Fu Fei did not speak again.

But I could see it clearly.

The hesitation lingered in her eyes, and her brows remained slightly drawn, as though something weighed heavily on her mind.

I turned fully to face her.

"If you have something to say, then say it," I told her, my voice calm and direct.

She looked at me.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though she would speak. Her lips parted slightly, as if the words were already forming—

Then she stopped.

Her gaze lowered.

"...It is nothing," she said softly.

But it was not nothing.

That much was obvious.

I watched her for a moment longer, and then I understood.

It was not that she did not want to speak—

She simply could not.

Fu Teng.

The truth about him was not something she could reveal so easily. It was not something that could be spoken openly in a room like this, not without consequences.

I let out a quiet breath, a faint weight settling in my chest.

I understood her concern.

But—

There was no better option.

"We do not have the luxury of time to choose carefully," I said, my voice steady. "This is not a matter we can afford to delay."

Fu Fei’s fingers tightened slightly at her side, but she still did not lift her gaze.

"I know," she replied quietly.

That was all she could say.

I studied her for a moment longer before turning away.

There was no need to press her further.

She had already said enough.

And I—

Had already made my decision.

....

Fu Teng led Zhao Yin down the corridor without speaking much.

His steps were steady, and his expression remained calm, but there was a slight stiffness in the way he carried himself, as if he was not used to bringing someone into his space.

When they reached his room, he pushed the door open and stepped aside.

"You can come in," he said.

Zhao Yin entered quietly.

Her gaze moved around the room.

It was simple.

But everything inside was arranged neatly, each item placed with care.

"This place is very clean," she said.

Her voice carried a faint warmth.

Fu Teng did not respond immediately.

He only nodded slightly.

"It is nothing special," he said.

Zhao Yin walked further in, her steps light as she observed the room more carefully.

"There is no need for it to be special," she replied. "It feels comfortable."

Her eyes stopped at the desk.

There were sheets of paper spread across it, filled with neat lines of writing.

She stepped closer.

Fu Teng noticed immediately.

Before she could look too closely, he moved forward and placed his hand over the papers, closing them at once.

The movement was quick.

Almost instinctive.

Zhao Yin paused.

Then she laughed softly.

"Are you hiding something?" she asked.

Fu Teng shook his head.

"It is nothing important," he said.

His voice remained calm, but there was a trace of restraint in it.

Zhao Yin tilted her head slightly.

"You reacted quite quickly for something that is not important," she said.

Fu Teng did not argue.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

"I have not shown it to others," he said.

Zhao Yin looked at him.

"Not even your family?" she asked.

He hesitated for a moment.

Then he answered,

"Only my elder brother has seen it."

Zhao Yin’s expression softened slightly.

"Then does that mean I am the first outside your family to see it?" she asked.

There was a hint of lightness in her tone.

"A privilege, perhaps."

Fu Teng did not respond.

He only looked at the closed pages for a brief moment before shifting his gaze away.

He did not tell her the truth.

The first person who had seen it—

Other than his family— 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Was An Yu.

That memory passed quietly through his mind.

But he said nothing.

Zhao Yin did not press further.

Instead, she stepped back slightly, giving him space.

"I did not mean to intrude," she said.

Fu Teng shook his head.

"You did not," he replied.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Zhao Yin looked around once more, then spoke again.

"You spend a lot of time writing?" she asked.

Fu Teng nodded.

"When there is time," he said.

Zhao Yin smiled faintly.

"That is good," she said. "It means you think carefully."

Fu Teng glanced at her.

"...Is that what it means?" he asked.

Zhao Yin met his gaze.

"Yes," she replied. "People who write often notice more than others."

.....

Fu Tong led Zhao Yue to his room with a much lighter step.

Unlike Fu Teng, he did not hesitate to open the door. He pushed it wide and walked in first, already speaking.

"This is my room," he said.

Zhao Yue followed him inside and looked around.

The space was not very different from Fu Teng’s, but it was less orderly. A few things were not placed properly, and it carried more of Fu Tong’s restless nature.

Still, it was clean enough.

Fu Tong glanced around, then spoke again.

"It is smaller than what I had before," he said. "Back at the mansion, I had an entire courtyard to myself."

His tone carried a hint of pride.

Zhao Yue looked at him, clearly impressed.

"You had a courtyard?" she asked.

Fu Tong nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Everything was bigger there."

He gestured toward a seat.

"You can sit."

Zhao Yue nodded and took her seat calmly.

Fu Tong sat across from her, though his earlier confidence had already begun to soften.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Zhao Yue asked,

"What are you doing now to help your family?"

The question was simple.

But it changed his expression.

Fu Tong paused.

Then he let out a quiet sigh.

"...I have not figured that out yet," he said.

His voice was no longer as confident.

"My brother and my sister are both doing something," he continued. "Even sister-in-law has already started planning everything."

He looked down briefly.

"I do not know what I should do."

Zhao Yue watched him quietly.

Then she asked,

"What are you good at?"

Fu Tong looked up.

"I am good with a sword," he said. "Back at the mansion, I used to spar with others often."

There was a trace of his earlier energy in his voice.

"I was not the worst," he added.

Zhao Yue nodded slightly.

"Then why not use that?" she asked.

Fu Tong frowned.

"How?" he asked.

"You could join a training group," she said. "Or a local guard team."

Fu Tong looked at her, confused.

"Is that not what those rough groups do?" he asked. "The kind that causes trouble?"

Zhao Yue laughed softly.

"Not all of them are like that," she said.

Her tone was calm.

"There are proper groups," she continued. "People who train, protect, and earn honestly."

Fu Tong hesitated.

"I have not seen many like that here," he said.

"That does not mean they do not exist," Zhao Yue replied.

She leaned slightly forward.

"If you are already good with a sword, then you should not let that go to waste."

Fu Tong looked at her.

Her words were simple.

But they made sense.

"...I never thought of it that way," he admitted.

Zhao Yue smiled faintly.

"Then you can start now," she said.

Fu Tong leaned back slightly, thinking.

For the first time since he entered the room, his expression was not confused.

It was focused.

"...Maybe I should," he said quietly.

Zhao Yue nodded.

"Yes," she replied.

The room fell into a comfortable silence.

And this time—

Fu Tong did not feel lost.