Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 56 -

I woke slowly, my thoughts heavy and sluggish, and the first thing I became aware of was the dull, throbbing pain sitting stubbornly inside my head. My hand lifted instinctively to my forehead, and the sharp sting beneath the bandage made a soft hiss escape my lips before I could stop it.

"...Ah..."

For a brief moment, my vision blurred, the dim morning light mixing with the lingering exhaustion still weighing down my body. I blinked slowly, forcing my eyes to adjust.

Then I noticed movement.

Naturally, I expected Fu Sheng to be the first thing I saw. After everything that happened last night, it would have been perfectly in character for him to sit beside me like some silent guard dog.

But instead, Fu Li and Fu Fei stood near the blankets on the floor, quietly folding the bedding from the night before as though nothing extraordinary had happened.

I blinked faintly.

"...Oh."

Fu Li turned at the sound.

"Sister-in-law!"

Her voice burst out with far too much energy for someone who nearly turned into forest mud hours ago. Speaking of mud.. how am i so clean?

i stared down at myself, i was no wearing one of the clothes i had got from the marlet yesterday with Fu Sheng, i didn’t even look like i just went though a mud bathe.

My eyelid twitched.

"...You’re incredibly loud for morning."

She ignored that completely, rushing toward me with wide, relieved eyes, her face lighting up in a way that made it seem as though I had returned from death itself.

"You’re awake!"

Fu Fei followed behind her, noticeably calmer.

"How are you feeling?"

I shifted slightly.

Immediate regret.

Pain shot through my head like lightning.

"...Like I lost a very unfair fight."

Fu Li’s bright expression instantly crumbled, guilt washing over her face so quickly it was almost dramatic.

"I’m sorry, Sister-in-law..."

I looked at her, unimpressed... since when did she start calling me ’sister in-law..’ that’s weird, maybe i hit my head to hard.

"...Why exactly are you apologizing?"

She lowered her head.

"If not for me—"

I sighed softly, cutting her off before she could spiral into another emotional breakdown.

"You’re alive. That’s enough."

She blinked at me, clearly not expecting that response... after everything that had occurred she better start using her brains.. there’s no way I’m going in on another reckless heroine act. AUTHOR I HOPE YOU ARE LISTENING, SIGH!.. PLEASE KEEP HER IN CHECK.

Fu Fei smiled faintly.

Outside, distant footsteps and voices drifted past the cabin, the low murmur of villagers already awake and moving about. The storm had softened, replaced now by the quiet rhythm of morning life.

Fu Fei glanced toward the door.

"Everyone went to collect breakfast."

My brow lifted slightly.

"...Everyone?"

Fu Li nodded quickly.

"Even Brother."

A faint smirk tugged at my lips.

"...He didn’t want to leave, did he?"

Fu Li shook her head.

"Mother forced him."

Of course she did.

I leaned back into the pillow, releasing a slow breath as the lingering tension in my body eased slightly.

For once...

Everything felt strangely peaceful.

Just as the quiet calm settled over the room, voices drifted in from outside, footsteps approaching the cabin before Fu Tong’s familiar voice rang clearly through the morning air.

"Brother, you’re back—"

The sentence never finished.

The door burst open.

Sunlight poured in instantly, bright and sharp, swallowing the dimness of the room as Fu Sheng stood at the entrance, his tall frame blocking most of the light behind him.

His chest rose and fell heavily, his breathing uneven, faint beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. His hair, slightly damp, stuck loosely against his skin as though he had rushed back without stopping even once.

For a brief second, no one spoke, His eyes were already fixed on me.

And mine on him.

The air between us grew strangely still, the silence stretching in a way that felt far louder than words. His gaze moved quickly across my face, as though checking, confirming, making absolutely sure that I was truly awake.

Neither of us said anything, We simply stared at each other.

Then, "Ahem."

Fu Fei’s soft cough cut cleanly through the tension.

I blinked faintly.

Fu Sheng seemed to snap back slightly.

Without a word, Fu Fei calmly reached for Fu Li’s hand, gently pulling her along as she moved toward the door.

"Let’s give them a moment."

Fu Li looked between us, clearly curious and unwilling to leave, but Fu Fei dragged her out before she could protest.

The door closed quietly.

And just like that the room fell silent again.

Fu Sheng remained standing near the door for a few moments after Fu Li and Fu Fei left, his eyes still fixed on me as though he needed to make sure I was truly awake.

Then he slowly walked toward the bed.

His steps were quiet, almost hesitant.

I shifted slightly against the pillow and gently tapped the empty space beside me.

"Come sit."

He paused for a brief second, looking unsure, but after a small hesitation, he finally sat down beside me.

Awkwardly.

His posture was stiff, his shoulders tense, his hands resting uncertainly on his knees. He looked strangely uneasy, like someone who did not know what to say or do.

I stared at him for a moment.

Then a small laugh escaped my lips.

Fu Sheng frowned slightly.

"...Why are you laughing?"

I shook my head lightly, unable to hide my smile.

"Nothing."

He continued staring at me, clearly unconvinced.

I smiled wider.

"I just find my husband very cute."

Fu Sheng froze instantly.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Without hesitation, I lifted my hand and gently placed it on his head, slowly patting his hair.

Softly, Like he was a child.

Fu Sheng stiffened.

"...Su Long."

But he did not move away or stop me and that alone made my smile deepen.

Then I noticed something.

He had gone completely silent.

My hand slowed, Fu Sheng was no longer reacting.

He was simply staring at me.

His eyes were fixed on mine, his expression unreadable yet strangely soft, as though he had forgotten everything else around him.

For a brief moment, he looked lost.

And then I saw it.

The tips of his ears slowly turning red. I blinked faintly.

A pleased smile appeared on my lips.

Ah...

So this cold husband could actually blush.

I gently continued patting his head, my heart feeling unexpectedly light.

Little by little... that awkardness faded.

His eyes slowly moved away from mine, and the quiet warmth that had filled his expression just moments ago disappeared as he lowered his gaze, his face turning unreadable in a way that immediately told me something inside him had shifted.

The air between us changed so suddenly that even my smile faded.

Thinking that perhaps I had gone too far with my teasing, I began to slowly pull my hand away from his head, my fingers barely brushing his hair as I tried to withdraw.

But before my hand could fully leave him, Fu Sheng suddenly reached up and caught my wrist.

My breath hitched faintly.

There was no warning, no hesitation, only that firm grip as he pulled me forward, my body moving instinctively before I could even react, and within seconds I found myself pressed tightly against his chest.

The hug came so abruptly that my mind blanked.

For a brief moment, I sat frozen in surprise, my body stiff, my thoughts scattered, yet the warmth of his embrace slowly seeped through the shock, melting the tension in my muscles until I finally relaxed against him.

Ah...

So this was what he needed.

Carefully, I lifted my arms and wrapped them gently around him, my movements slow, my fingers resting softly against his back as though even the slightest force might break something fragile.

Fu Sheng held onto me tightly.

Too tightly.

There was an urgency in his grip, a silent desperation that made it clear he was not hugging me out of habit or comfort, but from something far deeper, something he could not put into words.

Then I felt it.

His hand.

Moving slowly through my hair.

The touch was gentle, almost trembling, nothing like the composed, distant man he usually was, and without thinking, my own fingers slid upward, lightly stroking his damp hair in quiet response.

The silence stretched around us was heavy.

And then, very softly, his voice trembled near my ear.

"I... I am sorry."

My fingers stilled.

His grip tightened faintly.

"I promised that I would not allow even a single scratch to appear on you..."

His voice wavered.

"...yet here you are."

Something inside my chest tightened painfully.

"I am sorry for failing you."

The words were quiet, fragile, and for a moment I simply remained in his arms, listening to the guilt woven into every syllable, feeling the weight of emotions he rarely allowed himself to show.

Slowly, my arms tightened gently around him.

"...Fu Sheng."

My voice softened.

Because at that moment, that apology felt far heavier than my injury.