"Can't sleep?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the endless darkness outside.

Xu Xinchen lowered her head and remained silent for a long time before looking up at his bright, star-like eyes. "Hmm, I can't sleep."

The room was silent, with only the soft breathing of the two people audible.

She looked at him, and he looked at her.

"Did you bring me here today?" she asked first.

Chen Ningsheng was taken aback and opened his mouth, though he really didn't want to tell her that it was that guy who brought her here today, not him.

However, after a moment of silence, he lowered his head and said, "No, it was given to me by Gu Yan."

"..." Xu Xinchen roughly understood what was going on. Her body was starting to give out, and she felt sleepy. She closed the window, looked at him, and said, "You should go back first."

His reflection was completely in her dark eyes, and Chen Ningsheng was somewhat lost in them.

It took him a lot of effort to look away from those eyes. He casually pulled the blanket up for her, saying, "You go to sleep first. I'm not sleepy yet. I'll stay here and watch over you."

His matter-of-fact attitude left Xu Xinchen speechless.

Suddenly, the sky outside the window darkened, a muffled clap of thunder sounded, and a white bolt of lightning flashed across the night sky.

"Chen Ningsheng," she suddenly called out to him.

Chen Ningsheng looked over instantly, his entire attention focused on her.

What are you doing right now?

Her voice was very low, but he heard it clearly.

He raised an eyebrow as she gazed intently at him.

He knew what she was asking. In this relationship, he had always been the one initiating contact, except when they broke up.

“You understand.” He stared into her eyes, as if trying to discern a different emotion within them.

Xu Xinchen avoided his gaze, lowered her eyes to look at the corner of the bed sheet, and tensed her body. "What you're doing is futile."

"Really?" He smiled nonchalantly. "But that's exactly what I want to do."

"And then?" She looked up at him abruptly. "Will the tragedy repeat itself?"

"We're simply not a good match."

Her chest heaved slightly, and her emotions became agitated because of it.

"Whether it's suitable or not isn't up to you to decide." Chen Ningsheng leaned closer to her, his dark eyes fixed on her like an eagle's.

"Lu Minshi, you know what I've decided."

His eyes remained as determined as ever.

Xu Xinchen was completely overwhelmed with sorrow.

The reason they've gotten to where they are today is because of their self-confidence, this inexplicable self-confidence.

"You should go," she said wearily.

She gently closed her eyes, clearly unwilling to speak to him any further.

Seeing him close his eyes, cross his legs, rest one hand on the back of the chair, and with a slight smirk, Chen Ningsheng said firmly, "I'm not going anywhere."

Xu Xinchen should have been able to be discharged after two days, but Chen Ningsheng's meticulous care over the past few days made her feel slightly uncomfortable, yet she gradually got used to it.

He sat on the chair beside the bed, intently peeling an apple for her. The apple peel slipped through his fingers, revealing the fragrant flesh.

He peeled it and placed it on the bedside table, his dark eyes gazing at her with a smile. "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it."

His gentle actions made Xu Xinchen feel a little strange. She suppressed her discomfort and replied, "Red bean porridge."

Chen Ningsheng paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow at her, then smiled. "Okay."

After Chen Ningsheng left, Xu Xinchen sat up halfway up the bed, leaned against the window, and stared blankly for a while.

She deliberately made things difficult for him. The best red bean porridge shop in the city was 20 miles away, and it would take a lot of time to go back and forth. She deliberately sent him away so that she wouldn't see him all the time.

Recently, his indulgence towards her has crossed a certain line, leaving her constantly at a loss and in a state of turmoil. If this continues, she doesn't know if he will easily lower her guard and accept her again.

She knew all too well how dangerous Chen Ningsheng was.

While she was lost in thought, the door was gently pushed open. Xu Xinchen heard footsteps and looked towards the door, wondering why he had returned so quickly. But when she saw him, her expression froze.

It's Chen Bailing.

She stood by the door, wearing a white dress. Her small face was half-occupied by her sunken eyes, with dark circles under them. Her lips were pale, and she looked so fragile that a gust of wind could easily blow her over.

Her eyes were fixed on the woman on the bed, but her gaze was empty, devoid of any emotion.

Xu Xinchen was stunned, wondering how she had suddenly appeared in this place.

She floated to the bedside like a ghost, her eyes fixed on her. "Are you alright?"

Xu Xinchen felt a sense of unease but calmly replied, "It's nothing."

"And him?"

She didn't say her name, but Xu Xinchen understood instantly.

She felt a little guilty. The scene of her and Chen Ningsheng being exposed that day was still vivid in her mind. At that time, he was her fiancé. Both emotionally and logically, she was the one who had wronged her.

"He went to buy porridge."

She said honestly.

"Buy porridge?" she repeated slowly, her eyes looking out the window as if recalling something, her gaze suddenly focusing.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Do you know? Today is the day we got engaged, but he's taking care of you lying in the hospital bed and traveling thousands of miles to buy you what you like."

"And what about me?" Her gaze suddenly turned to her, and she pointed sadly at herself, stepping closer to her bedside. "What am I? I'm his fiancée!"

As Xu Xinchen watched her walk towards her step by step, her vigilance intensified. She moved slightly towards the edge of the bed to calm her down. "Yes, you are his fiancée."

Chen Bailing suddenly stopped, looking down at her with disdain. "What's so great about you? What makes you worth him doing all this for you? I knew from the beginning that even if you left, you would always hold a place in his heart." She choked up slightly, her eyes reddening. "But... I don't care, as long as in the end..."

"As long as I'm by his side, that's enough. I don't care who he truly loves."

Xu Xinchen turned her head to one side, staring intently at the painting on the wall, without interrupting her.

"But why did you come back!" she suddenly shouted.

Her face flushed with frenzied excitement, she leaned forward abruptly, bracing herself on the hospital bed, her upper body close to the woman's, stopping just inches from her face. She scrutinized every inch of her cheek, not missing a single detail. "You know what? Marrying him was a dream I had when I was little. I was about to realize my dream, and soon I could have our home, our house, and our children."

"But now, because of your appearance, all of this is ruined!" She stared intently at her, her gaze filled with malice, gritting her teeth, "You're the culprit behind all this. As long as you exist, I will never be able to have him, never have my happiness."

"As long as I destroy you." Her voice was soft and slow, but the words she spoke were chilling. She looked at Xu Xinchen, who was pale, and a creepy smile appeared on her sickly face. "As long as you're not here, he will come back to me."

Xu Xinchen's heart sank. She desperately moved toward the bedside, but Chen Bailing grabbed her arm with lightning speed and dropped the dagger she had prepared beforehand.

With a sharp slash, the dagger tore through the white sheets. Chen Bailing missed her target, and at the moment she made her move, Xu Xinchen used all her strength to break free and fell off the bed.

Chen Bailing slowly withdrew the dagger, looked at Xu Xinchen who was lying on the ground in a sorry state, unable to move an inch, and smiled gently. She took the dagger, walked around the bed, and came to her.

She slowly squatted down, reached out her fingers to lift her chin, and felt her slight trembling, which made her even happier.

"Lu Minshi." She pinched her chin, slowly examining her, and asked疑惑地问道, "What exactly does he like about you? Does he like your face?"

"Let's start with your face then."

A strange smile played on her lips as she raised the dagger in her hand.

The sharp blade gleamed coldly, like ice, causing Xu Xinchen's heart to slowly sink.