Hearing the noise, Zhong Fu came out of his room, and as soon as he saw the situation, he quickly approached and asked, “President Xie, are you okay?”
Xie Shuo was pale, and it took him a while to regain his composure. He calmed down and instructed, “Pack up our things. We need to return immediately.”
Zhong Fu recognized the seriousness of the situation and didn’t waste any time. He rushed to pack their belongings, preparing to rush to the airport.
The night sky stretched wide, with the city lights illuminating below and the river winding through the landscape.
When the plane landed, it was just past midnight. After leaving the airport and getting into the car, Xie Shuo leaned back in his seat and said softly, “Go directly to Professor Cen’s place. Don’t alert anyone else.”
Zhong Fu drove the car, his expression grave.
When they arrived at Cen Qingyan’s research lab, it was already around 3 am. However, he was not present, and only his staff was there.
Zhong Fu made a call to inform him of the situation and asked him to come as soon as possible.
Cen Qingyan was fast asleep, but when he received the call, he quickly changed his clothes and rushed out.
Xie Shuo sat by the window in the hospital room, quietly waiting. The night seemed endless, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever see the morning rays of dawn again.
All was quiet and still. Amid the boundless darkness, he heard the sound of the wind rustling through the branches and the soft rustle of falling leaves, both surprisingly clear.
In a daze, he suddenly felt like he had returned to a distant past, and faintly, the familiar and gentle voice of a woman echoed in his ears…
I heard the echo, from the valleys and the heart
Open to the lonely soul of sickle harvesting
Repeat outrightly, but also repeat the well-being of
Eventually swaying in the desert oasis
I believe I am
Born as the bright summer flowers
Do not withered undefeated fiery demon rule
Heart rate and breathing to bear the load of the cumbersome
Bored.
He clenched his fingers tightly and subconsciously uttered, “Ye An?”
Unfortunately, there was no response.
He came back to his senses and realized: Right, she’s not here.
Moreover, it’s very likely that she won’t be in the future either.
During the week he was away on a business trip, she didn’t make a single call to him as if she had completely forgotten his existence.
This realization made a slight ache in his chest. Xie Shuo looked down, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his pale face, making him look like a statue.
Around 4 am, Cen Qingyan finally arrived, hastily donning his white coat and conducting a thorough examination.
After finishing the examination, his expression turned sour, and immediately lectured him, regardless of whether he was a Young Master or President Xie, with a stern tone, “What did I remind you of before you left last time?
How many times have I told you? You just regained your sight. You can’t overuse your eyes. You should limit it to eight hours a day, take your medication on time, and rest as scheduled. Did my words go in one ear and out the other?
Do you still want your sight?”
Xie Shuo remained silent, listening quietly.
After lashing out for a bit, Cen Qingyan calmed down and said, “It’s caused by overexertion. We’ll do acupuncture later, and I’ll prescribe some medicine. You need to rest here for a few days; don’t go anywhere.”
After a pause, he added, “It’s not too serious, don’t overthink. Relax.”
Xie Shuo wasn’t sure if he was comforting himself or not; his face remained expressionless.
After a while, Zhong Fu helped him back to the hospital room. After pouring a glass of warm water, he asked, “President Xie, would you like some water?”
Xie Shuo didn’t respond. After a moment of quiet, he asked, “How’s the Madam been recently?”
Surprised by his sudden question, Zhong Fu was taken aback for a sec before quickly taking out his phone to check the latest updates about Ye An.
“Madam has been busy with work lately and hasn’t encountered any troubles…”
Hearing this, Xie Shuo fell silent once more.
Without him, she was still thriving, her career flourishing.
After a moment, Zhong Fu cautiously asked while still holding his phone, “Should I give Madam a call?”
Xie Shuo paused for a moment before shaking his head. “No need.”
Seeing that he didn’t look so well, Zhong Fu didn’t press any further and fell into silence.
Over the next two days, Xie Shuo remained at the research lab. However, this time, the familiar voice that used to read, chat, and cheer him up was noticeably absent, leaving him in silence.
He sat alone in the hospital room, alone throughout the afternoon.
In the past, having someone by his side made it bearable; now every minute and every second felt like an eternity.
Initially, Cen Qingyan arranged for a nurse to take care of him, but he couldn’t stand it for even an hour and asked her to leave.
In the silence of the night, he woke up on the hospital bed and instinctively reached out to his side, but there was nothing there.
The bed was devoid of any warmth, rather it was bone-chilling.
He lay there, eyes open, staring into the pitch-black darkness, sleepless throughout the night.
By the third morning, there was still no improvement in Xie Yan’s sight. After sitting in the hospital room for so long, he finally pulled out his phone and dialed Ye An’s number.
When Ye An received the call, she was just about to enter the recording studio. Seeing the incoming call on her phone, she was shocked.
It was the first time he had called her during his long business trip.
After a moment, she answered the call.
Not a sound could be heard from the other end of the line.
“Hello?” she asked, puzzled.
Upon hearing her familiar voice, his fingers twitched. He looked down and asked, “Where are you?”
Confused by his question, she replied, “At the studio!”
There was another moment of silence on the phone.
“What’s wrong?” Ye An gently asked, feeling that something was off. “Do you need something?”
After contemplating for a while, Xie Shuo finally spoke, “I need to delay my return for some time.”
Ye An: “?”
Is he reporting his itinerary to her?
Did the sun rise from the west?
Ye An felt perplexed and didn’t know how to respond for a moment. They were in the process of discussing their divorce, so she couldn’t just playfully say, “Why are you gone for so long? Come back immediately!” That would be too presumptuous.
After hesitating for a while, she replied dryly, “Oh. Is there anything else? I have to enter the studio soon. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”
After waiting for a few seconds and hearing no response, she hung up the call and hurriedly entered the recording studio.
The familiar voice faded away, and a cool breeze brushed by. Sitting by the window, Xie Shuo gazed into the voidness and once again fell into silence.
Zhong Fu knocked on the door and entered. Seeing him in this state, he called out softly, “President Xie?”
Hearing the sound, Xie Shuo knew it was time for his medication change. He slowly got up, his figure looking somewhat desolate.
Xie Shuo stayed at the research lab for a week, and fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn’t occur. On the sixth day in the afternoon, his eyes regained their sight.
Cen Qingyan sternly instructed him for a long time before letting him leave.
On the way home, Xie Shuo leaned back into his seat, lost in thought for a while. Suddenly, he asked Zhong Fu, “Have you ever coaxed your wife before?”
Ah?
Zhong Fu was taken aback.
Xie Shuo tilted his head and saw Zhong Fu’s puzzled expression before rubbing his temples. “I forgot; you don’t have a wife.”
Zhong Fu: …… That hit right where it hurts.
“Go check if there’s any jewelry auction tonight,” Xie Shuo added after a while.
Although the task was very sudden, as an all-knowing senior executive assistant, Zhong Fu quickly provided an answer, “There’s a jewelry auction tonight over at Bright Gem. Would you like me to arrange it for you?”
Linking his hands, Xie Shuo pondered for a moment before saying, “En, go ahead.”
Back at home, it was 5 pm. Ye An was still in the recording studio, and there was no telling when she would be back. After dinner, Xie Shuo went to the auction with Zhong Fu.
The hall was brightly lit, and the jewelry displayed in the glass showcases shimmered and sparkled. As soon as Xie Shuo entered, he ran into Jiang Shiyan.
Jiang Shiyan had come to pick out a birthday gift for an elder in his family. When he saw Xie Shuo, he scanned him from head to toe and asked in surprise, “Aren’t you married now? Why didn’t you bring your wife to a place like this?”
Xie Shuo glanced at him but didn’t respond.
Jiang Shiyan seemed to have figured something out and raised an eyebrow with a mischievous grin. “Don’t tell me you had a fight with your wife, and you’re here to buy a gift to make up?”
Xie Shuo: “…….”
“Not saying anything? I guess I hit the mark then?”
Jiang Shiyan shook his head and rejoiced in his misfortune. “Who would have thought, even you would have a day like this.”
Catching a glimpse of his expression, Xie Shuo remained indifferent and couldn’t be bothered with him.
In front of the display counter, a staff quickly began to display the base price, and the voices of bids from the audience echoed one after another.
Ultimately, Xie Shuo won a sapphire necklace of the latest style, leaving the auction with Jiang Shiyan.
“Don’t blame me if I don’t remind you, but just giving a gift isn’t enough. You need to say a few sweet words to coax her. Women love to hear sweet words.”
As they walked, Jiang Shiyan didn’t forget to impart his wisdom.
Xie Shuo turned to look at him.
Jiang Shiyan: “Now is not the time to be concerned about your pride. Think about it, what’s more important, your wife or your pride?”
Xie Shuo stayed silent.
“Do as you see fit.”
Jiang Shiyan patted his shoulder and teased, “If your wife really runs away one day, feel free to come have a drink with me.”
Under the night sky, with countless lights lit, Xie Shuo got into the car. He absentmindedly caressed the velvet box with his long and slender fingers.
When he returned home, the bedroom was empty, and Ye An still hadn’t come back.
He checked the time; it was nearly midnight. Frowning, he picked up his phone and called her.
When she heard her phone buzzing, Ye An had just finished dubbing her last lines in the recording studio and just came out.
Seeing his call, she paused for a moment. His calls had been quite frequent these few days.
“Hello?”
His deep and hoarse voice came through the phone, “Why haven’t you come home yet?”
“Just got off work… Are you back?”
“En.”
It was early spring, and the night was cool. Ye An pulled her coat closer and said, “Go to bed first. I’ll be back soon.”
After reminding her to “be careful on the road,” Xie Shuo hung up the call.
Her car was parked by the trees. After Ye An got inside the car, she held her phone in a daze for a while before leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes.
As she closed her eyes, Ye An couldn’t help but think that they were probably the most friendly couple among all those on the brink of divorce.
When she arrived home, Xie Shuo had already taken a shower and was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in his robe, his figure imposing.
After several days of intense work, Ye An was exhausted. Her throat was horse, and after she greeted him, she went to the bathroom to take a shower.
When she came out of the shower, Xie Shuo was still standing in the same spot. Ye An’s eyelids were heavy, and she yawned as she walked toward the bed. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
Looking at how exhausted she was and barely able to keep her eyes open, Xie Shuo swallowed the words he had on the tip of his tongue and glanced at the coffee table nearby before walking over to the bed.
On the coffee table, the blue velvet box sat there quietly, softly illuminated by the room’s soft lighting.
Once in bed, Ye An fell asleep immediately, not engaging in any further conversation with him. Xie Shuo turned to the side, gazing at her for a moment before he pulled her into his arms, holding her hand under the blanket.
Ye An vaguely sensed his actions but was too exhausted to open her eyes, so he let him do as he pleased.
The next day, Ye An slept in until the sun was high up in the sky. Since she had completed work yesterday night, she didn’t have to go to the recording studio today.
The spring sunshine was warm and inviting. She sat up, wrapped in her blanket, and glanced at the empty space beside her. If it weren’t for Xie Shuo’s coat hanging on the nearby clothes rack, she would’ve doubted whether last night had been a dream or a hallucination.
After sitting for a while, she got out of bed, freshened up, and changed into some loungewear.
Having changed her clothes, she didn’t rush downstairs. Instead, she sat at the edge of the bed and opened the drawer of her nightstand.
Inside, there were divorce papers that she had asked a lawyer to draft up a few days ago.
While Xie Shuo was away, she had calmed down and thought a lot. She couldn’t keep this situation unclear any longer. Delaying it further would be detrimental to both of them.
Taking out the divorce papers, she skimmed it over once again.
Before they got married, they had signed a prenup. At that time, the Xie family was afraid that she might change her mind after marriage, so they had established a clause in advance: in the event of a divorce, she would leave with nothing.
With this clause in place, the divorce papers became much simpler as there were no asset disputes to resolve.
Overall, she hadn’t really lost out in this marriage. The growth of the studio, her current fame, and her network were all somewhat related to Xie Shuo.
Ye An drifted as she stared at the divorce papers for a while before heading downstairs.
In the dining room, Xie Shuo had already finished breakfast. On the table, there was a porcelain vase with a few pink roses.
“Morning.”
Ye An greeted him and took a seat at the dining table. She couldn’t help but feel weird, thinking about the conversation they were going to have later.
After finishing his breakfast, Xie Shuo didn’t get up to leave. Instead, he sat quietly across from her, looking at her.
Ye An felt a bit uneasy under his gaze. He was acting somewhat strangely today. In the past, he would just leave after breakfast, never waiting for her.
However, she didn’t want to ask directly, so she just lowered her head and quietly sipped her porridge, her long eyelashes fluttering up and down.
After breakfast, they went upstairs. After hesitating for a moment, Ye An finally said, “I have something for you.”
They exchanged a glance before she walked over to her nightstand and opened the drawer.
Xie Shuo watched her slender figure as she retrieved something from the drawer. He also took out a deep blue velvet box from a nearby drawer and sat on the sofa, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Ye An took the divorce papers from the drawer and went toward him. She handed them to him in a spurt of energy. “This is the divorce agreement I had my lawyer draft up. Take a look at it. If you don’t have any objections, we can sign it.”
“……”
Playing with the velvet box in his hand, Xie Shuo froze upon hearing that. His smiling expression instantly turned cold.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Ye An handed them toward him again, forcing a smile. “Take a look first. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, we can discuss it.”
Never before had he found her smile so piercing. He remained silent, his expression growing colder as he didn’t accept the divorce papers.
Ye An realized she hadn’t brought a pen and said, “Wait a sec, let me go get a pen.”
She turned around, and just as she was about to take a step, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Holding her wrist, Xie Shuo looked up and said, “Can we not divorce?”
Ye An turned around, slightly taken aback. “But didn’t we agree…”
Xie Shuo interrupted her insipidly, “I don’t want to divorce.”
Ye An was taken aback again and recalled their candid conversation that day, feeling a headache. “Didn’t we make everything clear that day? You’re just used to me, used to my care. That’s not love. If it was someone else, it would be the same…”
“No.”
Xie Shuo gazed into her eyes, his grip on her wrist tightening.
He once thought she was just a dispensable presence in his life, but during this while, he found himself thinking of her whenever he rested.
Especially this time when he had suddenly lost his sight again.
These few days of being plunged into darkness again and sitting alone in the empty hospital room, he reflected on many things. He finally understood that he couldn’t live without her, and there was no one who could replace her.
Ye An was taken aback. Meeting his gaze, his expression earnest.
A stone seemed to drop into the depths of her heart, causing ripples. Ye An moved her fingertips and pursed her lips tightly before saying after a moment’s pause, “Then, let me ask you this. Since I asked for a divorce last year until now, how many times have you shown care for me?”
She deliberately distanced herself because she constantly reminded herself not to wade in mud and water. If he really did like her and wanted to salvage their relationship, why did he still have this attitude all the while?
During this time, it wasn’t that she hadn’t hoped at all.
“If this is your way of showing your love, I can’t convince myself to believe it.”
He was accustomed, but not to her care. He was accustomed to her taking the initiative.
Seeing that he had nothing to say, Ye An no longer hesitated. She pulled her hand away from his grip, turned around, and went to grab a pen.
Taking the pen and turning back, she placed the divorce agreement on the coffee table. Her slender fingers held the pen tightly with her fingertips turning white from the pressure. After hesitating, she gritted her teeth and signed her name.
The sunlight bathed her in a soft glow, accentuating the features of her side profile. As he watched her, Xie Shuo’s eyes darkened.
After signing her name, Ye An placed the pen on the agreement and moved aside, saying, “Sign it; we had already agreed on this.”
She tried to keep her back straight and clenched her hands, concealing the suffocating discomfort in her heart.
Xie Shuo remained still for a moment, his expression inscrutable as if contemplating something. Just as Ye An was about to urge him, he suddenly leaned back, unfastened the cufflink on his shirt with his slender fingers, and looked up at her before uttering a familiar phrase…
“I recall you saying that verbal agreements don’t count. Well, I’ve changed my mind now.”
The man leaned against the sofa, his demeanor and attitude entirely unlike his usual self, exuding an unprecedented sense of shamelessness.
Ye An: …….?
It had only been a few days that they’d been apart. Did you get possessed by a spirit?
