The next morning arrived with a calmness that felt unusually rare in the barren lands.

For once, the Fu household did not feel tense or heavy with any unusual drama.

Instead, there was movement everywhere.

Life.

The kitchen had already become busy early in the morning. Steam rose from large pots while the smell of porridge and fried dough slowly spread through the air. Madame Fu stood near the counter preparing ingredients while Bai Ming worked beside her, occasionally directing the others whenever they moved too slowly.

Zhao Yin stood near the stove carefully stirring one of the pots while Zhao Yue washed vegetables nearby. From time to time, Madame Fu corrected the way they cut or arranged things, but her tone remained calm, lacking the usual sharpness people expected from elders.

The atmosphere inside the kitchen was surprisingly peaceful.

Outside in the courtyard, I sat across from Fu Sheng with several papers spread across the wooden table between us. Most of them were rough calculations and maps related to the farm, while the rest concerned Tiger Alley and the nearby units surrounding the area.

Fu Sheng rested one arm lightly against the table as his eyes moved across one of the maps we had drawn the previous night.

"If the remaining land is cleared within the next few days, planting before the dry season should still be possible."

I nodded slightly while adjusting one of the papers.

"But manpower will become difficult soon," I replied calmly. "Once food becomes scarce, fewer people will agree to work unless they are desperate."

Fu Sheng’s brows furrowed slightly at that.

"And Tiger Alley will definitely notice the farm eventually."

"They already have."

His eyes lifted immediately toward me.

I leaned back slightly against the chair.

"Men from Unit Thirty passed by yesterday while we were working. They stayed longer than necessary and kept watching the land."

His expression darkened slightly.

"You think they belong to Bapo Li?"

"I am certain they do."

Fu Sheng became quiet after that, his gaze lowering back toward the map while his fingers tapped lightly against the table in thought.

Not far away, Master Fu sat together with Grandfather Fu and Grandmother Fu beneath the covered side of the courtyard. The two elders still looked somewhat tired after spending time outside in the rain the previous day, but their expressions were much better now that they had finally been allowed back into the house.

Grandmother Fu held a cup of warm tea in her hands while speaking quietly with Madame Fu whenever she occasionally stepped out of the kitchen. Master Fu interrupted their conversation from time to time with dry comments that immediately made Grandfather Fu glare at him repeatedly.

On the other side of the courtyard, Han Fuji and Fu Tong were loudly arguing over the decorations for the evening celebration.

Han Fuji looked unusually energetic this morning. After all, tonight was his wedding celebration with Bai Ming. Even though the marriage itself had already been agreed upon, he still insisted on preparing a proper celebration inside the house.

"No, the lanterns should be hung higher," Han Fuji argued seriously while pointing toward the courtyard entrance. "If they stay that low, the entire place will look cramped."

Fu Tong crossed his arms immediately.

"You are treating this like a royal banquet."

Han Fuji looked completely unapologetic.

"It is my wedding celebration. Of course it should look good."

Fu Tong clicked his tongue.

"You are more excited than a child."

"And what is wrong with that?"

Fu Tong opened his mouth to argue again but ended up failing to find a proper response.

Watching them almost made me laugh.

Almost.

Then suddenly, footsteps came from inside the house.

Everyone looked over instinctively.

Fu Teng finally walked into the courtyard.

He had already changed into clean clothing for work, and his hair had been tied neatly behind him. His expression remained as indifferent as usual, though he still looked slightly tired from lack of rest.

His gaze swept briefly across the courtyard before he frowned.

"Where is Zhao Yin?"

Fu Tong answered casually without even turning around.

"She is inside helping Aunt prepare breakfast."

The moment those words left his mouth, Fu Teng’s expression changed immediately.

His brows furrowed sharply.

Without saying another word, he turned and walked straight toward the kitchen.

Something about the way he moved made me pause slightly.

Then suddenly—

"What exactly are you doing?!"

His voice exploded through the kitchen so loudly that the entire courtyard instantly fell silent.

Everyone turned toward the kitchen at once.

I stood immediately together with Fu Sheng while the others quickly followed behind us toward the kitchen entrance. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Zhao Yin standing frozen beside the stove with surprise written clearly across her face.

Fu Teng stood directly in front of her with an unusually dark expression.

"What are you trying to do?" he demanded coldly.

Zhao Yin blinked in confusion, clearly caught off guard by his sudden anger.

"I was only helping Aunt Fu prepare breakfast—"

"Helping?" Fu Teng interrupted sharply.

His voice sounded colder than usual.

"You just arrived yesterday and you are already waking up early to cook for the family?"

The atmosphere inside the kitchen immediately became tense.

Zhao Yue stepped closer toward Zhao Yin almost instinctively.

"We offered to help ourselves," she explained carefully. "No one forced us."

But somehow that only made Fu Teng look even more irritated.

"That is not the point."

His gaze returned directly toward Zhao Yin.

"You are not married into this family yet."

The kitchen instantly fell silent.

Even the sound of boiling soup suddenly seemed quieter.

Fu Teng’s expression remained dark.

"So why are you already acting like the lady of the house?"

Zhao Yin’s face turned red almost immediately from humiliation.

"I was not trying to act like anything," she replied softly.

Fu Teng let out a cold breath.

"Then stop doing things that will make people misunderstand."

The atmosphere became heavier with every passing second.

Madame Fu frowned immediately.

"Fu Teng, that is enough."

But he barely seemed to hear her.

"You woke up before everyone else just to stand here cooking?" he continued coldly. "Do you think doing this will suddenly make everyone accept you faster?"

Zhao Yin lowered her head slightly while tightening her fingers quietly around her sleeves.

And for some reason, that only seemed to irritate Fu Teng even more.

"You should know your place first before trying to involve yourself in household matters."

The moment those words fell, the atmosphere inside the kitchen completely changed.

My eyes narrowed instantly.

Beside me, even Fu Sheng’s expression darkened slightly.

Fu Sheng stepped forward immediately, cutting through the tension in the room.

"You have nothing more to say."

His voice was calm, but firm enough that it stopped Fu Teng mid-sentence.

Fu Teng turned toward him sharply. "What?"

Fu Sheng did not move back.

"You have nothing more to say," he repeated evenly. "Because you are already going too far."

The kitchen grew quieter.

Fu Teng’s jaw tightened. "I am going too far?"

Fu Sheng’s gaze stayed steady.

A brief silence followed.

Even the sound of boiling water from the stove seemed distant.

Fu Teng’s expression darkened slightly. "So now you are defending her?"

"I am correcting you," Fu Sheng replied calmly.

His tone did not rise, but it carried weight.

Fu Teng let out a cold breath. "She still touched my things."

Fu Sheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"And your reaction to that is to stand here and humiliate her in front of everyone?"

Fu Teng opened his mouth, but Fu Sheng raised his hand slightly, stopping him again.

"Enough."

The single word cut through the air cleanly.

Fu Teng paused.

For once, he did not interrupt immediately.

Fu Sheng stepped closer, his voice lowering but becoming sharper.

"You are speaking without thinking," he said. "And you are turning a small misunderstanding into something disrespectful."

Fu Teng’s fingers tightened at his side.

Fu Sheng did not look away from him.

"I am warning you," he continued. "Do not speak like this again in this house."

The pressure in the room deepened.

Then Fu Sheng’s gaze shifted slightly toward Zhao Yin.

"And now," he said firmly, "apologize to her."

"Bu-"

Master Fu cut him off immediately.

"You have been speaking for too long without thinking."

The room fell silent.

Master Fu took another step forward, his tone turning colder.

"Shouting in the kitchen. Disrespecting a young woman in front of everyone. Turning a simple matter into a public humiliation."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is this how I raised you?"

Fu Teng’s jaw tightened. "She touched my things without asking properly and acted too familiar—"

"That is enough."

Master Fu’s voice rose slightly this time, cutting through him completely.

Fu Teng stopped mid-sentence.

For a brief moment, even his expression froze.

Master Fu’s cane tapped lightly against the floor as he stepped closer.

"You think this is about your things?" he asked coldly. "You think this is about who touched what?"

He looked at Fu Teng directly.

"This is about respect."

The word landed heavily in the room.

Fu Teng did not respond immediately.

Master Fu continued, his voice steady but firm.

"She is not your servant. She is not a stranger you can humiliate at will."

His gaze shifted briefly toward Zhao Yin, who remained quiet, her head slightly lowered.

"She helped this household without complaint."

Then his eyes returned sharply to Fu Teng.

"And you repay that with shame?"

The silence stretched.

Fu Teng’s fingers tightened slightly at his side.

Fu Sheng watched quietly, not interrupting now.

Master Fu stepped forward one final pace.

"Apologize."

The command was simple.

But absolute.

Fu Teng hesitated.

The entire kitchen waited.

Zhao Yin remained still, not looking up, her silence steady.

Fu Teng’s throat moved slightly as if he wanted to speak again, but nothing came out.

Finally—

"...I spoke too harshly."

The words were low.

But they still came.

A brief silence followed.

Master Fu did not look satisfied yet.

His gaze remained sharp.

"That is not enough."

Fu Teng’s eyes flickered slightly.

Master Fu’s voice lowered.

"Look at her."

The room tightened again.

Slowly, Fu Teng’s gaze shifted toward Zhao Yin.

She finally raised her head slightly, meeting his eyes for a moment before lowering them again, calm and unmoving.

Fu Teng exhaled faintly.

"...I apologize."

The words came more clearly this time, though still restrained.

Zhao Yin paused for a second.

Then she shook her head slightly.

"It is fine."

Her voice was soft.

Too calm.

The kind of calm that made the atmosphere feel even heavier.

Master Fu finally turned away slightly, his expression still stern.

"This is not to happen again," he said coldly.

Fu Teng lowered his eyes slightly but said nothing.