His unexpected question made me freeze. It wasn’t until his gaze dropped to my stomach that I understood. The realization felt like a blade twisting in my chest, the pain so sharp it stole my breath away. What good would regret do now? I tilted my head back to look at him, a familiar burn starting at the back of my nose. "It’s late," I managed. "Can't you sleep?" I simply didn’t have the courage to discuss the baby—not with him—so I grasped for any other topic. His gaze hardened, and the corner of his mouth curled into a cruel smirk. "You seem to be sleeping just fine." His words were a barb, and the color drained from my face. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but the words died in my throat. "Zhizhou, what are you doing here?" A soft voice drifted from the doorway. I tensed, recognizing it as Lu Ke’er. She was wearing a hospital gown; she was a patient here, too. At the sound of her voice, Gu Zhizhou turned and walked toward her without sparing me a glance. He took her hand with an easy familiarity. "It was dark," he said. "Wrong room." Lu Ke’er smiled up at him, her body leaning into his embrace. "I had a nightmare and woke up," she murmured. "When I didn't see you, I thought you'd left. I was so scared. I’m so glad you’re still here. Oh, Zhizhou, you’re so good to me." With that, she rose onto her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, the picture of sweet innocence. Gu Zhizhou stroked her hair, his voice a mix of fondness and exasperation. "Go back and get some rest." Watching them, so completely lost in their own world, I lowered my gaze and pulled the covers back up. The ache in my chest flared, tight and suffocating. Apparently unconcerned about disturbing me, Lu Ke’er pulled Gu Zhizhou fully into the room. They both stood before my bed. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked gently. "I’m so sorry about what happened today. I had no idea you’d just had an abortion. I feel terrible that I nearly caused you to get hurt." Her expression was the picture of sincerity. I shook my head slightly, forcing a smile. "It’s fine." I thought she would leave after that, but instead, her eyes scanned the room before landing on me again, her expression one of pure confusion. "Didn’t your boyfriend come with you? Why would you end the pregnancy? Was it because the father didn’t want the baby?" My gaze drifted to Gu Zhizhou, who stood beside her. His face was a mask of indifference, and his icy stare sent a chill straight through me. Looking at Lu Ke’er’s innocent face, waiting for an answer, I lowered my eyes and busied myself with the blanket, pushing down the crushing weight in my chest. "It's late," I said, my voice strained. "You should both go get some rest." Lu Ke’er seemed disappointed not to get an answer, but she was well-mannered enough not to press the issue. She just looked at me with that same innocent expression. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to pry, I was just curious. Well, you get some rest. We’ll go now." She tucked her arm through Gu Zhizhou’s as they left. Her voice, deliberately sweet, floated back into the room. "Zhizhou," she said, "when we have our baby, we have to raise it as the most precious treasure in the world. We can never let it become just a pool of blood washed down a filthy gutter, okay?" Every one of her words was a shard of ice, plunging deep into my heart, leaving a raw, bleeding wound. The pain was so intense it felt like it was twisting my face into an ugly mask. And Gu Zhizhou’s quiet, simple, "Yeah," was what finally shattered me. The moment they were gone, I broke, the sobs tearing from my throat. Why? Why did her child get to be raised as the world’s most precious treasure, while mine could only become a pool of blood?