“Ms. Lu’s sudden shift in demeanor was startling.” Casting a cool glance in her direction, I grabbed my purse, ready to head to the Fu residence myself. If Fu Sihan wasn’t going, then it was even more imperative that I did. I had just reached the door when Lu Xinran blocked my path. With Fu Sihan gone, she dropped the innocent act. “When are you signing the divorce papers?” she asked, her voice cold. I blinked, an amused smile touching my lips. “And are you, Ms. Lu, pressuring me for a divorce as the other woman now?” “You’re the other woman!” The label clearly struck a nerve. Her face darkened. “Shen Shu, if it weren’t for you, I would be the mistress of this house, not you. The Old Master is dead; no one’s here to protect you anymore. If I were you, I’d take the money Sihan is offering, sign the papers, and disappear.” “Too bad for you, you’re not me, Ms. Lu.” I threw the words back at her coolly. Unfazed by her aggression, I simply stepped around her and headed for the stairs. Besides Fu Sihan, no one in this world had the power to hurt me with mere words. Accustomed to being the center of attention, Ms. Lu couldn’t stand being ignored. Her pride wounded, she grabbed my arm, her grip tight. “Have you no shame, Shen Shu? Sihan doesn’t love you. What’s the point of clinging to him?” I glanced back at her, finding the situation almost laughable. My voice was even as I replied, “If you’re so sure he doesn’t care about me, why are you so threatened?” “You…” The young woman’s face flushed with anger, leaving her speechless. I leaned in closer, a cruel smile playing on my lips as I lowered my voice. “As for what good it does me to stay by his side…” I paused, my voice dropping to a near-whisper. “He’s very, *very* good. What do you think that’s good for?” “Shen Shu, you’re shameless!” Rage flooded her eyes. Losing all composure, she raised her hands and shoved me hard. The staircase was right behind me. On pure instinct, I sidestepped, her hands meeting only air. But what I never expected was that Lu Xinran would lose her own balance. She stumbled, pitching forward down the stairs. “Ah—!” A piercing shriek echoed from the hall below. I froze, my mind struggling to catch up. Before I could process what had happened, a cold force shoved me aside. Fu Sihan flew past me, taking the stairs two at a time to get to Lu Xinran, who lay crumpled at the bottom. Down below, Lu Xinran was curled into a ball, her face deathly pale as she clutched her abdomen in agony. “My baby,” she whimpered, her voice faint. “My baby.” A dark stain of blood was spreading across the carpet beneath her, staining the fibers red. I stood there, stunned. She… was pregnant? With Fu Sihan’s child? “Sihan… the baby… the baby…” Lu Xinran gripped his sleeve, repeating the word over and over. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on Fu Sihan’s forehead, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked as if it might crack. “Don’t worry, the baby will be okay,” he soothed, scooping her up into his arms and striding toward the door. He took a few steps, then stopped abruptly. His face was a taut mask, his dark eyes glittering with a barely contained fury that was unmistakable in his voice. “Well done, Shen Shu.” Those three words, uttered so softly, were drenched in contempt, loathing, and cold fury. I stood frozen, completely at a loss for what to do. “Not going to go after him and explain?” a low voice came from behind me. I started, looking up to see Cheng Junyu. I hadn’t even realized he’d come up the stairs. Swallowing the panic rising in my throat, I managed to sound calm. “Explain what?” He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll think you pushed her?” I lowered my eyes, a bitter taste filling my mouth. “Whether I pushed her or not isn’t important. What’s important is that *his* Xinran is hurt, and someone has to take the blame.” “Such clarity.” Cheng Junyu descended the stairs, carrying a medical kit as he left the villa. He was probably on his way to the hospital to check on Lu Xinran.