CH 9

Xie Shuo had no response to the phrase, “fair like jade.” 

Ye An glanced at his contorted expression and once again sat down next to him, saying, “Am I not heating milk for you to be able to sleep earlier? Did you think that I’m trying to put on a play in the middle of the night?” She lowered her voice and said with a hint of complaint, “Taking my good intentions with no appreciation…”

After probably thinking about how it was the first night of their marriage, Xie Shuo said after a moment of silence, “You go to sleep; don’t worry about me.”

Ye An didn’t move. She rolled her eyes and replied, “I just woke up from a nightmare and still am a little scared. I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Xie Shuo had already lost any trust in her and subconsciously thought that she was telling another lie. He looked up and asked, “How’d you sleep in the past then?”

Ye An stated firmly, “I don’t normally have nightmares! I also don’t know what’s going on today. Maybe… maybe it was because you made me mad?”

Xie Shuo, “….”

“Moreover, the past is in the past. I wasn’t married before, and now I am. Don’t tell me that as my husband, you don’t even have the slightest bit of concern for me? ”

……

Marriage, husband… she adopted the role pretty quickly.

Xie Shuo sneered.

After speaking, Ye An suddenly sneezed.

Although it was already nearing April, the weather at night was still chilly, not to mention that she was only wearing a nightgown.

Hearing that sneeze, Xie Shuo finally stood up and returned the glass of milk to her.

Ye An grinned and took the cup. She did a fist pump behind his back.

There was no man who she couldn’t win against!

Ye An put the cup away and washed her hands again. She climbed back onto the bed and lay by Xie Shuo’s side. 

Xie Shuo was a little tired after experiencing such a scene with her. Ye An, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep at all. She tossed and turned, but no matter how much she adjusted her position, it wasn’t comfortable.

Hearing the sounds of a body shuffling beside him, Xie Shuo turned his head. “Still scared?”

He paused. “If you’re scared, turn on the light.”

Ye An just happened to have turned to face him. Even though she couldn’t see his expression in the dark, his voice was gentle and steady.

Ye An stared blankly. If he hadn’t experienced that accident, then he would have probably been very gentle. 

Ye An turned on the bedside light. The muted yellow light illuminated the room and settled on the man’s face, outlining his silhouette.

Thinking of the nightmare she had previously, she carefully shifted to his side. She looked at the side of his face through the mist, her expression gradually becoming strange.

She extended her arm, and her fair fingertips rested above his eyebrows for a moment, seemingly wanting to touch him. In the end, she took her arm back.

She silently mouthed the words “good night” before slowly closing her eyes.

The sounds of the spring rain continued to pitter-patter outside the window. The raindrops washed the branches and leaves before softly dripping down.

—-

On the morning of the second day, Ye An was woken up by an alarm clock. 

Xie Shuo’s eyes made it hard for him to distinguish between day and night, so he used an alarm clock as a reminder.

Ye An opened her eyes blearily and felt him lift the covers to get out of bed.  She scratched her head, not wanting to wake up. She simply lay down again to sleep a little while more.

After Xie Shuo had finished brushing his teeth and getting dressed, she finally decided to wake up.

There was no need to go out today, so Xie Shuo changed into a set of casual clothes. Ye An lay in the bed watching him, and as he entered her line of sight, she suddenly let out a “Pfft” laughing sound.

Even though the man in front of her was dressed well, his hair was still unkempt because of the way he slept. There was a small strand of hair that stuck straight up.

His eyes couldn’t see or look into the mirror, so he naturally couldn’t see it.

His handsome face paired with a cowlick on the top of his head created an exceptionally cute scene.

Ye An took a glance at him, and then another. She fell onto the bed laughing uncontrollably.

Hearing her exaggerated laughing, Xie Shuo knit his eyebrows, unsure what fit she was throwing so early in the day.

Ye An laughed until there were tears in her eyes, and it took a while before she beckoned him over. “Come here.”

Xie Shuo didn’t move. His gaze was cold, seemingly not wanting to put up with her.

Ye An wore her slippers and got out of bed. She walked towards him and reached towards his har.

Xie Shuo subconsciously wanted to brush her hand away, but Ye An pressed down on his shoulders.

“Don’t move! Your hair is sticking up. If you want to go out with your hair sticking up, then I won’t stop you.”

After hearing that phrase, Xie Shuo finally stopped resisting. His complexion turned ugly. 

Ye An stood on her tiptoes and slicked them down, but the strands of hair refused to obey. 

“Wait a minute, don’t move.”

Ye An slipped into her slippers and scampered to the bathroom. She grabbed a styling spray and comb and returned. Just as she began to begin working, she had a new idea. 

She turned around to find her phone. While stifling her smile, she opened the camera and stealthily took a picture of him. She then continued to comb his hair.

“What kind of hairstyle do you want?” Ye An excitedly asked in the midst of spraying, “Middle part? Swept-back? How about… a man bun?”

She cocked her head. “Man buns are currently very popular and trendy. Do you want to try it?”

Xie Shuo instantly turned green.

Before he really got angry, Ye An quickly brushed the remaining hair off of his body and retreated to a safe distance away. 

“Fine, I won’t tease you anymore. Aren’t you afraid of hurting your liver by getting angry so early in the morning?”

Xie Shuo couldn’t see her and therefore couldn’t do anything to her. He left the bedroom with a cold face.

Because he was worried that she would really give him a man bun, he walked only a few steps before being unable to resist touching his hair. Since he wasn’t paying attention, he accidentally stumbled into a cupboard and made a clattering sound, almost falling.

Ye An heard the noise and hurriedly asked, “Are you okay?”

This was asked out of sincerity.

However, Xie Shuo’s face got even uglier. He balanced himself and walked away without looking back. 

“……”

What a terrible temper.

Ye An looked around the layout of the bedroom and thought: Some of the unnecessary furniture should be thrown away. Otherwise, with him bumping into everything all the time, Xie Baiyan would think that she’s purposely mistreating him.

—

After Ye An finished washing up, she changed into a casual cheongsam before heading downstairs to eat breakfast.

Grandfather, Xie Baiyan, and Xie Shuo were all sitting at the dining table. Xie Shuo had already begun eating. 

His movements were elegant and refined due to many years of habit, which steeped into his bones.

In front of Grandfather and Xie Baiyan, Ye An instantly turned gentle and cute. She smiled, calling, “Grandfather.”

She turned to Xie Baiyan. “Father.”

The Old Master smiled. “An An’s awake?”

Ye An glanced at Xie Shuo and then sat by his side.

The meal was eaten in peace and silence.

After eating breakfast, Xie Shuo went back upstairs.

Ye An was called to the side by Xie Baiyan, who reminded her of Xie Shuo’s living preferences and hobbies. She listened patiently and attentively,  occasionally smiling while trying to maintain her “gentle and considerate” wife role.

When he was done, Xie Baiyan took out a card and handed it to her. “Xie Shuo was originally supposed to give it to you, but now it’d be a little inconvenient for him… I’ll have someone deposit 500,000rmb into the card every month. This is for your use.”

Ye An stared at him blankly. 

“If you have anything you need to buy, whether it be clothes or jewelry, just let the butler know. He will help you get it.”

……

500,000rmb a month for spending… buying clothes, jewelry, and whatever else…

Ye An was about to float away.

She suppressed the excitement brewing in her heart and accepted the card calmly. Smiling gracefully, she said, “Thank you, Father.”

Xie Baiyan smiled gently. “Grandfather will stay for a while before going back. I’ll be busy at the company, so I can’t manage family matters. I’ll have to trouble you to do so then…..” He paused and then reiterated, “Spend more time with Xie Shuo.”

Ye An had known long ago why the Xie family wanted her to marry so quickly, so she was not surprised by his request. She nodded demurely. 

Seeing his anxious face, she could help but think of Ye Yuan Nian.

They both played the role of a father, but how come there was such a big difference?

After conversing with Xie Baiyan, Ye An ascended the stairs happily, ready to “take care” of Xie Shuo.

At this moment, Young Master Xie’s problems were completely insignificant in her eyes.

—-

Xie Shuo wasn’t in the bedroom. Ye An searched for a while and finally found him in the studio.

The studio was very spacious, with the bookshelves extending to the innermost side. The curtains were tightly closed, making the originally depressing atmosphere even more lifeless. 

An artificial intelligence unit was installed in the studio, and it was currently narrating something in its mechanical voice. Xie Shuo sat on the sofa and was listening peacefully.

…The sofa really was his one true love.

Ye An knocked on the door as she entered. She first found the remote control and opened the window curtains. 

The surrounding areas brightened instantaneously, adding a warm hue.

Xie Shuo frowned and asked, “Can I help you?”

Ye An, who had just acquired an astronomical sum of money, stated happily, “Nothing, Father just wanted me to spend some time with you.”

She sat near Xie Shuo and asked curiously, “What are you listening to?”

Xie Shuo’s eyelashes drooped, and he ignored her with an indifferent expression.

Last night, she had suddenly disappeared in the middle of her and Shi Shuangshuang’s conversation. Shi Shuangshuang, confused, sent a few consecutive text messages.

Shi Shuangshuang: [???hello?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [I asked for a picture; why’d you suddenly disappear?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [confused_face.jpg]

……

Ye An clasped her phone and began replying to yesterday’s conversation: [Pictures can’t even begin to capture his handsomeness in real life. Someday I’ll show you in real life.[shy.face]]

After a while, a new text came from Shi Shuangshuang.

Shi Shuangshuang: [Did you disappear the other day because you didn’t have any pictures of him?]

Shi Shuangshuang: [[frowny.face] I’m seriously doubting whether or not your Mr. Perfect is real.]

Ye An looked up at Xie Shuo, who was reading a book next to her. How could such an aggravating face be fake?

A light bulb suddenly went off. After finding the picture she took earlier of him with the foolish hair, she cropped it to where only the top of his head could be seen and sent it over. 

Shi Shuangshuang: [???]

Shi Shuangshuang: [What’s that ???]

Ye An: [Some of my handsome husband’s hair.]

Shi Shuangshuang: [???]

Ye An: [Look at the smooth texture of his hair and the perfection of the curvature. Each strand exudes an enchanting charm. This should be enough to prove my husband’s elegance and handsomeness.]

Ye An: [There’s no one in the world that can compare to him! ]

Ye An: [serious_face.jpg]

Shi Shuangshuang: [………]

Are you kidding me?

Shi Shuangshuang felt that she must have married a rich but ugly husband and didn’t want to lose face. This would be why she hid him away and didn’t even notify anyone about the wedding.

~

She thought for a bit and then didn’t pursue this topic anymore: [All’s fine as long as you’re happy. I have to go; there’s a script that I have to finish in these next two days. Talk to you later!]

Unlike Ye An, Shi Shuangshuang was primarily in charge of screenwriting and producing. She would occasionally play a minor role. After sending this text, she continued to work on the manuscript. 

Ye An exited the chat browser and swiped through Weibo in boredom.

It didn’t take long for the AI to finish its narration, and the room was quiet again.

Seeing that Xie Shuo was preparing to tell the AI to switch the reading, Ye An suddenly volunteered, “It’s boring to always listen to the AI read, how about I read to you?”

Xie Shuo inclined his head.

Ye An propped her chin up, saying, “I’ve voice acted for novels before, so I’m an expert at this. Don’t you don’t think my voice is very pleasant to hear?”

Her Weibo even had tens of thousands of fans.

Xie Shuo refused to comment.

Her voice, clear and limpid, was indeed really pleasant to hear. Even if she talked too much, it wouldn’t make others feel annoyed. He was clear on this point from the moment she entered for the first time. 

Without waiting for his rejection, Ye An picked a book up from the table and began to read, seemingly as if she wanted to prove her own abilities. 

A gentle voice slowly sounded, like spring water trickling into the ears. Xie Shuo moved his fingers but did not stop her.

The sun shone outside the window, and the two people sat together, giving off an illusion of warmth.

“How was it? Could you hear the emotions more?” After reading a little less than half the book, Ye An proudly raised her eyebrows.

Xie Shuo still didn’t reply. 

Ye An put the book down and got up to pour a cup of water to drink.

Thinking of the card Xie Baiyan just gave to her, she paused before turning back to ask, “Do you want to drink some tea? Or do you want a cup of coffee instead?”

Xie Shuo closed his eyes. His expression was cold. “No need.”

Ye An was already accustomed to his apathetic character. Without asking, she went to the living room.

Just as she arrived, she saw Aunt Zhou carrying two cups of tea, who was preparing to bring them over.

“Madam. ” Aunt Zhou smiled, addressing her.

Ye An smiled back and took the tray. “Let me carry it.”

Seeing Ye An’s retreating figure, Aunt Zhou showed a gratified expression.

“I put the tea on the side table. If you want it, then just tell me.” Returning to the studio, Ye An clasped her own teacup and sat by Xie Shuo once again.

After leisurely sipping the tea, she raised her head, saying, “You can come and find me to read whatever you want to read later. Magazines, internet news, anything is fine. I’m much better than the AI.” She paused and suddenly smiled. “If I’m in a good mood, I can even sing for you.”

Ye An thought that she was already being gentle and considerate enough. Even if Xie Shuo wasn’t moved, he should at least treat her a little better. Unexpectedly, she heard the man coldy utter one sentence, “Are you that free?”

Ye An, “…..”

Was he poisonous?

Her good mood immediately vanished, and Ye An was angered to the point where she wanted to smash the teacup on his head. 

Forget it,  she would stay for the 500,000rmb monthly allowance!

Ye An took two deep breaths and then reached for the cup of tea that was originally intended for him. She took a sip to relieve her anger. 

Just as she swallowed, the phone beside her began to ring.

Ye An picked up the phone and looked at the called ID. It was Xiang Quan.

She walked to the balcony and accepted the call.

“An An, there’s some bad news…” He paused. “The project ‘Pharmacist’ has been canceled.”

Ye An frowned. “Didn’t Lu Hong already agree to it the other day? How come it’s canceled?”

On the other end of the call, Xiang Quan cursed, saying, “I only just got the news the other day when the other party had already canceled their contract.”

Ye An leaned sideways. Out of her field of vision, Xie Shuo fumbled around to grasp the cup of tea on the table.

……

Author’s Note: Xiao Ye: want some tea?

Xiao Xie: no. 

……

A few minutes later…

Xiao Xie: smells good.

Xiao Xie is so tsundere. In these coming days, he’ll show off often!O(–)O~