I returned her greeting with a slight nod.

"Thank you," I said. "We came to your shop to purchase fabric."

Her lips curved into a polite smile, calm and measured.

"You are welcome here," she replied. "Please take your time to look around. I will show you what will best suit your needs."

Her voice was steady, neither overly warm nor distant.

I inclined my head in acknowledgment.

"We are preparing for a marriage proposal," I said. "So we need something suitable and of good quality."

"I understand," she replied softly.

I turned slightly.

"Fu Sheng—"

But he did not respond.

He was still standing with his back to us.

A slight frown formed on my face as I stepped closer and tapped him lightly from behind.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He remained silent for a brief moment, standing still as though gathering himself.

Then he took a slow, controlled breath.

After that, he finally turned around.

The moment he faced us, I noticed the change in his expression.

It was calm.

Unnaturally calm.

There was something restrained beneath it, something he was clearly holding back.

I shifted my gaze to the woman.

For a brief moment, her expression stiffened.

It was subtle and fleeting, almost impossible to notice if one was not paying attention.

But I saw it.

Before I could study her further, she had already regained her composure.

Her smile returned, gentle and polite.

She stepped forward slightly and gave a small nod.

"My name is Wei Meilin" she said. "I am the owner of this shop."

Her gaze rested on Fu Sheng as she spoke, calm and steady, as though they were meeting for the first time.

"It is an honor to receive you," she added.

Fu Sheng looked at her.

His expression remained unreadable.

"My name is Fu Sheng," he replied.

His tone did not change.

There was no sign of recognition in his voice or expression.

Nothing at all.

For a moment, the air between them felt unusually quiet.

Then Wei Meilin turned slightly and gestured toward the fabrics arranged behind her.

"If it is for a proposal," she said, "then there are several materials that I would recommend."

Her voice returned to its earlier calmness, professional and controlled.

I glanced at Fu Sheng briefly.

He had already looked away, as though nothing had happened.

"Please show us," I said.

Wei Meilin nodded and began to walk ahead, leading us further into the shop.

As she moved, I noticed that Fu Sheng hesitated for a brief moment before following.

I did not say anything.

But I noticed it clearly.

Something was not right.

And whatever it was, neither of them intended to speak about it.

We followed her deeper into the shop.

The inner space was quieter, away from the noise of the street. The fabrics here were arranged with more care, each piece folded neatly and placed on polished wooden shelves. The colors were richer, the embroidery finer.

Wei Meilin stopped in front of a section and reached out to lift a piece of fabric.

"This area is for more formal occasions," she said. "You may find something suitable here."

She moved aside slightly to allow me a better view.

I stepped forward.

The fabrics were indeed beautiful. Some were soft and light, while others were heavier, with detailed patterns woven into them. A few completed garments were also displayed, including wedding robes.

My gaze lingered on one of them.

It was simple at first glance, but the closer I looked, the more detail I saw in the stitching.

"It is well made," I said.

Wei Meilin watched me quietly.

"You have a good eye," she replied.

There was a brief pause before she spoke again.

"Was that your husband?" she asked.

Her tone was casual, but her gaze was steady.

I did not look at her immediately. Instead, I let my fingers brush lightly over the fabric before answering.

"Yes," I said calmly.

Then I turned my head slightly and looked at her.

"This shop is not easy to build in a place like this," I added. "How long have you been in the barren lands?"

Wei Meilin’s expression did not change.

"For some time," she replied. "Long enough to understand what people here need."

Her answer was simple.

Too simple.

Before I could say anything else, a voice suddenly spoke from the side.

"That is because our Madam is very capable."

I turned and saw one of the workers standing nearby.

She must have been listening.

"She came here with nothing," the worker continued, her tone filled with admiration. "But now she owns the best fabric shop in this area."

Wei Meilin did not stop her.

The worker smiled slightly before adding,

"And now Madam is even luckier. She is going to marry Bapo Li."

The moment she said it, the air shifted.

Wei Meilin’s expression did not change, but her eyes lowered slightly.

I remained still.

My gaze moved from the worker back to Wei Meilin.

There was a brief silence.

Then, slowly, I spoke.

"Is that so?"

My tone remained calm.

But the question carried weight.

Behind me, I could feel Fu Sheng’s presence... he wasn’t near us.. he was just checking out the male wears for his brothers.

I held her gaze for a moment before speaking again.

"Who is this Bapo Li?" I asked.

My tone was calm, almost curious, as though the question carried no real weight.

The worker was quick to respond.

"You do not know him?" she said, sounding slightly surprised. "Bapo Li is very well known around here."

She straightened slightly as she spoke, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.

"He is rich, and he is good-looking," she continued. "But most importantly, he is the head of Tiger Alley."

The moment those words left her mouth, something shifted.

Tiger Alley.

The name echoed clearly in my mind.

I paused.

Beside me, Fu Sheng also went still.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I turned my head slightly and looked at him.

He was already looking at me.

Our eyes met.

No words were exchanged.

But the meaning was clear.

We both understood what that name carried.

Slowly, I shifted my gaze back to the worker, my expression unchanged.

"I see," I said calmly.

But the atmosphere in the room had already changed.

And it was no longer as simple as choosing fabric.

We had only walked a short distance from the shop when both of us suddenly stopped.

The silence between us stretched for a moment before I turned fully to face Fu Sheng. He was already looking at me, his expression controlled but tense.

"She is the woman who is going to marry the leader of Tiger Alley," I said calmly, confirming what we had both understood.

Fu Sheng gave a slight nod.

"Yes," he replied.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke again.

Then I let out a slow breath as everything settled in my mind.

"This is more useful than I expected," I said.

Fu Sheng’s brows furrowed slightly.

"What exactly are you thinking?" he asked.

I looked at him properly before answering.

"I will get close to her," I said in a steady voice. "And I will find out everything I can about Bapo Li."

His expression changed immediately.

"That is dangerous," he said.

I did not hesitate.

"I know," I replied.

His eyes stayed on me, studying me carefully, as if trying to decide if I was serious or simply speaking out of impulse.

"Su Long... do not go doing something like this," Fu Sheng said after a moment.

His voice was lower now, more controlled, but there was still concern in it.

"She may not even be that involved with him," he continued. "I heard from some shop owners that he is fond of having multiple women. She may just be one of them."

I stopped walking and turned slightly to look at him.

His expression was serious, as though he was trying to make me reconsider.

But I shook my head slowly.

"She did not look like someone in that position," I said calmly.

Fu Sheng frowned.

"That is not something you can judge just by looking," he replied.

"I know," I said.

Then I paused for a moment.

But what I felt did not change.

"I felt it," I added quietly.

Fu Sheng’s brows tightened slightly.

"You felt it?" he repeated.

I nodded once.

"Yes," I said. "She did not carry herself like a mistress. There was control in her presence. She was not someone standing behind a man. She was someone managing her own space."

Fu Sheng did not respond immediately.

He studied me for a moment, as if trying to understand what I meant.

Then he spoke again, more carefully this time.

"Even so, you are still planning to approach her," he said.

The air between us grew quiet again.

Fu Sheng let out a slow breath.

But I was calm.

Very calm.

Then I raised my brows slightly.

"Are you trying to stop me because you want to protect Wei Meilin?" I asked.

The question hung in the air for a moment.

Fu Sheng’s expression shifted at once.

"That is not it," he said firmly.

His tone was immediate, almost sharper than before.

I studied him quietly.

He continued, his voice steady again but lower.

"I am stopping you because this is not something to approach blindly," he said. "Not because of her."

I did not answer immediately.

Instead, I kept my eyes on him for a moment longer.

Then I spoke again.

"I am not approaching it blindly," I said. "I am approaching it strategically."

Fu Sheng exhaled slowly. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"This still carries risk," he said.

"Everything worth doing does," I replied without hesitation.

The air between us grew quiet again.

Then I turned slightly and began to walk.

"I will get close to her," I said again, more firmly this time. "And I will find every piece of information I need."

Fu Sheng remained still for a moment.

Then he followed beside me.

He did not agree.

But he did not stop me again either.

And that told me enough.