That punch seemed not to quench his hatred; his fist landed on Bai Yi's face again.
An Nuan watched everything unfold. She rushed forward, shielding Bai Yi behind her, and stared directly at Shen Xizhou, whose eyes were already bloodshot with rage.
Shen Xizhou was too terrifying. She feared that if she didn't intervene, Bai Yi would be beaten to death. And she was the instigator of all this.
She suddenly regretted why she had dragged Bai Yi into this. If she could have held back, Bai Yi wouldn't be here now. Ultimately, she had involved those innocent people.
Shielding Bai Yi behind her, her gaze fixed on Shen Xizhou, she stubbornly faced the man, unwilling to give him a chance to harm Bai Yi further.
An Nuan seemed to have forgotten that the more she acted this way, the more ruthless Shen Xizhou would become towards Bai Yi.
In Shen Xizhou's eyes, everything An Nuan did screamed that the man before her was more important than him. But this was a fact he could never accept.
An Nuan's entire body trembled. She was truly terrified of the man before her. Yet, even in her fear, the situation allowed her no retreat.
All she could do now was pray silently that Shen Xizhou would stop troubling Bai Yi, that he would stop his assault.
Her mind was a blank slate. She feared she wouldn't be able to hold on if this continued.
Finally, Shen Xizhou let Bai Yi go.
However, he did not let An Nuan go.
Bai Yi truly left this time, leaving under An Nuan's watchful gaze.
An Nuan's heart, which had been suspended in mid-air, finally settled.
If she had known the outcome, she would never have let Bai Yi get involved.
"Shen Xizhou, this has nothing to do with Bai Yi. If you want to take action, just take it out on me," An Nuan said calmly.
But she didn't know that the more she said this, the more Shen Xizhou's fury burned.
Shen Xizhou roughly pulled her into his embrace. With his other hand, he choked her, tightening his grip little by little. The veins in his hand bulged, indicating the force he was using.
An Nuan's pain was so intense that even breathing felt difficult. However, she could no longer concern herself with her own pain. All her thoughts were on Bai Yi. She simply wanted Shen Xizhou to promise her that he would not trouble Bai Yi further. It was such a simple request.
Her face was devoid of color, as if she could faint at any moment.
"An Nuan, even now, you're still speaking for another man. It seems you really care about that Bai Yi."
"Heh, you are truly despicable. Can't you live without a man?"
"An Nuan, you're quite skilled. How long has it been, and you've already hooked up with another man? You say I misunderstood you, that you didn't betray me? Heh, do you think what you say is believable?"
"Xizhou, no, it's not what you think."
"Bai Yi has nothing to do with me."
"I went there because a man told me he had news about my brother. He said if I didn't go, I'd never find out about my brother, which is why I went to that club."
"And then? What about Bai Yi? Did you meet him at that time?" Shen Xizhou asked mockingly, his expression saying it all. He wouldn't believe a word An Nuan said.
An Nuan sighed helplessly. After a long pause, she finally spoke, "Shen Xizhou, I'm telling the truth. Bai Yi really has nothing to do with me. I said that earlier just to provoke you. Please, let Bai Yi go, can you?"
She knew that Shen Xizhou had set his sights on Bai Yi.
"Heh. No relation?" Shen Xizhou's smile was utterly cold, and his words were even more chilling. "If you and Bai Yi had no relation, why would he step forward to speak for you? If you had no relation with him, why are you now begging me so desperately, speaking for him?"
"An Nuan, next time you fabricate a lie, can you make it a more convincing one?"
He walked towards An Nuan step by step, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty glint, and said coldly, "You want to plead for Bai Yi, don't you? You don't want me to trouble him, right?"
"An Nuan, then open your eyes wide and watch how I torment Bai Yi. I want to make you understand that anyone who has anything to do with you will have a terrible end."
"I want to make you realize that you can only live in hell your entire life. This life, you can only live alone and lonely."
Shen Xizhou roughly flung her away.
"No, Xizhou, I beg you, you can't do this." She kept kowtowing, kept pleading.
Even though she knew it was useless, she still wanted to try.
Her forehead had already broken, but she persisted, as if doing so would make Shen Xizhou change his mind.
But she was wrong, terribly wrong. The more she acted this way, the less Shen Xizhou would let Bai Yi go.
She seemed not to realize yet that her method was wrong.
Perhaps her method would only push Bai Yi into an abyss.
There was nothing she could do now but keep kowtowing.
It was the only thing she could do now, and in Shen Xizhou's eyes, it was cheap and pathetic.
Her face was pale. The physical pain, the pain in her heart, and Shen Xizhou's torment made her suffer immensely.
She raised her eyes and looked at the unmoved man before her, her gaze filled with despair.
It seemed that everything she did was wrong, outrageously wrong, terribly wrong.
Shen Xizhou, look at all this. Will you remember what you once said?
"Nuan Nuan, no matter what happens, I will always believe you. I won't let you shed a single tear or let you fall into helplessness."
Those sweet words still echoed in her heart.
He had said them to her intimately by her ear.
But now? She knelt before him, her head broken, and he wouldn't even spare her a glance. His eyes were filled with intense disgust.
When did he start to hate and despise her so much?
When did their relationship become like this?
"An Nuan, speak. Besides Bai Yi, how many other men are there in your life that I don't know about?"
"I didn't expect you to be so good at hiding, hiding so well."
"So, the best actress is you. I truly underestimated you."
Facing Shen Xizhou's accusations and slanders, An Nuan looked up, shock and surprise in her eyes. How could he calmly utter these words, which pierced her heart deeply?
Did he resent her so much?
She forced herself to stay upright, constantly telling herself not to collapse.
There were still many things waiting for her to do.
"Shen Xizhou, no matter how you see me, no matter if you believe me or not. From beginning to end, there has only been you..."
"Heh..."
The man chuckled coldly, disbelieving and mocking. "When you say that, don't you find it ridiculous? Or do you think I'm a fool who will believe your words?"
"You are truly sickening."