The moment the words left my mouth, the entire operating room went dead silent.

I listened to the sound of retreating footsteps and the door shutting firmly. Relieved and hollow all at once.

“We can continue now,” I whispered, wiping away my tears.

Zhou Yuandong’s voice suddenly drifted over, warm yet unsettlingly cold:

“Little Yan, no matter how much you hate me, this baby is still your own flesh and blood. How can you be so heartless?”

I sat up with a start, he was standing with his back to me by the window, his silhouette cold as morning frost.

When he brought up Song Zhaoran, memories of the past flooded back; he merely let out a soft, disdainful chuckle:

“He’s a useless pawn, married off for political leverage. He has nothing to do with you.”

He studied me in silence for a long time before saying softly, “Get up and wash your face. Food will be here soon.”

“What do you want from me?” I sobbed out.

He remained composed. “Have the baby. Once it’s born, you can go wherever you want. I won’t hold you back.”

My chest tightened with a suffocating ache. “Why should I have to give birth? Everyone looks down on me… my child will just end up being target practice for their mockery.”

Zhou Yuandong turned around, a bitter smile touching his lips:

“Am I making you live in the shadows? If you’re a caged canary and still complaining about not seeing the light, then I apologize.”

He stepped closer, gently lifting my chin with his hand, his tone laced with a sharp edge:

“Little Yan, step outside and take a look, in all of Beijing, how many canaries dare to act as haughty as you? Feel free to walk right all over my head if it makes you happy.”

He gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with anger. I trembled in fear, tears brimming in my eyes.

“What are you feeling wronged about now? You’re the one who wanted to run away, the one who wanted to throw the baby away. And now you’re playing the pitiful victim in front of me?”

“Zhou Yuandong!” I burst out crying, shoving him away.

“You ask why I ran? Why I want to get rid of the baby? What was I supposed to stay for? Wait until I’m old and hideous so you can dump me? Not that I even needed to wait. I’m still young and pretty, and you’re already sick of me! You’ve already got someone new!”

“Someone new?” He knitted his brows.

“Still playing dumb? That night, watching that girl cry, your eyes were practically glued to her. You’re a germaphobe, aren’t you? When your own nephew peed on the floor, you wanted to tear the whole house down, but when she splashed frosting all over you, you gently comforted her…”

I mimicked his tone, dripping with venom:

“I bet that little girl bursts into tears at the drop of a hat, doesn’t she?”

Zhou Yuandong stared at me, his lips curving slightly into a faint, amused smile.

“What are you laughing at? You shameless bastard!”

He actually burst into a genuine laugh:

“Little Yan, what on earth are you jealous of? That girl’s name is Hu An. She’s seventeen. As much of a beast as I might be, I’m not about to go after a minor.”

I pouted. “A year flies by fast. In the blink of an eye, she’ll be of age.”

He paused, crushing the cigarette pack in his hand before tossing it into the trash can.

“Little Yan, Hu An is the daughter of an old acquaintance. By family rank, she has to call me uncle. Her parents passed away, leaving her in a situation identical to yours years ago. I simply arranged a scholarship for her to go to school. I’m not ‘keeping’ her the way you think.”

He looked at me, his voice deep and steady:

“That day, when I saw her, I could only think of you. I remembered the day you were left stranded, bullied by everyone, your entire paycheck cut to zero, yet you still bit your tongue and endured it all.”

“You sat by the curb and cried for a long time.”

“And yet when you walked away, you still pressed your last coin into the hands of an old beggar.”

I froze. “How… how do you know that?”

All this time, I had genuinely believed the first time I ever met Zhou Yuandong was at the Su residence.

He had come to collect a debt and conveniently “took me in” along the way.

He didn’t answer. He simply cupped my face and gently kissed away the stray tear clinging to my lashes.

“Little Yan,” his voice was low and gravelly, “we’ve been together for three years. You know my nature by now. I’m not a man who softens easily.”

I choked out, “Yeah, you don’t have a shred of compassion in you. But what if you take pity on some other miserable girl tomorrow?”

He let out a soft laugh right against my ear:

“What are you worrying about? Men age twice as fast after twenty-five. Even if I wanted to, I’d be utterly helpless. Dealing with just you is enough to keep me busy for a lifetime.”

The bridge of my nose burned with a sharp sting, making me want to laugh and cry all at once.

In the end, I buried my face into his shoulder, sobbing softly before sinking my teeth gently into his skin to get my revenge.