Mo Xingyuan’s expression hardened, and he answered her by slamming the door. Hearing the thunderous slam, Su Li’s smile only widened as she took her bowl to the sink to wash it. The house felt vast and empty as Su Li lay in bed, sleep eluding her. It wasn’t that she was a light sleeper—she could usually sleep anywhere—but tonight, she found herself tossing and turning, utterly restless. Just as she picked up her phone, an unknown number flashed across the screen. Twelve o’clock at night. No one she knew would call this late. The phone kept ringing, insistent. Su Li answered. “Su Li… I want to see you.” The number was unfamiliar, but the voice on the other end was painfully so. He Shuming’s voice was low, laced with a pleading tone. “Could you… could you come see me at the hospital?” Su Li’s mind flashed to the video of his beating. *Still in the hospital,* she thought. *It must have been bad.* Just as she was about to hang up, she changed her mind. “Which hospital?” . At one in the morning, the hospital was a world away from its daytime chaos, quiet enough to create the illusion that sickness didn't exist. She found He Shuming’s room. The VIP room felt more like a luxury hotel suite than a hospital ward. When she walked in, she found He Shuming lying in bed in a hospital gown. His face was a mess of black and blue, and both an arm and a leg were encased in plaster casts. “Su Li.” He Shuming’s eyes lit up when he saw her. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through him from the brace cinched around his waist, and he fell back onto the pillows. “I didn’t think you’d come,” he said, managing a smile. Su Li stood by his bedside, studying him. Mo Xingyuan hadn’t held back. “Are you okay?” she asked. He looked down at his own limbs, a note of self-pity creeping into his voice. “No.” “Who did this to you?” “I don’t know.” At the mention of it, a venomous anger returned to his face. “But when I find out, I’ll fucking kill them!” Su Li’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her composure. “There’s always a bigger fish. You should tone it down before you’re the one who ends up dead.” He Shuming stared at her, his gaze unwavering. For a moment, Su Li thought he had figured something out. “You’re worried about me.” A light flickered in his eyes. “I knew it. You still love me.” Su Li’s lips parted, but she swallowed the curse that was on the tip of her tongue. “I’m married.” “You can’t love him,” He Shuming insisted. “We were together for two years. How could you move on that fast? Su Li, divorce him. Marry me.” She couldn’t hide the derision in her eyes. “I don’t love you.” “How is that possible? I found out later you transferred back here just for me,” he said, growing agitated. “Su Li, I swear, I will never betray you again.” Su Li never believed in vows. Especially not from a man who had already broken one. “I have no intention of betraying my husband or my marriage.” It was clear he had no idea who was behind the attack, and she didn’t want to stay a second longer. She glanced one last time at his cast-bound arm and leg. “Get some rest.” “Su Li…” She closed the door, shutting out the sound of his voice. She let out a long, heavy breath. Sometimes, she thought, a man like that would be better off bedridden for life. . From leaving the house to standing at the front door again, the entire trip had taken just an hour. She’d been terrified of waking Mo Xingyuan when she left, tiptoeing with extreme caution. As long as she could slip back inside just as quietly, she’d be safe. Her brow furrowed with every digit she pressed on the keypad, her heart pounding. *Why can’t these things have a silent mode?* After entering the code, the soft click of the door opening made her bite her lip. In the dead of night, even the sound of her own breathing felt loud enough to wake someone. She opened the door, slipped inside, and gently pulled it shut. The click of the lock sent her heart into her throat. She took off her shoes and had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief when the lights flicked on. Her body went rigid. She’d never felt panic like this. It was the feeling of a burglar caught red-handed. She wanted to run, but her feet felt rooted to the floor. An icy chill seemed to settle over the room, freezing everything in place. Su Li took a deep breath and slowly turned around. Unsurprisingly, Mo Xingyuan was standing there, his face a cold mask. His deep eyes were sheathed in a layer of ice, his displeasure palpable. She forced a weak smile. “Oh, you’re awake.” “Explain,” he commanded, in no mood for pleasantries. Su Li bit her lip. “I went out for some air.” Mo Xingyuan didn’t even blink, disbelief written all over him. “I went to the hospital,” Su Li admitted, deciding to come clean. “To see your ex.” It wasn’t a question; it was an accusation, and his gaze turned dark and unreadable. Su Li didn’t like the way he said it. “Ex” sounded strange coming from him, laced with a kind of murky intimacy. “I just wanted to know if he knew it was you.” Mo Xingyuan’s eyes shifted slightly. “And?” “He doesn’t,” she answered honestly. “But he’s not going to let it go.” Mo Xingyuan snorted. “What’s he going to do?” He clearly didn’t see He Shuming as a threat. Su Li thought he was being a little too arrogant. She offered a well-intentioned warning. “He’s a piece of work. You should watch your back.” Mo Xingyuan’s gaze fixed on her. After a moment of scrutiny, he walked to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and asked nonchalantly, “You didn’t tell him it was me?” “Why would I do that?” Su Li wasn’t an idiot. If she had the ability, she would have given He Shuming a good beating herself. Mo Xingyuan took a sip of water, his dark eyes brooding. “He’s your ex.” “And you’re my husband,” Su Li blurted out. Suddenly, she realized what she’d said. Her eyes lit up as she looked at him. Mo Xingyuan stood holding the glass, her words echoing in his mind. “Mo Xingyuan.” He glanced at her coolly. Su Li walked over to the kitchen island, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Right now, you’re the most important person to me. So you don’t have to doubt my sincerity.” “You’re ridiculous,” Mo Xingyuan said, putting down his glass, done with her games. As he turned to leave, Su Li boldly stepped in front of him, blocking the bedroom door. Mo Xingyuan frowned. “Move.” “I really do like you.” A man as handsome as him was hard to dislike. He stared down at her, his gaze intense. Her eyes held a faint, seemingly genuine smile. “How much?” he asked, his voice dropping as he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Su Li stood her ground, tilting her head up slightly. “The kind of like where I want to have your baby.” If he was really going to die, giving him a child didn’t seem like such a bad thing. When he was gone, she wouldn’t marry again. A single mother with a child and no man to answer to—life could be pretty good. Mo Xingyuan’s eyes narrowed. She had some nerve. “Are you pregnant?” His gaze dropped to her stomach. “Looking for some fool to play the father?” “Huh?” His question left her completely bewildered. How did his mind even get there? “You break up with your ex, find out you’re pregnant, and then just grab the first guy you can marry,” Mo Xingyuan elaborated, his patience rare as he explained his logic. Su Li was speechless. Seeing the stunned look on her face, Mo Xingyuan took a step back, his expression turning even darker.