The cold winter mist dissipated as the morning sun rose into the sky and shone through the floor length-windows.
Ye An opened her eyes with difficulty after feeling the sunlight on her body.
She stared dazedly at the ceiling and slowly came back to her senses.
Images from last night flashed through her mind, including the rapid breathing in the dark, the sounds…
She turned her head to the side to see an empty pillow next to her–still warm. Even after changing into clean clothes, there was still a fragrance.
If she hadn’t felt weak, Ye An would have thought that what happened last night was a fever dream.
The room was silent; Xie Shuo obviously wasn’t in the room.
Dirtbag! You took off your pants and still ran away!
Ye An hit her pillow angrily but almost hit her own torso instead. Her forehead wrinkled in pain.
She supported her waist and slowly sat up, her body feeling as if she had been run over by a car.
In fairness, the two didn’t continue too late into the night. Since she was tired afterward, Xie Shuo carried her to the bathroom and helped her wash up and change clothes.
Ye An hugged the quilt and looked at the empty room, suddenly feeling somewhat lost.
Until this moment, she was unsure if what happened last night was a result of his drunkenness or his true feelings. Even when they were in the moment, she didn’t hear him say anything romantic.
After mulling it over, Ye An reassured herself: Forget it, who cares if he actually had feelings? When it came to physical relationships, as long as both parties were willing, there was no talking of who was taken advantage about and who got it easy.
She took a deep breath, relaxing herself. Then, Ye An stretched her legs out to get out of bed.
As soon as her feet landed on the floor, her legs buckled, and she almost fell to her knees. Ye An only managed to hold herself up by frantically gripping the edge of the bed in time.
……
It turned out that being unable to get out of bed did actually happen.
Ye An sat at the edge of the bed for a while before forcing herself to stand up and go to the bathroom to complete her morning routine.
When she looked into the mirror, she found suspicious marks on her collarbone and chest, which appeared especially obvious on her fair skin. After she took off her clothes to observe the marks more closely, she began to blush. However, as she was about to put her clothes back on, she suddenly stopped.
……
The scenes from last night flashed through her mind once again. He had leaned over to kiss her, taken her to the bathroom to bathe, and changed her clothes… Why did it feel like he was able to see?
This sudden thought stunned Ye An.
……
Could it be…that his eyes had healed?
No wonder she had felt so strange. His eyes had been looking more radiant than before, and his movements from last night were smooth and unhindered, unlike before.
When he kissed her in the past, he had to feel her lips before kissing her.
But if he could truly see, why didn’t he tell her earlier?
Ye An stood frozen in place, her thoughts in disarray. She only returned to her senses after quite a while.
She walked into the closet to change before going downstairs to eat breakfast, doubts still flashing through her mind.
The sun had risen high into the sky, as it was past ten in the morning.
Xie Shuo wasn’t downstairs. Ye An only knew that he had gone to the company after asking Aunt Zhou.
He wasn’t free even on Saturdays. It seems that he really has been busy recently.
Ye An walked to the dining table and sat down. While eating her breakfast, she thought about the possibility of him regaining his sight, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Ever since they had returned from the research institute, his whole persona seemed to change. He became busier with the company and seemed no longer as depressed as before.
Even in the situation where Xie Shuo decided to accept his circumstances and move on from this time in his life, he shouldn’t have changed that drastically, right?
Another strange point was the fact that he rarely asked her to accompany him recently and didn’t have her read many documents to him anymore.
Even though Zhong Fu was helping Xie Shuo as his right-hand man, Zhong Fu was also responsible for other positions within their company. There were many things to take care of during the week, and it would be unreasonable to have Zhong Fu only read documents to him. Xie Shuo had always been logical and decisive in business matters, and that didn’t seem like a decision he would make.
Ye An felt like her head was about to explode. She brought a spoonful of porridge to her mouth.
If he had really recovered his eyesight, why was he hiding it? Was he trying to make everyone else worry?
Ye An couldn’t figure it out even after finishing breakfast.
However, she didn’t have much time to continue pondering, as there were still tasks to take care of in the studio. She had to work overtime today, and Xiang Quan had already sent a text rushing her.
After eating lunch, Ye An hurried to the studio and immediately entered the recording booth.
When she took a break at 6pm, she pulled her phone out of her bag to find that there was a missed call from Xie Shuo.
She froze for a moment.
This was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to call her. Did he realize that he shouldn’t have abandoned her? Was this his attempt in coaxing her to return?
Ye An held the phone, hesitating on whether to return the call or not. However, at that moment, the other end called again.
Ye An paused for a moment before accepting the call and bringing the phone to her ear. She didn’t speak.
Xie Shuo’s voice sounded from the other end, and he asked in his usual tone, “You’re not at home?”
Ye An felt that something was strange. She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, “Yeah, I’m working in the studio.”
Xie Shuo asked another question, “When are you coming back?”
“Probably around eight; I won’t be home for dinner.”
Xie Shuo paused before saying, “Don’t stay too late,” and hanging up.
Ye An looked down at her phone screen for a while before turning around to eat with her coworkers.
———–
That night, Ye An got home just after nine o’ clock. She went upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door to see Xie Shuo sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed.
He wore a light vest over his black shirt, and his blazer was tossed to the side. The dimmed lights added a tinge of warmth.
He opened his eyes upon hearing her enter.
Ye An paused and met his gaze, feeling somewhat nervous.
She suddenly didn’t mind him working in the morning and not telling her. At least she didn’t have the embarrassment of waking up the morning after.
After calming herself down, she walked over to his side and casually sat down. As soon as she sat down, she smelled his familiar scent.
He turned and asked, “Why were you working so late on a Saturday?”
Ye An answered, “The show records on Monday, so it’s been a little hectic this week.”
Her legs were sore, and her waist was also stiff. She kneaded her legs with force.
Xie Shuo caught a glimpse of her movement, and his gaze paused at her waist.
Ye An stretched her legs and leaned back. She inadvertently met his downward gaze, which seemed to be looking down at her.
Was he looking at her waist?
Her previous doubts came rushing back–were his eyes fully recovered?
Ye An rubbed her waist slowly and looked at him suspiciously.
Xie Shuo averted his gaze and turned to the front. Outside the floor-length windows, lights sparkled from a distance.
A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Ye An’s mind. She leaned into him and stared into his eyes. They no longer seemed as gloomy as before.
Sensing her nearing, Xie Shuo pretended to pat around to find her hand. He held her palm and massaged it gently.
The man’s hands were slender and warm. Ye An, who was staring into his eyes, caught a glimpse of his hands moving. She recalled the scenes from last night. Suddenly, her face flushed, and the tips of her ears became warm.
She closed her fingers in an attempt to calm herself. After taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes again.
She almost asked him, “Can you see?” out of impulse, but she swallowed the words.
If he had really regained his eyesight but deliberately kept the information from her, he definitely wouldn’t admit it, so it would be better for her to test her theory secretly.
She pondered for a while before leaning on him. Ye An grabbed his hand and put it around her waist, saying coquettishly, “Stop rubbing my hand. My waist hurts; will you massage it for me?”
Xie Shuo felt her slender waist through her clothes as he grasped it.
He lowered his gaze to look at her–just in time to meet her clear eyes.
Ye An didn’t dodge and faced his gaze directly.
Xie Shuo suddenly felt like she had discovered something. He paused and then looked away.
However, his hands encircled her waist, rubbing it softly.
Seeing him avert his gaze, Ye An became even more suspicious. She leaned into him, raised his face, and observed him intently, capturing every subtle shift in his expression.
The warmth from his palm radiated through the layers, and the friction heated the air around them.
With his soothing movements, Ye An seemed to have lost all of the strength left in her body. She lay on his chest and couldn’t help but let out a comfortable hum.
“……”
Once her moan escaped, she froze. The hand that was massaging her waist also stopped.
The bedroom went silent, and the sound seemed particularly ambiguous. The atmosphere suddenly shifted.
As the surrounding temperature rose, Xie Shuo pulled her closer to him and pressed his forehead against hers. His breath fanned over her cheeks, and he seemed to want to kiss her.
Ye An panicked and didn’t care to investigate anymore. She got up and brushed his hand away.
“Stop touching.”
If he continued to massage her like this, something would happen.
She was still half-dead from last night, and she didn’t want to go through that again for the time being.
Xie Shuo’s palm was empty, and he didn’t pressure her further. He leaned back on the sofa and withdrew his hands to place them in front.
Ye An’s heart was beating fast, and it took her a long time to calm down. She stood up and said, “I’m going to shower.”
Xie Shuo paused for a moment before getting up.
Ye An’s whole body felt limp, so she took a warm bath. After soaking for a while, she felt as if her feet were floating. Her head was dizzy as if she were in another dimension.
She forgot to bring a robe into the bathroom before showering, so she had no other option but to return to the room in a towel.
She saw Xie Shuo leaning against the headboard upon coming out. His eyes were closed, and his slender fingers rested on the covers. He seemed deep in thought.
Ye An was originally going to put on pajamas in the closet, but when she saw him, she stopped and changed her mind.
She folded the edge of her towel in and turned around. After picking up a bottle of lotion, Ye An turned back around to sit on the edge of the bed.
Xie Shuo heard her rustling movements and looked up.
His eyes froze at first glance.
Her fair collarbones were the first to catch his gaze. Her delicate skin was as pale as snow, and the towel only wrapped around her midsection, leaving her slender legs on display.
Ye An sat on the bed and glanced at him. Xie Shuo felt her gaze and looked away.
Ye An watched him as she pumped the lotion into the palm of her hand and rubbed it on her legs. She patted the creamin gently, from her thighs to her calves.
When she bent over, the towel was stretched taut and formed to her chest, seemingly ready to fall apart at any moment.
Xie Shuo’s eyes darkened, but he did not make any other movements.
As Ye An rubbed the lotion on her legs, she secretly observed his reaction. Seeing his indifference, Ye An couldn’t help but doubt herself.
How come there was no reaction? Did she really guess wrong; did he never recover?
She looked up and glanced at him once more.
The man was wearing a black robe. His neckline was open, exposing his alluring chest.
A blurry memory of last night suddenly flashed through her mind, causing her face to blush.
She held in a breath and decided to try again.
She put the lotion away and leaned back against the headboard. Her body faced him, but she didn’t touch him.
Ye An looked up at his side profile, and her slender fingertips waved in front of his eyes.
Xie Shuo’s eyes wavered.
Was she testing him?
Ye An was wrapped in her bath towel as she leaned against the head of the bed. She looked like a princess, freshly cleansed. Ye An stared at him quietly without speaking or moving.
She didn’t believe that he could continue holding his composure.
A light fragrance wafted over, and an imperceptible glint flashed across Xie Shuo’s gaze.
Originally, he had thought about this issue for a long time and decided to confess to her tonight. However, after seeing her like this, he suddenly didn’t want to let her know yet.
He stopped paying attention and leaned against the headboard, closing his eyes.
Xie Shuo’s appearance was stoic, as if he could rest for another hundred years.
Ye An: “…”
She lost.
After losing this one, Ye An was a little sleepy. Her eyelids began to droop, so she decided to resume operations tomorrow.
She got up, intending to go change before getting into bed.
However, just as she stood up, the towel suddenly loosened and slipped.
Ye An: “…”
This time, she really didn’t mean it.
Xie Shuo also just happened to open his eyes and saw the scenery in front of him.
After recovering from her shock, Ye An used the towel to cover her chest. Without caring to check if Xie Shuo had seen anything or not, she hurriedly rushed into the closet.
Xie Shuo leaned against the headboard as he looked at her figure running away, the corner of his lips pulling upwards.
The cold winter mist dissipated as the morning sun rose into the sky and shone through the floor length-windows.
Ye An opened her eyes with difficulty after feeling the sunlight on her body.
She stared dazedly at the ceiling and slowly came back to her senses.
Images from last night flashed through her mind, including the rapid breathing in the dark, the sounds…
She turned her head to the side to see an empty pillow next to her–still warm. Even after changing into clean clothes, there was still a fragrance.
If she hadn’t felt weak, Ye An would have thought that what happened last night was a fever dream.
The room was silent; Xie Shuo obviously wasn’t in the room.
Dirtbag! You took off your pants and still ran away!
Ye An hit her pillow angrily but almost hit her own torso instead. Her forehead wrinkled in pain.
She supported her waist and slowly sat up, her body feeling as if she had been run over by a car.
In fairness, the two didn’t continue too late into the night. Since she was tired afterward, Xie Shuo carried her to the bathroom and helped her wash up and change clothes.
Ye An hugged the quilt and looked at the empty room, suddenly feeling somewhat lost.
Until this moment, she was unsure if what happened last night was a result of his drunkenness or his true feelings. Even when they were in the moment, she didn’t hear him say anything romantic.
After mulling it over, Ye An reassured herself: Forget it, who cares if he actually had feelings? When it came to physical relationships, as long as both parties were willing, there was no talking of who was taken advantage about and who got it easy.
She took a deep breath, relaxing herself. Then, Ye An stretched her legs out to get out of bed.
As soon as her feet landed on the floor, her legs buckled, and she almost fell to her knees. Ye An only managed to hold herself up by frantically gripping the edge of the bed in time.
……
It turned out that being unable to get out of bed did actually happen.
Ye An sat at the edge of the bed for a while before forcing herself to stand up and go to the bathroom to complete her morning routine.
When she looked into the mirror, she found suspicious marks on her collarbone and chest, which appeared especially obvious on her fair skin. After she took off her clothes to observe the marks more closely, she began to blush. However, as she was about to put her clothes back on, she suddenly stopped.
……
The scenes from last night flashed through her mind once again. He had leaned over to kiss her, taken her to the bathroom to bathe, and changed her clothes… Why did it feel like he was able to see?
This sudden thought stunned Ye An.
……
Could it be…that his eyes had healed?
No wonder she had felt so strange. His eyes had been looking more radiant than before, and his movements from last night were smooth and unhindered, unlike before.
When he kissed her in the past, he had to feel her lips before kissing her.
But if he could truly see, why didn’t he tell her earlier?
Ye An stood frozen in place, her thoughts in disarray. She only returned to her senses after quite a while.
She walked into the closet to change before going downstairs to eat breakfast, doubts still flashing through her mind.
The sun had risen high into the sky, as it was past ten in the morning.
Xie Shuo wasn’t downstairs. Ye An only knew that he had gone to the company after asking Aunt Zhou.
He wasn’t free even on Saturdays. It seems that he really has been busy recently.
Ye An walked to the dining table and sat down. While eating her breakfast, she thought about the possibility of him regaining his sight, and the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Ever since they had returned from the research institute, his whole persona seemed to change. He became busier with the company and seemed no longer as depressed as before.
Even in the situation where Xie Shuo decided to accept his circumstances and move on from this time in his life, he shouldn’t have changed that drastically, right?
Another strange point was the fact that he rarely asked her to accompany him recently and didn’t have her read many documents to him anymore.
Even though Zhong Fu was helping Xie Shuo as his right-hand man, Zhong Fu was also responsible for other positions within their company. There were many things to take care of during the week, and it would be unreasonable to have Zhong Fu only read documents to him. Xie Shuo had always been logical and decisive in business matters, and that didn’t seem like a decision he would make.
Ye An felt like her head was about to explode. She brought a spoonful of porridge to her mouth.
If he had really recovered his eyesight, why was he hiding it? Was he trying to make everyone else worry?
Ye An couldn’t figure it out even after finishing breakfast.
However, she didn’t have much time to continue pondering, as there were still tasks to take care of in the studio. She had to work overtime today, and Xiang Quan had already sent a text rushing her.
After eating lunch, Ye An hurried to the studio and immediately entered the recording booth.
When she took a break at 6pm, she pulled her phone out of her bag to find that there was a missed call from Xie Shuo.
She froze for a moment.
This was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to call her. Did he realize that he shouldn’t have abandoned her? Was this his attempt in coaxing her to return?
Ye An held the phone, hesitating on whether to return the call or not. However, at that moment, the other end called again.
Ye An paused for a moment before accepting the call and bringing the phone to her ear. She didn’t speak.
Xie Shuo’s voice sounded from the other end, and he asked in his usual tone, “You’re not at home?”
Ye An felt that something was strange. She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, “Yeah, I’m working in the studio.”
Xie Shuo asked another question, “When are you coming back?”
“Probably around eight; I won’t be home for dinner.”
Xie Shuo paused before saying, “Don’t stay too late,” and hanging up.
Ye An looked down at her phone screen for a while before turning around to eat with her coworkers.
———–
That night, Ye An got home just after nine o’ clock. She went upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door to see Xie Shuo sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed.
He wore a light vest over his black shirt, and his blazer was tossed to the side. The dimmed lights added a tinge of warmth.
He opened his eyes upon hearing her enter.
Ye An paused and met his gaze, feeling somewhat nervous.
She suddenly didn’t mind him working in the morning and not telling her. At least she didn’t have the embarrassment of waking up the morning after.
After calming herself down, she walked over to his side and casually sat down. As soon as she sat down, she smelled his familiar scent.
He turned and asked, “Why were you working so late on a Saturday?”
Ye An answered, “The show records on Monday, so it’s been a little hectic this week.”
Her legs were sore, and her waist was also stiff. She kneaded her legs with force.
Xie Shuo caught a glimpse of her movement, and his gaze paused at her waist.
Ye An stretched her legs and leaned back. She inadvertently met his downward gaze, which seemed to be looking down at her.
Was he looking at her waist?
Her previous doubts came rushing back–were his eyes fully recovered?
Ye An rubbed her waist slowly and looked at him suspiciously.
Xie Shuo averted his gaze and turned to the front. Outside the floor-length windows, lights sparkled from a distance.
A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Ye An’s mind. She leaned into him and stared into his eyes. They no longer seemed as gloomy as before.
Sensing her nearing, Xie Shuo pretended to pat around to find her hand. He held her palm and massaged it gently.
The man’s hands were slender and warm. Ye An, who was staring into his eyes, caught a glimpse of his hands moving. She recalled the scenes from last night. Suddenly, her face flushed, and the tips of her ears became warm.
She closed her fingers in an attempt to calm herself. After taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes again.
She almost asked him, “Can you see?” out of impulse, but she swallowed the words.
If he had really regained his eyesight but deliberately kept the information from her, he definitely wouldn’t admit it, so it would be better for her to test her theory secretly.
She pondered for a while before leaning on him. Ye An grabbed his hand and put it around her waist, saying coquettishly, “Stop rubbing my hand. My waist hurts; will you massage it for me?”
Xie Shuo felt her slender waist through her clothes as he grasped it.
He lowered his gaze to look at her–just in time to meet her clear eyes.
Ye An didn’t dodge and faced his gaze directly.
Xie Shuo suddenly felt like she had discovered something. He paused and then looked away.
However, his hands encircled her waist, rubbing it softly.
Seeing him avert his gaze, Ye An became even more suspicious. She leaned into him, raised his face, and observed him intently, capturing every subtle shift in his expression.
The warmth from his palm radiated through the layers, and the friction heated the air around them.
With his soothing movements, Ye An seemed to have lost all of the strength left in her body. She lay on his chest and couldn’t help but let out a comfortable hum.
“……”
Once her moan escaped, she froze. The hand that was massaging her waist also stopped.
The bedroom went silent, and the sound seemed particularly ambiguous. The atmosphere suddenly shifted.
As the surrounding temperature rose, Xie Shuo pulled her closer to him and pressed his forehead against hers. His breath fanned over her cheeks, and he seemed to want to kiss her.
Ye An panicked and didn’t care to investigate anymore. She got up and brushed his hand away.
“Stop touching.”
If he continued to massage her like this, something would happen.
She was still half-dead from last night, and she didn’t want to go through that again for the time being.
Xie Shuo’s palm was empty, and he didn’t pressure her further. He leaned back on the sofa and withdrew his hands to place them in front.
Ye An’s heart was beating fast, and it took her a long time to calm down. She stood up and said, “I’m going to shower.”
Xie Shuo paused for a moment before getting up.
Ye An’s whole body felt limp, so she took a warm bath. After soaking for a while, she felt as if her feet were floating. Her head was dizzy as if she were in another dimension.
She forgot to bring a robe into the bathroom before showering, so she had no other option but to return to the room in a towel.
She saw Xie Shuo leaning against the headboard upon coming out. His eyes were closed, and his slender fingers rested on the covers. He seemed deep in thought.
Ye An was originally going to put on pajamas in the closet, but when she saw him, she stopped and changed her mind.
She folded the edge of her towel in and turned around. After picking up a bottle of lotion, Ye An turned back around to sit on the edge of the bed.
Xie Shuo heard her rustling movements and looked up.
His eyes froze at first glance.
Her fair collarbones were the first to catch his gaze. Her delicate skin was as pale as snow, and the towel only wrapped around her midsection, leaving her slender legs on display.
Ye An sat on the bed and glanced at him. Xie Shuo felt her gaze and looked away.
Ye An watched him as she pumped the lotion into the palm of her hand and rubbed it on her legs. She patted the creamin gently, from her thighs to her calves.
When she bent over, the towel was stretched taut and formed to her chest, seemingly ready to fall apart at any moment.
Xie Shuo’s eyes darkened, but he did not make any other movements.
As Ye An rubbed the lotion on her legs, she secretly observed his reaction. Seeing his indifference, Ye An couldn’t help but doubt herself.
How come there was no reaction? Did she really guess wrong; did he never recover?
She looked up and glanced at him once more.
The man was wearing a black robe. His neckline was open, exposing his alluring chest.
A blurry memory of last night suddenly flashed through her mind, causing her face to blush.
She held in a breath and decided to try again.
She put the lotion away and leaned back against the headboard. Her body faced him, but she didn’t touch him.
Ye An looked up at his side profile, and her slender fingertips waved in front of his eyes.
Xie Shuo’s eyes wavered.
Was she testing him?
Ye An was wrapped in her bath towel as she leaned against the head of the bed. She looked like a princess, freshly cleansed. Ye An stared at him quietly without speaking or moving.
She didn’t believe that he could continue holding his composure.
A light fragrance wafted over, and an imperceptible glint flashed across Xie Shuo’s gaze.
Originally, he had thought about this issue for a long time and decided to confess to her tonight. However, after seeing her like this, he suddenly didn’t want to let her know yet.
He stopped paying attention and leaned against the headboard, closing his eyes.
Xie Shuo’s appearance was stoic, as if he could rest for another hundred years.
Ye An: “…”
She lost.
After losing this one, Ye An was a little sleepy. Her eyelids began to droop, so she decided to resume operations tomorrow.
She got up, intending to go change before getting into bed.
However, just as she stood up, the towel suddenly loosened and slipped.
Ye An: “…”
This time, she really didn’t mean it.
Xie Shuo also just happened to open his eyes and saw the scenery in front of him.
After recovering from her shock, Ye An used the towel to cover her chest. Without caring to check if Xie Shuo had seen anything or not, she hurriedly rushed into the closet.
Xie Shuo leaned against the headboard as he looked at her figure running away, the corner of his lips pulling upwards.
