Mistaken Husband After Blindness

Caught off guard as she was lifted into the air, Si thought he was about to force himself on her, and anger surged within her. She opened her mouth, ready to bite. But the man was quicker, gently pinching her chin and laughing, "Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you." He then placed her back onto the reclining chair.

"After all that's been said, Madam, you're really just worried about the difference in our social status. But you're overthinking it. I only have a job at the yamen; I'm not some powerful noble. I can decide my own marriage. I didn't mention it earlier not to tease you, but to understand your true thoughts better. Making you uneasy was my mistake."

Si was still catching her breath, her head tilted slightly as she pondered. The young man, meanwhile, held one of her feet through her skirt, gently brushing off the dust and sand from her sole. He was incredibly gentle, speaking to her as if she were a child, "The bricks in the courtyard are rough and cold. Remember to wear your shoes properly next time you come out."

Despite his words, the calluses on his palm were rough, brushing against the sole of Si's foot and sending a ticklish sensation shooting through her body. The ticklish feeling spread from her foot, coursing through her limbs.

Si couldn't help but curl her toes, suppressing a whimper, and pleaded with a mix of laughter and tears, "Stop! Husband, don't do that... it's so ticklish..." Her trembling voice was filled with ambiguity.

Yan Shuheng suddenly stood up, one hand still gripping her ankle, the other resting on the side of the reclining chair. Si thought he was about to try something new, pretending to be ticklish, she lifted her leg to break free, but the young man held her even tighter, leaning down slightly, his breath brushing over her hair.

Even though she couldn't see, Si could imagine how suggestive the scene was—his large hand gripping her ankle like a shackle. He seemed to be deliberately making things difficult, tightening his grip on her ankle and even bending it upward.

Si felt something was wrong and struggled harder. The reclining chair creaked loudly.

Chuan Yun, who had come to report something, saw the young master hadn't returned for a while and came to check. He witnessed a scene that made his heart race.

The young master was holding the lady's ankle, bending it upward, one knee pressed against the edge of the reclining chair, restraining her. The lady was struggling fiercely, the bamboo chair creaking loudly. The young master's robe fluttered slightly, and the hand gripping the armrest of the chair showed bulging veins.

This was not the right time to arrive!

Chuan Yun quickly turned around and walked away. The sound of the bamboo chair creaking grew even more unbearable. Behind him, the young man's low voice echoed, "If you keep moving, I really will use shackles and chains."

The young boy's mind was struck by thunder!

So, the young master wanted shackles for this kind of thing!

He ran even faster.

Yan Shuheng glanced at the fleeing boy out of the corner of his eye, then turned back to Si with a smile, asking, "Did you hear what I just said, Madam?"

Seeing Si deep in thought again, Yan Shuheng thought she didn't believe him and was about to reassure her when the lady suddenly reached out, as she had done that day when she emerged from the cabinet, gently holding the back of his neck, her voice timid.

"Husband, you scared me..."

Yan Shuheng was about to stand up when he realized her arms were wrapped around his neck. Aunt Li's words echoed in his ears.

He couldn't help but frown, "In broad daylight, you're already thinking about this?"

Si understood Jiang Hui's shy nature. He was just putting on a brave front. Her earlier worries vanished, and she regained her energy to tease him, pulling his neck down. "I heard you, but your voice is so mesmerizing. When you spoke so much just now, it was like heavenly music. I'm almost falling for you."

Yan Shuheng raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling up involuntarily. "What do you mean, 'almost falling for me'?" He emphasized those words.

Though it sounded like a reprimand, to Si, it seemed he was quite pleased. "Madam, are you saying that all the talk of mutual affection before was just a lie?"

Si was speechless.

She had just resolved one issue, only to get carried away and bring about her own downfall.

She quickly let go, lowering her head and covering her cheeks to hide her guilt, shyly saying, "I said that because I didn't want you to think I liked you more than you liked me, so you wouldn't take me for granted."

As she spoke, Si convinced herself, as if she truly loved him deeply, and suddenly felt more confident. "But I haven't always been in love with you. If you think you can take advantage of my feelings, that's not going to happen. Only if you treat me better will I grow more attached to you."

She thought her words were clever, covering her earlier slip and reminding him not to slack off after marrying her, to keep treating her well.

The young man chuckled.

Si wasn't sure if he was laughing at her or genuinely pleased. She grabbed his sleeve, "Anyway, husband, please don't misunderstand me."

Yan Shuheng was helpless.

He smiled and looked into Si's eyes. The lady was holding his sleeve, looking up at him.

Though her eyes couldn't see, they were filled with him.

His silence made Si uneasy. She tightened her grip on his sleeve, her eyelashes fluttering, her voice trembling slightly, "Husband?"

Yan Shuheng deliberately remained silent, wanting to see if she had more surprises for him.

But when she called him "husband"...

He shook his head helplessly and smiled, "Madam, rest assured, I will remember today's lesson and not take your affection for granted."

Si's anxious heart finally settled.

In the sunset, her hair was bathed in a soft, warm glow. Yan Shuheng couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair, preparing to leave. "I still—"

"You have things to do, I know. Husband, don't worry about me, go attend to your business," Si said with a smile, cutting him off.

Yan Shuheng also smiled, "Rest well."

At the corner of the courtyard wall, he glanced back and saw the lady, who had been smiling moments ago, frowning slightly, her hand touching the spot on her head where he had ruffled her hair, her expression bewildered.

The evening glow tinted her cheeks, making her look both shy and as if she was savoring his touch.

She was just a naive, bashful girl.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he might not have believed it.

Yan Shuheng smiled and turned to leave.

Behind him, the lady muttered in disbelief, "He... he just..."

Yan Shuheng turned back alertly.

Si was touching her head, a hint of disgust in her expression. "He used the hand that touched my foot to ruffle my hair?!"

The young man turned back, glanced at his hand, and chuckled, "Don't worry, it was the other hand."

.

When Chuan Yun learned that Yan Shuheng had decided to take someone else's wife away, he was even more shocked. "But sir, that woman is the assassin's wife. You even pretended to be her husband to deceive her. If she finds out the truth later and tries to harm you... in bed, what will you do?"

Yan Shuheng picked up the teacup lid with slender fingers, leisurely stirring the tea leaves inside. "The assassin might try to kidnap her elsewhere. Besides, there are many things I still want to know."

He smiled but didn't elaborate.

Chuan Yun thought about it and realized the young master always had his reasons for doing things. Keeping her by his side must have a purpose.

It couldn't just be because he was blinded by lust.

Not entirely because he was blinded by lust.

He cupped his hands and said, "I'll make the arrangements immediately, ensuring they are careful not to let the lady notice anything."

After everyone left, Yan Shuheng sat alone, his gaze wandering aimlessly before settling on his palm.

He chuckled to himself, "I thought she was an innocent little rabbit, but it turns out she's a cunning fox in rabbit's clothing, flexible and adaptable. I never noticed before."

After handling some correspondence, it was time for dinner. Yan Shuheng remembered he had a wife. Since bringing her down the mountain, he hadn't shared a single meal with her.

Today, he had frightened her again.

As a husband, he was truly failing.

Yan Shuheng put down his chopsticks.

The servants thought he had no appetite, but then he walked out the door, heading straight for the small courtyard.

Chuan Yun was surprised, "Sir, aren't you eating?"

Yan Shuheng smiled with a hint of mischief.

"I'm going home to eat."

.

Meanwhile, in the small courtyard.

Si had already finished her meal. Zhuyuan had brought some chestnuts from the village, and the two were peeling and eating them together.

Since Si couldn't see, Zhuyuan carefully peeled the chestnuts for her, afraid she might hurt her hands.

After a few days together, Si had gotten to know her a bit. Knowing that if she didn't let the girl do this, she would feel guilty, Si simply held out her hands, waiting like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

This time, she waited for a long time, but her palms remained empty. She heard the sound of water from the washbasin and pouted, "I haven't had enough yet, Zhuyuan, why are you washing your hands?"

Suddenly, a chestnut was shoved into her mouth. Such roughness couldn't be from Zhuyuan. Si instinctively bit down, taking both the chestnut and the finger into her mouth.

A low chuckle came from across, "Are you a dog?"

Si quickly let go, even spitting out the chestnut kernel: "Husband, why do you always appear so suddenly and mysteriously?"

Yan Shuheng took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands: "So I need to send a message in advance before coming home, Madam?"

Si replied, "I can't see. If you suddenly appear and I mistake you for an intruder, what if I hurt you?"

He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked her, "If it had been someone else that day, what would you have done?"

"What day?"

"The day I brought you back."

Only then did Si understand. He was reminded of that day in the mountain cottage when she had crawled out of the cabinet, holding the dagger he had given her. The fear from that time was so deeply etched in her memory that even now, recalling it made her heart race. She patted her chest and said, "I was truly panicking back then. If I hadn't heard your voice, I might have stayed hidden, waiting to be discovered. If the person had been kind, I might have tried to negotiate. But if they were evil, then..."

Given her stubborn yet survival-driven nature, if the other party had shown any restraint, she might have tried to reason with them first. Otherwise, it would have been mutual destruction.

But the answer she gave herself was different from the one she gave her husband. With deep affection and sorrow, Si said, "Thankfully, you came back. Otherwise, I might have..."

The unfinished sentence lingered in Yan Shuheng's ears, implying that she would have taken her own life to preserve her honor and their untainted marital bond. He responded with a hint of sarcasm, "Is your husband really that good? Is he worth it?"

Si found his words strange, as if they carried self-mockery or disdain. She assumed he felt guilty, thinking he was unworthy of her devotion. She was pleased by this misunderstanding: "You are my beloved. If you're not worth it, who is?"

A soft sigh escaped from the other side, carrying an ambiguous tone, perhaps pity or something else. His voice grew distant: "No one is worth it. In the face of life, your husband, your reputation, even so-called affection, are all insignificant."

Si understood. She had been flattering him with empty words, but he was telling her to prioritize her survival above all else. Deciding to comfort him, she groped for his hand and pressed it against her cheek: "You're so good to me, husband. If I hadn't met you, I might have perished in the wilderness."

The young man's palm twitched slightly, and he asked in a neutral tone, "Was I better in the past, or am I better now?"

Si was stumped.

Logically, he was gentler now, but his gentleness seemed to come with a touch of teasing. Thinking this, Si suddenly realized that Jiang Hui now seemed very different from before.

As she tried to sort out her thoughts, her lips suddenly touched something warm, carrying the fragrance of chestnuts.

Her train of thought was interrupted, and she no longer bothered to ponder. She naturally opened her mouth and swallowed the chestnut.

Unable to see, she accidentally took the tip of the young man's finger into her mouth, gently sucking on it.

The sensation was warm and moist, like a kitten licking.

Yan Shuheng's long lashes fluttered slightly.

His finger quickly withdrew.