Mistaken Husband After Blindness

The setting sun burned like fire, casting its glow over the entire courtyard.

The small courtyard was draped in the evening's radiant hues, enveloped in a serene tranquility.

Si lay in a rocking chair beneath the large tree in the yard, sprawled lazily like a contented cat.

She had not tied her hair up with a ribbon, leaving her face fully exposed. At sixteen or seventeen, it was hard to say whether she appeared more mature or youthful—perhaps a blend of innocence with an unconscious allure.

This allure was partly due to the dazzling sunset and partly because she wore her hair in the elegant style of a married woman.

In front of the rocking chair, a corner of a moon-white robe, tinted by the evening glow, lay still. After a long pause, a voice broke the silence.

"Already asleep at this hour?"

Si turned over in the rocking chair. "Well, since I'm blind now, I might as well start my retirement early..."

"You seem quite content with yourself."

The voice was as smooth as jade in a stream, and Si fully awakened. "Husband, you're finally back..."

Yan Shuheng caught the emphasis in her words and chuckled. "Yes, I've been busy preparing to return to Jiankang."

"Jiankang?"

Si sat up straight. Jiankang seemed as distant as the horizon to her, not just because of the physical distance but because it was the capital.

The name alone was enough to make one hesitate.

Si knew little about Jiankang. The only associations she had were with the city's noble families, like the wife of the city lord and the eldest son of the Yan family. Both were symbols of power and privilege. To her, Jiankang was synonymous with the elite.

Jiankang was a city for the powerful.

But Jiang Hui was different. When they first met, he had claimed to be an ordinary commoner. Even after learning that he worked for the government, he remained aloof from the ostentatious and oppressive ways of the nobility.

Now, with his mention of returning to Jiankang, did it mean... he too might be one of those elites?

Si couldn't help but feel unsettled. Yan Shuheng watched her expression shift from surprise to unease, then to confusion, and finally spoke up. "Why so quiet? Do you not want to come with me?"

A blind woman with no one to rely on—what choice did she have? She was simply worried. Si explained, "It's not that I don't want to. I'm just afraid."

From the beginning, she had harbored many doubts. Back then, she had only wanted to use him to escape Zheng Wu and hadn't planned to get too involved. As long as he seemed reliable, she didn't dare pry further. After losing her sight, she was consumed by anxiety, fearing he might abandon her, a blind woman, to fend for herself. Her only thought was to keep him close to avoid falling back into danger. She hadn't had the luxury of addressing her lingering questions.

But now, Si couldn't suppress her doubts any longer just to keep him by her side.

She asked cautiously, "Jiang Hui, have you been keeping things from me?"

It was rare for her to call her husband by his name.

Yan Shuheng was momentarily taken aback. After all this time, he felt, for the first time, the weight of having "stolen someone's wife."

He raised an eyebrow. "What else would you like to know, my lady?"

Si thought for a moment. "I don't have many questions. I just want to know your true identity. I feel like you've changed since we came down from the mountain..."

Her question hit the mark. Was it really that simple?

Yan Shuheng smiled silently.

Was she probing to gain his trust, or had his facade as her husband slipped, revealing cracks?

Rather than being troubled by Si's repeated attempts to uncover the truth, Yan Shuheng found it intriguing.

He countered, "Isn't it me you love? Does my identity change the fact that I'm your husband?"

His words painted her as deeply devoted, making Si feel guilty. She lowered her gaze. "Even though I call you my husband, you know our relationship isn't... conventional, right?"

"Our relationship," he said softly, though his tone was cool. "What do you think it is?"

Si's guilt deepened.

She exaggerated her feelings, saying, "Isn't it just a case of mutual affection without the formalities? Though we consider ourselves married, we never went through the proper ceremonies..."

Who would describe themselves as having engaged in an illicit affair?

Yan Shuheng couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed, even if she had feelings for the assassin and they had shared intimate moments, without the formal rites, they couldn't be considered a proper couple.

In that case, he hadn't truly stolen someone's wife.

Yan Shuheng pressed further, "If we're in love and already consider ourselves married, how does my identity affect our relationship? Didn't you think about this when we eloped?"

Si had, of course, considered it. Back then, hadn't she chosen him precisely because of his identity?

A skilled swordsman, strong and capable, yet a commoner like herself—it had been the perfect fit.

But hadn't she been the one to leverage his gratitude, persuading him to help her escape in exchange for saving his life? How had it turned into an elopement in his eyes?

Had he loved her all along?

Si weighed her words carefully. "Back then, you said you wanted to marry me and take care of me because I was blind and afraid. You told me you were a martial artist and didn't care for formalities, and that your family wouldn't interfere in your marriage. That's why we got married. Afterward, you said once things settled down, you'd take me back to your hometown to live in peace. At the time, I asked about your hometown and your work, but you said it was better not to discuss it, so I didn't press further. Now I find out you're from Jiankang and work for the government. It's hard not to feel uneasy..."

Yan Shuheng paused, then asked, "Are you worried I have a wife back in Jiankang? You can rest assured, I was never married before I met you."

Si had already confirmed that. Her concern lay elsewhere. She ventured, "But are you from a noble family?"

Yan Shuheng seemed puzzled. "What if I am?"

Si hesitated. "Times are more open now. If we were both commoners and alone in the world, eloping wouldn't be a big deal. But if you're from a prominent family, they value rules and status. Our marriage might not be recognized."

Yan Shuheng's eyes fell, and her words stirred memories from long ago. "Are you afraid I might waver? What if I said I'd be willing to abandon my family for you?"

"You didn't leave me even after I lost my sight. How could I doubt your feelings?" Si first framed him as deeply devoted, then continued.

"But I wouldn't want that. I wouldn't want you to abandon your family for me, and I couldn't bear the guilt of ruining your future."

Yan Shuheng fell into thought, then asked, "What if my family agreed?"

Si wasn't one to indulge in wishful thinking. She smiled bitterly. "Agreeing is one thing, but how they agree is another. If you're from a noble family, marriage is all about status and lineage. I'm blind and have no family. Even if I were from a noble family, I'd likely only be fit to be a concubine. And as I am now, without any connections, I might not even have a proper title—just an unnamed mistress."

"Even though I'm poor and blind, I wouldn't want that."

Yan Shuheng's gaze grew more complex. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked in a coaxing tone, "But in your current situation, wouldn't being a concubine or a mistress be more stable than being surrounded by wolves, living day to day?"

Si thought he was oversimplifying things.

How could being a concubine bring stability?

She was the type who couldn't share a husband with others. More importantly, noble families were rife with scheming and manipulation. She had heard that it was common for noble families to exchange concubines, and that lowly concubines or mistresses could be humiliated and mistreated by the main wife. In her current state, she might not even survive.

Wouldn't that also be living day to day?

As she fell silent, so did he. After a long pause, he asked with interest, "Do you want to be the main wife?"

Si shook her head. "I'm not greedy. I know my limits. To aim for being the main wife of a noble family would be like a dung beetle trying to push a millstone—utterly ridiculous. It would only bring harm to both of us."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. "Ugh, I'm not a dung beetle!"

The young man laughed.

Si wasn't in the mood to worry about her dignity. She pondered his earlier questions, her heart growing heavier.

Had he lied to her? Was he really from a noble family?

If so, she would have to adjust her approach. "I know you're a man of principle. You married me out of affection, but perhaps also out of pity, not wanting a blind woman like me to be mistreated. But if our statuses are so different, being together would only bring more difficulties. Rather than tarnish what we have, it's better to preserve it in our hearts. From now on, let's just be close friends. All I ask is that, out of our past relationship, you help me find a good doctor in Jiankang. Maybe I can regain my sight. If not, help me find a decent way to make a living."

"A man of principle." Yan Shuheng thought of Jiang Hui, who had yet to return, and let out a soft, mocking laugh.

His curiosity grew. "What if I insisted on keeping you as mine, or else left you to fend for yourself? What would you do?"

Si's heart fluttered with unease, but she still spoke with conviction: "No, you are upright and principled, not the type to be obsessive. Even if we cannot be lovers, you would treat me as a dear friend or family."

The man's cool, refreshing aura suddenly enveloped her as he leaned in closer, asking her slowly:

"What if I am obsessive?"

The rocking chair swayed abruptly but was quickly steadied, as if his hands were gripping its armrests.

He carried a faint scent of bamboo, elegant and pure, yet being surrounded by such an aura made Si feel an invisible pressure, leaving her no room to escape.

For a moment, her mind was in turmoil.

But she also knew that constantly seeking sympathy through submissiveness was not a sustainable strategy.

Without respect, pity becomes charity.

Si pondered seriously: What was it that she would never abandon, even if her life were threatened?

She could steel herself to use others.

She could exchange things she didn’t care much about to obtain what she desired, or even go to great lengths to flatter.

But whether it was flattery, exchange, or exploitation, in a sense, it was a mutual transaction, a willing arrangement.

Under such circumstances, she didn’t mind lowering her head.

But she despised being forced to do so.

With this thought, she felt a surge of fearlessness. Si stood up barefoot, her innocent eyes revealing a detachment and resolve that belied her age: "Perhaps your obsession stems from feelings for me, but it’s unfair to me. Moreover, romance and fleeting pleasures are not as important to me as dignity and life itself."

"Jiang Hui, all I seek now is survival."

Survival. Si sighed silently. To survive, her journey had been incredibly arduous.

She sighed helplessly: "If you truly intend to force me, then just leave me here. There are countless blind people in the world who survive. I... perhaps I can too."

After the sigh, she grew even more resolute, her tone carrying an unyielding determination: "Even if I don’t survive, haven’t you said that living is just waiting for death? I’ve struggled with all my might. Even if I die, I’ll have no regrets."

Yan Shuheng remained silent for a long time.

His mentor once said that to test the authenticity of someone’s pride, one must strip away all their escape routes.

The seventeen-year-old girl’s face still bore traces of youthful innocence. Standing barefoot under the glow of the sunset, her gaze was unusually firm, her slender figure resembling a lone, unyielding plum blossom in the mountains.

Yet, he caught a fleeting glimpse of confusion in her eyes, like a fragile piece of porcelain that appeared sturdy but could shatter easily.

If he remained silent, her next words might well be a final farewell.

But that would be the end of her relationship with Jiang Hui.

What did it have to do with him?

Yet after calmly observing for a moment, Yan Shuheng took a few steps forward and scooped Si up by the waist.

Si was startled: "What are you doing?!"

The young man smiled: "Nothing much. I just want to chain you up with iron shackles."