For three days, Xie Shuo accompanied Ye An at Qianyue Mountain. During these three days, he did almost anything as if he was trying to make up for what he owed her during their honeymoon.
Three days later, Ye An packed her luggage and prepared to return.
Xie Shuo waited for her outside in his car. This time, he came alone, in a hurry, without informing anyone, and even without a chauffeur.
He placed the luggage in the trunk, and just as he was about to turn around to walk to the driver’s seat, Ye An suddenly grabbed his arm.
“I’ll drive.”
Xie Shuo halted and turned around.
Ye An gazed into his eyes. He had only regained his sight for less than half a year, and he was tormented by her for the past few days, driving a long distance again posed a risk that she didn’t want.
Although she had a temper, she understood that one’s health couldn’t be taken lightly.
Xie Shuo understood her intention and then smiled at her delicate, white fingers on his arm. “It’s alright.”
It was fine, sunny springtime weather today, with the spring sun casting a warm glow over them. Ye An was well aware of his temperament, and she knew, at times like this, he would never let her drive.
After a brief standoff, she had to compromise. “Let’s call a chauffeur then.”
Xie Shuo accepted this compromise. Soon, Ye An asked the lady boss to arrange for a chauffeur to come.
The car drove smoothly forward; Ye And Xie Shuo sat side by side in the rear, with only a hand’s width of space between them.
The warm spring day made it easy to feel drowsy. After a while, Ye An’s eyelids started to droop, her head tilting to the side. Eventually, she couldn’t hold on any longer and leaned against Xie Shuo’s shoulder.
In a daze, she smelled his familiar scent, much like when they shared a bed. Every night, she would fall asleep and end up snuggled in his arms.
Xie Shuo’s shoulder sank slightly, and he glanced at her before also closing his eyes.
When she woke up, they were already in the city.
She thought he might ask where she wanted to go or insist on taking her back to the Xie family estate. To her surprise, he instructed the driver to go to the condo as if he didn’t particularly want her to go back.
Outside the car window, the setting sun cast long shadows, and people hurried by. Ye An looked at his stern side profile and suddenly found it hard to decipher what he was really thinking.
Leaving behind a pile of work at the company and coming to see her, spending time with her, but not saying anything, not even a clear confession.
When they arrived at the condo, he handed her the suitcase with the handle up, looking like he had no intention of going upstairs. “You go up first; I’ll be there in a moment.”
Ye An was a bit tired and didn’t feel like guessing his thoughts anymore. Taking a deep breath, she dragged her suitcase and turned to walk into the condo.
Once inside, she quickly unpacked her things and pulled out a loose-fitting set of lounge clothes from the closet before heading to take a shower.
As she walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower, she suddenly heard some faint noises from the living room.
She was puzzled and followed the sound, only to find a tall figure standing in the kitchen.
It was Xie Shuo, wearing an apron and holding a bunch of green onions. He had turned on the tap, getting ready to wash them.
Ye An: …….?
Hearing her footsteps, Xie Shuo turned around and glanced at her from head to toe before saying, “Come over here and help me roll up my sleeves.”
Ye An walked over, looking at him skeptically: Do you really know how to cook?
Xie Shuo immediately saw through her thoughts with just a glance, but he didn’t explain himself. He simply extended his arm toward her.
Afraid of hurting his feelings, Ye An swallowed her question and helped him roll up his sleeve, revealing a muscular forearm.
Xie Shuo continued washing the vegetables in the sink, and Ye An watched his somewhat unskilled movements for a while. She couldn’t bear it and whispered, “Do you want some help?”
Xie Shuo glanced at her and said insipidly, “No need. You can go rest in the living room.”
Ye An glanced at him again before slowly walking back to the living room and sitting on the sofa.
She didn’t have the energy or inclination to do anything else. She rested her chin on her arm and watched the busy figure in the kitchen.
Not knowing how long it had passed, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Ye An found it strange. Who could be looking for her here?
She got up, slipped on her slippers, and walked to the door. When she opened it, she found a young man holding a bouquet of fresh roses standing outside with a professional smile. “Are you Miss Ye? These flowers are for you.”
Ye An was once again taken aback.
Without asking, she could guess who had sent these flowers.
She came back to her senses when she saw the young man’s puzzled expression, smiling as she thanked him and accepted the flowers.
The red petals were stunning and fragrant. Ye An cradled the bouquet as she headed back to the living room. She gazed toward the figure busy in the kitchen.
Xie Shuo happened to turn around and saw the roses in her arms. He didn’t offer any explanations and continued with his work, clitter-clattering.
Ye An was in a daze as she sat down with the bouquet in her arms.
Outside the window, night slowly descended, and lights illuminated the surroundings.
Around 7 p.m., dinner was served. It was a simple meal with three dishes and a soup—not very aesthetic in looks, but also not as terrible as Ye An had expected.
After cleaning his hands, Xie Shuo wiped them with a towel and then went to the nearby wine cabinet to fetch a bottle of red wine and two glasses. He placed them on the dining table and looked up, inquiring, “Want some wine?”
Meeting his gaze, Ye An felt her heart flutter for some reason. It seemed like this was a mood for a confession.
Withdrawing her gaze, she replied softly with an “en.”
The two of them took their seats, and Xie Shuo began by serving her a bowl of soup, placing it in front of her.
Ye An picked up a spoon and took two sips. It was slightly bland, but not too bad.
Shen then picked up her chopsticks and tasted one of the dishes, finding it quite passable. She was surprised to discover that Young Master Xie had some culinary talent.
“How is it?”
His voice sounded from across the table.
Looking up, Ye An saw him looking at her. It suddenly reminded her of the first time she had cooked for him and asked the same question.
She pursed her lips. “Not bad.”
Xie Shuo, seemingly unconvinced, picked up his chopsticks to taste all three dishes in front of him before frowning slightly, clearly not entirely satisfied.
“…….”
Little did she expect that the Young Master was not only critical of others but also demanding of himself. Ye An was afraid he might dislike the food and consider remaking it or getting takeout, so she quickly shifted his attention and said, “Didn’t you want to have some wine? Why haven’t you even opened the bottle?”
Xie Shuo relaxed his frown slightly, and he took the wine bottle, opened it, and poured two glasses slowly.
The red wine swirled inside the crystal-clear glass, creating a shimmering luster along the surface.
Ye An picked up one of the glasses, pressed her red lips to the rim, and took a sip.
During meals, Xie Shuo was not fond of talking. After nearly a year of spending time with him, Ye An was influenced and had become quieter as well… Naturally, another reason was not wanting to disrupt the atmosphere either.
As half a glass of wine found its way into her stomach, her eyes appeared slightly intoxicated. Putting down her chopsticks, she propped her chin up with her hand and gazed at him with a hint of rarely seen innocence.
Noticing her gaze, Xie Shuo looked up and asked, “Full?”
Ye An nodded, her gaze still fixated on him, appearing to be quite tipsy.
Putting down his wine glass, Xie Shuo got up and cleared the dining table, putting the dishes and utensils in the sink for now.
Ye An stood up by propping against the table and walked to the living room. She flopped onto the sofa, gazing at the roses on the coffee table, and couldn’t help but smile.
Shortly afterward, the sofa beside her sank as Xie Shuo sat down as well.
Turning around, Ye An looked at him. His stern profile was blurred by the light, revealing a touch of tenderness.
It was reminiscent of the moment back on that spring night in the cold rain when she was walking alone, and he looked at her through the lowered car window.
There was a faint sense of anticipation in her heart, waiting for him to say something. However, after waiting for a while, he remained silent.
Ye An had a habit of being talkative when she drank too much. Now that the alcohol had started to affect her, she couldn’t contain herself. She reached out and poked his chest. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Seeing the hint of desire in her eyes, Xie Shuo hesitated for a moment before leaning slightly toward her, lowering his voice, “What would you like to hear me say?”
He had also drunk, and as he got closer, the scent of alcohol brushed past her ear.
Ye An’s cheeks flushed, whether from the alcohol or his proximity; she couldn’t tell.
Looking up to meet his calm and composed eyes, she suddenly felt a little exasperated. “If you have nothing to say, then why did you send me flowers?”
“You don’t like them?”
Xie Shuo smiled as he countered, still not uttering the words she longed to hear.
He reached out to hold her hand, gently squeezing them.
Ye An couldn’t pry the words out of him, so she decided to give up on asking and turned away. If you won’t say it, then so be it!
Looking down, Xie Shuo gazed at her tightly pursed lips and her unhappy expression, smiling.
He suddenly reached out and encircled her waist, embracing her from behind, his warm breath grazing her ear.
Ye An stiffened for a moment and tried to break free, but she couldn’t resist his strength. She gradually softened, finding herself leaning into his shoulder.
In their view, the roses bloomed unabashedly, full and passionate.
She listened to the faint heartbeat beneath his chest, her expression somewhat dazed.
From carrying her down the mountain to cooking for her and that first bouquet of flowers she had begged for during their first initial shopping trip, he seemed to be making up for all those moments.
And those things she thought he had long forgotten, he actually had remembered them all.
Her eyes slightly welled up, and her vision blurred. The various emotions that had been bottled up inside her over these days seemed to have found a release, surging all at once.
Suddenly, she turned around and embraced him, burying her face in his shoulder and inhaling his scent.
Ever since she was little, she had stopped acting spoiled because she knew that no one would indulge her. Yet, with this man in front of her, she couldn’t help but reveal her most genuine emotions.
After a moment, she said in a muffled tone with a hint of grievance…
“I’ll give you a chance. If you confess to me right now, I might soften my resolve and forgive your past faults, and accept you…”
Xie Shuo gently patted her shoulder as if consoling her.
He lightly kissed her ear, saying, “Just wait a little longer.”
Ye An: ?
Ye An looked up from his embrace, her eyes widening in disbelief.
She had already backed down, yet he was still not seizing the opportunity?
Wait a little longer?
Until the dishes turn cold?
Holding her hand, Xie Shuo gazed into her eyes with a smile, “I want you to enjoy the feeling of being pursued a little more.”
One by one, I’ll make up for what I owed you in the past.
Ye An was taken aback.
The lighting shone from above, casting a soft glow between the two of them, almost as if they were in a dream.
After a while, Ye An smiled, arched her brow, and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of missing this opportunity and not being able to have me later?”
Xie Shuo also smiled, unbuttoning a button of his collar, revealing a hint of his collarbone, and one arm resting behind the sofa where she sat as if he had enveloped her in his embrace.
He looked at her with a slightly tipsy, confident expression… reminiscent of how she had met him that year, full of youthful vigor.
“Let’s see then.”
Meeting his gaze, Ye An’s heart skipped a beat.
She forced herself to suppress the pounding in her heart, smiling brightly as if she were reborn, her eyes fervent. “Sure, let’s see.”
She leaned in suddenly, her delicate hand resting on his shoulder as her red lips neared his ear…
“In the past, I was the belle of my major, and there were plenty of guys chasing after me. The heavens reward the diligent. So, President Xie, give it your best shot.”
