Chapter 166 We are husband and wife, but not that close.

In the dim light, a powerful, robust, and slightly acrid masculine aura enveloped Jiang Shiyuan's stiff body.

She slid down an inch from the wall, her tense body filled with thoughts of escape.

Xie Jinghuai lowered her head, her tall body pressing down, and in the shadows cast, her eyes shone like black diamonds moistened by raindrops.

His eyes darkened, and he couldn't help but want to get closer to her.

Their toes accidentally collided.

In the past, he would get annoyed and avoid her if she got even a little close. What's wrong with him now? What kind of weird temper is he having?

"If it weren't for Grandma's presence, I would have slapped you the moment you touched me," Jiang Shiyuan said, her lips trembling slightly with anger.

What are you pretending for?

Xie Jinghuai felt a lump in his throat, but a mocking smile curled his thin lips. "Jiang Shiyuan, you've slept with me for five years. Don't you feel ashamed to say things like that so often?"

"Five years? It's probably not even 2.5 years."

Jiang Shiyuan retorted, laying bare his coldness, arrogance, and hypocrisy in front of him, "Ask yourself honestly, have we been husband and wife for the past five years?"

Her sharp gaze, like a cold dagger pressed against Xie Jinghuai's Adam's apple, made his breath hitch.

"At least half the time, you're either with Lin Zhixin or accompanying her all over the world to see doctors. Even when you're home, the time we spend sleeping in the same bed each week is very limited."

She sneered, "Xie Jinghuai, we were husband and wife, but actually, we weren't that close."

The man's eyes welled up with tears, and he said urgently, "Lin Zhixin and I..."

Jiang Shiyuan smiled, "It's all innocent; you just treat her like a younger sister."

Xie Jinghuai was having difficulty breathing, and the muscles in his arms, which were supporting him against the wall, were extremely taut.

“You always say that I have wronged you and misunderstood you, but my mother has always told me that you should not look at what a person says, but at what he does.”

Jiang Shiyuan's eyes were filled with complete relief, without a trace of resentment or unwillingness. "Where your heart is, your body will inevitably gravitate towards. Your mouth can lie, but your body is honest enough."

Xie Jinghuai's Adam's apple bobbed dryly, and he was about to defend himself when Aunt Feng's voice came from outside:

"Young Master, Young Madam, are you both inside? The Old Madam is all ready; you may leave now."

"Okay, I'm coming right away." Jiang Shiyuan nimbly bent down and slipped under Xie Jinghuai's stiff arm, pushed open the door and quickly disappeared.

The half-open door cast a shadow over the man's handsome face, making it appear as if half of it was in light and half in darkness, shrouded in a somber gloom.

The familiar, warm scent still lingered in the air.

Unlike the sophisticated perfume scent on Lin Zhixin, it had a light soapy fragrance, ordinary, elegant, and simple, which was completely out of place with the extravagant lifestyle he was immersed in every day.

In my memory, this kind of smell used to permeate every corner of Guanlan Garden, but since Jiang Shiyuan left, the huge house, even with servants everywhere, has seemed particularly deserted.

Xie Jinghuai was somewhat dazed. He reached out his arm, his five fingers spread wide, then clenched tightly, as if trying to hold onto something.

But they didn't manage to grasp anything.

...

No patient wants to lie in a hospital room all day long.

Especially for older women like the old lady, as long as her mind and body allow, she will try her best to go out for a stroll, no matter where she goes. As long as she can breathe fresh air and has her children around her, she will feel satisfied and happy.

After all, she didn't know how much longer she could have such days.

The old lady sat by the lake in the hospital's back garden, basking in the sun. Jiang Shiyuan bent down to cover her grandmother with a soft blanket, and when she stretched out her arm, her fair wrists were revealed.

What a beautiful pair of fair skin and delicate bones.

Xie Jinghuai lowered his gaze, staring intently at the small section of skin she revealed, his eyes darkening.

"Ah Yuan, why aren't you wearing the jade bracelet Grandma gave you? It's a really nice piece of jewelry!"

The old lady grasped her slender wrist tightly. "Don't you like it?"

"How could that be? I really like it, but the bracelet is too expensive, and I don't have any occasions to attend, so wearing it every day would be too flashy."

Jiang Shiyuan quickly explained, afraid that her grandmother would misunderstand, "Besides, I'm a very careless person, prone to bumps and bruises, and I can't wear such expensive jewelry. I'm afraid I'll break it, so I've carefully kept it."

"Silly girl, jewelry is meant to be worn. What's the point of putting it away? You are the young mistress of the Xie family. These clothes are not only a symbol of your status but also a mirror to reveal your true nature. They will make some overconfident vixens look on in the dust and back down." As she spoke, the old lady winked at Xie Jinghuai.

The man was so engrossed in looking at Jiang Shiyuan's wrist that he completely missed his grandmother's implied meaning.

Jiang Shiyuan understood, but she didn't take it seriously.

Her feelings for her grandmother were genuine. But her relationship with Xie Jinghuai was merely a facade, a pretense.

"Just wear it confidently, and Grandma will buy you another one if it breaks."

The old lady glanced at Xie Jinghuai, growing increasingly displeased with him. Her tone was authoritative as she said, "Jinghuai, when will you openly reveal your wife's identity? You've already wronged Ayuan for five whole years. Are you going to continue like this?"

The man paused slightly, but before he could speak, Jiang Shiyuan spoke first:

"Thank you for your kindness, Grandma, but I'm very satisfied with my current situation. I never liked going out in public or socializing anyway, so this way I have more time to do what I like and I won't interfere too much with Jinghuai's life. He's free and easy, and I'm happy to have some peace and quiet. It's really great."

Xie Jinghuai gazed at the woman's beautiful profile, his brows furrowed.

This statement is watertight.

But listening to it made him inexplicably uncomfortable.

The old lady looked at her grandson, growing angrier with each glance. "Hey, you stupid brat, did you hear what I said? What are you thinking?"

The man pursed his thin lips and said in a deep voice, "I respect A-Yuan's thoughts. Whatever she wants, she can have."

The old lady shook her head repeatedly, her face filled with resentment.

In contrast, Jiang Shiyuan remained indifferent, as if he were detached from the matter.

How could Xie Jinghuai possibly agree to go public? He would never allow his sister Zhixin to suffer the slightest injustice, be caught in a media storm, or become the target of public criticism.

"Alright, alright, I'm just an old lady, I don't understand the marriage views of young people these days. Anyway, you two must be happy together. I have no wishes in my life, I just hope your marriage will be happy... I'm going down now, so I can give your grandfather an explanation."

The old lady sighed, took Jiang Shiyuan's hand with her left hand, and pulled Xie Jinghuai's hand with her right hand, placing her slender, soft hand in her warm, broad palm.

She was about to let them hold her hand by force.

Unexpectedly, the next second, Xie Jinghuai suddenly pulled her hand in his own hands and squeezed her fair fingertips until they turned red.

Jiang Shiyuan panicked instantly, biting her lip and trying to pull away, but she couldn't move at all.

"Grandma, please rest assured, we will." Xie Jinghuai's lips curled slightly, his eyes as deep as the sea.

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened.

Standing on the opposite shore of the lake were none other than Fu Chenzhou and his mother.

At this moment, Fu Chenzhou's astonished gaze unexpectedly met his cold, competitive eyes.