I heard the door open.

The room was dim, the light low enough to cast soft shadows across the walls. I remained still for a moment, then stepped out from the inner room.

He was already inside.

Fu Sheng stood near the door, his back straight, his expression calm, but something about him felt distant.

I walked toward him slowly.

My hair was loose, falling over my shoulders, and the thin fabric I wore brushed lightly against my skin with each step. I stopped in front of him, close enough to feel his presence clearly.

"You are back," I said.

He nodded once.

"Yes."

I looked at him carefully.

Something was off.

Still—

I moved closer.

My hand lifted and rested against his chest. I leaned in slightly, my fingers curling lightly into his clothes, closing the distance between us.

He did not respond.

For a brief moment, he only stood there.

Then—

He stepped back.

The movement was small, but clear.

My hand dropped.

I looked at him.

"...What is wrong with you?" I asked.

My voice was calm, but there was a trace of confusion in it.

"I am right here trying to be close to you, and you are stepping away from me?"

Fu Sheng did not meet my eyes immediately.

"I am just not in the mood," he said.

The answer came too quickly.

Too simply.

I stared at him.

Not in the mood?

I let out a quiet breath and straightened.

"You disappeared the entire day," I said. "You left without saying anything."

My voice was still steady, but it had sharpened.

"We looked for you everywhere."

He did not respond.

"And now you return without giving a proper explanation," I continued, "and when I try to speak to you, you say you are not in the mood."

I took a step closer again, my gaze fixed on him.

"What exactly is wrong with you?"

He remained silent.

That silence irritated me more than anything he could have said.

"You had something to do," I repeated his earlier words. "What was it?"

He did not answer.

My expression tightened slightly.

"...Or is that also something you are not in the mood to explain?"

Fu Sheng finally looked at me.

But even then—

There was distance in his eyes.

"I said it is nothing," he replied.

I held his gaze.

It was not nothing.

That much was clear.

But he was not going to say it.

I exhaled slowly and stepped back.

"Fine," I said.

My tone returned to calm.

"If you do not want to speak, then do not."

I turned slightly, moving away from him.

The room fell quiet again.

But this time—

The silence between us felt different.

I stood still for a moment, then turned back to face him.

"If you are not ready to talk," I said, "then you should leave."

My voice was calm, but firm.

"I am not staying in the same room with you if you are going to act like this."

The words settled between us.

Fu Sheng looked at me quietly.

He did not argue.

He did not question it.

He only held my gaze for a brief moment, then turned.

And walked toward the door.

I frowned.

He did not hesitate.

Not even for a second.

His hand reached for the door.

My chest tightened.

"...And you are really going?" I said.

My voice stopped him.

He paused, but did not turn immediately.

I took a step forward.

"What is wrong with you, Fu Sheng?" I asked.

This time, there was no calm left in my tone.

"You left the entire day without a word. You returned without an explanation. You refuse to speak. And now you are walking out like this?"

He still did not answer.

That silence only made it worse.

I stepped closer.

"Say something," I said.

My voice was lower now, but it carried weight.

"Or do you plan to keep avoiding everything?"

Fu Sheng finally turned.

He looked at me.

But the distance in his eyes remained.

"...I said it is nothing," he replied.

The same answer.

Again.

My expression tightened.

"It is not nothing," I said.

"You do not act like this for nothing."

He did not respond.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I asked,

"Is it me?"

The question came out before I could stop it.

His brows moved slightly.

"No," he said.

The answer was immediate.

Firm.

But it did not explain anything.

"Then what is it?" I pressed.

He looked at me for a long moment.

As if deciding something.

But in the end—

He said nothing.

My hands clenched slightly at my sides.

"...Fine," I said.

My voice steadied again.

"If you will not speak, then go."

I stepped aside.

Giving him space.

But my gaze did not leave him.

Fu Sheng stood there for a brief moment.

Then he turned again.

And this time—

He walked out.

The door closed behind him.

The sound was soft, but it lingered.

For a moment, I stood where I was, unmoving.

Then I let out a slow breath.

"...Unbelievable," I murmured.

The room felt quieter than before.

Colder.

Just as I was about to move—

A familiar screen appeared in front of me.

[Kiwi: Host, gentle reminder. Your mission deadline is approaching.]

I stared at it.

Of all times—

Now?

[Kiwi: Time remaining: one day.]

My expression did not change, but my patience thinned.

"...You chose a very good moment," I said flatly.

[Kiwi: Motivation is important.]

I exhaled slowly.

"One day," I repeated under my breath.

The task did not feel simple anymore.

Not with everything that had happened today.

I raised my hand slightly and dismissed the screen.

It disappeared at once.

For a brief moment, I stood there in silence.

Then—

A knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It is me," Fu Fei replied from outside.

I walked over and opened the door.

She stood there, her expression calm as usual.

"Sister-in-law," she said, "the Zhao sisters are here."

I paused.

"The Zhao sisters?" I repeated.

Fu Fei nodded.

"They just arrived."

She did not say more.

She simply informed me and stepped back slightly.

I frowned faintly.

"I told them to come earlier today," I said.

"They did not come for dinner."

Fu Fei inclined her head slightly.

"I thought the same," she replied. "That is why I came to inform you."

I looked past her briefly, as if expecting to see them already inside.

But they were not here yet.

"...Now they choose to come," I murmured.

The timing was strange.

But—

It was not something I could ignore.

"Alright," I said. "Bring them in."

Fu Fei nodded and turned to leave.

I stepped back into the room, my thoughts shifting.

One day.

The system’s words returned briefly.

I exhaled again.

"...Fine," I said quietly.

If they had come on their own—

Then perhaps things would move faster than expected.