Fu Teng stepped out from behind the inner curtain after changing his clothes.

His outer robe had been replaced with something simpler and lighter, and the faint scent of rain still lingered in the room from earlier that night.

For a moment, he said nothing.

He walked toward the window slowly and pushed it open slightly.

Cool night air entered at once.

From where he stood, he could see the roofs of the nearby houses stretching into the distance under the lantern light. The unit was quieter now. Most people had already returned indoors for the night, and only a few scattered lights remained visible.

Fu Teng rested one hand lightly against the window frame.

His expression remained calm.

But his thoughts were not.

An Yu.

The memory returned too easily.

The conversation from earlier.

The way An Yu had looked at him.

The familiarity in his voice.

Fu Teng lowered his gaze slightly.

Then he heard movement behind him.

He turned.

Zhao Yin was seated near the table now.

A wooden game board had been placed between them.

Go pieces rested neatly at the side.

"I thought you might like this," she said.

Her voice was gentle.

"So I brought it."

Fu Teng looked at the board quietly.

Zhao Yin gave a faint smile.

"Let us play," she said. "If you are not too tired."

The room became quiet again.

Fu Teng looked at her.

Then his gaze shifted back toward the open window.

For a brief moment, he seemed distracted by something far beyond the room itself.

Finally, he spoke.

"I have somewhere to go," he said.

His voice remained calm.

Then he looked back at her.

"We can play when I return."

Zhao Yin paused slightly.

But she did not question him.

She only nodded once.

"Alright," she replied.

Fu Teng stepped away from the window and reached for his outer robe again.

The room remained quiet as Zhao Yin watched him.

She could tell his mind was elsewhere.

Not in this room.

Not tonight.

But she said nothing.

Fu Teng adjusted his sleeve and walked toward the door.

Before leaving, he paused briefly.

Then he said quietly,

"You should rest first."

After that, he opened the door and left the room.

The night air greeted him immediately as he stepped into the corridor.

And without hesitation—

He headed out.

Fu Teng left the house quietly and walked through the streets alone.

The night had already grown late, but Unit 50 had not completely fallen asleep yet. Lanterns still hung outside a few shops, and the night market remained lively in certain corners. Vendors called out tiredly as they packed away goods, while small groups of people moved through the streets with slow and relaxed steps.

Fu Teng walked past them without stopping.

His expression remained calm, but his pace never slowed.

The cool night air brushed against his sleeves as he continued forward.

Eventually, the familiar pavilion came into view.

Soft lantern light glowed from the upper floors, and faint sounds of conversation drifted down from inside. Even at this hour, the place was still open.

Fu Teng stopped briefly outside the entrance.

Then he stepped inside.

The workers downstairs recognized him immediately, but no one stopped him. One of them opened his mouth as if to speak, but Fu Teng had already moved past.

He headed straight for the stairs.

Step by step, he climbed upward.

The higher floor was quieter than below.

The sounds of the market became distant.

When he reached the corridor upstairs, he slowed slightly.

The doors along the hallway were closed except for one.

Light spilled faintly from the opening.

Fu Teng looked at it for a moment.

Then he walked toward it.

His footsteps stopped outside the room.

For a brief second, he stood there silently.

Then—

He pushed the door open gently and stepped inside.

His hand ✋ When Fu Teng stepped into the room, he realized An Yu was not there.

Instead, one of the staff members was inside, quietly cleaning the office. Papers had been arranged neatly on the table, and the lantern beside the shelves flickered softly as the man worked.

The worker looked up in surprise the moment he noticed Fu Teng standing at the entrance.

"Young Master Fu," he said quickly.

Fu Teng glanced around the room once before asking directly,

"Where is An Yu?"

The worker paused briefly.

Then he pointed upward.

"On the roof," he replied. "Master An said he wanted to drink there tonight."

Fu Teng remembered immediately.

Earlier that day, An Yu had mentioned it casually while they were speaking.

At the time, Fu Teng had not paid much attention to it.

Now—

He had come anyway.

Fu Teng gave a small nod.

"I see," he said quietly.

The worker looked slightly uncertain.

"Should I call him down?" he asked.

Fu Teng shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I will go myself."

After speaking, he turned and walked out of the office again.

The corridor was quiet.

He moved toward the smaller staircase at the end of the hall that led upward to the roof.

Step by step, he climbed.

The night air grew cooler as he approached the top.

Then he pushed open the door leading outside.

At once, the wind brushed against him.

The rooftop was quiet beneath the dark sky, lit only by scattered lantern light from the streets below.

And there—

Near the edge of the roof—

An Yu sat alone with a wine jar beside him.

An Yu did not turn immediately when the rooftop door opened.

He already knew who it was.

The sound of footsteps alone was enough.

He lifted the wine jar and took another drink before speaking.

"You came."

His voice carried its usual lazy calm.

Fu Teng walked closer and stopped a short distance away.

The night wind moved through his sleeves as he looked over the rooftop and the lights below.

"You were expecting someone else?" he asked.

That finally made An Yu laugh softly.

"No," he said. "I figured you would come eventually."

Fu Teng looked at him quietly.

An Yu tilted the wine jar slightly toward him.

"Want some?"

Fu Teng shook his head.

"I am not in the mood to drink."

An Yu hummed lightly and leaned back against the wooden railing behind him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence between them was strangely comfortable.

Then An Yu glanced sideways at him.

"So," he said casually, "how does it feel to become someone’s husband so suddenly?"

Fu Teng’s expression changed slightly.

"I am not married," he replied immediately.

An Yu raised a brow.

"Aren’t you?"

"It is only an engagement," Fu Teng said calmly. "Nothing has been finalized."

An Yu looked at him for a moment before smiling faintly.

"And that makes a difference?"

"Yes," Fu Teng replied.

His answer came too quickly.

An Yu noticed.

Fu Teng looked away slightly before continuing.

"It can still be called off," he said. "At any time."

The rooftop became quiet again after those words.

An Yu lowered the wine jar slowly.

His gaze rested on Fu Teng longer this time.

"You say that very seriously," he said quietly.

Fu Teng did not answer immediately.

The wind moved between them.

Finally, he spoke.

"Because it is the truth."

An Yu studied him carefully.

Then he let out a soft breath and looked back toward the city lights.

"And what if she starts liking you?" he asked. "What then?"

Fu Teng frowned slightly.

"She barely knows me," he said.

"That was not my question."

Fu Teng went silent.

An Yu’s tone remained calm, but there was something deeper beneath it now.

"What happens if she begins treating this marriage seriously?" he asked. "Can you still walk away that easily?"

Fu Teng’s jaw tightened faintly.

He had clearly thought about it before.

"I do not know," he admitted at last.

An Yu nodded slowly as if he expected that answer.

Then he laughed quietly to himself.

"You really are troublesome," he murmured.

Fu Teng looked at him.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

An Yu turned toward him fully now.

"It means," he said, "you came all the way here at night after getting engaged to another person."

His gaze held steady.

"And somehow you still do not understand what that says."

Fu Teng froze slightly.

The words settled heavily between them.

An Yu watched him for a moment longer before lifting the wine jar again.

This time, however—

The smile on his face had faded slightly.

Fu Teng stood still after hearing those words.

The night wind moved quietly across the rooftop, but neither of them paid attention to it anymore.

His gaze remained fixed on An Yu.

"You are overthinking this," Fu Teng said after a moment.

His voice was calm, though slightly lower than before.

"I came because I wanted to talk."

An Yu looked at him quietly.

"Talk about what?" he asked.

Fu Teng opened his mouth slightly.

Then stopped.

Because even he did not fully know.

An Yu gave a faint laugh when he saw that expression.

"See?" he said softly. "You do not even understand yourself."

Fu Teng frowned slightly.

"That is not true."

"Then explain it to me," An Yu replied.

The rooftop fell quiet again.

Fu Teng looked away briefly toward the lights below before speaking.

"Things changed too quickly," he said. "One day ago, none of this existed."

His voice remained steady.

"Now suddenly there are marriages, responsibilities, and decisions already being made."

An Yu listened without interrupting.

Fu Teng continued quietly,

"I only came here because..." He paused briefly. "Because talking to you feels easier."

Those words made An Yu still.

For the first time that night, the teasing expression on his face disappeared completely.

He looked at Fu Teng carefully.

Then he stood up slowly.

The distance between them shortened naturally.

Fu Teng noticed it immediately.

But he did not step back.

An Yu stopped directly in front of him.

"You really should not say things like that so casually," he said quietly.

Fu Teng’s brows drew together slightly.

"Why?"

An Yu looked at him for a long moment.

Then suddenly—

He reached forward, grabbed Fu Teng by the sleeve, and pulled him closer.

Fu Teng barely had time to react.

An Yu kissed him.

The movement was quick.

Fu Teng froze completely.

His mind went blank for a second.

He could feel An Yu’s hand gripping his sleeve tightly, the warmth of him close enough to erase every other thought from his head.

The rooftop became silent.

Too silent.

Then An Yu slowly pulled back.

The distance between them returned slightly.

But not completely.

Fu Teng still stood there motionless, staring at him.

An Yu’s breathing remained calm, though his gaze had darkened slightly.

"There," he said quietly.

"Now maybe you will understand why coming here tonight was a bad idea."