In the hospital.
An Nuan looked at Li Tian lying on the hospital bed, her pale face, and felt heartache.
But the doctor had just examined her and said that Li Tian was not in serious condition, just lacking rest and a bit malnourished. She would be fine with proper recuperation. The doctor's words completely eased An Nuan's worried heart.
An Nuan knew that Shen Xizhou had helped with this matter. If it weren't for his help, things wouldn't have been resolved so quickly. Although she didn't want too much contact with Shen Xizhou, she truly had to thank him for this matter.
Glancing at Shen Xizhou standing beside her, she wanted to express her gratitude, but after hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke with difficulty, "Mr. Shen, thank you. If not for you, perhaps Li Tian would have been in real danger."
"Nuan Nuan, I accept your thanks. However, I've done so much for you, it can't be dismissed with just a 'thank you'."
"If you truly want to thank me, can you grant me one request?"
An Nuan looked at Shen Xizhou, who was all smiles, and she suddenly regretted her words. If she could, she would take back what she just said.
At this moment, all she wanted was to slap Shen Xizhou.
However, she ultimately restrained herself.
Because she was the one who initially offered thanks, which led to Shen Xizhou's continuation.
Thinking about it, this matter started because of her, and perhaps it should end because of her.
Since she brought it up, she should follow through.
She took a deep breath, as if making a major decision, and looked at Shen Xizhou, silently telling herself: just don't think about it.
Looking at Shen Xizhou, she said calmly, "Okay, to express my gratitude, I am willing to do anything for you, Mr. Shen, as long as it is within my capabilities."
Shen Xizhou smiled, his face full of smiles, and said, "Don't worry, this is something only you can do, and only you can do it."
Hearing Shen Xizhou's words, An Nuan felt a slight premonition, a feeling that she was being manipulated by him.
But the words had already been spoken, and she couldn't take them back.
Shen Xizhou stared at An Nuan, his eyes full of light, and then said firmly, "Nuan Nuan, can you make Nangong Jin leave your side?"
As soon as these words were spoken, An Nuan's eyes were filled with disbelief.
She couldn't believe how Shen Xizhou could say such shameless words so calmly.
"You might have misunderstood my meaning." Seeing An Nuan's extremely ugly expression, looking as if she was about to fight him, Shen Xizhou was truly scared.
He quickly corrected himself, "Nuan Nuan, wait a moment, it's not what you think. What I meant was, can you maintain a certain distance from Nangong Jin? If you encounter any trouble, you can come to me. I can handle it for you."
"Can you think of me first when something happens?"
When An Nuan heard Shen Xizhou's words, she didn't feel the initial flutter of emotion. She looked at Shen Xizhou calmly, instinctively wondering if he was plotting against her.
Or was he planning something?
Or did he genuinely want her to forgive him?
However, after all these years, the heartaches she had endured, the people around her who had suffered various hardships because of her, had made her heart turn to ice, devoid of any tenderness.
She couldn't pretend that those things never happened. What happened, happened, and it couldn't be undone.
She looked at Shen Xizhou with caution. She didn't understand why Shen Xizhou was making such a request, but she wouldn't agree.
She looked at Shen Xizhou coldly and said, "Mr. Shen, I am very grateful to you, but I cannot accept your request."
"Of course, if you think of another way for me to thank you, you can still come to me."
Seeing Shen Xizhou reach out his hand, An Nuan directly dodged it. Her gaze fell on him, and she said defensively, "Mr. Shen, this is a hospital, please have some self-respect."
Shen Xizhou stared straight at An Nuan, watching her defensive gaze.
Suddenly, he couldn't quite react. Did she hate him that much?
Recalling what he had done in the past, it was understandable that An Nuan hated him so much. He had to swallow the bitter fruit of his own making.
"Nuan Nuan, I told you, I never meant to hurt you. All the mistakes were mine back then. Can you forgive me? I was truly deceived by Xu Ruowei."
"I don't know what was wrong with me back then, that I just listened to Xu Ruowei."
An Nuan remained unmoved by Shen Xizhou's explanation.
After a long while, An Nuan looked up at Shen Xizhou and said coldly, "Mr. Shen, please don't change. Please maintain your previous attitude towards me, can you?"
"Actually, you say it was because of Xu Ruowei. But in my opinion, if your heart wasn't so indecisive, even if Xu Ruowei tried her best to persuade you, it would have been useless, wouldn't it?"
"Mr. Shen, don't you think so?"
"Back then, I knelt before you, begging you, and how did you treat me?"
"I explained to you, but you? You never believed me. So, now, Mr. Shen, please be as firm as you were before, can you?"
"Without you, my life is much better. Mr. Shen, please leave my life, can you?"
"Nuan Nuan, are you really unwilling to give me another chance? I..." Shen Xizhou's face turned ashen. He reached out, wanting to firmly grasp An Nuan's hand, but An Nuan dodged him.
Meeting An Nuan's resentful gaze, Shen Xizhou's heart felt as if it had been directly pierced.
He even had a bad premonition, realizing that An Nuan was drifting further and further away from him. He felt like he was losing her.
Recalling the heartless words he had spoken back then, he now wished he could slap himself twice.
Yes, back then, An Nuan had knelt before him, begging him to listen to her explanation, but what did he do? He refused to listen to anything. Now that An Nuan treated him this way, it was only fitting; he deserved it.
"Mr. Shen, there's really no need. You don't need to waste your time on me."
"Those apologies are also unnecessary."
An Nuan looked at Shen Xizhou, who was blocking her path, as if he wouldn't move unless she spoke properly.
She sighed helplessly, "Mr. Shen, I've said what I needed to say. There will be no future for you and me."
"Between you and me, apart from mutual disgust, there is nothing else."
"Mr. Shen, I am very satisfied with my life now. I cherish this hard-won peace. I don't want to gamble on unworthy people. I've already lost once, and I don't want to gamble again."
"An Nuan, can you, can you try to give me another chance?" Shen Xizhou said humbly. Only now did he understand the coldness in his eyes when An Nuan had begged him, her despair.