“I haven’t gone shopping for months. Will you go with me?” Ye An hugged his arm and rubbed it softly.
Xie Shuo looked indifferent. “Didn’t you go a few days ago?”
Ye An choked. After a while, she said stubbornly, “That’s different! We were on our honeymoon when it happened, and you mentioned going first–not me!”
Xie Shuo went silent thinking of that day. He said, “If you really want to go, let Xiao Yu go with you.”
Ye An’s eyes widened, and her face was full of disbelief. “Your wife is going shopping, and you let other men go with her?”
Was he kidding?
Xie Shuo frowned upon hearing this. “Then go alone.”
“I don’t want to! It’s boring shopping alone.” Ye An shook his arm. “You’ll just be there with me. If I don’t buy anything, we can just walk along the streets and relax. I promise that you won’t have to carry any bags.”
Xie Shuo remained unmoved.
Ye An hugged his waist and put her chin on his shoulder. She said coquettishly, “Hubby, please?”
As her warm breath brushed across his neck, Xie Shuo suddenly recalled when she was drunk a few days ago, and she lay drunk in his arms.
His cold, hard heart seemed to soften.
After a while, he said in a low tone, “An hour?”
Ye An still laid her head on his shoulder, pretending to be pitiful, and was stunned when he replied. She immediately lifted her head and began to bargain, “Two.”
As expected, she would take a mile if given an inch.
Xie Shuo looked down.
Seeing that something wasn’t right, Ye An hesitated. “Forget it, an hour is fine. Let’s change.”
She pulled him up and went to the bedroom to change clothes. Afterward, she called Xiao Yu to accompany them.
—
The autumn sky was bright and clear, and when the wind blew, it carried along a breath of sunshine.
Although Ye An wanted to take Xie Shuo to a busy market, she decided against it after considering his situation and identity. In the end, she finally chose a street that was near her old university and the park.
Except for Saturdays, there usually weren’t many pedestrians, and the scene was quiet.
The two of them left at 3:40pm, but by the time they got there, it was nearly 5:00pm. The sun had already set west, and the temperature had cooled.
Their stipulated time was one hour, and Ye An didn’t dare waste it. She took his arm and walked slowly down the street, talking to Xie Shuo as they did so.
There were several osmanthus shrubs planted in intervals along the street, and their fragrance drifted in the wind and down the streets.
“Have you been here before?” Ye An turned her head to ask.
Xie Shuo wasn’t used to the noises around him, but he said, “My university isn’t in China.”
Ye An knew what he was thinking about, and she slid one of her hands down his arm and grasped his hand. She whispered, “No one is looking at us; we’re all strangers here.”
Xie Shuo pursed his lips and said nothing.
Ye An laughed. “Even if people see us, it’s because you’re too handsome, and they’re jealous.”
Hearing her familiar laugh, Xie Shuo’s expression softened. She always knew how to get her way and be set in her self-righteousness as if she didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion.
The sun set lower and lower while the distant sky began to blur with the rose-tinted clouds. The colorful skies dyed the street scene with a layer of brilliant radiance.
As they walked, Ye An noticed a flower shop in front of them on the side of the road.
The shop wasn’t big, but the selection of flowers was quite colorful and plentiful. They were clustered from the inside of the store outwards.
“There’s a flower shop over there!” Ye An hugged Xie Shuo’s arm excitedly. “Let’s go see.”
She dragged Xie Shuo to the outside of the flower shop and turned to say, “Can I buy flowers instead of clothes?”
Xie Shuo replied indifferently, “Aren’t there flowers planted at home?”
Ye An: …Why did this man not understand romance?
“That’s different!” Ye An took his arm and shook it. “You haven’t bought flowers for me yet. It’s rare for you to come out with me. Don’t you think you should gift me some flowers?”
Xie Shuo was silent with a “whatever” expression on his face.
Ye An turned her head to look at the flowers in the store. She chose a full bouquet of red roses in the middle.
She said loudly, “Boss, please give me some roses. Don’t add too many, nine is fine.”
The owner picked out nine roses. She trimmed them, tied them into a bouquet, and handed them to her.
Ye An took them into her arms and smelled them, smiling.
She pulled Xie Shuo over. “Pay.”
Xie Shuo turned to face her, and there were four words written on his face: I didn’t bring any money.
Ye An: “…”
When she thought about it, it made sense. He couldn’t see, so why would he bring money?
Ye An held the roses, and the sweetness that she had just felt instantly turned into embarrassment. In the end, she had to pay the boss under the latter’s scrutinous gaze.
Forget it. She took out his card and estimated how much it would cost. This could count as him buying the flowers.
Thinking of this, Ye An’s mood was lifted. She held the flowers in one hand and his arm in the other as she turned towards another lively street.
A young couple walked near them wearing backpacks. They seemed to be still students based on their youthful appearances.
Ye An thought of something and let go of Xie Shuo’s arm. Instead, she grabbed his hand and turned to him. “I’ll guide you by hand, okay?”
Xie Shuo frowned, but before he could respond, Ye An had already taken half a step forward, turned around, and faced him.
She took his hand while walking backwards.
“The road in front of you is flat, so you can walk wherever. Don’t be afraid.”
Xie Shuo frowned even more to show his reluctance, but he still went along with her advice.
The two walked one step at a time down the long street, one in front and the other behind.
There were curious glances from passersby, but Ye An didn’t care. Only his reflection was in her eyes.
After walking for a while, she started to release his hand slowly. As her fingers slid down, she moved away bit by bit and stepped aside.
Xie Shuo suddenly lost her support and stopped.
His hand instinctively reached out to grab something, but nothing was there.
The sunset shone diagonally with the dust particles floating between his fingertips, and the evening breeze gently caressed his face.
His shadow was slender and long.
There was a constant sound in his ears, but for him, it only contributed to the deep sea of darkness.
Ye An held a flower and observed him from a few steps away. It was as if she saw a youthful spirit about him, and the corners of her eyes turned red.
After a while, Xie Shuo frowned and called out, “Ye An.”
There seemed to be a bit of irritability in his expression.
Ye An walked up to him and touched his fingers.
“I’m right here,” she said.
Xie Shuo gripped her hand with strength, making the veins on his hand rise and her fingers hurt.
Ye An let him hold it as she smiled and looked up at him. “Now you know how important I am? Try bullying me again in the future; I dare you!”
Xie Shuo’s expression sank, and his face went ashen.
Afraid that he would get annoyed in public, Ye An hugged him and hurriedly comforted him, “I was just kidding; don’t be angry. I also want to be by your side and be there for you at all of the appointments! Don’t you want to get well sooner too?”
Xie Shuo’s expression softened a little, but he still pursed his lips tightly and didn’t speak.
Ye An took his arm and guided him forwards. “The doctor said that your current condition is much better than before and that a daily walk helps. If you follow his arrangements, then you’ll definitely be able to see one day…”
“What if they don’t work?” he suddenly interrupted her.
Again with this question.
Ye An’s heart shook, and she stopped to face him. The setting sun shone on his face and made him glow.
After a while, she looked up, saying softly, “Did you forget? We already agreed that we’d stay married for the rest of our lives if your eyes don’t get better.”
I’ll help you see the mountains and rivers you want to see;
I’ll accompany you on the walks you want to walk;
I’ll be your eyes.
Marriage for a lifetime… Xie Shuo silently listened to her speak, and his thoughts were indistinguishable.
When Ye An finished her speech, she hugged his arm again. “Besides, aren’t you tired of me? You should be more cooperative, so you can heal quicker and divorce me sooner.”
For some reason, Xie Shuo suddenly felt that her words were a bit harsh. He opened his mouth to say something but decided not to in the end.
—-
The sunset occupied the sky, and the wind fluttered through the bustling streets.
Across the road, a voice suddenly sounded from the midst of a large crowd:
“Hey, isn’t that An An jie?”
Xiang Quan looked up at the mention and froze when he saw her in the distance.
In the sunset glow, a man and a woman strolled together. There was something evidently wrong with the man’s eyes, and he needed to be guided forward.
“Is the person on her side her husband?”
“Why does her husband… look a little weird?”
“Can his eyes not see?”
Everybody gasped as if they had heard some earth-shattering news.
“Didn’t she marry someone rich and powerful? How come he’s blind?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, that’s her…”
……
Author’s Note: Xiao Ye: When your eyes heal soon, we’ll divorce.
Xiao Xie: Even if they do heal, we’re not divorcing.
Xiao Ye: ?