After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

"You did this on purpose! You knew all along, didn't you?!"

Xie Xingran's chest heaved violently, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, as she roared angrily at Jiang Huaijin.

His eyes bulged with shame, anger, and rage. His carefully planned scheme had been exposed, and the frustration of being seen through by the hunter instead of the prey almost burned away his reason.

He had never suffered such humiliation or lost so much face!

Jiang Huaijin stood rooted to the spot, watching his exasperated and nearly out-of-control state. The last trace of feigned gentleness vanished from his face, replaced by a faint, cool smile. His tone was calm:

"Yes, I already knew."

"From the moment you asked me to come to this secluded mountain back, I knew you wanted to kill me."

He had been with Xie Xingran, that scoundrel, for two lifetimes, so how could he not know what the other was thinking?

"You bastard!"

Xie Xingran cursed angrily, glaring at Jiang Huaijin with a fierce look that seemed to want to devour him alive, yet she couldn't hide her inner cowardice.

"Now that you know, what are you doing here?! You just came here specifically to laugh at me, didn't you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Xingran seemed to suddenly realize something. Her momentum abruptly weakened, her voice suddenly filled with deep panic, and even the end of her sentence trembled slightly:

"No...that's not how it works..."

He looked up at Jiang Huaijin, his pupils contracted slightly, and all color drained from his face, leaving only lingering fear.

"You...you came here to kill me, didn't you? You deliberately turned the tables on me, intending to eliminate me instead!"

Upon hearing this, the faint mockery and sarcasm on Jiang Huaijin's face gradually disappeared, his aura suddenly turned somber, and only a cold indifference remained in his eyes.

He simply stared silently at Xie Xingran, who stood before him like a frightened little animal. Though he was looking down at her, his gaze was unusually calm, so calm it was unfathomable, and even his tone was utterly devoid of emotion.

"Ranran, whether you believe it or not, I never intended to harm you from the beginning."

He paused, his gaze softening slightly: "I came to this back mountain at your invitation simply to give you the gift I've prepared."

"You don't want to hurt me..."

Xie Xingran murmured to herself, her voice as soft as a breeze, her gaze unfocused as she looked at Jiang Huaijin, filled with a sense of bewilderment and disbelief.

He cautiously looked Jiang Huaijin up and down, his gaze lingering on the other's calm eyes, trying to find a trace of a lie or murderous intent.

Time passed slowly, and Jiang Huaijin stood quietly in place, without making any unnecessary moves. His eyes were clear and calm, and there was no sign that he intended to take action.

Xie Xingran's heart, which had been pounding wildly and almost bursting out of her chest, finally calmed down little by little, and her tense back relaxed slightly.

He bit his lower lip, barely mustered a bit of courage, and slowly stood up from the cold stone steps.

Her fingertips were still trembling slightly as she haphazardly brushed the dust off her clothes while secretly glancing at Jiang Huaijin out of the corner of her eye, afraid that he might suddenly attack her.

Only after confirming that Jiang Huaijin was still standing in the same spot, without making any move, did his heart finally relax a little, though his tone still lacked confidence and carried a clear sense of probing:

"Since...since that's the case, then move aside, I'm going back..."

Now that the plan has been completely exposed, Jiang Huaijin will certainly not touch that poisoned pastry again; every second he stays here is an increase in danger.

He must return to the sect as soon as possible. Only by leaving the back mountain can he ensure his own safety. As for today's grudge, he can only plan revenge later.

Jiang Huaijin remained motionless, as if rooted to the spot, and said in a calm but firm tone, "I can move aside, but Ranran, you must apologize to me."

"Why should I?!"

Upon hearing the word "apology," Xie Xingran almost reflexively retorted, displaying an arrogance ingrained in his very being.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had misspoke and quickly covered his mouth, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes.

He was pampered and privileged since childhood. In his previous life, apart from occasionally bowing his head to apologize to the elders of the Xie family, everyone else was as worthless as grass in his eyes. How could they be worthy of him saying sorry?

Over time, they developed an arrogant and domineering personality, doing everything according to their own will and never caring about the feelings of others.

Even when they make mistakes, they never reflect on themselves, but instead blame others and resent those who don't do what they want. In their view, apologizing is an act of weakness, which is a great disgrace.

"On what grounds?"

Jiang Huaijin slowly squatted down to meet Xie Xingran's gaze. The pastry he had been holding just moments before had been discarded. He reached out and suddenly grabbed Xie Xingran's shoulder with such force that he almost crushed her bones.

"Because you have tried to kill me time and time again—both in past lives and in this one."

"Ouch! Let go! Let go now!"

A sharp pain spread from her shoulder throughout her body. Xie Xingran's face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes.

He has always been delicate and pampered, so how could he withstand such pain?

Her body went limp, and she almost collapsed to the ground again. She could only struggle instinctively, her voice filled with unbearable pain and pleas.

The intense pain, like a dull knife repeatedly grinding against the bone, caused Xie Xingran's consciousness to momentarily drift into a daze.

Jiang Huaijin's face gradually blurred before my eyes, replaced by the cold, steep staircase from my previous life. The excruciating pain of his bones shattering when he lost his footing overlapped with this moment, and even the air was filled with a suffocating feeling of impending death.

He shook his head, his vision growing increasingly blurry. He felt as if all his strength had been drained, with only excruciating pain washing over his nerves like a tidal wave.

Jiang Huaijin looked at Xie Xingran's contorted face in pain, but instead of relaxing his grip, he increased the pressure with his fingertips, his knuckles almost digging into Xie Xingran's slender shoulder bone.

"Apologize!"

A cold rebuke rolled from his throat, his tone as deep as a pool of ice that had been filled for a thousand years. His once calm eyes were now bloodshot, churning with suppressed obsession and pain.

He leaned closer, his breath hoarse and broken, yet his tone held a barely perceptible hint of compromise:

"Ranran, I know you hate me. As long as you apologize to me, I will forgive you and leave the Holy Land immediately..."

"From now on, I will never appear in front of you again, and I will never bother you again."

"Ouch...it hurts...it hurts so much..."

Xie Xingran didn't hear the rest of his words at all. Her consciousness was being tossed about by the excruciating pain, and all she could manage were unconscious murmurs.

His face was sickly pale, and cold sweat slid down his jawline, landing on Jiang Huaijin's hand, icy cold.

"Ranran!"

Seeing that he did not respond, Jiang Huaijin became increasingly out of control, and the clarity in his eyes was swallowed by madness.

He didn't notice Xie Xingran's dazed state at all, taking it as a deliberate resistance. He pressed Xie Xingran's thin shoulders firmly with both hands, and even suddenly knelt down, slamming heavily onto the cold bluestone slab.

Wisps of black energy seeped from the seams of his clothes, coiling around his limbs like living things, making his originally handsome face appear even more sinister and deranged.

The way he looked at Xie Xingran was like a gambler on the verge of despair staring at his last chip, filled with the fervor and despair of a desperate gamble.

"Ranran," his voice lost all its harshness, replaced by a humble plea, "please apologize to me, okay?"

"If you apologize to me, I'll let you go immediately and disappear right away."

He lowered his head and rested his head on Xie Xingran's shoulder, his voice filled with suppressed sobs, "You were so mean to me, and because of you, I've suffered so much... You should apologize to me."

Two lifetimes...

He accompanied Xie Xingran through two lifetimes; all his emotions were given to him by Xie Xingran.

It's so painful.

A tear slid down Jiang Huaijin's bloodshot eyes, landing on Xie Xingran's clothes and spreading into a small, dark stain.

He kept his head down, immersed in his own pain and obsession, completely unaware that Xie Xingran's eyes had long since lost focus, leaving only a blank and dazed look.

"Please...apologize to me...I just want an apology from you..."

His voice grew softer and softer, and tears streamed down his cheeks, soaking Xie Xingran's clothes.

Just then, Xie Xingran let out a very soft, indistinct murmur, filled with an unconscious dependence, as if it were an obsession that transcended past and present lives:

"Second...Second Brother..."