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In the evening, Ye An and Xie Shuo didn’t stay at the hospital, instead choosing to return to the Xie residence.

It was past ten by the time they returned. As soon as they entered the bedroom, Xie Shuo removed his blazer, revealing the metal cufflinks that gleamed under the light.

Ye An reached out to take it and glanced at his indifferent expression, remembering his appearance in the meeting earlier. She was still somewhat anxious from before.

The man was jaded and never let anyone near. 

Who knew where her courage came from before, allowing her to stick to him like no one else.

After taking off his blazer, Xie Shuo sat down on the sofa and leaned back, with his hand supporting his forehead. He appeared to be exhausted.

Ye An stood by his side for a moment before quietly saying, “Do you want to take a bath?”

Xie Shuo pinched his eyes shut before opening them again and getting up once again.

Ye An went to the closet and took out a pair of underwear and pajamas before following him into the bathroom. Because she was still restless, she accidentally knocked into his back.

With the white fabric acting as a barrier, her face came into close contact with his back. The familiar cool scent of the man wafted into her nose like the early winter snow.

She instinctively grabbed the hem of his shirt. It appeared as if she was hugging him from behind in this position.

Ye An froze before quickly letting go. “Sorry.”

Xie Shuo stopped. He turned around and frowned, detecting her out-of-character actions. Normally, she wouldn’t apologize and would distort the truth to act coquettishly around him.

Ye An’s heart trembled after seeing his knitted eyebrows and sullen face. Was he angry?

Fortunately, he wasn’t able to see, so he wouldn’t be able to find her if she were to hid. Ye An held her breath and shuffled quickly over to the bathtub and turned on the faucet. She put his clothes over to the side.

Xie Shuo’s brows knitted again as he heard the noises in the darkness.

When Ye An was done and stood up again, Xie Shuo had already begun to loosen his tie.

The man’s chin was slightly lifted as his slender fingers made sharp movements from left to right, revealing his prominent Adam’s apple.

Ye An’s heart skipped a beat.

Every time he removed his tie, there was an inexplicable lustful atmosphere that was able to make others blush and avert their gaze.

Ye An stared at him for a few seconds before catching a glimpse of the watch on his wrist. She asked, “Do you want to take your watch off?”

Xie Shuo paused, took off his watch, and handed it to her.

Ye An took it and felt the warmth that still remained. Her fingertips burned as she forcibly retracted her gaze and quickly left the room. 

After walking out, Ye An put the watch back in its original place and walked over to the sofa to sit down. She faced the ceiling-length windows as Xie Shuo usually did and started to daydream.

In the dark night, the lights were dotted across the sky like stars, and the distant mountains seemed never-ending outside the windows.

    —-

The lights suddenly came on, dispelling the darkness.

Xie Yuran returned to his apartment. He opened the door and entered with a tired appearance.

He removed his shoes in the hallway but received a call before he could even get to the living room.

His eyes darkened after seeing the name on the phone screen. He deliberated for a moment before clicking to accept it.

On the other end of the phone, a drunk female voice laughed. “I thought that you blocked me and wouldn’t ever answer my calls again.”

Xie Yuran said coldly, “What do you want?”

“I miss you; will you come over tonight?”

There was a trace of coquettishness in the female voice, making it sound like she was whispering in his ear. Xie Yuran’s face suddenly became cold, and he prepared to hang up.

The other person had already predicted this move and suddenly raised her voice, “Xie Yuran, try hanging up on me again, I dare you!”

Xie Yuran’s face was cold, but he paused briefly.

Her voice quieted down again, but her drunken request continued, “I have something related to your brother’s car accident. Do you want to come and listen to it?”

Xie Yuran looked up and gripped the phone tightly.

“I’ll give you an hour. If you don’t show up, then so be it.”

After speaking, the other party hung up.

Xie Yuran stared at the phone screen and frowned for a long time. He suddenly tore off his tie, tossed it aside, and opened the top two buttons of his shirt in the process. The gentle aura from earlier in the day disappeared with his half-exposed collarbone, messy neckline, and ruffled hair. His expression was hostile.

His slender shadow was cast on the wall, and the curtains in the living room swayed in the cold, windy night.

He turned around and strode out the door, disappearing into the night.

    —–

The bathroom door opened to reveal Ye An with freshly dried hair. As she entered the bedroom, she discovered that Xie Shuo had yet to go to bed. Instead, he stood in front of the window.

The man wore a black nightgown that covered his long and lean figure. Half of his face was illuminated by the lamp, while the other half was hidden in the shadows. There was no expression on his face. 

Even from a distance, she could feel the gloomy aura emanating from his body. Ye An approached him and asked carefully, “How come you’re not asleep?”

Xie Shuo continued to stand in silence, not responding.

Ye An asked again, “You can’t sleep?”

Her voice was very soft for fear that he might get annoyed.

Xie Shuo didn’t move, but he finally said three words, “You sleep first.”

Ye An:…If I’m still able to sleep with you acting like this, then my mental capabilities are simply too strong.

Ye An looked at him and hesitated. She asked, “Are you going to the company tomorrow?”

Xie Shuo didn’t answer; his face was still solemn. It was unclear what he was thinking about.

Ye An pursed her lips and ignored her growing irritation. She said softly, “Now that Father is ill, I also think it would be a good idea if you could return to the company to help him out.”

Hearing this, Xie Shuo finally reacted by turning to meet her, his gaze deep and dark.

Ye An looked at his unpredictable gaze and became more anxious. The air became suffocating. 

Remembering Xie Baiyan’s request from the hospital bed earlier, she braced herself to continue. She wrapped her slender fingers on his arm and said, “If you still rather not, you can ask Zhong Fu to give you the documents like from today, and I can read it out to you…”

She paused to glance at him and saw that his focus grew deeper.

“The Xie family’s business shouldn’t have to fall into the hands of outsiders.” Ye An gritted her teeth to say the last sentence.

Xie Shuo smelled the scent of the shower gel on her body and remained silent for a while. He removed her hand and said, “You don’t need to worry about these things. Go to bed early.”

….Not this sentence again.

Ye An sullenly muttered, “If only I didn’t have to worry about it…”

Although her voice was quiet, Xie Shuo heard it clearly. He actually knew what she was worried about

that he wouldn’t be able to inherit the family business.

She had originally married him for the benefits anyway; there were no feelings involved. 

Xie Shuo sneered at this in his heart before returning to bed.

Ye An couldn’t read his thoughts and followed him back.

Ye An looked at him lying sideways in bed. She wanted to say something, but after seeing that he had already closed his eyes, she changed her mind and turned off the light.

The room plunged into darkness, and she was left alone with her racing thoughts.

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The phone vibrated incessantly, drawing Ye An out of her haze. She answered the call.

“Hey, Mom.”

There was a stretch of silence from the phone. 

Ye An grew nervous from the silence. “What’s up? Is your body okay?”

After a moment, a voice finally sounded over the phone, “I’m fine. I just haven’t called you in a long time…”

Ye An’s lashes trembled. She concealed the emotions in her eyes and said, “I’ve been a little busy at work lately… was the money I sent not enough?”

“It’s enough.” Xia Jin paused. “I don’t need that much money right now. You should take more care of yourself. Don’t lower yourself to that position to ask him for money.”

Her use of “him” was directed at Ye Yuan Nian. Ye An’s head hurt, so she rubbed her temples and lightly replied, “En, I know. I didn’t get that money from him.”

After another moment of silence, there seemed to be not enough things for the mother-daughter pair to speak about.

“How about I come and visit you?” Xia Jin suddenly asked.

Ye An was taken aback, and she quickly replied, “Your body is weak; don’t constantly be on the move. I’m all right.”

With her temper, if she were to know that Ye Yuan Nian had married their daughter away to a blind man, there would definitely be bloodshed.

Xia Jin didn’t persist. “Then tell me if you ever want to come visit.”

“En, take care of your body.”

After hanging up, Ye An let out a breath.

Before she could even finish, however, a knock sounded from outside the door.

Her hand trembled, causing her to drop the phone.

There was a carpet in the lounge, so dropping her phone wouldn’t have been a problem if… the corner of her phone hadn’t hit the coffee table on the way down. The cracks blossomed across her screen once again.

Ye An: “…”

Her calamity with phones was never-ending.

Ye An picked up her phone apathetically and called, “Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Zhong Fu. He said, “Madam, President Xie invites you to return.”

Ye An stood and followed Zhong Fu back to the meeting room. The majority of the high-level executives had already left, leaving Xie Shuo as one of the only individuals standing at the edge of the table. He was currently talking to the middle-aged man he had addressed as “Uncle Zhang.”

Ye An walked to Xie Shuo’s side and grasped his arm, her fingertips brushing against the silk fabric.

The man cast his measuring gaze towards her before smiling.

Ye An responded with a courteous smile. She had actually learned before that the man was Zhang Junfeng, one of the deputy directors of Junming Group. The general consensus was that he had good relations with Xie Baiyan and was considered a family friend.

After a few more phrases, Zhang Junfeng also left.

The sun set towards the west, and the darkness of twilight surrounded the towering building.

Ye An supported Xie Shuo as they left the company. The two got in the car and returned to the hospital once again. 

The atmosphere inside the car was dull. Ye An felt better and was no longer as anxious as before, but when she turned to look at Xie Shuo’s indifferent face, she grew nervous again. She was unable to face him and act as deviously as she had before.

She sat there, peacefully minding her own business. Her fair, slender legs were crossed, and her appearance as a flower vase was perfect.

However, as she was focused in her own headspace, a sound interrupted the silent stillness

“Gugu…”

Her own stomach.

Ye An: “…”

After a dazed moment, Ye An hurried to hold her stomach.

Too bad that Xie Shuo had already heard it. His deep gaze focused on her.

Ye An’s face heated up

how was she always embarrassing herself in front of him?

However, it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t eat very much at lunch and accompanied him in the afternoon. Her nerves were taut, so she didn’t realize when she began to feel hungry.

“What time is it?” Xie Shuo asked.

Ye An looked at the time. “Around six.”

Xie Shuo frowned and spoke to the front, “Zhong Fu, first find a place to eat.” 

Ye An quickly tried to stop him, “Let’s go to the hospital first. I’m not even–”

The words “that hungry” hadn’t even made it out of her mouth before another grumbling sound came.

Ye An: “…”

Ye An closed her mouth.

Zhong Fu quickly found a top-class restaurant nearby and made a reservation.

The warm yellow lights appeared elegant and refined, like the moon suspended in the sky.

Ye An helped Xie Shuo find a seat and thought to herself. The other day she had tried so hard to go out and have a meal with him and even threatened to cook for him. However, today, it happened by coincidence. 

But… the mood wasn’t very romantic and didn’t have the sentiment she wanted. 

Xie Baiyan was still in the hospital, so Ye An didn’t dare consider this as a romantic date. After serving Xie Shuo some dishes as usual, she engrossed herself in eating as fast as she could.

Xie Shuo probably noticed that she was hurrying, so he suddenly said, “There have  been no updates from the hospital, so you don’t have to rush.”

Ye An looked up. The soft lighting cast a warm glow on the man’s sharp features.

An inexplicable warmth surged in her heart, causing it to thump. She looked back down, slowing down her actions.

There seemed to be more of a romantic sentiment in the air now.

After eating, the two returned to the hospital. Xie Baiyan had woken up and looked better.

Since he worried about the company’s affairs, Xie Baiayan insisted on leaving the hospital the next day but met everyone’s opposition.

“I heard from Xiao Ran that you went to the company this afternoon?” Xie Baiyan said in a questioning tone while looking at Xie Shuo.

Xie Shuo hummed in affirmation and said, “I’ve taken care of the situation with Wu Wenqi.”

Xie Baiyan sighed, “Since you can handle it, have Xiao Ran explain the matter with the Ju Family to you…” After a pause, he turned to Ye An and said, “An An, stay behind and talk with me.”

Ye An: ???

What would I talk to you about?

Ye An was confused and somewhat nervous but had no power to refuse. She had no choice but to continue smiling. Who let her play the role of a gentle and virtuous wife!

Not long later, Xie Shuo and Xie Yuran went outside to discuss the company matters. Only Ye An and Xie Baiyan were left in the room.

Ye An sat at the bedside and tucked Xie Baiyan’s quilt in while she waited for him to speak.

Xie Baiyan looked at her, saying gently, “A’ Shuo’s condition is now much better than before; thank you.”

Ye An was flattered by such a gracious comment. She smiled humbly. “You’re exaggerating. He and I are husband and wife; taking care of him is my responsibility. It hasn’t been hard on me at all.”

Her thoughts: It has been really hard; this Eldest Young Master was especially difficult to serve.

Xie Baiyan leaned on the pillow, observing her expression. He suddenly said, “An An, you’re a smart girl.”

Ye An was dumbfounded: …He should be all right; his mind wasn’t broken.

“You probably know the current situation in the Xie family. If A’ Shuo continues to be depressed, and if I cannot continue on one day, the Xie family can only hand the position to Xiao Ran or some outsider. My father doesn’t care which of his grandsons take over the business. As long as the business exists, it will be the same in anyone’s hands. But I only have one son; I can’t help but…”

Xie Baiyan sighed.

“As for Xiao Ran, even though I watched him grow up, there will always be a barrier between him and me. He was clever and thoughtful as a child, but his temperament has changed a lot–especially in the past few years. Even I can’t see through his character. It would be best if he didn’t have any bad intentions, but if…”

The “what if” part went without saying.

Even Ye An, an outsider, was suspicious of Xie Yuran, not to mention Xie Baiyan.

“You’re A’Shuo’s wife, so you probably wish the best for him too. Please take care to help him.”

Ye An didn’t expect for him to plead for such a serious request. He even entrusted her with such responsibility. After considering it for a moment, she asked, “Do you want for him to return to the company?”

Xie Baiyan shook his head. “With his current condition, it would be very difficult for him to return to the company to resume his past position. It would be fine if he would cheer up a little bit and manage his day-to-day matters. This way, if something happens, he would be able to take care of himself.”

Seeing Xie Baiyan’s graying hair and worried expression, Ye An couldn’t help but feel pity. In the end, it was the father that would take all of life’s cruel lessons for his son. Why couldn’t she have this kind of fate?

But what he said was true. As Xie Shuo’s wife, if something happened to him, she would not be able to live peacefully.

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll try my best. Speaking of which–” Ye An sent a smile in consolation, “Didn’t you schedule an appointment with a renowned medical professor on the 15th? Maybe he will find a cure.”

When she smiled, her eyes appeared crystal clear and reflected the light. Xie Baiyan seemed to be infected and began to smile as well.

He had indeed made the right choice in choosing her as his daughter-in-law.

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For the next three days, Ye An focused on practicing the song.

During rehearsal, Ye An always had Xie Shuo as her audience and asked for his opinions. However, Xie Shuo kept his cold face and ignored her.

The more he ignored her, the more Ye An liked to tease him.

Three days later, Ye An went to the recording studio to record “Mountain Ghost” as previously arranged.

The recording process went very smoothly. Lu Chuan, who had been known to be notoriously difficult, didn’t nitpick at all. After the recording, he handed her his business card and said he looked forward to their next cooperation.

Ye An took it out of courtesy and didn’t expect anything out of this. He sent out a promotional Weibo post and went to find Xiang Quan to sign the end of the contract.

Soon after, Xiang Quan changed the name of the studio to Xiyin Studios and finalized the contract. With Ye An’s help, he was able to establish a long-term partnership with Brilliant Dreams Culture.

After handling everything, Ye An handed all the operations over to Xiang Quan and returned home to be a rich mistress.

Xie Shuo had recovered from his illness, allowing Ye An to breathe a sigh of relief. However, after a few days of peace, something else happened:

Xie Baiyan fell ill.

Over the past year, Xie Baiyan didn’t have it easy. He originally was going to retire and live a peaceful life, but both his wife and son had accidents happen one after the other. This forced him to return to his chairman position while enemies lurked at every opportunity. 

It was mentally and physically straining, so it was naturally difficult to endure.

He suddenly collapsed at a shareholder’s meeting, so the situation was very chaotic.

When Xie Yuran called to inform them, Ye An was on the sofa in the living room trying to persuade Xie Shuo to go to a spa with her.

Hearing Xie Yuran’s voice coming from the phone, Xie Shuo’s became even more solemn, making Ye An feel uneasy.

If Xie Baiyan couldn’t fully recover during this time, then the Xie family would definitely fall into turmoil.

As a member of the family, she would undoubtedly be affected.

After the two finished their call, she hurried to support Xie Shuo and prepared to go to the hospital.

However, Xie Shuo didn’t move. He continued to sit on the couch with a gloomy expression.

Ye An watched him incredulously. Xie Baiyan was sick; was he still unwilling to go outside?

“Are we going to the hospital to visit him?”

Xie Shuo sat for a few more moments before finally getting up.

Ye An breathed a sigh of relief and got up to support him again, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

“Go change first.”

Ye An: ??? At this time? Changing clothes?

Xie Shuo frowned, not to be questioned.

Ye An was unable to decipher his thought process but still followed him into the bedroom. She passed him a black suit according to his request.

While he changed clothes, so did Ye An. She chose a peach-colored skirt to stay low-key and appropriate.

Just as she finished changing, Xie Shuo came out of the closet holding a tie. He asked her, “Do you know how to tie a tie?”

This was the first time he took the initiative to ask for her help. Ye An stood in shock for a second before replying, “Yes.”

She approached him, held the tie, and went on her tiptoes to wrap it around the nape of his neck.

The couple was very close in this position. Ye An could feel his warm exhales on her skin, and the contours of his neck and jaw were in her line of sight.

To be honest, she had little experience tying ties, so her movements were awkward.

As she neared him, her nails accidentally scratched his Adam’s apple. Her heart thumped, and she instinctively looked up for his reaction.

Xie Shuo’s brows knitted, but he had no other reaction.

Ye An looked back down and tried to focus all of her attention on tying the tie in front of her. However, her pounding heartbeat was out of control.

The tips of her ears burned, and the heat gradually spread to her face, so much so that her fair fingertips had a faint blush.

After a while, she pushed the knot of the tie up and glanced up at his jaw. Pretending to keep her calm, she tidied his collar while saying, “Done.”

Xie Shuo rolled up his sleeves and said, “Help me choose a watch.”

There was a glass case specifically made for his watches in the closet. There were many watches in it, each of them being valuable.

Ye An looked at them before turning to ask, “Which one?”

Xie Shuo’s reply was two words. “You choose.”

    “……”

Seeing that he trusted her taste, Ye An looked back down and chose one she liked. She brought it to Xie Shuo and pulled out his wrist before putting it on for him.

The man’s fingers were long and slender; Ye An inevitably touched them as she moved. They have had even more intimate moments normally, but they were all initiated by her. In this silent moment, she was especially conscious of having any physical contact with him.

His breaths fell on the crown of her head. She kept looking down, not daring to lift her head.

After putting on the watch, she fixed his sleeves as well, even straightening out one of the wrinkles on his cuff.

With his clothes neat, Xie Shuo calmly retracted his arm and began walking outside. 

.

The hand-made suit accentuated the man’s long lines and fit perfectly. The pants were straight, and his belt cinched his narrow waist. The ensemble added an air of loftiness to his cold aura.

Ye An suddenly recalled a memory when she saw Xie Shuo before he had lost his eyesight. He wore a suit under the media spotlight and walked in high spirits, truly embodying a proud son of the heavens.

She couldn’t tear her gaze off of him.

Xie Shuo walked a few steps before realizing that she hadn’t followed after him. He tilted his head, asking, “What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

Ye An hurriedly caught up with him. She looked at him before looping her fingers around his arm.

Her heart skipped a beat as if a deer entered her body.

After descending the stairs, Ye An saw Zhong Fu in the garden, who had clearly rushed here to meet Xie Shuo. The man was still holding documents while hastily walking over. 

“President Xie.”

He greeted Xie Shuo and then turned to Ye An. “Madam.”

Ye An gave a faint smile.

Zhong Fu opened the car door. Ye An thought they would want to sit in the back seats together to discuss business matters, so she let go of Xie Shuo and headed towards the front passenger seat.

However, before she could sit down, Zhong Fu approached her and said, “Madam, President Xie wants you to sit with him in the back.”

Ye An froze for a moment before getting out of the front passenger seat and moving to the back.

Xie Shuo smelled her familiar fragrance as she settled in, and he extended the papers to her. “Read this through.”

    “……”

Ye An finally understood why he wanted her to sit in the back with him. She took the papers and skimmed them, quickly adopting the role of a human scanner.

Zhong Fu raised the privacy screen, so they were left alone in the back seat. Unfortunately, there was no romantic tension whatsoever.

—-

By the time they got to the hospital, Ye An had almost read the entire report. Her mouth was dry, and her throat was sore.

Xie Shuo remained silent and frowning the whole time.

Ye An guided him to the private ward where Xie Baiyan resided. He was no longer in critical condition, but he wasn’t conscious yet.

In the waiting area, several middle-aged people were talking in hushed tones. They seemed to be elders of the Xie clan.

Xie Yuran was also present with a worried expression.

“Ge.” After seeing Xie Shuo, he quickly stepped forward.

The others appeared surprised. Since the car accident last year, they had seldom seen Xie Shuo appear in public. 

They looked at Xie Shuo’s eyes and saw that he was truly blind, and strange expressions flitted across their faces.

“Xiao Shuo, is your health better nowadays?” After a while, a gentle-looking old man took the initiative to speak.

Xie Shuo recognized his voice and responded gently. “Uncle Zhang.”

The others followed suit and greeted him one after the other.

Xie Shuo responded to each greeting before entering the ward. Since he couldn’t see, he listened to Xie Yuran describe the situation. “The doctor said that there is nothing terribly wrong for the time being, but he needs to recuperate, and it would be best if he remained in the hospital for monitoring.”

Several voices could be heard from outside as if there was arguing.

Xie Shuo frowned and told Xie Yuran. “You stay here and take care of him; I’ll return to the company with them.”

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Xie Yuran’s face. Despite being taken aback, he responded, “Okay.”

Xie Shuo walked out of the ward, and the Xie clan elders immediately stopped their argument.

The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

Although Xie Shuo hadn’t appeared in public for a long time, his accumulated influence was still there. Ye An could feel everyone’s fear while standing next to him.

The group left the hospital and traveled back to the headquarters of Junming Group.

After getting in the car, Xie Shuo linked his hands and leaned against the leather seat with his eyes closed. While he appeared to be resting, he also seemed to be contemplating something.

This was the first time Ye An had experienced family politics in person. She was a bit nervous, and her originally loud personality quietened down. She sat properly with her legs crossed and fingers interlaced.

She originally thought that Xie Shuo would have her stay in the hospital to look after Xie Baiyan, but he had unexpectedly chosen Xie Yuran to stay behind and brought her to the company. 

Was it because she wouldn’t be able to understand anything? Was she supposed to sit still and look pretty?

But he wasn’t able to see how she looked anyway.

The car was silent, and the atmosphere was heavy. Her hand accidentally slipped, hitting his thigh.

The man opened his eyes and looked to the side with his deep eyes and thick lashes.

Ye An: “…”

Ye An’s poor heart trembled, and she quickly retracted her hand, trying to pretend as if nothing happened.

Having been married for so long, she had never felt so feeble in front of him. She felt as if she had transformed from a goddess from the heavens into a trembling little white rabbit.

Xie Shuo waited for a moment, but before she could speak, he asked, “What’s the matter?”

Ye An furiously shook her head, but immediately after doing so, she realized that he couldn’t see her.

She tried to calm down and asked, “Are you going back to the company to hold a meeting?”

Xie Shuo gave a faint “En.”

Ye An originally wanted to say, “then should I leave soon,” but when she thought about it, she felt that it was unnecessary. If he wanted her to leave, then he would have told her. All she had to do was follow along.

Ye An didn’t say anything for the rest of the trip.

The early summer heat wave swept across the busy streets with skyscrapers on either side

The sun’s rays shone diagonally, and the car’s tint reflected the light. It finally stopped in the personal garage for the Junming Group’s President.

Zhong Fu opened the door. Her high heels landed on the ground, and Ye An exited the car before reaching in to help Xie Shuo.

The man stepped out of the car, his figure appearing tall and straight. At first glance, one could immediately detect the powerful aura embedded deep in his bones. 

Ye An held his arm and guided him inside.

Although she was as nervous as a rabbit on the inside, her appearance, fortunately, was bright and dignified. With a noble posture and her straight back, she was able to suppress her apprehension.

The workers in the office building received short notice of their arrival, so the workplace was in disarray.

With a “ding,” the doors of the executive’s elevator opened. 

A group of people walked into a meeting room in a grandiose manner.

In the conference room, a large screen was turned on. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in the natural sunlight and overlooked the rest of the city below.

There was a long conference table in the middle, and multiple assistants stepped forwards to pull out chairs.

Ye An supported Xie Shuo as he sat at the front of the table. Only then did the others take their respective seats.

There was only one chair at the front of the table. Ye An glanced around and felt that her presence was unnecessary, so she prepared to leave. However, before she could do so, Zhong Fu had already pulled another chair out for her.

Ye An was unsure on whether to sit down or not. She looked up to see many gazes directed at her, and the pressure increased by tenfold.

In the past, she would only stand quietly by Xie Shuo’s side as a background character and never had this much attention on her. However, she now also stood in the spotlight. Everybody’s gaze was focused on her and speculative. 

Xie Shuo’s marriage was not publicized, so the people present thought that she only had the role of being a housewife.

Why was she here at such an important meeting?

Ye An’s anxiety was at an all-time high. Man can only fight against the heavens for a few seconds before surrendering. 

She leaned closer to Xie Shuo’s ear and whispered, “Should I wait for you outside?”

Only when her warm breaths entered his ear did Xie Shuo seem to recall her presence. He paused for a moment before quietly telling Zhong Fu, “Take Madam to the lounge.”

Zhong Fu nodded and took her to the lounge. He arranged for a secretary to take care of her needs and returned to the meeting room.

Ye An sat on the sofa in the lounge and felt her entire body relax.

The secretary wearing a pencil skirt placed a cup of freshly brewed tea in front of her and silently observed her.

They didn’t expect that President Xie, who was notorious for not interacting with women, would suddenly get married.

This was the number one piece of gossip in the company!

Ye An was not used to people watching over her, so she copied Xie Shuo’s indifferent manner of speaking and said, “Go back to work. I’ll sit by myself for a while.”

“If Madam needs anything, just call me.” The secretary suppressed her curiosity and smiled courteously before leaving. 

Ye An was finally able to completely relax. She surveyed her surroundings before taking her phone out. 

At the same time, every floor’s break room exploded

“Hey, did you see President Xie come back just now!”

“I saw him and thought that I was hallucinating!”

“Speak clearly; which President Xie?”

“The one from before, not little President Xie.”

“Are you joking? Didn’t that one get into a car accident and turn into a vegetable?”

“Where did you hear that rumor? That’s not true; I heard that the reason why he disappeared for so long is that he went blind and was in recovery.”

“He’s still able to run the company blind?”

“Maybe he’s been cured! I was really far away, so I couldn’t tell.”

“I saw a woman by President Xie’s side. Is she our lady President?”

“No way, right? I never heard anything about President Xie marrying!”

“Does President Xie have to notify you if he marries someone? Don’t be stupid!”

“Anyway, I don’t think they have a simple relationship. Have you ever seen President Xie bring a woman to the company? They were also holding hands and acting very close.”

“So what’s the situation? Who’s going to scout it out?”

—-

There were no sounds in the lounge.

Ye An held the phone in her hand but wasn’t in the mood to play on it. She was already worried because of Xie Baiyan’s condition, but she was even more worried about how Xie Shuo’s meeting was going.

He already couldn’t see; how would he be able to spot every individual that had ulterior motives in that meeting?

Xie Baiyan was already sick. If he were to…

Her phone suddenly sounded, interrupting her wild thoughts.

She quickly glanced at it and then froze.

A rare name appeared on the screen

Mom.

    Author’s Note: Today is Xiao Xie’s time to shine! Today is also the day Xiao Ye becomes a little trembling white rabbit.

Previous|Index|Next

What was he doing here?

Why did he look so suspicious?

As she was pondering this question, Xie Yuran hailed a taxi and opened the door to get in.

Because she had read too many drama scripts, a terrible thought flashed through her mind. He wasn’t the one who planned Xie Shuo’s accident, right?

After Xie Shuo’s accident, he was the one who would take charge of the Xie family. In other words, he was the biggest beneficiary and had every motivation to do it.

Ye An was shocked by her own revelation. After a few seconds, she quickly walked onto the side of the road and stopped a car.

The door slammed shut.

“Sir, please follow the car in front.”

The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror weirdly, seeming suspicious of her intentions.

In a moment of desperation, Ye An randomly blurted, “The one in front is my best friend’s boyfriend. I think he’s cheating on her, so I want to go check.”

Hearing her explanation, the driver finally started to drive.

Ten minutes later, Xie Yuran got out of the car in front of a coffee shop and hurriedly entered through the glass door.

Ye An exited the car, and by the time she walked into the cafe, Xie Yuran had disappeared, as if she had imagined everything.

She looked around but couldn’t find anyone, so she turned around to leave.

    —

On the way back, Ye An carefully sorted out the two major events that happened in the Xie family in the past year.

One was Xie Shuo’s car accident, and the other was his mother dying at sea.

According to Ye An’s knowledge, the mother-in-law that she had never met died in January. This was just after Xie Baiyan had officially stepped down and made Xie Shuo as the chairman of the board. He retired, and not long after, Xie Shuo and his mother were involved in the accidents. 

There was one matter that Ye An couldn’t figure out. Xie Baiyan and his wife didn’t have any rumors of a disharmonious relationship or any illegitimate children. Assuming that their husband-wife relationship was all right, there should be no reason for the wife to go on a vacation alone. Why didn’t Xie Baiyan, her husband, accompany her on the trip?

Were there more secrets within the rich and powerful? Or was their harmonious relationship just an illusion?

But no matter what, Xie Baiyan wouldn’t be so brainless to partner with an outsider to cheat his own son, right?

Ye An pondered the question for a while and still couldn’t think it through. She tossed a candied chestnut in her mouth to suppress her shock and began to recall Xie Shuo’s car accident.

Xie Shuo’s car accident happened in May last year. He had just gotten off the plane and was hit by a drunk driver on the way back to the Xie manor. Unfortunately, the driver was more seriously injured and died shortly after being admitted to the hospital, which made it troublesome to pursue the one accountable.

Due to Xie Shuo’s personality, only those close to him knew the whole situation. If there were any secrets veiled in the accident, then Xie Yuran did seem suspicious.

    ——

After returning home, Ye An walked to the bedroom with her chestnuts and came across Xie Shu exiting the bathroom.

She greeted him casually and asked in a brisk tone, “I bought some caramelized chestnuts; they’re pretty good. Do you want to try some?”

Xie Shuo felt like she resembled a child at times. She was curious about everything and was easily satisfied by snacks.

He didn’t reply and kept walking forward.

Ye An didn’t pay it any heed. She put the bag on a cabinet and walked to the bedside.

A pastel apricot dress laid on the bed. She tried it on before leaving but didn’t put it away because she had been  in a hurry.

She picked the dress up, intending to change in the closet. However, after glancing at the cold, unfeeling man in the room, she started to change directly by the bed. 

He couldn’t see anyway, so there was nothing to hide.

Ye An took her shirt and pants off and quickly changed her clothes. Xie Shuo listened to the rustling noises and “looked” at her. He suddenly frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

Ye An was surprised at his concern. She put her clothes away and answered frankly, “Changing clothes!”

Xie Shuo: “…”

After putting her clothes away, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands. She picked her chestnuts up and sat down beside him.

“You really don’t want to try it?” She deliberately shook the paper bag in front of his nose, “It’s really good.”

Xie Shuo’s expression was still cold after smelling the sweet fragrance.

Ye An took a chestnut out of the bag, peeled the shell, and put it near his mouth. “Try it; I bought it while I was out.”

Xie Shuo was indifferent for a second more before finally opening his mouth.

“How is it; isn’t it good? It’s just a bit cold now, but it was really good fresh out of the oven.”

Ye An smiled and peeled another one for herself.

Outside the windows, the sun shone diagonally in. The sky blazed orange, staining the mountains and vegetation with a layer of splendor.

Ye An remembered the incident with Xie Yuran from earlier and struggled to ask, “Can I ask… how is your relationship with your cousin?”

Xie Shuo turned to face her with a deep gaze. He asked, “Why are you suddenly bringing this up?”

“Nothing really, I was just curious.”

Ye An wanted to tell him about what happened with Xie Yuran today but was afraid that he would feel that she was attempting to sow discord. After all, Xie Yuran was a little brother that grew up with him, and she was the outsider.

“I heard that he lived with your family since he was very young. You two are close, right?” Ye An was deliberate with her word choice.

However, in the next second, Xie Shuo asked her directly, “What are you thinking?”

Ye An panicked and played dumb. “What? Nothing…”

Xie Shuo’s expression seemed to say, “I’m blind, not stupid.” He said, “I’ve already investigated the car accident, and it had nothing to do with him. If you’re suspicious of him, at least find some evidence first.”

“…” Ye An didn’t think that he would be able to guess her suspicions that easily and almost choked. However, if he wasn’t so intelligent, he also wouldn’t be where he was now.

With the Xie family being so big, Xie Baiyan wouldn’t have handed the position to a foolish son.

“Why are you worried?” Xie Shuo asked.

Ye An muttered, “I was just worried for you… In any case, we’re still husband and wife.”

Xie Shuo was silent for a moment before he turned to leave. He said lightly, “You don’t need to worry about these things.”

Who’s worried; nobody cares!

Ye An was annoyed by his attitude and stuffed a chestnut into his mouth to relieve her anger.

Xie Shuo frowned, caught off guard.

Ye An raised her chin. “These are the last two. If you don’t try it now, there will be no more.”

    “……”

Xie Shuo couldn’t do anything since it was already in his mouth, so he could only chew it sullenly.

Ye An watched until he was done chewing. She stuffed the last one in his mouth when he was caught off guard once again.

Soon after, she fled to the sofa, ignoring how ugly his expression was. “There’s no more! The last one was for you!”

Xie Shuo “stared” at her with a dark expression. He could only endure it, unable to get angry.

In the end, he still ate the last chestnut. 

He wasn’t happy, but Ye An was. She made a triumphant face at him, reveling in his annoyance. After being married for so long, Ye An understood his character. Even though he was pretty temperamental, he was from a well-cultivated family and had morals. He wouldn’t do anything to her, no matter how mad he was. 

Ye An leaned into the sofa and took her phone out, crossing her legs on the seat.

She originally wanted to look up any information regarding Xie Yuran, but before she could find anything, she soon became distracted by the gossip in the entertainment industry.

With her focused, the room became particularly silent.

Because of his cold, Xie Shuo wasn’t able to sleep well for the past few days. His head was a bit woozy, so he rested his eyes for a bit. 

When he woke up, there was silence all around him. He “looked” to the side but didn’t find anything. He listened carefully, but there were no sounds.

He was unsure if Ye An was still there and was unwilling to call out to her. After wrestling with his pride, he reached out to feel the area around him.

Ye An was entirely focused on eating melons and killing time, not at all noticing Xie Shuo’s movements. 

She laid carelessly on the sofa, and her dress pulled up to the base of legs, revealing her fair thighs.

As a result, Xie Shuo came across her thigh, accidentally fondling her leg.

He struck something smooth and soft.

Xie Shuo froze.

Ye An also froze.

She looked up, and without reacting, she asked, “Why are you touching my leg?”

Xie Shuo: “…”

The atmosphere stagnated.

Xie Shuo retracted his hand and turned to leave, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Ye An: ???

It was you that groped my leg, right? Why are you leaving so confidently?

Author’s note: Xiao Ye: Last time it was my chest, this time it was my leg. Where are you going to touch next time? [smile.jpg]

Xiao Xie: cold_face.jpg

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Xie Shuo’s cold lasted for approximately a week. 

Because of this, Xie Baiyan rushed back from his business trip in advance.

Ye An was afraid that Xie Baiyan would blame her for not taking good care of Xie Shuo. She retrained her usual willful personality and behaved gently–even her voice was a few decibels lower.

Fortunately, Xie Baiyan was reasonable and was not angry with her. He asked kindly about Xie Shuo’s condition.

Ye An took the opportunity to ask for Xie Shuo’s medical record, and she studied it carefully.

Xie Shuo finally got better a week later.

A weight was lifted off of Ye An’s shoulders. And just as she wanted to make up for all the sleep she lost in the past few days, Xiang Quan suddenly called to ask her if she would record a theme song for an anime.

Xiang Quan knew that Ye An could sing. In the past, she would also sing for the theme songs for radio dramas when she wasn’t dubbing.

However, she had few aspirations. She was in her early twenties but acted like a middle-aged woman. She had many skills but didn’t care much about them.

She worked hard and was never careless in her projects, but she always lacked ambition.

“We already had a singer scheduled, but the plans changed, and now the project deadline is coming up soon. I just told them that you could try it. The lyrics have been written, and music has already been produced, so you can go ahead and sing it.”

Ye An thought for a bit before asking, “Can I practice the song at home?”

Xiang Quan didn’t understand how she became a “homebody” after getting married, but he said, “Yes, you can come in to record in the studio after you finish rehearsing.”

It doesn’t take much time to record a song, Ye An agreed, hesitant, “Then I’ll try it.”

Xiang Quan replied, “Great, just come to the studio this afternoon and give it a go.”

At one in the afternoon, Ye An bid farewell to Xie Shuo and left in a hurry.

After staying inside for so long, Ye An’s first breath of air outside refreshed and lightened her entire body.

She looked out the car window at the bustling streets and couldn’t help but start to wonder when she would finally be able to bring Xie Shuo out again.

    —–

When she arrived at the recording studio, Xiang Quan and the rest of the staff were already there and waiting for her.

Lu Chuan from Brilliant Dreams wrote the song and was notorious in the industry for being picky and having a bad temper.

As soon as Ye An entered the control room, she saw a lean middle-aged man sitting on a stool in the back of the room. He held a document in his hands and frowned, appearing irritated.

“You’re here?”

Xiang Quan stopped what he was doing and guided Ye An in the man’s direction. “This is Lu Chuan laoshi.”

老师-laoshi, a broad term of address used for teachers, experts in a field, or someone that is respected or in higher positions of power

Lu Chuan looked up to see a delicate face.

Ye An smiled politely. “Hello, Lu laoshi.”

“You’re Ye An?”

Lu Chuan looked at her from head to toe, and his gaze said, “Another talentless vase coming to ruin my work.”

“Since you’re here, hurry up and try it out!”

He didn’t have the patience to be polite with Ye An and waved his hand, signaling her to start auditioning.

Ye An didn’t want to pander to him either, so she walked to the recording booth without another word and put on the earphones.

Soon after, Lu Chuan began to play the song demo.

The song was called “Mountain Ghost,” named after Qu Yuan’s poem “Mountain Ghost.” It had its own twist on the lyrics and melody, with an enchanting and elegant style.

The beginning was low-pitched, and the melody itself was high-pitched. There was a long high note in the middle, so the recording couldn’t be interrupted.

The song was indeed difficult to sing; no wonder Lu Chuan was hesitant about her abilities.

Ye An listened to the song twice over and started to sing, focused.

Lu Hong remained indifferent when the song started, but he began to look up by the second verse.

A gentle female voice sounded with an ethereal simplicity, while still preserving underlying feelings in the music.

Lu Chuan’s expression became more focused.

When learning a song for the first time, one couldn’t expect a perfect performance. In the latter half of the song, Ye An messed up a bit.

After finishing the audition, Lu Chuan looked curiously at her, asking, “Have you ever studied vocal music?”

Ye An was surprised, replying, “I studied on and off for a year.”

In those past years, Xia Jin had her learn more than just singing to spite Ye Yuan Nian.

Lu Chuan: “Why’d you stop?”

Ye An smiled faintly. “I wasn’t originally studying music because it was just my hobby. Later on, there were some matters in my family, so I didn’t continue it.”

Lu Chuan looked at her for a moment before he said, “What a pity.”

Ye An didn’t reply and waited for his decision.

Lu Chuan stood up, saying, “I’ll give the demo to you. Go back and keep practicing…” After a pause, he continued, “Is three days enough?”

Ye An thought about it before answering, “It should be.”

Lu Chuan said, “Then let’s officially record it three days later.”

Xiang Quan didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. After exiting the recording studio, he said quietly, “With Lu Chuan’s temper, I was scared for you when you went in. I thought something was going to happen.”

Ye An laughed. “Did you think that I wasn’t going to sing well enough and get yelled at by him?”

Xiang Quan replied, “Don’t laugh; there really have been people that have been yelled at before.”

Ye An laughed even more. “Then did you think that I wasn’t talented?”

Xiang Quan finally smiled before suddenly saying, “You really want to cancel your contract?”

Ye An nodded.

The elevator door opened, and the two walked in.

Ye An had officially proposed the termination of her contract to Xiang Quan a few days ago. Aside from her audition, her priority for this afternoon was to discuss this matter.

The elevator only held the two of them. Xiang Quan suddenly turned towards her and asked, “Is it because of your marriage?”

Ye An went silent for a moment, before smiling. “I guess so.”

Recalling the ostentatious display of her ring and the car that night, Xiang Quan understood. Marrying into a wealthy family meant that she didn’t have to care about the basic necessities. There was no need to leave so early and return so late every day. 

The only problem was her contract lasted for three years. Right now, it had only been one year before she was now trying to leave.

After exiting the elevator on the first floor, Ye An took the initiative to say, “What’s with the long face? It’s not like the studio will go bankrupt without me.”

Xiang Quan’s eyebrows knitted even more. “I’m still losing a cash cow!”

Ye An glanced at him. “But isn’t it worth it? You’ve squeezed my value out of me for a year. Is it not enough?”

Xiang Quan couldn’t help but laugh this time around.

Ye An said, “Besides, I’m only canceling this contract. I’m still up for the investment we discussed before. If I have time and there’s a good role, I’ll pick up a project every now and then.”

Xiang Quan was no longer as sorrowful, so he nodded and replied. “All right, we can sign the contract termination in the next few days, and then we’ll go finalize the plans for the partnership with Brilliant Dreams.”

The two had already walked away from the business buildings when Xiang Quan’s phone buzzed twice. 

He fished the phone out of his pocket and frowned. “I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first. Let’s talk about the details another day.”

“En, bye~”

Xiang Quan walked hurriedly away, and Ye An took her phone out to check the time. It was four o’clock, still quite early.

There was a captivating fragrance in the air that attracted her to a candied chestnut shop nearby. She couldn’t help but walk over to buy a bag of fresh chestnuts.

After buying the snack, she turned around, planning to hail a car.

The family’s driver was busy today, and because she was too lazy to drive herself, she chose to take a taxi.

Suddenly, a familiar figure came into view. Ye An froze, still holding her paper bag.

…Xie Yuran?

She wasn’t certain, so she blinked and looked again.

The man was tall and slender. He wore a black sweater, hat, and a mask. When Ye An saw him, he had just removed his mask and waved to hail a cab.

Under the hat, he had a handsome appearance and resembled a naive youth.

It really was Xie Yuran.

Previous|Index|Next

Xie Shuo was forced to stand by the door… and listen.

Various clanging noises came from nearby, and disordered chopping noises began to sound. He suddenly had the feeling that he shouldn’t have allowed her to cook.

What would a daughter from a rich family know about cooking? If she were to accidentally cut herself, that would just be bringing trouble upon himself.

His throat was still slightly uncomfortable, so he covered his mouth and coughed.

Ye An had a green pepper in her hand and was about to cut it, but turned around when she heard the cough. “Are you really okay? Do you want some cold medicine?”

Xie Shuo seemed to be very against taking medicine. He frowned, saying, “No, thanks.”

“Find somewhere else to stand; the smoke might cause you to choke later… how about you go outside and take a walk?” Ye An didn’t forget to take advantage of the moment to convince him to go outside.

Xie Shuo turned around and left, leaving her with a view of his silent, retreating figure.

Ye An looked out the window at the glaring sun. It really wasn’t great walking weather, so she just let him go.

The clanging sounds from the kitchen continued until twelve, when lunch was successfully made.

Ye An brought her dishes to the table. She thought that Xie Shuo had returned upstairs and prepared to call him down–but instead found him waiting in the living room.

“Time to eat!” Ye An called him.

Xie Shuo got up and walked slowly to the table. Ye An put a small bowl of mushroom soup in front of him. “Here, taste this. It might be a little hot.”

She sat on his left-hand side, so it was more convenient to hand him the dishes.

Xie Shuo held the spoon and tried a bit of soup.

Ye An watched him nervously. “How is it?”

Xie Shuo swallowed it without speaking, as if unsure whether or not he should rate it.

Ye An: Was it that hard to describe?

Ye An, hurt by his expression, angrily said, “What’s with that terrible expression? Is it that bad?”

Xie Shuo didn’t think that she would suddenly get angry. He paused and finally rated it with two words, “It’s okay.”

Who would have known that this would make Ye An angrier? “You think I wouldn’t notice your phony tone?”

Xie Shuo: “…”

Ye An stomach hurt from anger.

She worked for a whole morning for this meal. It was fine if he wasn’t grateful, but he even dared to look down on it!

What kind of person was he!

She looked at the dishes on the table and suddenly didn’t have the appetite to try any.

“I’ve already said that we should go out to eat. You didn’t want to and insisted on eating at home.”

Xie Shuo frowned. He was afraid of the possibility of her destroying the bowl of soup, so he changed his tone. “The flavor is too strong, but it’s not that bad. Didn’t you also make some other dishes? What are they?”

Ye An looked up at him and noticed his goodwill. She pursed her lips and reluctantly humbled herself. “There are only three others: sauteed shrimp with parsley, stir-fried chili pork, and lotus root with vinegar.”

She picked up the chopsticks and put a piece of the shrimp and parsley dish in his bowl.

Xie Shuo picked up the shrimp and tasted it. He had now learned his lesson and maintained a neutral expression, saying, “It’s all right.”

Ye An was finally at ease, and she gave him a few pieces from the other dishes.

“Try some of the chili pork.”

Xie Shuo lowered his head and ate quietly.

Ye An watched him eat a few bites before starting to eat herself.

To be honest, it was not her first time cooking, and her cooking wasn’t bad enough to the point of being unpalatable. Eldest Young Master Xie was just accustomed to living like a prince, so his taste was inevitably pickier.

Xie Shuo’s blindness made eating more inconvenient, so he ate slowly. Ye An ate first, so she put her chopsticks down and looked at him. She said nervously, “Don’t eat too much if you’re not used to it. I’ll have someone else make some porridge or cut some fruits for you later.”

Xie Shuo raised his head, surprised that she was being so reasonable. He said calmly, “There’s nothing really to be unaccustomed to; this is fine.”

To be honest, her cooking skills had far exceeded his expectations. He originally thought that if she were to even try boiling water, the kitchen would burn down.

Ye An listened happily, and she took advantage of the opportunity to ask, “Since I’ve worked so hard to cook for you, do you want to go outside with me to relax this afternoon?”

Xie Shuo paused, his expression not cold and dismissive for the first time. He responded, “Later.”

Ye An thought that she heard wrong, but she quickly suggested, “Let’s wait until sunset then, so it’s not as hot outside.”

She glanced at his hand that held the chopsticks and suddenly recalled something. Her eyes flashed. “Oh right, didn’t I say that I would help cut your nails? Let’s do that after eating.”

“…” Xie Shuo’s face instantly darkened.

Ye An didn’t notice his changing expression. She waited for him to finish eating before taking the bowl and chopsticks away and bringing him to cut his nails.

The afternoon sun was bright, and the surroundings were silent. Her head was lowered, and her eyes were focused, her lashes fanning out when she blinked. 

Xie Shuo’s expression resembled a statue, cold and expressionless.

His slender fingers were almost translucent under the sunlight, and the blue veins were visible under his skin.

Ye An frowned, murmuring, “Why do I feel like you’ve gotten thinner?”

Xie Shuo didn’t say anything.

Time passed peacefully. The two sat together, giving the illusion of warmth and comfort.

After cutting his nails, Ye An dragged Xie Shuo to the bathroom to have him teach her how to use a razor.

However, she only studied for a bit before giving up because she was afraid of experimenting by herself and didn’t dare to test her skills on Xie Shuo.

If she were to make one wrong move, everything would be over.

Around four o’clock, the sun slanted westward, and the two went on a walk in the garden.

The wind blew gently, and the sun rays gradually softened. Ye An’s body and heart had been warmed by the sun, and as she looked at the man beside her, she thought, it’s time to start the next step in her plans!

However, before she could, reality gave her a rude awakening.

Xie Shuo caught a cold. 

There was no fever, but there was a persistent cough. His most serious symptom was a migraine.

When he was in the car accident, heavy trauma to his brain affected his optic nerve, so he was left blind and with migraines.

Now that he had a cold, the migraines had returned.

Ye An remembered that Xie Baiyan mentioned that Xie Shuo suffered from migraines on occasion, but she didn’t take it too seriously. Only when she saw him suffer with her own eyes did she know how serious it was.

For the first two days, he was unable to sleep. Ye An woke up in the middle of the night to see his face pale and veins bulging. There was sweat on his forehead, and even the pillow was soaked through.

However, he endured it without a sound.

Ye An applied a warm towel compress on his forehead but was of no use.

“Do you want to take some painkillers?”

Ye An helped him sit up and let him lean on her shoulder. She put the painkiller near his lips.

When Xie Shuo was in the hospital being treated for his injuries, he was often fed various pills, so he despised them now. He pressed his lips together, refusing to open his mouth.

Ye An looked at his pale lips, which made her heart hurt for him. Her tone became even softer. 

“Just try having one pill, okay?”

There was a faint fragrance and warmth that came from her body. Xie Shuo pursed his lips for a little while more before opening his mouth under her gentle persuasion.

Ye An fed the medicine to Xie Shuo before putting the cup of warm water to the side and turning back around. She hugged him while stroking his head, coaxing him like a child.

“It’s going to be okay. The pain will go away soon… it won’t hurt anymore…”

Her gentle voice traveled to his ears. She tilted her head up with eyes reddened for some time.

Xie Shuo had originally started to feel a little better after taking the medicine, but after hearing her words, he instantly felt a throbbing pain in his pain. The veins on his forehead began to protrude again.

He squeezed her delicate wrist, enduring the pain as he pushed her away.

Because of the pain, he wasn’t aware of his own strength, and Ye An’s wrist had red marks around it.

Ye An cradled her wrist and observed his taut expression with a baffled look. She was speechless-you take my good intentions as donkey liver even now?

She slandered him in her mind but was too lazy to mention it to him. Seeing the sweat on his forehead, she asked softly, “Do you feel any better? Would you like to take a bath before going to sleep?”

……

Xie Shuo didn’t answer, but he got out of bed and felt his way around to the bathroom while coughing. His back was slouched, and he looked a bit…pitiful.

Forget it, it wasn’t easy for him either.

Ye An’s motherly instinct went into overdrive. She took out a new pair of pajamas for him before running the bathwater and adding essential oils to calm his nerves.

She turned around to tell him not to bathe for too long, but his body entered her line of sight.

The neckline of his disheveled black pajamas was open, revealing his pale neck and collarbone. His natural scent was strong as if he had just had some indescribable exercise.

Further up, the hair on his forehead was damp, and his face held a sickly beauty.

……

How tempting…

Inappropriate images flashed through Ye An’s mind. Her ears became warm, and she suddenly blushed.

Ye An, what are you thinking about?

How can you lust after someone’s body right now? You’re a monster!

“Okay, don’t soak for too long; call me if you need anything.”

Ye An cursed herself and withdrew her stare. She hurried out of the bathroom while blushing furiously.

Xie Shuo began to take off his clothes when he heard the door close. The loose pajamas were pulled down to reveal his buff shoulders and the contours of his muscles.

The water vapor curled up and diffused in the air.

After returning to the bedroom, Ye An fanned herself in an attempt to cool down her heated cheeks.

When did she start to fall so easily to temptation?

They all say that women in their thirties start to become wolves and women in their forties start to become cougars, but she was only twenty-three! This was going against the laws of science!

Ye An used her hands to cover her face, her mood complicated.

……

She had become a pervert…

After taking a while to calm down, Ye An walked to the bed and changed the sheets. Afterward, she opened the window for better ventilation.

The Xie manor was located in an area that was well known for the wealthy residents. The scenery was beautiful, and the moon was clear. A soft breeze blew across her cheeks, and there was a feel of elegance in the atmosphere.

The continuous undulations of the distant mountains were visible under the moonlight.

Ye An looked up and into the distance, suddenly feeling melancholic. With this disability, she was afraid of him reentering his depressed state, and she didn’t know when the next step in her plan was possible. 

She put forth so much effort to see him make some progress, but it may have been all in vain.

After taking a bath, Xie Shuo’s headache had improved a lot, and he fell asleep not long after getting back into bed.

Ye An was still ill at ease and didn’t sleep well. She woke up several more times throughout the night, looking instinctively at Xie Shuo each time.

Because of her anxiety, she slipped into a familiar dream as the sun began to rise.

In the long dim corridor, she fled with all her will, with the sound of the night’s rain was crisp and clear.

Author’s note: Xiao Ye: I admire your body. After I sleep with you, let’s divorce.

Xiao Xie: …

Previous|Index|Next

The night passed in a daze.

Ye An woke up to the bright light from the morning sun. She looked at the ceiling, her head still dizzy.

The space next to her was empty and cold; the bathroom was silent as well.

After laying there in a trance, she sat up and rubbed her temples.

Last night’s memories washed over her. She was only half-drunk, so her memories were still clear.

 She remembered laughing at Xie Shuo’s sitting pose on the sofa, playing the guitar and singing to him, and in the end… she was somehow possessed and kissed him–even if it was just his Adam’s apple.

Ye An hit herself on the head.

    ……

…Alcohol is trouble!

How did Xie Shuo react again?

Ye An recalled that he seemed to pause, let go of her, and went off to take a shower?

At that point, Ye An couldn’t help but hold her head–he wasn’t even fazed by that. This man… was helpless…

She grabbed the remote control on the bedside table to open the curtains before lifting the comforter to get out of bed.

The sunlight poured in behind her and scattered on the ground.

    —-

After washing up, Ye An went downstairs to eat breakfast and happened to see Xie Shuo.

He had just finished eating and prepared to go upstairs.

The dining room was brightly lit. He wore casual clothes in the house, and he had a calm expression, appearing gentler than usual.

Thanks to his inability to see, they could face each other without much awkwardness, even after what happened last night.

Ye An was even able to greet him, “Morning.”

Since he wasn’t able to see what she had done when drunk, he could only imagine the scenario, which helped ease her embarrassment. 

Xie Shuo didn’t respond to her and only paused for a bit before silently going upstairs.

Ye An glanced at his lean back, then looked away like usual.

Aunt Zhou warmed a portion of the food for her and put it in front of her.

The fragrance of the red bean porridge entered her nose.

Ye An thanked her, sat down, and picked up the spoon.

Aunt Zhou suddenly asked her, “Is Madam still going out today?”

Ye An looked up. “Are there any other matters to take care of?”

Aunt Zhou answered, “My granddaughter is sick, and I want to take her to the hospital.”

Ye An hurriedly replied, “Go ahead, I won’t be going out in these next few days, so you don’t need to be here.”

Aunt Zhou thanked her. She waited for her to finish breakfast before cleaning up and leaving.

With one less person, the large villa became even quieter. Ye An returned upstairs and pulled out her phone to check the internet. 

Her ostentatious act last night was truly not spent in vain. The original forum post that mentioned her being in an unspeakable relationship was deleted. It had been replaced by a post that claimed that she had married into a rich and powerful family.

[Plot twist!!! So it turns out the Ye An was already married!!! And into a rich family!!]

Because the original poster was afraid of being suspected, the post did not include any photos from last night. They only described her dazzling display of affection last night. The poster also emphasized that she was only a part of the melon-eating masses, and this piece of gossip was from a reliable source in the industry.

The comments soon swarmed in:

1st comment: [WTF! This plot twist!]

2nd comment: [Haha, who was the one who said my goddess had an unspoken relationship? Come out; I’ll beat you up!]

3rd comment: [Is this real? Is it really that easy to marry into the rich and powerful?]

4th comment: [Is Ye An’s visuals enough to marry rich?]

5th comment: [Some people are really ignorant and think that rich people only care about looks. Even if they did, she could only be an outsider to the family. Who knows how old that man is? Besides, if she married so powerful, why is she still behind the scenes at that studio voice acting?]

7th comment: [Is someone musty trying to look down on dubbing? Can she not continue to dub if she married rich? Someone’s jealousy is oozing out of their comment! The Qing dynasty has collapsed for so many years; how come you haven’t caught up with the times yet?]

8th comment: [What a stench! There’s sh*t in your heart, and everywhere you see.]

9th comment: [Godfather, there are no pictures for us?]

    ……

The comment section was rowdy for the whole day. Although there was a small portion of people that didn’t believe the post, Ye An had achieved her desired effect, so she left the app satisfied.

Soon after, she picked a luxury bag from her closet and sent it to Shi Shuangshuang to thank her for her cooperation last night.

After receiving it, Shi Shuangshuang jumped three feet high and excitedly sent a rainbow fart emoji.

Ye An was particularly amused.

Not long later, Yuan He also called and told her that they had found the person who had made the allegations.

Sure enough, it was Song Ying, who had almost been cut out from the production in the past.

Song Ying claimed that she was deceived by Lu Hong when she thought that Ye An had used improper means to steal the role. She only did these things because she was angry at the time and hoped that Ye An would give her a chance to meet and apologize.

“How does Miss Ye want to handle this?” Yuan He left the decision to Ye An.

Ye An considered it before saying, “Have her clarify this matter and apologize using the account she originally sent the post to. Then put this matter behind us.”

It wasn’t good for her to make the matter larger than necessary. After all, she was now involved with the Xie family. Moreover, the culprit in this matter was Lu Hong, so it was unnecessary to place all the blame on a girl.

Yuan He was surprised since he didn’t expect her to let this matter go so easily. He replied, “Alright.”

Since she couldn’t afford to offend any people, Song Qing acted rather quickly. Within half an hour, she had posted an apology post on the forum with a “news” tag.

Ye An clicked on it and took a glance. She seemed to be sincere in her apology and didn’t hint at anything else.

The comments that followed ridiculed and condemned her, but the apology didn’t become as popular as the “marrying into the rich and powerful” post. Ye An skimmed the rest of the post before exiting the page.

The Lu Hong crisis had come to an end.

After handling everything, Ye An put away her phone, feeling refreshed. She went to the study in a good mood and took care of her daily matters

caring for Eldest Young Master Xie.

She entered to find Xie Shuo peacefully sitting there and not doing anything as if he were waiting for her arrival.

Ye An sat down next to him. She suddenly had an idea and asked, “Aunt Zhou asked for an off day and isn’t here today. Do you want to go out for lunch today?”

Xie Shuo tilted his head.

Ye An’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “We’ve been married for so long, but we still haven’t gone out together.”

Two seconds later, Xie Shuo turned his head away and said indifferently, “Just call someone and have them bring over whatever you want to eat.”

The sparkle in her gaze disappeared, and her mood wasn’t as good anymore.

Ye An was annoyed by his response. “Going out to eat and having someone deliver food to the house is not the same thing, okay? Eating out is about the experience and sentiment!”

Xie Shuo didn’t flinch. “What kind of experience do you want?”

Ye An: “…”

This kind of man doesn’t care about relationships; what was the point of his existence?

Ye An’s chest heaved fiercely, and she was unable to speak.

“How have you lived for the past twenty plus years? Has any woman ever taken care of you?”

Xie Shuo didn’t reply. It was evident from his expression that he didn’t see any point in answering it.

Ye An was about to lose her temper again.

She took a while to calm down. Changing her strategy, she began to threaten him, “I’ll give you two choices. We can go out to eat, or I’ll get in the kitchen and cook for you!”

Because of his personality and dislike of her, she expected that he would never want to eat anything that she made.

However, he unexpectedly said, “No one’s stopping you from doing that.”

Ye An was dumbfounded. Why can’t you act according to the script?

“To be honest, I’m really bad at cooking. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I burn everything I cook. You really want to try it?”

Ye An spared no effort to talk bad about herself for the first time.

Unfortunately, her efforts were to no avail. Xie Shuo was silent, and his expression was calm.

“Are you sure… you don’t want to think about it some more? I’m not lying when I say it’s really bad. Those who try it once never come back a second time.”

Xie Shuo remained unmoved.

Ye An was at her wit’s end. “Why is it so difficult for us to go out for a meal? You would rather endure my terrible cooking than to go out…”

She murmured the phrase while searching for recipes on her phone.

The room returned to silence, so Xie Shuo thought that she was angry again. After waiting for a while and hearing nothing else, he frowned. 

It just so happened that his throat was also itchy, so he covered his mouth and coughed lightly.

Ye An looked up. “What’s wrong; do you have a cold?”

It didn’t sound like she was angry, so Xie Shuo stopped coughing and commented, “I’m fine.”

A moment later, a warm hand covered his forehead.

Ye An moved her hand across his forehead and concluded, “No fever, that’s good.”

However, she was still uneasy. She put down her phone and stood up, saying, “I’ll get you a cup of hot water.”

Staying at home for too long can bring about illness. If Grandfather Xie and Xie Baiyan were to know, her tender and doting wife image would collapse.

Xie Shuo listened to her footsteps as she walked away.

Soon after, Ye An returned with a glass of water and moved his hand so that he was holding it.

“It’s a little hot, so let it cool down for a bit before drinking it.”

Xie Shuo fumbled to hold it and asked, “What time is it?”

Ye An sat down and picked up her phone to check the time. “Ten thirty.”

She suddenly became anxious. “It’s already this late? If I’m cooking, then I need to hurry up and prepare!”

She hurriedly opened the recipe that she had just found and asked while still browsing, “What do you want to eat?”

Xie Shuo: “What do you know how to make?”

“I know…”

Ye An choked as she looked up and saw his skeptical expression. Feeling humiliated, she retorted, “I can make anything!”

Xie Shuo turned away, obviously not believing her.

    “……”

If you don’t believe me, then why don’t you go out and eat with me! 

Ye An glared at him, sighed, and lowered her head to study the recipe.

She had to make a meal today that would prove him wrong!

She tapped the screen to zoom in on the picture.

“How about Kung Pao chicken?”

Before Xie Shuo could speak, she ruled it out herself. “No, it’s too much work, and your throat isn’t well. This one isn’t suitable.”

She continued to scroll down.

“Sichan poached fish?”

“That’s not good either; it has to be cut. I hate the smell of fish…”

“Jujube chicken soup?”

“Well… this one seems okay…”

Xie Shuo listened as she rattled off various dish names before rejecting each one of them. His expression gradually cooled, and he didn’t hold any expectations for the upcoming meal.

“Why don’t we go downstairs and see what ingredients we have?” Ye An suddenly asked.

Xie Shuo didn’t respond.

Ye An turned off her phone before reaching out and dragging him out.

Xie Shuo frowned as he was reluctantly pulled downstairs to the kitchen.

Ye An opened the refrigerator while searching for recipes that were relatively easy to make using the ingredients they had. Then, she began to cook.

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