But in front of a man like Matt De Niro, who exceeded Lin Nuan's understanding of a normal world, she only wanted to keep a respectful distance.
Li Muyang narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Lin Nuan. He had to admit that she was an intelligent woman.
Although Li Muyang was no gentleman, he wouldn't resort to forcing himself upon her because she owed him a debt of gratitude, nor would he shamelessly insist on associating with Lin Nuan.
"Lin Nuan…" Li Muyang gazed at Lin Nuan as golden sun rays shone upon his demonic, thin, and handsome features through the layers of tree leaves.
The smile in his narrowed eyes appeared mournful. "I don't know how long I have to live. I won't do anything to you. I merely want to be friends with you, the most normal of friends…"
Lin Nuan didn't utter a sound, her calm expression causing her to appear somewhat cold.
Men liked to use a tactic like this to obtain a woman's sympathy. It wasn't as if no man had used this ploy on Lin Nuan, but it was of no use when used on her.
Perhaps Lin Nuan's heart was too cold and tough.
Li Muyang laughed self-mockingly. "I am Matt De Niro and am indeed a member of the De Niro family, but I am also an ordinary person. I didn't choose to be born into this family, Nuan Nuan!"
Lin Nuan's hands slightly clenched by her sides, her gaze still clear and bright.
Hearing the two words "Nuan Nuan" come out of Li Muyang's mouth made Lin Nuan's hair stand on end and back turn chilly.
A macaw hovered around, then finally landed on Li Muyang's shoulder. Lin Nuan looked at the large colorful bird and didn't say a word.
"I, too, wish to lead the kind of ordinary life that you spoke about and be an ordinary person!" Li Muyang gave Lin Nuan a slight smile. "Perhaps, if I were born in an ordinary family, my body wouldn't be in such a condition after being harmed by my own kin. I wouldn't then have to live today without knowing whether I'll be able to see tomorrow's sun. I wouldn't then be tormented by illness and suffering and feel like I'd be better off dead than alive."
"Nuan Nuan, you don't know how it feels to live knowing that your end is near, not knowing if that final day is tomorrow. I'm no saint and am unable to take death calmly. I live every day in trepidation! You're a lady who is filled with vitality. Although you appear cold, I feel that there is a massive volcano inside of you, a volcano that burns for love at any moment. To be in contact with a person like you makes me feel like I have obtained a new lease on life!"
Lin Nuan didn't know if Li Muyang's confession was true…
Even if it was true, Lin Nuan wouldn't be moved at all. Perhaps because Lin Nuan was born with a cold and tough heart, apart from those she cared about, everyone else was deemed unimportant to her.
The scheming Li Muyang gazed at Lin Nuan's pure eyes, which were like dark and black jewels. He suddenly lowered his head and laughed, raising a hand to shoo away the macaw on his shoulder before saying, "I truly wish I had been in Iraq in 2016. That way… I would have been able to meet you earlier than Fu Huai'an!"
Lin Nuan had already heard from Fu Huai'an that in 2016, the De Niro family underwent a huge change. She understood that Matt De Niro's lover had also died at that point in time…
Hearing these words from Li Muyang's mouth only made Lin Nuan feel that he was too heartless.
"I thought that Mr. Li was trying to find a shadow of your lover in me because my voice resembled your lover's. In 2016, your lover had just passed away. Aren't you being too cold by saying this?"
Li Muyang could tell that Lin Nuan was implying he was heartless.
"You understand the version of me from those rumors outside, but you don't understand the relationship between Xiao Mei and me, Nuan Nuan…" Li Muyang said. "Xiao Mei and I weren't what you imagine!"
The corners of Lin Nuan's lips turned up. She said nothing, already having made her stand clear.
Li Muyang was the one who once told her that her voice resembled his lover's.
But today, it seemed like he was trying to deny his feelings towards that "lover"…
As if he really loved Lin Nuan!
"Nuan Nuan, you're almost identical to the woman I've wanted since I was young. Except… for not loving me!" Although Li Muyang was smiling, his hands were clenched into fists, and veins were popping. He was doing his best to hold back the crazed idea that had popped up in his mind.
"Does 'identical' include the fact that I'm already someone else's wife?" Lin Nuan asked.
Li Muyang's smile became more demonic as he nodded. "Yes…"
Lin Nuan shivered. Her back turned chilly, and the hair all over her body was now standing up. She only felt that Li Muyang's psychology and character were twisted!
Lin Nuan, who had previously received treatment from Lu Hanzi for several years, acutely sensed that there was something wrong with Li Muyang's mental status.
Lin Nuan stopped herself from trembling. At that moment, when Li Muyang replied to her, it was as if everything had gone silent—as if the pleasant chirping of the birds, the sound of flowing water, and the waterfalls had all vanished. Lin Nuan could only hear the sound of her heart violently thumping.
She recalled what Fu Huai'an told her about how Li Muyang killed his entire family, and she shuddered.
Lin Nuan felt that she had to be extra cautious when dealing with a psychologically impaired person, a bit of insight gleaned from her own psychological problems.
"Nuan Nuan, you said that you don't wish to be associated with dangerous characters, with people from another level and world, but do you know, the person sleeping next to you every night… is a person like me?" Li Muyang asked in turn.
Despite vaguely knowing that Fu Huai'an's business dealings in the dark weren't simple, to have it said so explicitly still caused Lin Nuan to feel shocked.
"You've perhaps never heard of how Mr. Fu made his first pot of gold in America. The only difference between Mr. Fu and me… is perhaps that he doesn't partake in the trafficking of humans, organs, and drugs, nor does he make deals involving army ammunition that is used to harm civilians!"
"Do you know what Mr. Fu's nickname is in this industry? Mr. Moral…" Li Muyang smiled. "How ironic. Mr. Moral deals in the most immoral business, including both army ammunition and weaponry, as well as dealing in human lives. Don't mention Asia, your husband's business is in the top ranks even on a global scale!"
Lin Nuan's back shivered, and goosebumps appeared all over her body…
"Mr. Gu has been the one handling this business for your husband all these years, but everyone knows that his backer is Mr. Moral. Many people wish to claim Mr. Moral's life!"
Li Muyang didn't hide anything at all, revealing Fu Huai'an's other side for Lin Nuan to see.
"Who could have imagined! This mysterious Mr. Moral isn't an old man in his twilight years as everyone has envisioned. He's not living in seclusion but is instead the president of a large corporation in grand Haicheng. He's even putting up an act of vying for a corporation that is truly nothing to him…"
Watching as the color of blood drained from Lin Nuan's face, which was pale to begin with, Li Muyang smiled again and asked, "Nuan Nuan, would you say once again… that we are people from two different worlds? From the time you married Mr. Fu, we've become people from the same world, Nuan Nuan!"