"Don't come any closer!" Gu Nian shouted sharply.
Given her current state, she couldn't possibly let him get close.
Chi Yiheng noticed the unnatural flush on Gu Nian's cheeks, her voice carrying a seductive tone, and her breathing unsteady.
Lowering his gaze, he saw the bottle of water lying in the corner, realizing that Gu Nian had ultimately been drugged.
"Don't worry, Chi Xingduan has been dealt with. He won't hurt you," Chi Yiheng said.
Gu Nian frowned, dealt with? What did that mean?
The heat within her body made it impossible for her to calm down and think clearly.
Looking at Chi Yiheng warily, Gu Nian asked, "What do you want?"
Chi Yiheng contemplated for a moment. What Chi Xingduan had done, although despicable, had provided him with a certain advantage.
"Will you come with me?" Chi Yiheng asked.
"What do you think?" Gu Nian retorted without hesitation. "You already know the answer."
"Gu Nian, are you in pain right now?" Chi Yiheng suddenly asked.
Gu Nian bit her lip hard, focusing on the spot where it was already cracked.
The pain from the bite only intensified.
The wound, which had not yet healed, started bleeding again.
Gu Nian immediately tasted the metallic tang of blood.
Her face felt burning hot, and the clarity in her mind was fading.
"Can you hold on like this?" Chi Yiheng asked.
Gu Nian understood the implication in Chi Yiheng's eyes. "You want to take advantage of me?"
Chi Yiheng laughed lightly, "I'm actually curious. If you succumb to the effects of the drug and end up with me..."
He smiled, "When Chu Zhaoyang finds out, do you think your relationship with him will remain the same?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Nian didn't panic at all. Instead, she pushed herself up and sat on the windowsill.
Behind her was a window with no glass.
The castle, built on a cliff, experienced fierce sea winds due to its location.
Even in the heat of summer, the winds here howled fiercely.
Moreover, it had been raining continuously for days, with no sunshine.
The cold, damp wind blew in, making Gu Nian's clothes flutter.
Having not eaten for two days, she looked so weak that it seemed she could be blown away at any moment.
She sat there on the unprotected balcony, swaying, causing Chi Yiheng to feel a jolt of fear.
Chi Yiheng's expression changed. "Gu Nian, come down!"
"If you touch me, I'll jump!" Gu Nian pointed outside, showing no fear.
Half of her body was exposed outside the window, causing Chi Yiheng's heart to leap into his throat.
"Do you hate me so much that you'd rather die than let me touch you?" Chi Yiheng asked.
"Yes, in this lifetime, it's only Chu Zhaoyang for me!" Gu Nian said resolutely.
"Have you considered what will happen to your family if you die? Your son will have to call someone else 'mom,'" Chi Yiheng said.
Gu Nian laughed lightly, "Zhaoyang will never find anyone else."
Perhaps it was selfish, but even in death, she wouldn't allow Chu Zhaoyang to find happiness elsewhere.
But she had that confidence in Chu Zhaoyang.
Besides her, he wouldn't look at anyone else.
Even if she told him to move on after her death, he wouldn't agree.
Because he wouldn't fall for anyone else.
"I can't bear to leave them. If it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't choose to die. But if it comes to that, I'd rather die than bring shame to my family," Gu Nian said, her eyes red.
Her body swayed weakly, and Chi Yiheng, fearing the effects of the drug might cause her to fall, stepped forward in panic.
"Don't come any closer!" Gu Nian shouted.
She bit her lip hard, blood covering her lips.
"Chi Yiheng," Gu Nian called out, somewhat dazed, "which is the real you? Was the past you in front of me just an act? All those gentle and caring moments, were they all fake?"
"No," Chi Yiheng said stiffly. "Apart from hiding my true identity, I didn't deceive you. I grew up in the Organization R, climbing out of a sea of corpses and blood. Even in the sunlight, I felt surrounded by rot and blood."
"But only in front of you did I feel like a living person again, with emotions and feelings. The only lie I told you was that Chu Zhaoyang was dead, and that was out of selfishness."
"Everything else I told you was true," Chi Yiheng said. "Even when I entered the Chu family under the pretense of being Chu Jiayuan's son, what I said to you at the Chu family's gate was true."
"I want to make amends. I won't hurt you again. I'll protect you as best as I can," Chi Yiheng said.
He clenched his fist, having considered taking Gu Nian away.
But what good would that do?
Her heart wasn't with him. Should he force her?
Should he keep her imprisoned, preventing her from committing suicide?
She was already married to Chu Zhaoyang and had a child with him. What more could he do?
Back then, deceiving her into thinking Chu Zhaoyang was dead was the only way he could take her to M Country.
But what was the result?
Gu Nian still gave him no chance, keeping her distance and staying under the protection of "Thorns," making it impossible for him to find her.
No matter how persistent he was, what could he do?
Chi Xingduan was despicable, but he was right about one thing.
He couldn't afford to have a weakness.
This meant that if Gu Nian stayed with him, her situation would become even more dangerous.