Upon arriving at the club, the crowd was overwhelming, and she had already lost track of the man from earlier.
She frantically searched for him, as he knew where her brother was. If she couldn't find him, her brother would be lost.
Her face had gone deathly pale, filled with fear and dread.
At that very moment, a strong hand grabbed her, and she was ruthlessly dragged into a private room.
She trembled all over, utterly terrified.
She had heard the rumors about clubs like this. She had hoped her luck wouldn't be so terrible on her first visit, that she wouldn't encounter anything bad.
But it seemed fate was playing a cruel joke on her, and what she feared most was happening.
She dared not look up, keeping her head down, hoping they wouldn't see her if she did.
"You've got the wrong person. I'm not a waitress here. I'm looking for someone," An Nuan said, her body shaking with fear. This was her first time experiencing something like this.
In the past, Shen Xizhou had handled everything for her.
"Xizhou, save me." At that moment, she cried out Shen Xizhou's name without warning.
Perhaps it was a habit ingrained in her very being.
She remembered Shen Xizhou holding her close, whispering intimately in her ear, "Nuannuan, I will dote on you, spoil you until you're a little princess who knows nothing. That way, you'll never be able to leave me."
Yes, now she was indeed spoiled into knowing nothing, becoming someone who couldn't leave him. She wouldn't leave him. But he had ruthlessly pushed her away.
She didn't know what to do. She could only struggle.
"Let me go."
An Nuan was unaware that the more she struggled, the more excited the men became.
"Of course, we know you're not a waitress. We pulled you in precisely because you're not one. Isn't that more interesting?"
The man whispered in her ear, "Tell me, what do you want? I can give you anything you ask for, as long as you behave yourself and satisfy me."
An Nuan shivered, feeling utterly helpless.
Was it true? Could he give her anything? Even help her deal with Shen Xizhou?
She scoffed softly. She knew very well that who would dare openly defy Shen Xizhou?
Shen Xizhou now had wealth and power. Moreover, he was ruthless and cruel in his dealings, and no one dared to provoke him.
Suddenly, she understood. This was all a conspiracy.
She was discharged from the hospital, met that man, he brought her here, and now she couldn't find him. And now she was in trouble. Someone was plotting against her from behind the scenes, hoping to plunge her into an endless abyss.
A cold smile spread across An Nuan's face. She thought she wouldn't be noticed. What was there about someone like her that was worth noticing?
But now, it seemed she had been mistaken. Many people were thinking of her. She just didn't know it.
So, she was still so remembered, still so important. It truly surprised her.
Sometimes, she wondered if she had never met Shen Xizhou, she wouldn't be suffering like this now. Her mother wouldn't have died, and she wouldn't have accidentally lost her brother.
As An Nuan thought of everything, she felt utterly desolate and useless. Without Shen Xizhou, she couldn't do anything. She couldn't even protect herself. How ridiculous. She was living like a joke.
She bit her lip tightly, as if making a momentous decision. With a burst of strength from somewhere, she broke free from the man's grasp.
Perhaps the man hadn't expected her to escape, and he looked at her with a mixture of astonishment and surprise.
An Nuan moved to kick him, but he caught her again. She was immobilized once more, unable to move.
"Let me go, I'm really not the person you're looking for."
An Nuan said with difficulty, her face full of helplessness. What was she to do? Could she really not escape? But she was unwilling to accept this.
Perhaps it was due to her extreme emotions and the effort she had exerted earlier; her head was now heavy and foggy, her vision blurred. She couldn't quite see what was in front of her. The surroundings were chaotic.
Seeing that the woman in his arms had stopped struggling, the man traced her cheek and said deeply, "Isn't it better to be obedient? I won't do anything to you. I just want to get to know you. You look so much like her."
As he spoke, the man seemed to be lost in deep memory, gazing at An Nuan with infatuation. He gently adjusted the strands of hair falling in front of An Nuan's face. His movements were incredibly delicate, as if she were a rare treasure.
An Nuan stared at the man, somewhat dazed. What did he mean? He seemed to have mistaken her for someone else. Who did she look like?
"I... I..." An Nuan stopped struggling, thinking that if she calmed down and spoke properly, perhaps the man would let her go.
"I think you might have the wrong person. I don't know you, I..." An Nuan tried to explain, a hint of panic in her voice.
The man's expression turned grim. He placed his index finger on An Nuan's lips and whispered in her ear, "Bai Yi, remember my name. Otherwise, I'll get angry. And if I get angry, the consequences can be very severe."
"You should think carefully before you speak," Bai Yi's tone was calm, yet overwhelmingly suppressed.
An Nuan shivered all over. She didn't know what was going on with this man, but she clearly understood that he was sinister. It was best to comply.
She nodded obediently, "Mm-hmm, I understand."
Bai Yi frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with her reaction and answer. But seeing her wary expression, he thought for a moment, perhaps he had been too frightening, and she was scared.
Bai Yi said gently, "What's your name?"
An Nuan hesitated, but under the man's sinister gaze, she finally answered, "An Nuan."
"An Nuan, An Nuan." Bai Yi repeated An Nuan's name, a smile appearing on his face. He said cheerfully, "Your name is lovely. I'll call you Xiao Nuan from now on." Bai Yi said this presumptuously, not giving An Nuan a chance to refuse.
An Nuan didn't object. All she wanted now was for him to let her go. She would never come to a place like this again, and naturally, she wouldn't encounter him again.
Bai Yi moved closer to An Nuan step by step, his lips almost touching her face. An Nuan flinched away in fear. A satisfied smile curved the corners of the man's lips. She was truly different from those other women.
Just as An Nuan was at a loss, the door to the private room was kicked open from the outside with a loud bang.
Shen Xizhou stood in the doorway, his eyes like a demon falling on An Nuan. An Nuan instinctively curled up and retreated, only to be blocked by Bai Yi, who shielded her completely within his embrace.
Bai Yi's gaze fell on Shen Xizhou. A smile played on his lips as he deliberately placed his hand on An Nuan's waist, looking up at Shen Xizhou defiantly.