My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 6

Tang Jinzhi’s test results came back the next day. Everything was normal, but her amnesia remained peculiar. Doctor Qiu recommended she stay in the hospital for further observation.

Tang Jinzhi knew perfectly well whether she had amnesia or not. She wanted to leave the hospital as soon as possible; she disliked being around so many people.

However, Jie Xiangyi immediately rejected her request.

Under Jie Xiangyi’s unwavering gaze, Tang Jinzhi didn’t dare voice her objections, remembering her earlier promise to cooperate fully with the doctors.

With no hope of discharge, Tang Jinzhi reluctantly made her only request: she wanted to change rooms.

She couldn’t afford the VIP suite anymore…

Every time Tang Jinzhi checked her phone balance, her face twisted with bitterness.

She truly couldn’t understand how a wealthy heiress could be so broke!

Her total savings were pitifully meager.

After paying the hospital fees, she had less than thirty thousand yuan left. How could she possibly afford to stay in this VIP suite? It felt like her butt was on fire!

Tang Jinzhi realized she had completely overlooked the possibility of running out of money after transmigrating.

Now, discovering that even a wealthy heiress could be worse off than a commoner, she was struggling to cope.

Tang Jinzhi would never forget the feeling of repeatedly checking her bank balance, only to be engulfed by despair once again. The suffocating weight of hopelessness was unbearable.

The mere thought of the house she had just bought in her original world, after years of relentless toil, made her heart ache unbearably. She hadn’t even had the chance to live in it once.

This felt even worse than losing a million-word manuscript!

During her stay in the hospital, Tang Jinzhi’s resentment burned hotter than any ghost’s.

Was this “elite” life even real? she wondered.

The original owner of this body was undoubtedly the most pitiful fake heiress in all of fiction—the kind who suffers miserably before her true identity is revealed.

Truly, truly miserable.

She was constantly blocked from pursuing acting, forced to write and sing songs in secret.

Making music required spending money to build connections, find opportunities, and hire people to help her. Even after securing a path, she had to pay for production, studio rentals, and more. Everything cost money and required connections.

And even when her music was released, she could only use a pseudonym.

While other singers could capitalize on their initial success with performances and lucrative gigs, she had no such opportunities. She couldn’t appear on camera…

Worst of all, the money she earned from singing was immediately spent on voice lessons.

Tang Jinzhi was truly numb.

She had imagined the fake heiress would be overjoyed to learn her true identity.

Desperate to find ways to earn money, Tang Jinzhi tossed and turned in her hospital bed, her mind racing with anxiety.

The thought of having to start all over again filled her with despair.

We’re all workaholics, she thought bitterly. Why am I the only one experiencing such extreme highs and lows?

Meanwhile, the other workaholic, Jie Xiangyi, had only visited Tang Jinzhi once since she moved to the regular ward.

Apart from the day she woke up, Tang Jinzhi hadn’t shared a meal with Jie Xiangyi.

Jie Xiangyi was simply too busy.

“Why are you always frowning these days?” Zhang Yueqi asked, turning from his conversation with the girl in the bed next to Tang Jinzhi’s. He noticed her deeply troubled expression.

Tang Jinzhi rolled her eyes and let out a dry “Heh,” dismissing him.

Zhang Yueqi clicked his tongue. “Tch~”

Tang Jinzhi responded with a distinctly unladylike eye-roll.

By now, she and Zhang Yueqi were quite familiar. He visited her every day, rain or shine. Just a few days ago, he had complained about her moving to the regular ward, but now he was chatting animatedly with the girl in the next bed, acting as if they were long-lost friends.

Over the past few days, Tang Jinzhi had come to understand Zhang Yueqi thoroughly—he was quite the abstract character.

The girl in the next bed, a high school freshman, had given herself a concussion by headbutting a basketball and ended up hospitalized—another abstract case.

What’s more, both of them were into anime and manga, already calling each other “soulmate” and “teacher” every other sentence.

Their combined chuunibyou (eighth-grader syndrome) had only intensified since they met, buzzing around her like bees all day long. Tang Jinzhi’s ears were practically calloused from the constant droning.

She now suspected that Jie Xiangyi’s single visit might have been because of these two.

Tang Jinzhi immediately pulled out her phone to harass Jie Xiangyi, a daily ritual.

Even if Jie Xiangyi was too busy to respond to her rants, she’d still send them.

Jie Xiangyi was definitely avoiding Zhang Yueqi on purpose, leaving Tang Jinzhi to deal with him.

Tang Jinzhi felt like she’d cracked the case.

Tang Jinzhi: I want to be discharged!

Tang Jinzhi: Doesn’t your conscience hurt?!

Tang Jinzhi: Are you doing this on purpose?!

The first thing Jie Xiangyi did during every break was pull out her phone and scroll through the barrage of complaints Tang Jinzhi had sent her.

Tang Jinzhi was suffering even more than she was, enduring double the pain—and not just 1+1=2, but the kind where 1+1>2.

But Xiangyi was genuinely busy. Every time she received a message, she was away from the hospital, and by the time she returned, she’d forgotten all about it.

This left her feeling guilty every time she finally checked her messages.

This time, by sheer coincidence, she had finished her work and was already at the hospital.

Reading the three emotionally charged accusations, Jie Xiangyi awkwardly closed her eyes.

Jie Xiangyi: I’ll come see you later.

Tang Jinzhi: Just as I suspected…

Jie Xiangyi: I didn’t.

Tang Jinzhi: I haven’t even said what you suspected!

Jie Xiangyi: I’m coming now.

Tang Jinzhi: You should have come sooner!

Jie Xiangyi: On my way.

Tang Jinzhi put down her phone, completely satisfied. Her face beamed with a smile, utterly devoid of the aggressive tone she’d used in her messages.

“Jie Xiangyi will be here soon,” Tang Jinzhi said, her voice lifting with anticipation. It had been a while since she’d seen that face, and she missed it more than she’d expected.

I basically tricked her into coming this time.

Should I pretend to be angry when she arrives?

Perhaps because they hadn’t seen each other in so long, Tang Jinzhi’s “Jie Xiangyi is wonderful” buff had faded considerably. Now she was actually thinking about how to tease Jie Xiangyi.

People really shouldn’t have too much free time.

Zhang Yueqi: “Huh? Why’s she coming?”

Tang Jinzhi suddenly smiled at her. “To… beat you up, of course.”

Zhang Yueqi: “……”

Zhang Yueqi knew she’d been annoying by coming every day, but she couldn’t bear to leave the little girl alone in the hospital. That’s why she kept visiting.

Besides, Tang Jinzhi had them both so well-behaved now, especially after she flashed her “nuclear-friendly” smile. They became as docile as quails.

Zhang Yueqi felt like she’d encountered the pro version of Jie Xiangyi. How could someone’s smile be even more terrifying than Jie Xiangyi’s?!

“Oh, and keep it down, you two. Don’t disturb the old woman’s rest,” Tang Jinzhi reminded them.

An elderly woman was also in the hospital room. During lunchtime, their lively chatter hadn’t been a problem, but now that Tang Jinzhi had reminded them, they immediately quieted down when they realized the woman was trying to nap.

Tang Jinzhi nodded in satisfaction. Though these two were a bit too enthusiastic with their chuunibyou antics, they were generally well-behaved.

She actually needed the company. Being alone in the hospital felt different from being at home; the silence could easily affect her mood.

Unfortunately, Jie Xiangyi couldn’t visit her.

But thankfully, Zhang Yueqi was here.

She genuinely enjoyed Zhang Yueqi’s visits and didn’t mind him at all. The only times she felt annoyed were when they started cosplaying as cheesy domineering CEOs, reciting lines that made her cringe to the point of wanting to tear her hair out.

At those moments, she almost found their chuunibyou antics endearing—how cute!

Fortunately, the two preferred gaming and anime and didn’t insist on cosplaying as domineering CEO sisters every day.

Tang Jinzhi finally realized the stark differences between this world and her own. The online novel scene was still dominated by the rise of domineering CEO stories, which seemed to be everywhere.

The difference was truly staggering.

Zhang Yueqi had no idea what Tang Jinzhi meant by “greasy.”

Tang Jinzhi spent some time researching the current state of online novels. The moment she put down her phone, she felt an overwhelming urge to transform into dish soap and scrub this world clean.

And her first targets for scrubbing were the two little bees buzzing around her.

Thanks to Tang Jinzhi’s explanations, Zhang Yueqi now understood a lot more. While she no longer liked the “greasy” character trope, she absolutely refused to listen to Tang Jinzhi’s nonsense.

Because Tang Jinzhi had actually suggested using the workaholic personas of Jie Xiangyi and Doctor Qiu as benchmarks!

What was the difference between recommending Jie Xiangyi’s character to her and just straight-up promoting it? Was she crazy?!

Good heavens, Tang Jinzhi, could you please say something a normal person can understand?

Zhang Yueqi had no problem with Doctor Qiu, but Jie Xiangyi? Keep her away! Tang Jinzhi could like her all she wanted.

Tang Jinzhi didn’t realize that, to Zhang Yueqi, Jie Xiangyi was like a strict homeroom teacher. Ever since childhood, she had been a little teacher, and among all their friends, she only ever pushed Zhang Yueqi to study, being incredibly strict.

Which student wouldn’t be terrified of their homeroom teacher?

As Jie Xiangyi approached the inpatient ward, she ran into Qiu Wanjun, who was making her rounds.

The two nodded in greeting and stood together waiting for the elevator.

Once inside, Qiu Wanjun suddenly spoke up, “What a coincidence! Have you eaten yet?”

Jie Xiangyi replied with a noncommittal, “Mm-hmm.”

If there’s nothing to talk about, there’s no need to force it, she thought.

Qiu Wanjun smiled. “Visiting your wife?”

As her words hung in the air, glances darted toward Jie Xiangyi from the medical staff sharing the elevator. The air seemed to thin with hushed breaths.

Uncomfortable, Jie Xiangyi turned her head away and mumbled, “Mm-hmm.”

Qiu Wanjun completely ignored her reaction and immediately turned to the others, “Doctor Xie is married! Do you believe me now? Will you stop spreading rumors?”

Hearing this, Jie Xiangyi forgot her embarrassment and followed Qiu Wanjun’s gaze.

The targeted doctors and nurses chuckled awkwardly, shook their heads, and began staring at the ceiling or floor, avoiding eye contact with either woman.

Jie Xiangyi’s thoughts froze. It seemed she had been the subject of much gossip in the hospital lately.

Everyone must have been curious, yet no one had dared to ask her directly about the situation.

Jie Xiangyi now understood why Qiu Wanjun had deliberately brought this up here.

If the rumors continued unchecked, who knew what they might become?

That’s just how it is in crowded places.

Jie Xiangyi felt a pang of worry for Tang Jinzhi.

She remembered that everyone had known Tang Jinzhi was married the day she arrived, and she hadn’t denied it at the time.

But she hadn’t explicitly confirmed it either, because no one had asked her directly.

Jie Xiangyi frowned slightly. Could this be the reason for the rumors?

The two women exited the elevator on the same floor. Jie Xiangyi grabbed Qiu Wanjun’s arm and asked, “What are they saying?”

“They’re saying you’re not actually married, that you’re being blackmailed,” Qiu Wanjun replied, choosing the least offensive rumor. Then she added teasingly, “And that she can’t possibly be your wife, since you’ve never even visited her.”

Jie Xiangyi opened her mouth to speak. She desperately wanted to say she had come once before, but she didn’t have the face to admit it.

She hadn’t been at the hospital every day, having returned to campus several times. She had been genuinely busy, but she had also deliberately avoided Zhang Yueqi and Tang Jinzhi, refusing to come here.

Jie Xiangyi pressed her lips together. “Is there more?”

She worried that Tang Jinzhi might have heard these nasty rumors too.

Qiu Wanjun chuckled. “Plenty, but you’re better off not hearing them. They’re not pretty.”

Jie Xiangyi’s heart sank slightly. She sighed softly, hoping Tang Jinzhi hadn’t rushed her discharge because of these rumors.

“Thank you.”

Qiu Wanjun waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. I just wanted to tease you a little. It was a side benefit.”

Jie Xiangyi choked, speechless. She quickly changed the subject. “How is she doing? Can she move her hand yet?”

Qiu Wanjun suddenly chuckled, her eyebrows lifting slightly as she pointed to Tang Jinzhi, who stood lazily by the door with her arms crossed, watching them.

“There, go ask her yourself. I’m off to do my rounds.”

Jie Xiangyi paused, momentarily taken aback.

Tang Jinzhi’s eyes curved into crescents as she finally noticed Jie Xiangyi looking her way.

Jie Xiangyi’s throat tightened inexplicably, a sense of unease settling in her stomach.

Though Tang Jinzhi’s smile was warm, Jie Xiangyi couldn’t shake the feeling that she was waiting to confront her, ready to make her pay the moment she approached.

Zhang Yueqi, clinging to the doorframe, waved frantically at Doctor Qiu, who glanced over. Encouraged by Tang Jinzhi’s support these past few days, Zhang Yueqi had made significant progress and even managed to get Doctor Qiu’s contact information.

For that alone, she would follow Tang Jinzhi’s lead without question!

After exchanging greetings, Doctor Qiu didn’t follow Jie Xiangyi over. Zhang Yueqi lowered her hand in disappointment, glanced at her homeroom teacher, Jie Xiangyi, and shivered inexplicably before turning and hurrying back into the ward without looking back.

Jie Xiangyi stood bewildered. What’s going on?

Tang Jinzhi’s lips twitched. “Ahem, it’s nothing. You just startled her.”

A question mark slowly formed above Jie Xiangyi’s head. But I just got here.

Tang Jinzhi scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Uh, have you eaten yet?”

Jie Xiangyi: “……”

Your opening lines are so unoriginal.