Nangong Jin watched the video of An Nuan, curled up in a corner, being bullied. The people tormenting her showed no signs of stopping, and they poured water directly over her head.
Even through the screen, it felt incredibly cold.
An Nuan was trembling all over.
Nangong Jin felt an overwhelming pain, and he couldn't even imagine how An Nuan had persevered and survived at that time.
And how could those people have brought themselves to do such a thing?
In the video, An Nuan was wearing thin clothes in the dead of winter, her feet bare. Her lips were deathly pale, and her hands were injured. Yet, despite this, those people still didn't let her go, continuing to hit and kick her.
Nangong Jin's heart felt as if it were being slowly carved into pieces. He knew that An Nuan had suffered immensely over those years, and his heart felt as if it were being tightly squeezed.
At this moment, he didn't know what to say.
As Nangong Jin was watching intently, he noticed Xu Ruo Wei appear.
It was then that Nangong Jin realized that everything had been orchestrated by Xu Ruo Wei.
That woman deserved to die. An Nuan had said to let her go, but he felt he truly couldn't. An Nuan, perhaps this time I will break my promise.
Nangong Jin sneered at Shen Xizhou, "Shen Xizhou, look carefully. It's all because of you that An Nuan went through all this."
"Heh, Shen Xizhou, what right or face do you have to stand before An Nuan?"
"Shen Xizhou, get lost."
"And that Xu Ruo Wei you're so keen on protecting, you'd better keep a close eye on her, or I'll make her regret it for the rest of her life."
After speaking, Nangong Jin directly took An Nuan's hand and left.
He didn't want to stay there; everything felt suffocating, making it impossible for him to breathe.
Nangong Jin kept running, completely forgetting that An Nuan was still behind him. He had been dragging her along and now began to worry if An Nuan could keep up.
At this moment, he turned around and looked at An Nuan, her face filled with weariness, and said cautiously, "An Nuan, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
"An Nuan, I didn't mean to. I just... I just really didn't want to stay there, so I ran out."
"An Nuan, why, with so many things happening to you, have you never spoken up for yourself?"
"An Nuan, why didn't you tell me about these things?"
Nangong Jin had too many questions at this moment. Yet, after asking, he found himself unable to ask anything more as he met An Nuan's gaze.
After a long while, An Nuan finally spoke again, "Nangong Jin, those things are in the past. I don't want to bring them up again."
Seeing the look of heartache on Nangong Jin's face, An Nuan reached out and placed her hand on his forehead, gently stroking it. She whispered, "Nangong Jin, those painful times are over. I don't want to recall them anymore."
"My memories are bitter, my first half of life was difficult. But in the second half of my life, I met you, and that was my happiest time. I don't want to let past events make me unhappy."
"Nangong Jin, I don't want to touch upon the past anymore."
"Nangong Jin, please, can we not talk about the past?" An Nuan said these words almost pleadingly.
Nangong Jin looked at An Nuan's humble, pleading eyes and felt immense heartache.
No, that wasn't what he intended. What he wanted to say was never like this.
He felt for An Nuan; he wanted to protect her.
However, he suddenly felt that his questioning was actually a burden to An Nuan, and it would only bring back those unpleasant memories.
Taking a deep breath, Nangong Jin adjusted his emotions.
He embraced An Nuan and whispered in her ear, "An Nuan, I'm sorry. It was me. I wasn't good enough. I shouldn't have dwelled on your past."
An Nuan shook her head and said earnestly to Nangong Jin, "I know, you're worried about me, you care about me."
"You're even afraid that I'll still be bothered by past events."
"But Nangong Jin, I can tell you with certainty, no, I never think about the past."
"Do you know? Being by your side is the happiest time for me. I don't want to think about those painful things anymore."
Nangong Jin said nothing, only holding An Nuan tightly in his arms. In his heart, he secretly vowed. He would protect An Nuan well and would never let her experience those painful things again.
...
Everything seemed to have returned to peace.
And Shen Xizhou had not appeared.
An Nuan and Nangong Jin's wedding date was drawing closer.
On this day, they were supposed to go shopping for wedding shoes together. However, as Nangong Jin and An Nuan left, something happened at the company on the way. Nangong Jin initially didn't want to go, thinking he could leave it to Huo Yuxuan.
An Nuan seemed to have seen through Nangong Jin's intention and said earnestly, "If Huo Yuxuan could handle it, he wouldn't have called. It must be something tricky. You should go."
Nangong Jin looked at An Nuan and said firmly, "No need. I'll stay with you."
"As for that collaboration, if it doesn't happen, then so be it."
"An Nuan, I will not let you go alone again because of company matters."
An Nuan had no choice but to yield to Nangong Jin's persistence. Finally, her gaze fell on Nangong Jin, and she said with determination, "I won't go either."
Nangong Jin looked at An Nuan, his brow furrowed slightly, and said with some displeasure, "An Nuan, you know, nothing is more important than you."
"That money is endless, but there is only one you in this world."
"I don't want to put you in danger again, like before."
"An Nuan, so many things have happened, and I'm scared. Every time you come back safe, it's heaven's greatest gift to me. But I can't afford to take any more risks."
"I also said that today I am here to accompany you, and no matter what you say, my decision will be the same."
An Nuan looked at Nangong Jin helplessly and said, "I'll go to the company with you."
Nangong Jin: "..."
Seeing Nangong Jin in a daze, An Nuan chuckled slightly, "After we finish at the company, we can still go look at wedding shoes. That should be fine."
"After all, the shoes are there, and they won't disappear out of thin air."
Nangong Jin listened, a smile appearing on his face, "Yes, you're right."
In the end, they went to the company together.
Nangong Jin went to the conference room, while An Nuan stayed in the lounge. However, at this moment, her phone rang. The moment An Nuan answered the call and heard the voice on the other end, her face turned extremely grim.
"Xu Ruo Wei, I'm coming right away. Don't do anything rash."
After speaking, An Nuan wanted to call Nangong Jin, but thinking he was in a meeting, she ultimately chose not to.
Her gaze fell on the paper and pen nearby. She wrote a sentence and then left quickly.