An Nuan could barely walk. She closed her eyes, squatted on the ground, and rested.
She had originally planned to go back for her phone, but remembering that Xu Ruowei and those people were still inside, she gave up the idea.
Her mind was blank, and she was thinking about what she should do next.
But just then, someone appeared. When An Nuan looked up, she saw Nangong Jin appearing before her like a savior. Her eyes were filled with gratitude.
He had appeared, the person she had been longing for, finally appeared.
She had been holding on, telling herself not to fall. She had managed to do so before seeing Nangong Jin. But after seeing him, all her resistance crumbled, and she threw herself into his arms.
"You're here, you're finally here, you're here, it's so good," An Nuan murmured, a smile on her face. She looked completely relieved, a relaxation that couldn't be faked.
Nangong Jin's originally dark and worried face instantly relaxed the moment he saw An Nuan.
He had been almost driven mad when he couldn't find her.
He had considered every possibility, every bad outcome.
He even started to blame himself. Why did he have to leave An Nuan alone? He should have been by her side at all times.
He even began to hate himself.
Nangong Jin was usually a man of self-control, but when it came to An Nuan, he could truly go mad.
Shen Xizhou had left, but he returned. He couldn't stop thinking about An Nuan, even worrying about what danger she might encounter after he was gone.
He thought, if An Nuan hated him and resented him, then let her hate him.
He would just watch her from afar.
After a long time, Shen Xizhou convinced himself. But when he appeared, he saw An Nuan and Nangong Jin embracing.
An Nuan leaned into Nangong Jin's arms, and Nangong Jin whispered words of comfort in her ear. At that moment, Shen Xizhou knew he had lost. There was no comparison between him and Nangong Jin anymore.
Shen Xizhou stood rooted to the spot, not leaving, just watching quietly.
By now, he hated himself deeply. He even wondered if An Nuan would be in his arms now if he hadn't left.
He stared coldly at Nangong Jin, thinking that if Nangong Jin hadn't entered An Nuan's life, perhaps he and An Nuan wouldn't be in this situation.
Yan Bai had seen all of this. He had even considered letting Shen Xizhou come back earlier. But when he saw this scene, he said nothing.
This was what Shen Xizhou had given up himself.
He had given up such a good opportunity, and now, he would truly never have another chance.
Shen Xizhou's face was grim. He hid in a distant corner, watching everything that was happening around him. He knew he should leave now, not stay here.
But he couldn't bring himself to leave.
Nangong Jin felt the cold gaze from not far away, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
Now, the only one he cared about was An Nuan.
An Nuan, at this moment, didn't sense Shen Xizhou. Her heart was filled with gratitude towards Nangong Jin.
In Nangong Jin's arms, she felt a sense of security she had never experienced before.
She wondered how Nangong Jin had found her? Did he appear here because he couldn't find her?
Remembering Shen Xizhou walking away without a backward glance, An Nuan's eyes were filled with disappointment.
She thought that Nangong Jin and Shen Xizhou were different.
Shen Xizhou wanted too many things, so many that he didn't know how to go about it himself.
By Shen Xizhou's side, she had never been unconditionally trusted. He had never unconditionally chosen to help her. Shen Xizhou had things he cared about, and he indeed considered many factors.
But with Nangong Jin, it had never been like this.
Nangong Jin had always considered her his only one.
"Nangong Jin, thank goodness you're here."
An Nuan said with great emotion, looking at Nangong Jin gratefully.
Hearing An Nuan's words, Nangong Jin tightened his grip.
"An Nuan, you called me, and I just happened to pick up. But when I asked, there was no sound, so I knew something bad must have happened."
"You must have been in danger, and I quickly had Huo Yuxuan investigate."
"However, even though I found you, I let you suffer so much."
"An Nuan, I'm sorry, it's my fault for not protecting you well enough, which caused you to get hurt again."
An Nuan recalled dialing Nangong Jin's number. She didn't know if it had gone through, but Xu Ruowei had snatched it and thrown it into a corner.
Nangong Jin had actually received the call.
She even felt a little fortunate that Nangong Jin had received it.
"Nangong Jin, it's so good to have you." An Nuan said gratefully.
"Nuan Nuan, I told you, you don't need to be so polite to me. But it seems you never remember."
"You always seem to be thanking me."
"An Nuan, you know, I never need your thanks."
"Nangong Jin, I know, but I..." An Nuan said softly.
She felt that with Nangong Jin, she had no other way to express her gratitude besides apologizing.
"An Nuan, we're getting married soon, have you forgotten?" An Nuan was about to continue her thanks but was interrupted by Nangong Jin's words.
"Nuan Nuan, you are the person I care about most in this life, and the person I will protect with my life."
"Nuan Nuan, from now on, please don't say these polite words anymore, okay?"
"Nangong Jin, I..."
An Nuan hesitated. The words of thanks on her lips couldn't be spoken.
She looked at Nangong Jin, unsure of what to say for a moment.
"An Nuan, is there something I've done wrong?"
Hearing Nangong Jin's words, An Nuan's expression changed drastically. She shook her head and said, "No, it's not."
"Nangong Jin, I..."
Nangong Jin hugged her directly, stood up, and prepared to take her away.
An Nuan's arms wrapped around his neck, and her head rested on his shoulder. She whispered, "Nangong Jin, you know? I thought just now that if you hadn't appeared, I wouldn't have wanted to live."
"Those people wouldn't have let me go. They wanted to humiliate me."
"But I didn't want to do anything that would betray you, not even if I was forced."
"Nangong Jin, if you hadn't appeared, I..."
"An Nuan, don't say any more," Nangong Jin's voice was filled with pain as he looked at An Nuan. He knew very well what An Nuan would have done if he hadn't appeared.
But he didn't want to hear it, nor did he want to face it.
An Nuan seemed to want to continue, but at this moment, Nangong Jin interrupted her by speaking first.
"An Nuan, what's past is past. Don't talk about it anymore."
"I know you believe in yourself more."
"But An Nuan, if you encounter such a situation again, I hope even more that you will protect your own life."
"As long as you protect your life, everything else will follow."
Nangong Jin whispered gently in An Nuan's ear, "An Nuan, no matter what happens, you and I are the most important. I will protect you for the rest of my life."