Shi Yin froze, nearly slipping off her chair.

She might not have traveled much, but she had certainly consumed enough media to know the trope well.

From novels to manga to idol dramas, Korean dramas, Japanese dramas, American TV shows—whenever there was a plot involving two characters traveling together, staying overnight, pulling all-nighters, going on business trips, or attending team-building events, it almost always led to a significant leap forward in their romantic relationship.

There was an old saying: if a woman accepts your invitation to travel, nine times out of ten, you could take it as a signal.

Under normal circumstances, Shi Yin thought she would probably look forward to spending time alone with Gu Congli.

But now, there was that small issue lingering between them.

For an entire week, Gu Congli had been leaving her breakfast like some mythical “snail maiden.” He didn’t ring the doorbell anymore, coming and going silently. His presence wasn’t visible anywhere in the house, yet his legacy remained on the dining table.

But still… he refused to say anything more.

Shi Yin felt frustrated.

The signing event was scheduled before the year-end convention, taking place at the end of December or early January—right when students were on winter break. The first session in S City would be held in half a month, in the banquet hall on the first floor of Yaoguang Publishing.

The last time she had been to this place was for Qian An’s anniversary event. This time, it was her own signing event.

Thinking about it, Shi Yin suddenly remembered that Qian An was most likely Gu Congli.

Her emotions were tangled. She had initially planned to confront him immediately, but things had spiraled into their current state.

In other couples’ stories, jealousy often led to minor squabbles, which were quickly resolved with passionate embraces and deep kisses—a sweet catalyst for their relationship.

Shi Yin couldn’t understand why, in her case with Gu Congli, jealousy had turned into such a bitter, heavy burden.

________________________________________

On this weekend, Gu Congli returned to Yangcheng.

Bai Lu said she wanted to grow flowers.

Cao Yi had taken the morning off, so the young caregiver went out early to buy a pot of pothos, beautifully planted in an elegant flowerpot. When Gu Congli arrived, Bai Lu was humming a tune, watering the plant’s leaves with a small watering can.

Seeing Gu Congli enter, she set the watering can down joyfully and walked over. “Ali, you’re here.”

Gu Congli’s recent visits had all been attempts to persuade her to accept treatment, but the outcomes were never favorable. Each time ended with Bai Lu screaming hysterically.

Yet every time he came back, Bai Lu acted as though nothing had happened. Gu Congli kept repeating the same process of persuasion, growing increasingly numb to it.

Bai Lu pulled him over to the pothos by the window. The windows were tightly sealed, with iron bars arranged closely, making the room feel oppressive and dim. That tiny green plant seemed to be the only source of life, stretching its branches tirelessly toward the outside world.

Suddenly, Gu Congli thought of the plants in Shi Yin’s home.

Hers were thriving, climbing ropes and covering the entire balcony like a lush green sea, vibrant and full of vitality.

Bai Lu spoke gently beside him. “Ali, I saw your father the other day.”

“He looked a little thin. Has he not been resting well lately?” She frowned worriedly. “Don’t keep provoking him. He’s so busy, and he still has to deal with you.”

Gu Congli gave a faint smile. “He’s never dealt with me.”

Bai Lu paused, and the watering can in her hand slipped and fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Her eyes widened as she screamed at him, “Shut up! Shut up! How dare you talk about your father like that!!!”

With Cao Yi absent, the young caregiver heard the commotion from afar, standing hesitantly at the doorway, too afraid to enter.

The pothos sat on the dressing table by the window. Bai Lu screamed, clutching her head as she tried to run out. Gu Congli reached out to grab her wrist.

But Bai Lu suddenly stopped in her tracks. She looked up at him, her beautiful brown eyes filled with venom. “It’s because of you… It must be because of you. You made him angry, and now he doesn’t come anymore… Why do you keep provoking him!”

Her voice cracked as she screamed. Suddenly, she grabbed the pothos from the nearby table, raised it high, and slammed it down onto the marble windowsill. The ceramic pot shattered into pieces. Bai Lu picked up a shard and stabbed it deeply into Gu Congli’s outstretched arm.

The sharp, icy tip of the ceramic pierced the soft flesh on the inner side of his forearm. Gu Congli let out a muffled groan, reaching with his other hand to grab her wrist. But she was surprisingly strong, her eyes red as she clutched the shard tightly, dragging it down forcefully to carve a bloody gash.

The young caregiver covered her mouth to stifle a scream, running out to call Cao Yi.

Blood poured from the wound, staining her fingers gripping the shard. Her palm was cut open, and their blood mixed together, trickling down his pale skin and dripping onto the soft white carpet, blooming into large crimson stains.

Bai Lu suddenly froze, letting go of the shard in her hand. She lowered her head, staring at his wounded arm, then hugged him tightly, sobbing, “Ali… Does it hurt? Don’t be scared, everything’s fine now. Mommy’s here…”

It wasn’t until Cao Yi rushed back after receiving the call and administered sedatives that Bai Lu finally calmed down.

Her hand was also deeply cut. Cao Yi called a private doctor, but Gu Congli left before anyone arrived.

He had only given his wound rudimentary treatment. By the time he drove back to S City after two hours, blood had already seeped through the bandages.

Gu Congli turned the steering wheel, heading toward the hospital.

The last time he had gone to the hospital was to bring Bai Lu back.

This time, it was because of her again.

Gu Congli swiped his card to enter the hospital, parked his car, and walked into the lobby. As soon as he looked up, a familiar figure passed by in a flash.

Shi Yin emerged from the lounge near the atrium, her brows furrowed with worry. She walked to the elevator, waited for a moment, then turned and headed toward the escalator, stepping on it in a daze.

Her head was bowed, her lips pressed tightly together, her brows knitted tightly in tension and distraction.

When Lin Nianni called Shi Yin, she was still asleep.

The moment she answered the phone, Shi Yin snapped awake. On the other end, Lin Nianni was crying hysterically, her voice muffled amidst the background noise.

After talking for a while, Shi Yin finally managed to discern two key points from her garbled words.

The two key points Lin Nianni conveyed were:

1. Lin Nianni was pregnant.

2. She had broken up with Qin Jiang.

The two had been together since university, and everyone believed they were destined to be together forever. Qin Jiang had always been the model boyfriend—attentive, supportive, and seemingly perfect. Yet, in the end, their relationship fell victim to reality. Marriage, family differences, finances, property disputes—all these mundane concerns eroded their love until it became worthless and cheap.

Lin Nianni’s hometown wasn’t originally Yangcheng. She had moved there with Qin Jiang after five years of dating, only to find herself suddenly abandoned. Now, all she had left were two suitcases.

Shi Yin was furious—furious like never before.

She resisted the urge to rush to Yangcheng and throw Qin Jiang into a river like his namesake suggested. Instead, she went straight to the train station to pick Lin Nianni up.

Though Lin Nianni appeared delicate and petite on the outside, Shi Yin knew from four years of college that her friend had a strong and resilient personality.

But now, Lin Nianni looked utterly lost. Her eyes were red, and she sat crying on the sofa. “Yinyin, I don’t know what to do…”

“I’ve been with him for five years. We were even engaged. Everything was fine when we were just dating. I don’t understand why things suddenly turned out this way. But if I don’t break up with him, I feel like my whole life will be ruined. I’d already made up my mind…” She closed her eyes and laughed through tears. “And then, at this moment, I find out I’m pregnant. I really don’t know what to do.”

Shi Yin pressed her lips together. “Have you been to the hospital yet?”

Lin Nianni shook her head.

“Pregnancy tests can sometimes be inaccurate. You should go to the hospital for a proper check-up.” Shi Yin exhaled deeply. “Maybe it’s a false alarm. Try to rest today, and we’ll go to the hospital tomorrow.”

Lin Nianni wiped her tears and cleared her throat. “I’m fine. I’m not tired. Let’s go today. Just get it over with.”

She paused hesitantly. “If it turns out I really am pregnant… what do you think I should do? Keep it or… terminate it?”

Lin Nianni looked at her blankly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know…”

Shi Yin frowned. “If you really are pregnant, do you plan to reconcile with Qin Jiang?”

Lin Nianni fell silent.

Shi Yin sighed.

The municipal hospital was crowded on weekends. They arrived in the morning and went through a series of tests, with results scheduled for the afternoon.

Lin Nianni was so nervous her face turned pale, and she barely touched her lunch. In the afternoon, as they stood in the hospital atrium waiting area, she clutched Shi Yin’s arm. “Yinyin, my legs feel weak. Can I not go upstairs?”

Shi Yin didn’t know what to say in such situations. She patted Lin Nianni’s hand and walked over to the vending machine to buy her a can of sweetened milk. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. Wait here for a bit while I go fetch your test results.”

Lin Nianni nodded vaguely, her lips pale.

Shi Yin took her medical card upstairs, queued for a while, and finally received the test results.

She hadn’t been seriously ill since childhood and rarely visited hospitals except for annual check-ups. Holding a stack of papers, she struggled to make sense of them. After staring at the sheets for a long time, she leaned toward the nurse at the counter and timidly asked, “Excuse me, does this mean… pregnancy?”

The nurse was busy but glanced at the papers in Shi Yin’s hands and then at her. Her voice was crisp. “We don’t interpret results here. Take the pregnancy test report directly to the doctor.”

Shi Yin thanked her and walked forward, glancing down at the papers in confusion. Numbers and technical terms filled the pages, making no sense to her.

The atrium was bright in the center, growing brighter as she moved forward. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps when a shadow loomed ahead.

Shi Yin looked up, still wearing an expression of bewilderment.

Gu Congli stood before her, his lips pressed into a straight line. The light behind him cast his eyes into shadow.

Shi Yin froze, instinctively hiding the pregnancy test report behind her back.

No one could know about Nianni’s situation.

Gu Congli paused, his gaze lowering slightly as he asked in a low, calm tone, “Pregnancy test?”