Fan Chenxi stared at Li Tingchen, bewildered. She'd never heard he was married. "Mr. Li," she began, "we've been living abroad for years and aren't familiar with the local news. What does my daughter have to do with you?" Li Tingchen’s expression was impassive, his gaze cool as he stated flatly, "Whatever relationship there was is over. I'm in the middle of a divorce." Su Qingyu couldn't believe it. All those years of devotion, dismissed so casually as something that was simply "over." Was she furious? Of course. But more than anger, a chilling despair washed over her. How could she have been so blind? To have treasured a monster like him. Su Qingyu pulled out the diamond ring box and hurled it at his head. "Fuck you, you bastard!" she screamed. "The biggest regret of my life was ever knowing you. Civil Affairs Bureau, nine o'clock tomorrow. You show up, or you're a goddamn coward!" The box struck his forehead, leaving a red mark before clattering to the floor. The ring tumbled out, landing near his feet. This time, Su Qingyu didn't spare it a glance. She crushed it under her heel as she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. So much had happened to Su Qingyu in the past two years. This was the final straw. She didn't get far before her world went black and she collapsed by the side of the road. The ceaseless rain falling from the sky felt like the world's malice directed squarely at her. *Maybe it's better to just die,* she thought. There was nothing left for her in a world so full of schemes. When she woke again, it was to an unfamiliar room. Soft, warm light chased away the darkness, and the central heating made the space feel like spring. "You're awake." Su Qingyu opened her eyes to the gentle gaze of Lin Yan. "Lin Yan? You saved me?" "I was on my way home from work and saw you collapsed on the roadside, so I brought you back. Your clothes were soaked, so I had the housekeeper change you into something dry." His eyes were clear and honest, without a trace of impropriety. "Thank you." "I've made some congee. Have some warm water first." Su Qingyu pushed back the covers to get out of bed. "No, it's fine. I won't disturb you any later." But her body was too weak. The moment her toes touched the floor, she stumbled and pitched forward. Lin Yan was quick, catching her and pulling her upright. The clean scent of his laundry detergent filled her senses. It was the same brand she used at home. Li Tingchen used to smell like this. The thought of him sent another spear of pain through her heart. "You're too weak right now. If you want to live, you need to stop punishing your body," Lin Yan advised gently. "Do it for your father." A flicker of hope returned to Su Qingyu's vacant eyes. "Then... I'll be troubling you." Watching the man bustling in the kitchen, she realized she barely knew him. He was a senior when she was a freshman, the one who presented her with an award for academic excellence. He was already interning at a prestigious hospital back then and was rarely on campus. It was only later, when she started seeing him at the hospital, that they began to interact more. But that was hardly reason enough for her to impose on him like this. After a bowl of congee and some stomach medicine, the knot in her stomach finally began to loosen. Lin Yan brought up chemotherapy again. "Medical science has come a long way. You're only in the intermediate-to-late stage. Some patients survive even terminal cancer. You have to believe in yourself. Chemo is a very effective treatment." Su Qingyu looked down. "I studied medicine. I know the benefits and the side effects." Lin Yan pressed on. "The chances of a cure after chemo and surgery are high. The side effects are tough, but if you have the will to push through it…" Su Qingyu slowly lifted her head, tears welling in her eyes. It took every ounce of her strength to keep them from falling. Her lips trembled as she whispered, her voice shaking, "…But I can't. I can't go on." Lin Yan's words of comfort died on his lips. Meeting her reddened eyes, he felt a tightness in his own chest. After a long moment, he asked, "Qingyu, is there no one left in this world you care about?" She paused, then answered slowly, "Only my father." "Then you have to live. For him." Su Qingyu managed a bitter smile. "Thank you, Lin Yan. I feel much better now. I won't bother you anymore." Lin Yan noticed that the wedding ring she never took off was gone. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, letting the words go unsaid. "Where are you going? I'll drive you." "No need, I've already called a car. It'll be here any minute." Her refusal was so swift and final that he had to agree. But a seed of worry had been planted. Seeing the despair on her face and hearing her words, he feared she might do something drastic. He decided to follow her car, just in case. The car stopped by the river. Su Qingyu got out and stood alone, staring blankly at the dark water. Though the rain had stopped, the air was cold. Lin Yan was about to get out and talk to her when a black sedan pulled up beside her. The door opened, and a distinguished man—a constant feature on the covers of financial magazines—stepped out into the lamplight. Lin Yan's heart leaped. Could that be Su Qingyu's husband? The river wind whipped Su Qingyu’s hair across her face, adding a touch of desolate beauty to her already fragile appearance. For a fleeting moment, Li Tingchen instinctively raised a hand to tuck a stray strand behind her ear, but he quickly suppressed the urge. "What is it?" Su Qingyu's gaze was cold, her eyes fixed on him as if trying to memorize the face of a stranger. "The Su family's bankruptcy... it was you, wasn't it?" "Yes." Her question was blunt, his answer even more so. "And that child... he's your son?" Su Qingyu asked her second question. She stared at him without blinking, desperately wishing she was wrong. But Li Tingchen had no intention of denying it. His voice remained calm and even. "Yes." Su Qingyu strode forward and swung her hand at his face. "You're shameless, Li Tingchen!" He caught her wrist with ease, his other hand brushing away the tears on her cheek. "Does it hurt?" "You bastard! Why would you do this to me? What did my family ever do to you?" Beneath his long lashes, his pupils were cold and merciless. His voice was laced with ice. "Su Qingyu, if you want answers, why don't you go ask your dear father what he did?" She choked back a sob. "Li Tingchen, did you ever... did you ever love me?" There was nothing but cruelty in his dark eyes. His lips parted slowly. "Never. From the very beginning, you were nothing more than a pawn in my game." Tears streamed down Su Qingyu's face, splashing onto the back of his hand. The cold wind blew, instantly chilling the last of their warmth. "You hate me, don't you?" "Yes. This is the debt your family owes me. You are Su Qiping's daughter, Su Qingyu, and for that, you will live every day in misery to atone for what happened to my sister." "Your sister? Didn't she just get lost years ago? What does that have to do with my family?" He looked down at her with contempt, his gaze like that of a god passing judgment. "Su Qingyu, while you were enjoying a life of privilege, my sister was enduring inhuman torture. Go on, guess. I won't tell you the truth. I want you to live shrouded in fear, to taste every ounce of the suffering she went through." Li Tingchen turned and got back into the car, leaving her with one final, cold command. "Nine o'clock tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you at the Civil Affairs Bureau." Su Qingyu rushed forward, pounding on the car window. "Explain yourself! What happened to your sister?" The driver hit the gas, and the car shot away, leaving Su Qingyu to lose her balance and fall hard onto the pavement.