Mistaken Husband After Blindness

Si had not been able to sleep peacefully for several days, and now that she had relaxed, she felt drowsy. It took her a while to realize that he had misunderstood her words, thinking she was blaming him.

She murmured softly, "It's fine, I don't blame you, husband. It's just that I'm weak and can't endure much..."

The young man remained silent for a long time.

The horse ambled leisurely along the mountain path.

Yan Shuheng recalled what Aunt Li had said: "Mr. Jiang speaks little, and each sentence he utters is no more than ten words." Thinking that the more one speaks, the more mistakes one makes, he chose to remain silent, aimlessly admiring the scenery of the mountains and fields.

Suddenly, there was a heavy thud against his chest. Si had dozed off, her head bobbing gently like a chick pecking at rice. Yan Shuheng looked down just as she leaned back, falling asleep in his arms.

Her forehead rested against his chin, and their posture resembled that of an intimate pair of mandarin ducks with their necks entwined.

Yan Shuheng smiled, holding the reins with one hand while the other gently encircled her body to prevent her from falling off the horse. His carefulness made him seem like a devoted husband, tenderly protecting his wife in his embrace.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, a carriage was already prepared.

Yan Shuheng dismounted and carried Si into the carriage. She was so deeply asleep that even the jostling of the journey didn't wake her, and she remained unconscious until they arrived at the villa.

Behind the study in the villa was a small courtyard, simple and secluded, perfectly suited to the habit of hiding a beauty away in a humble abode, as if she were a concealed treasure.

Yan Shuheng placed her on the bed and removed her shoes.

A faint smile lingered in his eyes, like soft moonlight that still kept others at a respectful distance. His fingertips hovered half an inch above her face, tracing the contours of her familiar yet slightly unfamiliar features.

He withdrew his hand and tucked her in properly.

Calmly, he gazed at her.

Her expression was serene, and she turned over comfortably, leaving him with only a slender and graceful silhouette.

The young man smiled, then leaned down and whispered something in her ear that only the two of them could hear.

His words were as light as a feather, yet carried the intensity of a predator's breath during a hunt. The lingering sound quickly dissipated into the air.

The sleeping woman shrank her neck slightly.

.

Si's sleep was not entirely peaceful.

It felt as though she were floating on waves, rising and falling, until a massive wave struck, finally bringing stability. Then, it was as if a soft cloud had settled over her, warm and gentle.

Later, in a half-asleep state, she turned over and vaguely sensed someone whispering in her ear.

Si had heard it.

But she was too exhausted to think much of it and fell back asleep. When she woke up, she instinctively reached under her pillow, searching.

"Are you looking for that dagger?"

A gentle, cool voice, like spring water mixed with ice, broke the silence.

Si nodded, then suddenly remembered that the speaker was Jiang Hui, her husband.

He had returned and brought her down the mountain.

All of this had truly happened, yet it also felt like an illusory dream. Si sat in a daze for a while.

"Are you feeling unwell?" the young man asked in a calm tone.

"I'm fine," Si replied, lowering her lashes. "I'm just a bit disoriented. When you were gone those few days, I didn't dare sleep at night, afraid that thieves might come and take me away. I had to keep the dagger in my sleeve at all times. I thought... you had abandoned me."

Her words were true, and the fear she had felt over those days was also real.

But mentioning it now wasn't to complain; it was to evoke guilt and tenderness in her husband.

As expected, the man softened, his tone gentler than usual. "I'm sorry for making you go through that."

Si pressed a hand to her chest, calming herself. "I heard people shouting about catching an assassin, and I thought they were after you."

"Why would you think it was me?"

His tone was slightly cold, yet carried a hint of indifference.

Si was taken aback. Did he think she doubted his character? But he was always elusive, and with his exceptional martial skills, he certainly didn't seem like someone engaged in honest work...

However, she couldn't say that outright—it would harm their marital bond.

She replied tactfully, "Husband and wife are one. How could I not trust your character? But as the saying goes, 'a treasure invites trouble.' With your exceptional martial skills, it's natural for others to suspect you. Just like how my face attracts unwanted attention, which led to the City Lord's interest. I was worried they might mistake you for someone else and cause you harm."

Her words seemed to comfort him, as he didn't offer an explanation but instead chuckled softly.

Si found this curious. "You've been smiling more since you returned. This is only the second time I've heard you laugh."

"Second time?"

Yan Shuheng lowered his long lashes, his slender fingers idly tapping. It seemed that no matter how intimate they were in bed, they were still strangers at heart. She didn't even know the true identity of the man beside her.

If that was the case, the only information he could glean from her would be the physical characteristics of the assassin. So, he simply said, "Perhaps we've been apart for too long and have grown distant. Do you still remember what I look like?"

Si was stumped.

Whether it was when they first met or after they married, her attention had mostly been drawn to his uniquely pleasant voice, and she had overlooked other details.

But as a wife, not being able to describe her husband's features was unacceptable. She sat upright on the bed, trying to recall. "Of course I remember. You're very handsome."

He wasn't satisfied with that. "How handsome? What sets your features apart from other handsome men?"

Si hadn't expected someone as aloof as him to be secretly shy and even competitive. But she truly couldn't describe his features, so she opened her clear but sightless eyes and said mournfully, "Before I lost my sight, I hadn't married you yet, so I didn't dare stare at you. And after I lost my sight, I couldn't see you anymore."

Human hearts are made of flesh, and her innocent, fragile demeanor would soften anyone with a shred of empathy.

Yan Shuheng smiled faintly and looked away, muttering softly, "So you still don't remember."

Seeing his persistence, Si had no choice but to try harder. "I do remember. You are exceptionally handsome, with sharp eyebrows and deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge—truly extraordinary. Your chestnut-colored eyes are slightly lighter than most, and your thin lips are always pressed into a straight line... Oh, and you have a mole the size of a green bean on your chest."

She had seen the mole on his chest when she accidentally walked in on him once.

Si knew he just wanted her to compliment him, so she didn't need to go into such detail. Mentioning the mole was simply to embarrass him and end the conversation.

"Nothing else?"

His tone was cooler now, clearly annoyed.

Every time Jiang Hui got shy, Si couldn't resist teasing him further. She said earnestly, "No... You're too tall, and I have to look up to see you. I'm too shy to stare, so I only catch glimpses. All I remember is that you look slender but are actually quite strong, with powerful arms and broad shoulders."

"Is that so?" His tone grew even colder.

The teasing, cold tone felt familiar, and Si suddenly sat up, murmuring, "I remember now..."

.

Si remembered the words she had heard in her dream.

Intuition is a strange thing.

Jiang Hui's aloofness and detachment made people keep their distance, but it was precisely his stiffness and coldness that made her feel secure.

But since his return, he had been smiling more and seemed more approachable, which made her uneasy. This unease felt similar to the odd sensation she had when she heard those words in her half-asleep state. Suddenly, it clicked, and she remembered the words—

"Si of the Jiang family, it seems we are truly fated."

It felt like a dream, yet not quite. But it also didn't make sense: when people referred to a woman, they usually used her own surname, not her husband's.

Although she wasn't Zheng Wu's biological daughter and couldn't be called "Si of the Zheng family," she shouldn't be referred to as "Si of the Jiang family" either.

She must have misremembered.

After all, it was just a dream, so there was no need to overthink it.

The sound of someone lightly tapping the table interrupted Si's thoughts.

The young man asked calmly, "Why are you spacing out? Did you remember something, like how tall you are compared to me?"

This man was relentless. Si was at a loss, her eyes filled with helplessness, but her mind raced like a bubbling spring.

He was unusually talkative today, but it felt like he was trying to extract information from her. Was he trying to confirm his own appearance and height through her? That seemed unlikely. Perhaps he was just too shy to initiate closeness and was finding roundabout ways to get closer.

Si tested the waters. "How about... you come over and hug me? Then you'll know."

She suggested he come to her instead of the other way around because she knew Jiang Hui was easily embarrassed. The more she teased him into taking the initiative, the more he would shy away. This way, she could humor him without putting herself at a disadvantage.

Sure enough, the young man gave in, sighing softly in defeat.

The more he faltered, the more innocent Si acted, whispering timidly, "Husband? Why aren't you saying anything..."

Yan Shuheng stood with his hands behind his back, his long lashes lowered as he gazed at the bewildered woman standing before the bed.

Her eyes were clear and innocent, not at all like she was deliberately teasing. Even in the past, when she was with those she trusted, she had always been this sincere and guileless.

He asked her gently, "Do you want to hear me speak?"

Si nodded. "Your voice is truly one of a kind, like a heavenly melody. I love listening to you speak."

She had said this to him several times before. Every time she complimented his voice, Jiang Hui would pay extra attention.

"One of a kind?" The young man reacted just as he had the first time she said it, though his tone was less cold than before. He asked a question similar to one he had posed months ago: "Do you think there could be two people in the world with similar voices? Or have you ever felt that my voice sounds familiar?"

Si replied with certainty, "Your voice is unique in this world. I’ve never heard anything like it before."

The room was silent except for the faint sound of fingers lightly tapping on the table.

Tap. Tap.

It was like footsteps in the quiet of the night, unsettling.

Just as Si was about to lose her composure, the young man, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. "There are some matters I need to attend to. I’ll spend time with you later."

Si’s playful demeanor vanished. She reached out in his direction, her voice timid. "Husband, where are you going? I’m here alone, and I can’t see. I’m a little scared..."

Yan Shuheng gently held her wrist through his sleeve, soothing her. "I’m going to find a doctor to treat your eyes. But if you’re afraid, I’ll stay with you. We can deal with the rest another day."

His words immediately reassured her. She sat back obediently. "No, it’s fine. I’ll be okay on my own."

"Don’t worry, I’ll send someone to look after you soon."

Yan Shuheng glanced at her with a smile.

.

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, Chuan Yun approached him eagerly. "My lord, did you find out anything?"

"Let’s discuss it in the study."

Back in the study, Yan Shuheng recalled the information he had gathered from Si and combined it with what Aunt Li had told him. He sorted through the useful details and wrote them down, handing the paper to Chuan Yun.

"I knew you didn’t bring that girl back just because of her looks..." Chuan Yun quickly swallowed the rest of his words—"losing your senses over beauty." "With this, it’ll be much easier to investigate her background!"

After Chuan Yun left, only Yan Shuheng and Po Wu remained in the study.

Yan Shuheng lowered his head, idly stirring the incense ashes.

His slender fingers moved lightly, then suddenly paused. He stared at the old ashes in the incense burner, as if struck by a thought.

Po Wu stood silently nearby.

Seeing Yan Shuheng pause, he couldn’t help but glance over. The young man’s lashes were lowered, and suddenly, he let out a soft laugh.

Po Wu couldn’t resist asking, "Young Master, is that girl the one who crossed paths with you two years ago?"