tang Jinzhi had already noticed this stubborn streak in Xie Xiangyi, especially when it came to Xie Xiangyi wanting to kiss her, kiss her, and kiss her again…

This might explain why everyone else perceived Xie Xiangyi as emotionally detached, while Tang Jinzhi saw her differently.

Sometimes these two extremes seemed contradictory, but Tang Jinzhi simply saw them both as signs of mental instability, nothing worth dwelling on.

She disliked the docile, easily manipulated Xie Xiangyi, but she could tolerate the “pigheaded” version. At least the latter was still rather endearing.

The two women walked under the rain, sharing an umbrella. A sudden gust of wind made them shiver. Tang Jinzhi leaned slightly against Xie Xiangyi, her peripheral vision occasionally drifting to the wet asphalt illuminated by streetlights.

After suppressing the urge for a while, she finally blurted out, “Darling Dr. Xie, don’t you think our ‘elite’ lifestyle seems… less than elite?”

Xie Xiangyi was taken aback by the sudden question. “Why do you say that?”

She hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

Xie Xiangyi glanced down at their outfits. Apart from the casual clothes they’d picked out that day, everything else they wore was custom-made. Even those casual pieces hadn’t cost less than five figures. Didn’t that count as elite?

Noticing her gaze, Tang Jinzhi waved a hand in front of her eyes. “I mean, where’s our car?”

“What kind of elite family doesn’t have luxury cars and mansions?”

Every time they had to hail a taxi, Tang Jinzhi felt their “elite” status slipping away. Compared to other elite families, they seemed downright impoverished.

Xie Xiangyi was immediately convinced by Tang Jinzhi’s point. They were indeed living a rather ordinary life. Still, she felt she should offer an explanation.

“I don’t drive and don’t have time to learn. If you have time to learn, you can get any car you want once you’re good at it. As for where we live, haven’t you noticed that our neighborhood has the best amenities near the hospital?”

Tang Jinzhi waved her hand. “It doesn’t really matter. I’m not that concerned about it. I just think you’re being too low-key.”

The current living conditions were far better than what she was used to. She just didn’t think it was extravagant enough. But that was fine; she might not have been able to accept anything too extravagant.

Xie Xiangyi nodded with a faint smile. “You’re right, but if you want to be more high-profile, we can do that too.”

Their engagement banquet was said to be quite extravagant.

Tang Jinzhi quickly dismissed the thought and said urgently, “No, I don’t want that! Let’s keep things as they are. But we should still get a car. I know how to drive.”

Xie Xiangyi looked puzzled. “But I don’t think you have a license, do you?”

She hadn’t heard anything about Tang Jinzhi getting her driver’s license.

Tang Jinzhi paused awkwardly. “…If I take the test, I’ll get one, right? I’ll go take it right now!”

To be fair, the Fake Heiress had already passed the written exam and the first driving test. Tang Jinzhi, who already knew how to drive, simply needed to retake the test, which didn’t take long at all.

Xie Xiangyi completely agreed. She had no interest in learning to drive; she used to be chauffeured by the family driver, and now she’d have her wife drive her around. She was perfectly content with that.

There was just one thing she was a little worried about.

She asked Tang Jinzhi, “Can you manage going to the test alone?”

She didn’t have time to accompany Tang Jinzhi for driving practice.

Tang Jinzhi patted Xie Xiangyi’s shoulder, her voice confident. “Don’t worry, I’m already quite familiar with it. You could probably pass it now too.”

Xie Xiangyi understood: Tang Jinzhi no longer needed her company.

Though she felt a twinge of disappointment, she was genuinely happy for Tang Jinzhi.

Remembering something, Xie Xiangyi asked, “Tang Jinzhi, does this mean I don’t have to wait for you to finish your test before going?”

Tang Jinzhi wouldn’t hear of it. She knew Xie Xiangyi was absolutely clingy!

“It’s still early. They’re not even here yet—they’re quite far away. Let’s wait until after our engagement banquet. There’s no rush. By then, you’ll probably have some free time. If you do, come with me!”

Xie Xiangyi tilted her head back and laughed, completely satisfied.

After arriving home, they took showers and, after offering perfunctory comfort to Zhang Yueqi, ate some late-night snacks before retiring to their rooms.

It’s worth noting that Xie Xiangyi’s attempts to kiss Tang Jinzhi again to prove her feelings were becoming too obvious. Tang Jinzhi was starting to feel overwhelmed. She couldn’t bring herself to kiss Xie Xiangyi in bed, especially since neither of them was wearing underwear. What if they got carried away and lost control?

Tang Jinzhi knew she couldn’t trust herself to resist. The way Xie Xiangyi had leaned in to kiss her earlier that day had already proven how alluring she was.

To get Xie Xiangyi to settle down and sleep, Tang Jinzhi planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Only then did Xie Xiangyi finally quiet down.

But Tang Jinzhi couldn’t stay still for long. Half-lying in bed, she got up and went to the kitchen. She couldn’t sleep, and she felt she had wasted too much time these past few days, accomplishing almost nothing useful.

Xie Xiangyi was far from content. She had grown accustomed to Tang Jinzhi’s embrace, and now her mind was filled with images of their kisses. Without Tang Jinzhi by her side, falling asleep felt like an impossible task.

Today, she could only sleep with Tang Jinzhi by her side. After tossing and turning for ages, she finally grabbed her blanket and retreated to the small room, where she lay down on the tatami mat and drifted off.

Her actions completely stunned Tang Jinzhi.

Is she drunk?

Xie Xiangyi explained that she was afraid of having nightmares if she slept alone.

Tang Jinzhi immediately understood. Right, after everything that happened at the hospital, I thought Xie Xiangyi was truly so calm. Turns out she’s still scared.

That night, the two of them slept together on the tatami mat.

Actually, curling up in the small room to sleep was quite comfortable. When Xie Xiangyi woke up, Tang Jinzhi was draped all over her, as if her chest were overflowing with tenderness. She felt easily satisfied.

If Tang Jinzhi were to ask her right now if she liked her, Xie Xiangyi would definitely say yes. At this moment, she felt a deep affection.

Unable to resist, Xie Xiangyi gently nuzzled her cheek against Tang Jinzhi’s. The movement quickly woke Tang Jinzhi, who stirred awake almost instantly.

Now that she was free from restraint, Tang Jinzhi had completely let go of her inhibitions. She was no longer the type to sleep so primly, but she hadn’t expected herself to cling to Xie Xiangyi like this.

She blinked awake, groggily pushing Xie Xiangyi’s head away without a hint of gentleness.

Xie Xiangyi said softly, “Go back to sleep. I’m leaving now.”

Tang Jinzhi closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep, too sleepy to fully grasp what Xie Xiangyi had said. She was too tired to speak much.

Xie Xiangyi knew this was Tang Jinzhi’s usual morning routine. She tucked the blanket around her wife and went to wash up, feeling a strange pang of resentment. Tang Jinzhi had promised to keep her company at work today, but after seeing Song Xiaoci last night, she’d completely forgotten.

Regarding visiting Song Xiaoci, Xie Xiangyi had texted Tang Jinzhi as soon as she heard Song Xiaoci had woken up, waiting for her wife to suggest coming to the hospital.

But Tang Jinzhi never showed up, even after Xie Xiangyi got off work and returned home.

Tang Jinzhi hadn’t intended to chat with Song Xiaoci anyway. She just wanted to check on her condition and offer help if needed. But Song Xiaoci… didn’t need anything. She was in a VIP suite with every comfort imaginable. Tang Jinzhi couldn’t even figure out where to spend money if she wanted to. In the end, she decided to have Xie Xiangyi bring some nutritious supplements.

Xie Xiangyi was completely baffled. Wasn’t it Tang Jinzhi who had insisted on going in the first place? Now she suddenly refused to go.

She voiced her confusion, earning a withering glare from Tang Jinzhi. “Do you think it’s right for your wife to keep visiting your junior? Once was enough. I know the general situation now.”

Xie Xiangyi choked. Shouldn’t she be the one saying that?

In the end, she had no choice but to grudgingly accept.

Going alone might be better anyway.

After learning that Sheng Yanzhi wouldn’t appear again, Tang Jinzhi spent the next few days dragging Zhang Yueqi out to help her overcome her psychological issues.

Without Xie Xiangyi around, her sense of security plummeted. But Tang Jinzhi gradually adjusted, even sneaking away to wander around while Zhang Yueqi was on her phone, sending Zhang Yueqi into a panic searching for her.

Eventually, Zhang Yueqi “kidnapped” her to practice for her third driving test.

Good heavens! Tang Jinzhi was such a handful! Zhang Yueqi’s heart felt like it was about to give out from the stress.

Knowing Tang Jinzhi needed to take her driving test, Xie Xiangyi urged her to schedule practice sessions with her instructor immediately. Since the training ground was quite far, she asked Zou Limeng to send a driver and personally “escorted” Tang Jinzhi to her practice sessions.

Xie Xiangyi had long since turned a blind eye to Tang Jinzhi’s outings, giving up on trying to control her.

When Zhang Yueqi complained and urged her to rein Tang Jinzhi in, Xie Xiangyi simply closed her eyes. Her response remained the same: “I can’t control her.”

Even sharing a bed with Tang Jinzhi every night had become impossible. Their time zones were completely out of sync—just as Xie Xiangyi was ready to sleep, Tang Jinzhi would begin her work. Occasionally, Xie Xiangyi would wrap herself in a blanket and go to Tang Jinzhi’s room to keep her company.

On the day Tang Jinzhi passed her third-stage driving

Only Tang Jinzhi, who told her to use her family card if she ran out of money, truly cared about her!

Zhang Yueqi unilaterally declared that she would never be friends with them again, except for Tang Jinzhi.

Xie Xiangyi didn’t care at all, not even giving her a reaction.

Zou Limeng, on the other hand, assigned Zhang Yueqi a workstation and told her to start typing on the computer.

Realizing she’d been assigned work because she was interrupting the young couple’s time together, Zhang Yueqi’s defenses crumbled. She immediately started cursing Xie Xiangyi in their three-person group chat.

Xie Xiangyi also felt rather wronged. After Zhang Yueqi left, she hadn’t noticed any increase in her alone time with Tang Jinzhi; in fact, it seemed to be decreasing.

The time she spent with Tang Jinzhi each day was already limited. With her exams coming up in just a few days, she had no time to dote on Tang Jinzhi.

Even now, she still hadn’t managed to kiss Tang Jinzhi again. The hope of avenging her previous humiliation grew increasingly dim, which even she found astonishing. It shouldn’t take long at all, yet she just couldn’t manage to kiss her!

Once Xie Xiangyi started, she couldn’t stop. She suppressed her desires until after her graduation exams, finally free from Tang Jinzhi’s insistence on studying. The longing in her eyes when she looked at Tang Jinzhi was almost palpable.

Tang Jinzhi could no longer pretend not to notice.

On the day she got her driver’s license, Xie Xiangyi somehow procured a luxury car for her. But Tang Jinzhi didn’t want to go out alone; Zhang Yueqi and Zou Limeng had already left. She had to wait for Xie Xiangyi’s day off.

But on Xie Xiangyi’s day off… she didn’t want to go out.

Tang Jinzhi saw through her reasons for staying home. With no one else around, the eager glint in her eyes was unmistakable.

What had she done to make Xie Xiangyi so obsessed with kissing her?

Was it just because she’d said her kissing skills were lacking?

Tang Jinzhi flipped through the calendar. It was almost mid-May. Xie Xiangyi’s studies had gone smoothly, and now that the exams were over, she could finally relax. Although the hospital remained busy, only half a month remained. Once Xie Xiangyi endured these two weeks, she would be free.

Tang Jinzhi could already imagine the scene of Xie Xiangyi clinging to her later.

In the living room, Xie Xiangyi pulled Tang Jinzhi into her arms, and they lay together watching TV, just like the first time. This time, however, it felt even more comfortable. Tang Jinzhi was utterly baffled. How had she and Xie Xiangyi ended up like this?

It seemed to have happened unconsciously, without her even realizing it.

Tang Jinzhi struggled to adjust to this level of intimacy, but she couldn’t escape. Xie Xiangyi held her tightly from behind, and she felt she could finally understand Xie Xiangyi’s intentions. If they progressed gradually to the final step, it wouldn’t feel so abrupt.

Xie Xiangyi was nothing if not persistent.

With Zhang Yueqi absent from the house, Xie Xiangyi’s behavior became even more unrestrained. If Tang Jinzhi dared to get up, Xie Xiangyi would forcefully pull her back into her embrace.

Tang Jinzhi suspected that her recent attempts to avoid Xie Xiangyi had been too obvious, and Xie Xiangyi had noticed, hence her increasingly assertive behavior.

Tang Jinzhi barely paid attention to the TV. She glanced down at Xie Xiangyi’s phone screen, which was fully visible to her. Xie Xiangyi showed no intention of hiding it, simply wrapping her arms around Tang Jinzhi and watching the phone with her.

Tang Jinzhi leaned back against Xie Xiangyi’s chest, her arms crossed. She had given up. Whatever Xie Xiangyi wants, let her have it. After finally getting a day off, she figured she might as well relax and enjoy it.

They scrolled through videos together for a while until Xie Xiangyi received a message. As Xie Xiangyi opened the chat, Tang Jinzhi reached out to push the phone away. “Privacy. I shouldn’t be looking.”

Xie Xiangyi gently removed Tang Jinzhi’s hand, her soft voice whispering in Tang Jinzhi’s ear, “There’s nothing private. You can look.”

Tang Jinzhi opened her mouth to protest, but the chat was already displayed before her eyes. Since she had already seen it, she decided not to argue.

Xie Xiangyi’s voice sounded stiff as she said, “My aunt is coming over…”

Tang Jinzhi froze, glancing back at the chat log.

Auntie: Has Xiao Xiangyi finished her exams? That annoying director at your hospital has been transferred—I’ve taken care of it for you.

Auntie: I happen to have work near you these next few days. When is Xiao Xiangyi free? We could have dinner with Xiao Tang.

These were the latest messages. Tang Jinzhi, scrolling up, glanced at earlier messages from Auntie regarding Xie Xiangyi’s hospital situation.

Tang Jinzhi wasn’t particularly concerned about Auntie’s visit. She rested her hand on her chin, staring at the nickname: Xiao… Xiangyi?

Such an adorable nickname, she thought. It suits my wife perfectly.

Xie Xiangyi tapped her phone screen and asked Tang Jinzhi, “Auntie’s coming. Should we have dinner together?”

Tang Jinzhi nodded. “Sure. Is she nice to you?”

She worried Auntie might be a difficult elder to get along with.

Xie Xiangyi chuckled softly. “Very nice. Auntie helped resolve both the Sheng Yanzhi situation and the hospital issues.”

Tang Jinzhi’s expression softened, and she smiled. “Then we absolutely must treat her to a meal. We need to thank her properly.”

Xie Xiangyi hummed in agreement and immediately replied, Okay, Auntie. I get off work at 5 PM tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll be free.

Tang Jinzhi let out a puzzled “Huh?” and turned to look at Xie Xiangyi. “Were you resting all day today?”

Xie Xiangyi’s eyes darted away, her voice slightly strained. “Auntie must still be on her way. Let’s skip today and let her rest properly first.”

Tang Jinzhi eyed her suspiciously until a new message arrived, dispelling her doubts.

Auntie only arrived at dawn today. She’s definitely too tired to meet up. Let’s plan for tomorrow.

Xie Xiangyi breathed a sigh of relief.

As their conversation was about to end, Tang Jinzhi couldn’t resist glancing at the contact name.

She raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Xiangyi?”

Xie Xiangyi remained silent, pretending not to hear.

Tang Jinzhi chuckled and called out again, “Xiao Xiangyi?”

Xie Xiangyi snapped, “What? Don’t call me that!”

Tang Jinzhi couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking with mirth. “Did everyone call you that when you were little?” she asked.

Xiao Xiangyi—it sounded so adorable and innocent.

Xie Xiangyi sulked. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

Only her aunt still treated her like a child, perhaps out of habit, and had never stopped using the nickname.

Tang Jinzhi grinned. “But I can still call you that now, right? Xiao Xiangyi?”

Xie Xiangyi huffed, “No, you can’t.”

Tang Jinzhi teased her, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? What’s wrong with it? I love it—Xiao~ Xiang~ Yi~”

Xie Xiangyi: “You can’t call me that.”

Tang Jinzhi bristled at this. “Why not?”

“You should call me…” Xie Xiangyi paused, loosening her arms around Tang Jinzhi. She rested her chin on Tang Jinzhi’s shoulder, pressing her cheek against hers in an intimate gesture, like a couple deeply in love. Her voice turned shy. “You should call me ‘wife’ instead.”

Tang Jinzhi was instantly speechless.

Xie Xiangyi was truly…

Tang Jinzhi paused, struggling to find her words. “That… that doesn’t matter,” she finally managed.

But Xie Xiangyi had already given up arguing about “Xiao Xiangyi.” She lifted her head, her eyes fixed intently on Tang Jinzhi.

Without Xie Xiangyi’s hands restraining her, Tang Jinzhi easily turned halfway, meeting her gaze. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to evade Xie Xiangyi’s burning stare, but the desire surging within her refused to let her move.

Xie Xiangyi’s voice trembled as she called out, “Wife.”

The sudden endearment made Tang Jinzhi’s heart skip a beat. Her long lashes fluttered violently as she stared at Xie Xiangyi in stunned silence.

For a few breathless seconds, Xie Xiangyi continued to gaze at her, her eyes a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. Tang Jinzhi unconsciously relaxed her held breath. As her composure returned, she couldn’t help but wonder if Xie Xiangyi’s earlier teasing had been a deliberate setup for this moment—for this single word: “wife.”

Tang Jinzhi lowered her gaze, her eyes flickering. Her heart raced uncontrollably. She responded with a soft “Hmm,” her voice barely audible, yet crystal clear in the quiet living room.

Xie Xiangyi’s face lit up with a radiant smile, her joy evident in her flushed cheeks. She slipped out from behind Tang Jinzhi and wrapped her arms around her, unable to resist whispering in her ear, “Xiao Xiangyi.”

Trapped in the embrace, Tang Jinzhi closed her eyes in embarrassment, covering her tingling ear with her hand.

Completely caught off guard, she didn’t know how to resist. Her shy voice carried a hint of pleading: “Don’t call me that anymore.”

She couldn’t take it.

Their pressed cheeks burned crimson, neither knowing whose was hotter. Xie Xiangyi pulled back slightly, her gaze lingering on Tang Jinzhi’s flushed lips. Unable to restrain herself any longer, she leaned in and kissed her before Tang Jinzhi could react.

Tang Jinzhi wasn’t surprised by this moment. Her long lashes fluttered closed as she parted her lips to return Xie Xiangyi’s clumsy kiss. Desire surged through her, her hands hooking around Xie Xiangyi’s neck as she pressed her lips firmly against Xie Xiangyi’s crimson mouth.

Though still awkward, their kiss was far more passionate than their previous attempt.

Their breaths mingled frantically, the atmosphere growing increasingly feverish. The air between them thinned, heavy gasps echoing relentlessly through the silent living room.

Xie Xiangyi wrapped her arms around Tang Jinzhi, pulling her into her lap. She tilted her head back to accept Tang Jinzhi’s descending kiss, holding her tightly to prevent even the slightest retreat.

Tang Jinzhi, who had long held the dominant position, showed no intention of backing down now. She paused briefly, tentatively extending her tongue to gently sweep across Xie Xiangyi’s moist lips.

Having learned from her previous setback, Xie Xiangyi responded without hesitation, her tongue sliding smoothly into Tang Jinzhi’s mouth. Instantly entangled, she followed Tang Jinzhi’s relentless guidance, like prey willingly offering herself to the hunt.

Pressed against the sofa, Xie Xiangyi grew increasingly skilled. Each time Tang Jinzhi tried to pull away, she relentlessly pursued, gradually reclaiming the dominance Tang Jinzhi had relinquished.

Their lips and tongues continued to intertwine. Tang Jinzhi tenderly accommodated Xie Xiangyi’s advances, her fingers brushing against Xie Xiangyi’s burning ear. She opened her eyes slightly, her fingertip gently pinching the lobe. Xie Xiangyi felt a jolt of electricity course through her body.

The prolonged, passionate kiss spiraled out of control, growing ever more intense.