Su Ziyan had hardly ever heard Xu Duyan speak to him in that tone in all his life.
He could almost picture his elder sister’s tearful eyes looking at him, and he nearly reached out to pull her into his arms.
But in the end, he just gritted his teeth and said, “I’m sorry. I was just too emotional. I need to go back to my room and calm down.”
Then he returned to his bedroom and locked the door.
Watching Su Ziyan’s retreating back, Xu Duyan saw his hesitation and couldn’t help but feel that if she tried hard enough, there might still be a chance.
After all, back when Su Ziyan was in university, there had been many times she had nearly lost her composure and embarked on a relationship with him that defied all ethics.
So she knew even better how to break down his defenses.
Once she made her decision, something as simple as playing pitiful and weak was easy.
But she forgot that if the Su Ziyan from back then had treated her like this, she would have rather left him than be with him.
Afterward, she chose to hire two employees. She only handled the flower shop’s affairs perfunctorily during the day, shifting more of her work hours to the night.
She pushed herself to work harder at night so she could have more time to stick by Su Ziyan’s side during the day.
This was undoubtedly a gradual process of slowly increasing the time spent together. If she increased it too much all at once, Su Ziyan would likely notice and become wary.
And just as she understood Su Ziyan, he understood her too. In less than a week, he noticed her unusual behavior. Facing Su Ziyan’s probing, Xu Duyan chose the most effective method.
That was to play pitiful.
“Because the flower shop doesn’t really require that much from me anymore. It was busier before only because it had just opened and was a mess. Now that it’s on track, I don’t need to waste so much time there.”
“Ziyan, do you find it annoying having your sister at home? If you prefer to be alone, I’ll just stay in my room. If you like having the house to yourself, then I’ll stay at the flower shop during the day.”
Every time she finished saying these things, even Xu Duyan herself felt she was being manipulative. But there was no denying it, this tactic had been incredibly effective against Su Ziyan this past week, leaving him defenseless and in retreat.
Until, one month after that heart-to-heart talk, the amount of time Xu Duyan spent at home each day had grown very long. Finally unable to restrain herself, on a certain afternoon, she gently hugged Su Ziyan from behind.
Su Ziyan’s sense of touch had become keen since losing his sight. The hot breath from Xu Duyan on the nape of his neck made his body go weak. What was even more overwhelming was when Xu Duyan directly stuck out her tongue and lightly licked his neck, causing him to go completely limp in her arms.
Not sensing any resistance, Xu Duyan directly kissed Su Ziyan on the lips, while her small hands began wandering restlessly over his body.
Since being discharged from the hospital, with little else to do at home besides listening to videos, Su Ziyan often chose to exercise to keep his body fit. As a result, his physique had actually improved compared to before the accident.
Starting from this kiss, Xu Duyan seemed to ignite a flame in her heart. That long-suppressed, morbid, and twisted affection spread through her. She suddenly wanted to take Su Ziyan right there on the floor.
The kiss lasted a long time, leaving them both nearly breathless. By the time it ended, Su Ziyan’s clothes were almost torn off by Xu Duyan.
Xu Duyan desperately wanted to go further, but then she saw Su Ziyan’s expressionless face and vacant eyes.
Su Ziyan said softly, “Is that enough? If it is, could you let me go?”
That icy demeanor filled Xu Duyan with a groundless fear. She was just about to try and explain something when Su Ziyan’s words cut her off.
“If it’s enough, I’ll go back to my bedroom first.”
Su Ziyan said as he stood up and straightened his clothes.
“I’m tired. I want to go back and sleep, Elder Sister.”
Then he left without looking back.
Xu Duyan watched his retreating figure, unable to speak. Even though Su Ziyan’s reaction had been calm, it made her heart palpitate with unease.
She wanted to get up and follow him, but Su Ziyan had already closed the bedroom door and locked it from the inside.
She could, of course, go get the key and open the bedroom door. But she knew that if she opened that door, Su Ziyan wouldn’t remain as calm as he was now.
What she didn’t expect was that this very act solidified Su Ziyan’s resolve to leave her.
The next day, Su Ziyan remained cold towards her. For some reason, this coldness frightened her. So, after finishing lunch, instead of clinging to Su Ziyan to sunbathe together, she chose to go work at the flower shop.
What she never anticipated was that shortly after she left, Su Ziyan took his cane and left the house.
Using his phone’s navigation in accessibility mode, he first went to a pharmacy.
“Hello, I haven’t been able to sleep well lately.”
Su Ziyan approached the counter and asked, “Do you have sleeping pills?”
The pharmacy counter was staffed by a young woman with a gentle voice. She was silent for a moment before replying that they did, but he could sense her surprise, as she asked him many questions afterward.
He smiled and answered each one. After all, it was normal for her to ask so many questions when a blind person came to buy such medication.
“You can see my eyes. I lost my sight in an accident a while ago.”
Su Ziyan took off his sunglasses. “Because of that accident, I can’t sleep now. I feel neurasthenic, so I was hoping to buy some sleeping pills.”
“I understand your concern. My mental state is quite healthy. The reason I want to buy so many is simply because, in my current condition, frequent trips downstairs for shopping aren’t practical. I thought it would be easier to buy a larger amount at once.”
After going back and forth for a long time, Su Ziyan finally got what he wanted: a whole bottle of sleeping pills.
Then he turned on his navigation again and headed for a deserted park.
It was late autumn. With every step he took, he could hear the sound of dried leaves crunching under his feet.
Arriving at the park, he sat down on a dilapidated bench.
He called out a few times, “Is anyone there?” but there was no sound around him.
This made him feel at ease. It proved there was no one else around, and he wouldn’t be causing trouble for anyone.
He took out the medicine bottle and toyed with it in his hand, thinking.
After all, one needs to be mentally prepared for something like this.
When did he first have this thought?
Probably about a week after he lost his sight. At that time, feelings of powerlessness and despair engulfed him.
Although his elder sister was by his side taking care of him, even blind, he could sense the sorrow emanating from her.
Xu Duyan had looked at him while he slept and secretly cried more than once.
At first, Su Ziyan naturally didn’t know, but after it happened enough times, he became aware of it.
At that time, regret and remorse haunted him. More than once, he thought it would have been better if he had just died.