“Don’t be anxious, Hua Yan is outside. I’ll just take a look and leave,” Jin Mo comforted. “First, tell me how your eyes became like this.” Those once-beautiful eyes now lacked focus and light. What had happened after she left? What hadn’t Hua Yan told her?
Xu Yi lowered his head, not wanting anyone to see his lifeless eyes, and whispered, “This has nothing to do with you. Please leave.”
Jin Mo’s heart ached. Wasn’t he the man she loved? How could it be unrelated? How much had he suffered these past two years? Jin Mo said tenderly, “I’ve learned some medical skills. I can cure your eyes.”
“No, I don’t want treatment,” Xu Yi said, shaking his head. “After I went blind, she said she would marry me. Sometimes she still comes to see me. This is good enough.”
“But you can’t see. Aren’t you afraid? Do you want to stay like this forever?” Jin Mo’s heart was heavy, but her voice remained gentle.
“As long as she comes to see me, it’s fine,” Xu Yi’s tone was stubborn. Of course, he hoped to see her face, but he was afraid that if his eyes healed, he would be abandoned again. He would rather live in darkness than lose her. As long as he could be with her, what more could he want?
Jin Mo watched Xu Yi silently. Feeling Jin Mo’s gaze, Xu Yi lowered his head further. “Please leave. This is my boudoir. I’m about to get married. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Won’t you marry me? I won’t mind your past. As long as you’re willing to marry me,” Jin Mo urged softly, unwilling to let go after so many years.
Xu Yi fell silent. He knew the second young lady cared for him and wanted to marry him, promising fidelity. He yearned for someone to love him deeply, unlike his father’s relationship with his mother. The second young lady could offer him that life, ignoring his lost innocence. He should feel content, but his heart belonged to someone else. He would rather be a concubine, happy with any attention.
