Chapter 175 (First Release)...
Ning Wanwan was stunned.
"Will Ansel be very sad? I have a secret about you."
Ansel nodded: "Of course, I really hope that Wanwan trusts me the most and doesn't hide anything from me."
His handsome face remained unchanged in a smile, as if he were simply saying something ordinary, yet it seemed to have a deeper meaning.
Ning Wanwan paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Then, Ansel, do you have no secrets you're hiding from me?"
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Ansel narrowed his eyes, smiling nonchalantly: "What do you mean by 'Wanwan'?"
Do you feel that I'm hiding something from you?
"Mmm." Ning Wanwan mustered her courage and nodded firmly.
Actually, she didn't want to ask these questions, and even considered simply letting go of her suspicions about this person. But things just happened so coincidentally; he took her outside to look at the starry sky and said those things to her... everything seemed so natural.
"Ansel, do you have a secret from me?"
"..."
Ansel paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips: "What kind of secret is Wanwan referring to?"
"Okay, I admit it. Last week, when you weren't looking, I secretly braided your hair, but it didn't turn out well. Or maybe the week before last, I accidentally drank from the cup you had drunk from..."
"...Not these."
Ning Wanwan said softly, "You know perfectly well."
"So why are you pretending to be stupid? You know perfectly well what I mean."
Ning Wanwan's voice was very soft at first, but it became more and more firm and clear as it went on.
"Ansel, tell me, you did all those things, didn't you?"
The blond-haired, purple-eyed boy's smile remained unchanged; he was as beautiful as a statue.
"Wanwan, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Ning Wanwan felt only a sense of falsehood and coldness.
"Qi Lin and Zhou Yanyao, you're the one who made them disappear, aren't you?"
“There were other things too, even that snow that lasted for so long…”
Ansel's smile faded slightly. When he stopped smiling, Ning Wanwan noticed that the boy's jewel-like, deep purple eyes were so cold and dangerous, like a demon looking down at someone with amusement.
Ning Wanwan stared for a while before speaking, word by word.
"Ansel, what exactly do you want? If you want to kill me, you can do it now."
The girl stared directly at him, her gaze, usually evasive and indifferent, now burning brightly. In Ansel's eyes, it was more beautiful than the stars in the sky.
Ansel stared at Ning Wanwan with almost obsessive eyes, a smile gradually spreading across his lips.
"So Wanwan still remembers everything. It seems Wanwan knows more than I thought. How did she guess it, or was I just too obvious?"
He sighed, "Actually, I don't want you to find out, Wanwan. You don't need to think too much. In any case, I won't hurt you."
Ning Wanwan pursed her lips.
She suddenly felt as if she had never known this boy before, that he was so unfamiliar to her that it terrified her.
"Won't it hurt?"
"But is the standard for 'not causing harm' determined by you?"
"For example, the disappearance of Qi Lin and Zhou Yanyao..."
Upon hearing the names of the two men, Ansel's smile vanished, replaced by displeasure.
"What are they anyway? They shouldn't have been here in the first place. They should have just disappeared."
"And I really didn't hurt you, Wanwan. You weren't injured, and you didn't lose anything..."
"Besides these, does that mean it's not considered harm?"
Ning Wanwan interrupted him, somewhat incredulously.
"Does making people I know disappear not count as harm? In that case, controlling my environment against my will also not count as harm?"
Ansel tilted his head slightly, looking puzzled: "Is this considered harm? I was clearly protecting you."
Ning Wanwan: "..."
That doesn't make any sense.
Ansel said softly, "Wanwan just needs to follow my instructions. Don't worry, any difficulties are only temporary. I will give Wanwan the best outcome."
"But you didn't ask me if that was what I wanted."
Ning Wanwan looked disappointed: "Ansil, you've changed a lot. Or perhaps you haven't changed at all, and I've just never seen your true self before?"
Ansel was silent for a moment, then smiled again.
"Wanwan, I didn't actually want you to find out these things, really. When I always show you that's what I mean, then what you're saying is true."
"Pretending won't make it real, and besides, you can't keep up the act."
Knowing that this conversation had completely torn away the other party's previous pretense and would not result in a proper communication, Ning Wanwan's expression gradually turned cold.
She stood up, wanting to leave. The roof was very high, and instead of asking Ansel for help, she pondered how to get down.
"Wanwan, do you really have to do this?" Ansel also stood up. He seemed very sad, and his purple eyes seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist.
Ning Wanwan gently turned her face away, not looking at him: "It's your insistence that this happen."
She noticed some protrusions on the roof and walls next to her, which she might be able to step on to get down. If the room's window was open, it might be easier...
Ansel, however, did not let Ning Wanwan leave.
When he realized the current situation, especially that the girl's feelings were irreversible, Anseil made his choice without hesitation.
"Wanwan, I really didn't intend to treat you like this. But it's for your own good."
Ning Wanwan was startled and instinctively tried to turn her head, but then quickly fell into a deep darkness of consciousness. The last thing she saw was Ansil's dark purple eyes and the smile on his lips.
"don’t worry."
"Once you wake up, you'll be back on track."
"No one can bother us anymore."
...
I'm so tired and sleepy. Did I not sleep well last night?
Ning Wanwan opened her eyes, yawned, and thought with some confusion.
I remember going to bed early last night and not doing anything else, so why do I feel so tired and sleepy?
"Wanwan, are you awake? Breakfast is ready." Ansel's voice rang out from outside.
Ning Wanwan subconsciously replied, "Coming right away."
She touched her chest, puzzled.
Strange, why did her heart suddenly skip a beat when she heard Ansel's voice just now, as if some strange emotion lingered?
It was as if she resisted seeing Ansel.
But there was no conflict at all; Ansel even made her some milk before she went to bed last night.
Ning Wanwan couldn't figure out the answer, so she tidied herself up and turned to leave.
"Lazybones Wanwan, finally decided to get up?" Ansel stood in front of the dining table, winked at her, and then smiled gently.
"Eat up, I've prepared all your favorite foods."
"Don't we need to wait for... Xiao Zhou?" Ning Wanwan blurted out the name before she could even think. Then she realized what she had said, but she was even more confused.
Who is Xiao Zhou?
Ansel's expression seemed to stiffen for a moment, a dark look flashing across his face, but it quickly disappeared. "Who is Xiao Zhou, Wanwan? Are you still half asleep?"
Yeah?
Ning Wanwan thought for a while but still couldn't figure it out. She felt that she might really be confused from sleeping, just as Ansel had said.
She had no doubts about Ansel.
In her heart, she trusted Ansel deeply. After all, the two had survived the terrible snowstorm together, supporting each other until they finally escaped, and then continued to depend on each other for survival after arriving in this village.
If she doesn't even trust Ansel, who can she trust?
"I guess I really did remember wrong." Ning Wanwan didn't think about it anymore and ate her breakfast, which was all her favorite foods. After she finished eating, she yawned, feeling a little sleepy.
Why am I sleepy so quickly? I must have gone to bed early last night. I feel so tired.
Ning Wanwan wondered, her eyelids drooping.
"Go to sleep if you're tired," Ansel's gentle voice sounded in her ear. "Anyway, there's nothing for Wanwan to do, and Wanwan doesn't want to go out right now."
Ning Wanwan responded and obediently returned to her room. She lay on the bed, but gradually found it difficult to fall asleep.
Memories of her previous talent test surfaced; she had no talent. She seemed to have cried a lot last night, and during her most heartbroken moment, Ansel told her she didn't need to think too much, just stay under his protection.
Ansel promised that he would not abandon her and that he would find a way to take her to the royal city.
Ning Wanwan felt that she should trust him.
But for some reason, a sense of unease always stirred within me.
I always felt that this promise didn't put her at ease.
But it seems that trusting Ansel is her only option. In this world, as someone without any special abilities and who is ostracized, she has no choice but to follow Ansel to survive.
It seems she could have had other options...
Ning Wanwan's head started to ache again.
After taking another nap, Ning Wanwan woke up to find it already dark outside the window. She rubbed her forehead, feeling somewhat tired.
"How did you sleep for so long..."
She stood up and left the room. It was rather quiet, and she didn't see Ansel.
Ansel
Ning Wanwan called out, but there was no response.
Did you go out? Where did you go?
Ning Wanwan pursed her lips as she thought, completely unaware that she had become quite dependent on Ansel without realizing it. Even though Ansel wasn't home at the moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity.
Ansel
Ning Wanwan called out again, but the room remained quiet and there was no response.
After confirming that Ansel was not home, she paced back and forth twice, frowning and somewhat losing her mood. Just as she was about to return to her room, there was a knock on the door.
It's getting dark, will anyone still come to the door?
Because she had been ostracized and ignored in the village for a long time, Ning Wanwan had an inescapable sense of defensiveness and rejection towards everyone in the village.
Considering the time of day, Ning Wanwan didn't open the door rashly, but cautiously asked, "Who is it?"
If it were a villager, she wouldn't open the door; she'd wait for Ansel to return.
"It's me, Xiao Ning. Open the door quickly!" The village chief's voice came from outside, carrying a strong urging tone. "A distinguished guest from the royal city has arrived! He's here to see Ansel. Come and greet him!"
"Oh? But Ansel isn't home; he hasn't come back yet."
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