Ye Qingcheng gave a soft "Mm" to indicate he understood.
His hands, which had been tense, began to move busily. A smile remained on his face as he spoke, "An Nuan, I know all of these things. However, don't you have no relationship with him now? So, I can openly pursue you. Don't you think so?"
Looking at Ye Qingcheng's serious expression as he spoke, An Nuan felt that the words she was about to utter were incredibly cruel. Yet, despite their cruelty, she had to say them.
Misunderstandings always needed to be cleared up. The sooner, the better.
If she dragged it out, it would become even harder to explain.
Perhaps withdrawing now would be quicker, and less painful.
An Nuan looked at Ye Qingcheng, her voice firm. "Dr. Ye, you are very good, but I am not worthy of you. How can I, so impure, be worthy of you? You deserve someone better. I believe that person will appear soon."
"I am an unfortunate person. I don't want my misfortune to spread to you."
Looking at Ye Qingcheng's eyes, which had been shining, the light slowly faded as he heard her hurtful words.
A suffocating feeling washed over her. These words were not spoken willingly, but she had no choice but to say them.
Seeing the disbelief in Ye Qingcheng's eyes, and his pleading gaze, a heavy sense of guilt descended upon her, making it difficult to breathe.
Ye Qingcheng suddenly moved closer, leaving An Nuan no chance to dodge. He tightly gripped her hand, gazing at her with deep affection.
"An Nuan, do you know? Actually, I knew you long before Shen Xizhou did."
An Nuan: "..."
An Nuan was filled with disbelief at Ye Qingcheng's words. Was he telling the truth? She had no recollection of him.
"I've always been watching you silently. I originally wanted to confess my feelings, but later, due to some circumstances, I had to leave. When I returned, I could no longer find you."
"It was only recently that I met you again. Afterward, I investigated and learned some things."
"I know everything you've said, but I don't care. I only care about you." Ye Qingcheng said, holding her hand tightly, his eyes filled with excitement.
An Nuan instinctively pulled her hand back from Ye Qingcheng's firm grip.
"Dr. Ye, I believe everything you've said. But some things have happened and they cannot be undone. Please don't waste your time on me."
"But, An Nuan, you are no longer involved with that person, and no one will say anything if you were to be with me."
An Nuan looked at Ye Qingcheng. She felt she had said everything she needed to say, and had said it clearly.
However, Ye Qingcheng did not seem to have taken her words to heart.
Ye Qingcheng's eyes shone as he said, "It's okay, I will try even harder. Until you finally agree."
"After waiting for so many years, these things are not a problem for me now."
"Of course, if you reject me now, then so be it."
An Nuan: Was he planning to give up?
A smile curved Ye Qingcheng's lips. "You reject me, and I will continue to pursue you."
Ye Qingcheng's face was full of smiles. "I will pursue you. You can reject me, and of course, even if you reject me, I can still continue to pursue you."
"Anyway, you are single now, so I can openly pursue you."
Ye Qingcheng's words left An Nuan momentarily speechless.
Yes, pursuing her was his business. She couldn't change that.
An Nuan sighed helplessly and looked at Ye Qingcheng, her eyes filled with a deep sense of resignation.
Ye Qingcheng, however, was overjoyed by An Nuan's reaction, his face beaming with smiles. "An Nuan, what about your brother? I know you have a brother, but I've come several times and haven't seen him. Could he be shy?"
An Nuan froze slightly, her eyes clouding with sorrow. Her brother?
Yes, she wanted to know too. But she knew nothing.
She sighed helplessly, shook her head, and said with despair, "Shen Xizhou took my brother. If I want to see my brother, I have to obey him."
"This is too much. This is outright blackmail!" Ye Qingcheng exclaimed indignantly. "He's using your brother to threaten you. I never imagined Shen Xizhou would be such a shameless person."
"An Nuan, don't worry. With me here, leave finding your brother to me."
"After all, your brother is also my brother."
An Nuan: "..." She stared at Ye Qingcheng, bewildered by his sudden change in demeanor.
For a moment, she didn't know which Ye Qingcheng was the real one.
A week later, Ye Qingcheng took An Nuan's hand and walked out. He said mysteriously, "Let's go, I'll take you somewhere you'll be very happy."
An Nuan: "..." She was surprised by Ye Qingcheng's sudden appearance, but she was at work, and it wouldn't do to just leave.
"Don't worry, I've already gotten you leave."
An Nuan: "..."
"An Nuan, don't worry, I'm really just giving you a surprise. I wouldn't harm you."
"Oh, and you might faint from excitement later."
"An Nuan, you should be very grateful to me later."
An Nuan: "..." She had never seen such a talkative Ye Qingcheng before.
Was this the real Ye Qingcheng?
At this moment, it seemed that nothing she said or did would matter.
Finally, Ye Qingcheng brought her to the hospital. She thought he had brought her to the hospital for her hand, but he said that was not the case.
When she saw her brother lying on the hospital bed, his face pale, An Nuan's eyes instantly turned red.
She looked at Ye Qingcheng, her voice trembling with emotion, "How... how did you find him?"
Ye Qingcheng told her truthfully that he had gone to Shen Xizhou and learned that An Yunxiu was there. He also told her that Shen Xizhou had taken An Yunxiu not for revenge, nor out of hatred.
That day, Shen Xizhou had gone to An Nuan's residence and found An Yunxiu collapsed on the floor. He had then rushed An Yunxiu to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, he had arrived and the treatment had been timely, saving An Yunxiu's life.
However, the doctor had also stated that An Yunxiu could not be discharged from the hospital yet, as any sudden incident could occur if he left.
Ye Qingcheng could have omitted these explanations. An Nuan might have been more grateful to him then.
But he was unwilling to do so.