Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 41 -

"You have 30 minutes to get what you want. After that, meet me right back at the entrance. Understood?" one of the guards said, as Fu Sheng and I nodded to his words. Behind us were Bai Ming and Fu Fong, who just rolled their eyes at him, and that he surely noticed.

We left soon after, and the four of us separated.

"Do you have enough money with you?" Fu Sheng asked me with a worried expression as I just smiled.

"Hmm... do you have any to give me? Trust me, I’m not picky. I’ll accept anything," I said jokingly.

He stared at me for a while before placing his hands into his robe. He searched slightly before bringing out a small black pouch.

I stood surprised for a second. "What is that?"

"A jade pendant. It should at least be worth 20 taels," he said in a low voice, and that was when it hit me. In the script, this jade pendant was given to him by the original Su Long. Even though she chose it without much thought, who knew he would still have it with him till now?

I folded my hands. "You want to sell off the pendant I gave you... you don’t even feel remorseful at all."

Fu Sheng’s brows pulled together slightly the moment the words left my mouth.

He looked at me, his gaze calm but heavy, as if he was trying to measure something deeper than what I had just said.

"You’re overthinking it," he replied quietly.

I blinked. "Overthinking?"

"It’s just an object," he said. "Something that can be exchanged for things we actually need."

I stared at him, clearly unconvinced. "Oh? Just an object?"

"Yes."

I clicked my tongue softly. "How heartless."

He didn’t react.

That only made me lean closer, my eyes narrowing slightly as I studied his face.

"That pendant," I said slowly, "was given to you by your wife. And now you’re casually saying you want to sell it like it means nothing."

Fu Sheng’s expression didn’t change, but his voice dropped a little.

"We’re in exile, Su Long."

I crossed my arms.

"Memories don’t feed people. Sentiment doesn’t buy medicine. If selling it keeps the family alive, then it has value. If it stays hidden in my robe, it’s useless."

His words were calm.

Too calm.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

Then I scoffed lightly.

"You really are a cold man."

"I’m being realistic."

I tilted my head. "And if I say I don’t want you selling it?"

He looked at me again.

This time, his gaze lingered.

Then, without a word, he extended the pouch toward me.

"Then you keep it."

My eyes widened slightly.

"...What?"

"If it matters that much to you," he said evenly, "you keep it."

I stared at the pouch in silence.

"You’re not even going to argue?"

"There’s nothing to argue about."

His tone was so flat it was almost offensive.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You’re making it sound like I’m the unreasonable one here."

"I didn’t say that."

"But you’re thinking it."

"I’m not."

I stepped closer.

"So serious. So cold. So difficult to tease," I muttered.

He ignored that completely.

"Decide quickly," he said instead. "We don’t have much time."

I stared at him for a second longer, then suddenly smiled.

Without warning, I grabbed the pouch from his hand.

Fu Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.

But before he could say anything, I slipped it back into his robe.

His body stiffened.

"Keep it," I said casually.

He frowned faintly. "I thought you didn’t want me selling it."

"I don’t."

"Then why—"

I looked up at him and grinned.

"Because I’d rather starve dramatically than let you sell something your wife gave you."

"...You are impossible."

"And yet," I said proudly, "you married me."

He stared at me.

I stared back.

We stood there for a moment, still staring at each other.

Then I suddenly straightened and spoke.

"Go check the price of that wagon," I said casually. "We still need one. I’ll join you in a bit."

Fu Sheng frowned slightly. "Why would you—"

"Just go," I said lightly, waving my hand. "You’re better at bargaining anyway."

He looked like he wanted to argue.

I could see it clearly on his face.

But in the end, he simply gave a small nod.

"Don’t wander too far," he said.

"I won’t."

With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the busy market crowd.

The moment he was gone, my playful expression vanished.

My eyes sharpened slightly.

"System," I called quietly in my mind.

A familiar blue screen appeared at once.

[System active.]

"Withdraw 100 taels from my vault."

[Processing request...]

[Withdrawal successful.]

Almost instantly, a small pouch materialized in my palm.

It was heavy.

I quickly closed my fingers around it and glanced around.

No one noticed.

The market was far too crowded Still, I wasn’t careless.

I slipped the pouch into my sleeve smoothly, my movements natural and unhurried.

A slow smile curved onto my lips.

"100 taels..." I murmured under my breath.100 taels..." I whispered softly, my fingers brushing against my sleeve where the pouch was hidden.

I had barely taken a few steps when someone suddenly stepped in front of me.

At first, I didn’t think much of it.

The market was crowded. People blocked each other’s paths all the time.

But when I looked up, my chest tightened slightly.

The man standing before me looked rough and unkempt. His clothes were old and dusty, and his face was partly hidden beneath a worn hat. There was something unsettling about the way he stared at me, was scary.

Before I could move, his hand shot forward.

A cloth was pressed tightly over my mouth.

My eyes widened in shock.

I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The cloth muffled everything.

Strong arms grabbed me.

I struggled on instinct, my hands pushing against him but he way way too strong and before i knew it, i was carried away.

The man carried me quickly, his steps fast and steady as he pushed through narrow paths and empty corners, moving farther and farther away from the noise of the market until the lively voices and sounds of bargaining faded completely, replaced by silence and the faint echo of footsteps against stone walls.

By the time he stopped, we were deep inside a quiet alley.

The air felt colder there, heavy and still, with no one in sight.

Without wasting time, he roughly pushed me onto a wooden chair. My body hit the hard surface, and before I could react, thick ropes tightened around my wrists and waist, binding me firmly against the chair, leaving no space to move.

He worked quickly.

Like someone used to this kind of work.

When he finished, he stepped back, breathing slightly heavier, his eyes fixed on me cautiously, as if waiting for screaming, panic, or desperate pleading.

Instead, I sighed.

A long, tired sigh.

The man frowned.

I lifted my head slowly, completely calm.

"You know," I said casually, my voice steady, "whoever hired you to do this must be a complete fool."

He stiffened slightly.

Clearly not expecting that reaction.

I tilted my head, studying him with mild curiosity rather than fear.

"And I’ll prove it."

Without waiting for his response, I shifted my arm slightly and slid my fingers into my sleeve, moving carefully despite the ropes. A moment later, I pulled out the pouch of silver.

The faint metallic sound instantly filled the quiet alley.

His eyes locked onto it.

And widened.

"...What is that?" he asked, his voice low but tense.

I loosened my grip slightly, letting the pouch rest visibly in my palm.

"Payment," I said simply.

His expression changed immediately.

Suspicion vanished.

Replaced by raw greed.

He stepped forward without hesitation and snatched the pouch from my hand so quickly that it almost made me laugh.

The ropes still held me tightly, yet I remained completely relaxed.

The man opened the pouch with trembling fingers.

Silver.

Real silver.

He began counting at once, his movements hurried, his breathing uneven, his eyes burning with excitement.

"One hundred taels," he muttered.

I smiled faintly.

"There’s much more where that came from an If I’m not wrong, whoever paid you probably only gave you 10 to 20 teals."

His hands froze.

Slowly, his head lifted.

He looked at me differently now.

Not like prey But like opportunity.

I leaned back slightly against the chair, my voice calm and smooth.

"If you want more," I said, "then you shouldn’t be working for the fools who sent you."

His gaze sharpened.

I continued, my tone almost lazy.

"Work for me instead."

Silence filled the alley.

The man stared at me, his eyes still full of greed, his thoughts clearly racing as he weighed the silver in his hands against whatever promise or threat had brought him here.

Then—

He clicked his tongue as his grip on the pouch tightened.

And finally—

He nodded.

Without another word, he stepped forward and began loosening the ropes, his movements far less rough than before, his greed now completely overpowering caution.

Within moments, the ropes fell away.

Freedom returned to my limbs.

I stretched my wrists slowly, as if this entire situation had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

A small smile curved onto my lips.

Just as I expected.

Greed was always the easiest chain to pull.

"What do you want me to do for you ma’am?"