I couldn't fathom what he was thinking, so I simply nodded, a silent agreement. People can be so wretchedly submissive at times, for no reason at all. For me, it was as if obeying Fu Shenyan had become a conditioned response, one I followed despite the fierce resistance in my heart. The car headed downtown. I had assumed Fu Shenyan would take me back to the villa, but instead, he drove me straight to the hospital. The smell of disinfectant saturated every corner of the building. I hated it, but I had no choice but to follow Fu Shenyan into Lu Xinran’s room. Lu Xinran was on an IV. She had a naturally delicate constitution, and lying there against the stark white hospital bed, her gaze limpid and shallow, she seemed all the more fragile and small. When she saw Fu Shenyan and me walk in together, her gaze on me instantly chilled. It was a long moment before she finally turned to Fu Shenyan. "I don't want to see her." It seemed that without the child, her soft, endearing demeanor had vanished, replaced by a coldness laced with resentment. Fu Shenyan walked over to her, half-lifting her from the bed into a gentle embrace. He brushed his chin against her forehead, soothing her. "Let her take care of you for a few days. It's what she owes you." Intimacy. Affection. The scene pierced me, a sharp sting to my nerves. Lu Xinran looked like she was about to argue, but after a moment, she tilted her head back and gave Fu Shenyan a faint smile. "Alright. I'll listen to you." And just like that, in a brief exchange, my fate was decided for me. It was laughable, really. I hadn't said a single word, just stood there and accepted their arrangement. Fu Shenyan was busy. Although he hadn't made an appearance at the old master's funeral, he was still a Fu, and many matters required his personal attention. With the vast Fu Corporation under his management, he had little time to stay at the hospital with Lu Xinran. Which meant, it seemed, that I was the only one left to take care of her. It was 2 a.m. Lu Xinran had slept too much during the day and couldn't fall back asleep. There were no extra beds in the room, so I was confined to the armchair beside her. Seeing I was awake, she looked over at me. "Shen Shu, you're pathetic." Her words left me speechless. I lowered my eyes to the ring on my finger, studying it for a long time before meeting her gaze. "Isn't that what love is?" She laughed, a strange, unreadable sound. "Are you tired?" she finally asked. I shook my head. Life spans decades; what part of it isn't tiring? All I had done was fall in love with one person. "Can you get me a glass of water?" she asked, propping herself up slightly. I nodded and got up to pour it for her. "Don't add any cold water. Make it hot," she called out, her voice flat. I filled the glass and brought it to her, but she didn't take it. She just stared at me. "I find you pitiful, but you're also pathetic. The baby… it wasn't your fault, but I can't stop myself from blaming you, from hating you for it." I had no idea what she meant by that. I just held the glass out to her. "Be careful, it's hot." She took the glass, but then her hand shot out, grabbing mine. Instinctively, I tried to pull back, but her dark eyes locked onto me. "Let's make a bet," she said, her voice low. "Let's see if he feels a shred of pity for you." I froze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the figure of a man standing in the doorway. I didn't know how long he'd been there. Lu Xinran watched me, her expression unreadable. "Do you dare?" I said nothing. I let her tilt the glass, let the scalding water pour over the back of my hand. The pain was searing, a vicious, tearing sensation, as if a million fire ants were biting into my flesh. My silence was my answer. I had accepted the wager. Lu Xinran set the glass down, her face a mask of innocence. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. The glass was too hot, and it slipped. Are you alright?" The act was pitifully transparent. I pulled my hand back, forcing myself to ignore the throbbing pain as I shook my head. "I'm fine."