To seek Xia Wanqing's help, but whether Xia Wanqing would agree was another matter entirely.
However, since she held leverage over Xia Wanqing, she was confident that even if Xia Wanqing was unwilling, she would eventually agree.
It was truly thanks to An Nuan that she was able to gain this leverage over Xia Wanqing.
...
An Nuan arrived at the agreed-upon location.
This was a new collaboration project that Nan Gongjin had secured for her. She had stayed up for several nights working on it.
She wanted to do her best, to not disappoint Nan Gongjin. She wanted to prove herself even more.
She hoped her abilities would be recognized.
An Nuan arrived at the agreed-upon place, but at this moment, the other party in the collaboration stated they were delayed and would inform her later.
An Nuan replied, "Okay." She waited at the agreed-upon location.
Since she didn't know when the other party would arrive, what if she left and they showed up? Therefore, she chose to wait on the spot.
Besides, she didn't find anything particularly interesting about the place.
As An Nuan was waiting for the collaborator, lost in thought, she noticed a figure blocking her line of sight.
Had the collaborator arrived?
An Nuan quickly stood up, extending her hand to shake hands with the collaborator, when she heard a cold sneer.
At this moment, An Nuan realized something was amiss.
She looked up, and as her gaze met Shen Xizhou's rather terrifying eyes, she hesitated.
Why was Shen Xizhou here?
Moreover, the look in his eyes seemed as if he wanted to destroy her. She thought she hadn't offended him.
So, what did he want by appearing here now?
Was it a chance encounter, or had he come specifically looking for her?
An Nuan thought for a moment and immediately dismissed all these thoughts.
Regardless of what he wanted, what she needed to do now was to avoid any contact with him.
An Nuan retracted the hand she had extended.
But at this moment, Shen Xizhou grabbed her hand himself and directly pinched her chin.
He looked at An Nuan coldly, his eyes filled with hatred.
An Nuan had no idea what Shen Xizhou wanted; her eyes were filled with confusion.
She struggled forcefully, and finally, Shen Xizhou released her hand.
An Nuan stepped back, her eyes wary, and said coldly to Shen Xizhou, "Shen Xizhou, what are you doing?"
Shen Xizhou's sudden appearance and then his actions towards her left An Nuan completely bewildered.
Had he been wronged by Xu Ruowei and was now taking it out on her?
An Nuan really wanted to slap him, but her hand was tightly held by Shen Xizhou, making it impossible for her to even hit someone.
"An Nuan, what did you do to make Huo Yunshen speak for you?"
"For you, Huo Yunshen has been relentlessly slandering Ruowei in front of me."
Shen Xizhou's cold voice rang out.
His gaze fell on An Nuan, and he saw that she was looking at him with innocence and confusion.
But the more she looked like this, the more Shen Xizhou loathed and hated An Nuan.
Heh, was this her usual tactic? Perhaps Huo Yunshen had also been deceived by her.
"And what means did you use to make Nan Gongjin so devoted to you? An Nuan, you are truly amazing. I underestimated you before."
"Did you serve them well for them to be so devoted to doing things for you?"
Serve them well.
Shen Xizhou remained the same, spewing hurtful and humiliating words as easily as ever.
An Nuan looked at the man before her with eyes full of anger and hatred.
She didn't want to say anything more to Shen Xizhou. She especially didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.
Most importantly, the collaborators might appear at any moment, and she couldn't let them misunderstand anything. This collaboration was incredibly important to her. She didn't want to lose this collaboration due to someone irrelevant.
As Shen Xizhou moved closer, An Nuan instinctively tried to push him away without thinking.
She didn't want to see this man in front of her.
But Shen Xizhou grabbed her hand and said coldly, "What's wrong? Are you embarrassed because I've exposed your dirty deeds?"
"Are you afraid that if I reveal everything you've done, you'll lose face and won't be able to face me? Is that why you're pushing me away?"
An Nuan tried to pull her hand away, feeling that Shen Xizhou had truly gone mad. He and Xu Ruowei were quite a match, always coming to trouble her.
An Nuan stopped struggling, as she realized she couldn't break free, so she decisively gave up.
Her face turned cold as she looked at Shen Xizhou. "Shen Xizhou, are you a mad dog? You bark at people every now and then."
"When did I ever offend you?"
"Heh, offend you?"
Shen Xizhou suddenly laughed, his sinister gaze fixed on An Nuan, and he said mockingly, "Heh, An Nuan, you're really good at pretending. Do you really think that with Nan Gongjin, all the evil things you've done will disappear?"
"Let me tell you, those things will follow you forever."
"An Nuan, after doing so many dirty deeds, what? You won't admit it? Are you starting to pretend now?"
"Shen Xizhou, if you're looking for attention from me, then I can only say that I have no feelings for you."
"Now, we have no relationship whatsoever, so please, don't appear in front of me again, can you?"
An Nuan knew that Shen Xizhou would never believe what she said.
She said coldly, "Shen Xizhou, I know the person you care about most is Xu Ruowei. Tell me, if Xu Ruowei knew you came to see me behind her back, would she be furious?"
"Heh, An Nuan, even now, you're still scheming against Ruowei."
"An Nuan, you are a devil, a true devil."
"Ruowei is so kind, how could you have done that to her?"
Shen Xizhou was not afraid at all, and said coldly, "You want Ruowei to come and see all this? But forget about it."
"Ruowei will not come."
"Because she is happily picking out her wedding dress right now."
"She will soon become the happiest woman in the world."
"And you, An Nuan, will become the most pathetic person in the world."
"Do you think Nan Gongjin truly loves you? Even if Nan Gongjin accepts you, will his family accept you?"
"Nan Gongjin might be shameless, but the Nan Gong family has a reputation to uphold. They will never allow someone of your status to marry Nan Gongjin."
"An Nuan, the happier you are now, the more you will regret it in the future."
Listening to Shen Xizhou's words, An Nuan felt that there was something wrong with him.
Even if these things were as he said, they were entirely her business. What did it have to do with him?