Yun Si's fingers tightened slightly around mine, her lashes lowering as if the weight in her chest had finally found words. "Xiyu…" she said softly. "I'm sorry."
I looked up at her at once.
"I had the information," she continued, her voice strained. "I had the file in my hands. I was so close… but I couldn't—"
"That's enough."
My tone came out sharper than I intended, cutting her off mid-sentence. Yun Si startled slightly, her eyes lifting to mine in surprise.
"Don't say that," I said firmly, my grip tightening around her hand. "Don't ever apologize for being alive."
She opened her mouth again, but I shook my head, refusing to let her continue.
"Your life is more important than any file," I said, every word deliberate. "More important than information, more important than evidence, more important than catching anyone. Nothing, and I mean it, nothing is worth you lying there bleeding."
