Chapter 201
"I just had Steward Zhong boil some herbal soup, I'm going downstairs to get it," Ye Jinghuai still left.
He said something she didn't understand and left.
What does he mean by torturing him?
She sincerely wanted him to accompany her tonight.
Calling what, torture?
Fortunately.
Ye Jinghuai really only left for a short while.
He brought the herbal soup and walked to her.
He first put the soup on the nightstand, then bent down to pick her up and prop her up against the headboard.
Only then did he pick up the soup again, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to her warm lips, "Open your mouth." Ye Jinghuai said.
An Nuan obediently opened her mouth.
She could actually drink the medicine herself.
But she just couldn't seem to refuse Ye Jinghuai.
She just couldn't seem to refuse anything from him.
Ye Jinghuai fed a spoonful of soup into An Nuan's mouth.
After An Nuan took a sip, "So bitter." The bitterness made An Nuan's features all scrunch up.
"Good medicine tastes bitter," Ye Jinghuai said.
"But it's too bitter," An Nuan refused the second mouthful.
"Be good, I'll give you candy after you finish drinking it."
"Can you put the sugar directly in the medicine?"
"No," Ye Jinghuai refused.
An Nuan looked at Ye Jinghuai aggrievedly with her face full of grievance.
"This is a secret family remedy handed down in our family. I used to get injured a lot as a kid and drank this every time, and my body recovered very quickly," Ye Jinghuai explained.
"You used to get injured a lot as a kid?" An Nuan asked.
She was still somewhat surprised.
Ye Jinghuai was born wealthy, taken care of from childhood to adulthood, how could he get injured a lot?
"Drink the medicine first, then I'll tell you about it," Ye Jinghuai said straightforwardly, as if noticing An Nuan's doubts.
An Nuan hesitated for a moment.
Admit it.
She just really wanted to know what kind of person Ye Jinghuai was.
She gritted her teeth and nodded.
An Nuan drank down most of the bowl of bitter medicine one sip at a time.
So bitter.
She felt her entire mouth had lost all sensation.
At that moment, she suddenly saw Ye JInghuai's hand holding a White Rabbit milk candy.
Watching as Ye Jinghuai unwrapped it, he placed the candy by An Nuan's lips.
An Nuan opened her mouth, even somewhat impatiently wanting to eat the sweet candy.
But the moment she opened her mouth-
"Mm-" An Nuan's eyes widened.
She did taste the sweetness of the candy.
But what she tasted was the flavor inside his mouth.
The White Rabbit milk candy that Ye Jinghuai had didn't make it into her mouth. Instead, the moment she opened her mouth, he popped it into his own mouth, then deeply kissed her.
So this is...
The sweetness that the rumors describe when kissing?!
So sweet that An Nuan was completely enraptured.
In the quiet room.
Two bodies, held tightly together.
Lips pressed tightly, kissing deeply.
A long time.
So long that An Nuan felt as if time had stopped forever in that moment.
Only then did Ye Jinghuai part from her lips.
He parted from her somewhat swollen lips.
There was already color in his eyes.
But his body didn't make any other moves.
His eyes just kept staring at her rosy lips. His perfect lips opened slightly, "Still bitter?"
An Nuan's face turned red beyond compare.
Now her whole mouth was filled with...the flavor of White Rabbit milk candy.
"Want another piece?" Ye JInghuai asked her.
It felt as if Ye Jinghuai was treating her like a little girl, doting on her to the extreme.
"No more," An Nuan actually didn't like sweets.
Just now was only because it was too bitter.
Alright.
She was now starting to suspect whether in the future, she might grow to love the taste of candy.
"Then go to bed early, it's very late now,"
"Do you want to sleep?" An Nuan suddenly asked him.
"Miss An, sleep has many meanings," Ye Jinghuai solemnly reminded her.
An Nuan knew he was deliberately teasing her.
But she seemed to not dislike it so much anymore.
She told Ye Jinghuai very seriously at that moment, "I want to chat with you."
Ye Jinghuai's throat moved slightly.
He had probably guessed what An Nuan wanted to talk about.
He nodded, "Go ahead."
It was very late now.
After everything that had happened tonight, they should both be very tired.
But An Nuan at that moment truly couldn't fall asleep for even a second.
She looked at Ye Jinghuai's overly handsome face. She took a deep breath and asked, "Ye Jinghuai, do you care about my body?"
"Of course," Ye Jinghuai answered without hesitation, very definitively.
"Do you care about my first time?"
"I care a lot," his tone was clearly heavier.
An Nuan couldn't help biting her lip.
She felt that Ye Jinghuai was completely not following her line of questioning.
Normally after what happened tonight, as the man in this situation, shouldn't he be saying that what he cares about is only her heart?!
His tone was so definitive, how was she supposed to continue?
An Nuan stared at Ye Jinghuai.
Ye Jinghuai smiled instead, and said, "When loving a woman, you care about everything about her, including whether even a single strand of hair has been touched by another man."
An Nuan knew it.
Men were the creatures in this world that you could expect the least from.
"But caring doesn't mean disdaining," Ye Jinghuai said sincerely. "I've said that I will never disdain you."
So.
There was another layer of meaning to what Ye Jinghuai had said about not disdaining her.
An Nuan's heart stirred.
It was just so easy for Ye Jinghuai's words to deeply move her.
"So no matter how you change, whether your body is clean or not, I won't disdain you," Ye Jinghuai's words.
Were like oaths.
He was clearly telling her.
He wouldn't care whether or not she had been violated by someone tonight.
Her throat tightened.
Some emotions.
Were truly.
Very difficult to control.
She didn't know whether it was because she wasn't as cold-hearted as she thought she was, or if Ye Jinghuai's skill level was truly so high that even a frozen heart could be revived from the ashes.
She only knew that right now she didn't want to suppress her feelings anymore.
Actually.
She had truly realized her change in feelings, completely confirmed her change in feelings, was tonight, in the moment when that man was about to violate her. Her mind was full of Ye Jinghuai, full of guilt towards Ye Jinghuai, desperately wishing, desperately wanting to give her first time to this man, only to this man.
She didn't even think of anyone else, including Gu Yan Sheng.
Including the man she had once thought she loved deeply, loved so much.
She tried her best to maintain a calm tone of voice to ask him, "Ye Jinghuai, did you just say you loved me?"
What he said was, when loving someone, even her strands of hair would matter.
Ye Jinghuai was much more straightforward than her.
He had none of the struggles she did.
He said candidly, "Isn't it obvious?"
"But when did you fall in love with me? There's clearly no intersection between us, so when exactly did you..."
"Then when did you fall in love with me?!" Ye Jinghuai asked in return.
An Nuan's heart.
Suddenly tightened.
Why was Ye Jinghuai so certain that she loved him!
She wasn't even certain herself.
Where was he getting his confidence from!
Chapter 202
An Nuan lightly bit her lip.
She was trying to control her emotions.
She loved him......
Was it really that obvious?!
She thought.
As long as she firmly believed that she didn't love him.
Then she really didn't love him.
But she didn't expect.
That she was actually just deceiving herself.
She didn't expect.
That Ye Jinghuai had seen through it all clearly.
While she had been intentionally disguising it from him all this time. What was it all for?!
"An Nuan, I love you," Ye Jinhua said, profoundly confessing to her.
In fact.
Ye Jinghuai had said that he liked her once before.
That night.
Ye Jinghuai, badly injured and lying in a hospital bed, had saved her.
In the dead of the night.
He said.
"An Nuan I like you."
It wasn't delirious ramblings.
It had never been.
She had deliberately ignored it.
"Does Miss An have anything else she wants to say?" Ye Jinghuai asked.
Not getting a response from her.
And not forcing her to answer either.
As if having the confidence, believing that she loved him.
So there was no need for her to say it out loud.
An Nuan slowly gathered her thoughts.
She said, "Are you angry tonight?"
Ye Jinghuai's brow furrowed slightly.
"About what Tong Zhitong said," An Nuan looked at Ye Jinghuai, "Saying that in order to live, I used my own body to trade."
"I'm not angry," Ye Jinghuai's voice was firm, seemingly carrying a hint of gloom, "In the face of life itself, innocence is worthless. I'm even glad that you chose this method, to keep yourself alive!"
If he had arrived and seen An Nuan's cold body... He didn't know what he would have become.
On the way here.
He had actually thought a lot.
He could accept An Nuan having ten thousand kinds of outcomes.
The only thing he couldn't accept was her death.
"I also feel that life is more important," An Nuan said, seeming to explain why Tong Zhitong had accused her tonight, "I don't know why, I just feel that you would definitely appear, even if you weren't in Qing City, I still feel that you would definitely come back to save me. Even though Tong Zhitong kept saying that the things you're doing now, no one can affect you. But I believe, you would appear, I believe, the only person in this world who would come to save me, would definitely come!"
At that moment, Ye Jinghuai seemed to involuntarily, grip An Nuan's hand tighter.
Probably also afraid.
Afraid.
Of arriving a step too late.
And An Nuan would be...dead.
"So I did use this extreme method to buy myself more time," An Nuan said profoundly, "But when the man was about to violate me, I regretted it in that split second."
Ye Jinghuai's expression inevitably changed slightly.
He didn't care about her innocence.
He just couldn't stand.
All the pain she had suffered.
"Regretting, why I rejected you, why I didn't give you my first time," An Nuan saw the emotional changes in Ye Jinghuai's eyes.
Sometimes she really felt.
He was so cold it was scary.
No one could see what he was thinking.
Sometimes she felt.
He was also a person with seven emotions and six desires, he was also just an ordinary man.
"It doesn't matter anymore," The warmth in Ye Jinghuai's eyes could melt any woman.
His fingers went deep into her soft hair, propping up her cheek.
He said, "No matter how many times, it's fine."
No matter how many times.
As long as she was alive, it was fine.
"Do you want to know if I was really violated by a man?" An Nuan asked him.
"I'll find out eventually," Ye Jinghuai said directly.
An Nuan's eyes flickered slightly.
The underlying meaning of this sentence was.
He didn't want to know right now.
She had wanted to make it less difficult for him.
"When you're willing to marry me," Ye Jinghuai said.
With a serious look.
Yet she felt he was being flippant.
Ye Jinghuai was so unfathomable.
Anyway.
She had given up trying to figure him out.
She only suddenly remembered what Tong Zhitong said, that Ye Jinghuai would only disregard everything for one person.
That person wasn't her, it wasn't Tong Zhitong.
So who was it?!
Now.
She really didn't want to know either.
Just like Ye Jinghuai didn't want to know if she was still a virgin.
When you really want to love someone.
You really can't care too much about those things.
Moreover.
Before meeting each other, everything in the past only needed to be accounted for to oneself, there was no need to explain to others.
She once had Gu Yan Sheng.
Ye Jinghuai also had...the person dearest to his heart.
It was fair.
Having figured everything out.
An Nuan suddenly took the initiative to hug Ye Jinghuai's neck.
One had to know between a man and woman.
Adult men and women, how dangerous intimate gestures like these were.
Plus.
Her seductive words, "Now, I'm willing."
This time.
It was Ye Jinghaui's turn to be shocked.
She could clearly feel Ye Jinghuai's body suddenly tense up.
He looked straight at An Nuan.
Probably not having expected her to give in so quickly.
Clearly.
A few days ago, no, even earlier tonight.
Her rejection towards him had been plain to see.
Yet now suddenly......
Ye Jinghuai's eyes widened.
Because An Nuan took the initiative to kiss him.
Her little tongue even slipped in......
Ye Jinghuai couldn't withstand the temptation.
Couldn't withstand An Nuan's temptation.
He couldn't even withstand a look from her.
His big hand held the back of her head, letting their kiss go deeper.
Letting their bodies press tighter.
"Ah, it hurts!" An Nuan suddenly cried out.
Her eyes were red.
Ye Jinghuai endured until his heart, lungs and liver exploded, "I haven't even touched you yet, where are you hurt?!"
"You touched my wound," An Nuan said with tearful eyes.
"Are you playing with me?!" Ye Jinghuai's handsome face was now distorted.
"I just forgot that I'm still a patient."
Ye Jinghuai just looked at her like that.
Wanted to kill her even.
"You don't want blood flowing like a river right."
"One day, I'll be tortured to death by you!" Ye Jinghuai released An Nuan's body.
He really endured it until his body almost exploded, before letting her go.
Then rushed into the bathroom.
The sound of a shower could be heard.
An Nuan actually felt somewhat guilty too.
Just now she had also only lost her senses for a moment because of...being immersed in passion.
Ye Jinghuai took a cold shower.
He lay on the bed feeling icy cold all over.
Because it took him awhile, An Nuan was already asleep by then.
This petty Ye Jinghuai.
Got into bed afterwards and deliberately kept his distance from her, even separated by quite a bit.
Sleeping together every night usually.
This guy wished he could squeeze her to the edge of the bed!
Men.
Really were animals that thought with their lower halves.
An Nuan lightly pursed her lips and said, "Ye Jinghuai, actually tonight, no one violated me."
She still said it.
It was to.
Make up for leaving him unsatisfied tonight.
In the darkness.
The corners of a certain man's mouth slightly turned up.
This was probably the most pleasant thing he had heard in his life.
Not "first time".
But rather, "keeping it for him".
Chapter 203
"So, what is your relationship with Tong Zhitong?" An Nuan asked.
After telling her about his physical condition, she asked him directly.
"Miss An, I'm not a casual man," Ye Jinghuai enunciated word for word.
An Nuan knitted her brows.
What does it mean to say you're not a casual man? If you're casual, does that make you not human?!
"Tong Zhitong and I have no relationship," Ye Jinghuai supplemented.
An Nuan rolled over to look at him.
In the darkness.
The two looked into each other's eyes.
She didn't know why.
But in that moment, she just believed it.
Believed that Ye Jinghuai and Tong Zhitong had no relationship.
No intimate relationship.
She said, "Ye Jinghuai, can you tell me who you really are?"
"Do you want to know?"
An Nuan hesitated for a moment.
She said, "Yes."
Even if.
She was a little afraid.
Because Ye Jinghuai's world and her world were clearly different.
She didn't know if she could accept it.
"I'm sorry," Ye Jinghuai's eyes moved slightly, "I can't tell you."
An Nuan was visibly a little disappointed.
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't want it to affect your life."
An Nuan nibbled lightly on her lip.
She said, "Ye Jinghuai, are you a bad person?"
Like, an extremely evil bad person?!
Ye Jinghuai answered. He said, "I'm not a good person."
Not a good person.
Nor a bad person.
So.
What kind of person was Ye Jinghuai exactly?
"But I won't harm you," Ye Jinghuai enunciated word for word.
It seemed like he was making a promise to her.
She stared intently at Ye Jinghuai's eyes.
She didn't know if she should believe him or not.
That night.
They each had thoughts on their minds.
Obviously, they opened their hearts to each other.
But didn't dare to easily indulge themselves.
Early the next morning.
When An Nuan woke up, the place beside her was already empty.
Had Ye Jinghuai gotten up so early?
Usually, didn't he always sleep in?
Especially during this period recovering from his leg injury at home.
She didn't even know when his leg would heal.
Last night when he came to rescue her, there was no sign of injury at all. He even carried her all the way back here.
Her whole heart seemed to have been warmed by him.
An Nuan got up.
Although her body was wrapped up like a mummy, in fact most of the wounds were superficial and much better after a night of recuperation.
She went downstairs.
Downstairs, Zhongshu was busy.
Seeing her get up, he hurried over, "Mistress."
"Where's Ye Jinghuai?"
"The young master has already left."
An Nuan was stunned. "Where did he go?"
"To the capital."
An Nuan's expression was visibly somewhat ugly.
That Ye Jinghuai, he left without even saying goodbye?!
Last night they were intimate and affectionate. This morning at the crack of dawn he comes and goes as he pleases.
"The young master had something to take care of." Seeing An Nuan's expression, Zhongshu quickly explained.
"It's got nothing to do with me." An Nuan seemed very cold.
Zhongshu smiled.
The mistress was obviously pretending indifference.
He respectfully asked, "Would the mistress like breakfast?"
"Thank you."
An Nuan walked directly to the dining table.
Zhongshu served breakfast, then went to do his own thing.
He knew the mistress didn't like having people accompany her.
While eating breakfast, An Nuan was also reading the news.
Her eyes suddenly stopped.
She clicked open and saw the breaking news saying "Early this morning, a female corpse was discovered in the old Wenlan Street warehouse. Outside the warehouse, two male corpses were discovered, one of which had its lower body mutilated horribly."
An Nuan quickly clicked to see the censored photo.
Although they were all pixelated.
An Nuan recognized at a glance that the woman in the photo was obviously Tong Zhitong. Those two male corpses were clearly the men who were following Tong Zhitong last night.
Deep down.
She still shuddered a little.
Had it all been done by Ye Jinghuai?!
Tong Zhitong probably wasn't killed by Ye Jinghuai.
If Ye Jinghuai wanted to kill, he wouldn't make such a spectacle.
So Tong Zhitong must have committed suicide.
An Nuan's whole body stiffened a little.
The ring of the phone at that moment really frightened her badly.
Seeing Ye Jinghuai's incoming call, it took her quite a while before answering, "Ye Jinghuai."
"Are you up?"
"Mm." An Nuan murmured in reply.
"I came back urgently last night, things haven't been taken care of here yet." It seemed like he was explaining why he left so early.
"Oh." An Nuan still just lightly murmured.
"What's wrong, unhappy?" The other side was clearly laughing.
Yes.
She had been very unhappy the moment he left.
But now.
All her emotions were drawn to the news she just saw.
She secretly adjusted her own mood and asked in the calmest voice, "Ye Jinghuai, I saw...Tong Zhitong died."
There was some silence over there.
"And the two men with Tong Zhitong also died." An Nuan said.
Saying it out loud.
Was still quite shocking.
She didn't know what kind of mood she should have when facing such a fact.
It was completely different from her original perception of this world.
It was a long time before Ye Jinghuai spoke.
He said, "Are you scared?"
An Nuan was startled.
She didn't know.
She had gone through many tragic things in her past life.
She was just afraid of repeating the same mistakes.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Ye Jinghuai's magnetic voice was clearly very nice to hear.
But at that moment, An Nuan didn't know how to accept it.
Such a somewhat awkward phone call.
When Ye Jinghuai was about to hang up.
"When are you coming back?" An Nuan suddenly asked him.
Changing the subject.
Sometimes when you don't want to face something, you choose to avoid it.
"Do you want me to come back?" The voice over there was clearly self-deprecating.
"The Guangming Building reopens the day after tomorrow. I want you to come back and attend the ribbon cutting with me."
"Alright." The other side readily agreed.
An Nuan was visibly a little incredulous. "You can come back the day after tomorrow?"
"Miss An misses me, even if I have to crawl back I will."
Who said I missed you!
"See you the day after tomorrow." Ye Jinghuai's mouth curled up slightly.
"Mm."
After hanging up, An Nuan was still a little silent.
She looked again at the news content.
Slowly.
She put it down.
She felt that since she had gotten to this point with Ye Jinghuai, there was no reason to easily go back on it.
She believed she had made the right choice!
After breakfast.
An Nuan still went to work.
Most of her wounds were on her body. Her face was fine. She could cover it up with some makeup and it wouldn't show much.
The person driving her to work today wasn't Hu Feng, but someone arranged by Ye Jinghuai.
Ye Jinghuai probably guessed she would go out, so arranged someone for her temporarily.
She was often moved by these kinds of actions from Ye Jinghuai.
It's just.
Ye Jinghuai's mouth wasn't kind, but everything he did was to pamper her.
It formed a stark contrast with Gu Yan Sheng in the past.
Gu Yan Sheng only made empty promises, saying flowery words to make her feel like he loved her very much.
But in reality, he never took any action at all.
So.
Ye Jinghuai and Gu Yan Sheng were different.
She shouldn't doubt other men's feelings for her because of Gu Yan Sheng.
Chapter 204
An's Building.
An Nuan appeared in the office.
Luo Si followed behind, "President An, Bai Xiaotu is already waiting for you in the conference room, do you want to see her now or after you finish up your work?"
"Now is fine, have her come directly to my office."
"Yes." Luo Si said respectfully.
Not long after, Bai Xiaotu walked in.
She was alone, facing An Nuan, still a bit cautious.
"President An." Bai Xiaotu politely took the initiative to greet her.
"Sit." An Nuan was comparatively more casual towards her.
Bai Xiaotu sat properly on the nearby sofa.
While operating on the computer, An Nuan said, "Wait for me ten minutes."
"It's no problem, I don't have anything to do anyway." Bai Xiaotu quickly said.
An Nuan laughed lightly.
Who could have imagined that this woman, who would later become hugely popular with more work than she could handle, was this free now.
An Nuan focused her attention on work, concentrating to improve efficiency.
Luo Si made two cups of coffee, placing them in front of An Nuan and Bai Xiaotu.
Ten minutes later.
An Nuan turned off her computer.
Even Bai Xiaotu had to be surprised by her time management.
In fact, she had prepared to wait for half an hour, or even half the morning.
An Nuan sat across from Bai Xiaotu and took out a document, "Take a look, this is the content of our livestream sales event the day after tomorrow."
"Livestream sales?" Bai Xiaotu was a bit surprised.
"To put it bluntly, we're opening an online trading platform. Tomorrow you'll be responsible for introducing the various shops on the platform, and then consumers can purchase goods through online transactions." An Nuan explained.
Bai Xiaotu was noticeably silent for a moment.
An Nuan also knew what she was thinking, "Don't worry, it's different from TV shopping. Also, celebrity livestreaming will become a trend in the future."
Bai Xiaotu clearly still had some concerns.
After all, in everyone's mind currently, celebrities were still quite noble existences.
If they went to sell goods...
It would make them seem less distinguished no matter what.
"Little Rabbit, you need exposure now." An Nuan advised, also understanding her position, "I dare to guarantee that your sales livestream on opening day will get you trending. What celebrities need most is traffic. Relying solely on ability without traffic, of course you can still succeed, but it won't be as easy."
"Okay." Bai Xiaotu readily agreed.
It wasn't because An Nuan had said so many benefits.
Even without any benefits, An Nuan giving her, her first endorsement in life, already made An Nuan her benefactor.
There was no way she could refuse to repay her.
An Nuan smiled, "Trust me, your future prospects are limitless."
"I'll take your auspicious words." Bai Xiaotu smiled.
In fact, the current Bai Xiaotu hadn't even considered that one day she would become instantly famous overnight.
"Take a look at the content here." An Nuan said, "Ask me if you don't understand something."
"Okay." Bai Xiaotu quietly and carefully read it.
There really were many parts she didn't understand.
She very humbly asked An Nuan questions.
The two discussed it for a whole morning.
Bai Xiaotu said, "I'll go back and memorize all the lines."
"Livestreaming is different from normal recorded programs, and even more different from acting. Livestreaming focuses more on your true self. Lines and such are just references, you just need to chat with consumers in your most natural way."
"Okay."
"We'll do a brief rehearsal tomorrow morning."
"No problem." Bai Xiaotu was fully cooperative towards all of An Nuan's arrangements.
"Meet at 10 AM tomorrow at the Guangming Building. Remember to dress up nicely."
"Okay."
An Nuan gave her several more reminders.
Only then did Bai Xiaotu leave her office.
After she left, An Nuan called in Luo Si and Wang Chenglei to her office and went over the livestream event arrangements one by one again to ensure there wouldn't be any mistakes.
The morning passed.
It was past 3 PM in the afternoon.
An Nuan had Luo Si call An Xiao to her office.
An Xiao meekly entered and sat across from An Nuan.
"Talk, what's your latest plan?" An Nuan looked at her.
An Xiao's face clearly showed some embarrassment.
That's right, she hadn't come up with anything at all.
She said, "I...I just entered the company, am not too familiar with many things yet, and know nothing about marketing for the shopping center, so..."
"Take a look, will this promotion plan work?" An Nuan directly took out a plan draft and gave it to An Xiao.
She knew that it was impossible for her to come up with something.
So she had long been prepared.
She spent some more time improving it in the afternoon.
An Xiao was startled.
She didn't know what An Nuan was scheming again.
In that moment she still took the plan and earnestly looked it over.
The more she read, the more envious she felt in her heart.
It was clearly a mature grand opening promotion plan, written extremely perfectly by An Nuan.
She suppressed the emotions in her heart and said, "Very good, it's indeed more thoughtful than what I considered. I will definitely learn more from you in the future."
"No need to learn." An Nuan directly said, "If you don't see any issues, carry out implementation according to this plan."
"You're letting me do it?" An Xiao was clearly somewhat surprised.
Wasn't this freely giving her credit?!
Forget how An Nuan was before.
The current An Nuan definitely wouldn't do something so nice.
"I said that we're in the same boat. If I don't let you do it, who will I give it to?" An Nuan spoke frankly.
An Xiao was clearly hesitant.
"If you don't want to then forget it." An Nuan didn't force her.
"It's not that." An Xiao hurriedly denied, "I was just wondering how I could do as well as you."
An Xiao's strongest skill was that no matter who she faced, she could still falsely flatter them.
"Use your heart and you'll be able to." An Nuan acted as if she didn't see An Xiao's mood.
An Xiao hurriedly agreed, then left An Nuan's office.
At the side, Luo Si once again watched, completely puzzled.
She didn't even know if Boss An wanted to pull An Xiao over or... deal with An Xiao.
"First pull over, then deal with." An Nuan seemed to have guessed Luo Si's thoughts and directly said so.
Luo Si was clearly badly frightened that moment.
Does Boss An have supernatural powers?!
She actually knows what she's thinking.
She must be more careful in the future with what she thinks.
Especially when feeling dissatisfied with Boss An.
Luo Si endured and asked, "Why pull her over first? With An Xiao's current capabilities, she's completely unqualified for a manager position. As long as she continuously has no results, An Xiao can't keep that position for long. At the minimum it will cause some gossip. If she loses recognition, the higher-ups won't allow it either!"
"What I deal with has never just been An Xiao."
Luo Si was startled.
So, her Boss An was plotting something big again.
She really admired her.
She always felt that anything Boss An did now and every step she took was meticulously planned by her.
Why did so many people look down on her before?
Those people now, their faces must be swollen from all the slapping.
She knew hers was swollen at least.
Chapter 205
Two consecutive days of busyness.
Finally, it was Saturday, the day when Guangming Building was having its grand reopening after renovation.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was scheduled for 10:10 am, meaning perfection.
An Nuan got up very early, [Ye Jinghuai] had not come back yet.
She went downstairs to have breakfast.
It was her habit to read her phone while having breakfast, but today she was a little absent-minded.
She confirmed many times.
No, there was no message from [Ye Jinghuai].
An Nuan wanted to send him a message, but held back in the end.
Let it be.
Anyway, the ribbon-cutting guests were not disclosed to the public.
If [Ye Jinghuai] was busy coming back, let it be.
After breakfast, An Nuan went out.
She had an appointment to get styled, time was a little tight, she had to go early.
[Hu Feng] was standing at the door waiting for her.
[Hu Feng]'s injury was obviously severe, and now he had only rested for two days before coming back to work?!
"Madam, please get in the car." [Hu Feng] was respectful.
"Why don't you rest for a few more days?"
"I'm fine now." [Hu Feng] said directly.
"Are you afraid [Ye Jinghuai] will fire you?" An Nuan didn't beat around the bush either.
After all, she was even envious of the annual salary of 1 million.
"No." [Hu Feng] denied it immediately.
"If so, I will assure you that he won't." Because [Hu Feng] had really risked his life to protect her. She could feel it.
This loyalty was hard to find a second.
"Really not, my body has really recovered." [Hu Feng]'s face was serious.
An Nuan looked him up and down.
Eventually, she didn't say much more.
She got into the car.
[Hu Feng] drove very steadily.
After the previous car accident, he was obviously more cautious.
The car arrived at its destination.
An Nuan followed the staff to the dressing room.
She chose a festive bright red dress, which set off her fair complexion and made her look very glamorous.
An Nuan's beauty could really carry all kinds of styles without any disharmony.
She was a little absent-minded, tightly holding her phone, still hesitating.
In the end.
She still sent [Ye Jinghuai] a message, "Will you come back? For the ribbon-cutting."
Waited for a while.
No reply.
Let it go.
An Nuan decided to focus her attention on work and start confirming the various links for the reopening of Guangming Building.
After getting her makeup done.
An Nuan got up and walked to the entrance.
At this moment at the entrance, there were rows of cars, gorgeous red carpets, rows of flower baskets, and countless media reporters, looking very lively.
As soon as An Nuan appeared.
All the reporters at the scene erupted.
"Miss An, it is said that under your management, Guangming Building has gone from only 20 percent occupancy initially to 88 percent in less than a month. Can you briefly talk about how you did it?"
"That's a trade secret, I can't reveal it." An Nuan joked on purpose.
Making the atmosphere very good.
She said, "Actually it's just sincerity, good faith and trust. We show our utmost sincerity in exchange for the trust of businesses to achieve cooperation and mutual benefit, which attracts more businesses to move in. Let me add a little advertisement, in Anshi Group, integrity is not only for our partners, we treat all consumers equally, so I hope if consumers have time, they can come visit Guangming Building. The grand opening offer is real, we absolutely do not play word games."
It was clever to publicize Guangming Building.
"What do you want to say about the Star Commercial Building, which used to be Guangming's biggest competitor?"
"Star has officially announced a temporary withdrawal from commercial development, so really nothing to say. I believe they must have found a direction more suitable for their development. I also look forward to having business cooperation opportunities with them in the future."
"It is said that Tong Zhitong, who was responsible for the Star Commercial Building project, passed away. What does Miss An think about this?"
"Miss Tong's passing, I feel regretful." An Nuan said helplessly, "But the deceased has passed away, we the living should not criticize her further, she needs to rest in peace."
With one sentence, the reporter had no way to continue asking.
"The spokesperson for Guangming Building this time is [Bai Xiaotu]? How did Miss An come to let her endorse it? It is said Miss An has spent heavily."
"Affinity at first sight I guess. The first time I saw Miss [Bai Xiaotu], I felt her image and temperament were very suitable for Guangming Building, so I asked her to cooperate. In fact my vision is indeed not bad, after several contacts, Miss [Bai Xiaotu] is really dedicated, I believe we will achieve success together."
"Miss An, will Third Young Master Ye come to the ribbon-cutting ceremony today?" A reporter suddenly asked loudly.
It had shifted from professional to gossip.
It was 9:40 am now.
He probably wouldn't come.
She said, "No."
"Is it because something came up?" The reporter followed up.
When it comes to gossip, reporters would never let it go.
"Yes." An Nuan nodded.
She didn't explain much.
Sometimes the more you say, the easier it is to draw criticism.
Of course no explanation would also draw criticism.
Anyway there would be criticism either way.
An Nuan would absolutely not waste her words.
"Miss An......"
"Sorry, the interview time ends here, Chairman An has to go prepare for the ribbon-cutting, thanks everyone." Luo Si stepped forward to stop the reporter's questioning.
Naturally noticing An Nuan's hint.
An Nuan politely bowed slightly to the media and left.
She walked to the ribbon-cutting spot.
Just then.
[Bai Xiaotu] arrived.
She wore a white floor-length dress today, surrounded by a circle of pink lace, sexy yet playful, very fitting for [Bai Xiaotu]'s temperament.
"Very beautiful." An Nuan was not stingy with her praise.
"Thank you Chairman An, you're even prettier than the celebrities in our circle." [Bai Xiaotu] sincerely meant it.
An Nuan just smiled slightly.
She was not overly modest either.
Gradually.
All the people who were coming for the ribbon-cutting had arrived.
Including Anshi Group Chairman An Yanguan, the COO of Guangming Building Operations Management, and the Chairman of the Qingcheng Business Federation.
At 10:05.
The staff invited them all to stand at the ribbon-cutting spot.
The host briefly introduced.
At 10:08.
The host finished the introduction and started countdown.
At 10:09.
A red supercar rushed wildly into the venue.
It made a gorgeous drift and parked hard, startling everyone at the scene.
The car door opened upwards automatically.
A man, wearing a black suit, neatly got out of the passenger seat.
His straight posture, handsome face, was so handsome it was eye-catching.
He strode over quickly with his long legs.
Clearly somewhat hurried footsteps, walked up to An Nuan.
An Nuan was also a little shocked.
She had already prepared for him not coming.
Now.
Not only did he come, but so high-profile?!
Couldn't this man restrain his sharpness a little?!
Countless women at the scene were captivated by him with eyes wide.
"Just in time." [Ye Jinghuai] smiled at An Nuan.
An Nuan thought.
If smiles had ranking tiers, then [Ye Jinghuai] would absolutely be the glorious king!
The kind that charges ahead slaying everything in the path!
Chapter 206
"It's not 'coming at the perfect time' at all!" An Nuan couldn't help but swear.
Although she was dazzled by his smile,
the fact was that she had told the reporters Ye Jinghuai wouldn't come,
and she hadn't saved a spot for Ye Jinghuai either.
So his sudden appearance now was really out of line.
Was this guy just born to mess with her?!
Faced with An Nuan's anger and exasperation, Ye Jinghuai was not angry at all, but smiling brightly instead.
An Nuan was speechless.
She said, "There are no seats left for you, just stand to the side."
"Who said there are no seats left?" Ye Jinghuai didn't seem to care at all.
He squatted down and went right under the ribbons.
Before An Nuan could react, she felt Ye Jinghuai standing behind her, hugging her from behind.
Then his big hand covered An Nuan's hand that was holding the scissors.
It gave the impression that the two of them were cutting the ribbon together, being lovey-dovey to the extreme.
They were publicly displaying their affection in front of the whole nation!
An Nuan's face turned red.
But Ye Jinghuai looked completely calm.
The host counted down the time.
Everyone cut the ribbon together.
At the entrance, the sound of firecrackers could be heard.
It was very lively.
There was also lots of applause from the scene.
The hype was at its peak.
After the ribbon-cutting was over,
according to the schedule,
all the guests would go to tour the venue, while Bai Xiaotu started her livestream activity.
An Nuan followed behind the group,
and Ye Jinghuai naturally followed behind her as well.
There were cameras all around them.
"I thought you wouldn't come back," An Nuan still sounded annoyed.
If you were going to come back, you should have said something.
"I won't go back on my word to you,"
"Then why didn't you reply to my messages?"
"I was on the plane."
"After you got off the plane, why didn't you reply?" An Nuan pressed.
She was acting just like a nagging girlfriend.
"I was rushing to get here for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, no time to reply."
"You weren't the one driving." An Nuan could see clearly that the driver was Qin Jiang.
"True, but we were speeding the whole way. I was also scared to death, so I kept holding on tight to the handle and didn't dare be negligent for a second."
"......" Anyway you'll always have an excuse.
"Don't be angry anymore, I rushed back didn't I?" Ye Jinghuai said softly by her ear.
The sudden closeness frightened An Nuan and made her jump.
"Can you be more proper?"
"It's hard for me to be proper when you look angry."
"What do I look like that makes you proper?" An Nuan said angrily.
"So you know!" Ye Jinghuai laughed, extremely happily.
An Nuan was truly speechless.
The two of them kept bickering,
occasionally with some petty behavior.
What they didn't know was that all their little interactions were being broadcasted live.
At first, the crowds just tuned in to see the real-time news, after all the hype that Light Tower had created, and also to see what was so impressive about this shopping plaza. Then they saw, in an inconspicuous corner among the crowds, a young man and woman who were clearly flirting.
This is...going to sweeten people to death!
Comments started flooding the screens.
"If I commit a crime, please let the law punish me, don't let me open my computer and see this kind of image torturing me!"
"Hey there little couple over there flirting, can you consider the feelings of us crowds who are just here to watch the show!"
"Can anyone tell me if the dress An Nuan is wearing can be bought at Light Tower?!"
...
In a short while,
it became a hot national topic,
and even Ye Jinghuai and An Nuan's interactions made it to the hot search trends that day.
Saying that An Nuan was usually a strict woman,
but in front of Ye Jinghuai she became so cute she's exploding!
Gu Yan Sheng looked at the computer screen, enduring the urge to smash his computer!
The An Nuan now compared to the An Nuan before were clearly like two different people after an earth-shattering change. Not only her clothing taste, even her facial expressions were livelier than when she was with him.
He had never seen An Nuan act coquettishly before.
But right now next to Ye Jinghuai, she was clearly behaving like a shy little woman.
Gu Yan Sheng gritted his teeth angrily.
Ye Jinghuai's words suddenly rang out in his mind, saying a woman's performance in bed depends on the man...
The more he thought about it the angrier he felt.
Gu Yan Sheng directly shut off his computer.
Just then, the phone suddenly rang.
Gu Yan Sheng looked at the caller ID,
adjusted his emotions, before picking up.
"Sir." Gu Yan Sheng was extremely respectful.
"Take down the An Corporation." the other side commanded.
"I know, it's just that An Nuan seems to have suddenly powered up recently, completely out of my control. It's very hard for me to find an opportunity to take An Corporation from An Nuan," Gu Yan Sheng carefully explained, "I originally wanted to just kill An Nuan directly. Once An Nuan dies, An Yanyuan would be too sad to manage the company, then I could take advantage of the situation. But you reminded me not to act rashly, saying someone is watching me?!"
"Killing An Nuan is not the priority right now, the priority is bringing down An Yanyuan. There's no time to waste with them, capture the ringleader first and go straight for the heart of the matter!"
"What do you mean, sir?" Gu Yan Sheng was clearly somewhat excited.
"Listen to my arrangements."
"Yes." Gu Yan Sheng hurriedly agreed.
The other side said a lot. Gu Yan Sheng continuously echoed in agreement.
After hanging up the call,
an extremely sinister smile appeared on Gu Yan Sheng's face.
He didn't believe that he still couldn't kill An Nuan.
Once An Yanyuan falls, Ye Jinghuai would definitely not be able to be with An Nuan anymore. Then he could torture An Nuan however he liked!
He would make that woman suffer a fate worse than death!
...
The grand reopening event went on for a whole day.
An Yanyuan and the leadership team had of course already toured and left. An Nuan had stayed behind as the planning lead for the reopening activities, plus it was Bai Xiaotu's first livestream, so she remained there.
Since she stayed, Ye Jinghuai naturally stayed as well.
Somehow Qin Jiang had also appeared by their side.
Anyway he just followed around Ye Jinghuai.
Bai Xiaotu livestreamed for a full day.
She really streamed live for a whole entire day, and introduced every corner of Light Tower.
From just a few thousand viewers at the start, it reached over 200,000 people watching by the afternoon when she ended.
For a first ever livestream, back 10 years ago when online platforms weren't as prevalent, this was already an astonishing number.
The popularity was massive.
However the real-time transaction volume was pitifully low.
After all, online shopping methods had not yet become mainstream.
When the stream ended,
it was already 5:30pm.
Bai Xiaotu was clearly also somewhat tired.
An Nuan went up to her, "You worked hard today."
"It was alright." Bai Xiaotu smiled lightly, "I was worried I wouldn't perform well."
"It was quite good," An Nuan affirmed, "Reaching this standard on your first try is already very impressive."
"But I heard that the back-end transaction volume seemed very low."
"Don't blame yourself for that. People aren't used to shopping online yet, it's normal. But after your livestream promotion all day today, I feel there may be a surprising result tomorrow."
"Hopefully so." Bai Xiaotu agreed.
"It's gotten late, go back and rest early."
"Ok." Bai Xiaotu smiled, "Then I'll get going first."
An Nuan nodded.
Bai Xiaotu also smiled politely at Ye Jinghuai and Qin Jiang next to An Nuan before leaving with her manager.
"Bai Xiaotu?!" Qin Jiang watched Bai Xiaotu's back as she left, muttering under his breath. His tone was clearly meaningful.
Chapter 207
An Nuan's bright eyes shifted slightly.
She turned her head to look at Qin Jiang, "You don't recognize her?"
"She's a star from a dozen or so popular shows, do you really think I would recognize her?" Qin Jiang retorted.
So in this life...
Qin Jiang and Bai Xiaotu's fateful bond started because of her?!
She felt somewhat apologetic to Bai Xiaotu!
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Qin Jiang felt a chill down his spine from An Nuan's gaze.
"It's nothing," An Nuan came back to her senses, "It's getting late, been a long day, I should head back."
"You really should head back," Qin Jiang glanced at Ye Jinghuai, muttering, "If we don't leave soon, some people might end up incapacitated."
An Nuan was confused.
Who's going to become incapacitated?
Qin Jiang of course didn't elaborate.
Since Ye Jinghuai didn't say anything, he couldn't say much either.
The three of them left Guangming Tower together.
Hu Feng drove them.
Qin Jiang sat in the passenger seat.
Ye Jinghuai and An Nuan sat in the back.
It was very quiet in the car.
"Want to grab dinner together?" An Nuan suddenly spoke up.
She thought that since Ye Jinghuai and Qin Jiang accompanied her the whole day, she should take them out for a meal to show her appreciation.
Although...
She didn't actually know what they did to help her today.
It seemed like...
They were just tagging along.
"No thanks," Qin Jiang declined straight away, "I'm worried if I go back any later, there may be a death."
An Nuan frowned.
Why was Qin Jiang being so cryptic today?
Silence filled the car once more.
The sedan arrived at Ye Jinghuai's villa.
An Nuan and Ye Jinghuai exited the vehicle together.
Qin Jiang didn't get off. As he was winding up his window, he called out to their retreating backs, "An Nuan, take care! I know absence makes the heart grow fonder, but your life is more important!"
An Nuan glanced back at Qin Jiang.
This guy...
Must have had water in his brain today.
She didn't understand a word he was saying.
Ye Jinghuai completely ignored Qin Jiang. He grabbed An Nuan's hand and headed into the villa lobby.
Uncle Zhong greeted them enthusiastically, "Young Master, welcome back!"
"Call Xu Weiming over."
"What happened to you?" Uncle Zhong's expression changed dramatically.
An Nuan also felt something was off.
Who was Xu Weiming? Why did he elicit such a strong reaction from Uncle Zhong?
"It's just a minor injury," Ye Jinghuai said lightly.
What does he mean by a minor injury?!
Was Ye Jinghuai hurt?!
In that instant, An Nuan seemed to suddenly understand Qin Jiang's earlier words.
"Don't worry, it's not fatal," Ye Jinghuai also noticed the change in An Nuan's expression. He added, "Just help me upstairs."
As he spoke, his entire body slumped heavily onto her shoulders.
An Nuan nearly crumpled under Ye Jinghuai's weight.
This guy really was as heavy as a lump of iron.
But right now, she didn't dare push Ye Jinghuai away. She supported him with difficulty up the stairs, then laid him down on the bed.
Lying down, Ye Jinghuai's complexion was deathly pale.
Where exactly was he injured?!
She didn't notice anything off the entire day!
"I told you, it's not fatal," Ye Jinghuai said faintly, seeing An Nuan's expression.
His voice was clearly weak.
"What happened to you?"
"It's nothing major."
"Ye Jinghuai..."
"I want to rest for a bit. Keep it down," Ye Jinghuai's tone was overbearing.
But his voice was clearly feeble.
An Nuan wanted to ask more questions.
But she saw Ye Jinghuai had already closed his eyes, seemingly fast asleep.
She held herself back and chose to stay silent.
She would accompany him quietly in the room.
After a while, a man walked in.
It should be the man called Xu Weiming.
He looked to be in his forties, wore glasses, giving off a scholarly vibe.
He was holding what seemed to be a high-end medical kit, completely different from a household first aid box.
He went straight to Ye Jinghuai and asked, "Gunshot wound?"
"Mm," Ye Jinghuai gave a low grunt in reply, eyes still closed.
An Nuan was visibly shocked.
Ye Jinghuai was shot?!
"Where?" Xu Weiming was nonchalant about it.
"Very close to the heart."
"Was the bullet removed?" Xu Weiming spoke while already unbuttoning his suit and white dress shirt.
Beneath the shirt, a gruesome, bloody wound was tightly sealed by medical tape.
An Nuan was horrified.
Just as Xu Weiming was about to rip the tape away...
"Go outside first," Ye Jinghuai suddenly glanced at An Nuan.
An Nuan froze.
Her eyes met his.
She didn't know what to say.
"Go get something to eat first. Bring me a bowl of porridge later, help feed me," Ye Jinghuai instructed.
An Nuan knew he just didn't want her to see his injury.
In that moment, she really did turn and leave the room.
She understood...
Ye Jinghuai had a side he didn't want others to see when he was weak and vulnerable. He had a truth he wasn't ready to tell her yet.
So she wouldn't pry.
In the room...
Xu Weiming ripped off Ye Jinghuai's medical tape, seeing the inflamed, pus-filled wound.
"How were you shot so close to your heart this time?" Xu Weiming asked conversationally as he cleaned the injury.
"An accident."
"Was it discovered?"
"Nearly." Ye Jinghuai answered through the pain.
"You're usually very careful and cautious."
Ye Jinghuai's hands gripped the bed sheets tightly.
Clearly trying to endure the agony.
Xu Weiming said, "Just slightly closer and you would have died."
Ye Jinghuai's lips were white.
His face and body were drenched in cold sweat.
"Be more careful next time," Xu Weiming reminded.
He didn't ask how such an accident occurred.
As Ye Jinghuai's personal physician, his sole concern was Ye Jinghuai's health.
After all, luck always runs out eventually...
In the room, silence descended.
The pain was so extreme that no sound could escape.
After a long while, Ye Jinghuai's wound was dressed.
Xu Weiming said, "I won't put you on IV antibiotics for now unless there are signs of recurring infection."
Ye Jinghuai gave a slight nod.
As Xu Weiming packed up his medical supplies, he asked, "Should I let your wife in?"
"Let me rest for a bit." Ye Jinghuai's deep voice was barely audible.
Xu Weiming nodded.
Once he was done, he sat by Ye Jinghuai's side.
"Qin Jiang said you and An Nuan seem close."
Ye Jinghuai didn't respond.
He still seemed to be enduring lingering pain.
"A beauty's love is calamity," Xu Weiming laughed. "The downfall of dynasties can always be traced back to a woman's machinations."
"What message were you asked to pass along?" Ye Jinghuai glanced up, his complexion notably improved.
He was adept at concealing his emotions, even agony.
"Yes," Xu Weiming readily admitted.
"Tell them they worry too much," Ye Jinghuai's voice was back to normal.
"Will do," Xu Weiming nodded. "Should I open the door now?"
"You can leave as well."
Xu Weiming shrugged, accustomed to Ye Jinghuai's aloofness.
Carrying his medical kit, he opened the door.
Sure enough, An Nuan was already waiting outside with a bowl of porridge.
Chapter 208
Xu Weiming seemed to be sizing up An Nuan.
At that moment, An Nuan was also surreptitiously sizing up Xu Weiming.
She didn't know why.
She just felt that everyone around Ye Jinghuai were all hidden tigers and crouching dragons!
"Madam," Xu Weiming took the initiative to address her very respectfully.
"Mr. Ye is seriously injured. As a patient's family member, there are some things you need to be aware of that I should tell you."
"Alright," An Nuan listened very attentively.
"First, the location of Mr. Ye's injury is right next to his heart. Therefore, you can't touch his chest area at all. It's very easy to tear his wound again. When you are supporting him, you have to be careful."
When An Nuan heard the first point, her face turned pale.
She clearly remembered that today at Guangming Tower, when she was sulking with Ye Jinghuai, she had hit his chest several times.
Although she was just pretending, she didn't use much force.
But with such a serious injury, how painful it must have been for him.
Yet he didn't even groan, not even a frown.
"Second. Mr. Ye's wound was not treated promptly so the infection is very severe. I have cleaned it thoroughly just now. In principle, there should not be recurring infections. But if the wound bleeds again, gets inflamed, or he develops a fever, you must notify me immediately. Here is my business card." Saying so, he handed her a business card.
An Nuan quickly took it and glanced at it several times.
She was swiftly memorizing the phone number.
"Third. Mr. Ye needs to recuperate for a period of time. Of course, he doesn't necessarily have to be bedridden. It's fine for him to get up and walk around normally. But he is forbidden from having sexual intercourse."
An Nuan's face reddened slightly.
"As I said earlier, Mr. Ye's wound is near his heart. Having intercourse can easily accelerate his heartbeat. Accelerated heartbeat may tear the wound and cause massive bleeding. Once bleeding occurs when adrenaline levels are at their highest, it's very difficult to stop the bleeding. If bleeding is not stopped in time, it could lead to hypovolemic shock and even death."
Isn't that terrifying?
An Nuan stared straight at Xu Weiming.
"Thank you, madam." Xu Weiming bowed slightly and left.
An Nuan turned her head to look at Xu Weiming.
She looked back at Ye Jinghuai who was half-lying in bed in the hospital room.
She bit her lip and walked over to Ye Jinghuai with the porridge.
He seemed to be in much better spirits now.
She asked, "Did you hear what Dr. Xu just said?"
"You mean the part about having sex?" The corners of Ye Jinghuai's mouth curved into a frivolous smile.
He clearly didn't look like someone with a serious injury.
"Ye Jinghuai!" An Nuan said angrily.
"I heard it. I'll be careful," Ye Jinghuai compromised.
It made people feel that he was quite obedient.
An Nuan took a deep breath and asked, "Do you want to drink porridge?"
"Yeah," Ye Jinghuai nodded.
An Nuan fed Ye Jinghuai.
She felt like there had been no peace recently.
Either Ye Jinghuai was injured or she was injured herself.
Her own injuries weren't even fully healed yet.
And now Ye Jinghuai was injured again.
Were they just unlucky people?
"Was this injury because of me?" An Nuan asked him.
While feeding him porridge, she asked him.
Ye Jinghuai did not answer.
In fact, An Nuan had guessed it.
Ye Jinghuai must have rushed back from the capital city to save her, delaying many of his matters, which led to him being so severely injured.
"Ye Jinghuai, will there be a day when you tell me who you really are?" An Nuan looked straight into his eyes.
Looking into his eyes.
"There will be," Ye Jinghuai affirmed.
"Then I'll wait for you," An Nuan said.
Previously, Ye Jinghuai had told her to wait for her.
Wait for her to be fully willing to accept him and believe in him.
And now, she would also wait for Ye Jinghuai.
Wait for him to tell her who he really was.
In the room, An Nuan fed Ye Jinghuai mouthful by mouthful.
She felt that the previous topic had been too heavy, making them both a little silent.
An Nuan brought up another topic again, "Is your leg healed?"
Hadn't it been said that injuries to tendons and bones take a hundred days to heal?!
That was probably less than a month right?!
Was it completely healed already?!
"Yeah," Ye Jinghuai nodded, "It wasn't that serious to begin with."
"If it wasn't serious, why did you make me take care of you like you were disabled?!" Just thinking about it made her angry.
Ye Jinghuai laughed at An Nuan's words.
He said, "If not like this, how would you take the initiative to get close to me and take care of me so...intimately."
"...Do men live by their lower body?!" An Nuan said through gritted teeth.
Everyday, their brains were just thinking about that kind of stuff.
"Not entirely," Ye Jinghuai smiled, smiling rather coquettishly, "But I can't deny that I've wanted to sleep with Miss An for a long time now."
"..."
"That night, Miss An said you were willing." Ye Jinghuai deliberately reminded her.
An Nuan's face turned red.
She had just been caught up in the heat of the moment that night.
"Miss An doesn't seem like the kind of person to go back on their word." Ye Jinghuai gazed at her steadily, "I believe that Miss An will keep her word."
An Nuan bit her lip.
She said, "I keep my word only if you hold up your end."
"..." Ye Jinghuai's expression changed.
"I'm afraid you'll die in bed." An Nuan looked utterly smug.
At least in bickering with Ye Jinghuai, she had finally gained an upper hand.
"Just you wait, An Nuan," Ye Jinghuai threatened, "One day you'll know what it means to cry and beg for mercy!"
An Nuan looked completely dismissive.
After all, who knows how long it would take for him to fully recover.
When that time comes, she would meet his attacks with attacks.
She continued feeding Ye Jinghuai porridge.
Ye Jinghuai was clearly eating with gritted teeth.
It seemed he was extremely infuriated.
Just as An Nuan finished feeding him a bowl and was about to go downstairs, her phone suddenly rang.
An Nuan picked up her phone for a look. Seeing Xia Qiqi's incoming call, she leisurely answered, "Qiqi..."
"Nuan Nuan, something happened! Xiao Nanchen... Something happened to him!" Xia Qiqi's voice was extremely flustered.
With cries in her voice, as if the sky was about to fall down.
At that moment, An Nuan's expression also changed involuntarily.
Seeing the change in An Nuan's expression, Ye Jinghuai's mood clearly became much more solemn as well.
"Where are you now?" An Nuan didn't ask anything.
Because in her previous life, she had experienced this before.
But she couldn't remember where it happened or when exactly it happened.
She only knew it was in the next few days.
She really couldn't remember the exact day anymore after so long.
"I'm at... I'm at..." Xia Qiqi was so nervous she couldn't get her words out.
"Qiqi, calm down. Xiao Nanchen won't die. The first thing you need to do now is call emergency services and send Xiao Nanchen to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment. The second thing is to tell me your current location. I'll head over immediately to find you."
"Okay, okay." Xia Qiqi seemed to be trying hard to calm herself down.
An Nuan hung up the phone.
She said to Ye Jinghuai, "Something came up with Qiqi. I have to step out for now. If you still want to drink porridge, I'll ask Uncle Zhong to feed you."
After saying that, An Nuan hurriedly left.
Looking at An Nuan's back view, Ye Jinghuai's expression clearly changed slightly.
An Nuan had just said...
Xiao Nanchen would not die...
What happened to Nanchen?!
Chapter 209
An Nuan hurriedly left the room.
Ye Jinghuai watched An Nuan's back as she left, and called Qin Jiang.
"She probably doesn't suspect anything," Qin Jiang said directly.
He thought Ye Jinghuai was asking about the people who had been following them today and whether they suspected anything.
"You know I was seriously injured, so it's unlikely I'd be casually strolling outside. And I was with An Nuan all day without showing any abnormalities. So they probably don't suspect us yet. Those people have left now anyway."
"Okay," Ye Jinghuai responded. "Go check if Xiao Nanchen got into some kind of trouble."
"What happened?" Qin Jiang's brows furrowed slightly.
"It probably has to do with Xia Qiqi. Go ask what the situation is and let me know if you find out anything."
"Alright," Qin Jiang hung up the phone directly.
He knew it.
One day, Xiao Nanchen would definitely die at that Xia Qiqi woman's hands.
...
An Nuan called Hu Feng.
Hu Feng lived not far from Ye Jinghuai's villa.
He was usually ready to come over at a moment's notice.
It wasn't that An Nuan wanted to bother Hu Feng so late, but after everything that had happened recently, she was also afraid to go out alone.
She got into the car and called Xia Qiqi.
"Warm warm," as soon as Xia Qiqi heard her voice, she sounded on the verge of collapse. "Are you here yet?"
"I'll be right there. Have you called an ambulance?"
"I called, they said they'd be here soon." Xia Qiqi cried out, "What if Xiao Nanchen dies? Will I get executed?!"
"...At a time like this, you're still thinking of yourself?"
Apparently she wasn't too heartbroken.
An Nuan said, "No, you won't. Just stay calm and wait for the ambulance."
"Okay." Xia Qiqi nodded.
An Nuan hung up the phone and said to Hu Feng, "Drive a little faster please."
"Sure," Hu Feng didn't hesitate and slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
It made An Nuan feel like he was even more anxious than her!
The car arrived at the accident scene very quickly.
An Nuan hurriedly got out of the car. The ambulance had also just arrived and was lifting the bloody man inside.
An Nuan ran to Xia Qiqi's side and dragged her onto the ambulance with Xiao Nanchen.
Sitting in the ambulance, Xia Qiqi's whole body was shaking.
There were still traces of Xiao Nanchen's blood on her, making her look somewhat hideous.
An Nuan held Xia Qiqi's hand tightly in her palm. "Nanchen will be alright, trust me."
Although she knew Xiao Nanchen wouldn't die, seeing him now, covered in blood and looking so weak, she still felt a little panicked.
Xia Qiqi just nodded, crying as she nodded.
She must have really been terrified.
The ambulance quickly arrived at the hospital.
Doctors and nurses were already waiting outside ready to receive them.
As Xiao Nanchen was lowered from the ambulance and placed on a mobile hospital bed, he was rushed furiously into the emergency room.
An Nuan and Xia Qiqi followed along.
"Ah!" Xia Qiqi suddenly tripped and fell.
Because her high heels were too high.
Running so fast just now, she fell flat on her face in an instant.
An Nuan quickly squatted down to help Xia Qiqi up. "Are you okay?"
Tears streamed down Xia Qiqi's face even more fiercely as she sobbed, "It hurts so much..."
"Be more careful," An Nuan said, somewhat helpless. "Getting anxious now won't help."
Xia Qiqi bit her lip, feeling extremely distressed inside.
In fact, although Xia Qiqi always said she hated Xiao Nanchen and Xiao Qiang, she couldn't really bring herself to harm them.
Deep down, she was kind-hearted.
It was just her mouth that acted tough.
Right now, Xiao Nanchen had gotten into a car accident because of her, so she naturally felt extremely guilty.
"Can you get up?" An Nuan gently asked her.
Xia Qiqi nodded.
An Nuan helped Xia Qiqi up from the ground.
The two of them limped their way to the emergency room entrance.
Xiao Nanchen had already been pushed inside.
"Warm warm, do you think Xiao Nanchen might die?" Standing outside the emergency room, the lights inside made Xia Qiqi feel a chill down her spine as she tremblingly asked.
She suddenly felt this whole emergency room situation was terrifying.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" An Nuan asked back.
Because she already knew the final outcome, she wasn't too nervous.
Xia Qiqi was stunned for a moment, then said slowly, "But I'm afraid I might accompany him in death."
An Nuan was also speechless at Xia Qiqi's response. She changed the subject slightly, "What happened tonight anyway? Why was Xiao Nanchen with you when you clearly dislike him so much?"
Xia Qiqi was silent for a while.
In fact, even if Xia Qiqi didn't say, An Nuan already knew.
She had found out in her previous life.
Tonight, Xia Qiqi had gone clubbing and partying wildly.
After all, there was only a week left until her wedding, so she was going out to play every night while she still could.
She had been having a great time partying tonight.
Suddenly Xiao Nanchen called Xia Qiqi, saying he had something to discuss with her.
Originally Xia Qiqi didn't want to meet up at first since she already disliked Xiao Nanchen. And she was about to get married and finally be rid of him. But she thought that since this would be the last chance to set things straight between them and to make Xiao Nanchen thoroughly give up, she agreed to go to the place Xiao Nanchen had asked to meet.
With this in mind, Xia Qiqi went.
The first sentence Xiao Nanchen said was, "Qiqi, don't marry Nie Ziming."
To be honest, she was truly disgusted in that moment.
She turned around wanting to leave immediately.
But since she had come to make things clear, she suppressed her inner revulsion and said, "If I don't marry Nie Ziming, should I marry you instead?"
"If possible..."
"There's no 'if'!" Xia Qiqi directly cut Xiao Nanchen off. "I have absolutely no feelings for you whatsoever. Don't think that just because I kissed you all those years ago that I actually had any affection for you. Admittedly, at that budding age, one tends to yearn for beautiful things. I can't deny your looks definitely have the power to attract young maidens. I think I was just blinded by your face back then and did something on impulse but completely meaningless."
Xiao Nanchen silently bore Xia Qiqi's sarcasm.
"I thought these years I've made it plenty obvious how I feel." Xia Qiqi said. "I already disliked you enough to begin with, don't make me dislike you even more."
Don't make me dislike you even more.
In fact, Xiao Nanchen knew that Xia Qiqi didn't like him.
Not only did she not like him, she hated him a lot too.
Originally... he had planned to give them his blessing.
Then, let Xia Qiqi slowly disappear from his life.
One day, as time went by, she would disappear completely.
But now... he was having second thoughts.
When there was only a week left until Xia Qiqi and Nie Ziming's wedding, he had come to stop their marriage ceremony.
In Xia Qiqi's mind, he was probably disgusting and vulgar now.
The night wind blew on their frail bodies.
In fact, Xia Qiqi didn't want to waste time talking to Xiao Nanchen either.
She truly had no feelings for him.
The only thing she possibly felt was some subtle emotional stirrings. After all, Xiao Nanchen had treated her really well.
Sometimes so well that she would mistakenly think Xiao Nanchen actually had genuine feelings.
But she'd rather believe Xiao Nanchen was only trying to get on her good side so he could gain a foothold in the Xia family.
Deep down, she had never truly accepted Xiao Nanchen before.
That kiss had also really just been an accident.
It was completely meaningless, with no emotions involved whatsoever.
Chapter 210
Xia Qiqi turned around and left.
She didn't want to waste time on Xiao Nanchen.
Whether he really liked her or just wanted to gain a foothold in the Xia family, it didn't matter to her at all.
She just wanted to marry Nie Ziming now.
Then cut ties completely with Xiao Nanchen and Xiao Qiang, never to interact again!
"Qiqi," Xiao Nanchen called out to Xia Qiqi as she was leaving and reached out to grab her.
Xia Qiqi felt truly disgusted.
She really hated every bit of Xiao Nanchen's initiative.
At that moment, she even felt somewhat extreme. When Xiao Nanchen grabbed her arm, she pushed Xiao Nanchen away like a madwoman.
She admitted she used a lot of force.
Because she really hated it, hated Xiao Nanchen getting close to her.
But how much strength can a woman have?
She really didn't expect that her brute force would make Xiao Nanchen so unsteady that he stumbled back several steps.
And behind him was the street of Qingcheng.
Even though there were significantly fewer vehicles on the street at night, there would still be some traffic.
And at that moment,
a somewhat speeding sedan approached from afar.
It was clearly moving too fast.
When it saw the sudden appearance of a figure in the road, it slammed on the brakes but failed to slow down completely. Even though it was decelerating, Xiao Nanchen was still struck by the sedan and sent flying.
With a loud "bang,"
Xia Qiqi didn't even have time to react.
She just watched as Xiao Nanchen was flung by the front of the car, rolling over several times.
Then his whole body was covered in blood.
Nothing but blood...
For a moment, she was stunned.
She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Just a moment ago, she had casually shoved him. She didn't intend for Xiao Nanchen to die.
She just wanted to push Xiao Nanchen away.
She just wanted him to know she really didn't like him.
She didn't want him to die.
She stood there for a long time,
not even trying to stop the hit-and-run sedan.
Later, she nervously called An Nuan.
She didn't call Nie Ziming.
It seemed like in this world, An Nuan was still the only person she trusted the most.
The only one who could give her support.
In the hospital corridor,
several footsteps sounded.
As An Nuan and Xia Qiqi looked back together, they saw Xia Zheng Hai, Xiao Qiang, and Nie Ziming hurrying over.
"What's going on? How did Nanchen get into a car accident?" Xia Zheng Hai asked anxiously, his face full of concern.
At this moment, even Xiao Qiang's face was pale.
Xia Qiqi clenched her lips tightly without saying a word.
An Nuan didn't explain for Xia Qiqi either.
"What's the situation inside now?" Xia Zheng Hai asked again.
"It's been about half an hour since he went in, and no one has come out yet," Xia Qiqi said softly.
"He was perfectly fine, how could he get into an accident?" Xia Zheng Hai seemed a little puzzled, and then hurried to comfort Xiao Qiang, "It'll be alright, don't worry, I believe nothing will happen to Nanchen, don't be scared."
He was just so good to Xiao Qiang.
He really loved this woman all his life and doted on her endlessly.
Xia Qiqi looked at them coldly, gritting her teeth. This time she didn't lash out, because of Xiao Nanchen.
She chose to remain silent.
By now, Nie Ziming had also come to Xia Qiqi's side and took her into his arms, seemingly comforting her.
On the other hand, An Nuan suddenly felt a little awkward.
She stealthily glanced at Nie Ziming.
Then shifted her gaze.
Soon after,
a few more footsteps sounded in the corridor again.
It was the traffic police.
They had come to investigate the major traffic accident.
Xia Qiqi recounted what had specifically happened.
At that moment, Xiao Qiang immediately lost her cool, "Did you push Nanchen?!"
Xia Qiqi lightly bit her lip.
The officer confirmed again, "Miss Xia, let me confirm again, is it true that you pushed Xiao Nanchen onto the highway, which led to his accident?"
Just as Xia Qiqi was about to answer, Nie Ziming spoke up directly, "It should have been the result of them pushing each other. Because when Qiqi called me, she said that she seemed to have had an altercation with Xiao Nanchen, right Qiqi?"
Xia Qiqi looked at Nie Ziming.
Clearly, Nie Ziming was being smart.
He knew he should exonerate Xia Qiqi at this moment.
Back then, An Nuan also felt that Nie Ziming was really considerate of Xia Qiqi, even disregarding that he himself was breaking the law.
It was only after living another lifetime that she understood.
This man was just plotting step by step.
"Is that right, Miss Xia?" the officer confirmed again.
Xia Qiqi bit her lip and nodded.
She knew Nie Ziming was helping her.
"Alright." After the officer seemed to finish taking notes, he said, "We are currently tracking the hit-and-run sedan. Once we locate the perpetrator, we will contact Miss Xia immediately. Please keep your phone on at all times and do not leave Qingcheng, Miss Xia."
Xia Qiqi nodded.
The officers left.
Silence returned to the corridor once more.
Dead silence.
Waiting for the end of the surgery.
The more silent it was, the more terrifying it became.
Xia Qiqi felt her heartbeat was irregular, racing frantically like a monster.
She felt that if Xiao Nanchen didn't come out yet, she might have suffered a heart attack.
It seemed to take forever,
a century to Xia Qiqi.
Finally the doors of the operating room opened.
First, a doctor in surgical attire came out looking rather exhausted.
The people waiting rushed over anxiously, "Doctor, how is my son?"
"The patient is temporarily out of mortal danger. Fortunately he was sent here promptly," the doctor replied.
As soon as he spoke those words,
Xiao Qiang let out a huge sigh of relief.
At that moment, Xia Qiqi also felt like a thousand-pound boulder had been lifted off her chest.
She really didn't dare imagine how she would cope if Xiao Nanchen had died...
"But," the doctor suddenly paused, turning it around.
Putting everyone on edge again.
"The patient's legs sustained the most severe injuries. Especially the right leg which was almost completely fractured. We barely managed to realign it with supportive equipment to keep the leg intact, but we cannot guarantee that he will be able to use it."
"You mean..." Xiao Qiang looked at the doctor incredulously, "my son might become disabled?"
"Currently, it looks like with treatment and rehabilitation, his left leg should return to normal use. But his right leg...I really can't assure anything at the moment," the doctor stated frankly.
"How can that be? If my son loses his right leg, how can that be?!" Xiao Qiang became agitated at once.
In so many years, she had never ever seen her lose composure like this.
She had always maintained the image of a dignified, refined lady.
But now due to excessive grief, she lost her composure.
"Please don't be too upset, Madam. For now this is only our preliminary assessment. As the patient recovers and goes through rehabilitative therapy later on, miracles can still happen." The doctor tried to comfort her.
Miracles?!
How many miracles could there be in this world.
But in the end, a miracle did happen after all.
So while everyone else was extremely distressed, An Nuan remained perfectly calm.
She looked at Xia Qiqi.
She saw how tormented Xia Qiqi was with guilt, as if she wanted to atone with her life!