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The appointment was scheduled for right after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ye An accompanied Xie Shuo to Grandfather Xie’s place for a family dinner. Xie Yuran was also present.

Ye An had rarely seen Xie Yuran in the past few months. She heard that he was transferred to a foreign branch for some time after the last development project.

Ye An looked at him for the first time in a while and noted that he looked more dispirited and haggard than before. He only managed to barely smile when talking to Grandfather Xie.

Xie Yuran happened to sit diagonally across from Xie Shuo during the meal, and Ye An noticed him occasionally glancing at Xie Shuo.

After eating, Ye An sat with Grandfather Xie for a while, but before he could ask when they were going to have children, Ye An dragged Xie Shuo outside to take a walk.

In the ancient-style courtyard, the paths intertwined, carefully designed to avoid the flowers and vegetables growing in the area. As they walked, they suddenly met Xie Yuran by the rose bushes.

He seemed to have drank quite a bit of alcohol. He wore a white shirt and black trousers, and his handsome face was tinged with pink. His eyes were somewhat glazed over with drunkenness.

“Ge,” he greeted Xie Shuo first before turning to Ye An and saying, “Da Sao.”

Ye An smiled politely. Because they were close, she could smell the scent of alcohol on his body.

Xie Yuran put one of his hands in his pocket and asked, “I heard Grandpa say that you’re going to see Professor Cen tomorrow.”

Xie Shuo replied with an “En. “I’m probably going to stay there for a while. Whenever I’m not here, you can ask Zhong Fu about things.”

Xie Yuran smiled with vague reluctance. “All right, Ge, take care of your body. If anything happens, just have Da Sao call home at any time.”

After these words of courtesy, Xie Yuran couldn’t think of anything else to say, so he returned from the path he came from. Before entering the house, he glanced back at them.

Ye An made eye contact with him. She supported Xie Shuo, whispering, “Your brother seems a little strange today.”

Since Xie Shuo couldn’t see, he wasn’t aware of Xie Yuran’s appearance. He looked up and asked, “How so?”

Ye An looked back and answered, “I’m not sure; something just feels off.”

Xie Shuo frowned, seeming to think of something.

The two didn’t stay for too long that evening and returned home early.

The moon was full on that autumn night, but since the weather was cloudy and drizzling, the moon was obscured. Ye An almost caught a cold from the weather.

After showering, Ye An laid down nervously. While listening to the rain outside, she questioned, “Do you think that you’ll ever be able to see again?”

Xie Shuo turned to face her to avoid hitting her. After a moment, he said, “Rest early.” 

Ye An: “…”

    —–

Two days later, Ye An accompanied Xie Shuo to the research institute again. Xie Baiyan had work and didn’t go with them this time, but the father-son pair talked for a long time in the study the night before leaving. 

At around nine in the morning, the sun shone brightly, and the car exited the city limits and drove to the institute. 

The last time they came, the flora was lush in the early summer. In the blink of an eye, the seasons changed to one with withering leaves. The autumn dew on the greenery had not yet evaporated into the cool air.

When Cen Qingyan saw them again, he first asked about Xie Shuo’s condition over the past few months before starting a comprehensive check-up.

Ye An waited outside the patient room. It may have been from her previous experiences there, but she was much calmer this time, and her limbs were no longer as weak.

However, she was still a little worried. She stood in a deserted corridor for a while before sitting down in a rest area.

Xie Shuo lay quietly in the patient room with a beam of light shining into his eyes. 

After a long time, Cen Qingyan turned the examination light off and helped Xie Shuo up. He raised his hand and waved it in front of Xie Shuo’s eyes and asked, “Have you been any phantom images recently?”

Xie Shuo replied, “Two or three times.”

There was a hint of joy on Cen Qingyan’s face. “The second phase of treatment seems to be working. Stay for half a month, so I can monitor your condition. We can start the third treatment phase tomorrow; you can try a drug that was recently developed.”

Xie Shuo suddenly asked, “Will I be cured after this?”

Cen Qingyan hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m not one hundred percent certain for the time being, but today’s situation is much better than before. Right now, the possibility of you recovering is approximately forty to fifty percent.”

Xie Shuo looked down and was silent for a moment. “Please don’t tell anyone about this, including my wife.”

Cen Qingyan realized that Xie Shuo was afraid of giving them hope and only to end up disappointing them. He empathized with Xie Shuo and agreed, “All right.”

    ——

Occasional footsteps sounded clear from the hallway. Ye An waited for a long time before Xie Shuo finally came out.

Her eyes lit up, and she quickly got up to meet him. She held his arm and asked Cen Qingyan, “Professor Cen, how is it?”

Cen Qingyan smiled and said, “The situation is much better was before, and we can start the third phase of treatment.”

Ye An was overjoyed and grabbed Xie Shuo’s hands excitedly. She was at a loss for words due to her excitement.

Xie Shuo felt the strength of her grip, and his eyes twitched.

Not long later, Ye An walked Xie Shuo to a special ward to rest.

When everything was settled, it was already three o’clock in the afternoon. The sun shone through the windows and cast shadows that moved silently. 

Xie Shuo sat like a statue against the headboard of the bed, exhibiting a delicate beauty. 

Ye An remembered Cen Qingyan’s advice to keep Xie Shuo’s spirits up. After thinking for a while, she picked up her phone and searched for any interesting tidbits of information to entertain him.

As soon as she opened her Weibo feed, a novel popped up.

Ye An was intrigued. After reading a few lines, she burst out laughing.

Xie Shuo heard the sudden burst of laughter and was confused by her enthusiasm.

“Do you want me to read a novel to you?” Ye An moved closer to him and spoke with a smile.

Xie Shuo’s cold behavior had improved a lot recently, and he asked, “What kind of novel?”

Ye An cleared her throat and expressively read the story.

“President, it’s been three years since you made Madam go to Africa.

“Has she admitted her wrongs?

“Not yet, but she’s wealthier than you now.”

As soon as she finished reading the sentence, she couldn’t hold back her laughter. She fell into his lap, and her non-stop laughter echoed throughout the room.

Xie Shuo: “…”

Ye An stopped laughing and looked up. Her finger reached out and poked his shoulder. “Mr. Xie, would you ever send me off to Africa? I also want to be richer than you.”

Xie Shuo: “…”

Ye An contained her laughter and continued to look at her phone. “There’s more about removing her organs and draining her blood… are all of you CEO’s so cruel?” Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. She asked worriedly, “You wouldn’t dig my eyes out and use them for yourself, would you?”

    “……”

Xie Shuo looked at her indifferently, his expression seemingly saying– are you dumb?

Ye An waited for a short while, but before he could reply, she couldn’t stop her smile. She leaned closer to him and looked at him closely, seeming somewhat discouraged. “Can you not smile? I’ve not seen you smile once, even after being married for so long, and you always have a long face.”

If she were to ever see him smile one day, then it really would be a miracle.

Xie Shuo smelled the light fragrance on her body, the one he was most familiar with in the past six months.

Suddenly, a flash of light and blurry shadows appeared in front of him, and this time was more apparent than the last few times.

However, the light and shadows slowly disappeared, and the darkness submerged every image.

Because of their close proximity, Ye An felt as if he were looking directly at her. Her ears were warm, and she recalled the kiss that almost happened the other day. Her gaze unconsciously fell on his lips, and her heart skipped a beat.

The atmosphere changed, so she hurriedly backed away and turned her head. She suddenly heard him ask, “Do you want to go on a walk?”

Ye An: “?”

Ye An’s eyes widened and almost thought that she heard wrong.

The last time that they came for treatment, she had spent so much effort on coaxing him to go on walks outside. She didn’t expect him to suddenly mention walks on his own initiative.

Has he really changed?

“All right!” Ye An was in favor of his idea and hurriedly helped him out of bed.

As the lights and shadows flickered on the curtains behind her, she glanced at his sharp profile and suddenly realized that his temper seemed to have vastly improved. He didn’t seem as moody recently.

The afternoon sun shone diagonally outside the building. The parasol trees stood tall in the sky, and the leaves fell gently on the ground.

Ye An guided Xie Shuo across the lawn, and they walked unhurriedly under the shade, admiring the faint scent of the flowers.

After a while, the two were tired from walking and rested on a bench by the road. Ye An looked around before suddenly saying, “Wait here, I’m going to go find a book.”

Their surroundings were perfect for reading, as it was far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Ye An hurried back to the building and asked Cen Qingyan to borrow a book. He chose a random one, and it happened to be a collection of Tagore’s poems.

The autumn sun was high in the clouds, and the rays shone through the branches and leaves, the mottled shadows falling on the two figures sitting side by side.

Ye An put the book in her lap and turned the pages one by one before beginning to read:

I heard the echo, from the valleys and the heart

Open to the lonely soul of sickle harvesting

Repeat outrightly, but also repeat the well-being of

Eventually swaying in the desert oasis

I believe I am

Born as the bright summer flowers

Do not wither undefeated fiery demon rule

Heart rate and breathing to bear the load of the cumbersome

    ……

I hear love, I believe in love

Love is a pool of struggling blue-green algae

As desolate micro-burst of wind

Bleeding through my veins

Years stationed in the belief

I believe that all can hear

Her voice rang gently in his ear, like the warm wind in spring melting away the iciness from the harsh winters.

Xie Shuo listened quietly, the side of his face shrouded in the speckled light, and his usually furrowed eyebrows gradually easing.

At some moment, he suddenly felt that if the rest of his life was destined to be spent in boundless darkness, it would be nice to have such a person to be there with him. 

After a while, the voice in his ears quieted down little by little before finally disappearing into the gentle breeze.

Her shoulders lowered, her head tilted, and her warmth penetrated through his clothes. Xie Shuo turned his head slightly, and his jaw brushed into her soft hair, her familiar scent entering his nose.

His surroundings suddenly went silent. In the endless darkness, he heard the sound of rustling leaves falling to the ground, the breeze passing through the branches, and her shallow breaths against his shoulders. It felt as if he had woken up from a long coma in darkness.

Her fair hands slipped from the pages and onto his.

He felt the coldness of her fingertips and was stunned for a moment. He wrapped his hands around hers.

The dead leaves floated around them like butterflies, and the pages of the poems in her lap turned in the wind before stopping on a certain page.

    —–

Because of Xie Shuo’s cooperation, the course of treatment went much more smoothly than the last time. Ye An even felt like she was on vacation with him. After the daily check-ups, they wandered around the institute, living a leisurely life.

The only downside was that half a month later, no miracle happened, and Xie Shuo did not suddenly regain his eyesight as she had secretly hoped.

Even after asking Cen Qingyan multiple times, his answer was, “his condition is much better than before, but it’s uncertain whether his eyesight can be restored.” Ye An began to seriously suspect that he was just comforting himself.

The day they left the institute was clear and bright.

Outside the car window, the scenery gradually became prosperous street views. Ye An looked at the silent Xie Shuo beside her. Worried that he was feeling dejected, she reached her hand out to cover his hand.

Xie Shuo was no longer as resistant to her actions as before and even held her hand, kneading it gently in his palm.

Ye An: “…?”

Ye An originally just wanted to comfort him and didn’t expect this kind of reaction, so she was somewhat confused.

Ever since that night, he seemed to enjoy playing with her hands. He would occasionally hold and knead her hand, and she didn’t know why.

Ye An looked at her fingers, which were warm from his pinching, and wanted to retract her hand. However, after thinking about the distress he had been under, she thought he was in a bad mood and endured it.

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There happened to be an open exhibit at an art museum in the city center, so Ye An had the housekeeper buy tickets and persuaded the reluctant Xia Jin to go.

The lighting was clear and bright, and the visitors spoke in hushed whispers and walked with light footsteps. 

As Xia Jin looked at the vibrant colors on the paintings against the snow-white walls, her expression gradually softened, and there was a youthful vigor in her gaze.

She stood in front of one of the paintings for a while. Ye An took a mental note and asked quietly, “Do you like this one?”

Xia Jin gave a small nod. “The color scheme is nice.”

Ye An turned around and asked for the staff’s help, but the staff member smiled only politely and said that the painting was going to be auctioned off. Therefore, it wasn’t for sale for the time being.

Ye An wanted to ask for more details, but Xia Jin stopped her. “Forget it, I wasn’t serious.”

Ye An could only let it go.

After visiting the gallery, Xia Jin’s mood was evidently better than before. She knew that her actions would not change anything, so she didn’t try to convince Ye An to get a divorce like yesterday.

Xia Jin had remained strong for most of her life and never bowed her head or showed any signs of weakness. In the past, she had decisively divorced Ye Yuan Nian as a result of their quarrels. Xia Jin never thought that she would be so easily persuaded when it came time for her daughter’s marriage.

She glanced at Ye An, recalled the argument they had yesterday and sighed. Had she really made the wrong choice then?

“Why isn’t he here with you today?”

Ye An was stunned upon hearing Xia Jin’s sudden question, but she then realized that she was asking about Xie Shuo. Ye An smiled, saying, “He originally wanted to come but had work affairs to deal with. Also, his eyes make it more inconvenient for him to come since someone would have to take care of him, so I told him not to come. He is coming to dine with us tonight, though, and the restaurant has already been booked.”

After seeing the smile on her face, Xia Jin couldn’t help but ask, “You really like him?”

Ye An’s head hurt. “Mom, can you not be so biased against him? He was already in a rough period in his life, and his eyes were injured in a car accident. It wasn’t even his fault.” She paused before adding, “Also, he’s saved me before.”

Xia Jin was taken aback. “When did that happen?”

Ye An replied, “Don’t ask; you can just treat this marriage as me repaying the favor. He really is a good person…”

As she spoke, the employee suddenly stepped forward from behind them and asked, “Madam, where should this painting be delivered?”

Ye An turned to see a staff member behind them with a painting, the one that Xia Jin had taken a liking to earlier.

Ye An was puzzled. “Didn’t you say the painting wasn’t for sale earlier?”

The employee smiled and said, “I contacted the person in charge of the exhibition, and we settled it.”

Ye An understood the situation and turned to Xia Jin, saying, “Let’s just send it to your home, so it’ll be more convenient for you.”

Xia Jin didn’t expect such a turn in events, and she had mixed feelings.

The two walked out of the museum and stepped into the car to head to the restaurant that Xie Shuo had booked.

    —

In the study of the Xie residence.

“Vice Deputy Zhang did have private correspondence with two other companies during negotiations of the Ju development cooperation, but there has been no concrete evidence.”

Zhong Fu stood in the room and reported his findings.

Xie Shuo leaned against the sofa. His gaze was cold, and his long and slender fingers twitched. “Continue to investigate him and his finances. Do it in secret; don’t let him know yet.”

Zhong Fu nodded.

“Also, show me all of the projects that he handles in the future. If I’m not there, give it to the chairman.”

After speaking, Xie Shuo suddenly asked, “What time is it?”

Zhong Fu glanced at his watch and said, “Five twenty.”

Xie Shuo stood and said, “That’ll be all for now. Call my wife and ask if they’ve left the art exhibition.”

Zhong Fu quickly dialed a phone call to ask before turning around to say, “Madam said that they are already are on the way to the restaurant.”

Xie Shuo had just taken a step after standing up when flashes of light appeared circling before his eyes. His head began to hurt, and his body swayed, almost causing him to fall.

Zhong Fu hurried over to support him. “President Xie?”

Xie Shuo stood firm with Zhong Fu’s support, and he pressed his hand against his head.

Ever since coming back from the honeymoon, the flashing had not returned. He thought that the two incidences of flashes at Qianyue Mountain were just accidents and was not expecting it to happen today.

“Would you like me to call the doctor for you?” Zhong Fu asked worriedly.

A few moments later, Xie Shuo felt better, but his vision went completely dark again. He let go of Zhong Fu’s arm and said lightly, “No, let’s go.”

Zhong Fu could only support him on their way out.

    —-

The days in fall and winter were short. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, it was twilight, and the street lights were on.

Before finding a restaurant, Xie Shuo asked about Xia Jin’s tastes and preferences. In the end, he chose a Chinese restaurant with light dishes.

The restaurant was elegant and had traditional aesthetics. The chef was at the national level.

Two minutes after Ye An and Xia Jin entered, they saw Xie Shuo come in. Ye An stood up to go support him. She smiled, saying, “Darling.”

It was rare for Xie Shuo to have any expression other than a cold one. He asked gently, “Have you been waiting?”

Ye An held his arm and replied sweetly, “No, we just got here.”

Xie Shuo’s assistant followed them and stepped forward to passed a delicately packaged gift box to Xia Jin. He spoke courteously in their approximate direction, “You came very soon, so please forgive me for my hasty preparations. I’m sorry if anything has inconvenienced you.”

He gifted a painting in the afternoon and gave another gift in the evening. Even if Xia Jin didn’t like him, she could not say anything.

Ye An slid her hand down to grasp his palm. She intertwined their fingers and asked coquettishly, “What about me? There’s no present for me?”

Xie Shuo smiled cooperatively, “I’ll take you out another day, and you can pick out whatever you want. ”

The lighting inside the room was soft and warm, and it cast a faint glow around his eyebrows, adding a hint of fondness. Even his indifferent tone held a trace of emotion that she had never heard before.

Ye An almost believed his actions to be true and shook her head to rid herself of the fantasy. 

Fortunately, she was able to come back to her senses. She helped Xie Shuo sit down and said sweetly, “That’s what I like to hear.”

Xia Jin watched the two of them displaying affection, and her words were stuck in her throat, making her unable to do anything.

Although they were putting on a show, Ye An didn’t dare go overboard in case it was too exaggerated. She let go of Xie Shuo and smiled at Xia Jin. “Mom, what do you want to eat? Order anything you want.”

Xia Jin’s expression softened, and she responded with a light, “En.”

Hearing her affirming response, Ye An breathed a sigh of relief and finally felt like her task had been somewhat accomplished.

The soft lighting accompanied their peaceful meal.

After dinner, the three of them walked out of the room together. Ye An asked, “Mom, where do you want to go visit tomorrow?”

Xia Jin said, “There’s no need; I’m planning on going back tomorrow.”

Ye An was stunned. “Why so soon?”

Xia Jin looked at her. Ye An’s fair skin was dewy, her eyes were clear, and she didn’t seem to have suffered much since getting married.  

“I hurried over here and didn’t tell anyone that I was coming. The house is messy, so I have to go back and clean.” Xia Jin glanced at Xie Shuo again and said, compromising, “I’ll come to visit when I’m free.”

Ye An could only respond, “Then I’ll send you off tomorrow.”

    —

After sending Xia Jin back to the hotel, Ye An and Xie Shuo returned to the Xie residence.

Because of the autumn chill and the post-rain mist, Ye An shivered after getting off the car and subconsciously hugged Xie Shuo’s arm tightly. She only felt a bit warmer after entering the house.

Xie Shuo touched the exposed part of her arm and asked, “Why didn’t you wear more clothes if it was cold?”

Ye An leaned into him and said, “How else would I wear this dress?”

The two of them hadn’t seemed to exit their acting stupor and walked up the stairs intimately.

After they entered the bedroom, Ye An let go, looked at Xie Shuo, and said with a smile, “You did so well tonight!”

He wore formal clothes tonight with a white dress shirt and a black suit jacket. He was handsome, calm, and gentle when speaking tonight. He really seemed like the perfect husband.

Xie Shuo ignored her teasing and took off his jacket before sitting down on the sofa. He unbuttoned the top button of his neckline with his slender fingers. His movements were languid and relaxed.

He recalled something and suddenly said, “Help me call Professor Cen tomorrow and schedule an appointment with him. Tell him I’m doing a check-up.”

Ye An was confused since this was his first time asking for a doctor’s appointment. Was he finally warming up to the idea of continuing to pursue treatment?

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

Xie Shuo raised his hand to prop up his forehead. He responded with a low “En.”

Ye An sat down beside him and remembered that he had left the house early in the morning. “Did you remember to take your medicine?”

Xie Shuo put his hand down and said, “Yes.”

“Do you want me to rub your temples?”

Xie Shuo didn’t refuse her and laid down.

His head lay in her lap, and he closed his eyes upon smelling her familiar scent. He gradually fell asleep.

Ye An massaged his temples for a long time and finally stopped when her fingers were sore.

She looked down at him, her long lashes fluttering.

The man laid there quietly, and his expression was much gentler and calmer than usual. His nose bridge formed the peak of his features and cast a faint shadow on his face. 

Ye An was moved by his appearance and couldn’t help but stretch her fingertips out to gently stroke the bridge of his nose.

As soon as her fingertips touched his nose, her hand was caught.

Xie Shuo opened his eyes seemed to be somewhat tired. He didn’t ask what she was doing and sat up, still holding her hand.

“What time is your mother leaving tomorrow?”

Ye An straightened her wrinkled dress and said, “If you’re not feeling well, then you don’t have to come with me tomorrow.”

“I’m fine.”

Xie Shuo held her hand and noticed how slender and soft it was. He began to knead it unconsciously.

Ye An was confused: just say what you want to say; why are you kneading my hand?

However, her fingers were sore and felt better as they were being massaged, so she continued to let him do it and remained silent.

    —

The next day, Xie Shuo continued to be a model son-in-law and accompanied Ye An to visit Xia Jin.

Xia Jin had obviously accepted reality. She seemed calm and was not as agitated as when she first arrived. Before she left, she nagged Ye An to let her know if ever needed to return home for any reason.

When Xia Jin finally left, there was a large weight lifted off of Ye An’s shoulders. It probably would have been better if she were to be honest earlier so she wouldn’t have to hide her marriage.

When they got home, Ye An called Cen Qingyan and made an appointment for Xie Shuo to see him again.

The constant wind and rain for the past two days had finally stopped. The sky appeared as a blue wash, and bright rays filtered through the windows and shone brightly inside.

~

Author’s Note: Xiao Xie rubbed Xiao Ye’s hands~

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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」∠)_    

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“Ding Dong–”

 The two of them paused when the evil doorbell sounded.

Their lips pressed together with their breaths intermingling, but the carefully crafted atmosphere disappeared. 

Ye An opened her eyes and leaned back, but the redness on her face didn’t fade.

She let go of the hem of his shirt and whispered, “It’s probably Aunt Zhou; let me go check.”

Xie Shuo loosened his hold.

Ye An got off of him and tidied up her clothes before walking to the door and opening it.

Aunt Zhou was outside the door as expected. She saw the blush on Ye An’s face and paused, saying, “Madam, your father is here.”

Ye An froze.

Ye Yuan Nian?

Why was he here? Did he lose all his money and come to beg for help? Or did he come for dinner?

“Let him wait in the living room; we’ll be there in a moment.”

Even though she didn’t want to see him, she had to give him that courtesy. After Ye An spoke with Aunt Zhou, she turned around to talk to Xie Shuo.

“My dad is here. Do you want to go down and meet him?”

Xie Shuo looked up.

Ye An said, “If you don’t want to go downstairs, I can just tell him that you aren’t feeling well and are resting.”

In the end, Ye Yuan Nian was still his father-in-law, so there was no reason not to meet him. Besides, they had been married for so long and hadn’t even visited her family. Xie Shuo gathered that she misunderstood and remembered when he avoided seeing her when she first came to talk to him about their marriage. He got up and said, “I’ll go.”

Ye An reached out to support him, and they walked out slowly.

The two walked downstairs and into the quiet living room. The only sounds came from Aunt Zhou placed the cups of tea on the coffee table. 

The moment she saw another familiar figure next to Ye Yuan Nian, Ye An froze in shock.

Why was her mom here?

Who told her mother the news? Why hasn’t anyone told her about it?

Ye An’s mind raced, and it felt as if she was imagining things.

Hearing the footsteps, Xia Jin turned her head. Her gaze fell on Ye An’s figure before landing on the young man she was holding.

His face was cold, and his gaze was dull. He needed other people’s guidance to walk, so he was indeed blind.

Xia Jin’s chest burned with anger, and her face was ashen. She turned away.

Xie Shuo couldn’t see, so he naturally didn’t know what was happening. He only wondered why Ye An had suddenly stopped, and her grip on his arm suddenly grew stronger. She seemed nervous.

“What’s going on?” he whispered.

Ye An released his arm and looked at him, not knowing what to say. Her heart pounded.

Although she knew that this day would come sooner or later, she was caught off guard by how suddenly it came.

The wind blew heavily outside, hinting at the heavy rain falling soon.

“An An, you guys are finally here,” Ye Yuan Nian spoke embarrassedly to absolve the rigid tension.

Whether she was proactive or reactive, this situation was inevitable.

Seeing Xia Jin’s upset expression, Ye An calmed down and tugged gently at Xie Shuo’s sleeve, whispering, “My mother is here too.” Afraid of him misunderstanding, she added, “Biological mom.”

Xie Shuo was stunned for a moment and then realized that she was talking about Ye Yuan Nian’s ex-wife.

When the two families were talking about marriage, the Ye family, including Ye An herself, had hardly mentioned this person. They didn’t even send a wedding invitation to her, so Xie Shuo only knew of her existence and nothing else. Even he and Xie Baiyan thought that she had already remarried and didn’t interact with the rest of the Ye family.

Ye An guided Xie Shuo to the sofa and said nervously, “Mom, why are you here?”

Xia Jin’s expression became uglier and uglier. If there weren’t others around, she might have even started yelling.

She sneered. “So you still remember that you have a mother?”

Ye An began to feel guilty again, and her fingers curled, almost tearing her clothes.

Although Xie Shuo couldn’t see her, he could sense her anxiety and felt that something was wrong. She seemed… to have deliberately hidden her marriage from Xia Jin.

Ye Yuan Nian was willing to marry his daughter off for wealth and fortune, but she might have not.

“When did you arrive? Have you eaten yet?” Ye An smiled stiffly, trying to divert their attention and ease the tension.

Unfortunately, Xia Jin was already angry and didn’t let her go. She said coldly, “You married someone without telling me, and you’re asking what I want to eat tonight? You might as well wish for my death!”

As soon as she spoke those words, the atmosphere became even tenser. Ye An stopped her, saying, “Mom!”

Xia Jin: “Don’t call me that!”

Her voice was sharp, and her chest heaved violently with anger.

Ye An was very familiar with her temper and knew that this matter couldn’t be easily solved. Xie Shuo was present, and it wasn’t certain that he wouldn’t hear more harsh words.

Ye An turned and whispered to Xie Shuo, “Can you go upstairs for now? I’ll explain later.”

Xie Shuo paused for a moment before politely excusing himself and going upstairs. At this point, his presence would only make the situation worse.

After Xie Shuo left, the living room went silent for a while.

“When was it?” Xia Jin calmed down a bit and asked.

Ye An replied, “Early April.”

   It was already September, so it had been almost half a year… Xia Jin said coldly, “You both were pretty hasty.”

She pointed at Ye Yuan Nian. “Did he force you to do it?”

Before Ye An could reply, Xia Jin had already turned around and started yelling at him. “Are you stupid? Is marriage such a superficial matter to the point where you don’t even try to check what kind of person he was before marrying her off?”

Ye An observed the gray-haired Ye Yuan Nian from the side and suddenly felt a moment of pity. To be honest, she was the one actually using Ye Yuan Nian and not the other way around, but only she knew that.

“When are you planning on getting a divorce?” Xia Jin stopped yelling because doing so was pointless, so she calmed down a bit and asked.

Without letting Ye An reply, Ye Yuan Nian’s expression changed. “The two families are connected. This isn’t a game; how can you simply say that and expect for that to happen?”

Xia Jin interrupted him directly, “Be quiet!”

Ye Yuan Nian: “…”

Ye An’s head suddenly began to hurt, and she said tiredly, “Stop fighting; this is the Xie residence.”

Although Xie Shuo had gone upstairs, there were still servants around. The situation had escalated quite a bit, and it was difficult to say if Xie Baiyan would hear about it.

She turned to Ye Yuan Nian. “You go back first; I’ll talk to her.”

Ye Yuan Nian looked at the mother-daughter pair and knew that she still thought of him as an outsider. If he stayed, he would only be yelled at more, so he didn’t persist. He said, “You guys take your time, then. If anything happens, give Daddy a call.”

After Ye Yuan Nian left, Ye An looked at Xia Jin. “There are people around; let’s talk in the room.”

Although Xia Jin was angry, she knew that it would reflect poorly on their part if outsiders were to see, so she followed Ye An upstairs.

Normally, Xie Shuo would be in the study if not in the bedroom, so Ye An brought Xia Jin to a guest room and sat down on a small sofa to the side.

The room was silent, and Xia Jin calmed down a bit on the way up. Even though her tone was cold, her next words were much more level, “ An An, tell me the truth. Did Ye Yuan Nian force you to do anything?”

Ye An shook her head. “No.”

Xia Jin was still suspicious. “Then why won’t you get a divorce? It’s because of the money from last time, isn’t it?”

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“Hey, Mom.”

“An An.” Xia Jin suppressed her emotions before continuing, “Did something happen to you while you were out this time?”

Ye An became flustered. Did she find out about her marriage?

That wasn’t likely. She didn’t know how to use Weibo, and there was even less of a chance of her contacting Ye Yuan Nian.

“No, I’m good. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Mom was just worried and wanted to come to see you.”

Ye An’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately said, “You don’t need to do that Mom; I’m doing great. Don’t worry.” After a pause, she continued, “If I have time off for Mid-Autumn Festival, I’ll come back and visit you.”

Xia Jin didn’t speak much. After a moment of silence, she ended the call with an, “All right.”

Ye An stood in the garden and looked at the dark screen of her phone, feeling a bit uneasy.

These two have developed a rift in their relationship as mother and daughter in the past few years because of Ye Yuan Nian. There was a time period in which Xia Jin didn’t even want to talk to her, but now she took the initiative to check in on her… could it be that she figured it out?

Ye An hesitated momentarily before putting her phone away and going back.

Xie Shuo had already gotten up from the chair, so Ye An reached out to support him. She asked, “Are we going to Grandpa’s house for the Mid-Autumn Festival?”

Xie Shuo gave a light “En” as a reply.

Ye An said, “We’re not staying the night, right? I need to go somewhere for two days.”

Xie Shuo hadn’t seen her travel by herself since getting married. He felt that it was a bit strange and asked, “For what?”

Ye An deliberated and said, “I want to go visit an elder.”

If they were an elder from the Ye family, she would have said it outright or have made him accompany her. Xie Shuo understood and didn’t ask any more questions before replying, “We won’t stay overnight.”

Ye An was relieved.

It was time to return home and visit, or else her mom would begin to suspect.

Sigh, she had it hard.

On the other end, Xia Jin held her phone in hand and stood at the door for a long time before going inside.

Instead of going to the kitchen to cook, she went to her bedroom to pack.

    —-

The next day was cloudy and windy.

Xia Jin exited the train station and found a hotel room to settle down. Afterward, she went downstairs and hailed a car from the side of the road.

It was already five in the evening by the time she arrived at the Ye residence.

The sky was dark, and the chilly autumn winds blew around the house.

She hadn’t set foot in this residence in too long, and the place appeared both familiar and unfamiliar.

She rang the doorbell, and a servant came to open the door soon after. The latter didn’t recognize her and asked, “You are…?”

Xia Jin wrapped her dark red shawl around herself and coldly said, “I’m looking for Ye Yuan Nian.”

Noticing her bad attitude, the servant didn’t let her in and instead said, “Ma’am, can you–”

Xia Jin had no patience left and didn’t want to bother with formalities, so she pushed the door open herself and rushed inside aggressively with her heels.

The servant let out a sigh: Could it be some mistress that Mr. Ye had kept on the outside coming to their house? But that doesn’t seem very likely considering their ages!

Xia Jin burst into the living room and didn’t find Ye Yuan Nian. Instead, she came across Jiang Luo, who had just come downstairs.

The two froze at the same time.

Before coming, Xia Jin had purposely changed clothes and put on makeup at the hotel. Her style was completely different from Jiang Luo’s gentle appearance. Jiang Luo’s beauty resembled a painting with delicate eyebrows and was reminiscent of her past youthfulness. Xia Jin was striking, bold, and once shone brilliantly, but her whole persona became wan and sallow after experiencing the past few years.

There was thick tension between the two of them.

“Madam…” The servant rushed in and explained to Jiang Luo, “She insisted on coming in.”

Jiang Luo stepped down and told her, “Go pour some tea.”

Xia Jin interrupted her with a cold face. “I don’t need any tea. Where’s Ye Yuan Nian?”

Jiang Luo noticed the anger in her expression and was able to guess why she came. She said, “He’s not here…”

As she spoke, footsteps sounded at the doorway.

Ye Yuan Nian stopped, and his expression changed as he saw the extra figure in his living room.

“What… are you doing here?”

Xia Jin turned around to look at him, her lips curling. “Aren’t you very clear on why I came?”

Ye Yuan Nian froze for a while, and his aged face turned pale with various expressions.

Xia Jin’s tone became even more mocking upon seeing his expression. “You don’t dare say it?”

Ye Yuan Nian said guiltily, “You found out about An An’s marriage? Why don’t you sit down first, and I’ll explain it to you.”

Xia Jin found it difficult to hear him say the word “marriage,” and she almost got up to slap him.

“I don’t have the energy to listen to you explain, Ye Yuan Nian. I’m asking you this did you force An An to marry a blind man?”

Ye Yuan Nian knew that she was angry, so he could only try to calm her down as much as possible. “Calm down first. An An agreed to this herself, and with the Xie family’s status, she won’t ever have to endure any hardships after marriage.”

“Bullsh*t!” Xia Jin couldn’t restrain her anger and scolded him. “If the Xie family is so great, why didn’t you marry her daughter to him?”

She directed her gaze at Jiang Luo, and Jiang Luo’s expression changed. “You…”

One was an ex-wife; the other was the current wife. This scene resembled the myths from the Asura.

Fearing that the two would quarrel, Ye Yuan Nian hurriedly urged Jiang Luo, “You go upstairs first. I’ll talk to her.”

Jiang Luo was also angry, so she coldly glared at Xia Jin before ascending the stairs.

Ye Yuan Nian turned back around to face Xia Jin. “If you have something to say, say it nicely…”

Before he could continue to defend himself, Xia Jin sneered at him. “Say it nicely? We’ve reached this point, and you still want me to say it nicely? When you forced Ye An into marriage, you should have considered what would happen today!” She glared coldly at him and said sharply, “You used your biological daughter to pave the way for your own prosperity. Ye Yuan Nian, was your conscience eaten by a dog?”

Hearing these biting words, Ye Yuan Nian’s face paled. He became angry because of this touchy subject. “Xia Jin!”

“What, am I wrong?”

Ye Yuan Nian’s face was white, and he was speechless for a long time. He was unsure if he was angry or ashamed, so he had nothing to say.

With her anger expressed, Xia Jin calmed down. She said with reddened eyes, “I had her come here for you to look after her, not to let you abuse her like this.”

Seeing her in this way, Ye Yuan Nian’s tone softened, and his expression showed a trace of fatigue. “I really didn’t force her in this matter. I’ve asked her multiple times about it.”

Since the topic was brought up, Ye Yuan Nian also found the situation strange. In the past two years, Ye An had only visited the Ye residence a handful of times. However, when she suddenly returned home for a meal one day, she randomly asked about the Eldest Young Master of the Xie family and even mentioned the topic of the Xie family was looking for a daughter-in-law.

 She was silent for a while as they talked about it and suddenly replied jokingly, “Does the Xie family have any special requirements? If I go see them, would they approve of me?”

He only began to consider this matter and ask about her thoughts after she spoke about it. If she was unwilling at the time, there was nothing he could do, even if he wanted to get closer to the Xie family.

Xia Jin didn’t believe in his explanation, but she didn’t argue with him anymore. She asked coldly, “Where is the Xie residence? Take me there. ”

Ye Yuan Nian hurriedly advised, “They’ve already been married. What’s the point of going over there now? If something bad happens, An An will be the one to suffer in the end. I think the Xie family treats her–”

Xia Jin interrupted him without a trace of politeness, “You don’t need to worry about that.”

Ye Yuan Nian replied, “It’s already late. Can we go tomorrow?”

Xia Jin looked up and said with a determined expression, “If you don’t want to take me there, then give me the address. I’ll go there myself.”

    “……”

In the end, Ye Yuan Nian compromised. “Give me a minute; I’ll go change.”

    —-

Xie residence.

Ye An finished massaging Xie Shuo’s temples and helped him up. She glanced outside and said, “It looks like it’s about to rain outside, so let’s not take a walk today. How about we watch a movie at home?”

Xie Shuo turned his head, and his expression clearly said, “I can’t see, so there’s no point.”

Ye An clung to his arm, acting like a spoiled child. “You may not be able to see, but you can listen. Just stay with me; I haven’t watched a movie in a while.”

Xie Shuo was trapped by her and couldn’t refuse, so he acquiesced in the end.

Ye An dragged him to their home movie theater, took out their DVD binder, and began to pick movies out. In the end, she chose a highly rated suspenseful horror movie. 

Xie Shuo was beside her anyway, so there was no need to be afraid.

Ye An inserted the DVD and sat on the sofa with Xie Shuo. She took a blanket and covered their legs.

Soon, the movie began to play on the screen. It was dark at first but began to brighten up soon afterward.

The quality of the graphics and sound effects was top-notch, and the atmosphere was perfect.

The room was pitch-dark, and the only light came from in front of them, which made their surroundings even more suspenseful.

Ye An stared at the screen with a tense expression, not even daring to take a breath. She was originally holding a pillow in her arms, but when a jump scare appeared with eerie sound effects, she was so frightened that the pillow dropped and rolled to the ground.

She didn’t bend over to pick it up and chose to hold onto Xie Shuo instead.

The man’s fingers were slender and smooth, and she felt quite secure holding it. 

Xie Shuo felt the strength in her grip and turned to “look” at her with a blank expression. Although he didn’t look happy, he didn’t break free of her hold.

Not long after, there was another creepy sound.

This time, Ye An was so frightened that she hid directly in Xie Shuo’s arms and clutched his clothes.

Xie Shuo couldn’t understand why she chose a horror movie if she was going to be this scared.

“I’m scared. Did you hear that voice?” Ye An whispered as she shrank into his arms, staring intently at the screen.

The body in his arms was soft, and the breaths on his chest were warm. Xie Shuo leaned against the sofa and suddenly felt a bit warm with the light fragrance enveloping him.

Hearing no response, Ye An looked up at his handsome yet indifferent face. His lips were close, and she was able to hear each of his breaths clearly.

It was easy for amorous feelings to develop in such a dark environment and intimate position.

Ye An felt her heart skip a beat and her face gradually become warm. She raised her head to look into his eyes and momentarily forgot about the movie playing.

Not long later, an arm wrapped firmly around her back and felt its way upwards.

In the dark room, she noticed his Adam’s apple moving and his breathing getting heavier.

Ye An became inexplicably nervous and unconsciously bit her lip.

However, a low voice interrupted her thoughts, feeling like a bucket of cold water was poured over her head.

“If you’re that scared, then don’t watch it.”

Ye An: ???

At this point in time, shouldn’t the plot naturally gravitate towards something more exciting?

After Xie Shuo finished speaking, he moved his hand toward her shoulders. 

He didn’t pull her directly off of him, which was probably his last concession.

Ye An was disappointed , and there was a bit of dissatisfaction in her expression.

She let go of him and returned to her spot but couldn’t help but whisper, “Not at all. I really wonder how a person like you has a wife.”

Although she spoke quietly, Xie Shuo had sharp hearing and was able to hear it.

He looked up and said coldly, “You should really ask yourself this question.”

He was implying that as his wife, why should he have to wonder why she wanted to be his spouse?

Ye An: “…”

If you’re so good at arguing, why don’t you go fight the rest of the world?

Ye An was about to get angry, and she yanked the blanket. “I lost my mind, okay!”

I must have been insane to marry you!

Xie Shuo froze the moment his body was exposed to the cold air.

Ye An wrapped the blankets around her, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She picked up the pillow from the ground and threw it at him.

When Xie Shuo was hit by the pillow, his expression sank, and he suddenly asked, “What aren’t you happy with?”

    “……”

Ye An immediately blushed, embarrassed and angry. She resembled a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Who’s unhappy? You want me to be unhappy?”

Hearing her agitated tone, Xie Shuo’s mood lightened, and his lips slowly curved.

Seeing the curve in his lips, Ye An groaned, even more embarrassed. It felt as if she had just run through a crowd naked and even made her feet numb.

The horror movie continued to play on the big screen and emitted weird sound effects from time to time.

She had no place to vent her emotions, so she kicked his leg. “Why don’t you continue your abstinence for the rest of your life then; don’t ever touch a woman!”

Ye An was no longer in the mood to watch the movie, so she got up angrily and turned off the projector.

Xie Shuo didn’t move and continued to sit in the dark.

After turning the projector off, Ye An hesitated for a bit before walking over, picking up the dropped pillow, and nudging his leg with her knee. “We’re not watching anymore; let’s go.”

Xie Shuo leaned forward and reached for her waist by following her side. He suddenly hugged her.

Before Ye An could react, she was already in his lap. 

She froze and was inexplicably nervous. “What are you doing?”

Xie Shuo hugged her and suddenly recalled the words she had said during sunset the other day.

 “If your eyes don’t heal, we will stay married for a lifetime.”

He paused for a moment before moving his hand up her shoulders and grasping her chin. His fingertips rested on her lips.

Then, he kissed her lightly.

Unlike last time, there was no hostility or anger in his gaze, only tranquility.

Ye An inhaled the clean scent on his body and unconsciously pulled the hem of his shirt closer, her eyes slowly closing.

 However, just as their lips softly touched, a knock on the door suddenly sounded––

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“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: ?

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That night, as Ye An was putting the roses they bought earlier into a vase, she suddenly received a Wechat message from Xiang Quan.

Xiang Quan: [Did you go out today?]

Ye An was surprised by his text and answered: [Yes, how’d you know?]

Xiang Quan: [There was an event that our studio held today with some other organizations, and I saw you on the way out.]

That meant he also saw Xie Shuo. Ye An’s actions paused.

Xiang Quan: [The man by your side was…?]

Ye An looked down and replied: [My husband.]

As soon as she sent the text, the other party began typing.

After a long time, the response came through: [Is he visually impaired?]

Ye An knew he would ask this question and replied, “En,” with no hesitation.

The icon that showed the other party typing appeared again, representing the confusion and shock in his heart.

Xiang Quan: [I wasn’t trying to mean anything by it. There were a lot of people there today and a lot of gossip happening. You have a pretty good reputation in the industry now, and I just wanted to remind you to be mentally prepared.]

Ye An: [All right, I understand. Thank you.]

From the moment she had taken Xie Shuo out, she had predicted this outcome.

There was no response from the other party, probably because he didn’t know what else to say.

After the conversation was over, Ye An looked at her phone for a while before picking an outfit for Xie Shuo to go bathe.

    —-

The gossip spread quickly through the circles, and Ye An was bombarded with texts from Shi Shuangshuang the next morning.

Shi Shuangshuang: [An An, what’s going on?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [Why is everyone saying that you married a blind man?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [They’re rumors, right?]

Shi Shuangshuang:[confused.jpg]

When Ye An saw the texts, Ye An had just woken up and finished showering. She clicked the reply box and typed her reply, asking, [Who’s saying that?]

Shi Shuangshuang sent a randomly selected post.

Ye An clicked on it and looked at the post title: [Ye An’s husband is blind! Did you guys know?]

Post discussion: I went out shopping today and unexpectedly saw Ye An with a man. The man was blind and should be her husband. It shocked me out of my wits! The attached picture below is proof.

The picture attached below showed her and Xie Shuo out shopping yesterday. The picture was taken from far away and of low quality, so her face was shown, but only a small part of Xie Shuo’s face was visible.

The comment section was active:

First comment:[WTF! That’s hard to believe!]

Second comment: [I’m confused? Didn’t she marry rich; what’s the truth?]

Third comment: [Marrying rich doesn’t mean that she also can’t marry a blind man, right? Maybe it was because he was blind that she was able to marry rich?]

Fourth comment: [I have a theory; maybe she had a Chongxi marriage?**]

(Chongxi)-There is a superstition in China where marriage brings luck into the family. Chongxi marriages are for sick people in hopes that the blessing from the marriage will cure the person’s ailment.

……

Fifth comment: […@Fourth comment, I kind of believe it.]

Sixth comment: [What era is this for there to be Chongxi marriages still happening? How funny. grin.jpg ]

Seventh comment: [Am I the only one noticing that the man is attractive?]

Eighth comment: [Even with this picture quality, you’re also able to see how handsome he is? Respect. bowing.jpg]

    —

Ye An skimmed the comments before closing the post.

Shi Shuangshuang sent another text: [Can you send a lawyer after these kinds of rumors?]

Ye An replied: [Those aren’t rumors; my husband is blind.]

Shi Shuangshuang: “…”

Shi Shuangshuang was so shocked she almost dropped her phone. Didn’t she marry a rich and powerful Eldest Young Master? How come he’s blind?

Ye An: [I was accompanying him in treatment in the past.]

It took a while for Shi Shuangshuang to digest the news and reply: [Is it that serious? How long will he take to heal?]

Ye An: [Not sure yet.]

Shi Shuangshuang’s fingers paused, and she hesitated for a while before saying:  [Let me ask one more question. Did you want to marry him?]

Seeing her text, Ye An couldn’t help but laugh as she replied: [What are you thinking of? If I didn’t want to, who could make me do something? crying.laughing.jpg]

Shi Shuangshuang breathed a sigh of relief, but she still didn’t quite understand something.

Shi Shuangshuang: [Then how did you…what do you see in him?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [No offense to your husband.]

Ye An: [He’s rich and handsome!]

Shi Shuangshuang: […]

Of course.

Ye An: [I’m really okay, and my life is good. I married him by my own choice, so don’t believe people that say otherwise.]

Shi Shuangshuang recalled how Ye An looked when she showed  off her wealth at the company dinner last time and began to believe it. She replied: [As long as you’re happy, nothing else matters. I wish your husband a speedy recovery. Love you!]

Ye An smiled and replied with a kissing emoji before putting her phone down. After Xie Shuo came out of the bathroom, they headed downstairs to eat.

After breakfast, Ye An read to Xie Shuo in the study as usual. It had been challenging for the last two days because the material was a classic written in English, so it was somewhat difficult to read. Xie Shuo had to help her occasionally.

While reading, Ye An thought about learning a few more languages to fully tap into her potential.

An hour later, Ye An closed the book with a dry mouth. There was half a cup of tea on the table that had been poured a while ago, and she drank it in one go.

She held the teacup and rested for a while before asking Xie Shuo to lie down so she could give him a head massage.

She looked down, causing her eyelashes to droop. Her profile was fair and as smooth as porcelain against the backdrop of the sky.

After a twenty-minute massage, Ye An helped him get up. She looked into his eyes and suddenly had an idea. “I think you can learn a new skill before your eyes heal; you should learn how to be a masseuse.”

Xie Shuo opened his eyes and faced her expressionlessly. 

“I’m serious.” Ye An’s fingers were numb, so she opened and closed her hand and shook them a few times. “I heard that blind people’s senses–like touch, become extra sensitive to compensate, so learning how to do massages would be easier for you than ordinary people.”

She abruptly leaned closer to him. “Is your sense of touch more sensitive than before?”

Her familiar scent entered his nostrils as she approached closer, and her warm breath blew across his face. Xie Shuo turned his face to the side, ignoring her nonsense.

Ye An was curious and couldn’t hold back her urge to touch his Adam’s apple.

In the next moment, her hand was caught, and her fingertips became trapped in his palm.

Ye An smiled. “So it’s true!”

Xie Shuo suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her soft waist with a cold face.

Ye An wasn’t expecting this as she was knocked into his chest. She was stunned by his handsome face up close.

The sound of their breaths was audible in the silence.

Xie Shuo spoke in a low voice, seeming to contain some emotion.

“If you don’t want the same thing from the other day to happen again, calm down.”

After saying this sentence, he let go of her mercilessly and got up to walk out of the study, leaving only the image of his back.

The events from the other day… Chaotic scenes flashed through her mind and left her face red.

That day, they were also on the sofa. Although her experience was unpleasant at the time, they came close to…she still remembered the feeling of him leaning over to kiss her and the strength in his fingers.

The sofa under her hand also seemed to heat up, causing Ye An to move her hand and put it in her lap out of discomfort. The heat in her ears lingered for a long time.

Wasn’t it just a light touch?

    —

The two didn’t meet again until lunchtime. 

In the afternoon, Ye An wrapped herself in a thin blanket and took an hour-long nap in the bedroom.

After she woke up, she turned on her phone and checked Weibo, which she discovered had exploded with activity. 

A melon-eating blogger reposted the photo taken of her and Xie Shuo, and within a few hours, there were thousands of reposts and nearly ten thousand comments.

Her popularity soared a while ago when “Pharmacist” became popular and Brilliant Dreams had promoted her. If she hadn’t been taking care of Xie Shuo and had no intention of building up her career, the news could have potentially been even more popular now.

Ye An clicked on the comments and looked at them. The passersby, fans, and anti-fans gathered together to observe the chaos:

[I’ve eaten another melon now. So she actually married a blind man and not someone rich and powerful? confused.jpg]

[Isn’t it such a pity to marry a blind person with such good looks?]

[You can do anything with money. This meimei is also pretty fierce.]

[emmm, there’s no need for this, really no need…]

[I screamed seeing this; I liked her that much…]

[Everyone’s talking about Ye An, but does no one care about who her husband is?]

[I care! Squatting for this melon~]

She looked at her own Weibo profile to see that people were fighting in her comments. Some fans quit being her fan, some didn’t believe the rumors, and some respected her choices and only wanted to watch her works.

Ye An skimmed the comments and saw that some people were questioning Xie Shuo’s identity, so she hurriedly called Zhong Fu and asked him to find someone to observe the internet activity. That way, they could be ready to delete the post and withdraw this topic from the trending search at any time.

Although the picture only showed a blurred side profile, it was difficult to guarantee that no one would put together the clues and find something.

Zhong Fu received the call and immediately had someone on it.

Ye An was somewhat relieved and began to think of how to appease her fans and calm the public.

She got up to go to the bathroom. After washing her face and taking a minute to calm down, she pulled out a wedding ring from her drawer, which had been hidden for a long time.

This time, she also took out Xie Shuo’s ring.

Xie Shuo wasn’t in the bedroom, but Ye An found him in the study. She sat down next to him and reached out for his hand.

“Give me your hand.”

Xie Shuo: “?”

Seeing him not respond, Ye An grabbed his left hand and put his wedding band on for him.

Xie Shuo touched the object on his ring finger and frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t take it off yet; let me take a photo first,” Ye An said while putting her own ring on.

She took Xie Shuo’s hand and put it on the table next to her.

Their two hands overlapped with her hand on top of his and displaying the rings.

After arranging the pose, Ye An took a picture from several angles. She felt as if something was missing from the picture.

After thinking of it, she let go of him and hurried back to the bedroom. She took a rose from the bouquet she bought yesterday and hurried back to the study.

She took Xie Shuo’s hand again and put it on hers, saying, “Don’t move; I’m taking a picture.”

Although Xie Shuo looked impatient, he cooperated with her and didn’t move.

Ye An put the rose by their hands and found a good angle to take another picture. This time, it satisfied her requirements.

After the shot, she ignored Xie Shuo and sat down on the side to start retouching the picture.

Bewildered by her actions, Xie Shuo twisted the wedding ring on his finger as if wanting to take it off. After a while, he was finally able to do so.

Ye An edited the picture for a long time and posted it on Weibo after confirming that there was no problem.

Ye An: Like a fish drinking water, I know its warmth and chill. I am fine, and so is my husband. Thank you for everyone’s concern. <3**

如鱼饮水，冷暖自知- A fish is always in the water, so it knows what cold and hot water feels like. This idiom generally refers to your experience, and you know the joys and sorrows of your experiences.

Soon after, the comment section exploded

[Announcement!!!]

[crying.jpg You’re really married to a blind man? I wanna cry…]

[Like a fish drinking water, you know its warmth and chill. Alright, as long as jiejie is happy~]

[Am I the only one that thinks the term ‘my husband’ is super endearing?]

[Nope, +1]

[What a beautiful love, I suddenly want to kneel to this CP kowtow.jpg]

[As a fan of hands, I declare this CP adequate.]

[My ideal type is also rich, handsome, and blind. That way, he can’t see my ugly face :)]

[Also my ideal type :)]

Because Ye An is usually relatively low-key and is not a person in the entertainment industry, most of the comments were calmer than she predicted. Although there was still ridicule and doubt, they were quickly hidden by the newer comments.

After dealing with the drama, Ye An heaved a sigh of relief, dropped the phone, and slumped on the sofa.

Xie Shuo also sat down beside her. Ye An glanced at the wedding ring on his finger, and the corners of her lips raised. She asked him happily, “What are we doing today?”

Xie Shuo said lightly, “There’s a document on the table; read it to me.”

Ye An: “…”

All right.

They were busy until four, and Ye An dragged Xie Shuo outside to take a walk in the garden.

The autumn sun shined down, and there were geese flying through the clear skies.

    —

That evening in Yishui City.

Xia Jin was carrying vegetables while walking into her neighborhood when a young girl passed by pushing a bicycle. When she saw Xia Jin, she asked, “Aunt Jin, I heard that An jie is married now.”

Xia Jin froze. “Who said that?”

The girl was also stunned. “I followed her on Weibo and saw her post her wedding ring…” Seeing Xia Jin’s reaction, the girl was a little confused. “Aunt Jin, did you not know?”

Xia Jin’s expression instantly changed, and she said, “Can you show me?”

The girl realized that she might have done something wrong and nervously clicked on Ye An’s Weibo profile to show the photo.

In the photo, two hands were clasped together next to delicate red roses. The two wedding rings formed a pair.

Xia Jin’s expression became uglier and uglier. She hurried home with her vegetables.

As soon as she entered the house, she took out her phone to make a call before even taking off her shoes.

Ye An and Xie Shuo were resting on the lounge chairs in the garden when she heard the vibrating sounds of her phone. She took it out, paused, looked at Xie Shuo, and got up to walk away and accept the call.

~Author’s Note: Xiao Xie is going to face his mother-in-law’s attack~

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