The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 398 - 400. Death of Xu Nuo

Chapter 398: 400. Death of Xu Nuo

"Did anyone agree to let her go?" A hoarse voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Hearing that familiar voice, Jin Enxi and Eden’s hearts suddenly sank. They turned to look at the person appearing at the doorway, their pupils constricted; Jin Enxi instantly assumed a defensive stance.

Allen’s figure appeared in their line of sight. He sized up Jin Enxi and Eden from head to toe, nodded his head in satisfaction, and his gaze lingered on Annie for a moment, the approval in his eyes intensifying.

"Hmm, not bad. After all these years, you haven’t completely forgotten what I’ve taught you. That’s good. Keep it up."

Eden’s body tensed as he shielded Jin Enxi behind him. Jin Enxi gave him a speechless look and thought, Big brother, do you even realize that you’re the weakest among us in terms of skills? If things really go down, who knows who will be protecting whom?

"Allen, what are you doing here?" Eden asked coldly.

Allen snickered, "Seeing your instructor and you don’t even greet him, yet you dare to address him by name. Did I teach you that? It seems you are becoming less disciplined."

Eden stared at him, or more precisely, at the person beside him. Since they could make it this far, it indicated that the people they’d arranged outside were dealt with, but he didn’t know if they were dead or just unconscious. "We’re no longer your students, and you’re no longer our instructor."

Allen nodded, "Yes, indeed, your wings have hardened, and even your talk is tough. Very good, it proves that my efforts haven’t been wasted."

Jin Enxi watched Allen warily, "Allen, state your purpose."

Allen gave Jin Enxi a cold glance, "I’m not here for you guys today." He looked down at Annie on the floor, "Is this Annie?"

Staring into Allen’s chilling gaze, Annie instinctively bowed her head and shrank back, the aura emanating from this man was terrifying.

"Take her away," Allen said to someone behind him.

Two people stepped forward from behind him, came over, and pulled Annie up from the ground. Annie struggled but clearly stood no chance against these obviously trained men.

"Eden, Eden, save me." Annie screamed in fear. She didn’t want to be taken away by this man; her instincts told her that it’d be better to stay here than to be taken away.

Jin Enxi and Eden watched coldly, offering no resistance. Although they didn’t know what Allen intended by taking her away, their current situation made resistance futile. They were unarmed while those accompanying Allen clearly had bulging waists—easy to guess what those were. Fists can’t beat four legs, let alone when they were unarmed against the other’s guns.

"You two are useless, after all this time you can’t even handle a woman," Allen observed the lack of resistance from the duo with satisfaction, but recalling earlier events, anger surged within him again.

Guilt flashed in Jin Enxi’s eyes as she bowed her head, but she quickly realized she was showing weakness in front of Allen, and immediately raised her head, chest out, looking straight at him, "You’ve taken the person, you can leave now."

At that moment, another person entered from outside, followed by two burly men, and Xu Nuo was being handled like a lifeless dog, completely unresponsive.

Jin Enxi and Eden’s expressions shifted slightly. Allen glanced at them and said coldly, "I’ve taken her, and if Xiaoqi asks, you can tell her directly. If I find out next time that you two are still as useless as this, then you needn’t stay by her side anymore."

"No, Eden, help me, I don’t want to go with them. Eden, save me!" Annie shouted.

Allen cast a look, and the housekeeper stepped forward, striking her unconscious with a hand chop.

"Allen," Jin Enxi called to Allen and relayed to him the information Xu Nuo had told her about Mrs. Jin’s several strongholds and good friends in Country R, drawing a cold glance from the housekeeper.

Jin Enxi was not afraid at all. She was blatantly using Allen, but what of it? After all, Allen and Mrs. Jin also shared a deep connection.

"He he, you had designs on me. I’ll let it go this time, but if there’s a next time..." Allen spoke coldly.

Jin Enxi slightly lowered her eyes, avoiding eye contact with the pervert.

"Eden, are we just going to let him take her away?" Jin Enxi softly asked after Allen had left.

"What else? Are you going to snatch her back?" Eden retorted.

Jin Enxi shuddered, thinking better of it. It wasn’t worth opposing Allen just for those two, but a hint of worry still flickered in her eyes, "He took her away; he won’t cause trouble for An, will he?"

"No," Eden said confidently. Strictly speaking, having Allen take her away was good for Shen Qinglan, as it saved her a lot of trouble. After all, they had appeared around Shen Qinglan, especially Eden, who was currently Fu Hengyi’s attending physician. If someone connected Annie’s disappearance with them, that would really be trouble.

Thinking this, Eden even wondered if Allen’s personal decision to take her away was because of this?

"Eden, sometimes I really don’t understand Allen," Jin Enxi murmured. "He’s such a terrifying person. He didn’t die even when he fell from such a high cliff. If it were me, I would definitely make sure those who betrayed me were dead."

In reality, though they had been pursued by Allen’s men several times, they had narrowly escaped each time. Clearly, Allen had the ability to kill them. Could it be that Allen truly had deep affection for Shen Qinglan to the extent of caring for those associated with her?

Jin Enxi guessed quietly to herself.

"Let’s go and see how those people are doing," Eden said indifferently.

Jin Enxi nodded. These people were borrowed by Eden from Ryan, and were Ryan’s trusted aides. It wouldn’t be good if they were harmed.

Fortunately, Allen had shown some decency by only knocking these people unconscious. There was no danger to their lives, and after Eden and Jin Enxi woke them up and sent them on their way, they left as there was no further need to stay.

In Beijing, after hearing Jin Enxi’s words, Shen Qinglan was silent for a moment and then spoke lightly, "Since he took them away, let it be."

"An, I learned of Qin Yan’s bases in Country R from Xu Nuo, and I want to pay a visit," Jin Enxi revealed her intention.

"No," Shen Qinglan objected. "Enxi, you can’t go." It was too dangerous. Country R could be considered Qin Yan’s old stronghold; otherwise, she wouldn’t be there now. They knew nothing about her current situation. Who knew whether what Xu Nuo said was true or false? It could be a trap set by Qin Yan. Going there recklessly was simply taking one’s life too lightly.

"An, I’ll be careful and won’t act impulsively. I just want to investigate Qin Yan’s situation. This woman keeps causing trouble from behind the scenes. Keeping her around even one more day is a hidden danger," Jin Enxi said sternly, her tone tinged with a hint of concern. If Qin Yan were an ordinary person, they wouldn’t need to be so tense, but the power behind Qin Yan wasn’t something they could handle. Just those few Xu Nuo mentioned, if they indeed had strong relations, were a big problem; that was why she had spoken to Allen earlier.

If Allen could deal with Qin Yan, their pressure would be much less.

"Enxi, I disagree with this. Qin Yan’s target is me. As long as I stay in Beijing, she will come after me sooner or later. Instead of taking risks, better to wait for her to make a move," Shen Qinglan spoke sternly.

Jin Enxi was silent for a moment, then spoke up, "Okay, I understand, An. I’ll keep an eye on Qin Yan’s movements and won’t act rashly."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan was slightly reassured. After exchanging a few more words with Jin Enxi, she hung up the phone and, looking at her son sleeping sweetly, fell into deep thought. Always being passive wasn’t a plan. She needed to find a way to lure out Qin Yan. An enemy out in the open was always easier to guard against than one hiding in the shadows.

When Fu Hengyi entered, he saw Shen Qinglan furrowing her brows and looking troubled. He asked with concern, "What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Shen Qinglan didn’t intend to hide anything from Fu Hengyi. Some matters were better prepared for sooner rather than later.

After hearing about the situation, Fu Hengyi said, "When I return to the Beijing Military Region, you should apply to come with me. Although it might be tough to take care of the baby there, I can’t be at ease when you’re not by my side." According to Fu Hengyi’s estimation, since Qin Yan had been lying low for over twenty years, she surely wouldn’t mind waiting a few more months. Now that they were on guard, making a move would be much more difficult.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were on the same page. That was one of the reasons why she had stopped Jin Enxi from actively investigating Qin Yan earlier. As long as they didn’t make any moves, it wouldn’t be easy for Qin Yan to find an opportunity.

And the Beijing Military Region was indeed the safest place currently. Even with her reach, Qin Yan couldn’t extend it into the Beijing Military Region.

"Okay, by that time the baby will have just turned one hundred days old." Shen Qinglan nodded in agreement with Fu Hengyi’s suggestion. The couple didn’t consult with their elders at home, thinking they would agree since it was better for the child to be with his parents. Also, the Beijing Military Region wasn’t too far from home, making it convenient to travel back and forth.

"I’ll be quite busy then, so the household will rely on you. It will be tougher to take care of our child with no family around," Fu Hengyi said, feeling somewhat apologetic.

However, Shen Qinglan didn’t see it that way. In fact, for the family, Fu Hengyi’s sacrifice was the greatest. He could have continued in the Sharp Blade Unit as his commander with the prospect of leading the team once the leadership retired. But he gave up such an opportunity for her and chose to come back here. Even though his previous achievements gave him a higher starting point than most, his promotion here would still be slower than on the front lines.

"This is our shared home; it doesn’t count as suffering," Shen Qinglan said softly.

Fu Hengyi held her close, and just as the couple enjoyed the moment, little Anan woke up. His eyes weren’t even open yet, but he started wailing. Fu Hengyi looked at Shen Qinglan’s lips, closely within reach, and sighed deeply before getting up to tend to the little one.

Initially, Shen Qinglan worried that Fu Hengyi wouldn’t handle Anan well, but after seeing him change a diaper, she was completely reassured.

After changing the dirty diaper, Fu Hengyi went into the bathroom. He washed the diaper by hand as usual. They had many disposable diapers at home, but they were no use because little Anan would get red spots whenever he wore them. After two tries, they gave up.

It was a bit troublesome, but fortunately, there were enough hands at home. Even if Anan needed fifty diaper changes a day, they had enough.

Fu Hengyi came out after washing the diaper. Little Anan was already playing with his mother. He held one of Shen Qinglan’s fingers in his hand, always trying to put it in his mouth. Just as he was about to reach it, Shen Qinglan gently pulled it away, and after several attempts, Anan, feeling like crying, stared at his mother with big eyes, unsure why the kind, gentle mother wouldn’t let him suck on his fingers.

"Little glutton, you can’t eat everything, you’ll get a stomach ache, you know?" Shen Qinglan gently poked her son’s chubby face and smiled tenderly. Little Anan watched his fingers and still tried to stuff whatever he was holding into his mouth.

Fu Hengyi just quietly watched her. Shen Qinglan, when with their child, always appeared exceptionally gentle, a far cry from her usual cool demeanor. This side of her, so different, yet just as heart-stirring for Fu Hengyi.

Thinking this, Fu Hengyi’s gaze at Shen Qinglan changed. Since she had gotten pregnant and his leg was injured, they hadn’t been intimate for several months. Having the beauty in his arms yet unable to do anything was a bittersweet torture.

Counting on his fingers, Fu Hengyi thought, yes, not long now, only two and a half months until three months are up. After that, they could be together as he had consulted with the doctor that they could resume intimacy three months postpartum.

Shen Qinglan knew from the start that Fu Hengyi was watching her, but as his gaze grew more intense, she couldn’t help but lift her eyes to his. The meaning in Fu Hengyi’s eyes was crystal clear, unabashed, making Shen Qinglan’s ears turn red. She gave Fu Hengyi a glance and said, "Fu Hengyi, I’m hungry."

Fu Hengyi smiled as he looked at her. "Okay, I’ll make it for you," he said, his gaze unintentionally lingering on a certain part of her body for a while, his lips slightly upturned as he walked out.

"Anan, your daddy is so naughty, isn’t he?" Shen Qinglan softly said as she held her son’s small hand.

Anan blinked his big eyes and continued his endeavor of sucking on his hand.

***********

At the Han Family, Han Zhengshan watched Han Yi descend the stairs. Upon seeing him ignore his presence and head straight out, he finally spoke, "Han Yi, I need to talk to you."

Han Yi paused, turning to look at him. "What is it?"

Han Zhengshan gestured to the sofa opposite him. "Sit down first."

Contemplating, Han Yi was curious about what Han Zhengshan wanted to say. Previously, he had sent Han Zhengshan to a nursing home and hadn’t visited him since, other than providing monthly payments. A few days ago, the nursing home had called him, mentioning that Han Zhengshan was ill and missed his family, suggesting it might be best for him to recover at home for a few days. Initially, Han Yi didn’t want to respond, but he had reluctantly agreed because of Yu Xiaoxuan’s persuasion.

"Is this about wanting an investment, or what are you up to now?" Han Yi got straight to the point.

Han Zhengshan sighed helplessly. "Han Yi, is this how you see your dad? Always about money?"

Han Yi raised an eyebrow, giving him a ’Isn’t it?’ look.

Embarrassment flashed through Han Zhengshan’s eyes; his son never made it easy, "Han Yi, I know there’s a deep misunderstanding between us, it’s because of your mother’s issue, you harbor deep resentment towards me."

"Don’t you dare mention my mother. If you want to confess, don’t bother. After all, she’s already dead, discussing this serves no purpose," Han Yi cut him off. "Just say what you want to say, no need for beating around the bush."

Han Zhengshan’s face turned green, stumbling, "I...."

"If you want to confess, do it elsewhere, not in front of me. When you get to the afterlife, find the person you wronged and confess then," Han Yi said coldly, a chill in his peach blossom eyes.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving. Unlike you, I have a company with thousands relying on me to pay their wages," Han Yi stood up.

Han Zhengshan urgently called out, "Okay, we won’t talk about your mother’s issue. I have something else today." He picked up a kraft paper bag beside him and handed it to Han Yi. "These are some of Beijing’s well-known young ladies I’ve selected; all are beautiful and from good families. Take a look, and whoever you like, dad will make arrangements."

Han Yi’s gaze turned colder, rage filling his eyes, which quickly disappeared, his look mocking as he stared at Han Zhengshan. "It seems you’ve been really idle lately. Was your illness also just an act?"

Han Zhengshan’s face stiffened. "Han Yi, I’m doing this for your good. Our Han Family has always been distinguished, including your mother who came from a noble family. Your wife should be someone who can uphold your dignity, not an actress. I know Yu Xiaoxuan is very popular now because of your support, but no matter how popular, she’s just an actress, no comparison to a properly bred young lady."

Ignoring Han Yi’s increasingly cold gaze, Han Zhengshan continued, "You can keep her by your side now if you like her, dad won’t say a word. If you want to keep the child in her womb, that’s fine too, as it’s common in wealthy families. Just keep it private for now. After a few years, when you marry your wife, you can bring the child back."

"Heh." Han Yi finally couldn’t help but laugh. He looked at Han Zhengshan, his eyes dark. "I’m really starting to wonder if you are actually a member of the Han Family. Maybe Grandpa picked you up from somewhere." His grandfather was such a wise and shrewd person, how could he possibly have a son like this, and why was he burdened with such a father?

Self-serving and arrogant, hypocritically shameless, pretending to be the best despite being hardly capable.

Han Zhengshan’s face changed colors rapidly from green to white to black as he was angered by Han Yi’s laughter, making quite a scene.

"Han Yi, I’m being serious here."

Han Yi stopped laughing, and his expression turned completely somber, "I’m also being serious now, for the last time, Yu Xiaoxuan is the head mistress of the Han Family, and nobody can change that. Also, the child between me and Yu Xiaoxuan will not be illegitimate. Whether Yu Xiaoxuan is an actress or just an ordinary person, I’ve made up my mind about her in this lifetime. Whether you acknowledge it or not, none of these matters."

Han Zhengshan, angered to the point of his chest heaving violently, dared not command Han Yi with the same dominance as before and forcefully suppressed his anger, softening his expression, "Han Yi, you’re saying this because you’re infatuated with her, but you will regret this in the future. You’re so familiar with the Shen Family, you should know Shen Jun Ze, think about what a great person Shen Rang was initially. Yet, he abandoned his own parents and fiancée for a woman who accompanied men drinking. What did he get in return? His son, Shen Jun Ze, turned out to be a good-for-nothing."

"It seems you’ve put quite an effort into digging up the affairs of the Shen Family during this period, truly painstaking. But let me make it clear to you, I am not Shen Rang, and Yu Xiaoxuan is not Lu Yaqin. I would not abandon the Han Family for her because everything of the Han Family is already mine."

"Han Yi, not heeding the advice of the elderly will lead to immediate losses. You will truly regret this," Han Zhengshan advised earnestly, but unfortunately, Han Yi was not persuaded.

"You needn’t worry about this. Even if the future children between me and Yu Xiaoxuan turn out to be good-for-nothings, I can support them for a lifetime." Han Yi declared, "The environment here is not as good as a nursing home, which would be more suitable for you to recuperate. I will arrange for someone to send you back soon."

"Han Yi!" Han Zhengshan called out from behind, but Han Yi did not stop and left the old Han Family estate. He drove to the house he shared with Yu Xiaoxuan.

When he arrived home, Yu Xiaoxuan was nestled on the couch watching TV, laughing so hard that she was rocking back and forth. Han Yi glanced at the TV and it appeared to be a cartoon.

"Han Yi, you’re back," Yu Xiaoxuan called out cheerily and continued chuckling at the cartoon, "Haha, it’s so funny."

Seeing Yu Xiaoxuan smiling instantly dissipated Han Yi’s fury. He smiled slightly, sat next to Yu Xiaoxuan, and took her into his arms, "What are you watching that’s so funny?"

"Tom and Jerry. It’s just really hilarious, laughing so hard my stomach hurts."

"That show is quite old, isn’t it?" Han Yi frowned; though he had never watched it, he had heard of it.

"Um, it’s very old. I watched it when I was a child, but the classics are old," Yu Xiaoxuan said, grabbing a bag of chips and popping one into her mouth, not forgetting to pop one into Han Yi’s mouth as well, "These chips taste good, don’t they?"

Han Yi chewed and nodded, "Mmm, they are tasty, but aren’t you worried about your weight skyrocketing?" It was before who complained about gaining weight and needed to diet.

Yu Xiaoxuan patted her stomach gently, "Well, I can’t help it; your son wants to eat. I can’t starve your son, now can I?" She reasoned confidently and righteously.

Han Yi laughed and kissed her heavily on the face, "Mmm, can’t starve our son."

Yu Xiaoxuan raised her hand to wipe her freshly kissed face, showing a look of disgust, "Ugh, you just ate and didn’t even rinse your mouth before kissing me, that’s so dirty."

"You little girl, getting bold enough to dislike me!" Han Yi feigned anger as he spoke and bent his head to plant fierce kisses on Yu Xiaoxuan’s face, while she dodged and laughed, "Han Yi, hahaha, that tickles, Han Yi, hahaha."

The two played around in the living room, with Han Yi playfully yet carefully protecting Yu Xiaoxuan from falling.

"Ouch," Yu Xiaoxuan suddenly exclaimed.

Han Yi immediately stopped and looked at her anxiously, "What’s wrong, what’s wrong?"

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at Han Yi’s anxious expression and chuckled, "I’m fine, I just laughed so hard that my stomach hurt."

"What, your stomach hurts?" It was better not to mention it, but once she did, Han Yi became even more anxious, fearing something might have happened to the baby inside her belly, "I’ll call the doctor right away."

Yu Xiaoxuan grabbed his hand, "Don’t worry, Han Yi, I’m fine. I just choked from laughing. I really am fine." To prove she was alright, she even got up and twirled around in front of Han Yi.

"See, I really am fine, jumping around lively." Yu Xiaoxuan looked at him with a smile.

Seeing that she was really okay, Han Yi finally relaxed, "I was really scared just now."

"Haha, Han Yi, you’re such a scaredy-cat."

Han Yi glared at her, "And whose fault is that?"

"Mmm, blame me, blame me, it’s all my fault." Yu Xiaoxuan nodded fervently, admitting her fault so straightforwardly that it was both annoying and amusing for Han Yi.

He pulled her into his arms, and Yu Xiaoxuan pulled out a tissue to wipe her face, "Ugh, my face is all covered in your saliva."

Han Yi laughed, lowered his head, and kissed her face again right where she had just wiped, which earned him a roll of the eyes from Yu Xiaoxuan. He laughed heartily and stood up to go to the bathroom to get her a warm towel.

"That’s more like it," Yu Xiaoxuan said.

Han Yi sat back down and held Yu Xiaoxuan in his arms, watching a cartoon with her. Listening to her laughter by his side, he smiled slightly, his eyes filled with warmth like the winter sun.

The next day, Han Yi was rudely awakened early in the morning by his assistant’s phone call. He glanced at Yu Xiaoxuan, who was still deeply asleep, before getting up and walking to the balcony.

"You better have something important," Han Yi snapped.

"Mr. Han, have you seen today’s entertainment report?" the assistant asked.

"You’re calling me early in the morning for this trivial matter? Is it that I pay you too much and you have too little to do?" Han Yi said ominously, his mood spoiled by being woken so abruptly.

The assistant felt a chill and was inwardly lamenting, "Mr. Han, today’s headline on the front page of Beijing Entertainment Weekly is about your engagement to the daughter of Shuangcheng International."

The atmosphere froze suddenly; even over the phone, the assistant could feel the icy chill emanating from Han Yi. Although Han Yi was usually all smiles, his temper could be quite frightening.

"Who?" Han Yi squeezed the words out through his teeth.

Gritting his teeth, the assistant replied, "It was your father who personally went to the newspaper to ask them to publish the article."

Good, very good. Han Yi’s eyes were frosty, "Immediately initiate a PR crisis management and get this sorted out."

"Mr. Han, do we need to clarify the engagement rumors between you and Shuangcheng’s daughter?"

"What do you think, Assistant Xu?" Han Yi said, one word at a time.

Assistant Xu was startled and immediately responded, "I understand, Mr. Han. I’ll take care of it right away."

Han Yi hung up the phone and stood outside for a while until he calmed down before turning and entering the bedroom.

Yu Xiaoxuan, groggily sitting up, saw Han Yi entering from the balcony and was quite surprised, "Hey, when did you go outside?"

Han Yi smiled. "Just checking if the sun is nice today. The weather’s not bad. Do you want to go out for a walk?"

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head, "No, I want to visit Qinglan and the baby. It’s been several days since I last saw my godson."

After thinking briefly, Han Yi agreed, as it was easier for him to handle some matters if Yu Xiaoxuan went to Shen Qinglan’s place.

"Okay, then you get out of bed, and I’ll take you to the Fu Family later."

"Aren’t you coming too?" Yu Xiaoxuan was puzzled. "Aren’t you off work today?"

Han Yi smiled, "Assistant Xu just called me. It seems there’s an important document that needs my immediate attention. For our baby’s formula money, I have to go first." He said it with such a pitiful look that Yu Xiaoxuan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Yu Xiaoxuan waved, "Okay then, you should hurry. The formula money is important. I’ll have the driver take me later."

Han Yi felt a little sour as he watched Yu Xiaoxuan’s carefree demeanor, and he gazed at her ruefully, "Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?"

Yu Xiaoxuan was confused, "What should I say?"

"Other wives would say ’honey, you work hard’ when their husbands have to work on the weekends," Han Yi said, his tone rather wistful.

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at him, speechless, "Han Yi, have you been watching too many soap operas?" Would she ever say something so cheesy?

Han Yi looked at her steadily and spoke solemnly, "In your new drama ’Love in Mexico,’ you said this line to the male lead, all affectionate and tender. But when it comes to me, suddenly it’s about watching too many soap operas? Yu Xiaoxuan, tell me, are you tired of me? Thinking I’m old and not as charming as those so-called young hotties?"

Yu Xiaoxuan glanced out of the window—yes, the sun still rose from the east. She walked over and checked Han Yi’s forehead, "No fever, so why the nonsense?"

Han Yi’s expression darkened, "Yu Xiaoxuan!"

Yu Xiaoxuan cleaned her ears, "Not deaf yet." Seeing that he seemed genuinely upset, she tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, "Honey, you work hard! Mwah!"

After that, she headed into the bathroom; she hadn’t even brushed her teeth or washed her face yet.

Han Yi stood rooted to the spot, touching the place where he had been kissed. Why did he feel as though he had just been brushed off?

After breakfast, Han Yi dropped off Yu Xiaoxuan at the Fu Family’s residence and left. Someone had been living quite comfortably, daring to do things behind his back, thinking that taking action before reporting would leave him helpless, huh? He was being severely underestimated.

*************

In a castle in Country Y.

Allen walked slowly into the dungeon, his footsteps echoing in the darkness like drumbeats pounding on a heart.

Xu Nuo opened her eyes, looking toward the direction of the door as the footsteps grew nearer. Then, the lights were turned on, and the pitch-dark dungeon was illuminated in an instant, revealing Allen’s figure in Xu Nuo’s view.

She squinted her eyes and then opened them wide, staring directly at Allen. Her voice hoarse, she asked, "Have you finally decided to kill me?" She had been brought back here days ago, and the dungeon’s dark environment made it impossible for her to distinguish day from night, even losing track of how many days had passed.

She was alone in the dungeon. The woman who had been brought here with her had been separated from her upon arrival, and Xu Nuo had no idea where she was taken or if she was still alive.

Allen looked coldly at Xu Nuo, his eyes devoid of any human emotion. "It seems you really wish to die."

"Yes, I want to die. I’ve been waiting for you to kill me," Xu Nuo admitted straightforwardly.

"Since you want to die, why don’t you kill yourself?" In the past several days, if Xu Nuo truly wanted to die, she had at least three ways to end her life, yet in reality, she was still very much alive.

"I’ve been wondering about that question myself," Xu Nuo spoke. Since Allen had brought her here, he had locked her in this place and hadn’t allowed anyone to torture her, but the familiar environment and the still air seemed to spread the nauseating smell of the abuses she had faced before.

"Allen, you are the most passionate yet cruel man I’ve met. You’ve given all your feelings to a woman named Shen Qinglan, silently guarding her from behind. But she? She got married and had children with another man, living a happy life, completely oblivious to your sacrifices. You are also the most pitiable person I’ve met in this world, bearing deep affections for her, yet she sees you as a calamity, wishing nothing but to kill you quickly."

Xu Nuo looked at him with pity, her eyes which were always filled with love were now calm, and upon closer look, one could see the deep-seated hatred hidden beneath that calmness.

Allen did not get angry but just quietly observed Xu Nuo. "It seems you’ve had quite a deep insight these past few days."

"Allen, you are so tragic. No relatives, no friends, and no lovers. Your own carefully trained subordinates betrayed you, and you will never know that you once had a chance to have your own child, but the child was killed by your own hands," Xu Nuo said with a smile.

"You probably can’t imagine, but that night, I conceived your child, and by the time I realized her existence, that’s when she left me. Haha, Allen, this is retribution, do you understand? For your lifetime, you deserve to be alone, forever living in darkness, never seeing the sunlight, never feeling warmth. It’s all your retribution."

Allen remained calm, even the news that Xu Nuo had been pregnant with his child did not change his expression. Only after Xu Nuo had finished speaking did he respond, "You should be thankful that the child is already gone. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind sending it away myself, even if it had already come into this world. Not everyone is qualified to bear my child, especially not you."

Xu Nuo suddenly widened her eyes and burst into loud laughter, as if she were mad, "Haha, Allen, this is really you. Everything I saw before was an illusion, all false, and yet I fell in love with you, a devil, to end up in a place like this today. I deserve it."

All the light in her eyes disappeared, turning into a dead stillness, "Allen, kill me."

Allen looked at her, "Fine, I’ll grant your wish."