Ye An replied, “It’s really not. I’ve been willing since the beginning. If I didn’t want to marry him, no one could force me.”
Xia Jin was very clear on her daughter’s personality; if she didn’t want to do something, no method of persuasion could move her.
Hearing this, Xia Jin became even more confused. “Then please tell me why you want to marry him? I would understand if it was another person, but he’s blind. What are you trying to do? ”
Ye An couldn’t help but interrupt, “Mom, his eyes are just injured; don’t say that about him!”
Her retort immediately made Xia Jin’s temper rise again. “I say one thing, and you’re all riled up! Tell me what you’re looking for right now! Are you with him for his money?”
Ye An was silent, and her slender fingers were curled as if she was holding back her emotions.
Seeing that she wasn’t speaking, Xia Jin thought that she had guessed right. She immediately said, “If I knew that you would grow up to be like this, I wouldn’t have sent you back–”
“I like him.”
Xia Jin was interrupted before she could finish speaking.
Ye An raised her gaze and looked fixedly at her, “I like him; is that reason enough?”
Xia Jin looked into Ye An’s eyes and didn’t feel like she was lying. Xia Jin, stunned, could not understand, “What do you like about him? As a man who needs your help when he walks, what do you like about him?”
Ye An clasped her hands together on the sofa and said word by word, “I like him. It doesn’t matter whether he can see or not; I like him no matter what.”
Xia Jin’s mind exploded, and she was so angry that her breathing became labored. “I don’t care what you are after. Either you divorce him, or don’t ever visit me in the future. I’ll act as if you were never my daughter!”
Ye An suddenly replied, “Are you angry because I suddenly got married or because I married someone that doesn’t match your requirements and made you lose face?”
Xia Jin turned pale. “You…”
“Ever since I was little, have you ever asked for what I want?” Ye An looked at her, her eyes slowly turning red. “You only use me to get at Ye Yuan Nian and compare me to Ye Man. You have wanted me to be the best in everything I did to prove that you were successful and made the right choice years ago! You don’t care about my happiness; you never have…”
“In the beginning, I only asked for money to save your life, but you told me to go back to the Ye residence and to never talk to you again…”
When Xia Jin heard this, her eyes turned red. However, she refused to compromise. “Did I ask for you to save me?”
Ye An raised her voice, “Then what did you want me to do? I was only a teen at the time; what else could I do? Watch you die?”
Halfway through the sentence, her voice choked. Her eyes were wet with tears, which she held back.
She wiped the corners of her eyes and suppressed her emotions, saying, “I’m twenty-three now; I’m not a child. Whether you accept it or not, I will not divorce him.”
Xia Jin nervously approached her and held her hand. “An An, can you listen to Mom’s advice? Why do you have to be so stubborn and choose him?”
“Mom!” Ye An interrupted her, “Xie Shuo treats me well. In my mind, there is no one better than him.”
Outside of the room, Xie Shuo stopped in his tracks, happening to hear this phrase.
He originally only wanted to come downstairs and check in on the situation but didn’t expect them to also go upstairs. Because of their heated discussion, their raised voices could be heard through the door.
The winds outside grew faster and faster, and rain began to fall and trickle down the windows.
Ye An glanced out the window and said, “It’s getting late; let’s go downstairs for dinner first. Do you want to stay for the night, or should I book a room in a nearby hotel for you?”
Xia Jin looked at her expression and knew that her daughter had made up her mind. She got up and said, “No need, I booked a hotel room, and my luggage is there.” After a while, she continued, “As for dinner, no thanks.”
After she was done speaking, she walked away.
“Mom!” Ye An didn’t expect her to refuse the offer and hurriedly chased after her with a headache.
Just as they both exited the room, they suddenly stopped.
Xie Shuo stood outside the room, somewhat embarrassed. They had come out so suddenly that he had no time to hide.
Ye An didn’t know if he had overheard their conversation, and she froze in shock. Then, she stepped forward to grasp his arm and called sweetly, “Husband.” With her other hand, she tugged at his shirt, hinting for him to cooperate. “I forgot to introduce you; this is my mom.”
Since Xie Shuo couldn’t see, he couldn’t pinpoint where Xia Jin was. Nevertheless, he obeyed Ye An’s wishes and greeted Xia Jin politely, “Hello.”
Because she hadn’t accepted him yet, he didn’t address her by any title.
“It’s raining outside; would you like to stay for dinner?”
Ye An glanced at him and breathed a sigh of relief. Although this man was moody in private, he still gave her face in front of outsiders and never embarrassed her.
……
Xia Jin looked at Xie Shuo with a scrutinizing gaze. In her fit of rage, she hadn’t noticed the man’s handsome features and noble temperament… aside from the fact that he was blind.
This time, Xia Jin calmed down. In front of outsiders, it was best not to be rude, so she complied reluctantly.
The three went downstairs.
Tonight, dinner was abnormally silent.
As usual, Ye An grabbed a pair of chopsticks and served Xie Shuo’s food first. Her movements were skilled, and she even knew his favorite dishes.
Xia Jin watched them to the side and recalled how Ye An had said, “I like him.” She sighed with mixed feelings.
When all the dishes were out, Ye An picked up her bowl and smiled at Xia Jin. “Mom, the ribs are pretty good; have some more.”
Xia Jin was unable to smile and had no appetite. She lowered her head.
By the time they finished dinner, the rain had stopped, leaving behind the cold mist.
“Should we move her to a closer hotel?” Xie Shuo asked Ye An in a low voice after hearing the name of the hotel where Xia Jin had booked a room at.
Before Ye An could answer, Xia Jin refused, “It’s already so late; there’s no need.”
Since she had spoken out, the two didn’t pursue the matter and could only ask the chauffeur to send her there.
Ye An wanted to go with Xia Jin, but she was subsequently rejected. She only said, “Then I’ll go see you tomorrow.”
Xia Jin didn’t agree or oppose as she got in the car.
The night breeze was slightly damp after the rain and chilling to the bone. Ye An guided Xie Shuo back up the stairs and into the bedroom.
After sending Xia Jin off, she needed to explain the situation to Xie Shuo.
After all, she hadn’t mentioned Xia Jin at all before getting married. She came to cause a fuss all of a sudden, so he must definitely be confused.
Ye An thought about it and said, “My mom… isn’t in good health. She was very ill and spent a long time recovering in our hometown. When we got married, I was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to bear the news, so I didn’t tell her.”
After she was done speaking, Ye An felt that something was strange. Should she tell him that her mother didn’t approve of him and their marriage?
Fortunately, Xie Shuo showed no expressions of unhappiness. His expression remained light as if he was thinking about something.
Ye An reached out to help him sit down on the sofa. She said gently, “My mom has a temper, but she is only worried about me. Can you cooperate with me for the next few days?”
Xie Shuo turned to face her.
Ye An explained, “Just be affectionate and show your love for me; that way, she’ll be more at ease.”
Xie Shuo remained silent.
Ye An: She was only asking for two days of acting; was this too much to ask?
However, she was still at fault for this situation. Ye An accepted her fate and moved toward him to hug his arm. She said softly, “It’ll be easy; it’s just putting on a show.” She poked his chest. “If you don’t cooperate, then I’ll have to go home with my mom, and you won’t have a wife.”
As she spoke, she suddenly heard Xie Shuo ask, “Why did you agree to marry me in the first place?”
Ye An froze.
Xie Shuo turned and waited for her answer.
Before, he had always thought that she had agreed to the “marriage” because of Ye Yuan Nian. However, after today’s experience, he was clearly wrong. After their marriage, she seemed to have completely cut off her relationship with the Ye family, and he had never heard her ask to go back and visit. She never used his influence to ask for any benefits for the Ye family either, and she acted indifferently towards Ye Yuan Nian.
She also didn’t seem to do it for money. He gave her a card, but she rarely splurged or flaunted her wealth. The only time she had asked him for help was to have dubbing rights of an anime to help promote her studio.
When he thought about it carefully, the majority of her efforts were spent on him for nearly half a year.
A crazy thought flashed through Xie Shuo’s mind:
Was it because she liked him?
But why?
In all fairness, he did not treat her very well.
Ye An remained stunned for a while before she returned to her senses. A trace of panic flashed through her eyes.
Why was he suddenly asking about this?
“What is there to ask about? Of course, it’s because you’re rich and handsome!” she said unabashedly.
All of Xie Shuo’s theories were shut down by her straightforward claim.
Ye An looked at his cold and handsome face, saying confidently, “Otherwise, who do you think would be willing to put up with this Eldest Young Master’s temper?”
Xie Shuo: “…”
Xie Shuo was silent for a moment, and then he changed the topic, “What does your mother like?”
Ye An was overjoyed when she heard his question. “Does this mean that you are willing to cooperate with me?”
Xie Shuo didn’t speak.
At this point, Ye An knew that his silence meant acquiescence. She happily leaned into his arms and told him about Xia Jin’s hobbies. “She has been really into painting for the past two years, and she even found a teacher to take lessons.”
Xie Shuo thought about it for a while before saying, “Tomorrow, have the housekeeper check if there are currently any art exhibitions open. After that, take her out. I can’t go with you, but I will join you guys for dinner.”
Ye An grew happier upon hearing him speak and replied, “En.”
She raised her head and faced him at eye level. Her eyes flashed with emotion as she suddenly reached out to hug him.
Xie Shuo looked down.
Ye An had her arms wrapped around his waist as she buried her face in his shoulder. She said in a muffled voice, “Don’t move; lend me your shoulder for a little bit.”
Although Xie Shuo was confused, he didn’t push her away.
Time passed by quietly, and a while later, Xie Shuo felt a warm and damp sensation on his shoulder.
Xie Shuo was stunned. “Why are you crying?”
Ye An’s face remained buried. She wanted to deny it, but her tears were evidence of the truth.
Thus, she said, “It’s nothing. Autumn is here, so I’m just emotional from the seasons changing.”
“……”
Because she spoke so straightforwardly, Xie Shuo returned to his senses after a while. His jaw brushed over her soft hair, which carried a light fragrance.
He had a vague guess on why she felt aggrieved. Her parents divorced when she was young, so she went with her mom. However, she was sent back to the Ye residence, which must have upset her.
His heart softened a bit. Xie Shuo raised his hand and patted her back to comfort her.
Ye An laughed at his actions. She looked up at him and said, “Who would have guessed that you knew how to comfort others?”
Xie Shuo, who rarely showed any emotion, said gently, “Rest early.”
Ye An’s mood lifted, and she wiped her tears. After helping him up, she went to get him a set of clothes.
The wind and rain fell in the desolate night, but the inside of the house was as warm as springtime.
Author’s note: Xiao Xie has been moved!_(:з」∠)_
