Upon hearing this, Nangong Yehen's eyes darkened. Was she concerned about him? He pulled her into his arms again, pressing a warm, tender kiss to her forehead.
Chu Lingzhi felt as if she'd been shocked, her heart trembling. She glanced at Ouyang Ruobing, whose face had turned pale, her eyes filled with sorrow. Seeing her pitiful demeanor, Chu Lingzhi truly didn't want to play along with Nangong Yehen's act and hurt her feelings.
Chu Lingzhi looked up at Nangong Yehen. It would've been better if she hadn't—her heart skipped a beat. Did this guy have to gaze at her with such deep affection? Playing the act too convincingly wasn't good. She reached up and pinched his waist on the side Ouyang Ruobing couldn't see, warning him not to look at her with such loving eyes.
But Nangong Yehen took her pinch as flirtation. He curled his lips into a gentle, elegant smile. "Silly woman."
Oh... Chu Lingzhi wanted to slap her forehead. She couldn't stand him. Cold as ice one moment, sweet as malt sugar the next—clingy to the point of suffocation. She really couldn't handle a man like this. Pulling away from his embrace, she smiled awkwardly at Ouyang Ruobing. "Miss Ouyang, please don't mind us. We... we..."
She couldn't say it. Nangong Yehen was deliberately putting on a show to upset Ouyang Ruobing. If she revealed that, he'd kill her. So she gave a shy smile. "Men in love can be so mushy."
"You two have such a great relationship," Ouyang Ruobing forced a smile, unaware that it looked worse than crying. Her heart clenched with pain. Seeing that Nangong Yehen's injuries weren't serious, she felt relieved. "I won't disturb you anymore," she said, turning to leave. The moment she turned, tears streamed down her face.
After she left, Chu Lingzhi shot Nangong Yehen a glare. "I can tell Miss Ouyang loves you deeply. How could you treat her like that?" What a heartless jerk!
"What do you want me to do with her?" Nangong Yehen looked at her with a faint, amused smile.
Chu Lingzhi was stunned. She'd expected him to be cold as usual after Ouyang Ruobing left. Was she seeing things? Was he actually smiling? She blinked, wondering if he was just pleased with himself for successfully driving Ouyang Ruobing away.
"If you can't be lovers, can't you be friends? Why hurt a woman's heart like this?"
Nangong Yehen sneered coldly. "We can't be friends."
Chu Lingzhi sneered too, a hint of gloom in her eyes. "Can't be friends because you once loved too deeply."
Nangong Yehen's eyes turned icy. "Foolish woman!" Not being able to be friends didn't always mean loving too deeply.
Chu Lingzhi looked at him. "I just thought of a saying."
Nangong Yehen raised an eyebrow, his tone sour. "What saying?"
"We can't be lovers because we've hurt each other. We can't be friends because we've loved each other. That's how it is between you and Miss Ouyang, isn't it?"
Nangong Yehen's face darkened as he glared at her coldly.
Chu Lingzhi shrugged. Hit a nerve, did she? His expression was awful.
"Chu Lingzhi, what I said earlier was true!"
Chu Lingzhi looked confused. "You said a lot earlier." She couldn't remember which one...
The man's eyes darkened as he pulled her into his arms again, planting a fierce kiss on her lips. It was a punishing bite that made Chu Lingzhi gasp in pain.