My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 47

Tang Jinzhi smiled, her lips curving upward.

To facilitate her next move, she leaned sideways, propping herself up to half-embrace Xie Xiangyi. She buried her face in the crook of Xie Xiangyi’s neck, her lips brushing repeatedly against the delicate skin.

Whether forced or willing, Xie Xiangyi tilted her head back to accommodate Tang Jinzhi’s movements. Her breathing grew heavier as she suppressed the sounds rising in her throat, biting down hard on her lower lip to stifle a moan.

She knew Tang Jinzhi had seen through her little trick of calling her “wife,” but so what? It was clearly working.

Tang Jinzhi’s palm moved lightly, stroking Xie Xiangyi’s waist twice. After a few seconds, confirming Xie Xiangyi offered no resistance, she gave her no chance to change her mind. Her palm, now tense, gradually slid upward.

Despite her outward composure, Tang Jinzhi’s heart raced with panic. Yet she couldn’t bear to let go of Xie Xiangyi.

With deliberate, slow movements, Tang Jinzhi made her intentions clear. Xie Xiangyi’s cheeks flushed deeper crimson, and the kisses on her neck slowed, growing more forceful.

The moment Tang Jinzhi’s palm made contact, Xie Xiangyi’s body completely relaxed, and she instinctively tried to burrow deeper into Tang Jinzhi’s embrace.

Tang Jinzhi clenched her palm, her chest burning uncontrollably. She swallowed hard, her muddled mind clearing for a moment only to become even more chaotic. The confidence she had just exuded vanished completely.

She looked up, meeting a pair of wet, glistening eyes. The dependence and shyness in Xie Xiangyi’s gaze seemed to sear Tang Jinzhi, panic flashed in her eyes, and her heart leaped into her throat.

Tang Jinzhi, who had always been all talk and no action, suddenly lost her nerve. Just moments ago, she had been proudly boasting about how much more she knew than the innocent Xie Xiangyi, but now her hand trembled, hesitant to move.

Her sudden tension shattered the intimate atmosphere. Tang Jinzhi felt a feverish heat spreading through her body, her palms growing hotter and hotter. She tentatively shifted her hand, and Xie Xiangyi, who had been wondering why Tang Jinzhi had suddenly stopped moving, stiffened abruptly, her eyes snapping shut.

Tang Jinzhi lowered her head, gently nuzzling her forehead against Xie Xiangyi’s in a comforting gesture. Xie Xiangyi responded with a blush, pressing her lips against Tang Jinzhi’s cheek in a soft kiss.

The flame in Tang Jinzhi’s heart rekindled at Xie Xiangyi’s touch. Her gaze darkened, the tension gradually receding as desire flooded her eyes once more. She tilted her head and pressed her lips forcefully against Xie Xiangyi’s.

“Mmm…!” Xie Xiangyi gasped, startled by the sudden move. Her hand, which had been resting on Tang Jinzhi’s chest, tightened its grip.

Xie Xiangyi’s mind went blank. She subconsciously responded to Tang Jinzhi’s kiss, quickly becoming immersed in a near-suffocating state, utterly lost in the moment.

Until her hem was pushed up.

Xie Xiangyi’s entire body stiffened, her eyes remaining tightly shut.

Tang Jinzhi opened her mouth, gently nipping Xie Xiangyi’s lips before releasing her. She propped herself up, her gaze lowered, focusing on the barely visible hem. Her hand remained inside, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her cheeks flushed crimson with arousal.

The study suddenly fell silent, save for their ragged breathing. Xie Xiangyi slowly opened her eyes.

Tang Jinzhi parted her lips, lifting her gaze to meet Xie Xiangyi’s. The anticipation in her eyes was almost palpable, her unspoken question hanging heavy in the air.

Xie Xiangyi’s face burned crimson. She flusteredly turned her head away, her voice trembling as she murmured a soft ‘yes,’ granting her consent to Tang Jinzhi’s unspoken request.

Tang Jinzhi’s eyes lit up, burning with intensity.

She flipped her palm, holding her breath as she carefully pushed up the hem, even her fingers trembling.

Tang Jinzhi’s heart pounded like a drum. The sight before her left her dazed. She froze for a moment, then immediately pulled down the hem, her eyes glazed over, her body stiff and unmoving.

Just like the first time Xie Xiangyi had embraced her, Tang Jinzhi felt a tickle in her nose. She grew anxious—if she got a nosebleed now, it would be utterly mortifying.

While Tang Jinzhi was still dazed, Xie Xiangyi had already turned around, pulled the blanket over her head, and completely buried herself, not even a strand of hair visible.

Tang Jinzhi sat up and rubbed her face, feeling bewildered by how quickly things had escalated and ended so abruptly. Her mouth felt dry and parched.

She glanced at the lump under the blanket, opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated.

Deciding Xie Xiangyi probably didn’t want to talk right now, she lifted the blanket and climbed out of bed.

But as soon as she stood up, the figure on the bed sprang up and grabbed her from behind, pulling her into a tight embrace to prevent her from leaving.

“Where are you going?” Xie Xiangyi asked sharply, her arms wrapped tightly around Tang Jinzhi’s waist.

Tang Jinzhi paused, then replied gently, “Nowhere, just getting some water.”

Her voice carried a soothing tone. She didn’t know what Xie Xiangyi was thinking, but she suspected she might have feared being left alone in the study.

Xie Xiangyi’s expression softened slightly, and her hands slowly loosened their grip. The tension in her eyes faded. She had panicked and hidden under the blanket without even saying goodbye, fearing Tang Jinzhi was angry with her.

Thankfully, Tang Jinzhi wasn’t.

Tang Jinzhi walked over to the desk, picked up the half-finished cup of water, and took a couple of sips to quench her thirst and ease the heat in her body.

Xie Xiangyi’s gaze remained fixed on Tang Jinzhi’s face, a hint of frustration in her eyes.

Light, Tang Jinzhi thought, her heart stirring slightly. She glanced at the half-full glass of water. After a kiss like that, Xie Xiangyi probably won’t mind if I drink from it.

She sat down beside Xie Xiangyi, holding out the glass. “Here.”

Xie Xiangyi took the glass, lowered her head, and drained it in one gulp. As Tang Jinzhi set the glass down and turned back, Xie Xiangyi watched her intently.

Tang Jinzhi returned to the inner side of the bed and pulled Xie Xiangyi down to lie beside her. She stroked Xie Xiangyi’s still-flushed ear, her eyes brimming with tenderness, her voice gentle. “What’s on your mind?”

Xie Xiangyi wanted to say something terrible, but the words wouldn’t come.

She opened her mouth several times, but Tang Jinzhi couldn’t bear to watch her struggle any longer. She leaned in and kissed her softly.

“I know you were disappointed when I stopped so suddenly, but you wouldn’t want your wife to get a nosebleed, would you?” Tang Jinzhi teased, trying to lighten the mood and coax Xie Xiangyi out of her funk.

Xie Xiangyi’s expression remained blank. So… it was Tang Jinzhi’s problem?

Her gaze sharpened as she locked eyes with Tang Jinzhi. She let out a relieved breath and said earnestly, “So it’s you who can’t handle it.”

She’d scared me half to death! I thought it was something wrong with me.

Tang Jinzhi’s lips twitched, and she shoved Xie Xiangyi away.

“What’s wrong with you?!”

Xie Xiangyi was confused. “Wife?”

Tang Jinzhi turned her back to Xie Xiangyi. “You’re my wife, and you’ve made me angry.”

Remembering her earlier words, Xie Xiangyi realized her mistake. She wrapped her arms around Tang Jinzhi from behind, her voice soft. “Wife.”

Tang Jinzhi huffed coldly, unmoved by the endearment.

Xie Xiangyi wanted to say she hadn’t meant it that way, but after careful consideration, she realized she probably had.

After a moment’s thought, she reluctantly said, “I was just teasing you. Of course you’re not ‘no good.'”

Tang Jinzhi grabbed Xie Xiangyi’s hand and bit it in frustration.

“Go to sleep!” she snapped. “Don’t say another word!”

Xie Xiangyi murmured an obedient “Okay,” withdrew her hand, and rubbed it against Tang Jinzhi’s pajamas.

“Still looking down on me?” Tang Jinzhi whirled around, furious. How could Xie Xiangyi try to appease her like this? She glared at Xie Xiangyi, who was about to explain, and snapped, “Don’t kiss me again!”

Xie Xiangyi lowered her gaze and apologized meekly. “I wasn’t looking down on you. I was wrong, I was wrong.”

As she spoke, she pulled Tang Jinzhi closer, then nuzzled her face against Tang Jinzhi’s lips to prove she didn’t look down on her at all.

Tang Jinzhi, still reeling from Xie Xiangyi’s sudden affection, unconsciously moved her lips and kissed her twice.

She couldn’t even bring herself to scold Xie Xiangyi.

Xie Xiangyi gripped Tang Jinzhi’s wrist.

Tang Jinzhi, puzzled by Xie Xiangyi taking her pulse again, asked, “What are you doing now?”

What’s wrong with me this time that makes Xie Xiangyi think I’m sick?

Xie Xiangyi replied with feigned seriousness, “You said you were worried about getting nosebleeds. I’m checking if your qi and bl00d are too abundant, causing excessive internal heat. It can be regulated.”

Tang Jinzhi yanked her hand away and kicked Xie Xiangyi’s leg without hesitation.

“If you’re so hot-blooded, go sleep in the living room!”

Xie Xiangyi protested innocently, “There’s still a bed in the room.”

Tang Jinzhi scoffed, “You think you deserve the bed?”

Xie Xiangyi snuggled closer to Tang Jinzhi. “Wherever you sleep, I’ll sleep.”

Tang Jinzhi decided not to argue. Xie Xiangyi’s words were infuriating.

The night passed dreamlessly.

When Tang Jinzhi woke up, Xie Xiangyi’s eyes fluttered open at the same moment.

They stared at each other for a moment, big eyes meeting small. Xie Xiangyi greeted her in a husky voice, “Good morning, wife.”

Tang Jinzhi closed her eyes without responding. She still wasn’t used to being called “wife” by Xie Xiangyi.

Xie Xiangyi went to wash up first, as she didn’t need to rush back to the hospital since her shift started at noon.

By the time she had breakfast ready, Tang Jinzhi had also emerged from her room, freshly washed.

Zhang Yueqi, already eating breakfast, grinned and greeted Tang Jinzhi cheerfully.

“Morning! Want to drive out and have some fun today? Without Xie Xiangyi, of course.”

Tang Jinzhi froze for a moment, nearly forgetting Zhang Yueqi was even there.

She sat down next to Xie Xiangyi and shook her head in refusal. “Maybe another day. I don’t feel like going out today.”

No other reason needed—she was simply feeling lazy and didn’t want to move.

Zhang Yueqi nodded without pressing further. She was used to Tang Jinzhi’s homebody tendencies. Having spent so much time with Tang Jinzhi, she herself had become somewhat of a homebody, less inclined to go out. Zhang Yueqi felt a smug satisfaction, believing she had matured considerably.

“Let’s go out when we both have a few days off,” Xie Xiangyi interjected at the perfect moment, deliberately mentioning the exclusion Zhang Yueqi had suggested earlier. Her mood was buoyant, convinced her wife had refused Zhang Yueqi’s invitation out of consideration for her.

Tang Jinzhi nodded. “We can consider it.”

Xie Xiangyi’s lips curved into a radiant smile.

Zhang Yueqi pursed her lips, the fried dough stick in her mouth suddenly losing its flavor. Just as she was about to say something, her gaze flickered, and she suddenly noticed something. Her eyes narrowed, then widened as she stared at Tang Jinzhi, before shifting her gaze to Xie Xiangyi.

The two women in the room were bewildered by her intense scrutiny, unsure what she was looking at.

Xie Xiangyi frowned slightly, about to scold Zhang Yueqi, but her words caught in her throat when she saw the fading red marks on Tang Jinzhi’s neck. She pressed her lips together, lowered her head, and remained silent.

She had a sinking feeling she was about to get scolded again.

Tang Jinzhi, still unaware of what was happening, asked Zhang Yueqi, “What are you staring at?”

Zhang Yueqi smirked suggestively at the two women. “So, how far have you two progressed while I was away?”

She was tempted to directly reveal what she had seen, just to see how Tang Jinzhi would react.

Tang Jinzhi recalled the events of the previous night, her voice softening slightly. “Why do you need to know? What progress could there be? You were only gone for a few days…”

Xie Xiangyi interrupted, trying to change the subject. “Ahem, let’s hurry up and eat.”

Zhang Yueqi completely ignored Xie Xiangyi, beaming at Tang Jinzhi.

Tang Jinzhi felt uneasy, finding Zhang Yueqi’s smile rather lewd.

“Just a few days apart, and you two are already…” Zhang Yueqi grinned, wiggling two fingers suggestively.

Tang Jinzhi looked puzzled. “What about us?”

Xie Xiangyi couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She reached out and tapped Tang Jinzhi’s neck, her fingertip brushing against the strawberry mark. In that instant, Tang Jinzhi understood.

At home, she hadn’t bothered to cover it up, not giving it a second thought. She’d completely forgotten about Zhang Yueqi, who might see it. Even if she had remembered, Tang Jinzhi wouldn’t have bothered hiding it—why make things so troublesome at home? She’d rather just scold Xie Xiangyi.

Xie Xiangyi glanced at Zhang Yueqi’s smug grin and said coldly, “You’re the only one with a dirty mind. Keep laughing, and I’ll have someone drag you back here.”

Zhang Yueqi pursed her lips, snorted, and muttered under her breath, “Lashing out in embarrassment…”

Remembering something, Xie Xiangyi warned her again, “Don’t go spreading rumors outside.”

Tang Jinzhi blushed briefly, glared at Xie Xiangyi, and then resumed eating her breakfast as if nothing had happened.

Xie Xiangyi sighed inwardly. She knew Tang Jinzhi would glare at her.

How is this still going on after three days?

Zhang Yueqi teased them relentlessly, but her gaze made both women feel strangely uncomfortable.

Xie Xiangyi took a deep breath and said, “Why don’t you go back and get your marriage certificate with Zou Limeng? I’ll even help you convince her.”

Zhang Yueqi refused to even acknowledge her.

After a moment’s thought, Xie Xiangyi added, “What, can’t let go of Dr. Qiu?”

Desperate to steer the conversation away from her and Tang Jinzhi, Xie Xiangyi rarely brought up Zhang Yueqi’s romantic affairs.

Tang Jinzhi was also curious about Zhang Yueqi’s current situation. It had been a long time since she’d mentioned Dr. Qiu.

Zhang Yueqi sighed heavily. “I let go a long time ago, okay? We were destined to be apart. What else could I do?”

Xie Xiangyi didn’t believe her. Just the other day, when she’d learned Dr. Qiu had a girlfriend, Zhang Yueqi had been wailing and howling in her room. How could she have moved on so quickly?

Tang Jinzhi wasn’t entirely convinced. She could still sense that Zhang Yueqi genuinely liked Qiu Wanjun, but she was just too timid to ever pursue him, even through texting.

“What do you mean by ‘destined but not fated’?” Tang Jinzhi asked, her curiosity piqued about the nature of their connection.

Zhang Yueqi’s eyes lit up. Finally, the two were willing to hear her out. She recounted her childhood encounters with Dr. Qiu, emphasizing the times they had played together.

Tang Jinzhi pressed her forehead, her brow furrowed. Tentatively, she voiced her theory: “So, you’re saying that when you went to the hospital to visit Xie Xiangyi and ran into Dr. Qiu again, you thought it felt like a scene from a novel, and you believed it meant you had a chance with him? Is that right?”

Zhang Yueqi shrugged. “Yeah, don’t you think so? What’s wrong with that?”

Xie Xiangyi also looked at Tang Jinzhi, as if there were nothing wrong with the idea—it did seem like quite a coincidence.

Tang Jinzhi pondered for a long moment before speaking. “I think… you didn’t actually like Dr. Qiu at first. You were just drawn to the idea of something interesting happening. You found the situation intriguing, so you decided to like him.”

But there’s no denying the child had genuinely fallen for him.

After a moment’s thought, she added, “When you found out Dr. Qiu had a partner, what hurt the most was actually the shattering of your novel dreams, right?”

Zhang Yueqi’s expression twisted strangely. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

Xie Xiangyi’s lips twitched as she realized the problem. “Let me ask you this… you… weren’t jealous at all?”

If she had found out Tang Jinzhi liked someone else, she would have been green with envy and deeply hurt. At first, she thought Zhang Yueqi’s dramatic wailing was due to heartbreak, but now she had to reconsider. It might have been because her dreams had been crushed.

Zhang Yueqi blinked. “I never even thought about being jealous. I just felt it was a pity.”

Tang Jinzhi pressed her hands to her forehead. She should have asked sooner. This child was even more naive about love than the two of them, who were just starting to explore it. Zhang Yueqi was the kind of girl who believed in the perfect, fairytale-like love stories and yearned for them.

Tang Jinzhi sighed. “Then why didn’t you ever think about how you and Zou Limeng have been playing together since childhood? Why aren’t you two like those childhood sweethearts in novels? Xie Xiangyi too.”

Xie Xiangyi quickly interjected, “Don’t mention her. She’s married now.”

Zhang Yueqi’s eyes lit up. “Oh!”

Tang Jinzhi gritted her teeth. “What ‘oh’? Don’t blindly chase romance just because you imagine it’s like in novels. You need to genuinely like someone yourself.”

Even after saying that, Tang Jinzhi still felt a headache coming on. She turned to Xie Xiangyi. “Quickly, immediately, find her a job. A job where someone we know can keep an eye on her. She needs to experience the harsh realities of society.”

Xie Xiangyi also felt a headache brewing.

Zhang Yueqi crossed her arms defiantly over her chest.

“I don’t want to!”

“I understand everything you’re saying now. I won’t think like that anymore. I’ll find someone I genuinely like. Happy now?!”

Xie Xiangyi sneered. “I’ve decided who you should learn from. You don’t need to work.”

Zhang Yueqi shrank back, her neck craning. “Who?”

Tang Jinzhi was also curious.

Xie Xiangyi said coldly, “My aunt.”

Tang Jinzhi: “……”

Zhang Yueqi stomped her foot in anger. “I’m not going! My mom says Aunt Ruqin is stupid. If I go, I’ll just be adding stupidity to stupidity! We’ll both get scammed!”

She had a healthy dose of self-awareness.

Xie Xiangyi waved her over. “You have nothing right now. What could anyone possibly scam you out of? If you stick with your aunt, you’ll have a good life. Just keep her happy, and she’ll give you anything you want.”

Tang Jinzhi hesitated. The people around Xie Xiangyi’s aunt were too cunning. She worried about sending Zhang Yueqi there, but it was indeed a clever way to protect her.

“No way! I’d rather stay home and be nagged by my mom than go. Your aunt is a naive pushover. I don’t want to become a naive pushover!” Zhang Yueqi grimaced. If Auntie Xie said Aunt Ruqin was a naive pushover, then it must be true!

Xie Xiangyi rolled her eyes. “I’m not asking you to become like your aunt. You’ll be going on a mission: observe how the people around her try to take advantage of her. If you can prevent anyone from exploiting her for a month, your mission is complete.”

Zhang Yueqi hesitated, finding the idea intriguing.

Tang Jinzhi cleared her throat. “Besides, your biological mother has been badmouthing you to Aunt Ruqin lately. Aunt Ruqin probably has a very poor impression of you. If you go there, you can secretly observe what they’re saying about you. If possible, you could even casually slip in a few words to clear up any misunderstandings.”

The prospect of becoming a spy instantly energized Zhang Yueqi.

“Since you put it that way, for your sake, I might consider it,” Zhang Yueqi said, lifting her chin and huffing slightly, her tone deliberately reluctant.

Tang Jinzhi smiled, knowing Zhang Yueqi was already hooked.

Zhang Yueqi quickly asked, “What excuse should I use to visit Aunt Ruqin? Will she even like me?”

Seeing Zhang Yueqi already considering the logistics, Xie Xiangyi figured the plan was as good as settled.

“That’s no problem. I’ll have Aunt help you. If you can charm Aunt Ruqin a little when you get there, she’ll definitely like you.”

She added, “Remember, everyone around Aunt Ruqin might be trying to manipulate her. You need to observe them carefully.”

Zhang Yueqi nodded solemnly, her face serious. “Okay.”

What a daunting task.

On the day Xie Xiangyi rested, her aunt happened to be finishing up her work and preparing to leave. Tang Jinzhi and Xie Xiangyi accompanied Zhang Yueqi to see her off.

As they watched Zhang Yueqi board her aunt’s car, Tang Jinzhi asked with some concern, “Is Aunt Ruqin easy to get along with?”

Xie Xiangyi nodded. “She’s fine with outsiders. It’s just that her family never coddles her.”

Tang Jinzhi sighed helplessly. Zhang Yueqi still had a sweet tongue, and after hearing their descriptions, she suspected the girl and her aunt might actually get along well. This trip could only end in one of two ways: either Zhang Yueqi and Aunt Ruqin would become close, or they’d both end up being manipulated together.

Overall, Zhang Yueqi wouldn’t lose out. Even if the latter scenario occurred, she’d still gain something valuable from the experience.

Back home, Xie Xiangyi muttered as she stepped through the door, “Finally got rid of her.”

Otherwise, with another person in the house, I’d feel too embarrassed to hug Tang Jinzhi in the living room.

“You really dislike her that much?” Tang Jinzhi asked, pulling her inside. “Does she bother you that often?”

Xie Xiangyi: “She’s not here, and you won’t talk about it.”

Tang Jinzhi paused, then suddenly said, “Actually, she still likes Dr. Qiu, just not deeply. She has a big heart and moves on quickly.”

Xie Xiangyi didn’t understand why Tang Jinzhi was suddenly talking about Zhang Yueqi and Dr. Qiu. After a moment’s thought, she nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I guess so. What’s there to hold onto? He doesn’t like her anyway.”

Tang Jinzhi fixed her gaze on Xie Xiangyi. “What about you?”

Xie Xiangyi frowned. “Me? Of course I’d move on too. She doesn’t like me, so even if I did like her, it wouldn’t matter.”

A complex emotion flickered in Tang Jinzhi’s eyes. She opened her mouth, hesitated for a long moment, then finally asked, “What if… just hypothetically… what if one day I said I wanted to leave you? You’d move on too, right? It shouldn’t be a big deal—we haven’t even been together that long.”

Tang Jinzhi swallowed hard, asking with a desperate hope of hearing the answer she wanted, yet simultaneously dreading it. She felt deeply anxious.

Hearing this, Xie Xiangyi’s brow furrowed deeply. She wanted to say that such a thing would never happen, but something stopped her, and she closed her mouth again. After staring at Tang Jinzhi for a moment, she said in a muffled voice, “It doesn’t matter. Of course I can let go. Something like that wouldn’t affect me, no matter how important it is.”

Tang Jinzhi’s heart sank. This wasn’t the kind of response she had expected from Xie Xiangyi.

Nor was it the reaction Xie Xiangyi should have had.

Before she could dwell on it, Xie Xiangyi suddenly turned and left the living room with a cold expression.

Tang Jinzhi quickly rose and followed her into the bedroom, catching Xie Xiangyi by the arm just as she entered the study.

“Are you angry?”

Xie Xiangyi sat down where Tang Jinzhi pulled her, her gaze icy as she looked at Tang Jinzhi.

This was the first time Tang Jinzhi had ever seen Xie Xiangyi look at her like this, and her heart trembled.

Xie Xiangyi averted her gaze. She knew Tang Jinzhi was just using an example, and she shouldn’t vent her own bad mood on her.

She closed her eyes briefly, tightened her grip on Tang Jinzhi’s hand, and spoke as gently as she could, “My sister did this to me. She left without a word. You’re different. To put it bluntly, back then, she was far more important to me than you are now. I was too young then, I couldn’t live without her.”

“So you don’t need to use yourself as an example. These things really don’t affect me.”

She hated the thought of Tang Jinzhi leaving her.