You, CEO’s Secret Wife

Cheng Muze was about to burst into laughter when a shadow suddenly hovered across him. The next thing he knew, he found himself rocking back against his seat. The corner of his lips throbbed in pain, and he quickly held the side of his face–looking like a child who had been wronged. Just as he was about to speak again, another punch flew towards him, and he ducked his head.     

    

"Holy shit! You're serious about this!" Although he had reacted quickly, the pain in his jaw was still unbearable. Panting, he stood up from his seat with a hand still cradling his jaw. "It has always been like this! Whenever I say something you weren't ready to hear, you'd punch me like a child. Grow the hell up!"     

    

"If you don't agree with me, then why don't you just hit me!" Huo Liancheng had already untangled his tie and tossed it onto the table. Striding across the office, he grabbed Cheng Muze by the collar with one hand as his other hand was raised up in the air. His face had morphed into a makeshift snarl. "Well?"     

    

"If you have something to say, then just say it! I'm not here to fight with you," Cheng Muze had already slipped from his grasp from a fish. The man had wanted to race towards the exit when Huo Liancheng quickly restrained him, forcing Cheng Muze to face him. "I've already said what I came here to say, okay?"     

    

Ever since they were young, he had never been able to defeat Huo Liancheng in an actual, physical fight. And now was no different. Seeing as he had no other choice, he immediately sat on the ground and played dead. "I said I'm not going to fight you," he snapped, crossing his arms like a little boy. "Do you want me to die or something?"     

    

The sweat beaded down Huo Liancheng's face. Adrenaline had rushed down his veins, and his fists were clenched. If there were any other man standing before him, they would've already peed their pants.     

    

"If you really don't want Sister Jian to leave, then why don't you just go and chase her? Why do you have to vent your anger on me, of all people?" Cheng Muze scowled, resisting the urge to smack some sense into his cousin's head. Normally, Huo Liancheng would've been the last man to throw punches these days, being the more mature one in the group. Who would've thought that he'd become so childish and irrational after meeting Jian Yun?     

    

"Do you want to go another round?"     

    

"You know what, Fourth Bro? I change my mind." Cheng Muze quickly jumped out from his seat. "Turns out I still have lots of work to do. I'll be going out first."     

    

Without another word, he rushed out of the office. Huo Liancheng, on the other hand, had gone into the bathroom to cool off. He turned on the tap and stuck his head under the faucet, rinsing the heat off with cold water. The flushness of his face had receded, and the cold look in his eyes had remained.     

    

It was only after a long while did he finally raise his face and look at himself in the mirror. Wiping his face with the back of his hand, a bitter smile slipped into his lips.     

    

He had gone through a lot to find her. Originally, he had wanted to just give himself some closure–to untie the knot that had been stuck in his heart for so many years. How could he have known that he'd fall in love with her all over again? Was this just how fate worked? Did he really have to go through all this trouble again?     

    

Yet, there was something different about her. Jian Yun was no longer the lively woman she used to be. Instead, she had grown more solemn and reserved, as if reality had sucked out the joy she had left in her veins. However, there was something about her sincerity that left him even more fascinated with her.     

    

She was like a piece of unpolished jade. With every move she made, it always gave him a pleasant surprise. And with every rejection he took, it only seemed to have made him want her even more.     

    

What he didn't get was why she'd rather date a gay man than actually be with him–of all the people in the world.     

    

She had already made it clear to him that she wasn't the same girl he had left behind. As far as he had known, she must've already had a few other boyfriends on her list. However, when he saw her wandering between several men while lying to him nonstop, he could help but feel a little jealous–wondering when she'd finally recognize him for who he was.     

    

When he saw her together with her first love, he had never felt so cold. It was as if someone had thrown him into a pool of iced cold water, and all he could do was watch as the man held her in his arms as if she was his to begin with. That was why he was angry–to the point where he had said those cruel words without even thinking.     

    

Huo Liancheng took a towel and wiped off the tap water from his forehead. Although he was still unsettled, Cheng Muze was right. His actions a few hours ago were indeed childish. He wasn't the CEO who had flipped hundreds of companies anymore. No. He was a young fool who had just fallen in love. The shame was evident in his features.    

    

At the same time, in Qinghu City First People's Hospital.    

    

Three and a half hours had passed, and the lights in the operating room were still turned on. Jian Yun was practically burning with anxiety at this point. The short heels tapped against the tiles with every second that had passed. At this point, she was afraid that she'd burn a hole into the floor with how many times she had skidded her heels across the tiles. Closing her eyes, she could only wish that the operation had gone well.     

    

Fortunately, the door to the operating room had been pushed open ten minutes later. A slender doctor walked out with a nurse following right behind him.     

    

Jian Yun immediately rushed over, but as soon as she was stared down by the professionals, she found herself at a loss for words. She could only stare at the male doctor with her large glassy eyes. It was Wu Wenjing who had finally taken the initiative to ask, "Doctor, how is my Aunt? Is she okay? Did the operation go well?"     

    

The male doctor finally took off his mask and glanced at Jian Yun. The sincerity was clear in his eyes, and he replied, "The operation was successful. As long as her vitals remain normal in the next 48 hours, your mother will be fine."     

    

Upon hearing his words, she heaved a sigh of relief. The hard grip she had on her clothes had loosened. After three hours, it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she suddenly had the urge to cry.     

    

"Thank you, Doctor!" Wu Wenjing and Auntie Qin celebrated as they bowed their heads, thanking the doctor and the nurse profusely.     

    

"Director Bai is one of our best neurologists–one of the top three in the country!" The nurse behind him added, smiling at the relatives. "You really had nothing to worry about. Your mother was in good hands–and she still is."     

    

Director Bai chuckled upon hearing the nurse's compliments. Although they were a bit exaggerated for his taste, he couldn't deny that his status could grant comfort and reassurance to his patients and their families. It was certainly a plus, upon seeing the relieved smiles that were now plastered on their faces.     

    

"When your mother had been transferred here, I didn't bring that much money with me," Auntie Qin explained. "The hospital only allowed immediate surgery for your mother because Director Bai had given guaranteed for us. He's the one who lent me his phone to inform you as to what had happened."     

    

"I–thank you!" Jian Yun slowly raised her head, thanking him sincerely.     

    

"It really doesn't matter." Director Bai waved his hand dismissively, looking straight at her. Her tears hadn't dried yet, and it made her eyes look even glassier–especially under the bright lights in the hospital. It made him even more unable to take his eyes off them. "Your mother is still recuperating in the ICU. You can't visit her until she wakes up. Why don't you go back and rest first?"     

    

At his suggestion, she quickly shook her head. "I'm not going back. It's best if I wait here instead, just in case she wakes up."     

    

"Yun, it would be useless if you stay here," Wu Wenjing advised. "Why don't you come back and rest first? Otherwise, how will you take care of Auntie when she wakes up?"     

    

"She's right, Yun," Auntie Qin agreed.     

    

"I...Why don't you take Auntie Qin back first. I just need to be closer to my Mom." She didn't even lift her head. "Please?"    

    

"Fine." Not wanting to argue with her any longer, Wu Wenjing sighed. "I'll take Auntie Qin to eat first, then I'll come to find you later. Okay?"     

    

Once they were gone, Jian Yun looked back at Director Bai. "Director Bai, where's the ICU? Can I go over there and wait? I could stay outside of her room if that's okay with you."     

    

"Nurse Li, take her." Director Bai instructed the nurse.     

    

"Thank you!" Her eyes gleamed with unspoken gratitude.    

    

"Director Bai!" Just as he was about to say something else, a voice sounded from the background. Given the urgency threaded across the man's tone, Director Bai immediately said his goodbyes and went straight to the operating room. Jian Yun could only watch the double doors slam shut again, remembering the three-hour anxiety that she had experienced a few minutes ago.     

    

"Let's go." The nurse was kind. She immediately led Jian Yun to the corridor facing the ICU. Knowing that she was worried, Nurse Li comforted her all the way, even patting her on the shoulder as if she was a long time friend.     

    

Upon seeing Jian Yun peering inside the entrance, she smiled sadly. "You might not be able to see her because of the blinds," Nurse Li explained, motioning to the bench. "Why don't you sit here for a while? If you want anything, you can go to the nurse station and ask for me. I'll be here as quick as I can."     

    

"Thank you." Nodding, she sat down.     

    

She sat there for three straight hours. If she wasn't playing with her phone, she was counting the cracks on the ceiling. At this point, all she could do was wait and hope that her mother would wake up soon. Jian Yun trailed her fingers across her jeans as she gazed through the glass windows.     

    

Once Wu Wenjing had finally sent Auntie Qin to the room that Jian Yun had rented for the night, she rushed back to the hospital almost immediately. As she was approaching the corridor, she could see her friend sitting almost motionlessly on the bench with her eyes fixated on the ICU. She shook her head and sighed.