Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 42 -

"I’m tired of eating buns. Buy a lot of meat. Don’t buy anything cheap, I want expensive meat," Fu Fong blabbed as he walked through the market with Bai Ming, who rolled her eyes at each word he said.

My aunt only gave me 100 taels. I already spent 20 trying to capture Su Long. I mustn’t spend recklessly like this fool, she thought.

Just then, she caught sight of the same man she had paid to kidnap Su Long. He was trying to signal to her from afar. Bai Ming panicked, staring at him with a confused look, then glanced at Fu Fong, who was walking lazily.

"Umm... honey, here you go. Take this basket. You go shopping, get what you want, alright?" she said, handing him the basket and 30 taels.

Seeing the 30 taels, Fu Fong frowned.

"30 taels? You witch, what do you think of me? Do I look like a beggar to you, huh?"

Fu Fong grabbed her arm and forcefully removed the money pouch from her sleeve.

"THIS is what I’m talking about."

With that, he grinned, took the basket, and walked away, not caring where she was going.

He had taken all the money from her.

Bai Ming felt like pushing him off a cliff at that point. Then she remembered her aunt. She would surely give her way more money.

She sighed and sneakily walked toward the man, making sure no one saw them.

"You. Why are you contacting me? Have you completed the job?" she asked in a hiss.

With a strange grin, the man laughed.

"Of course I have. Getting it done was easy, but you see... I would need you to come check and confirm if I captured the right person, so there won’t be any problems later on."

Bai Ming frowned.

"Right person? What rubbish are you talking about? I specifically pointed out the woman you were to catch. Don’t tell me you caught the wrong person, you fool?"

The man laughed again, scratching the back of his head as if confused.

"Well... this is a market. Who knows whether there was another woman standing near the one you pointed at? I might have missed her. Just come and see if she’s who you want, and then you can go. Quick and fast."

Placing her hands on her waist, Bai Ming stomped her foot slightly before sighing and eventually agreeing to follow him before time ran out.

"Fine. Lead the way."

......

The man led Bai Ming away from the noisy market, his steps quick but natural, weaving through the narrow paths between stalls until the sounds of bargaining voices and footsteps slowly faded behind them, replaced by an uneasy quiet that made the air feel heavier with every step she took.

Soon, they reached a familiar place.

It was the same dark, hidden corner he had used before.

Bai Ming stopped the moment she stepped inside, her nose wrinkling as she looked around with a clear look of disgust, the space damp, poorly lit, and carrying the faint smell of dust and something rotten.

She was just about to speak.

Just about to ask where Su Long was.

But before a single word could leave her mouth, strong hands suddenly grabbed her from behind.

Her eyes widened instantly.

"Wha—?!"

The sound never fully came out.

He forced her down without hesitation, his movements fast and rough as she struggled in pure shock, her body twisting violently while panic surged through her chest, but the strength behind those hands was overwhelming, leaving her completely powerless.

Within seconds, a long robe was wrapped tightly around her arms.

The fabric dug painfully into her wrists as he secured it firmly, leaving no space for movement no matter how hard she tried to resist.

"Ngh—mmph!"

A cloth was shoved over her mouth.

Pressed hard.

Her breathing turned sharp and frantic, muffled cries trapped uselessly behind the thick fabric as fear flooded her mind, her eyes shaking with disbelief at what was unfolding.

Utter shock.

A wide smile stretched across his face as he dusted his hands lightly, as though he had just finished some ordinary task.

"You can scream all you want," he said casually, his voice almost amused, "but no one will hear you, and no one will come help you... trust me."

Bai Ming’s eyes trembled violently as he just chuckled.

"You’re shocked, huh?" he continued, tilting his head slightly. "Shocked that your clever little plan ended up backfiring on you instead."

He let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I’m truly sorry," he added, though his grin said otherwise, "but the only clients I accept... are the ones who pay me best."

With that, he reached into his robe.

And then he threw two heavy pouches onto the ground.

Clink.

Clink.

The unmistakable sound of taels echoed in the small space.

Bai Ming’s pupils shrank.

Her entire body froze.

The man bent slightly, picking them up again with clear delight, tossing them lightly in his palm as happiness and greed shone openly across his face.

"Business is business," he said smoothly. "And unfortunately for you... Su Long pays far better."

.....

In the original script, Su Long was taken captive by this man, and because of that, the head guards assumed she had escaped. So instead of continuing to search for her, they punished her husband instead and that husband was Fu Sheng.

My poor Fu Sheng was beaten with fifty strokes, a punishment capable of crippling anyone. Yet he endured it all. Even after that brutal punishment, he still went out to search for her.

If he hadn’t found her, she would have been sold off and later become a slave. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

But even after he saved her, the original Su Long was still a fool. She blamed Fu Sheng for not saving her earlier than expected, completely ignoring the fact that he had just undergone a severe beating.

That entire scene only showed how ignorant and stupid the original Su Long was, and how, despite all her past actions, Fu Sheng, for the sake of their marriage, suffered and did his best to save her, even when all he received in return were insults.

Sigh.

She really was a fool.

Anyway, this time, I surely wouldn’t let Bai Ming and Li Manman have their way. I would backfire and double their suffering. They think they can outsmart me... haha... fools.

After I returned to the market, I looked around to see if I would find Fu Sheng, but I couldn’t find him.

I pouted, still scanning the crowded market, my eyes moving from one stall to another, from strangers to vendors, yet nowhere did I catch sight of the one face I was looking for, and just as my irritation began to rise, I turned around—

Only to freeze.

Fu Sheng stood not far from me.

His arms were full of bundles, stacked awkwardly yet held firmly, and behind him, was a wagon. A new wagon.

But that wasn’t what truly caught my attention.

It was his face.

He was staring at me.

And the expression he wore... it made my breath hitch.

Fu Sheng looked as though he was caught between two completely different urges, as if one part of him wanted to strangle me for disappearing without a word, while the other wanted nothing more than to pull me close and never let go again.

I was good at reading faces, though most of the times, his facial expression were very heard to read, this one was completely different

And I knew I wasn’t wrong.

Before I could say anything, before I could even process the emotions flickering across his eyes, he began walking toward me.

He stopped beside the wagon first, placing the bundles down one by one with controlled movements, his jaw tight, his silence louder than any anger.

Then he turned.

And walked straight to me.

My lips parted instantly.

"I can expla—"

I didn’t even get to finish as strong arms immediately wrapped around me without warning.

Fu Sheng pulled me into a hug so suddenly that my body collided against his chest, the force of it stealing the rest of my words, my mind going blank for a brief second as I stood there, stunned.

His grip was tight, but it wasn’t painful, rather it was comforting.

For a moment, I couldn’t move or speak, All I could hear was the steady, rapid beating of his heart against my ear.

"You..." he muttered quietly.

His voice was low and hoarse.

"You really..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

But I could feel it. That faint, almost invisible tremble in his arms.

And suddenly, my playful thoughts vanished.

"...Fu Sheng?" I said softly.

Immediately, I called out his name. He pulled back and turned around, not facing me.

"Don’t go moving and walking around like you own this village. It isn’t safe here. Don’t leave my side next time. Do you understand?" His voice was low.

I knew teasing him right now would be annoying instead of cute, so I just nodded.

"I understand, and... I’m sorry."