Faced with Shu Lanzhou's cold and resolute words, Tian Hua wasn't just shocked—he was shaken to his core.
It felt like a heavy hammer had slammed into his chest, nearly knocking the air out of him.
All this time, he never thought he had done anything wrong. Even the way he treated Shu Lanzhou in the past—he never considered it excessive.
To him, it was her fault for being too naive, for not knowing how to protect what was hers. Unlike her, he was smart. He knew to focus only on himself, that only what was firmly in his grasp was truly his.
He had never once thought about why she did what she did. She had always performed so well—how could she be stupid? All she ever wanted was that faint warmth they gave her.
She was an orphan. Her life had been hard. When they welcomed her into the team, even something as simple as a shared meal made her feel a sense of belonging. So she gave everything she had to hold on to that warmth.
She genuinely loved their team. She had fought with everything she had to bring them honor.
But what had they given her in return?
For the first time, Tian Hua felt true remorse and guilt.
He recalled what Shu Lanzhou looked like when she first joined the team: a tiny, thin girl with a smile that made people naturally want to protect her. They really had liked her back then, hadn't they?
But as time went on, amid the relentless grind of experiments and academic pressure, they began to take her enthusiasm for granted.
Eventually, they didn't even notice how she grew thinner, more worn out. Instead, they piled more of their responsibilities on her shoulders.
She liked doing it anyway, didn't she?
She volunteered, no one forced her—so what was the harm?
Ha…
Tian Hua took a step back. His eyes were filled with regret and shame.
"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "I truly am. I… I was wrong. Completely wrong. Disgracefully wrong."
"I shouldn't have turned a blind eye to what happened to you. I shouldn't have kept borrowing money from you. I didn't realize… you needed our care."
"I'm sorry. Please forgive me, okay? I was cold. I didn't mean to be. If you can forgive me, I'll do whatever you ask. I'll listen to you from now on. I'll treat you like a real sister. I want to be good to you."
His words might have come from the heart—but it was too late.
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "There's no need. I'm no longer that little girl who desperately craved recognition and warmth."
"It was you all who taught me to love myself. And because of that, I've now found people who truly see me as a friend, a sister, family—even a lover."
"The person I am now doesn't lack love or warmth. Whether you're good to me or not—it no longer matters. I won't forgive you. And I won't accept your apology."
"We're nothing more than strangers now. The only reason I said all this to you… is probably because you didn't choose to go crawling to Han Weicheng. So I thought—maybe you're still salvageable."
She gave him one last look.
"I've always known—you were the smartest one in the team. Even Luo Jialin couldn't compare. Just like how you knew to bring me that bowl of spicy hotpot, hoping it'd stir up my memories and soften my heart."
"You all knew I was soft-hearted. Always assumed I'd forgive you—again and again. Always thought there'd be a place for you in my heart."
"Too bad—there's no space left. My heart is full of new people, new love. You don't fit anymore. Because—you're not worthy."
Tian Hua's head snapped up. "Shu Lanzhou!"
"Don't say I'm being cruel. Ask yourself—why did you really come find me today? Was it out of genuine care? That hotpot—was it truly for me? Were there no ulterior motives?"
"Don't kid yourself. You're only putting on this act because you want me to work with Zhang Chengyou. Tian Hua, do you even know who Zhang Chengyou is?"
"You didn't even bother to investigate his background. Just because he paid off your gambling debt, you ran straight to me to sell me out? This is what you call 'caring about me'?"
"Your so-called 'care'—is selling me off to someone you know nothing about, for money? Ha. What a joke."
Her cold, cutting gaze sliced across Tian Hua's face like a knife.
His cheeks stung with shame.
Shu Lanzhou stepped around him and walked away.
He should've stopped her. He should've called out. He had promised Zhang Chengyou he'd convince her to cooperate.
But somehow… his hand wouldn't lift, his feet wouldn't move, and the words in his mouth wouldn't come out.
That last shred of shame in his heart robbed him of the will to stop her.
Just like the others, he had completely, irrevocably lost any place in Shu Lanzhou's heart.
And she was right—
They were not worthy.
A sudden clap of thunder cracked through the sky, and rain began to pour.
A moment later, an umbrella opened above Shu Lanzhou's head.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a warm embrace.
She looked up at the man holding the umbrella and smiled softly. "Hubby, you came at the perfect time!"
"I knew you wouldn't bring an umbrella," Mu Side said with gentle reproach. He helped her into the car, then walked around to the driver's side.
Once the doors were shut, cutting off the pounding rain, he leaned over and buckled her seatbelt. As he pulled back, he couldn't resist kissing her cheek.
Shu Lanzhou reached up, hooked a finger in his collar, and lifted her chin to kiss him back—deep and lingering.
Sensing her vulnerability and emotion, Mu Side cradled the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
Outside, the rain lashed down in sheets. Inside, the car was warm and quiet. Mu Side's eyes darkened slightly as he pressed his forehead to hers, breathing heavily. His fingers gently traced her lips.
"What happened?" he asked. "I can feel you're upset."
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "It's nothing. I just… missed you so, so much before you came."
"Silly girl," he murmured, pulling her into his arms and kissing her hair. "Next time, just call me. Whenever you miss me, I'll come to you—anytime, anywhere."
Shu Lanzhou laughed softly. "Mm, you're the best, hubby."
If there was someone willing to cherish her, Shu Lanzhou was willing to give him all the love she had.
If meeting Han Weicheng and the others had been the tragedy of her life, then meeting Mu Side was her greatest stroke of luck.
What Tian Hua had said had affected her.
She was still soft-hearted. But now, she was only soft for one man—this one.
Mu Side playfully squeezed her cheek. "Sit tight. Let's go home."
As the car passed the intersection, they saw Tian Hua crossing the street in the rain, holding that same bag of spicy hotpot. The thin plastic was soaked through, red soup leaking out…
Mu Side's eyes briefly lingered on him before turning back to Shu Lanzhou. Now, he understood her unusual mood.
He reached out, took her hand in his, and gently squeezed.
He didn't say anything.
He just gave her all the warmth in his palm.
…
At the entrance of a bar, drenched from head to toe, Tian Hua ran into someone else equally soaked—
Luo Jialin.