Mistaken Husband After Blindness

Here it comes again, that slow, almost theatrical tone laced with subtle mockery and probing.

Every inch of Si's skin instinctively tensed in response.

Being on the water, with the gentle sound of the stream in her ears, she felt as though a water snake was slowly slithering closer to her side.

Suddenly, a cold sensation gripped her wrist, and it felt as though a string in Si's heart had snapped. She gasped, trying to shake off the chilling touch.

But then, his hand firmly grasped her wrist.

Si's heart raced wildly. She leaned back, trying to retreat, until her lower back hit the edge of the small boat.

Behind her was the lake, and in front of her was him.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Si felt as though she had returned to that moment on the high pavilion when he had pressed her against the railing.

The posture was intimate, yet it filled her with dread.

She could only resort to her old trick, pretending to be both shy and fearful, steering the conversation in an absurd direction. With trembling lashes, she whispered, "Husband, you... you wouldn't be thinking of doing something on the boat... that wouldn't be proper, it's indecent..."

Hearing this, the young man tightened his grip.

He didn't respond, but his hand encircled her wrist like a lock, firm yet gentle, as if afraid she might escape.

Or perhaps, afraid of hurting her.

A cool, bamboo-like scent enveloped her, and Si felt as though a venomous snake was coiling around her body. She stiffened, her neck rigid, not daring to move an inch.

He leaned in closer.

The boat swayed slightly, the lake water gently lapping against the bottom. His soft voice, mingled with the faint sound of water, was both tender and dangerous: "Don't be afraid. I'm not that reckless. I only wanted to tell you, my dear,

"That the me you knew before,

"Might not be the same person."

Si felt as though she had been struck by lightning, her wrist jerking violently in his grasp.

Such a gentle voice, such a sincere tone, yet the words he spoke could shatter her completely.

It was like a cold blade pressed against her neck.

Shocked and terrified, Si felt her strength draining away, her voice barely audible.

But whether he was testing her, teasing her, or had some other motive, if he truly wasn't Jiang Hui, showing too much fear now would be unwise.

For now, it was better to play dumb.

She forced her stiff body to relax and asked innocently, "Husband, what are you talking about?"

This time, it was his turn to be puzzled: "After we left the mountain, didn't you ever suspect anything?"

Si's heart grew even more unsettled: "Suspect what?"

He replied calmly: "Suspect me."

Si pretended not to understand: "Husband, I don't understand. Why would I suspect you?"

The young man's light laughter was like a breeze or a mist.

This laugh only added to Si's confusion. Had he seen through her act? Or was he pleased by her trust?

Or was he simply laughing at her naivety?

As her thoughts tangled, he spoke again: "After we left the mountain, did you notice a change in my temperament?"

Si took a moment to compose herself. She knew she couldn't answer truthfully, as it might make him wary, but saying she hadn't noticed at all would be treating him like a fool. She tilted her head, pretending to think seriously: "You have changed a bit, but isn't that normal after a long separation? They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. We're newlyweds, so it's not strange that you're more talkative now."

Gradually, she calmed down, no longer as frightened as before, and her acting became more convincing.

Yan Shuheng gently massaged her wrist and smiled silently.

He didn't know much, and he couldn't dispel her doubts by reacting to her every move. He had to play on her emotions.

It was time to reel in the net while the fish was still frightened and confused, but not yet desperate enough to fight back. If he continued to tease her, she would only grow more alert, and if she started asking questions he couldn't answer, it would backfire.

Revealing everything would spoil the fun.

The teasing glint in Yan Shuheng's eyes faded, replaced by tenderness as he looked down at her: "Yes, you're right, my dear. After narrowly escaping death and returning to you, I felt as though I had regained something precious. I couldn't help but talk more, but there's another reason too."

"Narrowly escaping death" and "regaining something precious."

These words struck a chord in Si's heart, and she felt an untimely pang of sadness. She suppressed these emotions that could easily cloud her judgment and asked, "What other reason?"

The young man's grip on her wrist tightened, then loosened, as if he was struggling to speak: "It's hard to say."

Si coaxed him gently: "Husband, don't worry. Since I trust you, I won't blame you. Even if you've deceived me, you must have had a good reason. Maybe I can help share your burden."

The word "reason" lingered silently on Yan Shuheng's tongue as he savored her gentle, almost all-forgiving tone.

If he were the assassin, perhaps he would have been fooled by her soft approach. Fortunately, he wasn't.

After spending several days with her, he knew she wasn't just a frightened little rabbit. She was more like a cunning fox, coaxing a crow to open its mouth so she could snatch the juicy meat inside.

His eyes softened with affection and indulgence as he whispered, "I did deceive you before."

The slender wrist in his hand trembled slightly.

His voice grew even more tender: "Because of my position, I'm used to being reserved and serious. So when we first met, the person you saw wasn't the real me.

"After falling for you, I saw you as a goddess from the Luo River. Whenever I was with you, I didn't dare speak too much, afraid you'd think me rude or presumptuous, so I kept my distance. Of course,"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, as if helpless.

"There was also some youthful pride at play. I thought that by being cold and distant in front of the person I loved, I could appear more mysterious and avoid seeming too eager, which might make my feelings seem cheap."

In response to this heartfelt confession, the young lady's lips parted slightly, and she fell into a long silence.

Si had considered many possibilities, but she had never expected this. For a moment, she was utterly stunned: "So... so what?"

"My dear, let me finish," he said, his tone tinged with discomfort. "Because I deliberately acted aloof, over time, you came to think of me as naturally cold and distant. I, too, thought that the person you initially liked was that version of me. I was afraid that showing my true self would make you dislike me, so I kept wearing that mask. It wasn't until I narrowly escaped death and returned to you, regaining what I thought I'd lost, that I couldn't hold back my feelings anymore."

Si couldn't believe it, and she almost laughed.

"So..."

Had she been the one preventing him from being himself?

Thinking of Jiang Hui's icy expression, his cold responses to her teasing, while a little voice inside him cheered with joy, and remembering how his ears always betrayed him, it seemed Jiang Hui really was that kind of person.

Si couldn't help it—she burst out laughing. Realizing it was inappropriate, she quickly composed herself and asked with feigned concern, "Was it because of your love for me that you felt so restrained?"

Yan Shuheng looked at her with a smile, his brow subtly arching as he peeled back the layers of her words, extracting the suppressed amusement hidden beneath her gentle facade.

His eyes were smiling, but his voice carried a hint of unease: "If you don't like the way I am now, I can go back to how I was before,

"As long as it pleases you."

Si guiltily lowered her gaze.

Why she had "liked" him in the first place, Jiang Hui didn't know, but she did.

She had thought that his reserved nature meant he liked her but wouldn't go so far as to suppress his true self for her sake. But now, hearing his confession, Si realized that her husband's feelings for her...

Ran deeper than she had imagined.

He was even willing to abandon his true self to please her.

Si felt a deep sense of guilt.

Whether out of remorse or some other emotion, she took his hand: "Husband, I was drawn to you because of your character. I liked your outward coldness and inner warmth, not your aloof exterior."

She spoke from the heart: "To be honest, I actually prefer the way you are now. You're more approachable and gentle. Besides, you know how much I love hearing your voice. I used to rack my brains trying to get you to talk more."

This wasn't flattery. When they first met, Si had been somewhat intimidated by the faint chill in his eyes.

Until he spoke.

Someone so cold and distant had such a beautiful voice—warm yet slightly detached, like a piece of exquisite jade.

Because of that warm voice, even his aloof demeanor softened, and she sometimes dared to playfully tease him.

Her praise pleased Yan Shuheng, and even his voice carried a smile: "I'll take that as a compliment, my dear."

Si's heart softened even more.

This man was so insecure that he couldn't even take his wife's praise as a source of pride.

She spoke to him as if coaxing a child, her voice gentle: "I was complimenting you. Your voice is like a heavenly melody, unmatched in this world."

But Si also retained a bit of caution. To be safe, she joked, "It's a good thing you explained this to me today, or I might have started suspecting that my husband had been replaced."

She rubbed her temples, pretending to be troubled.

"You didn't say anything before, but now that you've brought it up, you've got me wondering. What should I do..."

Though both were seated, Yan Shuheng sat casually, while Si knelt halfway, their posture difference compensating for the nearly half-head height gap between them.

Their gazes met at eye level, Yan Shuheng smiling as he looked at her through the silk cloth covering her eyes.

Little fox, he thought to himself.

He released his grip on her wrist and instead picked up the strand of hair that had fallen from behind her ear again, indulging her with a gentle smile. "How would you like me to prove myself?"

Si was also deep in thought.

He thoughtfully offered a suggestion: "I recall you once mentioned seeing a mole the size of a green bean on my chest. Since we're here, why not verify it now?"

The way he said it didn’t come across as improper at all, but rather like an older brother gently indulging the whims of a younger sibling.

Hearing the rustle of his robes, Si quickly stopped him. "Don’t… We’re in public, and you hold an official position. What would people say if word got out?"

She chuckled. "I was only joking earlier. I didn’t expect you to take it seriously. Even if I believe you, I know you’d feel uneasy without proving yourself. Let’s talk about it when we get back."

Truly a little fox, Yan Shuheng shook his head helplessly and smiled. "You really do understand me."

Not long after, the two disembarked.

On their way back, they passed through a bustling market.

The August weather was unpredictable. Yan Shuheng glanced up at the dark clouds overhead and, spotting a vendor selling umbrellas ahead, patted Si’s shoulder. "I’ll go buy an umbrella."

Po Wu, who had been silently following behind, offered to go in his place, but Yan Shuheng declined with a smile.

As he picked out an umbrella, his peripheral vision remained fixed on Si. The moment he let go, she tensed up, the bustling streets around her turning into a battlefield of uncertainty.

After selecting an umbrella, he signaled his guard to pay and was about to return when he heard Si call out in alarm, "Husband!"

Yan Shuheng turned abruptly to see a young woman standing before Si, her face beaming with joy as she reached out to grab her, while Si, visibly wary, stepped back quickly and called for him.

The woman, realizing she had startled Si, looked apologetic and said, "It’s me! Lady Li!"

She seemed to be someone Si knew.

But Si couldn’t recall who she was at the moment, until a familiar voice sounded beside her.

"I’m here, don’t be afraid."

Only then did Si relax.

She smiled in the direction of the woman. "My memory isn’t the best. Who are you again?"

The woman’s gaze shifted to Yan Shuheng’s face, then to their clasped hands, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Aren’t you Jiang—"