I let out a soft sigh before standing up, as there was no reason for me to remain outside any longer.

I turned and walked back into the house, where the air felt quieter, though the tension from earlier had not completely faded.

Master Fu was seated, while Madame Fu stood nearby, and the others were also present in the room.

I walked in and came to a stop before speaking.

"I will go to the farm later, and I will also stop by Madam Zhao’s place to propose the marriage," I said.

The moment I finished speaking, the room fell silent, and everyone turned to look at me.

Madame Fu was the first to react, as her expression shifted slightly before she stood up at once.

She did not speak as she walked to a nearby cabinet, opened it, and took out a folded piece of paper before returning to me.

She handed it over, and I took it from her before lowering my gaze to look at it.

It was a list.

"I have written down the things we need to prepare for the proposal," she said, her voice calm but serious. "These are what we should bring."

I looked through the list carefully and saw that it was detailed, with everything already considered.

Madame Fu continued speaking.

"We cannot be careless with this matter, and since we are going to propose properly, everything must be done well," she said.

I nodded slightly in understanding.

"I understand," I replied.

The room remained quiet for a moment, as the earlier tension still lingered faintly, but this matter carried a different kind of weight.

This was important.

And it had to be done properly.

I folded the list carefully and held it in my hand.

"I will prepare everything," I said.

Madame Fu gave a small nod.

"Good," she said, before adding, "Do not delay it."

"I will not," I replied.

Fu Sheng and I prepared to leave not long after, and we stepped out of the house together as we headed toward the gate.

However, the moment we stepped outside, we saw them still standing there.

Grandfather Fu and Grandmother Fu had not left.

They were waiting.

As soon as they saw us, they began to walk toward us quickly, their steps hurried and unsteady.

"Please..." Grandmother Fu said as she spoke first, her voice already shaking slightly. "Do not send us away."

Grandfather Fu nodded beside her.

"We have nowhere else to go," he added.

Fu Sheng’s expression did not change as he looked at them calmly.

"We have already said what needed to be said," he replied, his voice firm and leaving no room for discussion.

Then he turned, ready to leave.

I looked at him briefly before shifting my gaze back to them.

"If you truly want to stay in this house," I said calmly, "then prove it."

They both looked at me, confusion clear in their expressions.

I lifted my gaze slightly and looked up at the sky, where the clouds were beginning to gather.

"It will rain soon," I said, my tone steady. "Make good use of it."

I lowered my gaze again.

Then I turned and walked away, following Fu Sheng without another word.

Behind me, everything fell silent.

Grandfather Fu and Grandmother Fu looked at each other, and though neither of them spoke, they both understood what I meant.

They had no choice but to understand.

We had only walked a short distance when a voice called out from behind us.

"Fu Sheng."

The voice was clear enough to make us both stop at once.

We turned back and saw Hanfuji walking quickly toward us, closing the distance without hesitation.

He stopped in front of us, his breathing steady, as though he had already made up his mind before calling out.

Fu Sheng looked at him calmly.

"Do you want to come with us to the market and assist with the preparations?" he asked.

Hanfuji shook his head slightly.

"I am not going with you," he said. "I have something else to do."

I looked at him more closely, already sensing what he was about to say.

"I am going to prepare my own proposal," he continued.

Fu Sheng paused at his words.

I also stopped walking completely, and both of us turned to face him fully.

Our expressions grew serious at once.

"You mean Bai Ming?" I asked.

Hanfuji nodded without hesitation.

"Yes," he replied.

I held his gaze for a moment, studying his expression carefully.

There was no uncertainty in his face.

"Are you truly serious about what you said yesterday?" I asked. "Marriage is not something to decide on lightly."

Fu Sheng also looked at him with a steady expression.

"This is not a small matter," he added. "Have you thought everything through properly?"

Hanfuji did not avoid our gaze.

"I have thought about it," he said. "I know what I am doing."

His voice remained calm and firm.

"If everything goes as I intend, I will marry her tomorrow."

There was no hesitation in his words.

The air around us grew still for a moment as his meaning settled.

I continued to look at him quietly.

He was not speaking on impulse.

He was certain.

Fu Sheng also understood this, and his expression did not change further.

Hanfuji gave a small nod, as if there was nothing more to explain.

Then he turned and walked away without looking back.

I watched him for a moment before shifting my gaze forward again.

"He is serious," I said.

Fu Sheng let out a quiet breath.

"Yes," he replied.

We continued walking after that.

The day had only just begun, yet it already carried the weight of many decisions.

...

Fu Sheng and I walked through the market together, following the list Madame Fu had given us.

The place was busy, filled with noise and movement as people moved from one stall to another.

I focused on the task at hand, stopping now and then to ask about prices and quality.

"We need a good fabric shop," I said as I looked around.

Fu Sheng walked beside me, but he was quieter than usual.

I noticed it, but I did not say anything.

We had things to do.

I stopped at a nearby stall and spoke to one of the vendors.

"Is there a reliable fabric shop around here?" I asked.

The woman looked at me and pointed ahead.

"Go down that road and turn into the quieter street," she said. "There is a shop there with good work. The owner is strict, but her quality is good."

I nodded.

"Thank you," I said.

We followed the direction she gave.

As we walked, the noise of the market slowly faded, and the street became quieter.

But I noticed something, Fu Sheng’s expression had changed... he looked at the shop with a stunned look.

Did he find it get pretty? I brushed the thought off my mind as I made my way forward.

Fu Sheng and I stopped in front of the fabric shop before stepping inside together.

The moment we entered, a shopkeeper noticed us and quickly walked over.

"Welcome," he said with a polite smile.

I nodded slightly.

"I am here to get fabric," I said. "Good quality, suitable for a proposal."

The shopkeeper’s expression brightened at once.

"Please wait a moment," he said. "I will call our Madam."

He turned and walked inside without delay.

Before I could look around properly—

Fu Sheng suddenly reached out and held my wrist.

His grip was tight.

I turned to look at him.

"Let us go somewhere else," he said.

His voice was low.

There was something off about it.

I frowned slightly.

"Why?" I asked.

He did not answer directly.

"This place is not suitable," he said.

His expression was not calm.

There was tension in it.

Almost nervous.

I noticed it immediately.

I looked around the shop again.

The fabrics were neatly arranged.

The place was clean.

There was nothing wrong with it.

"This place is fine," I said. "What are you worried about?"

He did not explain.

Instead, his grip tightened slightly.

"Let us just go," he said again.

I frowned.

"There is no reason to leave," I replied.

My tone was calm.

But firm.

He looked at me, then glanced toward the inner room.

His expression grew more tense.

"Su Long—" he started.

But I did not move.

I stood where I was.

"This place is good," I said. "We will buy from here."

He seemed to hesitate.

Then he tried to pull me away.

Just as he was about to drag me toward the door—

A voice sounded from inside.

"Greetings, beautiful couple. How may I help you?"

The voice was calm and gentle.

I turned at once.

The woman stepped out calmly from the inner room.

She wore a jade-colored hanfu that was simple but neat, and it fit her well.

Her hair was loose behind her, held lightly with a pin.

She did not wear much decoration, but she still looked refined.

I faced her.

But Fu Sheng did not move.