The room fell into a quiet stillness after that, and neither of us spoke again as the silence settled heavily between us.

I turned away from him and lay back down, pulling the blanket over myself as I faced the opposite side, unwilling to continue the conversation because, at that moment, there was nothing more that needed to be said.

Behind me, I felt him shift slightly, and then the bed moved under his weight.

Before I could react—

His hand reached for my arm, and in one swift motion, he pulled me back toward him.

The movement was sudden and unexpected, leaving me with no time to resist as my body turned slightly with the force of it, and before I could gather my thoughts or say a word—

He leaned in.

His lips brushed against mine.

I froze instantly, my entire body going still as my mind went completely blank for a brief moment, unable to process what had just happened.

This was not what I expected.

Not after everything we had just discussed.

I placed my hand firmly against his chest, stopping him before he could continue.

"Fu Sheng," I said, my voice low and serious, with no trace of softness in it.

He did not move away immediately, and his face remained close to mine, his presence pressing into my space as though he was waiting for something more.

"I am not in the mood for this," I said, pushing him back slightly with a steady hand.

This time, he did not resist, and he allowed the distance to form between us.

A brief silence followed.

I looked directly at him, my expression unchanged.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He did not answer at once, as though he was choosing his words carefully.

Then he spoke.

"I do not want distance between us," he said.

I frowned slightly at that.

"That is not how you fix it," I replied, my tone calm but firm as I held his gaze without wavering. "You cannot ignore a problem and try to replace it with this."

He remained quiet, watching me.

I did not look away.

"If you want things to return to normal," I continued, "then you need to act properly first."

Without waiting for a response, I turned away from him again and lay back down, pulling the blanket closer around myself.

"Sleep," I said calmly. "We will deal with everything else tomorrow."

He had not wanted me near him earlier, and now he thought I would simply let him have his way—

That would only happen in his dreams.

.....

Morning came quickly, and by the time I stepped out into the courtyard, everyone had already gathered, with breakfast set neatly on the table and a noticeably lighter energy in the air compared to the tension from the night before.

I took my seat quietly without drawing attention to myself.

Fu Fei was speaking softly with Madame Fu, while Fu Tong and Fu Teng sat nearby, their expressions still carrying traces of stiffness, though they appeared calmer than they had been earlier.

Fu Sheng arrived shortly after.

I did not look at him.

Instead, I kept my focus on the table in front of me, maintaining a composed expression.

Then—

A sudden movement caught my attention.

Master Fu stood up.

The entire courtyard seemed to freeze in that instant.

"Father—" Fu Tong moved quickly, stepping forward to support him, his hand already reaching out.

However, Master Fu raised his hand slightly to stop him.

"I can stand," he said, his voice steady and firm, without hesitation.

Fu Tong did not step away completely, remaining close enough to assist if needed.

Master Fu took one step forward.

Then another.

The movement was not entirely smooth, but it was steady and deliberate.

He was walking.

Not far, only a few steps forward before turning and taking a few steps back—

But it was enough.

"Old man..." Madame Fu’s voice trembled slightly as her eyes turned red with emotion.

Fu Fei raised a hand to cover her mouth lightly, clearly holding back her own feelings.

"It is improving," Master Fu said, a faint note of satisfaction in his tone. "I can feel it."

Fu Tong stared at him in disbelief. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"You are really walking," he said.

Fu Teng had already risen to his feet, his gaze fixed on Master Fu as though he could not look away.

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

Then the tension broke, and relief spread quietly through the courtyard.

Madame Fu wiped the corner of her eyes.

"This is good," she said softly. "This is very good."

Fu Fei nodded quickly in agreement.

"Yes... it truly is."

Even Bai Ming allowed herself a small smile.

"It will not take long now," she said. "You will recover fully soon."

Master Fu slowly sat back down, but this time—

His posture was different.

Stronger.

I watched him quietly, noting that his recovery was progressing faster than expected.

.....

The atmosphere remained warm even after Master Fu had taken his seat again, and no one rushed to speak as they all continued to absorb what they had just witnessed.

After a moment, Master Fu lifted his gaze and looked directly at me.

"Su Long," he called.

I met his eyes.

His expression softened slightly.

"I have not thanked you properly," he said.

The table fell quiet once more.

"This family has changed because of you," he continued, his voice steady and sincere. "You have brought order, stability, and direction."

I did not respond immediately, as it was rare for him to speak in such a manner.

"You have been a blessing to this household," he added firmly. "I always believed you would change one day—and you did."

He paused briefly before finishing,

"At the right time."

I held his gaze for a moment before inclining my head slightly.

"I only did what was necessary," I replied calmly.

He nodded in acknowledgment.

Then he raised his hand and gently touched my hair, the gesture light and unfamiliar—

Almost fatherly.

It caught me off guard for a brief moment, but I did not move.

Madame Fu smiled faintly, her expression soft with relief.

Fu Fei also seemed at ease, and even Fu Tong and Fu Teng appeared more relaxed than before.

Then—

Master Fu turned his attention to Fu Sheng.

His expression shifted.

"You," he said.

Fu Sheng looked at him immediately.

"Yes, Father."

Master Fu’s tone became firm.

"Do not ever trouble her," he said. "If you do, I will deal with you myself."

The words were direct, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

For a moment, the table fell silent again.

Then Fu Tong let out a short laugh.

"Father, you are already taking sides," he said lightly.

Fu Fei smiled, unable to hide her amusement.

Madame Fu shook her head, though there was a hint of laughter in her eyes.

Fu Sheng did not argue.

Instead, he simply smiled.

Then—

His gaze shifted toward me.

I did not look at him.

I continued eating calmly, as though nothing had happened.

That alone made Fu Tong laugh again.

"You see?" he said. "She is not even looking at you."

Fu Fei tried to suppress her smile.

Even Master Fu’s expression softened.

The tension that had lingered earlier had completely faded—

Replaced by something lighter, steadier, and quietly comforting.