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Of course, the recovery process took longer than the two had hoped for, and the days passed by slowly. After half a month, Ceng Qingyan came to remove the gauze on Xie Shuo’s eyes and check the results.

It was cloudy today. 

The sun hid behind the clouds, and the shadows of the drenched trees swayed outside.

Ye An stood in front of Xie Shuo and watched as the layers began to unravel, her heart stuck in her throat.

The last layer was removed to reveal Xie Shuo’s trembling eyelashes. He slowly opened his eyes.

The scene ahead of him was blurry, and there was a vague shadow in front of him. There seemed to be a bright light coming into the corner of his eyes.

“How do you feel?”

A voice before him sounded, but it wasn’t the voice he was used to.

Seeing Xie Shuo not respond, Cen Qingyan waved his hand in front of his eyes.

Ye An held her breath and stepped forward to hold his hand.

The palm covering the back of his hand was warm. Xie Shuo smelled her familiar scent and opened his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, his gaze would not focus.

A black mist slowly clouded his vision again, dispelling the bright light.

He felt a piercing pain that spread to the back of his head in both eyes, and it felt as if every nerve in that area was struck. 

He clutched Ye An’s hand tightly with a pale face and bulging veins.

Ye An noticed the strength and hurriedly held him, “How do you feel?”

Cen Qingyan noticed his reaction and the change in his expressions, so he stepped forward to check.

Soon after, Xie Shuo was taken away to be checked on more carefully.

Ye An waited in the corridor. She stared at the closed door with a pale face.

Her usually bright and lively gaze was dim.

She didn’t know how long she waited until the door finally opened. Her legs were too soft to move forwards.

In the past, she couldn’t understand why Xie Shuo was always so pessimistic. It was until she went through the treatment process with him in person for half a month before she realized how torturous it was to have hope. 

In a year, they had tried again and again. There was only disappointment in the end; who wouldn’t be sad?

Cen Qingyan walked over to her and took off his mask. He shook his head solemnly.

Ye An’s heart squeezed. Her limbs were heavy and almost made her fall over.

“The more surgeries that are done, the greater the damage that is going to be done to his eyes. So it’s not suitable for him to have another operation done with his current condition. If you do… I’m afraid that it will cause irreversible injuries. I recommend that you try acupuncture next.”

Cen Qingyan seemed to be afraid of scaring her, so he paused before continuing, “Also, the longer he’s blind, the less likely he is to recover. You should mentally prepare yourself.”

Ye An replied with difficulty, “Thank you.”

Xie Shuo was sent back to the ward.

Ye An sat by the bed accompanying him. She knew that he was awake but didn’t want to talk.

The breeze shifted the curtains, but the ward was silent. Ye An looked at him for a moment and gently held his hand.

Her eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow.

    —–

Two days later, Cen Qingyan’s team gave them a new treatment plan that incorporated medicine and acupuncture, and Xie Shuo began a new round of treatment.

His mood had obviously dropped, and he became much less talkative than before. Ye An wanted to tease him upon seeing his appearance, but she couldn’t open her mouth to do so. She stayed by his side, only accompanying him.

Xie Baiyan came to visit a few times a week. After hearing the results of the operation, his hair had become even whiter.

The weather was gradually becoming hotter, so when Ye An was bored, she would go learn a few skills from an acupuncture doctor. Even though she didn’t have the courage to do acupuncture, she could at least help massage Xie Shuo’s acupoints every day.

The course of treatment ended at the end of July. Cen Qingyan had Xie Shuo return home and arranged for a professional team to perform acupuncture and cupping on him.

Before leaving, Cen Qingyan had a talk with Ye An to debrief her on Xie Shuo’s condition. With current treatment options–both domestic and abroad–it was very difficult to say if and when his injuries would heal.

To put it briefly, it depended on luck.

Ye An was very depressed and didn’t tell Xie Shuo about what she had learned. However, he seemingly knew and was also silent and gloomy. After returning home, he locked himself away in the study. 

The atmosphere at home was also very depressing. Not long ago, the development project that was in cooperation with the Ju Family failed due to Xie Yuran’s faults. Xie Baiyan scolded him and was almost angered to the point of his illness relapsing.

Because of this incident, the board of directors proposed to strip Xie Yuran’s current position as chairman. Xie Baiyan and two other directors stood their ground against the majority and denied the proposition.

Ye An was speechless after hearing this. Xie Shuo had clearly arranged everything for Xie Yuran before leaving, yet he still managed to fail. 

If Xie Yuran didn’t lack a motive, she would have wondered if he did it on purpose.

It happened to be Grandfather Xie’s birthday four days after returning home.

On this day, Xie Shuo had to go even if he didn’t want to leave the house. 

This year, Grandfather Xie wanted to have a lowkey family meal. However, the Xie family had many people, so many relatives gathered together to celebrate.

The house bustled with noise and excitement, with the scene appearing harmonious and warm.

Aside from a few close relatives that Ye An met at the wedding, she didn’t recognize many of the guests. Likewise, they didn’t recognize Ye An either.

Many people showed expressions of surprise and curiosity upon realizing that she was Xie Shuo’s wife, as if they had just seen a miracle.

Ye An wore a pale, long skirt with an elegant smile as she held Xie Shuo’s arm. She whispered a few words to him from time to time, playing her part as a gentle and virtuous wife.

Because of Xie Shuo’s cold expression, no one dared to approach him to ask about how his eyes were doing. Even though everyone was curious, no one dared to gossip. They only greeted him briefly and complimented Ye An.

After the lunch banquet, Grandfather Xie called Xie Shuo and Ye An over to the living room to talk. Xie Baiyan was also there.

“How was the treatment with Xiao Cen?” Grandfather Xie opened his mouth to ask.

Ye An glanced at Xie Shuo and braced herself. She smiled and said appeasingly, “It went well. Professor Cen said that we should take it slow in recovery. He is doing acupuncture and cupping.”

Grandfather Xie had lived long enough to know that she was sugarcoating the situation to make him feel better, so he didn’t ask more on the matter either.

He looked at his grandson next to him, who was getting thinner and thinner, and sighed. He smiled at Ye An and said, “I heard that you’ve been accompanying Xie Shuo these days; it must have been hard for you.”

Ye An smiled softly and said shyly , “Grandpa, what are you saying; this is what I should be doing.”

Grandfather Xie’s eyes became even kinder and changed the topic. His gaze suddenly fell on her belly. 

“An An, you both have been married for a while, right? When are you planning to let Grandpa hug his great-grandson?”

“Ahem…” Ye An was shocked by this sudden switch, and her carefully maintained image almost collapsed.

She looked instinctively at Xie Shuo, but the Eldest Young Master didn’t react much and only frowned.

“What’s wrong; you guys haven’t planned for children yet?” Grandfather Xie’s smile faded, and he frowned, seemingly unhappy. “A’Shuo’s already twenty-seven this year; it should be time soon.” 

Ye An: …To be honest, I think there’s something wrong with your grandson.

Xie Baiyan also directed his gaze towards them.

Ye An’s mood was complicated. She couldn’t rely on Xie Shuo to help, so she forced a smile and replied, “Grandpa, we have already been preparing…”

It would probably take another thirty to fifty years.

Grandfather Xie’s expression finally relaxed, and he urged them a few times more before turning to talk about other matters with Xie Baiyan.

Ye An let out a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her once again. There was still no expression on his face, and he acted as if the current conversation had nothing to do with him.

    ……

…How exhausting.

    —-

Sometime after two left, Ye An went to the bathroom and found that Xie Shuo had disappeared after she was done.

He can’t see, so where could he have gone?

Ye An thought it was weird and began to worry, so she looked around.

There was a large courtyard with many flowers and plants outside the residence. Ye An searched for a long time before finally finding him standing near a grapevine trellis in the courtyard. It was unclear how he got there. 

Ye An walked towards him and was about to call out to him when she suddenly heard voices of two middle-aged women:

“So his eyes can’t be cured?”

“If they could be cured, they would have been cured by now. Have you seen how many times they’ve recruited doctors?”

“That’s too bad; Grandfather Xie used to cherish him…”

“There was no point in caring for him. Now, he has to be supported even when he walks. What can he do on his own?”

“Hey, do you know what family that wife is from? She’s pretty.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before, so she probably is just a gold-digger from a poor household. Why else would she marry someone that is–”

Before the woman could finish speaking, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure beside the trellis and pulled on her friend.

Their gossip stopped immediately, and their faces paled.

Woody vines with unripened green grapes climbed the trellis. Mottled sunlight peeked through the gaps.

The weather was clear and sunny, but there was a slight chill in the air. The slender man stood silently with a cold expression. 

Ye An glanced at the two women who she suspected to be aunts before taking his arm. She called him in a sweet voice, “Hubby, why are you over here?”

Xie Shuo didn’t reply but didn’t bother with the other two women either. He turned around and walked away, with Ye An hurrying to keep up and hold his arm. From the back, they looked like a loving couple.

It was inevitable to have a few gossiping relatives in the family. It wasn’t appropriate to cause trouble on Grandfather Xie’s birthday, so neither of them mentioned it after re-entering the house. 

Soon after, Xie Shuo excused himself due to discomfort. He bid Grandfather Xie farewell before they left.

Ye An naturally followed him along. Xie Baiyan had matters to take care of, so he stayed there for the night. 

After getting in the car, Xie Shuo leaned motionlessly against the seat. His lips were pursed, and his features were sharp like a statue.

Ye An grew restless upon seeing his appearance. She shut her mouth and silently cursed the two gossiping women, not daring to irritate him. 

To compensate for the sweltering summer heat, the air conditioner inside the car was turned down. Since there was a chilly person next to her as well, Ye An grew chilly, and goosebumps appeared on her fair arms. 

She rubbed her arms and coincidentally glanced at Xie Shuo out of the corner of her eye.

After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and put her hand over his. 

Xie Shuo’s fingers twitched but didn’t move away. 

The ride home was silent. 

Upon returning home, Xie Shuo went upstairs and directly entered the study. 

Aunt Zhou noticed something off and whispered to Ye An, “Why are you guys home so early?”

Ye An smiled gently. “He wasn’t feeling too well, so we came back.”

Ye An made a cup of tea and brought it to the study. Xie Shuo was currently sitting on the sofa with knitted eyebrows and an apathetic expression. It was impossible to discern what he was thinking about. 

Since the failed treatment, he began to do this often. Ye An sat down beside him and asked gently, “Are you tired? Do you want to sleep for a while?”

Xie Shuo ignored her as usual.

Ye An sat in silence with him. She took a deep breath and adjusted her smile before sitting in his lap with her arms around his neck.

“If you don’t want to sleep, what can I do for you?”

She spoke softly as she smoothed his brows with a slender fingertip.

Xie Shuo finally had some sort of reaction. He looked up with dull eyes facing her.

“How about I tell you a joke?”

Ye An’s fingers descended to his chin.

“Okay?”

Her finger was unexpectedly caught. Ye An thought that he would make her move or move her finger like usual. 

However, he suddenly grabbed her waist and pinned her to the sofa. 

What’s going on?

Ye An was caught off guard, and her eyes widened in surprise.

But before she could react, the man’s slender fingers traced their way up her arm, collarbones, and neck before grabbing hold of her chin.

Then, he leaned in to kiss her. 

Previous|Index|Next

After taking care of Xie Shuo, Ye An went to take a shower.

In the recovery ward, a bed was placed specifically for her. After coming here, Ye An didn’t sleep in the same bed as Xie Shuo and instead slept in a bed next to him.

After bathing, Ye An turned off the lights and lay down. Not long later, she heard rustling noises coming from his side. 

“Are you unable to sleep?” She sat up slightly and asked worriedly, “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

Xie Shuo finally didn’t stay silent this time. He coughed lightly and said, “Please get me a glass of water.”

Ye An turned on the light again and got out of bed. She poured a glass of boiled water for him and helped him sit up.

After confirming that the water was all right, she held the rim of the cup to his lips.

Xie Shuo took a couple of sips as she held the cup before moving away. Ye An put the cup back and looked at the time. It was only nine o’clock. She couldn’t sleep either, so she said, “It’s still early. If you can’t sleep, how about I tell you a story?”

Xie Shuo didn’t accept or reject.

Normally this meant that he didn’t mind.

Ye An climbed unceremoniously into his bed. She felt around for her phone before bringing it out and clicking on the chatbox with Shi Shuangshuang.

Ye An: [I’m lonely tonight; do you have any novel recommendations?]

Shi Shuangshuang’s emoticon and reply soon came through.

Shi Shuangshuang: [confused_face.jpg]

Shi Shuangshuang: [Why is a wealthy young married woman lonely at night?]

Ye An sent over a “distressed” emoji.

Shi Shuangshuang: [Where’s your husband?]

Ye An: [Lying next to me.]

Another series of question marks appeared on her screen.

Shi Shuangshuang: [And you’re still lonely late at night?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [Then what are you reading for–wake him up and make him do something interesting with you! hehe]

Ye An: [He’s sick; I’m at the hospital keeping him company.]

A few seconds later, a message popped up.

Shi Shuangshuang: [Hospital bed play…is OK right?]

Ye An: […]

I just saw you recently; what have you been doing?

Seeing that the topic of conversation had become dirtier and dirtier, Ye AN hurriedly stopped it: [So do you have any or not.]

Shi Shuangshuang: [Give me a minute, I’ll look for some.]

A link was quickly sent over:

“Rich and Powerful Eldest Young Master Pampering His Lovable Wife Everyday.”

Ye An: “…”

Be honest, you wrote this on a whim right?

Ye An replied blankly: [Anything other choices?]

Shi Shuangshaung: [Doesn’t this fit your current identity quite well? Do you want a novel… with rated content under the neckline?]

Ye An: […]

After waiting for so long, Xie Shuo began to move.

Ye An glanced at him, a thought suddenly flashing through her mind. Her lips curved, and she abandoned her conversation with Shi Shuangshuang. Instead, she clicked on the link.

The content inside the novel was really simple. It was the daily routine of the Mary Sue heroine after she married a wealthy CEO. The full novel revolved around the theme of “pampering” and never strayed from those guidelines. There was no tyranny or abuse from beginning to end.

As Ye An read the first paragraph in a soft and delicate voice, he frowned. However, since he had always been an aloof and reserved character, he was too lazy to stop her.

But soon after, there were high pitched sounds coming from the hospital bed.

“The heroine’s wedding is so romantic! Rose petal path, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra….”

“On the heroine’s wedding anniversary, her husband gave her a yacht. Isn’t this overboard? I’m so jealous!”

“On her wedding anniversary, her husband bought an island for her! What kind of immortal husband is this? I’m so jealous wuwuwu…”

“I want a husband like this toooo…”

Xie Shuo “…”

Xie Shuo’s expression was beginning to darken. Ye An put her phone away and purposefully leaned into his arms. She poked his chest, “Hubby, when can you buy me a yacht?”

Xie Shuo, with his eyes covered, had no expression.

Ye An looked up at him and gently rubbed his chest. She said, aggrieved, “If you don’t buy a yacht, then you can buy gems. I want the rarest ones from the royal family…”

Xie Shuo: “…”

Seeing still no response from him, Ye An paused, and her tone became even more aggrieved. She sounded as if she were about to cry, “Then… if you don’t buy me gems, then can you take me to go see the polar lights? We’ve been married for so long but still haven’t had our honeymoon yet…”

Xie Shuo’s veins popped from his forehead, and he finally couldn’t bear it. He removed her hand from his chest and coldly said, “Go back to your own bed.”

As soon as these words were spoken, he was hugged.

Ye An laid on his shoulders and cried, “Hubby, how could you treat me like this? Do you not love me at all?”

Xie Shuo pressed his lips tightly together, his face dark. However, he no longer spoke or moved, and he let her antics go on. 

After a while, Ye An lost interest. She stopped crying and let go of him. She couldn’t help but snicker, “How do you not have any inclinations or interests?”

Xie Shuo ignored her.

Since the novel couldn’t be read anymore, Ye An put her phone away and touched the gauze that covered his eyes. She asked softly, “Do your eyes hurt? Do you feel anything?”

Xie Shuo grabbed her fingers and took them off.

Ye An didn’t expect him to answer. She looked at his blindfolded eyes pensively for a moment before suddenly asking, “Let me ask you something. If you were to recover your eyesight, who would you want to see first?”

His answer was still silence.

Ye An poked him on the shoulder. “Say something. Who do you want to see the most?”

Xie Shuo originally didn’t want to reply to her, but then he recalled the moment before entering the operating room when she hugged him and said,

“Hubby, I’ll wait for you outside.”

His heart felt as if it were tickled by something. He said faintly, “Apart from you, is there anyone else in this place?”

Ye An thought about it for a while. There seemed to be really no one else. If he were truly to recover tomorrow, then the first person that he would see would either be the medical staff or her. 

Ye An became inexplicably happy and smiled, saying, “So you’re saying that the first person you want to see is me?”

Wanting to see and seeing had two different meanings.

She had deliberately misinterpreted it, but Xie Shuo also didn’t refute it.

The light inside the ward wasn’t turned off. The soft glow from a lamp shone hazily between the two like fog.

Ye An looked down and suddenly said in a low voice, “Hubby, I lied about something…”

She put her forehead on his shoulders, and in a dull voice, she said, “Actually, I’m… not very attractive. I’m actually kind of ugly. When you can see, will you hate me?”

When Xie Shuo heard her tone, he immediately knew that she was starting again. His head began to hurt. 

Ye An put her arms around his waist and said sadly, “Will you divorce me?”

Xie Shuo felt that his own IQ must have been affected by her because he unexpectedly went along with her antics. He said, “Yes.”

Ye An was taken aback, and her entire body froze.

What kind of terrible answer was this?

Aren’t you supposed to hide these feelings?

She stared at him in disbelief and forgot how to act for a moment. 

It was silent, and there was a hint of embarrassment in the air. 

After a while, Ye An finally recovered her senses. She cursed angrily, “Scumbag!”

Then she angrily left the bed to return to her own bed. She wrapped herself in a cocoon and turned off the light.

Xie Shuo’s arms were empty, and his ears met silence. However, he was no longer sleepy, and his body felt empty.

He looked towards Ye An’s direction, but the darkness in front of him was boundless, rendering him unable to see anything.

After a while, a voice rang from the darkness–

“You’ll regret this!”

Ye An became angrier and angrier as she thought about it, and she couldn’t help poking her head out of the bed.

After saying this phrase, she shrank back into her covers and ignored him to prove her anger.

Listening to her voice, Xie Shuo suddenly felt a cheerful emotion that had been missing for a while. He seemed to have seen a shadow, a recklessly vivid one at that. 

He thought of the question she had just asked: the first person he wanted to see after regaining his vision.

The only thing was, could he really recover tomorrow?

    ……

Author’s Note: Xiao Xie set up a huge flag~

Previous|Index|Next

Early the next morning, Ye An accompanied Xie Shuo and Xie Baiyan to the medical research institute of the well-known medical professor Cen Qingyan.

The research institute was located far away westwards from the city in a quiet area.

The early summer vegetation was lush, and the field of plants cast a broad expanse of shade. A car passed through the cool shade.

Ye An originally thought that Professor Cen was going to be old but came to realize that he was only in his forties. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and a white coat, appearing elegant and gentle. 

He had already started studying Xie Shuo’s condition last year and began formulating a preliminary treatment plan for the situation. This was why he had only arranged for Xie Shuo to come and see him recently.

On the first day since arriving at the institute, their main task was to do a few tests and examinations before refining the treatment plan.

It took at least a month for the treatment process to finish. Xie Baiyan was busy with company affairs and couldn’t accompany them throughout the whole process. He returned to the city the next day and left Xie Shuo in Ye An’s care.

By the morning of the third day, all preparations were ready, and they officially began the surgical procedures.

Before sending Xie Shuo into the operating room, Ye An suddenly leaned forward, wrapped her hands around his waist, and hugged him.

 She nestled her face into his shoulder. Her voice was different from her usual carefree style.

   “Hubby, I’ll wait for you outside.”

    Her hand slid down to hold his and interlocked their fingers. She gripped it hard to comfort him, almost as if she were reassuring him to not be afraid.

Clear sunlight came in from a window at the end of the corridor.

  When she let go, she glanced at him before tiptoeing to kiss the side of his face.

  As light as a breeze on the waters.

Xie Shuo froze.

    The door of the operating room slowly closed. Ye An watched him enter and continued to stand there without moving. There was fear in her deep gaze.

   A slender and still shadow was reflected on the smooth floor.

The wait was extremely long. Every second of every minute seemed to stretch on forever and whittled away at her patience. 

Occasional footsteps sounded in the long corridor. The shadows of the trees shook outside of the window, and the mottled sunlight flickered through the branches.

It took four full hours before the door of the operating room opened again.

Ye An looked up and hurried over. 

Because she had been sitting for so long, her legs were numb as she rushed to the door. She almost fell over on the spot.

Xie Shuo was wheeled out on the hospital bed. There was clean and neat gauze wrapped over his eyes.

Cen Qingyan took off his mask and said heavily, “We have to wait until the gauze is removed to see if the eyes have recovered. Over the next few days, change the dressing daily and avoid strong lights.” After a pause, he continued, “Also, he is likely to experience headaches. There should be someone to take care of him 24/7. If something happens, please let me know at any time…”

Ye An glanced at Xie Shuo before nodding and writing down notes.

Back in the recovery room, Ye An sat by the bed for an hour before Xie Shuo finally woke up.

“How do you feel?” Ye Jing asked softly, holding his hand.

Xie Shuo moved his head. He tried to get up but didn’t have the energy to do so. His lips were pale, and he looked weak.

Ye An held him down. “You just woke up from the anesthesia; don’t move. Rest well.”

At this moment, the sun was setting. Rose-tinted clouds stretched across the sky, and the evening rays shone through the windows, magnificent and bright. 

Ye An glanced back before getting up to close the curtains. She left a small crack far away from the hospital bed, which only allowed a sliver of light to enter.

After pulling the curtains shut, she returned to the side of the bed and tucked in the quilt for him.

Xie Shuo was still somewhat woozy, so he fell asleep again after a while.

Ye An sat by the bed with a soft gaze, patiently accompanying him.

It took another three hours until Xie Shuo had regained some of his energy. Ye An helped him sit up and prepared to feed him some specially prepared porridge.

“I had someone cook some porridge for you. Do you want some?”

She gently blew a spoonful of porridge and brought it to his lips.

Xie Shuo subconsciously averted his face and held her wrist. He wanted to do it himself.  

His hands were cold, and he didn’t have much strength.

Ye An was speechless. She took his hand away and said, “You just came out of surgery and still want to be stubborn? Do you even have the strength to do it yourself? Don’t drop the bowl.” She brought another spoonful to his mouth and said in a commanding tone, “Open your mouth!”

Xie Shuo frowned, obviously unhappy, but he still did as he was told.

Ye An fed him one spoonful at a time. Neither of them spoke, so the room was quiet.

Night had fallen. Outside the window, stars dotted the dark blue sky, and the crescent moon peeked above the clouds. 

Only when she was done feeding Xie Shuo did Ye An realize that her own stomach was rumbling. Ye An remembered that she still hadn’t eaten yet, so she took a portion of the food and went outside to eat. 

Xie Shuo sat at the front of the bed and listened to her fading footsteps. He suddenly remembered the sweet fragrance that lingered in his nose when he entered the operating room and the gentle kiss on his cheek.

Was that an illusion?

    —-

Xie Shuo rested in bed for the next two days, with Ye An helping him walk around from time to time.

Xie Shuo, someone who loved cleanliness, was forced to avoid water. By the third night, he couldn’t hold on any longer and insisted on taking a shower.

Ye An was helpless, so she supported him to the bathroom after checking in with a nurse and washed his hair. 

After washing his hair, Ye An ran a bath for him. Seeing his weak expression, she grew a little worried and asked, “Can you bathe by yourself? Do you need any help?”

She glanced at the buttons on his necklines, and even without doing anything, her ears began to warm up.

This time she really did want to help him–not just to lust after his body!

However, Xie Shuo didn’t even give her the chance and directly rejected her. 

Ye An was somewhat regretful, so she could only say, “Then be careful. Don’t let your eyes touch the water.”

She turned and left. After moving a chair so she could sit outside the bathroom, she held the post-examination result and reminders given by Cen Qingyan and studied them carefully.

Wet sounds would occasionally come from inside. Even with the door between them, the sounds were clear. 

Ye An listened to the sounds of the water, and a strange feeling gradually came over her. She couldn’t help looking back.

There was a frosted glass door and mist inside, so she couldn’t see anything. However, her ears became warm, and her heartbeat fast. 

Suddenly, the scene from their wedding night flashed through her mind. She hurriedly stopped that memory before turning back around and putting her hands over her eyes.

Ye An, what have you been thinking about all day? Stop it!

Xie Shuo took a long time to bathe, but fortunately, nothing happened in the process. The sound of water stopped, and he opened the door to reveal his ill-fitting scrubs.

Ye An moved her chair and reached an arm out to support him.

The bright white light inside the ward shined on his face, making it appear white as snow. Gauze still covered his eyes, and strands of his dark hair fell on his forehead. With his high nose and thin lips, he had a sort of sickly beauty. 

Ye An touched his gauze and felt a little moisture. Aside from quickly replacing his gauze, she wasn’t able to do much.

His hair was dry before, but it seemed to be moistened again by the water vapor. Ye An was ill at ease, so she took a hairdryer to dry it again.

“Does your head hurt? Do you want some painkillers?” She looked up and asked while fluffing a portion of his hair.

Xie Shuo’s curt reply was two words: “No need.”

His hair was fluffy and disheveled under her fingers, making him look several points cuter and drastically reducing his cold image.

Ye An looked down at him and suddenly felt as if she were abusing a dog, but a big, furry dog. She couldn’t help but smile as she deliberately rubbed his head harder.

Xie Shuo frowned. His lips moved to say something, but he swallowed it back.

Previous|Index|Next

That night, when Xie Shuo finished showering, he sat alone quietly on the sofa once again.

Ye An put her slippers on and walked over to sit next to him.

Thinking of what happened earlier, she asked him, “I heard your brother say that you were discussing a development project with someone named Yan Fei. How did that go?”

Xie Shuo raised his gaze and asked calmly, “Why are you asking about this?” 

Ye An propped her chin on his broad shoulder and said, “When I went to the studio today, I met a photographer, and she turned out to be Yan Fei’s wife. We added each other’s WeChat too.”

She breathed into his ear, but since Xie Shuo had become accustomed to her always speaking to him so close, he didn’t push her away.

To prevent her from going over to Zhuang Yinian’s side and advocating for the project, he replied with rare patience, “It’s probably already negotiated. There’s no need to befriend her because of this project.”

Ye An felt guilty upon hearing these words. She did have this idea but didn’t think that he would shut it down so quickly.

Speaking of which, she had never attended any banquets since marrying into the Xie family, let alone befriending any of the ladies and networking

however, she wasn’t interested in these things, either.

Ye An leaned on his shoulder and looked up at his stern face, but the lamp lighting gave him a sense of warmth. His nose bridge was high, and his features were sharp.

His long eyelashes drooped, and the light cast a soft radiance on them.

Ye An reached out and gently touched his lashes, asking quietly, “You can’t sleep again?”

They would leave for the eyesight treatment tomorrow, and she was able to sense the change in his mood in the past few days.

Although he had always been pessimistic about the effects of any treatment, when it came time to it, he would always have the tiniest bit of hope.

Not only him, but she also felt restless.

Xie Shuo didn’t respond and frowned out of habit.

Ye An tilted her head. “Do you want me to sing a song to help you sleep?”

Xie Shuo: “…”

Seeing how he ignored her, Ye An said, remembering something, “I learned some head massaging techniques that are supposed to help with your sleep; do you want to try it?”

Her eyes were bright, and her expression was eager.

Xie Shuo still ignored her.

Whether he wanted it or not, Ye An stood up and knelt on the sofa, holding his head in her hands and angling it to the side.

“Stop moving!”

Her fair fingers found his temples and applied pressure.

There wasn’t much pressure, but her actions were pretty standard.

Xie Shuo was taller than her, so she could only straighten her back as much as possible to compensate. Her hair wasn’t brushed back over her shoulders, so there was light fragrance present.

After massaging for a bit, her arms and waist were a bit sore, so she lowered her head to say, “You’re too tall, so it’s hard for me to do it. Can you lie down?”

With that, she supported his shoulders, intending to guide his head to lie in her lap.

Her hands were suddenly caught.

Ye An looked up at the man’s handsome face becoming colder under the light. His gaze was deep, and his eyebrows were slightly knitted. 

He grabbed her fingers and removed them, with an expression that told her not to touch him.

Even though she had experienced this situation so many times, Ye An still couldn’t help but get annoyed.

What made her not good enough for him to be disgusted at her practically every day?

She spent so much effort trying to give him a massage, yet he didn’t even appreciate it!

“I’m done!”

Ye An was so angry that her liver hurt. She gave him a fierce look and put on her slippers to walk to the bed and go to sleep.

After a few steps, she suddenly stopped.

She turned and looked at the silent man in front of her–if the treatment was successful this time, and his eyesight could be restored, would she no longer have the opportunity to act as willfully as she wanted in the future?

Ye An scratched her chin thoughtfully.

No, she must take advantage of this last opportunity.

Ye An’s lips twitched and formed a sly smile. She suddenly sat in his lap.

She looped her arms around his neck and pressed her red lips against his ear. In a soft voice, she said, “If you don’t want me to massage your temples, then… how about I massage another place?”

As she spoke, a hand went down and pinched him mischievously.

The man’s abdominal muscles were so firm that she was unable to do so.

Xie Shuo’s face sank, and he frowned.

The breath in his ear was moist, like fine mist on the skin, and her freshly showered scent permeated his surroundings.

This time, they were extremely close, not like the other massage.

Ye An did as she pleased to him and withdrew her hand afterward. She asked, satisfied, “Did it feel good?”

She looked up to see his lips pressed tightly together. She was unable to restrain her impulse to touch them.

“Say something…”

In the next moment, her waist was grabbed.

Xie Shuo pulled her into his arms expressionlessly. One hand wrapped around her waist, while the other hand found her knee and hooked under her leg to pick her up directly.

    ……

What was happening?

With her body being picked up so suddenly, Ye An subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. Her eyes widened: ???He wouldn’t carry her out and leave her, right?

“What…are you doing?” She asked nervously.

As usual, Xie Shuo didn’t reply to her. Of course, he didn’t throw her out either. He only carried step by step to the side of the bed with a gloomy expression.

Ye An glanced at the nearing bed and suddenly thought in a panic: Was he finally changing after she complained about him being heartless and unfeeling every day?

This was too sudden, right?

Ye An was a little flustered.

Xie Shuo stopped at the bedside and found a spot to set her down. One hand remained on her side, blocking her escape as he looked down at her.

Ye An fell into the soft bedding and looked up at him in a daze. His sharp jaw and Adam’s apple were reflected in her wide eyes. The collar of his black pajamas was slightly open, revealing some of his chest.

There was a dark shadow covering her face, hot breathing that touched her forehead. 

The air was suffocating, and it was quiet enough to hear her heartbeat. 

Ye An was completely dumbfounded. She shrank back, her fingers involuntarily pinching the sheets. Although she did lust after his body, she had never thought that things would occur so suddenly…

Should she reject him… or take advantage of this chance?

She weighed the pros and cons.

So much to think about.

Reality soon proved that she overthought the situation. Xie Shuo only paused for a moment before letting go of her and walking over to the other side of the bed and tearing off the comforter.

Ye An’s confused expression: ???

You carried me over here and pulled out this move only purely to sleep with blankets in between us?

It took a long time for Ye An to return to her senses. She looked at Xie Shuo with a complicated expression.

……

Her gaze fell on his body, and a trace of worry appeared in her gaze

there… wasn’t anything wrong with him down there, right?

After Xie Shuo laid down, he no longer bothered with her and closed his eyes.

Ye An no longer had the courage to tease him even further after his actions just now. She silently made her way to the side of the bed and grabbed a quilt to bundle up.

The light turned off, and there were only breathing sounds left in the room.

Because of these events, Ye An couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.

That night, she dreamed of Xie Shuo recovering his eyesight.

The sunlight shone through the translucent glass window, and the flora outside the window bloomed. The man stood in the warm light with a straight posture and grave features. His eyes had regained their former vitality.

He looked at her, asking lightly, “Have we met before?”

Previous|Index|Next

Xie Baiyan left the hospital a week later.

Ye An finally didn’t have to rush back and forth all the time, nor did she have to read to or answer calls for Xie Shuo all day. However, she wasn’t able to completely relax because she had a new task ahead of her

Xie Shuo had an appointment for an eye treatment with the medical professor that Grandfather Xie arranged, and she needed to accompany him there.

Before leaving, Ye An took a day’s time to go record the song for Lu Chuan.

The song this time, “Spring Embers,” was not in line with Lu Chuan’s usual style. It lacked an intriguing edge and was more ethereal and beautiful to fit the drama storyline.

Ye An’s voice suited this style, so the recording went smoothly.

After recording the song, Ye An left immediately after checking in with Lu Chuan.

    —

The building next to the recording studio was a photography venue. In the afternoon, there were several workers busy with affairs.

Ye An passed by and glanced at a young girl that held a camera and was adjusting the lens.

The girl was slender and wore a simple white t-shirt. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and her features were delicate and clean under the sun. She gave off the feeling of the girl next door or one’s first love.

As Ye An was distracted, someone suddenly knocked into her. As Ye An staggered back, she accidentally hit a tripod.

With a “bang,” the tripod fell and hit the young girl’s back.

The events one after another, like dominos. 

Before Ye An could react, she heard someone curse, “You don’t have eyes?”

The person who hit her was a young woman with wavy hair and delicate makeup. She wore a beige strapless dress and sunglasses. Her expression was extremely unhappy, but it was unclear why she was so upset.

Ye An: ??? Weren’t you the one that hit me?

The workers quickly gathered around. Ye An didn’t bother arguing with her and rushed towards the girl that was hit.

“Sorry, are you okay?”

The tripod had already been moved, but the girl frowned while clutching her shoulder and appeared to be in pain.

Ye An helped support her and looked as the culprit took off her sunglasses and flicked her skirt. Instead of showing any guilt, the woman curled her lips in disdain.

She scanned Ye An up and down before jutting her sharp chin. Her gaze then fell upon the girl that was hit, and she asked with an arrogant expression, “You’re the substitute photographer?”

Zhuang Yinian withstood the pain and stood up. She looked at the woman with a cold expression. “Miss Li, you’re an hour late.”

The young woman’s name was Li Mo, an up-and-coming artist being nurtured by an entertainment company. She was recently the second leading actress in a popular idol drama, and her future was promising. She was here for a group photoshoot today and had booked a well-known photographer. However, the photographer had to miss the appointment and found someone else to replace them.

That was fine, but they found a girl that seemed to be a college student that hadn’t even graduated yet and seemed easy to bully?

“If you don’t want to shoot, then don’t shoot,” Li Mo retorted impatiently.

Zhuang Yinian’s gaze was completely cold. She ordered the assistant beside her, “Cheng Cheng, tell Lin jiejie that Li Mo doesn’t need her pictures taken.”

The assistant that was initially aggrieved seeing her injury immediately replied, “Understood.”

When Li Mo heard this, she didn’t take it seriously and thought this little girl was playing with her. If she didn’t shoot today, then she would just switch to a better photographer.

She scoffed and turned to leave but was stopped by the girl’s assistant. “You hit someone, and you want to simply leave?”

Li Mo paused, turned to glance at the assistant, and then set her gaze on Ye An. She raised her eyebrows arrogantly and said, “She’s the one that knocked into someone. If they want medical expenses paid, go find her.”

Ye An:…What weirdo did she just run into?

As Ye An was about to say something, the young girl spoke again, “Cheng Cheng, let others know. From now on, YN won’t accept any collaboration with her, and the inside pages that were scheduled for the next issue will also be removed.”

Hearing this phrase, Li Mo’s expression finally changed

What did she say?

“YN” was one of the top fashion magazines in China. Many popular celebrities had to book an appointment in advance. She had finally gotten an inner page after using her connections, but this little girl… how could she make this decision?

“What happened?”

Amid the situation, a voice rang from the side, and Lu Chuan exited the building. Seeing the hostile individuals, he stepped forward to ask about the situation.

Cheng Cheng’s voice was full of indignation. “Lu laoshi, she hit someone and was rude about it.”

Lu Chuan listened and looked at Li Mo. He had met Li Mo before and had a bad first impression.

This woman’s character was too superficial, arrogant, and undeserving of the stage.

Li Mo was already shocked by Zhuang Zhinian’s words just now, let alone now. Her face turned pale and no longer held the arrogance from before.

Zhuang Yinian held her shoulder while frowning in pain. Ye An hurriedly said, “Let’s go to the hospital to check it out; we don’t want to hurt the bones.”

Cheng Chen hurried to support her, no longer trying to complain about Li Mo.

The three left quickly.

Li Mo stayed where she was, panic surging in her heart. She turned to nervously ask Lu Chuan, “Lu laoshi, did you recognize that photographer?”

Lu Chuan glanced at her with deep meaning. “The owner of YN and its chief photographer, Zhuang Yinian.”

Li Mo’s heart went cold, and her face paled completely.

Aside from Li Mo, Ye An was also taken aback when she learned of Zhuang Yinian’s identity. Who would have thought that the boss of “YN” would be such a young girl?

What came next was even more surprising

After they were done with the check-up at the hospital, the one who came to pick her up turned out to be Pei Ling, a popular actor in the entertainment industry with both excellent looks and acting skills.

Moreover, she called him “Uncle.”

This protagonist’s halo could basically walk on its own.

Ye An originally wanted to find out the company Li Mo was signed to and have Xie Shuo teach her a lesson, but it seemed completely unnecessary now.

Even without her taking action, Li Mo’s future was doomed.

“Didn’t your new drama lack a role? How about her?” Zhuang Yinian talked briefly about the situation that just occurred to Pei Ling before suddenly switching the topic to Ye An.

Hearing this, Pei Ling looked at Ye An.

Ye An froze.

Pei Ling looked at her and asked, “Was Miss Ye signed by Lu Chuan?”

Pei Ling’s temperament was somewhat similar to Xie Shuo, and his speech carried a trace of indifference.

Ye An shook her head and smiled faintly, “I didn’t sign a contract; I only came to record a song.” After a pause, she added, “I don’t plan to sign to anyone for the time being.”

Pei Ling’s gaze showed a trace of surprise, since he didn’t expect for her to refuse so simply and directly.

Zhuang Yinian was also somewhat surprised and stunned. She laughed, saying, “Don’t mind me, I just thought you were pretty and fit the role well, so I just thought to mention it. ”

Ye An smiled faintly and said, “It’s alright. I don’t want to sign mostly because I don’t have the time.”

Zhuang Yinian recognized the haute couture brand she was wearing and guessed that she came to play in this industry out of interest. It was clear that she didn’t want to enter the entertainment circle.

The four left the hospital and walked to the garage. Pei Ling suddenly asked Zhuang Yinian, “Yan Fei isn’t picking you up today?”

Ye An looked up.

Yan Fei?

Why was this name so familiar?

Zhuang Yinian’s aura became soft in an instant, and a soft smile emerged. “He’s working on a company project and can’t leave.” After a pause, she added, “Please don’t tell him about me getting hurt today.” 

Pei Ling glanced at her but didn’t speak, obviously used to protecting her secrets.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Ye An thought hard to recall that the person in charge of a development project that Xie Yuran talked about a few days ago seemed to be named Yan Fei.

She had also read the personal information for Yan Fei, which said he was married, to Xie Shuo at that time.

Ye An looked at Zhuang Yinian again and only then noticed a wedding ring on her ring finger.

Was she Yan Fei’s wife?

She looked so young that Ye An didn’t expect her to be married.

As Ye An’s mind whirled, she said, “Can I have your contact information? If you want compensation later…”

Since Ye An took the initiative to accompany her, Zhuang Zhinian had a good impression of her. She smiled, saying, “Sure, but compensation is unnecessary.”

The two added each other’s WeChat, spoke a little while more, and then parted ways in the garage.

Previous|Index|Next

Early the next morning, Ye An called Lu Chuan and agreed to give it a try.

The two met for an audition at two in the afternoon.

Ye An did her part as a free reader for Xie Shuo in the morning. After eating lunch, she hurried to the studio.  

With last time’s experience, they finished smoothly this time, and the audition didn’t take too long. 

After auditioning and receiving the demo, Ye An hurried home again and then rushed to the hospital with Xie Shuo to visit Xie Baiyan.

Xie Baiyan’s health was no longer unstable, but he no longer insisted on discharging from the hospital. It was unclear if he did this to force Xie Shuo to go out more and be more active.

That night, the two went home only after eating dinner. 

After returning home, Ye An didn’t rush to shower and sleep. Instead, she took Xie Shuo to the piano room to sing.

“You don’t have to do anything; just sit here and listen.” Ye An took out a chair for him and helped him sit down before giving him a cup of warm milk that she had previously prepared.

These days, she had almost entirely dissolved Xie Shuo’s terrible temper. He sat on the chair blankly and let her do as she pleased.

In the room, a piano covered by a black cloth sat next to the window. It had obviously been left untouched for a while.

“Do you know how to play the piano?” Ye An curiously asked, taking off the piano cover and glancing at his slender fingers.

Xie Shuo lowered his gaze and didn’t reply.

It wouldn’t be surprising for Eldest Young Master Xie, a jack of all trades, to be able to play the piano.

Ye An didn’t pressure him and pressed a few keys before turning to ask, “Can I play?”

Xie Shuo, who just heard the piano sounds: …You’ve already played it; what’s the point of asking?

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Ye An took it as his tacit approval. She put the sheet music that Lu Chuan gave her on the stand and prepared to play.

Under the soft moonlight that formed a shadow cage, her fair and slender fingers danced across the piano keys.

Since Xie Shuo couldn’t see, he could only imagine the sight before him.

Because she was unfamiliar with the score and hadn’t played the piano for a long time, Ye An played intermittently and occasionally paused to make corrections. 

The second time went smoother, and she played the melody while humming.

A soft voice entered his ears; Xie Shuo listened quietly and took a sip of milk.

As the night darkened, the shadows of the moon wavered. After practicing the song a few times, Ye An finished up, putting the cover back on the piano and walking over to Xie Shuo.

Xie Shuo had already drunk most of his milk, but instead of appearing tired, he still seemed quite alert. Ye An thought that he would have dozed off without paying any attention.

Ye An took the mug from him and put it away. She helped him up and asked as they walked out, “What did you think of the song?”

As usual, there was no reply.

Ye An was already used to it, so she asked again, “Guess what my favorite instrument is?”

After waiting a few seconds and receiving no reply from Xie Shuo, Ye An replied to her own question, “Erhu.”

Xie Shuo: “…”

Eldest Young Master Xie’s indifferent expression finally cracked. Ye An glanced at him and smiled crookedly, “I’m not kidding; an old grandpa downstairs used to play the erhu at his doorway every day, so I learned from him. If you don’t believe me, then I’ll play for you later. You’ll definitely like it.”

Xie Shuo resumed his facial paralysis and showed no interest in her erhu skills in the slightest.

Ye An: …Can’t you at least give me a smile?

Ye An was a little discouraged. She guided him to the bedroom before taking his clothes out and preparing for his shower.

In the dead of the night, only the sounds of water could be heard.

Ye An showered after him as usual, and it was almost eleven when she came out of the bathroom with her hair dried.

Xie Shuo wasn’t sitting on the sofa this time. Instead, he lay in bed and leaned against the headboard. His long eyelashes drooped, covering his impenetrable thoughts.

Ye An did her skincare routine before getting in bed. She looked at him and deliberately probed him by saying, “Were you staying up waiting for me?”

Xie Shuo looked up, his expression saying–who gave you that confidence?

Ye An didn’t care about his cold attitude and shifted closer to him. Just as she was about to tease him again, her gaze suddenly wandered to the front of his body.

He wore a black robe with an open neckline that revealed his sharp collarbone and fair skin. Under the lighting, he appeared both enticing yet transcendent. 

Ye An suddenly recalled the ambiguous red mark on Xie Yuran’s collarbone from yesterday.

Even the tooth marks stayed, so the scene must have been intense.

Ye An’s face became hot. She glanced at Xie Shuo and couldn’t help but wonder: how could this grown man not have any adult needs?

Ye An stared at his collarbones, and intrusive thoughts began to invade her mind.

I wonder how it would look if I also did that to him.

As soon as that thought appeared, Ye An’s face turned even more red.

Her heart pounded, and her face was red, but she inadvertently leaned closer to him.

The distance between them gradually decreased little by little, and she could smell his clean scent from the shower.

Xie Shuo, who was leaning against the headboard, was also able to smell her familiar scent getting nearer.

Their surroundings were silent. He couldn’t see and didn’t know what she was doing, but his gut told him something was off.

He didn’t bother to ask, so he leaned forward to lie down and go to sleep.

However, he suddenly hit a forehead in the process.

Ye An was still hesitating but was brought out of her daze when her teeth and lips knocked against his collarbone.

The hit made her “hiss” in pain, and she fell into his arms, hugging him subconsciously.

Xie Shuo felt something hit his chest and someone hug him afterward. His face darkened immediately. “What are you doing?”

Ye An lay on his chest, her heart beating frantically and her mind blank. She looked up and answered self-righteously, “Nothing. You were the one who sat up without saying anything; you almost broke my nose.”

She said this while rubbing her nose in an aggrieved manner.

Xie Shuo knew that she loved making outlandish accusations and kept a cold face. He didn’t bother to respond and raised his hand to pull her away.

In this posture and the pajamas they wore, he could clearly feel the softness near him.

He lowered his hand in the darkness and touched a delicate warmth. There was no fabric covering this area except for a thin strap.

He moved his hand upwards, his slender fingers groping her shoulders.

He unconsciously moved the shoulder strap, and Ye An was taken aback. She looked down and said, “This time, it should be my turn asking about what you’re doing, right?”

Xie Shuo’s actions paused.

In the next second, he pushed her away without mercy.

Ye An: “…”

Sure enough, he was a man without feelings.

Ye An smiled sullenly and moved her shoulder straps back. She looked down to see a red mark along his neckline, the result of her teeth knocking against his skin just then.

Ye An brightened up upon seeing the red mark since, in the end, her goal was achieved.

Yet, before she could even celebrate, Xie Shuo interrupted, frowning, “Wear more clothes to sleep in the future.”

What did he just say?

Did he look down on her for wearing revealing clothes?

Ye An’s eyes widened in disbelief and thought she heard wrong.

I’m sleeping at home; what’s wrong with wearing less? Is it illegal?

Besides, you can’t see it anyway; why are you telling me what to wear!

Ye An was really about to get angry, and she blurted furiously, “No, I’ll sleep naked next time!”

Xie Shuo: “…”

Xie Shuo’s face darkened again, and his expression became difficult to describe.

He turned over and laid down with a cold expression. A few moments later, he said one sentence. “Try it then.”

The three words were clear and concise, but the threat was clear. From his tone, Ye An would die if she were to sleep naked.

Ye An choked on her own reply and no longer dared to say anything. She mouthed the words at his back: “Try it then; who’s afraid of who? Come bite me if you can!” 

The words came out of her mouth, but her body shifted farther away and withdrew to the other side of the bed. She hugged the comforter tighter and turned off the light.

Outside the window, the moonlight rippled like water, and shadows of flowers swayed gently in the emptiness.

Previous|Index|Next

The next morning, Xie Yuran and Zhong Fu came with a stack of documents. 

This time, Xie Shuo didn’t evade Ye An and instead had her accompany him in the study.

Ye An sat next to him and played her part as an assisting wife. 

“Who’s in charge of development on the Ju Family’s side?” Xie Shuo handed his tea cup to Ye An and asked naturally. 

Xie Yuran responded, “Yan Fei. He’s in charge of dispatch in the Ju family. I had people find his information.”

As Xie Yuran spoke, he handed a file to Xie Shuo.

Xie Shuo took it, but he couldn’t see or read it. He pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ll give you the plan tomorrow, and you and Zhong Fu can discuss it in person.”

Ye An, who sat on the side, glanced at the file curiously. When she looked up, her line of sight met Xie Yuran on the diagonal. She paused.

There was a red mark, almost resembling a hickey, on the right side of Xie Yuran’s neck. It was partially hidden by his collar and appeared very suspicious.

What did she just see?

Ye An’s eyes widened to show her obvious disbelief. However, she quickly recomposed herself and looked away, resuming her straight posture and calm expression. 

The three continued talking, but Ye An wasn’t paying attention. Her gaze occasionally flitted to Xie Yuran’s neck.

Half an hour later, Xie Yuran and Zhong Fu left.

Ye An couldn’t hold back her curiosity and leaned towards Xie Shuo to whisper, “Hey, your little brother… does he have a girlfriend?”

Xie Shuo frowned. “Why are you asking about this?”

“I just saw a–”

Ye An wanted to say “just saw a hickey on his neck” but felt it was too awkward to discuss so openly with him. She changed her mind and said, “Nothing, I just thought that it’s time for him to find a girlfriend. If he didn’t have one, I could introduce someone to him.”

Xie Shuo’s expression said, “Are you that bored,” and handed a stack of information to her while ignoring her.

With the intention of having her read it.

Ye An: “…”

You want me as a free reading software with your nasty attitude?

In your dreams!

Ye An imagined throwing him a “haha” emoji but restrained herself and said coldly, “My throat hurts; I’m not reading.”

When she woke up, she had completely forgotten how scared she was of him yesterday and resumed her original arrogance towards him.

Xie Shuo frowned deeper, his expression turning even uglier.

He took the papers back and sat back on the sofa, a cold chill radiating from his body.

Ye An felt ill at ease seeing his appearance.

Can’t this person be a bit more flexible? He pulls out an ugly face every time he gets upset!

A few words to coax me would do just fine, but all he does is make me angry!

She suppressed his anger and slowly approached him to take the papers out of his hand. She began to read with resentment.

Xie Shuo looked up, noticing that his fingers were empty. His knitted brows began to relax after hearing the familiar voice. 

After a while, Ye An finished. She went to the living room to pour two cups of tea.

After returning to the study, she handed Xie Shuo one of the cups and began to complain, “You don’t even respond when I ask you something, yet you order me around to do work. I’m your wife, not your maid.”

Xie Shuo pinched the cup, and pressed his lips together. He suddenly said, “I don’t know.”

Ye An was stunned for a moment before she realized that he was answering her previous “does he have a girlfriend” question. She couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t he your brother? You don’t know whether or not he has a girlfriend?”

“He hasn’t brought anyone home.” Xie Shuo’s brows showed a trace of impatience, and it was obvious that he didn’t want to continue with such a boring topic.

Ye An was still curious and wanted to continue the gossip, but after seeing his reaction, she didn’t continue asking.

Xie Shuo spent most of the day dealing with work affairs in the study. When he was preparing the best course of action, he spoke out loud with Ye An sitting at the computer, helping him ghostwrite.

The typing sounds from the keyboard occasionally mixed with quiet questions.

Although she was a bit tired, Ye An was in a good mood. Xie Shuo was willing to pull himself together and do some work, which meant that her efforts from these past few days were not spent in vain. 

    —-

Around four in the afternoon, the two went to the hospital to see Xie Baiyan.

Xie Baiyan sent Ye An away and talked to Xie Shuo for a long time.

During this time, Ye An received a call from Lu Chuan, who said that he had composed a new theme song for a TV series that would suit her very well, and he wanted her to try it.

Ye An was stunned by the sudden invitation and hesitated. Recalling the Xie Family’s turmoil recently, she politely refused. “I’m really sorry Lu laoshi, but I have private matters to take care of these days. Thank you for your offer.”

Lu Chuan didn’t expect her to refuse and was a little surprised. “Was there something wrong with the last collaboration…”

Ye An hurriedly said, “No, please don’t misunderstand Lu laoshi, something happened within my family, and I don’t have any spare time.”

Lu Chuan replied, “It won’t take too much of your time. You can practice at home like last time, and it’ll take just half a day to record.”

Lu Chuan was a senior in this industry, so Ye An could not refuse again and could only say, “How about this Lu laoshi. I’m not sure yet, but I’ll give you a call in the morning.”

Hearing her evade his offer again, Lu Chuan had also lost his patience. He had not reached the point where he had to beg others to accept his work.

Lu Chuan didn’t say much more and ended the call with an “All right.”

Ye An and Xie Shuo stayed in the hospital past eight in the evening. They ate dinner before returning.

After arriving home, the two tiredly took showers and slept early.

Ye An lay on the bed and thought about Lu Chuan’s offer from earlier in the day. She could not sleep even after tossing and turning the whole night.

To be honest, she was quite moved by this opportunity. 

For one, she really liked Lu Chuan’s composition style. Secondly, the production team for this drama had a sizable budget, and if Lu Chuan had personally written the theme song, then the song should be of good quality. 

Although she talked about keeping close to Xie Shuo and living a life of luxury every day, if the opportunity arises, who didn’t want to be independent and have their own career?

She was a woman from the 21st century, and she was a woman with thousands of fans!

At this point, Ye An became even more conflicted.

Xie Shuo was always a light sleeper, and upon hearing the small movements of her pillow, he was also unable to sleep. He opened his eyes.

“Thinking of something?”

The man’s indifferent voice sounded.

Ye An turned and shifted to his side. “Did I wake you up? I was actually thinking of something. Remember how I recorded a theme song for an anime in the past? The composer really liked me and asked if I wanted to record another theme song for a TV series. I kind of want to do it…”

Xie Shuo didn’t understand why she was so conflicted and said quietly, “Take it if you want.”

Ye An’s worries lessened after hearing his reply. Xie Baiyan had specialized workers taking care of him in the hospital and didn’t necessarily need his daughter-in-law to be his caregiver. If she were to take this theme song, it shouldn’t interfere with anything, especially since she was able to practice at home.

She looked over at Xie Shuo’s side. 

The lights in the bedroom had been turned off, so his silhouette was unclear. She could only detect his familiar scent.

Every time she asked him what she should do, he seemed to have the same cold reaction. She didn’t know whether to be grateful for him letting her have some freedom or sad that he didn’t care at all.

Ye An looked at him for a moment and couldn’t resist reaching out from under the comforter and poking him. 

It coincidentally happened to hit his lower back, hard.

Xie Shuo angled his head and asked unhappily, “There’s more?”

Ye An pretended to be half-asleep and yawned. She replied “En,” as if she didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Xie Shuo: “…”

When he no longer moved, Ye An secretly smiled and pretended to accidentally put her arms around his waist.

Light breathing sounded from the other side of the pillow. Xie Shuo frowned, but because he was used to it, he didn’t pull away.

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