My Wife Returned Young Again After a Ten-Year Business Trip

I froze all over. The officer stood up, looking serious.

He walked around the desk, went to the door to shut it, and then pulled the blinds closed. “I know what’s going on.” When he said that, his voice was so low it sounded like he was afraid something might hear him. “What is it?” I sat in the chair, my hands gripping the bag tightly on my knees.

He sat back down and stared at me for a long time, like he was deciding whether to tell me. “First, don’t panic.” He finally spoke. “We can’t be sure yet.

But we’ve taken in an identical case before.” My heart clenched hard. “Around two years ago.” He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. “There was an old man who came in to report it.

His last name was Miller, and he lived in one of those old apartment complexes in the east side of town.

He said his daughter had run up a huge gambling debt before, then vanished to hide from her creditors for years, and suddenly came back.” He paused and blew out a mouthful of smoke. “At first, the old man was overjoyed.

His daughter was back, after all, and he thought she’d finally turned over a new leaf.

But it didn’t take long before he started feeling like something was wrong.” “She told me his daughter used to be a total screwup, never held a real job, and spent all day drinking and gambling with a bad crowd.” “But the one who came back stopped gambling, stopped drinking, and acted like a totally different person.” “The old man said his daughter hadn’t even finished middle school, but the one who came back could actually chat with her about classic literature and history.” My fingers started shaking. “The most important part,” The officer stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. “His daughter used to be in terrible health, with severe asthma.

She couldn’t even walk fast without gasping for air.

But the one who came back could carry a hundredpound bag of rice without breathing hard once.” I felt like my blood was running backward. “And then?” My voice was trembling. “Then we went to check it out.” He sighed. “We went to her place.

The daughter was home, acting completely normal, very polite to us, even poured us tea.

We walked around the house, and found nothing.” “The old man still couldn’t say exactly what felt wrong. He just said it gave him the creeps.

We thought it was just because father and daughter hadn’t seen each other in too long and were out of sync, so we said a few reassuring things and left.” He stood up and walked to the window, opened the blinds a crack to look outside, then closed them again. “Then, not even a week later,” He turned around and looked at me. “The old man and his daughter disappeared together.” “Disappeared?” “Yes, disappeared.

Everything was still in the house.

Clothes, savings passbook, ID card, they didn’t take a single thing.” “Neighbors said they still saw the old man taking a walk downstairs the night before, and the next day he was gone.

His phone couldn’t be reached either.

It’s been two years, and there’s still no news at all.” I shot to my feet, and the chair slid back with a harsh scraping sound. “My wife, could she also…” “Don’t rush.” He raised a hand to signal me to sit. “I said it’s not certain yet.

It’s just that this case is too similar, and I had to tell you.” “Then what exactly is it?

What is my wife?” My voice had already changed. “I don’t know.” He shook his head. “We checked the old man’s daughter’s records.

Just like your wife, her household registration was normal, she was alive, and there was nothing unusual. But we just couldn’t find them.”

I took a few deep breaths and forced myself to calm down. “So what do I do now?” He thought for a moment, then took something out of the drawer and handed it to me. “Move out first.

Don’t stay at home. Take this.” I took it and saw that it was a small black voice recorder. “This recorder was issued to us.

The battery lasts a long time, and it can record for dozens of hours.” “Take it with you when you go back, and keep it on at all times.

If she does anything unusual or says anything strange, it’ll all get recorded.” “We don’t have evidence yet, so we can’t arrest anyone directly.” I clenched the recorder in my palm, the metal shell cold. “If she does anything off, call me right away.

This is my business card.” He handed me a business card too. “Any time is fine, even in the middle of the night.” I took it and looked at it.

East Side Police Station, Officer Miller. “Officer Miller,” I stood up. “Is moving out enough? Will she find me?” “Go stay at your parents’ place for a while.

Don’t tell her your parents’ address. If she contacts you, just say you were homesick and went back for a few days. Don’t upset her, and don’t let her think you’ve noticed anything.

Keep things normal on the surface, understand?” I nodded and shoved the card and recorder into my bag. “Also, don’t be alone with her these next few days.

Try to stay in public places.

If she asks you to go abroad with her, absolutely don’t go.” I went cold all over. “Go abroad?” “The old man’s daughter from last time kept saying she wanted to take her dad overseas after she came back.

Said it was better abroad and wanted to let him enjoy life there.” “The old man mentioned it to us once, but we didn’t think much of it then.

Now that I think about it…” He didn’t finish, but I already understood. By the time I left the police station, it was already dark.

The wind in November was freezing, and I walked down the street with my coat pulled tight around me, my mind a complete mess. Why did they disappear? Where did they disappear to?

Where are that old man and his daughter now? Are they still alive? My hand was in my pocket, gripping the voice recorder so hard my knuckles turned white.

I started going over every detail from the past ten years. Lena and I got married in 2014. Back then, she was twentyeight and worked as a sales rep for a foreign trade company.

She was in terrible health, and at five foot five, she weighed only ninety pounds. She looked like a gust of wind could knock her over.

She had severe stomach problems and was always running to the hospital.

She was out of breath after walking just a couple of steps, and the doctor said she was naturally weak and had a poor constitution.

A year after we got married, she said she wanted to go overseas for work. She said her company had an overseas assignment, and the salary was five times higher than in the country.

When she brought it up to me, she was especially excited, saying that if she went for a few years and saved some money, life would get much easier. I didn’t agree at the time.

We had only been married a year, and with her health that bad, how could I be at ease letting her go overseas alone? But she had made up her mind.

She said it was a onceinalifetime chance, and if she missed it, it would be gone. We fought several times, and in the end, she won.

Then came the longdistance relationship that lasted for years. We mostly kept in touch through SnapChat, sending a few messages every day and calling once in a while.

But phone calls were rare. She said work was busy, and she often worked overtime until midnight, plus there was a time difference, so it wasn’t convenient.

I wanted to video chat with her, but she always said the camera was broken, or that it wasn’t convenient in the dorm because the colleague she shared the room with was already asleep.

I didn’t think much of it then. I figured working overseas really wasn’t easy, and harsh conditions were understandable. But sometimes, she would go completely out of contact.

The longest time was a full five days with no message at all. I sent countless SnapChat messages and made countless calls, and she never answered once.

I was so anxious I nearly bought a plane ticket to go find her, and then she finally sent a message back saying the project was behind schedule, she had worked five straight days, and she hadn’t even had time to look at her phone.

I believed her back then. Now that I think about it, how could a normal person not look at their phone for five days?

No replies for five days? Even if she was that busy, did she not even have time to use the bathroom? I hadn’t thought it through back then. Now, looking back, everything was wrong.

When I reached the entrance of our neighborhood, I stopped and looked up at our building. Sixth floor, east side unit, the lights were on. She was home.

I took a deep breath, pulled the voice recorder out of my bag, and switched it on. The red indicator light flashed once and started recording.

I put it in my pocket, zipped it up, and headed home. My legs felt weak as I went upstairs, and every step felt unsteady. Six floors took me almost ten minutes.

When I stood at the door, I took out my key, slipped it into the lock, turned it twice, and opened the door. The smell of food hit me right away.

The dining table in the living room was covered with dishes.

Braised fish, sweet and sour ribs, steamed sea bass, garlic broccoli, and cornandrib soup—there were seven or eight dishes, all beautifully plated, looking like something from a restaurant.

Lena poked her head out of the kitchen, wearing the blue apron I had bought her years ago, and smiled at me. “You’re back? Go wash up.

The last soup is almost done.” Seeing her smiling face, I felt a chill run down my back. My wife used to not even know how to cook instant noodles.

Once, I worked late and told her to make herself some noodles. She cooked them into a lump of mush and even burned a hole through the bottom of the pot.

I still remembered how helpless she had looked standing in the kitchen.

But now, she was in the kitchen wearing an apron, tossing the pan and flipping the food, her movements smooth and skilled, her technique so professional she looked like a chef.

I changed my shoes and went in, sitting down at the dining table and staring at the full spread, my throat tight.

She carried the soup pot out of the kitchen, set it on the table, took off her apron, and sat down across from me. “Try it.” She picked up a piece of rib for me. “See if it suits your taste.” I took a bite, and it tasted unbelievably good.

The ribs were tender and soaked through with flavor, sweet and salty in perfect balance, better than anything I had eaten at any restaurant. “Is it good?” she asked, her eyes gentle. “It’s good.” I put down my chopsticks. “When did you learn to cook?” “Overseas.” She said it naturally. “If you’re alone overseas and don’t learn how to cook, you’ll starve to death.

I started out making terrible food too. I just practiced little by little.” “Didn’t you say you were really busy with work before?

How did you have time to learn to cook?” She paused for a moment, maybe only a split second, so quick you’d miss it if you weren’t paying close attention. “You still have to eat, no matter how busy you are.” She smiled. “And later I switched projects, and it wasn’t so busy anymore, so I had time to study it.” Perfect.

Every question had an answer, and every answer sounded so reasonable that I couldn’t find a single flaw. But I felt even worse inside.

Because my wife had never been like this before. She used to have terrible logic, always speaking in a jumble, and it was really hard to reason with her.

But the person in front of me had a clear mind, precise expression, and every answer landed exactly where it should, like she had rehearsed everything in her head beforehand.

I lowered my head and kept eating, saying nothing. The voice recorder in my pocket was still running, the red light blinking on and off, invisible through my clothes.

After dinner, I went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. She followed me in and wanted to help, but I pushed her out.

I told her that since she cooked, she didn’t need to wash dishes, and should go watch TV for a while. She obediently walked back out.

I stood at the sink with my hands in the hot water, my mind racing. Officer Miller had told me to move out, and I needed to find a reason to go to my parents’ place.

But I couldn’t make it too obvious. I couldn’t let her get suspicious. When I came out after washing the dishes, she was sitting on the couch looking at her phone.

I sat down next to her, worked up my courage, and was just about to speak when she talked first. “By the way, I have something to tell you.” “What is it?” “This time I came back, I’m not planning to leave again.

But there are still some procedures to handle at the company, so I may have to go back once more.” I froze. “You still have to go back?” “Yeah, just one last trip to wrap things up over there.

It’ll probably take a month or two. But…” She turned to look at me. “I want to take you with me.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Take me with you?” “Yeah.

You’ve had a hard time alone here in the country for the past ten years, and I want to take you out for a while, just like a trip.

The scenery there is pretty nice, with beaches and a warm climate.” “After I finish my work, we can stay a few days and then come back.” Her hand covered mine, her palm warm and dry.

My mind exploded with a roar. Officer Miller’s words echoed in my ears. If she asks you to go abroad with her, absolutely don’t go.

I forced myself to calm down, pulled my hand away, and pretended to reach for the water glass on the coffee table. “Which city is your workplace in exactly?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “Penang, Malaysia.” “It’s an island.

Very pretty.” Penang. I wrote the place down in my head.

I stayed quiet for a moment, organizing my words. “I don’t really want to go.” “You know I get carsick, seasick, and motion sick. Long trips are torture for me.

Besides, my dad hasn’t been feeling well lately, and I want to spend more time with him.” “Then forget it.” She said it in the same gentle tone. “I’ll go by myself.

I’ll be back soon.” She actually didn’t argue. She didn’t try to persuade me, didn’t insist, and didn’t even ask another question. She just agreed. That was wrong.

From what I knew of Lena, if she really wanted me to go, she would have worn me down, sweettalked me, and kept trying again and again until I agreed.

She was never someone who gave up easily. But the person in front of me gave up so lightly.

A thin layer of cold sweat crept over my back. “By the way,” I said, pretending to suddenly remember something, “I want to go stay at my parents’ place tomorrow for a few days.

I haven’t been back in a while.” “Sure, I’ll go with you.” “No need.” I said quickly. “You just got back, so rest a little.

And you know my dad—if someone comes over, he has to rush around taking care of everything, and it tires him out.

I’ll just go back for two days and chat with him for a bit, then come back.” “That works too. Then I’ll drive you.” “No need for that either. I can just take the bus myself.

You just got back and haven’t even shaken off the jet lag, so don’t bother.” She glanced at me and nodded. “Okay. I’ll listen to you.” More obedience. More unquestioning obedience.

I barely slept that night. When I woke up the next morning, she was already up. The sound of a spatula hitting the pan came from the kitchen, along with the sizzle of oil.

I got dressed and walked out of the bedroom, and breakfast was already laid out on the table.

Millet porridge, fried eggs, steamed sweet potatoes, cucumber salad, and a plate of cut fruit. It looked as polished as a hotel breakfast buffet. “You’re up? Eat quickly.

We can’t miss the train.” She came out of the kitchen carrying a cup of hot milk and set it in front of me. I sat down and scooped a spoonful of millet porridge into my mouth.

It was cooked just right, thick and smooth, with the grains perfectly bloomed. “I bought your ticket.” She checked her phone. “Ten o’clock this morning.

You should get there around 12:30. I bought something for your dad too.

Take it with you.” She pointed at the door, where two gift boxes were sitting on the floor, beautifully wrapped and clearly not cheap.

I looked at her, feeling something I couldn’t describe churning inside me. “Thanks.” I lowered my head and kept drinking the porridge, not looking at her anymore.

Halfway through, she suddenly put down her chopsticks and looked at me. “By the way, where did you go yesterday afternoon?” My spoon stopped in midair. “I went out for a walk in the afternoon, and when I came back you weren’t home.”

My mind raced.

I had gone to the police station yesterday afternoon, and there was no way I could let her know. “Oh, a friend asked me out for coffee.” “Haven’t seen each other in a while, so we chatted for a bit.” “Which friend?” “You don’t know him.

A college classmate of mine, last name Hayes.” “Male or female?” “Male.” “Where did you have coffee?” My heartbeat sped up.

She was pressing me, and the old Lena never used to press me like this. “Just over by the pedestrian street, at that new café.

What was it called again…” I pretended I couldn’t remember. “Anyway, it was on the first floor of that mall.” “What did you talk about?” “Just random stuff.

His wife is trying to get pregnant lately.” She looked at me without blinking.

I could feel her examining me, judging whether I was telling the truth. “Oh,” she finally looked away and kept eating her porridge, “next time, invite him to dinner so I can meet your friend.” “Okay.” I lowered my head and finished the rest of my porridge in one go, my stomach churning.

At ten o’clock sharp, she took me to the train station.

She carried the two gift boxes into the waiting hall for me and escorted me all the way to the ticket gate. “Text me when you get there,” she said. “Okay.” “Stay a few days and come back.

Don’t let your dad wear himself out.” “Okay.” She reached out and straightened my collar.

When her fingers touched my neck, I instinctively flinched. “It’s cold,” she said, putting her hands back into her pockets. “Be careful on the way.” I turned and went through the gate.

After I had walked far away, I looked back. She was still standing there, watching me through the crowd. I turned back and hurried toward the platform.

After I got on the train and found my seat, I hugged my bag and let out a long breath. The voice recorder in my pocket was still running, the red light blinking on and off.

I took my phone out of my bag and sent Officer Miller a message: “Officer Miller, I’ve already left home.

I’m on the train back to my parents’ place.” “I recorded last night and this morning too.

She really did ask me to go abroad with her, and I turned her down.” “She gave me an address, Penang, Malaysia, and said it was for foreign trade warehousing.

Also, she pressed me about where I went yesterday, and I didn’t tell the truth.” Officer Miller replied instantly: “Got it. I’ll verify the address.

Stay safe, and message me when you get there so I know you’re okay.” I put my phone away, leaned back in the seat, and closed my eyes.

The train slowly started moving, and the scenery outside began to slide backward. Just then, I felt someone sit down next to me.

I thought it was just another passenger and didn’t pay attention. But after that person sat down, they didn’t put away any luggage or take out a phone. They just sat there quietly.

A familiar scent of perfume drifted over. It was the same perfume I had bought for Lena. Citrus notes. I opened my eyes abruptly and turned my head.

Lena was sitting beside me, wearing the dark blue coat she had on when she sent me off that morning, a small bag on her lap, smiling at me.

My blood froze in an instant. “You…” “How did you get here?” My voice got stuck in my throat. “Did you forget?” She said it calmly, like she was stating a fact. “I bought your ticket.” She tilted her head and looked at me, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. “I know which carriage and which seat you’re in.” My mind went blank. “I thought about it.” She set her bag at her feet and shifted into a more comfortable position. “You’re going back to see your dad, and I should go too.

We’ve been married for so many years, and I can count the number of times I’ve been to your house on one hand. That makes me pretty irresponsible.

I happen to have time this time, so let’s go together.” Her hand reached over and held mine. “And.” She turned and looked straight into my eyes. “I suddenly remembered that the place you went to yesterday afternoon didn’t seem to be a café.” My heart thudded hard. “I went out yesterday afternoon too.” “When I passed the East Side Police Station, I saw you come out of it.”