Later that night, the silence of the village was broken only by the occasional howl of wind slipping through the trees.
Fu Fong staggered forward as he was dragged out of the old courtyard house, his arms still aching from being restrained and his clothes torn in several places as though he had been pulled through more than just one struggle.
The guards behind him said nothing.
They did not answer his curses.
They did not react to his anger.
They simply moved with the sa cold efficiency as before, guiding him forward through the dimly lit path that led away from Han Fuji’s hidden residence.
Fu Fong’s breathing was uneven, his steps unsteady, but even in that state, hatred burned clearly in his eyes.
He turned his head sharply, trying to look back at the house that had held him.
And then he spat the words through gritted teeth.
"Han Fuji... I’ll make you pay."
His voice was rough, shaking with rage and humiliation, but there was no one to hear it except the silent n escorting him.
One of them finally spoke only once, without even looking at him.
"Keep moving."
Fu Fong let out a bitter laugh, almost stumbling as he was forced forward again.
He had expected Bao Li to be dangerous.
He had expected sches, threats, even death.
But Han Fuji was sothing else entirely.
He did not act like a bandit.
He did not act like a noble.
He did not act like anything Fu Fong thought he understood.
That was what made it worse.
That was what made it frightening.
Behind him, the lights of the house slowly faded into the darkness, swallowed by the night until there was nothing left but the empty path ahead.
Fu Fong clenched his fists tightly, nails digging into his palms despite the pain.
"I won’t forget this," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else.
And as the cold night air pressed against his skin, Fu Fong realized sothing that made his chest tighten with unwilling fear.
This was not over.
Not even close.
....
anwhile, inside the quiet room of Fu Sheng and Su Long, the night had already settled deeply over the residence, leaving only the soft glow of candlelight to warm the space between them.
Fu Sheng stood near the table, calm and composed as always, while Su Long sat by the window, her gaze resting on the faint movent of the courtyard outside.
After a brief silence, Fu Sheng finally spoke.
"I am going to et Wei ilan now."
Su Long did not look surprised.
She already knew.
In fact, she was the one who had told him to go.
She slowly turned her head toward him, her expression steady and unreadable for a mont before she gave a small nod.
"Go," she said calmly.
Fu Sheng looked at her for a second, then nodded back.
"Alright."
He adjusted his sleeve slightly as if preparing to leave, but before he could step away, Su Long’s voice stopped him again—soft, but firm enough to carry weight in the quiet room.
"Be careful."
Fu Sheng paused.
For a mont, neither of them spoke.
Then he turned his head slightly toward her.
"I will."
Su Long held his gaze for a brief second longer, her expression still composed, but her eyes a little sharper than usual, as though she was quietly asuring the risk in his decision.
Then she nodded once more, slower this ti.
..
Fu Sheng walked through the quiet night street alone, his footsteps steady against the cold silence of the village.
By the ti he reached Wei ilan’s house, he slowed.
Sothing had changed.
The place was no longer still.
Several n stood outside the entrance, dressed in dark clothes, unmoving and alert, their presence heavy enough to press into the night air.
Bao Li’s n.
Fu Sheng did not rush. He simply stood at a distance and observed them for a mont, his expression calm as his eyes asured their positions, their spacing, and the way they scanned the surroundings without speaking.
They were not ordinary guards.
That much was clear.
After a brief pause, he turned away from the main gate.
Instead of forcing a direct entrance, he moved along the side wall where the shadows were deeper and the lantern light barely reached.
The trees here were thicker, their branches stretching over the wall like cover.
Fu Sheng stopped once, tested the wall with a light touch, then climbed.
In a single smooth motion, he crossed over and landed silently inside.
No sound followed.
Inside the courtyard, the air felt tighter, more controlled, as if the presence of those n outside had already sealed off the space.
Fu Sheng adjusted his sleeves once and continued forward without hesitation.
Fu Sheng moved along the side of the house until he reached a dim window half hidden behind the outer corridor.
Without hesitation, he lifted the wooden fra and slipped inside with a quiet, controlled motion, landing lightly on the floor without making a sound.
The room was dimly lit by a single lamp, shadows stretching softly across the walls.
Before he could fully take in his surroundings, a small voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Stranger?"
Fu Sheng’s gaze shifted.
A child stood a few steps away, wide-eyed, staring at him with innocent curiosity rather than fear.
The boy opened his mouth again, as if about to call out louder.
But before another word could leave him—
A hand covered his mouth from behind.
"Mm—!"
Wei ilan appeared silently, stepping in with calm precision as she pulled the child closer, gently but firmly silencing him.
Her eyes lifted to Fu Sheng.
There was no panic in her expression.
No surprise.
Only recognition.
Fu Sheng remained still, watching her quietly as the room settled into a tense silence broken only by the faint sound of the lamp flickering between them.
Wei ilan kept one hand gently over the child’s shoulder as she turned him away from Fu Sheng, her voice calm and steady, as if nothing unusual had just happened.
"Go on," she said softly. "Go play with your nanny in the other room."
The boy blinked at her, still curious, but he did not resist. He gave a small nod and shuffled out of the room, glancing once more at Fu Sheng before disappearing through the doorway.
The mont he was gone, the atmosphere changed completely.
Wei ilan walked to the door and closed it with quiet certainty.
Click.
The lock followed imdiately after, sharp and deliberate in the silence.
Wei ilan turned fully toward Fu Sheng, her expression steady as the last sound of the lock faded into the quiet room.
"What are you doing here?" she asked calmly, though her eyes were already reading him long before he answered.
Fu Sheng did not move from his spot.
He looked at her evenly, as if the question itself was unnecessary.
"You already know why I’m here."
Wei ilan’s gaze sharpened slightly, but she did not interrupt.
Fu Sheng continued, his voice low but direct.
"We need to take Bao Li down. And we need your help to do it."
The room fell into a deeper silence.
Wei ilan studied him for a mont, then let out a faint, almost aningless breath.
Fu Sheng did not look away.
"I know you don’t love him," he said, his tone steady, as if stating sothing already confird. "And I know you didn’t choose this situation freely."
He paused briefly, then stepped half a pace forward, careful but firm.
"If you cooperate, I can find a way to get you out of it."
Wei ilan’s eyes lingered on him for a long mont, her expression unreadable.
Fu Sheng’s voice lowered slightly, carrying no pressure, only certainty.
"You don’t have to stay trapped in this."
The candlelight flickered between them again, casting shifting shadows across Wei ilan’s face as she continued to watch him in silence.
Wei ilan did not respond imdiately.
Instead, she studied Fu Sheng as though weighing every word he had just spoken, every intention hidden beneath his calm expression.
Finally, she spoke.
"What exactly do you want to know?"
Fu Sheng’s gaze sharpened slightly, as if that was the answer he had been waiting for.
He stepped a little closer, lowering his voice.
"Everything useful," he said simply. "His movents, his habits, the people he trusts, and most importantly... how he behaves when he feels completely safe."
Wei ilan’s fingers tightened faintly at her side, but her face remained controlled.
Fu Sheng continued without hesitation, his tone becoming more precise.
"We already know Bao Li is careful. He doesn’t expose himself unless he believes he has full control of the situation."
A brief pause followed before he added,
"That is exactly what makes the wedding day the best opportunity."
Wei ilan’s eyes flickered slightly at that, but she said nothing.
Fu Sheng’s expression remained steady.
"We need to know what routes he uses to arrive, who stands closest to him during public monts, and what kind of guards he trusts the most."
He tilted his head slightly, thinking.
"And whether he has any hidden signals or escape routes he might rely on if things go wrong."
The room was quiet except for the faint sound of the candle burning.
Fu Sheng’s voice lowered further, now firm and certain.
"On the wedding day, Bao Li will be distracted. He will believe everything is under control."
His eyes t Wei ilan’s directly.
"That is when we end it."
Wei ilan finally exhaled slowly, as though accepting the weight of what he was saying.
"So you want to use as the inside point," she said quietly.
Fu Sheng did not deny it.
"I want to use every advantage we have," he corrected calmly. "And you are the closest to him right now."
A long silence followed.
Then Wei ilan nodded once, slowly.
"Ask your questions," she said at last. "But understand this... once we take this step, there is no going back."
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