"Nangong Jin, actually, I feel that being with you is me pushing my luck, it's me who has gained so much."
"Actually, I should be the one to apologize."
"All along, you've been helping me, while I haven't been able to help at all. Without me, perhaps your life wouldn't be like this, Xuan Yuanheng."
An Nuan looked at Nangong Jin with immense guilt. In truth, she had been saying those apologies all along, and Nangong Jin had said it was fine, but she ultimately couldn't get past her own conscience.
Nangong Jin listened to An Nuan's apologies, his expression turning somewhat displeased.
Nangong Jin knew what An Nuan was about to say. Before she could speak, he directly interrupted her, "An Nuan, I've already said it, you really don't need to thank me anymore."
"Whatever I do for you is worth it. I've never expected any reward."
"An Nuan, I just want to protect you well, to protect you for a lifetime."
"An Nuan, being by your side and protecting you is the best thing for me."
"This is something I've always longed for, and only you can make it happen. An Nuan, actually, I'm the one who should be saying thank you, not you."
An Nuan listened to Nangong Jin's words and for a moment, didn't know what to say.
"An Nuan, do you have time tomorrow? You're going somewhere with me."
"Going somewhere?" An Nuan looked at Nangong Jin with confusion. "Where are we going?"
"Grandpa wants to meet you," Nangong Jin said seriously. Then, as if thinking of something, he added resolutely, "Perhaps Grandpa will discuss some marriage matters with you. At that time, don't say anything; leave everything to me. I'll handle these things."
Marriage matters?
Yes, they were supposed to get married, but it was canceled because of her. And after so long, Nangong Jin hadn't rushed her, nor had he even brought it up.
It was only natural for Grandpa Nangong to want to meet her.
Regarding the marriage, she had regretted it back then, because deep down, she still harbored some hope.
She had even thought that perhaps she could be alright on her own.
But Nangong Jin had done so much for her, so much that she felt she could never repay him.
"An Nuan, what's wrong? You don't want to meet him?" Nangong Jin asked with a slight smile. "Actually, you don't need to worry. If you don't want to meet him, then don't. No one can force you to do something you're unwilling to do."
"I especially don't want you to do things you don't want to do because of me."
"An Nuan, don't worry. I'll handle this. Trust me, I'll handle it very well."
"An Nuan, what do you say? Did you hear what I said?"
An Nuan's eyes were full of smiles. She looked at Nangong Jin and said calmly, "Nangong Jin, no, it's not necessary. Since Grandpa wants to see me, then let's go and see him."
At this moment, An Nuan seemed to have made a major decision in her heart.
Actually, she shouldn't be excluding Nangong Jin anymore. And Shen Xizhou was even less of a person she should cling to. She and Shen Xizhou no longer had any relationship.
The corners of An Nuan's lips curled into a smile as she looked at Nangong Jin. She was constantly chiding herself. Hadn't she promised to be good to Nangong Jin? Hadn't she said that Shen Xizhou was an irrelevant person and she didn't need to make herself suffer for such a person?
How much pain had Shen Xizhou brought her? Had she forgotten all of it?
"Nangong Jin, I will be dressed impeccably to meet Grandpa tomorrow. You can go back now."
An Nuan glanced at Nangong Jin and said, "You should rest well too."
"After all, this is something between the two of us. I don't want you to be the only one working hard while I do nothing."
"Nangong Jin, can we work hard together?"
Hearing this, Nangong Jin looked at An Nuan with extreme tenderness and doting eyes, making it impossible to look away.
"An Nuan, thank you. Thank you for coming to your senses, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
Grandpa Nangong probably had something very important to tell her this time.
This time, she wouldn't be so reckless.
The next day.
Just as An Nuan and Nangong Jin were about to go see Grandpa Nangong together, they received a message from Grandpa saying the location had changed.
An Nuan and Nangong Jin tried calling him, but the calls went unanswered. So, they could only follow the information Grandpa Nangong had sent.
They arrived at the new location, which was a high-end hotel.
An Nuan and Nangong Jin entered, but their expressions immediately soured upon seeing Shen Xizhou, Xu Ruowei, Ji Wenyun, and Xia Wanqing.
An Nuan truly hadn't expected to see them in such a situation.
An Nuan really didn't want to see Shen Xizhou anymore.
Yet, what puzzled her was that the more she didn't want to see Shen Xizhou, the more she encountered him in her life.
She didn't even know how to deal with such a situation.
However, since they were already here, there was no turning back.
Also, she needed to figure out one thing: why were they here, and where was Grandpa Nangong?
"Shen Xizhou, where have you hidden Grandpa Nangong? What have you done to Grandpa Nangong? Let him go quickly!" An Nuan's eyes were wary as she glared at the people in front of her, her voice almost gritted out.
Nangong Jin looked at Ji Wenyun and Shen Xizhou, "You'd better give us a good explanation, or I won't let you go."
An Nuan reached out and tightly gripped Nangong Jin's hand, saying softly, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault that Grandpa is in danger."
"Nangong Jin, don't worry. This is all because of me, so of course, I will handle this matter properly."
Just then, An Nuan's phone rang. Upon confirming that Grandpa Nangong was safe and sound, she was completely relieved.
However, Grandpa Nangong said that this was all his arrangement. He just wanted them to talk through all the issues. Once they talked it through, everything would be easier to resolve.
In her heart, An Nuan still didn't want to admit this, nor did she want to face and deal with it.
But since Grandpa Nangong had said so, she would comply.
And what Grandpa Nangong said was very true: if this matter wasn't resolved, it would continue to bother them, making them suffer even more. Therefore, the only thing to do now was to handle it well.
An Nuan relayed everything Grandpa Nangong had said and his instructions to Nangong Jin.
"An Nuan, in this matter, do whatever you want. You don't need to overthink things or consider anyone else's feelings."
An Nuan nodded. Nangong Jin was always on her side. She always had a smile on her face when looking at Nangong Jin.