Su Long turned away from him after speaking and calmly gathered the papers spread across the table. Her movements were steady, but the silence between them had already become heavy enough to make the entire courtyard feel tense.

Fu Sheng watched her silently as she stacked the papers together without looking at him again. The candle beside her flickered softly, casting moving shadows across her face.

Then suddenly—

He stepped forward.

Before Su Long could walk away, Fu Sheng reached out and grabbed her wrist gently.

The movement made her stop immediately.

She turned her head slightly, her expression cold and restrained.

"Let go," she said calmly.

But Fu Sheng did not release her.

Instead, he pulled her lightly toward him.

The sudden movement caught Su Long off guard for a brief moment, and before she could react properly, Fu Sheng lowered his head and kissed her.

The warmth of his lips barely lasted more than a second.

Because almost immediately—

Su Long shoved him away forcefully.

The sound of her pushing him echoed faintly through the quiet courtyard.

Fu Sheng staggered back slightly, his brows tightening faintly as he looked at her.

Su Long stared at him in disbelief.

For the first time that night, the calmness she had maintained completely disappeared from her face.

"You—"

She stopped abruptly, almost as if she could not believe what he had just done.

Then anger slowly surfaced in her eyes.

"How dare you," she said.

Her voice was no longer calm.

It carried real anger now.

Fu Sheng looked at her quietly, his breathing slightly uneven, but Su Long looked far more shaken than he was.

He stepped forward instinctively.

"Su Long—"

"Do not come closer."

Her words immediately stopped him where he stood.

The candlelight trembled softly as a cold breeze passed through the corridor.

Su Long looked at him steadily, her chest rising slightly faster now.

"You disappear in the middle of the night to secretly meet another woman," she said, "and then you come back here and kiss me as though nothing happened?"

Fu Sheng frowned immediately.

"It was not like that."

Su Long laughed softly.

But there was no amusement in the sound.

"Then what exactly was it like?" she asked sharply.

Her eyes remained fixed on him.

Demanding an answer.

Fu Sheng opened his mouth slightly, but before he could speak, Su Long continued.

"You told me yourself that she was someone you were supposed to marry," she said. "Someone you once loved."

Fu Sheng remained silent.

"And after all these years, you suddenly run off in the middle of the night just to see her."

Su Long shook her head slowly.

"Do you know how suspicious that sounds?"

Fu Sheng took a slow breath before answering quietly.

"I know."

"Then why did you go?"

The question came immediately.

Without hesitation.

Fu Sheng looked at her silently for several moments before finally speaking.

"Because I could not stop thinking about what happened back then," he admitted quietly.

Su Long’s expression remained cold.

"So you needed closure?" she asked.

Fu Sheng lowered his gaze briefly before nodding once.

"Yes."

The honesty in his answer only made the silence heavier.

Su Long stared at him quietly for a long moment before suddenly letting out another soft laugh.

This time, it sounded more tired than angry.

"Unbelievable," she muttered quietly.

Fu Sheng frowned slightly.

"I already told you nothing happened."

Su Long looked at him immediately.

"But something did happen," she replied sharply.

Her gaze did not waver.

"You went."

Those two words struck harder than he expected.

Su Long folded her arms slowly across her chest as she continued speaking.

"You may not understand it, but some things already become wrong the moment they happen," she said calmly.

Fu Sheng remained silent.

"If you truly wanted to see her, you could have told me openly," she continued. "But instead, you hid it from me."

Her voice softened slightly after that, but somehow the disappointment in it felt worse than anger.

Fu Sheng’s fingers tightened faintly at his side.

Because deep down—

He knew she was right.

The silence stretched between them once again.

Then finally, Fu Sheng spoke quietly.

"I was afraid."

Su Long frowned faintly.

"Afraid of what?"

Fu Sheng lifted his gaze and looked directly at her.

"Afraid that you would start looking at me differently afterward."

The courtyard became quiet again.

Su Long’s expression shifted faintly for a brief moment before she looked away.

"And now?" she asked softly.

Fu Sheng stared at her silently for several seconds.

Then finally—

"I still am," he admitted quietly.

Fu Sheng looked at Su Long steadily before finally lowering his gaze slightly.

Then, quietly—

"I am sorry."

The apology came without hesitation.

Without excuses.

Su Long’s fingers tightened faintly against her sleeves, but she did not look at him.

Fu Sheng took a slow breath before continuing.

"I should have told you before going there," he admitted. "No matter what my reasons were, I should not have hidden it from you."

His voice remained calm and low.

"I thought if I handled it quietly, it would avoid unnecessary problems between us."

A faint, bitter smile appeared briefly on his face.

"But instead, I created one myself."

Su Long remained silent.

Fu Sheng continued looking at her quietly.

"I know what it looked like," he said softly. "And if our positions were reversed... I would not have liked it either."

That finally made Su Long glance at him.

Fu Sheng’s expression had softened completely now.

There was no defensiveness left in it anymore.

Only honesty.

"I did not go there because I still wanted her," he said quietly. "I went because there were too many things left unresolved in my mind."

His gaze lowered briefly before returning to her again.

"But after tonight, I understand something clearly."

Su Long watched him silently.

Fu Sheng let out a quiet breath.

"What I felt for her belongs to the past," he admitted. "It ended a long time ago, even if neither of us truly realized it."