"An Nuan, pinch me, will you? Everything feels so wonderful right now, I'm almost questioning if this is real or a dream."
As Nan Gong Jin said this, An Nuan let out a heartfelt laugh. She genuinely hadn't expected Nan Gong Jin to say something so amusing.
"An Nuan, what are you laughing at? Do you think what I'm saying is ridiculous?"
"But An Nuan, you don't know how long I've waited. I always thought I'd never hear these words in my lifetime. Yet, here I am, hearing them now. I'm truly happy."
"An Nuan, do you know? I thought I would spend my whole life by your side, just a quiet presence, accompanying you."
"Without any title or recognition."
Nan Gong Jin seemed to realize something and quickly clarified, "No, I didn't mean anything special by that. What I wanted to say is, I'm truly delighted that you're saying you'll slowly accept me."
Listening to the usually composed Nan Gong Jin become so flustered by her words, An Nuan's smile reached her eyes. She was well aware of the gossip surrounding Nan Gong Jin among outsiders. However, she thought that no one would have ever seen this side of Nan Gong Jin. If she told others that Nan Gong Jin had such a facet, no one would likely believe her.
"Nan Gong Jin, do you know? When I was hurt, the person I thought of was always you. Not Shen Xi Zhou."
"It's just that I still have some things to sort out, so I need a little more time."
Under Nan Gong Jin's fervent gaze, An Nuan's eyes shifted to the breakfast, thinking she could use it to change the subject.
"Nan Gong Jin, I'm hungry. Can we eat breakfast now?"
An Nuan looked at Nan Gong Jin, who remained still, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Was it not working? It shouldn't be. It should work.
"An Nuan."
Nan Gong Jin suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace again, stating firmly, "I've heard everything you said. There's no turning back for you now."
"Nan Gong Jin, could you loosen your grip a little? I can barely breathe."
Nan Gong Jin reluctantly released An Nuan, but he eventually let her go. He couldn't let An Nuan become afraid of him. His gaze fell on the red marks on An Nuan's neck, which were incredibly jarring. He finally called for Huo Yu Xuan.
When Huo Yu Xuan arrived and realized Nan Gong Jin had summoned him from afar just for the marks on An Nuan's neck, he momentarily felt like hitting someone. There was no medicine for such marks. More importantly, Nan Gong Jin should have known this basic fact. He looked at Nan Gong Jin with a strange expression, and upon seeing the unconcealable smile, he almost suspected that Nan Gong Jin himself, rather than An Nuan, was the one who needed to see a doctor. Didn't he realize his smile was unnerving?
Huo Yu Xuan started to voice his thoughts, but Nan Gong Jin's glare immediately silenced him. Instantly, he shivered all over. What could he possibly say now?
"Medicine," Nan Gong Jin said coldly, extending his hand.
Hearing that tone, Huo Yu Xuan knew the medicine would have to be produced. More importantly, if he didn't, he suspected he'd be the one needing medicine from the first-aid kit. For the sake of his own life, he chose to play ignorant.
Nan Gong Jin took the medicine and began to apply it to An Nuan. An Nuan had actually said she didn't need any medicine, but Nan Gong Jin insisted on doing things his way. There was nothing she could do but let him.
Huo Yu Xuan's eyes widened as he watched everything unfold. He had a feeling that something had changed between Nan Gong Jin and An Nuan. What exactly had changed was hard to say. Could he ask? The answer was obviously no. Despite Nan Gong Jin's current gentleness and meticulous care, it was selective. If it were someone else, like him, he'd probably have received a punch.
Watching Nan Gong Jin carefully apply the medicine to An Nuan, he wondered if such a scene was truly priceless. If he weren't afraid of Nan Gong Jin's retaliation, he would have loved to capture it and publicize it widely. Usually, Huo Yu Xuan would leave immediately after finishing his tasks. But this time, he was different. He didn't leave in a hurry; instead, he stood aside, just watching. Huo Yu Xuan had a selfish motive; he wanted to see how far Nan Gong Jin would go. But more importantly, he worried that if he left and Nan Gong Jin needed him for something else, he wouldn't be there, and his subsequent days would likely be difficult. In truth, he was already finding things difficult.
Even stranger was that An Nuan hadn't said anything. Huo Yu Xuan felt even more that something was amiss. Had things progressed too quickly in just a few days?
As Nan Gong Jin reached to put away the medicine box, he noticed that her arm was injured, with several scratches. In that moment, all his composure shattered. He tightly gripped An Nuan's hand, gazing at her with worry in his eyes. "An Nuan, the injuries on your wrist, were they caused by Shen Xi Zhou, Xu Ruo Wei, or both of them?" At this moment, Nan Gong Jin's mind raced through many possibilities. More often than not, he pictured An Nuan being terribly mistreated.
An Nuan frowned slightly. Injured on her wrist? She hadn't noticed. Her gaze also fell, and upon seeing the injured wrist, a smile suddenly spread across her face. "This has already scarred over. It doesn't hurt anymore."
"It's something that happened a long time ago." That was a gift from Shen Xi Zhou. She remembered it clearly, of course. But she no longer wished to revisit the past. The past was too painful for her. It was so painful that she couldn't breathe; she didn't want to recall it. "Nan Gong Jin, those things are in the past. Let them stay there."
Nan Gong Jin, who had been about to ask a question, swallowed his words. Since An Nuan didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't ask. Perhaps they were unpleasant memories. He wouldn't make her recall them. Seeing Nan Gong Jin's furrowed brow, An Nuan's voice held a trace of helplessness as she said, "Nan Gong Jin, it's over. It's fine now."
"See? I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I?"
Nan Gong Jin held her hand, lowered his head, and kissed her wrist, saying with deep affection, "An Nuan, from now on, I will never let you get hurt again."
From now on, I will protect you.