An Nuan was at a loss for words under Nangong Jin's gaze. Just then, Nangong Jin took her hand, produced a ring, and smiled.
Upon seeing the ring, An Nuan instinctively tried to pull her hand away.
Nangong Jin held on too tightly; she truly couldn't break free.
"An Nuan, can you look at me?" Nangong Jin asked softly.
"Ah." An Nuan gasped in surprise. Nangong Jin's sudden words had genuinely startled her.
She had never expected Nangong Jin to say something like this directly.
In the end, she raised her head, her gaze falling on Nangong Jin. As their eyes met his deep, affectionate gaze, she found herself instinctively wanting to look away.
This kind of Nangong Jin made her feel as though she was not good enough for him.
In fact, Nangong Jin deserved someone better. She had told him this long ago, but Nangong Jin had never taken her words to heart.
Every time she said something like that, he would get angry. After a while, she stopped saying it.
Seeing An Nuan about to shy away again, Nangong Jin's voice held a hint of helplessness. "An Nuan, am I that ugly? That you don't even want to look at me?"
"Nangong Jin, what nonsense are you spouting?" An Nuan looked up, trying to explain anxiously.
But as she met Nangong Jin's smiling face, she knew he was saying it intentionally.
An Nuan gazed at Nangong Jin, unsure of what to say. At that moment, Nangong Jin directly slipped the ring onto her finger and said with utmost solemnity, "An Nuan, you are my girlfriend, so shouldn't you wear this ring? To make those who harbor any intentions towards you completely give up?"
An Nuan: "..."
People with intentions towards her in this world? There probably weren't any.
Was Nangong Jin worried?
Shouldn't *she* be the one who was worried?
Nangong Jin was so outstanding; anyone would fall for him, wouldn't they? It was just that she wasn't worthy.
She just stared blankly at Nangong Jin.
Nangong Jin, however, said with a smile, "Since you're not saying anything, I'll take it as your agreement."
After a long moment, An Nuan finally emerged from her shock. She thought for a while before speaking, "Nangong Jin, I am your girlfriend, but this ring is simply too expensive. You should keep it."
She had seen this ring before, at an auction. This ring was so expensive that if she sold herself, she probably couldn't even afford its edge.
Yet, Nangong Jin could give it to her so easily.
The disparity in their social status was truly vast.
"An Nuan, you are my girlfriend, and in the future, you will be my wife. If I don't give this ring to you, who else would I give it to?"
"An Nuan, I know that even though you agreed to be my girlfriend, you've always felt that you don't deserve me."
"But An Nuan, that's your thought. What about my thoughts? Have you ever cared? Have you ever considered them?"
"An Nuan, my feelings for you have been genuine from the start. I intend to marry you. If I hadn't been afraid of scaring you, of making you unhappy, I would have knelt down and proposed to you long ago."
"And I know that if I proposed to you now, you definitely wouldn't agree. Therefore, I'm waiting for you to truly accept me."
"Nangong Jin, I..." Marry?
An Nuan lowered her head, speaking uncomfortably, "I've been married before, not once, but twice."
"And you should also know that anyone who gets involved with me never has a good ending."
"Nangong Jin, I hope you can be happy. Someone like me is truly not worthy of you."
"An Nuan, you are the best in this world."
Nangong Jin said with conviction, his gaze fixed on An Nuan, as if afraid of missing even a single movement.
An Nuan sighed helplessly. It seemed impossible to explain this matter clearly now.
With time, he would meet someone better and give up on her.
"Nangong Jin, I'll accept the ring, but please don't buy such precious items for me next time."
'I'm not worth it.' This was what she wanted to say, but meeting Nangong Jin's sincere gaze, the words caught in her throat.
In the end, she held back.
"An Nuan." Nangong Jin excitedly pulled An Nuan into his arms, his face beaming with joy.
"Thank you for not rejecting me, for giving me a chance."
"An Nuan, don't worry, I will make you fall in love with me slowly."
"Actually, it's not worth it for you to do so much for me. Sometimes, if you look around, there are many more wonderful people."
"No, An Nuan, in my eyes, you are the best."
"Nangong Jin, do you know? Everyone dislikes and despises me, but only you comfort me, only you tell me I'm the best in the world." An Nuan said, her eyes reddening, tears streaming down her face.
"Nangong Jin, but my physical condition might not last. You know, my body is almost ruined."
"I don't want to drag you down."
"An Nuan, I knew this from the beginning, and believe me, I can cure you."
"Also, remember one thing: you are never a burden."
"An Nuan, do you know? I feel at ease only when you are by my side."
"Every day, just seeing you makes me feel as if I possess the whole world."
"An Nuan, please stop saying those self-deprecating words, okay?" Nangong Jin said softly. "Do you know? Every time I hear you belittle yourself, my heart aches to the point of suffocation."
"My An Nuan is so wonderful, not a person who is so pathetic. My heart aches."
"Even if no one in the world cares, I will care."
"An Nuan, try to accept me slowly, okay?"
Nangong Jin smiled and said, "You are my girlfriend now, and I am your boyfriend. This is you slowly taking a step forward. Please don't retreat, okay? I will be with you for a lifetime."
A lifetime?
An Nuan's heart trembled. A lifetime, how wonderful that would be.
But a lifetime felt like a mere wish for her.
Nangong Jin could give her a lifetime, but what about her? She couldn't even give him such a simple promise.
Just as An Nuan was about to speak, Nangong Jin's phone rang. It was Huo Yuxuan calling.
On the other end, Huo Yuxuan was speaking excitedly, saying that everything was progressing smoothly and that Nangong Jin could attend to things here with peace of mind.
Nangong Jin, however, replied, "I'll be back immediately."
Huo Yuxuan on the other end was stunned. What did "I'll be back immediately" mean? No, was what he had just said not clear enough? He had said that he had handled things on his end and that Nangong Jin didn't need to rush.
Had he not rested well, leading to auditory hallucinations?
He wanted to explain to Nangong Jin again, but the call was hung up.
Unassured, he called again, but it was hung up once more.
Huo Yuxuan looked at his phone, questioning his entire existence.