After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

"west Yan, what are you doing— um—"

Before An Ning could finish speaking, the man who strode in from outside the door silenced her with a kiss.

Before she could react, the man forcefully grabbed the back of her head, forcing her to tilt her head back to receive his passionate kiss.

Lu Xiyan's kiss was passionate, domineering, and unrestrained, like a long-trapped beast tearing at its hard-won prey.

Xiao Anxian stared wide-eyed, then suddenly everything went black as a warm hand covered his eyes.

Zhao Li was also surprised and opened her mouth wide. She quickly realized what was happening, covered An Xian's eyes, took the small schoolbag from his hand, whispered to him that she was taking him out to play, and closed the door before leaving.

In the quiet room, heavy breathing could be heard.

Lu Xiyan's breathing was rapid, and his kiss was domineering.

An Ning was pushed all the way to the sofa and fell down, with Lu Xiyan leaning over to support her above.

His kiss was different from his usual passionate one; this time, it was overflowing with an indescribable emotion.

And there's also a deep sense of grievance.

An Ning was momentarily stunned by the kiss; she had never been able to resist Lu Xiyan's kisses.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling his hot breath and frantic heartbeat.

She was so breathless from the kiss that she reached out and gently pushed his shoulder. Only then did he release her and move his lips away from hers slightly.

He didn't look up; his lips brushed against her soft lips, then he turned his head and buried his face in her neck.

"...Western Banquet."

Anning was about to ask him what was wrong when she suddenly caught her breath and her heart skipped a beat.

Her neck was wet.

It was so hot it almost burned her skin.

She felt the body lying on top of her twitch slightly, even its broad back trembled slightly.

Lu Xiyan's low sobs reached my ears, a sound of suppressed pain.

The sound was very soft, but she heard it clearly.

He cried?

An Ning felt a pang of pain in her heart. She slipped her hands through his lean waist, grasped the hem of his clothes, and gently hugged him.

Sensing his intense emotions, like a helpless child, she tightened her arms and hugged him even more tightly.

"west Yan... what's wrong?" An Ning asked softly. "What happened?"

Lu Xiyan buried his face in her neck and bit her fair neck hard.

Although it was described as fierce, it didn't actually use much force.

An Ning gasped in pain and shrank her shoulders.

Then I thought, I don't know why he's so aggrieved right now, so I'll just let him bite me.

Lu Xiyan's breath trembled as he pressed his lips against her neck and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Trying to sneak away again, huh? Where are you planning to go this time...?"

"Am I trash? How can you just throw me away like that...?"

The hand supporting her face was clenched into a fist, so tightly that her whole body trembled.

Lu Xiyan pressed his lips against her throbbing pulse, his voice trembling with grievance, "An Ning, how long are you going to leave me this time? How many more years do you want me to wait?"

He looked up, his eyes red, and tears fell onto Anning's cheeks.

An Ning trembled violently when she met his gaze, her heart clenching with pain, as if it were being torn to shreds, the pain making it hard to breathe.

"I beg you..."

Lu Xiyan choked up, emphasizing each word, "Even if you have to leave, could you take me with you...?"

An Ning felt a lump in her throat, opened her mouth, and tears slid down her cheeks.

"I'm not leaving..."

She reached out a finger and gently touched the corner of his dark red eye. "I'm not leaving, I'm not going anywhere... Don't cry..."

Lu Xiyan stared at her intently, his eyes full of disbelief. "You're lying to me!"

"No, really no." An Ning suddenly realized that he had seen her packing her luggage and therefore assumed she was leaving.

Did he think she would leave him again, just like she did four years ago?

An Ning cupped Lu Xiyan's face in her trembling hands, "Didn't Uncle Quan tell you?"

Tears streamed down his high, straight nose, hanging precariously on the tip, looking utterly pitiful. Lu Xiyan choked out, "What did you say?"

Anning gently wiped away his tears. "Uncle Quan said that you stayed up all night watching over me. He said he hadn't seen you so lonely and dejected since your father passed away. He said that whenever you can't sleep, you think of your parents..."

Lu Xiyan froze, seeing his own face covered in tears through her clear eyes.

"So I was thinking, you live alone in the house your parents left you, it's so big and so empty, how lonely you must be every night."

An Ning gently curled her lips into a smile, "So I thought I'd come over and pack my things before you went back."

"Pack your things?" Lu Xiyan asked uncertainly.

"Mmm." Anning cupped his face and nodded. "Pack your things, move in, and stay with you. Would you like to?"

As Anning finished speaking, another tear fell onto her face.

"Don't cry..." An Ning's heart ached as if it were breaking. "It's my fault for not explaining things clearly, which made you worry."

Lu Xiyan then seemed to come alive, asking in a hoarse voice, "Is that really so?"

"That's true." Anning smiled gently. "I promised you I wouldn't secretly leave you again."

"You still lied to me," Lu Xiyan asked her. "You promised you wouldn't leave me, so why did you go to the beach?"

We promised not to be separated in life, so how can we be separated by death?

An Ning's heart skipped a beat. "I...I..."

She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to find an excuse, but she didn't know how to say it reasonably.

"I might have... I might have..." Her eyes darted around, and she couldn't come up with a plausible reason for a long time.

"Ningning, how many times has this happened?" Lu Xiyan suddenly asked her.

"Huh?" An Ning didn't react for a moment. "What, how many times?"

"Since you returned to Jinghai, how many times have you asked, with red eyes, 'Don't you want to live?'"

An Ning's lips trembled slightly as she stared at him with wide eyes, her panic undisguised.

"I know everything." Lu Xiyan met her panicked eyes. "I know everything. An Xian is my son. I've also met Xu Zhijun. Everything is clear."

An Ning suddenly felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen.

Her whole body felt numb, and even her fingertips wouldn't obey her commands.

He knew all along?

What do you know?

Did you find out that her departure was forced?

Do you know how she got through those four years?

What does he know?

An Ning looked into his deep, dark red eyes, trying to see her own reflection in them.

Suddenly, a huge wave of bitterness hit my chest, and tears welled up in my eyes. The pent-up grievances burst forth like a floodgate being opened.

She wrapped her arms around her face and burst into tears.

She was finally able to let down her guard and pretense, and burst into tears in front of him, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances and hardships she had endured.

She really, really held on for far too long...