Mistaken Husband After Blindness

The river breeze carried his words, making them seem distant and ethereal.

Si wondered if she had misheard.

"My lord, what did you say? How have I been using you?"

Yan Shuheng remained silent for a while, watching Si with a composed expression, eager to see her reaction.

Would she be frightened, or perhaps guilty?

Or would it stir some memory within her?

But after a few moments of silent confrontation, he changed his mind.

"Nothing," he said, his voice softening. "Are you still afraid of falling now?" As he spoke, he made a motion as if to let go.

Only then did Si remember her precarious situation. She hastily grabbed onto his lapel, nodding earnestly.

"Afraid! Very afraid!"

Yet, she couldn't understand why, despite the serious tone in his voice, it didn't seem like he was teasing her. Instead, it felt as though he was imparting some profound wisdom.

Did he have another purpose in mind?

Just as she was growing anxious, the young man calmly explained, "Actually, behind you isn't a steep cliff. The terrain is gentle, with plenty of vegetation. Even if you fell, it wouldn't be life-threatening."

"Ah?" Si was baffled. The sound of the river water crashing against the rocks below was so vivid. "Did I mishear?"

"Yes," Yan Shuheng replied indifferently, glancing at the jagged cliffs below. He held her steadily, his expression growing even more solemn.

"Your fear shapes your perception. Just like when we were climbing the mountain earlier, the steps weren't that high, and there were railings on both sides. But because of your blindness and excessive fear, it felt like climbing the treacherous paths of Shu or scaling the heavens."

"So?"

Si only half-understood. It wasn't that she didn't grasp the logic of his words, but rather that she couldn't fathom his intentions.

"So, there's no need to be afraid," he replied coldly.

His demeanor was as aloof and serious as Si remembered. She nodded half-believingly, pretending to fully agree. "Is... is that all?"

"That's all," he said curtly.

Si seemed to have an epiphany. "So, my lord, you were trying to help me overcome my fear. How thoughtful of you."

Was it really so? Had he pressed her against the railing and scared her like a quail not out of anger or retaliation, but out of genuine concern to help her conquer her fear?

As if.

But Si kept her thoughts to herself. "I'm indeed less afraid of heights now. Could you let me go, my lord?"

He chuckled softly. "Still afraid?"

Si lowered her head. "Not afraid, but your grip is too tight. The railing is digging into my back, and it hurts."

It was just an excuse she had come up with on the spot, but as soon as she said it, Si realized their current position.

His hand was still firmly gripping her waist, likely to prevent her from falling, and it was so tight that it felt like her slender waist might snap.

Though their upper bodies were a fist's distance apart, their lower bodies were pressed tightly together, their forms unmistakably close...

Even though Si was inexperienced, she knew this posture was far too intimate. Heat uncontrollably rose to her ears.

"My apologies," the man holding her also noticed and stiffened slightly. He adjusted his grip on her waist, and after turning their positions, he led her away from the edge of the pavilion before finally letting go.

In that short span of time, not even enough to finish a cup of tea, Si felt as though she had gone through a lifetime of emotions.

Her legs were weak, but to avoid giving him the impression that she was too dense to understand what had just happened, she pretended to be composed. Standing in the pavilion, she faced the river breeze with a calm smile, as if unshaken by the world. "The river breeze is refreshing. I finally understand why scholars and heroes alike love to come here and gaze into the distance."

Yan Shuheng leaned against the railing, his hand resting casually, watching her forced composure with amusement. His eyebrow arched slightly. "If you like it, I'll take you to higher places more often in the future. How does that sound?"

Si's smile faltered. Her composure cracked like a stone lightly tapped, revealing a fissure.

Fine, she'd remember this for later. There would surely be a chance to repay him in kind. For now, she focused on enjoying the breeze.

The wind grew warmer, carrying the weathered voices of fishermen singing. They had come out early, and now the sun was rising, signaling the start of their workday.

Si listened intently.

The song went:

"Water flows at the head of Long,

Down the mountain it drifts.

Thinking of my solitary self,

Adrift in the vast wilderness..."

The mournful melody brought the distant chaos of war and displacement to the still-peaceful Shangyong County. The fishing boats on the river looked like floating duckweed, adrift in a turbulent world, lonely and unmoored.

Among the many boats was an inconspicuous small vessel. The boatman rowed steadily toward a stretch of river flanked by steep cliffs.

Inside the cabin, a man with deep-set eyes was grinding herbs. Beside him sat a young man in dark robes, leaning against the window. He appeared to be injured, his face pale.

The young man was around eighteen or nineteen.

His features carried the youthful clarity and handsomeness of his age, but his expression was one of a maturity beyond his years—a cold, aloof composure that made him seem unapproachable despite his pallor.

He was staring into the distance.

His gaze was icy but focused.

The man beside him occasionally peeked over curiously. "Huh, from afar he looks decent, but in broad daylight, he drags a blind girl up the mountain. When she resists, he threatens to push her off the cliff. How brazen! Wait—"

The man squinted. "That woman is wearing a married woman's hairstyle! Tsk tsk, these scholars preach morality and purity, yet here they are, stealing another man's wife."

The young man's expression grew even colder.

The man sighed playfully. "Too bad most of our men are gone, and you, young master, got injured saving me. Otherwise, we could've snatched that beauty for you to marry!"

The young man shot him a frosty glance, and the man, though a decade older, felt a chill run down his neck. He quickly shut up and returned to grinding the herbs.

The east wind on the river carried away the passing fishing boats and brought a refreshing coolness.

In the pavilion by the river, the young couple still stood against the wind. The young man was tall and elegant, exuding calmness. The young woman stood gracefully, like a lotus on water, her natural beauty enhanced by the breeze that lifted her long hair and the cloth covering her eyes, making her seem almost ethereal.

On the stone steps halfway up the mountain, Chuan Yun idly looked up and chuckled. "High status, a beauty by your side—what more could one want? Honestly, our lord and that assassin's wife look quite well-matched."

Po Wu didn't respond.

Chuan Yun mused to himself. The assassin who had attacked their lord had a voice similar to his, and now their lord was using that same voice to keep the assassin's wife by his side. He couldn't help but sigh. "What a twisted fate!"

In the distance, the fishermen's song reached its most sorrowful verse.

"Water flows at the head of Long,

Its sound a mournful wail.

Gazing toward Qin's plains,

My heart is torn asunder..."

Si listened intently.

She knew she was young and narrow-minded, prioritizing her own safety above all else. She hadn't experienced the hardships of life, nor could she claim to care deeply for the world.

But today, as she listened to the song, an inexplicable sorrow welled up within her. Almost unconsciously, she murmured, "The willows of the south remain green, but where have the peonies of Luoyang gone?"

Yan Shuheng turned to her.

"Have you been to Luoyang?"

Si shook her head firmly. "No, I've only heard that Luoyang was the old capital of the previous dynasty?"

Yan Shuheng, who had once silenced a renowned scholar from Luoyang in his youth, prided himself on his eloquence.

But now, his throat felt as though it were clogged with a thorn.

After a long pause, he said quietly, "It was indeed the old capital."

Though the dynasty still stood, much of the central plains had been lost. The nobility had fled south, and the capital had shifted from Luoyang to Chang'an, then to Jiankang. Though the title "Great Zhou" remained, it was now a mere shadow of its former self, barely holding on as the "Southern Zhou." What good was it compared to the past?

Si sighed at his words.

Since awakening, she had forgotten everything about her past, including her knowledge of the world, leaving only her instincts.

She had few people to interact with and only gleaned bits and pieces about the current state of affairs from others. She knew the capital was now Jiankang, and the dynasty was called "Zhou."

For some reason, mentioning Luoyang stirred a deep melancholy within her. Perhaps it was a shared pain among all people of Great Zhou, or perhaps her past was somehow tied to Luoyang.

Learning that Luoyang was now the "old capital," she instinctively wanted to avoid the topic. She had a feeling that any connection to Luoyang in her past would likely be an unpleasant one.

They stood in silence for a while, letting the river breeze wash over them. Yan Shuheng glanced at the young woman, who was doing her best to stay away from the railings, and smiled faintly. "Since you're afraid of heights, let's head back."

Si felt as though she had been granted a reprieve, like a wilted flower suddenly revived by rain.

She suppressed her excitement and replied gently, "Alright."

As they descended the steps, Si, fearing that he might once again encourage her to overcome her fears on her own, preemptively said, "After your earlier advice, my fear has lessened considerably. However..."

Yan Shuheng smiled at her. "However, what?"

She replied sincerely, "I want to hold your hand. I enjoy the feeling of walking hand in hand with you..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a shiver run down her spine at the overly affectionate tone.

But the man beside her seemed pleased. He took her wrist in his hand.

"Let's go."

Si allowed him to lead her. This time, there was no sleeve between them. The rough calluses on his fingertips brushed against her wrist, occasionally and perhaps intentionally, sending a coarse, tingling sensation through her.

It was a strange feeling.

.

After a long and tiring day, they finally returned to their small courtyard.

To her surprise, her husband, who was usually away, did not leave this time. After sharing a meal, he even stayed to sit with her in the courtyard. Si was astonished. "Aren't you leaving?"

Yan Shuheng replied calmly, "Are you saying I'm disturbing your peace and trying to drive me out of the house?"

Si quickly defended herself, "You rarely stay home. I'm overwhelmed with joy, how could I possibly drive you away?"

There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he said, "Then you must be scolding me for being too busy with work and neglecting my wife."

Si grabbed the hem of his robe, adopting a pitiful tone. "You finally noticed..." Then, with a magnanimous wave of her hand, she added, "But I know you work hard for our family. As your wife, how could I not understand? I only ask that you think of me often when you're away."

Though she hadn't been a wife for long, she had already mastered the art of sounding both considerate and subtly reproachful. Just as she was feeling pleased with herself, he suddenly gave her a gentle push.

Caught off guard, Si fell back onto the lounge chair.

He had never acted like this before. Earlier by the river, he had held her in such an intimate embrace, as if a floodgate of closeness had been opened.

She shrank back, her face flushing red. "You... it's still broad daylight. What are you thinking, husband?"