Zhang Muqing didn’t expect Ye An to reject her directly. Her face stiffened, and her usually graceful act almost fell apart.

One of the young ladies gathered around her and whispered, “Muqing, was that Xie Shuo’s wife? She’s bold.”

Another person agreed, “Right, just look at her…”

—-

Ye An left the banquet hall and walked to the balcony. As the wind blew, the smell of alcohol dispersed.

Senior Wen was no longer on the balcony leaving only Xie Shuo, Jiang Shiyan, and Yan Fei behind.

The sight of the three men sitting together was very eye-catching. After they caught sight of her coming, Jiang Shiyan got up, patted Xie Shuo on the shoulder, and said with a smile, “Your wife is here. We’ll talk later.”

Yan Fei got up and left to enter the banquet hall with Jiang Shiyan.

Ye An smiled at them as they left. She walked over to Xie Shuo’s side, put her hand around his arm, and asked quietly, “Want to go home?”

Xie Shuo took her hand and squeezed it before saying, “Let’s sit for a bit.”

Ye An understood that he wanted to wait for there to be fewer people before leaving, so she sat down beside him, letting him hold her hand.

The stars were barely visible against the midnight blue sky, and their natural brilliance was overshadowed by the flickering lights.

She saw the crystal wine glass in front of him and looked up to ask, “Did you drink?”

Xie Shuo avoided her gaze and didn’t reply. 

Ye An got closer to him and smelled a strong taste of alcohol. She instantly frowned, saying, “Did you forget that you’re not supposed to be drinking while taking your meds?” After a moment, she asked, “How much did you drink?”

Xie Shuo kneaded her hand while remaining silent. His tipsy state added a trace of gentle charm to the night ambiance.

Ye An grew more annoyed and anxious upon recalling the headache Xie Shuo experienced after drinking last time. She withdrew her hand and said in a low voice, “Drinking even when you’re not supposed to! I want to see what you do when you get a migraine!”

Seeing her anxious expression, Xie Shuo finally said quietly, “It wasn’t much. Senior Wen opened the bottle himself.”

Ye An grew more annoyed and anxious upon recalling the headache Xie Shuo experienced after drinking last time. She withdrew her hand and said in a low voice, “Even if you couldn’t refuse, you should have tried to drink less!”

That was obviously his excuse to be greedy!

Xie Shuo didn’t argue with her. His slender fingers grasped the wine glass in front of him, as if he were going to continue drinking the wine.

In the bowl of the glass, red wine rippled at the halfway point.

He still wanted to drink? Ye An grew angrier and angrier. Without thinking, she grabbed the glass directly from his hand, brought it to her lips, and downed the remaining wine.

Because she drank it too quickly, she choked. Her originally fair complexion was quickly stained with a faint pink blush, and her lips were tender.

Xie Shuo raised his hand, intending to pat her back, but after recalling his “blind” state, he retracted his hand. 

Ye An put the wine glass down and looked up into his eyes. “There’s no more; I wonder what you will drink now!”

Her eyes sparkled with drunken splendor, mesmerizing Xie Shuo for a moment. He turned away to look at the lights in the distance. He suddenly bit his lower lip lightly, seeming cheerful. 

Ye An noticed the curve to his lips and was confused. “Did you just smile?”

She grasped his shoulders and leaned in to look at his lips, as if she had discovered something life-changing, “Did you?”

Xie Shuo returned to his usual indifferent expression and continued to look off into the distance, not saying anything. His profile seemed to be immersed in a soft glow.

“So you do know how to smile!” Ye An seemed to forget the drinking situation and seemed excited. “Smile again…”

The wine surged through her body, rendering her unbalanced. She fell into his arms, her lips brushing against the side of his cheek.

Xie Shuo raised his hands and embraced her slender waist.

The night breeze blew softly, wafting the fragrance in his direction. An ambiguous atmosphere began to imbue the air. 

She had personally chosen the cologne that he was wearing tonight. It had a light refreshing scent yet lasted a long time.

Neither of the two said a word, and the noises from the banquet hall seemed to be muffled. It was so quiet they could hear each other’s breathing. 

After a while, the man’s voice sounded, low in timbre yet smooth like a piano, “Let’s go home.”

Ye An returned to her senses and got off of his lap before reaching out to help him up. They obviously didn’t do anything, but her legs were weak.

——

The winter cold was chilling to the bone, and the air was crisp and clean.

The car merged onto the highway, slowly blending the scenery into fleeting lights and shadows.

Ye An drank the last half glass of wine too quickly. As she sat in the car, the effects of the alcohol slowly caught up with her. She grew warm and red from her face to neck and ears.

When she got off the car, her mind had already turned somewhat muddled. Her footsteps were unsteady and shaky, so she leaned heavily into Xie Shuo.

Xie Shuo helped her stand firmly. Like last time, he took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders before bringing her back into the house. 

The cool moonlight shone onto the tree branches.

The sound of heels clicking on the ground was irregular and sharp in the dark silence. After entering the house, the two exchanged their shoes for slippers at the entrance. Ye An hugged Xie Shuo’s arm and seemed to be supporting him, but in reality, he was the one supporting her weight.

When they entered the bedroom, Ye An released his arm and removed the hair clip fastened to her hair. She fell on the sofa, her light-colored dress draping over her ankles. 

Xie Shuo sat next to her while loosening his tie. He unbuttoned the first button on the collar of his shirt, revealing a sliver of his collarbone. He pinched the area between his eyebrows.

After Ye An finished letting down her hair, she leaned softly against him.

She lay on his shoulder and looked at his stern face. She stretched out a finger and poked the corner of his lips. “Why don’t you smile usually? Can you smile again to show me? I didn’t see it clearly just now…”

Xie Shuo held her finger, brought it down, and kneaded her hand in his palm.

He leaned back into the sofa. Under the warm lighting, his usually stern features appeared softened by drunkenness. 

Ye An looked up to face his smooth jawline and Adam’s apple.

The alcohol coursed through her body. Like past instances, she was unable to hold back from kissing his Adam’s apple.

Her warm breath mixed with the alcohol and brushed across his neck. Xie Shuo massaged her hand and let her do as she wished.

Ye An returned to face him just in the position to catch a glimpse of his open neckline. She raised her other free hand and poked his collarbone with her fingertips.

Xie Shuo grasped her waist and pulled her smoothly into his arms. 

Ye An sat in his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes almost level with his.

Her gaze flitted across his high nose bridge, and she looked directly at him.

Two pairs of eyes faced each other. His dark eyes were no longer gloomy and depressing. Now, they contained a faint trace of light. 

Ye An looked slightly startled. 

“Your eyes look so much brighter… like the same as before.”

She stared at him in a daze, her eyes entranced with memories.

“You’re definitely going to get better…” Fair and slender fingers pressed against her cheeks. She held his face and met his gaze, repeating, “Definitely…”

Xie Shuo looked into her clear eyes and was stunned. He had regained his sight and suddenly couldn’t bear to lie to her again.

He originally wanted to hide it from her because of some unspeakable feelings welling in his heart, but he didn’t expect it to become more and more difficult to hide. Even now, he wasn’t sure how to approach her concerning this matter. 

One lie often turns into many, snowballing out of control.

He closed his eyes and began to feel a headache approaching.

Ye An held his face and kissed his lips again.

It was soft, as soft as the cool breeze blowing outside.

Her gaze was slightly hazy and moist, reflecting his image. They seemed to hide a multitude of feelings.

He lowered his head and looked at her eyebrows, his heart wavering. Suddenly, he asked the question he had always wanted to, “Do you like me?”

Ye An was taken aback by this question.

Many scenes flashed through her mind, messily jumping through frame by frame.

In the past six months, she initiated every instance they had gotten closer through.

The taste of alcohol surged up, and there was a bittersweet feeling in her heart. 

She didn’t want to lose the last shred of willpower and looked at him, saying confidently, “Who said I like you?”

She let go of his hand and leaned over his shoulder, her red lips almost touching his chin.

He held her waist to prevent her from falling.

“I don’t like you; I just…” Her lips curled, and she stretched out her arms to latch around him like an octopus. “I like your body!”

“……”

Xie Shuo’s expression turned dark.

Ye An didn’t care about his expression. She leaned in front of him and stretched his fair fingers to pinch the collar of his shirt. She looked directly in, and her warm breath touched his collarbone.

There were contours tracing the outlines of his muscles under the shirt, but the rest was unfortunately hidden from sight.

Before Ye An could finish looking, her body suddenly hung in the air. Her dress acted like a cloud, tracing an arc in the air.

Xie Shuo lifted her in a princess carry and brought her to the bed. 

The man was tall and slender, with strong arms that wrapped under her ribs and into the crook of her legs.

Ye An subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up to catch a glimpse of his tightly pursed lips.

As they reached the bed, Xie Shuo put Ye An down. He placed his arms to the side of her body, and his neckline opened more. 

Ye An fell into the plush bedding, scattering her long hair. The drunken blush still had not faded from her delicate features, and her slender arms were still looped around his neck.

The color of the lipstick on her lips had long been wiped off, leaving only her natural lips behind. They were full and bright, appearing luscious under the lighting.

Xie Shuo looked at her, his throat tightening as he leaned over her.

Ye An looked up and met his deep eyes. They were somber, and she couldn’t see through the fathomless was unable to peer into the end depths.

As their breaths intermingled, the warmth spread. Suddenly, the air became suffocating. She couldn’t help twisting her body. 

Xie Shuo held her down, his eyes filled with desire. His fingers brushed against the side of her neck. He pinched her chin and lowered his head to kiss her.

The light and shadows above her shifted. She could smell the familiar scent of his body wrapped in the faint smell of wine.

Her lips and teeth were filled with his scent, and her breath was taken. She raised her neck and responded, placing her hands on the back of his shoulders.

The two were both drunk with chaotic fervor. Their actions were uncertain, as if they were in uncharted territory in the deep sea.

Even in the haze, she did not forget to stretch her arms to turn off the lights.

When she turned to the side, a delicate kiss fell on her ear.

After some time, her expression became muddled, and a thin sheen appeared in her gaze, making her eyes glassy. 

Outside the French windows, the shallow moonlight shone, rippling with layers.