He looked at An Nuan pinching her chin and said coldly, "If you like to deal with people so much, then let her 'enjoy' it properly."
"I'll arrange for her to go to a mental asylum. The people there should be enough for her to deal with," Shen Xizhou said, his eyes bloodshot. "That way, she won't have the time and energy to target you anymore."
An Nuan's hands clenched tightly, her heart feeling as if it were being sliced by a knife, already bloody and bruised.
She had never imagined that such words would come from his mouth.
Looking at the sinister man before her, a man like a demon, another figure emerged in her mind.
She remembered, remembered how he used to protect her tightly when she got off work and was afraid of the dark.
She had been chased by a madman on the street late at night. She saw him beat that person to near death for her, almost getting himself caught in the process, and all that he did was for her.
He knew very well that she was most afraid of facing such deranged people.
Because of that incident, he had always stayed with her. No matter how late or whether it was raining, he would accompany her.
He had said to her ear, with immense affection, "Nuannuan, in this life, I will hold you in the palm of my hand and never let you suffer any harm again."
"The things and people you fear, I will spend my entire life keeping them away. Your life should be happy, your life should be filled with sunshine, and no trace of anything dirty should appear in your life."
"There are too many dirty things in the world, but I will intercept them all for you."
But now? Those promises echoed in her mind like a joke, and she felt like the butt of the joke.
In the past, she was moved beyond words, but now she sadly realized that it was all fleeting.
In the end, the one who brought her all the pain and harm was the one who always said he loved her and wanted to protect her.
She looked at the man before her with such sorrow. An Nuan did not retort or beg for mercy; she simply stared. For her, the man's decision was something she had long expected.
She felt no fear, no evasion, but stared with wide eyes at the person before her, as if trying to etch this moment, this entire scene, deeply into her memory.
Xu Ruowei, standing beside them, was not satisfied. Sending her to a mental asylum was too lenient, wasn't it? There were surely more cruel ways.
Heh, indeed. Shen Xizhou still had her in his heart. Even after so much had happened, he still cared for her.
Damn it, this An Nuan was like a stubborn piece of candy, sticking between her and Shen Xizhou, impossible to get rid of. What to do?
She glared at An Nuan with resentment but could only watch unwillingly. For even though she had a thousand and one ways to deal with An Nuan, Shen Xizhou was present, and she was powerless.
An Nuan knew that Xu Ruowei hated her to the core and wished she could lay her hands on her, but with Shen Xizhou there, she wouldn't dare, because she wanted to maintain her image of being generous and gentle.
The Shen Xizhou she had in her heart had long since died, buried with her heart on that night three years ago.
There was no longer a deeply affectionate Shen Xizhou in the world who would cherish her. There was no longer a pampered and doted-upon An Nuan. That was the past. It would never return.
She understood even more clearly that the Shen Xizhou in her heart had died. He had died completely.
Those beautiful times were forever frozen, never to return.
...
When An Nuan woke up, a week had already passed.
She lay in a hospital bed, an IV drip still in her arm.
She was fine. But what happened after? What had happened? The last thing she heard before she fainted was the noise around her, and a faint voice saying, "Ruowei absolutely cannot have anything happen to her."
An Nuan patted her head. What had happened, and why was she in the hospital?
She looked around and saw Shen Xizhou standing by the window, radiating a cold aura.
An Nuan knew Shen Xizhou was in a bad mood.
But why was he in a bad mood?
At this moment, she let out a desolate smile. Why would he be in a good mood? Suddenly, she found her own thoughts inexplicably ridiculous. Could his mood possibly improve upon seeing her?
He wished he could kill her. She was still alive and well, so how could his mood be good?
She lowered her head and slowly moved her body, wanting to lie down. She didn't know how to face Shen Xizhou or what to say to him.
"An Nuan, are you triumphant now? Are you satisfied?" Shen Xizhou questioned her sinisterly.
Faced with Shen Xizhou's sudden interrogation, An Nuan was stunned. She looked at the man before her with a sense of confusion and bewilderment.
She looked at the man with curiosity, utterly failing to comprehend his words.
An Nuan replied with a hint of helplessness in her voice, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
If she could avoid responding, she would have, but the man's gaze was relentless, demanding an answer. She could no longer evade him.
Shen Xizhou suddenly lunged towards An Nuan. It was unclear if it was her imagination, but at this moment, she thought she saw a flicker of concern and guilt in his eyes.
She shook her head. Impossible. He detested her so much; how could he possibly feel pity for her? It must have been her imagination.
She looked up again, meeting his eyes. They were filled with disdain and hatred.
Yes, it must have been her mistake just now. This person filled with hostility, who hated her to the bone, was the true Shen Xizhou.
"What's wrong? Have you forgotten what you've done? Did you think that by pretending to be unconscious, you wouldn't have to pay the price?" Shen Xizhou questioned her sinisterly, his face cold, his anger blazing. "An Nuan, your kidney has already been given to Xu Ruowei."
"What?"
An Nuan instinctively touched her lower back and let out a sharp gasp. How could he be so cruel? How could he treat her like this?
She knew Xu Ruowei held a special place in Shen Xizhou's heart, but she had never imagined he would trample on her and ruin her like this for Xu Ruowei, even giving a part of her body to Xu Ruowei.
Her days were numbered. He wanted to save Xu Ruowei, but had he considered her life?
"Also, Ruowei needs a title. We're divorcing."
"Divorce?"
An Nuan's heart was crushed into pieces. There was no longer any love between her and Shen Xizhou. The only link between them was their marriage certificate. She thought she had long since let go of Shen Xizhou. She thought that when Shen Xizhou proposed divorce, ending their non-existent marriage, she wouldn't feel any pain or sadness.
But when she actually heard it, her heart still ached.