Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 61 -

Soon, everyone left one after another, until only Fu Sheng and I were left by the fire. The night grew quiet, and the silence between us felt awkward and heavy.

To break it, I faked a small cough and slowly tried to move away from him. I had barely taken a step when his hand suddenly caught mine.

Before I could react, he pulled me back.

I lost my balance and ended up sitting on his lap. His arm wrapped around my waist to keep me steady.

I froze at once.

My heart started racing, and my breath caught in my throat. I could feel the warmth of his body, close and real.

Fu Sheng didn’t say anything. He just looked at me, his eyes dark in the firelight.

The fire crackled softly beside us, and the night felt much warmer than before.

He finally broke the silence.

"Why were you trying to move away?" he asked quietly.

I stiffened. Caught off guard, I stammered, my words coming out uneven.

"I—I just thought it was awkward," I said, avoiding his eyes. "Everyone left so suddenly."

For a moment, he didn’t respond. His arm around my waist remained steady.

Then he asked, his voice low, "And why did you suddenly want to know about their mother?"

My breath hitched.

I hesitated, my fingers curling slightly against his sleeve.

"I didn’t mean anything bad," I said quickly. "It just... crossed my mind. I saw the boys laughing, and I wondered. That’s all."

I finally looked up at him, unsure of what expression I would find on his face.

He let out a slow breath and said quietly,

"There’s really nothing much about her."

Before his family became nobles, before wealth and titles, they had been peasants.

"When I was younger, I went farming with my grandfather," he continued. "That’s when I met her. Just once at first... then again, and again. We kept running into each other."

He paused there.

I understood and gently finished for him,

"So... that’s when you both fell in love?"

He gave a soft laugh, his grip around me tightening slightly.

"Yes."

I hesitated, then asked the question that had been sitting in my chest.

"Then why didn’t you marry her?"

His steps slowed. For a moment, he didn’t answer.

"I wanted to," he finally said. "But she refused."

I frowned, listening closely.

"One day, she simply disappeared," he went on. "I looked for her everywhere. I waited for days at the forest edge where we used to meet, hoping she would come see me again. But she never did."

His voice grew quieter.

"A year later, just before my father and I left for war... two small babies appeared at our doorstep."

I sucked in a breath.

"There was a note," he said, his eyes darkening. "It was short."

He spoke the words slowly, as if they still weighed on him.

I am married now. Let me go.

Fu Sheng’s voice remained calm as he continued.

"I never blamed her," he said. "Back then, I wasn’t good enough for her. She wanted a better life, a rich and grand one. I couldn’t give her that."

I looked at him in disbelief and shook my head slightly.

"But after the war," I said, "you and your father returned as heroes. You earned the emperor’s favor and became the Fu family of Jinyang."

He didn’t interrupt, so I went on.

"You later became General Fu Sheng," I said softly, "a man many women would risk their lives to be with."

For a moment, he said nothing, as if my words had struck something deep inside him.

Su Long looked at him with serious eyes and asked softly,

"How are you so sure she doesn’t want you now?"

Her question made him stop.

He stared at her, deeper than before, but said nothing. Su Long held his gaze, lost in those dark, chocolate-colored eyes. A small strand of his hair loosened and fell across his face.

Without thinking, she reached out and gently brushed it aside.

The next moment happened too fast.

His hand came up, gripping the back of her neck, firm but not rough, and before she could react, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips against hers.

Her breath caught, her mind going blank as the world around them faded into silence.

For a heartbeat, Su Long stood frozen, her eyes wide in shock.

Then she pushed lightly against his chest, breaking the kiss. Her breathing was uneven, her fingers still curled in his robe as if she had forgotten to let go.

"Fu Sheng..." she called softly, her voice unsteady.

He didn’t chase her lips again. Instead, he rested his forehead against hers, his grip loosening, as if he had only just realized what he had done.

"I answered your question," he said in a low voice. "I was never sure."

Su Long swallowed. Her heart was racing, her thoughts tangled.

She looked up at him, her gaze steady now.

"Then don’t decide for her," she said quietly. "Not anymore."

For a long moment, he simply looked at her, as if seeing her clearly for the first time.

She rested her head lightly against his chest, still sitting on his lap, her body relaxing as if the tension had finally drained out of her.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then he spoke, his voice low and careful, almost hesitant.

"Are you sleepy?"

She nodded slowly, her cheek brushing against his robe, but she shook her head right after.

"A little," she admitted softly. "But... I want to stay like this for a bit longer."

He didn’t answer.

Instead, his arm around her waist tightened, pulling her just a little closer, as if he was afraid she might slip away if he loosened his hold.

After a long moment of stillness, I finally felt sleep tugging at my eyelids. The warmth of Fu Sheng’s body beneath me and the steady rhythm of his breathing made it almost impossible to move.

He noticed, of course. His deep, calm voice broke the silence.

"Sleep, then."

Before I could respond, he lifted me gently into his arms. I barely had time to adjust before he began carrying me. The firelight flickered softly across the room, shadows dancing across the walls, and the quiet night seemed almost holy in its peace.

Most of the others were already asleep.

Fu Sheng moved carefully, as if every step mattered. I rested my head against his shoulder, feeling the steady strength of him beneath me. My body relaxed completely, letting him carry me without protest.

He reached the corner where we had slept before. With delicate precision, he lowered me onto the blankets we had arranged earlier. The warmth of the fire had faded, and he reached to extinguish it, leaving only the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the windows.

Once I was settled, he pulled the blanket over me, tucking it around my shoulders with the same careful attention he had used to carry me. Then, without a word, he lay down beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his arm just behind my back.

The quiet returned, deep and comforting. My eyes closed almost immediately, my mind drifting toward sleep.

But then, a faint, tinkling sound.

Chimes.

My eyes fluttered open, and I squinted in the darkness. The sound seemed to come from nowhere, yet it was clear, sharp, and purposeful. Blinking through the haze of sleep, I realized a small screen had appeared before me, hovering faintly in the air.

It was the system.

[Congratulations, host. Mission "Help Her" completed.]

The message glowed softly. Another line appeared:

[Get ready to receive your rewards.]

I rubbed my eyes, still half-asleep.

"You... really like appearing at the wrong time," I murmured quietly, my voice thick with drowsiness.

The system ignored my words. Instead, a new series of notifications scrolled across the screen.

[Reward granted: Medical Pantry fully expanded. 100 medical supplies collected.]

[50 different medical instruments added to your safe.]

A small, virtual box floated up next. It pulsed faintly with a green light.

[Special reward: accept to receive.]

I hesitated for just a moment before tapping it. The box seemed to vibrate lightly, and in an instant, a small virtual manual appeared in my hand. The text shimmered with strange energy, and the system spoke again.

[Medical Skill granted. You may download this skill. Warning: downloading will render host unconscious for 10 consecutive hours. Activation will be possible only when host is ready.]

I swallowed, staring at the glowing text. The temptation was strong. This skill... it could change everything. It could save lives, heal injuries, maybe even help Fu Sheng or someone else in the future.

Even though sleep weighed heavily on me, I nodded slowly. Yes. I accepted.

[All rewards accepted. System wishes you luck. Prepare for your next mission.]

A wave of warmth and a soft tingling sensation washed over me, and my eyes grew heavy once more. I let out a small, content sigh.

The world around me blurred. Fu Sheng’s steady presence beside me was comforting, even as I slipped into unconsciousness.

The last thing I felt before sleep fully took over was the faint chime of the system, almost like it was whispering promises of the challenges and rewards yet to come.

And then, everything went dark.