Wang Pu'an returned later than usual today. Although Xu Nian found it strange, she didn't think much of it since he seemed normal.
After dinner, Wang Puan cleaned up the house, and Xu Nian washed up and got ready for bed.
"Niannian, don't you have anything to say to me today?" Wang Pu'an lowered his head, and Xu Nian couldn't see his expression in the dim candlelight.
"Wang Pu'an, is there something you want to say?" Xu Nian stopped closing the door and stood by the door looking at him.
"Niannian, do you like me?" Wang Pu'an still wanted to know if there was any possibility for him.
"Wang Pu'an, I'm sorry." Xu Nian glanced at him guiltily, then closed the door.
Wang Pu'an understood what she meant: she didn't like him.
He chuckled to himself, realizing that he had seen and heard with his own eyes that she had a childhood sweetheart, so why was he so foolish as to ask her if she liked him?
Returning to his lodgings in a daze, Wang Pu'an lay awake with his eyes wide open, unable to sleep. He kept replaying the scene he had witnessed that day in his mind, and his heart ached more and more.
The possessiveness that was usually suppressed by love began to rise.
The mere thought of Xu Nian leaving with another man, spending her entire life by his side, bearing children for him, made his veins bulge.
No, absolutely not. He can't live without Nian Nian, and Nian Nian can't leave him.
He doesn't allow anyone to possess his thoughts; everything in his thoughts belongs to him.
Thinking of this, Wang Pu'an's honest face darkened, and a crazy love crept into his eyes.
If it weren't for that person, Niannian wouldn't have left him.
Yes, that's right. As long as that person no longer exists, Nian Nian will belong to him.
As if he had found the perfect solution, Wang Pu'an smiled, and he smiled very happily.
The low laughter echoed only in the thatched hut; if you ignored the madness in his eyes, you would think he was just laughing foolishly.
The next day, Wang Pu'an went out as usual, but this time he did not go hunting. Instead, he climbed up a big tree.
The tree is in a great location, offering a clear view of his yard and passersby.
He waited for a while, and then saw a scholar in blue robes walk to the gate of the courtyard. He leaned over the fence and called into the house.
Without even thinking, Wang Pu'an knew he was calling for his Niannian.
A moment later, Xu Nian came out of the house and walked to the fence in the yard, saying, "Why are you here?"
“A-Nian, a day apart feels like three autumns, so I’ve come,” Li Hao said affectionately.
Xu Nian's expression froze, and she forced a smile, saying, "Li Hao, go home! We're no longer a good match."
“A-Nian, you’re not happy with him, so why don’t you come with me?” Li Hao said painfully.
He hurriedly took a scroll from the book basket behind him and handed it to Xu Nian. "Nian, look, this is a portrait I drew for you. Do you like it?"
Xu Nian took the scroll and opened it. She had to admit that Li Hao was quite skilled; the painting did indeed resemble her quite a bit.
"Thank you, I'll accept this painting." Xu Nian hugged the scroll to her chest, and the way she cherished it touched Li Hao's heart.
"A-Nian, if you don't agree to my request in a day, I will come to you in a day until you agree to my request." Li Hao's determined gaze made Xu Nian lower her head.
"Can you really take me away?" Xu Nian's expectant look made Li Hao ecstatic.
He excitedly said to Xu Nian, "Nian, you have to believe me."
"When are we leaving? If we go with you now, a lot of people will see us." Xu Nian's worried and scared appearance was really pitiful. If it weren't for the timing, Li Hao would have liked to hold her in his arms and comfort her.
"A-Nian, you set a time, I'll wait for you," Li Hao said considerately.
"We'll meet after dusk, when the moon rises above the willow branches. There's a cliff over there to the west, not many people go there usually. Shall we meet there?" Xu Nian pointed to the cliff address that Yuanbao had provided.
Li Hao subconsciously wondered why the two converging points were cliffs.
However, considering that the woman was shy and didn't want to be seen eloping with someone, he accepted the meeting place.
"A-Nian, I'll be waiting for you tonight, you must come!" Li Hao looked at Xu Nian tenderly, then said a few more words of reluctance before leaving with a smile.
As soon as Li Hao left, Xu Nian went back to her room without any expression.
Wang Pu'an, who had been observing the interaction between the two, felt a surge of jealousy that made his eyes blaze with fury.
Seeing that Li Hao was about to leave his sight, Wang Pu'an hurriedly climbed down from the tree and followed him discreetly.
At this moment, Wang Puan was a hunter, and Li Hao was the prey that had been targeted.
...
It wasn't until dark that Wang Pu'an returned under the cover of night. He quickly washed his hands and went into the kitchen, only to find that dinner was already prepared.
The meal Nian Nian prepared for him moved Wang Pu'an to tears.
The thought that Xu Nian had already made an appointment with Li Hao to leave filled her with desolation.
Was the meal she cooked for him a final expression of gratitude?
Wang Pu'an dared not think about Xu Nian's thoughts. He ate his meal in big mouthfuls until he finished all the food.
After cleaning up the kitchen and washing up, he glanced deeply at the closed door of Xu Nian's room as he passed by, then silently went into his thatched hut.
Not long after lying down, Wang Pu'an heard the door being opened softly, and the woman's light footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
With Yuanbao pointing the way, Xu Nian wasn't worried about getting lost at night.
"Host, weren't you going to steal Wang Pu'an's belongings? Where's your money?" Yuanbao finally realized that Xu Nian had left without taking anything.
"I'm all his possessions. If I leave, doesn't that mean I stole all his possessions?" Xu Nian's sophistry left Yuan Bao stunned. Could it really be like this?
"Alright, Yuanbao, don't dwell on this. Watch the road for me, I don't want to step on a snake." Xu Nian diverted Yuanbao's attention, and the matter of stealing the family's belongings was considered over.
When they reached the cliff, Xu Nian squatted on the edge of the cliff and waited for a long time while enjoying the mountain breeze, but Li Hao did not come.
She was practically stunned by the wind. "Yuanbao, is Li Hao going to stand me up?"
"Don't worry, host, let me check for you."
As soon as Yuanbao finished checking, it screamed, its voice trembling with tears, "Host, Li Hao is dead. The male lead killed him."
"What? Wang Pu'an killed Li Hao?" Xu Nian was stunned. That seemingly simple and honest man had killed someone?
Why?
He doesn't look like the kind of person who would do something like this!
"Yuanbao, are you sure your investigation is correct?" Xu Nian didn't want to believe it, but Yuanbao's certainty forced her to accept it.
At the same time, a person slowly walked up from the bottom of the cliff. He was holding a torch, and Xu Nian could see his face clearly in the torchlight.
That's Wang Pu'an.
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