Not long after, Sister Xiaoyu came in again carrying a washbasin filled with hot water, preparing to bathe Old He. Old He, with his eyes covered, couldn't see clearly. He only felt someone undoing his clothes and slowly wiping the sweat from his skin with a hot towel. He wanted to ask if it was Sister Xiaoyu helping him, but he was afraid that Xiao Shu was present, and asking might embarrass the one he held dear.

Just as the three remained in silence, Xiao Shu sensed something was amiss. She excused herself politely to Old He, saying she would take a walk outside the hospital. Only then did Old He relax, enjoying the thoughtful service provided by Sister Xiaoyu while chatting with her about everyday matters and past events.

Meanwhile, after leaving the ward, Xiao Shu headed directly toward Xing'er’s observation room. As she neared the door, she hesitated to push it open, instead peering through the glass. She saw Yingzi sitting by the bed, her eyes swollen like large peaches from crying. Suddenly agitated, Xiao Shu threw the door open and stood before her. This was the first time Xiao Shu had formally met Yingzi since Yingzi’s entire family vanished from the apartment. Everything felt as if it had happened only yesterday; the memories of their carefree childhood remained indelible, yet now there was a shadow cast by Li Xiaohao and Xing'er between them. Seeing someone enter, Yingzi initially thought it was her husband, Li Xiaohao, and was about to cast a cold glare his way, but then she noticed the distinct scar etched onto the visitor's left cheek.

Yes, it was this very scar that had made her linger secretly at the corner of the stairwell, watching him again and again, feeling pangs of heartache each time. And now, Xiao Shu stood before her, bearing the scar, her eyes still full of tender affection, though now tinged with a hint of world-weariness. Yingzi couldn't hold back; her tears fell like beads from a broken string, one after another. Xiao Shu, however, showed no sign of sadness, offering only a slight smile and a gentle nod. Perhaps the painful tears had long since dried within her heart; at this moment, regardless of whose wife or mother she was, only knowing that everything was safe brought a sense of completion to a long-held wish.

"It's been a long time since you two saw each other, hasn't it?" Just as the two stood in silent contemplation, Li Xiaohao suddenly walked in from outside the ward, breaking the unspoken understanding between them.

"Oh," Xiao Shu turned awkwardly backward, saying as she backed out of the room, "I just came to check on Xing'er."

"Thank you for your concern!" Li Xiaohao replied coldly, before letting his gaze settle on Yingzi. Feeling intensely uneasy under his look, Yingzi abruptly stood up and moved to the window, staring blankly at the azure sky.

The door clicked shut softly. Xiao Shu consciously left the space that clearly did not belong to her. Yet, Yingzi's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife. Though she willed herself not to think, not to look, not to acknowledge, the tears still streamed down uncontrollably.

Seeing her like this, even Xiaohao’s heart, which rarely seemed to beat, ached faintly. He could only gently take hold of Yingzi’s shoulders, burying his face in her dark hair, and whisper, "Do you know the happiest moment of my life?" Yingzi sighed softly, offering no reply. Thus, Xiaohao murmured to himself, "It was that day, carrying you out of the house. You were sleeping so soundly, so deeply. I walked down the stairs slowly, one step at a time, terrified that a heavier footfall or a larger movement might wake you from your beautiful dream. If you could look at me with even half the gaze you give him, perhaps my whole life would have been different."

Hearing this, Yingzi finally reacted. She turned back, her eyes shimmering with tears as she looked at him, "Really? If the three of us—our family—could be together, far removed from this world, finding a quiet place to live peacefully, would everything be different?"