Shen Xizhou's gaze fell upon An Nuan, watching her pale face and the way she clutched her stomach, her brow furrowed in pain. For a moment, Shen Xizhou's frozen heart began to thaw. But then, remembering her cruel deeds, he steeled himself. No, he couldn't be deceived by this cunning woman again.
"An Nuan, you've played this kind of trick before. Do you think I'll believe you? Faking death?"
Seeing An Nuan still hadn't gotten up, Shen Xizhou's temper grew even more irritable.
Looking at the person on the ground, he felt An Nuan was incredibly strange. The An Nuan he knew before wasn't like this.
"An Nuan, if you're faking it, then you'll never see your brother again."
Shen Xizhou knew that An Nuan cared most about her younger brother. Therefore, she would surely get up obediently.
Each time, it had worked. But this time, it hadn't. An Nuan remained on the ground, struggling in agony.
A thought flickered in Shen Xizhou's mind: Could it be real? Was she not faking?
Shen Xizhou crouched down, placing his hand on her shoulder, intending to turn her face towards him to get a clear look.
But just as he was about to do so, An Nuan, who had been in pain, mustered all her strength to push herself up. Gritting her teeth, she dragged herself to lean against the wall.
At this moment, her face was filled with a smile.
Seeing the smile on her face, Shen Xizhou felt nothing but disgust. Hah, what had possessed him moments ago to feel pity for this woman? Where was the pity? Look at the smile on her face.
He was truly foolish, fooled by her once again.
All along, he had been deceived by her.
He knew she was acting, yet he still felt a pang of sympathy.
Now, seeing An Nuan's smile, he felt an extreme sense of mockery.
His hand tightened around her neck, almost strangling her. An Nuan's pain was so intense that even breathing was difficult. A suffocating sensation washed over her.
Her hands flailed wildly. "Shen Xizhou, just kill me. That way, I'll be free, and I won't be in so much pain."
"We are no longer connected. Everyone in this world harbors malice towards me. You are no longer the person you once were; the one who protected me with her life is dead."
"Mr. Shen, please, just do it. Let me find release."
Hearing her words, Shen Xizhou's gaze turned ice-cold. He scoffed, "An Nuan, you want release?"
"But, I'm telling you, I won't let you have your wish." Shen Xizhou spoke with the cold-bloodedness of a demon from hell.
"I will make you live a long life, tormenting you for eternity. I will make you live in torment your entire life."
His words made An Nuan look up at him with shock. He said he wouldn't grant her wish. He said he would torment her for eternity. He said he would make her live in torment her entire life.
An Nuan's gaze towards him unsettled him. Recalling the past events, he scoffed, "What? Not acting anymore? Isn't acting what you do best? Go on, act."
"Yes, I am the best at acting."
"I admit it. So, Mr. Shen, what do you plan to do? How do you intend to deal with me?" An Nuan replied coldly.
An Nuan looked at Shen Xizhou, a provocative smile playing on her lips.
She seemed not to fear Shen Xizhou at all.
He cupped her chin, meeting her gaze, as if trying to see right through her.
Shen Xizhou slowly leaned closer, his every breath audible, his warm exhalations brushing against her face. The hand at her side clenched tightly; she told herself countless times in her heart not to be moved, to be ruthless.
Yet, as Shen Xizhou drew near, her heart still pounded wildly, and her earlobes felt warm.
She knew Shen Xizhou was only there to humiliate her.
But her heart, which had been as strong as a fortress, still faltered.
Seeing An Nuan's previously pale face now flushed, her earlobes red and hot, Shen Xizhou noticed these subtle details.
Heh.
This shameless woman was still moved by him.
But how much of it was real and how much was fake? For a moment, he couldn't tell. It was all her fault for being such a good actress.
He pinched her chin, almost crushing it.
An Nuan's chin ached so much it felt alien. She tried to bear it, but ultimately couldn't.
A muffled groan escaped her as she experienced the pain.
"An Nuan, didn't you say you don't love me anymore? Why are you trembling all over just because I'm close? And your face and earlobes are red. An Nuan, deep down, you still love me, don't you? You're just afraid to admit it."
"An Nuan, you're such an actress..."
Shen Xizhou didn't finish his sentence. He tightened his grip on An Nuan's neck, forcing her to look at him, as if wanting to confirm his words were true.
An Nuan's gaze was fixed on him, but the affection and shyness from before were gone. Only disgust remained.
He felt deeply wounded by An Nuan's eyes.
Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, he tightly gripped her hand and used his other arm to embrace her waist, forcing her to stay, giving her no chance to escape.
He refused to believe that An Nuan no longer loved him.
"An Nuan, say it. Say you have feelings for me. You're just acting."
"Say it. Tell me quickly."
Shen Xizhou was in a terrible state, shaking An Nuan, desperate to hear what he wanted from her.
"An Nuan."
He had no intention of giving up. He persisted.
An Nuan let out a cold snort, a faint sound. A cold smile curved her lips, and her slender hand reached up to Shen Xizhou's neck, her breath warm against his ear as she spoke coldly, "Mr. Shen, as you said. I am adept at acting. Do you still think I love you? Don't you think perhaps, all that love, that fondness, that reluctance to part, was all an act?"
She chuckled lightly and removed her hand from Shen Xizhou's neck. For a moment, her movements paused. She felt a flicker of reluctance. If only this moment could last a lifetime.
But what was once an ordinary thing had now become his greatest desire.
Looking at Shen Xizhou's dark, grim face, An Nuan laughed, a hearty laugh. "That's right, Shen Xizhou. You were fooled by me before, saying I was dying. You believed it. Fooled once, then again, Mr. Shen. Are you about to be fooled again?"
An Nuan's eyes, filled with anger and bloodshot, fixed on Shen Xizhou. He reached out his hand, then it moved to her neck, slowly tightening. She smiled, and said, "Mr. Shen, that's the real you. You should have strangled me. If I died, you would be free, and I would be free too."
"Then you and Xu Ruowei could live happily ever after."
"If I were alive, Mr. Shen and Miss Xu would probably find it hard to be together. Because I would constantly appear to bother you and Miss Xu." An Nuan's fingers traced circles over Shen Xizhou's heart, a wicked smile on her lips, like a villain.