The house had finally become quiet.

After the drama, the preparations, and the endless conversations, everyone had returned to their rooms for the night.

Even the courtyard outside had gone still.

The lanterns burned softly beneath the dark sky, and only the faint sound of the night wind could be heard from outside.

I was tired.

The moment I laid down on the bed, sleep came quickly.

Sometime during the night, I felt movement beside me.

Through my half-asleep state, I realized Fu Sheng had gotten out of bed.

I did not open my eyes.

I only listened quietly.

There was the soft rustling of clothes and the faint sound of drawers opening and closing.

He was changing.

A few moments later, I heard footsteps move across the room.

Then the door opened quietly.

And closed again.

After that, everything became silent.

I must have fallen asleep again.

Because when I opened my eyes next, the room was dark and quiet.

For a moment, I remained lying there without moving.

My throat felt dry.

I reached out beside me absentmindedly.

Cold bedding greeted my hand.

My brows slowly furrowed.

I turned my head.

The space beside me was empty.

Completely empty.

I sat up slowly.

The room remained silent, lit only by the faint lantern light near the window.

My eyes moved toward the door immediately.

Closed.

But Fu Sheng was nowhere inside the room.

My expression changed slightly.

Where did he go?

I pushed the blanket aside and stood up from the bed.

The floor felt cold beneath my feet as I walked toward the table and poured myself water.

But even while drinking, my thoughts remained elsewhere.

Fu Sheng leaving the room in the middle of the night was strange enough.

Leaving without waking me was even stranger.

I lowered the cup slowly.

Then another thought crossed my mind.

This was not the first time.

Earlier today, he had disappeared without explanation too.

My expression darkened slightly.

Something was definitely wrong.

I placed the cup back onto the table and walked toward the door.

The corridor outside was completely silent.

I stood there quietly for a moment.

Then my eyes shifted toward the courtyard.

A faint breeze moved through the open space outside, carrying cold air into the house.

A figure had entered through the gate.

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Fu Teng.

He walked into the courtyard slowly, his expression distant and distracted, as though his mind was somewhere else entirely.

Even from a distance, I could tell something was wrong.

His clothes were neat, but his posture was tense.

He looked like someone who had just come back from a difficult conversation.

I watched him quietly.

Fu Teng did not notice me standing there.

He walked past the courtyard without looking around and headed straight toward the inner part of the house.

Then suddenly—

He stopped walking.

For a brief moment, he remained still.

As if he had finally sensed someone watching him.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

And our eyes met.

...

Fu Teng remained standing in the courtyard after our eyes met.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.

The lantern light fell across his face clearly now, and the closer I looked at him, the more obvious it became that something had happened after he left the house earlier.

His expression looked calm on the surface.

But there was tension beneath it.

I stepped out of the room slowly and closed the door behind me.

"You left the house," I said quietly.

It was not a question.

Fu Teng lowered his gaze briefly before nodding once.

"Yes," he replied.

His voice sounded steady, but distant.

I walked closer until I stopped a short distance away from him.

"At this hour?" I asked.

Fu Teng remained silent for a moment before answering.

"I needed air," he said.

I studied him carefully.

Normally, Fu Teng was composed. Even when something troubled him, he rarely let it show so openly.

But tonight—

Something about him felt unsettled.

"You do not look fine," I said.

Fu Teng gave a faint laugh at that, though there was no amusement in it.

"I am trying to be," he replied quietly.

The courtyard fell silent again.

The night wind moved softly through the open space between us.

Then Fu Teng finally spoke again.

"Sister-in-law," he said slowly, "I know you are trying your best to protect me and Fu Tong."

His voice was calm now.

Honest.

I did not interrupt him.

He continued quietly,

"I understand why you arranged this engagement," he said. "And I know you did not do it with bad intentions."

I crossed my arms lightly.

"Then what is the problem?" I asked.

Fu Teng lowered his gaze briefly before answering.

"The problem," he said quietly, "is that I cannot give Zhao Yin what she might eventually want from me."

My expression changed slightly.

Fu Teng looked toward the courtyard instead of at me.

"She is a good person," he continued. "Too good, actually."

His voice remained calm, but there was heaviness beneath it now.

"She deserves someone who can truly become her husband."

The night suddenly felt quieter after those words.

I looked at him carefully.

Then I spoke.

"So what are you saying?"

Fu Teng finally lifted his gaze and looked directly at me.

"I can be her friend," he said. "I can respect her and protect her while this engagement lasts."

He paused briefly.

"But I cannot let it become more than that."

His answer came clearly.

Without hesitation.

"When the time comes," he continued quietly, "I will call off the engagement myself."

The words settled heavily between us.

I remained silent for several moments.

Then I asked quietly,

"Does Zhao Yin know that?"

Fu Teng’s expression tightened slightly.

"No," he admitted.

"Then you are already being unfair to her," I replied immediately.

He did not argue.

Because he knew it was true.

"I know," he said softly.

The courtyard became silent again.

I watched him for a long moment before speaking once more.

"Does this have something to do with where you went tonight?"

The moment the question left my mouth—

Fu Teng froze slightly.

It was brief.

Very brief.

But I noticed it immediately.

His expression remained controlled, but his silence alone was already enough of an answer.

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

"...Fu Teng," I said slowly.

But before I could continue—

A faint sound suddenly echoed from the corridor behind us.

Someone else was awake.