Free Web NovelChapter 1076: Chapter 50: Nie Xiaoxing, You’re the Real Con Artist
Just because of Nie Xiaoxing’s one sentence, "I really missed you," the certain Young Master who’d been in a rage instantly turned into a tiger having its fur smoothed, and obediently let Nie Xiaoxing lead him into her guest room.
The guest room door closed.
Gu Yan frowned and looked at Nie Xiaoxing.
Nie Xiaoxing walked up to Gu Yan, dropped her restraint, and hugged him.
Gu Yan’s breath sank, he lowered his eyes to stare at her, and gave a low snort. "Don’t think that just because of this, this Young Master will soften up and let you off!"
Nie Xiaoxing rested her face against his chest, closed her eyes, and said softly, "Then what do you want, for you to calm down?"
"I can’t calm down!" Gu Yan said.
Nie Xiaoxing pressed her lips together and hugged Gu Yan even tighter.
Gu Yan could honestly say, his whole being was about to be melted by her hug.
His arms unconsciously circled lightly around her back. Gu Yan lowered his head to look at her and snorted, "We’re at someone else’s place right now, this Young Master will tolerate it for the time being. When we get back, I’ll settle all the accounts with you!"
"Okay."
Nie Xiaoxing actually agreed.
Gu Yan’s brows knit tightly. He stared fixedly at Nie Xiaoxing, and after a long moment, said with a complicated taste in his voice, "So you do know you were in the wrong this time?"
"Mm." Nie Xiaoxing nodded.
"You knew and you still did it?"
Unexpectedly, Gu Yan flared up, grabbed both of Nie Xiaoxing’s arms and yanked her away, his handsome face dark with anger as he glared at her.
Nie Xiaoxing bit her lip and lifted her eyes to look at him.
"Say it!" Gu Yan roared.
"...I wanted to handle this myself," Nie Xiaoxing said.
"Handle it yourself?" Gu Yan planted his hands on his hips and glared at her. "How are you going to handle it? Do you know why Lu Zhiquan brought you here? He wants to use you as bait to lure Yan Shu out. Are you stupid or what!?"
Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes reddened, her throat clogged as she looked at Gu Yan.
After a long while, she rasped, "I know."
She knew?
She actually knew?!
Gu Yan almost got pissed to death by that sentence of Nie Xiaoxing’s!
Nie Xiaoxing looked at Gu Yan’s expression like he wanted to eat her alive, her shell-like teeth lightly biting her lower lip as she once again walked up in front of him.
Afraid he’d fling her away again, she didn’t reach out to grab Gu Yan’s hand. Tilting up her little face, she said, "Gu Yan, I don’t want to keep living a life of hiding and constantly being on edge anymore! And I don’t want to be like some parasite who can only rely on you and keep bringing you trouble."
He said he liked her, and Nie Xiaoxing had been so happy she almost lost her sense of direction.
But in front of him, Nie Xiaoxing felt inferior.
She wasn’t good-looking, her family background was bad, and she was even being hunted down.
How could someone like her be worthy of his feelings?
So she thought.
As long as Yan Shu was taken out, her troubles would be over too.
Then she could be clean and unburdened, and be with him without any scruples.
She wouldn’t have to worry that her selfishness would bring him endless trouble.
Only then could she be with him with a clear conscience, and confess her feelings to him with no reservations.
She didn’t want to become his burden!
"Who said you’re a parasite? What’s wrong with you relying on me?" Gu Yan stared at her and said, "I’m happy to let you!"
"But I’m not willing!"
Nie Xiaoxing shook her head.
Gu Yan pressed his lips into a line, his gaze dark and cold on her, and his voice dropped several degrees as he spoke, "You were willing before. How come you’re not willing now?"
Nie Xiaoxing was stunned for a moment, looking at Gu Yan, unable to say a word.
Gu Yan took a step toward her, their bodies practically pressed together.
Nie Xiaoxing’s heart leapt up into her throat, and she looked at Gu Yan with her lips pursed.
Gu Yan’s gaze was icy. "Nie Xiaoxing, what exactly is going on in your head?"
Nie Xiaoxing looked at Gu Yan with some confusion. After a few seconds, she said, "I’m not thinking anything... I just want to change."
"Are you worried that I can’t protect you and Aunt Fu and the others?" Gu Yan stared sharply at Nie Xiaoxing.
Nie Xiaoxing hurriedly shook her head. "It’s not like that. Yan Shu has too many underlings and a wide reach, and he’s always used crooked, underhanded methods. Even if your abilities are great, I’m afraid he’ll use dirty tricks against you!"
"Are you worried about me, or worried about yourself?" Gu Yan sneered.
Nie Xiaoxing closed her eyes, feeling that the more she talked, the more muddled it got, the more it sounded like feeble excuses.
She forced herself to steady a little, opened her eyes, and reached out to gently grab Gu Yan’s fists hanging at his sides. "Gu Yan, Yan Shu has done too many god‑damned things, and I’m one of his victims. I’ve been hunted by his people for six years. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"
Gu Yan’s gaze was dark as ink as he looked at Nie Xiaoxing.
"Scared! I’m terrified!"
Nie Xiaoxing’s voice caught. "In these six years, not a single day have I been free from that fear! I’m scared that if I slip up even a little, I’ll be dragged back by Yan Shu’s men and tortured all over again, and I’m scared he’ll just decide to have me killed outright! I don’t sleep soundly, I don’t walk around feeling safe. Every minute of every day I’m on full alert, terrified that if Yan Shu’s people find me and I react a beat too slow, or let my guard down for just one moment, I’ll be taken!"
"Gu Yan, I’ve been scared enough!"
Nie Xiaoxing’s eyes were bloodshot as she said hoarsely.
Gu Yan’s brows knotted tightly; in the end he still yanked Nie Xiaoxing over and pulled her into his arms.
Nie Xiaoxing leaned against him. "At first when Lu Zhiquan asked me to help him, I turned him down without even thinking, because I was afraid of dying. But afterwards, I did waver a little in my heart. That night, when Yan Shu’s people found the apartment, I realized running away wasn’t a solution at all. Yan Shu won’t ever let it go until he gets his hands on me. Even if I have your protection and he may no longer come after me as brazenly as before, he will definitely use other ways to deal with me, to deal with you, who’s sheltering me."
At this point, Nie Xiaoxing paused for a few seconds, then said, "Lu Zhiquan’s right. If I want an ordinary, peaceful life, the only way is to get rid of Yan Shu. Otherwise, that kind of life is nothing but wishful thinking for me!"
"If you want to get rid of Yan Shu, you could’ve just come to me." Gu Yan said.
"You’re the only blood of the Gu Family, Aunt Yuan’s whole hope. I don’t want you taking that risk!" Nie Xiaoxing said.
"What about you then?" Gu Yan’s voice was icy.
Nie Xiaoxing grabbed the fabric at Gu Yan’s waist. "I believe in you. If something were to happen to me... you would definitely take care of my parents for me. And if I’m unlucky and something really happens, Yan Shu naturally won’t give my parents any more trouble either."
"You planned it all out so nicely! Did it never occur to you—if you’re gone, what am I supposed to do?"
Gu Yan’s voice was rough, clearly held back with effort.
Nie Xiaoxing almost burst into tears. She sucked in a breath and rasped, "With your conditions, it’s not like you’d have trouble finding—"
"Nie Xiaoxing!"
Before Nie Xiaoxing could finish, Gu Yan grabbed her arm and suddenly shoved her away.
Like an enraged lion barely holding back, he glared viciously at her. "What kind of man do you take me, Gu Yan, for? You think I can just fall in love with any random woman?"
Love?
Nie Xiaoxing’s pupils trembled, and finally tears spilled from her eyes.
Seeing the tears sliding from the corners of her eyes, Gu Yan ruthlessly jerked his head to the side and ground out through clenched teeth, "Nie Xiaoxing, just take it as my heart being fed to a dog! Do whatever the hell you want!"
He flung the words out, harsh and final.
Gu Yan strode toward the door.
Nie Xiaoxing’s heart tightened in panic. Her body moved faster than her mind; she rushed forward and hugged him from behind around the waist. "I’m just scared something will happen to you! Don’t overthink it."
"You’ve already done it, and you’re telling me not to overthink?"
Gu Yan let out a cold snort, his big hand clamping around Nie Xiaoxing’s wrists as he tried to pry open the arms locked around his waist.
"Gu Yan, I’ll start crying!"
Nie Xiaoxing sobbed.
Anger surged in Gu Yan’s chest. He turned back and glared fiercely at her. "Like I give a damn! You can cry yourself dry, and it still has nothing to do with me! Go find Lu Zhiquan! He feels sorry for you!"
"He and I are just friends!" Nie Xiaoxing hiccuped.
"Save that crap for a ghost!" Gu Yan ground his teeth. "You believe every word out of his mouth. He tells you to be a hostage and you come running like it’s nothing! Nie Xiaoxing, just admit it—you like him! Since you’re so into each other, I’ll just bless you two! If you wanna live or die together, knock yourselves out!"
Nie Xiaoxing tightened her hold around his waist and wouldn’t let go, but swallowed her sobs and said, "You go back first. Once things here are settled, I’ll come straight back to you. You can hit me or yell at me all you want then!"
Gu Yan’s face was ashen. "Let go!"
Nie Xiaoxing... really couldn’t bear to!
"...Gu Yan, remember, I..." my heart is only yours!
Nie Xiaoxing closed her eyes as sorrow surged over her like a tide.
But those last few words, she just couldn’t get them out.
If she really never makes it back, telling him how she feels will only be a burden and a pain for him.
It’d be better—better to just let him keep believing what he thinks now...
Nie Xiaoxing exhaled a long breath.
In the end, she slowly loosened her arms.
The moment the pressure around his waist eased—
Gu Yan’s heart seemed to empty out along with it.
"Nie Xiaoxing, you’re the real liar, through and through!"
Gu Yan turned around, his handsome face full of self‑mockery. "You said as long as I could protect you and your parents, you’d stay with me. And now, you just decide you don’t need me anymore... I’m nothing but a fool!"
"..."
