I'm sorry, but your fiancé loves me.

Zhou Xue didn't cry because she saw her; she had been crying the whole time.

The ward smelled strongly of disinfectant, mixed with a faint medicinal scent. The curtains were half-drawn, and afternoon light squeezed in through the gaps, falling on the white sheets of the hospital bed, making everything seem unreal.

But it really happened; Zhou Xue almost killed herself.

Zhou Xue lay on the hospital bed, her whole body sunken into the pillow. Her face was as white as a sheet of paper, and her eye sockets were deep-set, making her eyes look large and somewhat empty.

Yun Muqian sat down on the chair by the bed, her posture upright and elegant, and reached out to tuck Zhou Xue's blanket up a little.

"Miss Zhou, try to think more positively," Mu Qian said softly. "What hurdle can't you overcome? You have everything—a good family background, a good person—so many people envy you."

Zhou Xue didn't answer her. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, her gaze unfocused, as if she couldn't see clearly.

The tear that slid down her cheek had disappeared without a trace, and now her eyes were dry again, but the faint red mark under her eye was still there, indicating that she had been crying for a very long time.

Seeing her like this, Yun Muqian continued softly, "I heard you woke up, and a weight was lifted off my shoulders. You need to take good care of yourself and not think about so much; you have a long life ahead of you."

Zhou Xue's eyes finally moved, slowly and laboriously turning to land on Yun Muqian's face.

Who would have thought that this woman would destroy her family?

She stared at Yun Muqian's flawless face for several seconds, then asked in a hoarse voice, "Has he... arrived?"

Yun Muqian's smile remained unchanged; she knew Qin Qihan was still outside.

"You mean Mr. Qin?" Yun Muqian turned back, smiling softly. "He's here. He's outside. Do you want to see him? Shall I go and call him for you?"

Zhou Xue's eyelashes trembled, and then two lines of tears silently slid down her pale cheeks.

Looking at the two lines of tears, Yun Muqian felt even more gloating. How pitiful. Someone like Zhou Xue, who came from a privileged background, probably had never suffered much hardship growing up. She was pampered all her life and got whatever she wanted, yet she stumbled because of Qin Qihan.

She thought sincerity could be reciprocated, and that by humbling herself, she could blossom. But Qin Qihan was someone who only saw what he wanted to see.

No matter how good Zhou Xue was to him, he still only had eyes for Yun Muqian, even though Yun Muqian didn't care about him at all.

Yun Muqian took a tissue from the bedside table and gently pressed it against Zhou Xue's cheek to wipe away her tears. Her movements were gentle. "Don't cry, don't cry," she whispered, coaxing her. "It's bad for your health. You just woke up; you need to rest."

Zhou Xue turned her head away, buried her face in the pillow, and her shoulders began to twitch slightly.

Just then, a commotion came from outside the ward.

Through the glass window in the door, Yun Muqian saw Zhou Xue's younger brother, Zhou Yao, talking to Qin Qihan. Zhou Yao's expression was not good, and he was gesturing with his hands. Then an elder of the Zhou family walked over—a middle-aged man with gray hair. Yun Muqian recognized him; he was Zhou Xue's father.

He stood in front of Qin Qihan, his lips moving, probably saying something like, "Can we talk?"

Qin Qihan stood against the wall, his hands in his coat pockets, his eyes downcast. After listening to Zhou's father finish speaking, he shook his head.

Zhou's father's expression changed. He took a step forward, his voice rising slightly, and through the crack in the door, Yun Muqian could vaguely hear a few words:

"I don't understand... what are you really thinking?"

Qin Qihan did not answer. He stood there, tilted his head slightly, and looked past Zhou's father's shoulder and past Zhou Yao to meet Yun Muqian's gaze.

He knew the Zhou family would ask him many questions and demand an explanation, but he still came because he knew Yun Muqian was here, and he had to come no matter what.

Zhou's father said something else, his tone becoming harsher. Zhou Yao tugged at his father's arm, whispering something to persuade him. But Qin Qihan didn't look away; he seemed not to be listening to Zhou's father at all.

Yun Muqian withdrew her gaze: "Miss Zhou, don't be sad. Men aren't worth you getting hurt like this."

Zhou Xue had hurt her deeply in the past. It wasn't enough for Yun Muqian to just steal her man; she also wanted to ruin the future of the entire Zhou family. This was a perfect opportunity to gain her trust. As the saying goes, before you can defeat your enemy, you need to understand him well enough.

After a long while, Zhou Xue turned her head from under the pillow: "He...he wasn't like this before."

Zhou Xue's tears welled up again, sliding down her nose and dripping onto the pillow. She seemed too weak to lift her hand to wipe them away, letting the tears flow freely, her voice breaking as she squeezed out of her throat:

"I've known him for over ten years... I've known him since I was a child. Back then, he... he was a nice guy, he would talk to me."

Yes, that was a good time, at least Qin Qihan was willing to talk to her.

She sniffed, a broken sob escaping her throat: "But I don't know what's wrong with him right now; he seems very dissatisfied with me."

It's not that I'm dissatisfied with her, but rather that I've found someone I like.

Everything started to change.

Yun Muqian's voice softened further: "Miss Zhou, don't think about him anymore. Some people are destined to be lost; living your own life well is the most important thing."

Zhou Xue closed her eyes, her lips trembling, "I know... but I just can't let go."

Yun Muqian leaned closer, her voice soft: "Then I'll come see you often from now on, okay? Don't stay cooped up by yourself. I'll make you some soup; my soup is really delicious, you'll see once you try it."

Zhou Xue opened her eyes and stared at her blankly.

"You...you really are coming?"

"Of course I'll come, I keep my word. You take good care of yourself and get well soon, then we'll go shopping together."

Zhou Xue sniffed, her voice soft: "Those reporters outside... my friends are too scared to come. My mom said they don't even dare to call."

Yun Muqian understood. With Zhou Xue in this situation, the media and passersby were all waiting outside, and even her usual close friends didn't dare to come see her; no one wanted to get involved in this kind of trouble. Right now, everyone was probably at home scrolling through the news and whispering in group chats, but no one dared to show their face at the hospital.

Zhou Xue was at her most isolated and helpless moment, as fragile as a thin layer of ice. Whoever gave her a little warmth would be her lifeline.

Yun Muqian reached out and brushed away the stray hairs on Zhou Xue's forehead that were stuck together with sweat:

"If others won't come, I will. Don't be afraid, I'm not an outsider."

Qin Qihan stood in the corridor, peering through the crack in the door at the two people in the ward without moving.

From his angle, Yun Muqian was facing the door, bending down to tuck Zhou Xue in. The expression on her face was one that Qin Qihan had seen many times before—focused, gentle, and making people want to lean closer to her.

She used to treat him like this: bringing him coffee every morning, bringing him hot milk when he worked late at night, and gently covering him with a blanket when he fell asleep on the sofa.

He always thought those expressions belonged to him.

But now, as he looked at Yun Muqian with the exact same expression as Zhou Xue through that glass window, a very faint sound, like something cracking, suddenly came from a corner of his heart.

Qin Qihan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He had waited outside for so long, canceled a whole day of meetings, and endured the scrutinizing gazes from the Zhou family members, all just to see her.

But she didn't even give him a second glance.

Now she sits by Zhou Xue's bedside, holding Zhou Xue's hand, her expression incredibly gentle.

Qin Qihan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the string that had been taut for so long finally reached its limit.

He was thinking about a question, a question he had been desperately avoiding, denying, and suppressing with the memory of her past kindness towards him over the past few days—

What makes her different towards me compared to how she treats others?