Ouyang Ruobing's heart felt as if it had been slashed by a sharp blade, heavy with pain. She looked at Nangong Yehen with grievance and innocence. "Nangong, can't we just be good friends?" "I don't need a friend who betrays me!" Nangong Yehen said coldly. "I never betrayed you!" Ouyang Ruobing's emotions flared slightly upon hearing this. "The explosion back then had nothing to do with me!" Nangong Yehen sneered. "Even if you didn't betray me, didn't you still abandon me when I faced danger and hardship?" "I..." Ouyang Ruobing felt a pang of sorrow, her face turning pale. "I left back then because I had no choice." She looked at him pitifully, tears welling up in her eyes. Chu Lingzhi washed her face clean and didn't see Nangong Yehen in the dining room, so she came out. Standing at the dining room entrance, she overheard their conversation and retreated to eavesdrop nosily. Sure enough, Nangong Yehen had been abandoned by Ouyang Ruobing. Sigh, they say most men hurt by love end up twisted. That saying couldn't be more fitting for Nangong Yehen. His unpredictable moods were definitely tied to Ouyang Ruobing. Nangong Yehen didn't want to hear her explanation; they were already in the past. Ouyang Ruobing mustered her courage and reached out to grab his arm. She braced herself for him to shake her off, but he didn't, and she clung to a sliver of hope. She looked into his cold eyes. "Nangong, believe me, I didn't betray you, and I never meant to leave you. All these years, I've been trying to make up for it. Can you forgive me? I don't ask you to love me again, but at least don't look at me like that—it breaks my heart." Nangong Yehen stared at her, his eyes icy without a trace of warmth. "Miss Ouyang, whether you're heartbroken or not has nothing to do with me. Even if you beg me on your knees, I won't love you again." Ouyang Ruobing's heart ached as if pricked by countless needles. Nangong Yehen ruthlessly shook off her hand, stood up, and returned to the dining room. Chu Lingzhi didn't bother to hide, but eavesdropping on others was rude after all. His sinister face and the oppressive aura he exuded made her heart tremble. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop; I just washed my face..." "No need to explain." He suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, his voice so gentle it was intoxicating. "..." Chu Lingzhi was stunned. His tender voice was incredibly pleasant! "Nangong..." Before she could finish saying "young master," he leaned down and lightly pecked her lips, his cold eyes somehow turning soft. "Lingzhi, stay by my side forever. Don't leave me." He held her tightly in his arms. Her face pressed against his chest, she could clearly hear his heartbeat. What was going on? Chu Lingzhi's mind went blank for a moment, but when she saw Ouyang Ruobing's figure appear at the doorway, she quickly snapped back to clarity. Nothing was going on—Nangong Yehen was using her to provoke Ouyang Ruobing. That gentle tone, those tender eyes, and the words about not leaving—all of it was fake. He wanted to anger Ouyang Ruobing, to use her as a tool for revenge. Chu Lingzhi looked at Ouyang Ruobing, their eyes meeting. Her pained expression made it hard for Chu Lingzhi to dislike her; instead, a sense of pity stirred within her. After a long moment, Chu Lingzhi shifted, pulling herself out of his embrace. "Be careful with your wound." Holding her like this, she worried it might aggravate his injury, and then she'd have to tend to it herself.