Fu Teng stood there for another brief mont after apologizing.
The tension in the kitchen still had not fully disappeared, and the silence pressing down on the room felt heavier than before.
His expression remained stiff.
Almost uncomfortable.
Then without saying another word, he turned abruptly and walked out of the kitchen.
No one stopped him.
The sound of his footsteps faded back into the courtyard until the room finally beca quiet again.
For several monts, nobody spoke.
The steam continued rising slowly from the pots while the fire beneath the stove crackled softly, but the earlier peaceful atmosphere had already been broken completely.
Zhao Yin remained standing beside the stove with her head slightly lowered.
Zhao Yue looked worriedly toward her older sister but did not know what to say.
Master Fu let out a quiet breath before finally turning around.
"Continue preparing breakfast," he said calmly.
His voice had softened slightly now compared to earlier.
Then he walked back outside with Grandfather Fu and Grandmother Fu following behind him.
Fu Sheng glanced once toward Zhao Yin before looking at briefly.
I already understood what that look ant.
He wanted to give them space.
Without another word, he turned and followed Master Fu outside as well.
Soon, only Mada Fu, Bai Ming, Zhao Yin, Zhao Yue, and I remained inside the kitchen.
The silence lingered for another mont before Mada Fu finally stepped forward.
Her expression was no longer cold now.
Instead, she looked tired.
She stopped in front of Zhao Yin and looked at her carefully.
"Lift your head," she said quietly.
Zhao Yin hesitated briefly before obeying slowly.
Mada Fu studied her expression for a mont.
The girl was clearly embarrassed.
Her eyes were slightly red, though she was trying hard not to show it.
Mada Fu sighed softly.
"Do not take his words too deeply into your heart," she said.
Zhao Yin imdiately shook her head.
"I understand," she replied softly.
But the mont she said it, Mada Fu frowned slightly.
"You understand?" she repeated.
Her tone was calm.
"But that does not an what he said was right."
Zhao Yin beca quiet.
Mada Fu continued looking at her steadily.
"That boy has always had a terrible temper," she said. "Especially in the mornings."
From the side, Bai Ming quietly nodded in agreent while continuing to arrange the bowls near the counter.
"He speaks without thinking first," Mada Fu continued. "And once he becos irritated, his mouth becos sharper than necessary."
Zhao Yin lowered her gaze slightly.
"I really was only trying to help," she said softly.
Mada Fu’s expression softened faintly.
"I know."
Her answer ca imdiately.
"You woke up early to help prepare breakfast," she said. "I saw it myself."
Then she added calmly,
"And the clothes... I also know you only folded them because they were thrown carelessly everywhere."
At that, even Zhao Yue looked surprised.
Mada Fu noticed their expressions and let out a quiet scoff.
"Do you think I do not know how my own son lives?" she asked dryly.
That almost made Bai Ming laugh.
Almost.
Zhao Yin looked slightly embarrassed now.
Mada Fu sighed again before gently fixing the edge of Zhao Yin’s sleeve.
"You do not need to force yourself so much this early," she said quietly. "No one here expects you to suddenly beco the perfect daughter-in-law overnight."
Her voice remained calm and steady.
"But..."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"...that also does not an you should allow people to speak to you carelessly."
Zhao Yin froze faintly.
Mada Fu looked directly at her.
"You are too soft," she said honestly.
Zhao Yin opened her mouth slightly before lowering her gaze again.
Mada Fu shook her head lightly.
"If you keep lowering your head every ti Fu Teng speaks harshly, he will never learn where the limit is."
The kitchen beca quiet again.
Even I had to admit—
She was right.
Mada Fu stepped back slightly before speaking again.
"You are his future wife," she said calmly. "Not soone he can scold whenever he is unhappy."
At those words, Zhao Yin’s fingers tightened faintly.
A faint redness slowly appeared on her face again, though this ti it was not from humiliation.
Mada Fu noticed it imdiately but pretended not to.
Instead, she turned back toward the stove.
"Enough," she said. "Breakfast still needs to be finished before the food gets cold."
The atmosphere finally eased slightly after that.
Bai Ming quietly handed Zhao Yin another bowl to prepare while Zhao Yue imdiately moved closer beside her sister again.
I leaned lightly against the doorway while watching everything silently.
Then beside —
A low voice suddenly spoke.
"You are thinking too much again."
I turned slightly.
Fu Sheng had returned without noticing.
I raised a brow.
"And whose fault is that?"
A faint helplessness appeared briefly in his eyes.
Mine lingered on Zhao Yin for another mont before shifting toward the courtyard outside where Fu Teng had disappeared earlier.
Sothing about that man—
Was becoming more troubleso to understand.
The lanterns hanging around the courtyard had already been taken down for the evening preparations, and Han Fuji could once again be heard arguing loudly with Fu Tong about decorations as though nothing had happened earlier.
"You are hanging them crooked again," Han Fuji complained while pointing toward the entrance.
Fu Tong imdiately looked offended.
"They are not crooked."
"They are leaning."
"That is because the pole itself is bent."
"You are blaming the pole now?"
Watching the two of them bicker endlessly almost made laugh again.
Almost.
I sat back down beside the courtyard table and reached for the papers we had left earlier, but before I could continue reading through them, I suddenly felt Fu Sheng’s hand close gently around mine beneath the table.
I paused slightly.
Then I turned to look at him.
Fu Sheng’s expression remained calm as usual, but there was sothing different in his eyes this ti. The cold heaviness from last night had finally eased.
"What is it?" I asked quietly.
Instead of answering imdiately, he slowly intertwined his fingers with mine beneath the table where the others could not easily notice.
Then finally, he spoke.
"Tonight," he said calmly, "after Bai Ming’s wedding celebration ends... co sowhere with ."
I raised a brow slightly.
"Sowhere?"
Fu Sheng nodded once.
"Yes."
His tone remained strangely calm, which imdiately made suspicious.
I studied him carefully for a mont before narrowing my eyes slightly.
"What are you planning?"
A faint smile finally appeared at the corner of his lips.
"It is not sothing bad."
"That does not answer my question."
Fu Sheng looked at quietly for a second before giving the slightest shake of his head.
"It is a surprise."
I stared at him.
Then I almost laughed.
"Since when do you prepare surprises?"
His fingers tightened lightly around mine.
"Since recently."
That answer caught off guard for a brief mont.
Fu Sheng rarely said things like that directly.
He usually kept most thoughts to himself unless necessary.
But lately—
He had been changing little by little.
And sohow, he did not seem to realize it himself.
I leaned back slightly against the chair while still looking at him suspiciously.
"What kind of surprise?"
"You will see tonight."
"You are being secretive again."
Fu Sheng’s lips twitched faintly.
"This ti, it is for a good reason."
I looked at him for another mont before finally sighing softly.
"If this turns into trouble sohow, I will bla you entirely."
Fu Sheng gave a quiet nod without hesitation.
"That is fine."
His answer ca so easily that it made narrow my eyes again.
"You are unusually obedient today."
"That is because I am trying not to make you angry again."
The calm honesty in his voice nearly made choke on my own breath.
I imdiately looked away.
"...You talk too much lately."
Fu Sheng let out the faintest breath of amusent beside .
And for the first ti since yesterday—
The tension that had quietly lingered between us finally began to disappear completely.
Mada Fu’s voice suddenly ca from inside the kitchen.
"Bai Ming," she called out, sounding unusually pleased. "Co out for a mont."
The conversation around the courtyard slowly paused.
Bai Ming, who had been helping arrange the breakfast trays together with Zhao Yin, lifted her head slightly in confusion before wiping her hands clean and stepping out of the kitchen.
"What is it, Aunt?" she asked calmly.
Mada Fu stepped forward carrying a neatly folded bundle wrapped carefully in red cloth. Even before opening it, the bright color alone was enough to draw everyone’s attention imdiately.
Han Fuji, who had still been arguing with Fu Tong monts earlier, instantly stopped talking.
His eyes widened.
"Wait..." he said slowly. "Is that—"
Mada Fu gave him a look.
"Obviously."
Han Fuji imdiately straightened.
"The wedding dress arrived?"
Mada Fu nodded once before turning back toward Bai Ming.
"It was delivered early this morning," she said. "The tailor finished the final adjustnts during the night."
Bai Ming looked slightly startled.
"So quickly?"
"Your wedding is this evening," Mada Fu replied calmly. "Did you expect them to deliver it tomorrow?"
Fu Tong imdiately laughed from the side.
Han Fuji ignored him completely and walked closer almost impatiently, staring directly at the folded red cloth in Mada Fu’s hands like a child being shown treasure.
"Open it," he said imdiately.
Mada Fu frowned slightly.
"Why are you more excited than the bride herself?"
"Because I paid for it."
"That does not an you can behave shalessly."
Han Fuji looked completely unashad.
"I only want to see it."
Fu Tong clicked his tongue from behind him.
"You have been smiling since morning like soone who lost his mind."
Han Fuji turned imdiately.
"And you are only jealous because you are still unmarried."
Fu Tong almost choked.
Before he could argue back, Mada Fu finally unfolded the cloth carefully.
The mont the wedding dress appeared fully, the courtyard quieted slightly.
The dress was simple compared to noble family wedding robes, but it was still beautiful.
Deep red silk flowed softly beneath the morning light, with delicate gold stitching woven along the sleeves and hem. Small embroidered flowers spread across the fabric carefully, elegant without looking overly extravagant.
Even Bai Ming herself seed slightly stunned for a mont.
Mada Fu looked satisfied at her reaction.
"Go try it on later," she said. "If anything feels uncomfortable, there is still enough ti to adjust it before evening."
Han Fuji looked like he could barely contain himself.
"It looks good," he said imdiately.
Then after staring a little longer, he corrected himself.
"No. It looks very good."
Fu Tong looked at him with disgust.
"You are smiling too hard."
Han Fuji ignored him again and continued staring proudly at the dress like he personally created it himself
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