The slanderous words were spoken without a second thought.
Resentful gazes were palpable everywhere.
They were the most familiar people, yet now they had become such bitter enemies.
He hated her to the bone, wishing he could tear her to shreds.
An Nuan's initial flicker of hope was trampled under Shen Xizhou's feet, crushed into nothing.
Her eyes were filled with tears, and she seemed to feel no pain anymore; her sole support was gone. She collapsed directly onto the ground, while the man dodged her as if avoiding something terrifying.
Looking up, she met Shen Xizhou's disgusted gaze, and a smile of despair and self-mockery curved her lips.
"An Nuan, you are truly filthy."
At this moment, An Nuan's body could no longer endure. Hearing the man's words, she weakly pulled at her throat and, with all her might, said, "Yes, I am indeed filthy. But this filthy me was once the one you cherished above all else."
"Shen Xizhou, now that you remember, don't you feel utterly disgusted?"
An Nuan burst into laughter, watching Shen Xizhou's complexion darken to a shade that could drip ink, which somehow lifted her spirits.
Hearing An Nuan's words, Shen Xizhou's rage flared instantly. He strode to her, forcefully pressing his foot onto the back of her hand, his eyes growing ever more menacing.
Was she that smug? Had she admitted it? Was she mocking him?
How many other men were there around her? Wasn't Huo Yunshen enough? Now there was Bai Yi, and who else in the future? Would there be even more men?
Sometimes he felt he might have misunderstood her, but now it seemed he had been too naive.
The woman before him was not worth his pity at all.
Rage surged again, as if crushing her hand was not enough. How could that possibly suffice?
He squatted down, looking directly at the woman before him, and choked her neck, dragging her back into the bathroom. The running showerhead was then aimed directly at her.
"An Nuan," he said coldly, "you will never be clean."
An Nuan smiled.
Her smile completely enraged Shen Xizhou. He shoved her head fiercely into the water.
The woman did not struggle, as if all of this was all too familiar, as if she had long anticipated it.
Shen Xizhou's heart skipped a beat, a wave of panic washing over him. He tugged at An Nuan's long hair, pulling her up. Meeting the mocking smile on her lips, he suddenly felt that the pity he had felt moments ago was a complete joke.
An Nuan's smile was like a slap, fiercely striking his face, as if ridiculing his own absurdity.
He seemed to have forgotten that the woman he was forcefully holding underwater had just undergone surgery. What she needed most was rest, and his actions were only exacerbating her condition.
Rage swept over him once more, and this time, he showed no mercy, pressing down.
After a long while, the person in the water remained motionless. He noticed his own hands trembling and felt a surge of panic. He told himself, *No, she'll be fine. She's just acting.*
Pulling her hair with force, he saw An Nuan's eyes shut tightly, her face devoid of color, like a dead person. He was completely panicked.
"An Nuan," he called out, his voice hoarse with worry.
But there was no response. He dared not delay any longer, immediately picking her up and rushing out.
He placed her in the car and drove to the hospital.
Holding her in his arms, he couldn't even feel her warmth, her faint breathing almost imperceptible. His mind was a complete blank.
For the first time, he felt fear.
He thought, *How could she die? She won't die.*
Someone like her, how could she die so soon?
Upon arriving at the hospital, An Nuan was immediately rushed into the emergency room.
Shen Xizhou waited anxiously outside the operating room.
At this moment, he didn't know what he truly wanted; he only wished for An Nuan to live. As long as she lived, that would be enough.
The operating room light dimmed, and the door opened. A doctor emerged, and he quickly grabbed the doctor's hand, anxiously asking, "How is she?"
The doctor looked at Shen Xizhou with displeasure and said, "Her body just had surgery, how could you let her get into this state? Do you want to kill your wife?"
"Fortunately, she was brought in in time and saved. However, one isn't always this lucky."
"As a husband, can't you care about your wife? Is your career that important? Is a career more important than your wife?"
"When you no longer have a wife, it will be too late to cry." The doctor berated him. The people he hated most in his life were those who didn't cherish or love their wives. A wife is precious; she is the one who stays with you for a lifetime. A man who doesn't love his wife is not a good man.
"However, she likely won't be able to be a mother anymore." The doctor said helplessly.
"Her body is too severely damaged. Her days are numbered," the doctor said with some emotion, the words cruel, which he was reluctant to utter. But his profession required him to speak truthfully.
Shen Xizhou looked at the person before him, not refuting a single word. He held the doctor's hand, as if murmuring to himself, "You're saying she can't be a mother anymore? Her days are numbered?"
The doctor, who had been thinking about how to comfort the man, as it was appropriate to offer some solace when his wife was in such a state, was taken aback.
But seeing the man's completely oblivious expression, he huffed, "How can you be a husband? Your wife is so seriously ill and you don't know? Are you even her husband?" At this point, the doctor doubted if he had mistaken the person.
Before Shen Xizhou could speak, the doctor frowned, his voice filled with helplessness, "If she is well taken care of, there might still be hope for treatment."
"But now her body is like this, do you not want your wife anymore?"
"Is your wife's life not a life?" the doctor asked indignantly, looking at Shen Xizhou as if he were a truly heinous person. He believed this man was a scumbag.
"The injuries on your wife, the ones on her forehead, her knees – at such a young age, her temper is so volatile." The doctor looked at the man coldly. "You wouldn't happen to have any issues with domestic violence, would you?"
Shen Xizhou stared blankly at the operating room, suddenly speechless.
He had no idea An Nuan's condition was so severe.
Then, how could he have been so cruel, forcing An Nuan to give a kidney to Xu Ruowei?
And, her body was already failing, so why didn't she tell him?
Just now, what had he done? The doctor said that if she were well cared for and given proper treatment, her life might be prolonged. But earlier, he had pushed her into the water, refusing to listen to her explanations.
Recalling how An Nuan had desperately tried to explain, only for him to cut her off, his heart felt as if it were being torn apart.
His gaze fell forward, his eyes full of confusion. Was all of this his fault? Had he wronged her?