Hostage 1

Li Deze's words plunged Ye Xiyuan into a moment of silence; she refrained from responding.

Observing Ye Xiyuan's demeanor, Li Deze didn't relent; instead, he pressed on relentlessly, "Ye Xiyuan, say something! Aren't you usually quite eloquent? Why the sudden silence?"

"If you've already said that much, what more is there for me to say?"

With things having reached this point, Ye Xiyuan saw no need for further pretense. "Since you claim acknowledgment of everything, why bother coming to me? Do you expect me to reveal my inner struggles to you?"

The disdain in her eyes and the coldness in her words caught Li Deze off guard. He had never witnessed this side of Ye Xiyuan, a stark contrast to the person he once knew.