Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 59 -

"You are such a good cook... much better than that daughter-in-law of mine," Aunt Fu said loudly, her laughter filling the room as she dished out the meal Li Manman had just finished preparing.

"Indeed, Mother. We would have starved if not for her," Fu Jia quickly supported her mother, grabbing her own share of food.

"You are praising her too much," Grandma Fu said coldly, casting a look of disgust at Li Manman. "She is just a maid after all. She chose to follow our family into exile; serving us is her duty." She scoffed, staring at the food in front of her and pretending it smelled bad.

But Li Manman did not care about the old woman’s words. Her attention was focused on someone else entirely.

Along with cooking, she had lit a small fire in the middle of the room, finally making the place bright, warm, and less cold and lifeless. Everyone ate eagerly, stuffing their mouths with food, while Li Manman simply smiled. Yet her smile never reached her eyes.

She suddenly glanced at Fu Fong, who was also eating quickly, though it was clearly difficult for him because of the pain in his injured back.

Seeing this as an opportunity, she stood up and walked toward him.

"Young Master, why don’t I help you? You seem to need assistance."

Before he could reply, she picked up a spoon, scooped some congee, and brought it toward his mouth.

"Ahh... open your mouth," she said softly, staring at him with a gaze that would make any man hesitate.

After all, she was a beauty, possessing the face of a female lead.

Fu Fong hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly, he opened his mouth, his eyes never leaving Li Manman’s face. His gaze was filled with suspicion and quiet vigilance, as if he were trying to see through her intentions.

Li Manman’s lips curved into a gentle smile as she fed him the congee, her movements careful and attentive. To anyone watching, it looked like a simple act of kindness. But something about the scene felt... deliberate.

Uncle Fu and Aunt Fu exchanged a brief glance. No words were spoken, yet it was as if they were communicating silently, understanding each other’s thoughts without needing to speak. Their eyes flickered with surprise, curiosity, and a hint of unease.

"This girl..." Aunt Fu thought, tightening her grip on her bowl.

Uncle Fu narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Li Manman’s every move. He had lived long enough to know that not all gentleness came without purpose.

Meanwhile, Fu Fong swallowed the food slowly. The warmth of the congee eased his throat, but it did nothing to calm the alertness in his heart. He kept his expression blank, even as Li Manman leaned closer to offer him another spoonful.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly, her voice tender, almost concerned. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He did not answer right away. Instead, he studied her face, the careful smile and the calmness she wore like a mask.

"Hmm," he finally said in a low voice.

Li Manman kept smiling and feeding him like a newlywed. Grandma Fu from the other side just scoffed, "SLUT!"

She said it loud enough for everyone to hear, but Li Manman didn’t even flinch.

Fu Jia leaned toward her mother with a cunning smile."Ma... it looks like this maid has taken an interest in Brother. What do we do about it?"

Aunt Fu thought for a while, then simply shrugged."My son is still so young. Though she is a maid, she is still quite attractive, and she would be more attentive and sensible than that idiot. If your brother is interested in her, then there is nothing wrong."

"Once we arrive at the barren lands, he’ll marry her off and give me more grandchildren. Hehe."Aunt Fu smiled, while Fu Jia just rolled her eyes at her mother’s words.

Meanwhile, back at our own camp, Madame Fu suddenly clapped her hands together, her voice cutting through the quiet crackle of the fire.

"Alright. One of you go inside and bring out the spare blankets and medicine."

Fu Li and Fu Fei were both nearby, yet neither moved.

"That’s not what happened at all!" Fu Fei snapped, turning sharply toward her sister. "You’re always twisting things to suit yourself."

Fu Li scoffed. "Me? You’re the one who never listens. If you hadn’t interfered—"

"Oh please," Fu Fei cut in. "If anyone caused trouble, it was you."

The two of them continued arguing, their voices overlapping, each trying to talk over the other, so absorbed in their quarrel that they didn’t hear a single word Madame Fu had said.

Madame Fu let out a tired sigh and rubbed her temples. Her three boys, together with some other male exiles, had been called by the head guards to help with something. The small twins were too little to go get what she wanted; they were just busy playing.

I smiled faintly and stood up. "Mother, I’ll go get it."

She turned to me at once, concern written all over her face.

"No, Su Long. You haven’t fully recovered yet."

"I’m fine," I replied gently. Before she could refuse again, I had already risen to my feet. "Really."

I didn’t wait for another protest. I turned and quickly headed inside.

The cabin was dim and cold. I picked up one of the oil lamps and lit it, the small flame flickering weakly as it cast shadows along the wooden walls. Just as I was about to grab the blankets, I heard something.

Someone was whimpering.

I froze.

The sound came from the other side of the cabin, where a large wooden screen divided the space. Though it blocked sight, it did little to stop sound from passing through.

Curiosity got the best of me, and slowly, I reached out and pushed the screen aside.

What I saw made my breath catch.

Bia Ming was curled up in a cold corner on the ground, her thin body trembling violently. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, her lips pale, her teeth chattering as quiet whimpers escaped her throat.

She looked so small and helpless. I had never seen her in such a state before.

Without thinking, I rushed to her side and knelt down.

"Bia Ming," I called softly, reaching for her. "Why are you here?"

She flinched at my touch, her body stiff from the cold.

I immediately pulled my cloak around her, holding her gently as warmth slowly returned to her shaking form.

"You’re freezing," I murmured. "Why didn’t you tell anyone?"

Bia Ming suddenly pushed my hands away, her movements weak yet stubborn.

"I’m fine," she said hoarsely, turning her face aside. "You don’t need to do this."

Her words contradicted everything I was seeing. Her skin was ice-cold, her lips trembling, her breathing uneven. She was far from fine.

Before I could respond, footsteps sounded from the other side of the cabin.

"Su Long?" Fu Sheng’s voice called out. "I’m back. Where are you?"

I immediately raised my voice. "Fu Sheng.. over here!"

There was a brief pause, then hurried steps. The screen was pushed aside, and Fu Sheng stepped in. The moment his eyes landed on me bent down and Bia Ming curled up on the floor, his expression changed completely.

"What happened?" he asked sharply, already moving closer.

"She’s burning up," I said quickly. "We need to get her onto a bed."

He didn’t waste another second. Fu Sheng carefully lifted Bia Ming into his arms. She struggled weakly, protesting under her breath, but she didn’t have the strength to resist him.

He carried her to our side of the cabin and gently laid her down on the bed, pulling the thin blanket over her trembling body.

"Get the medicine bag," I said urgently.

Fu Sheng nodded and turned to leave at once.

I sat beside Bia Ming and placed the back of my hand against her forehead. The heat startled me.

"She has a fever," I muttered, worry tightening my chest.

"I said I’m fine," Bia Ming snapped, turning her head away again. "Just leave me alone."

"Stop lying," I said firmly. "You’re shivering and burning at the same time."

She clenched her fists, her voice growing sharper, more irritated. "Why do you care? Just go. I don’t need anyone."

My patience finally snapped.

Before I could stop myself, I raised my hand and delivered a sharp slap across her cheek.

The sound echoed softly in the small space.

Silence followed.

Bia Ming froze, stunned, her eyes wide as she stared at me.

My hand trembled, but my voice didn’t. "If you want to give up on yourself, fine," I said, my chest rising and falling rapidly. "But don’t expect me to stand by and watch you freeze to death in a corner."

Her eyes slowly reddened, not from the slap, but from something else.

Just then, Fu Sheng returned with the medicine bag, stopping short when he sensed the tension in the air. He didn’t ask questions. He simply handed it to me.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and turned back to Bia Ming.

"Now," I said more quietly, "you’re going to rest. And you’re going to let me help you."

For once... she didn’t push my hands away.