Chapter 225 -

The quiet sound of a wooden door opening stopped the morning chatter as Fu Teng stepped out of his room. He had his heavy cloth work bag slung over his shoulder.

His face looked much less pale than before, and the dark, tired look in his eyes was finally gone.

The moment Fu Li and Fu Fei saw him, their argument over the vegetables stopped completely.

“Brother Fu Teng!” Fu Li shouted, her eyes big with happiness.

“You’re outside!” Fu Fei cried out, putting her wooden spoon down on the table with a huge smile.

Both sisters were so happy to see him up and about. It felt like everything in their family was finally going back to normal.

Bai Ming quickly walked over to the table. She set down a warm bowl of porridge and fresh bread, pulling out a chair for him.

“Fu Teng, come sit down and eat!” Bai Ming called out warmly. “The food is fresh and hot today.”

Fu Teng felt a bit nervous with everyone looking at him. He held his bag strap tightly and walked slowly to the table, his face turning a little red.

Before anyone could make it awkward, Fu Sheng walked over and placed a strong hand on Fu Teng’s shoulder.

“Listen, everyone,” Fu Sheng said loudly so everyone could hear. “Fu Teng is going back to his work today. Everything has been settled between us.”

Grandpa Fu smiled and nodded from the porch, while Madame Fu wiped a happy tear from her eye with her apron.

Fu Teng took a deep breath, looked around at his loving family, and finally sat down to eat.

Everyone sat down around the large wooden table, the warm smell of hot soup and fresh bread filling the morning air.

Su Long turned toward the courtyard and called out loudly to the playing children, “Alright, kids! Stop running around and come eat your breakfast while it’s hot!”

The children cheered and came racing over, washing their hands quickly before crowding around their own end of the table.

Just then, Wei Meilan emerged from inside the house. She walked over smoothly, her eyes soft as she took an open seat near Madame Fu. After sitting down, she cleared her throat gently to get everyone’s attention. The noisy chatter around the table slowly died down as everyone looked over at her.

“Before we eat, I want to say something,” Wei Meilan began, her voice full of deep emotion. She turned her gaze directly toward Fu Sheng and Su Long. “First, I want to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart. If not for Fu Sheng and Su Long, my children and I would never have been saved from that awful place.”

Fu Sheng gave a respectful nod, while Su Long offered her a warm, encouraging smile.

Wei Meilan took a quiet breath and continued, “Now that Tiger Alley is gone and the threat is finished, I will be taking my children back to our own home today. I need to reopen my shop and get our lives back on track. There is no need for us to stay here and burden your family any longer.”

Madame Fu looked a little sad to see them go, but she understood completely.

Su Long leaned forward slightly, her voice gentle and welcoming. “Remember, our doors are always open. You and the children can come back and visit us whenever you want.”

Wei Meilan smiled gratefully, tears glistening in her eyes as she nodded. “Thank you, Su Long. We definitely will.”

Wei Meilan turned her head slightly and gave a meaningful look toward Fu Sheng, holding his gaze for a long moment to silently thank him one last time.

Fu Sheng sat tall at the table, his face staying completely still. His eyes were calm and showed no extra emotion. He simply gave her a firm, quiet nod, acting like a man who was just doing his duty.

Su Long saw the quiet look between them and smiled softly to herself. She reached under the table and gently squeezed Fu Sheng’s hand. Fu Sheng immediately squeezed her hand back, his still face softening at her gentle touch.

“Alright then!” Madame Fu said with a big smile, breaking the silence. “Since it’s your last meal here for now, Meilan, make sure you and the kids eat until your bellies are completely full!”

After breakfast, Fu Teng picked up his heavy work bag and walked out of the compound, heading straight toward An Yu’s Pavilion.

When he reached the building, he stopped in his tracks. The pavilion had already had its grand opening while he was away, and the entire place was overflowing with people. Rough laborers, local guards, and exiled commoners filled the main room, buying supplies and talking loudly. Even in these barren lands, the pavilion was clearly thriving.

Looking at the busy crowd, a wave of doubt hit Fu Teng’s chest. He stared at the grand entrance, wondering to himself if

An Yu would even still need him here after everything that had happened.

Taking a deep breath, Fu Teng finally stepped inside.

Before he could take more than a few steps into the main hall, Manager Song spotted him from across the room. Manager Song’s eyes widened, and he immediately ran over to Fu Teng, looking both relieved and flustered.

“Fu Teng! Where on earth have you been these past few days?” Manager Song asked quickly. “We’ve been so busy!”

Fu Teng looked down slightly and gave a short, quiet reply. “I had some personal family matters to clear up.”

Manager Song didn’t press any further, but he quickly patted Fu Teng’s shoulder. “Well, you’re back just in time. Master An Yu gave strict orders earlier. He said that if you were to show up, you should report to his office immediately!”

Fu Teng didn’t bother waiting to be invited upstairs. He walked straight up the wooden steps and pushed open the office door without knocking.

The room was large, designed for two people. Fu Teng’s own desk sat directly opposite An Yu’s main desk, just as it had always been. Sitting behind the main desk was An Yu.

Hearing the door open, An Yu raised his eyes. A look of clear satisfaction crossed his attractive face as he saw who had walked in.

“You’re late by a few days,” An Yu said, his voice smooth and playful as he leaned back in his chair. “I was beginning to think you ran off.”

Fu Teng walked straight to his own desk, tossing his heavy work bag onto the surface with a dull thud. He didn’t use formal titles, nor did he bother with polite excuses.

“I had family business to handle,” Fu Teng said bluntly, pulling out his chair and sitting down. He looked right across the room into An Yu’s eyes. “Are you going to fire me, or should I get to work?”

An Yu let out a soft, amused laugh, his dark eyes lingering on Fu Teng with obvious affection. He found Fu Teng’s cold, straightforward attitude far more interesting than the sweet words of anyone else in the barren lands.

“Fire you?” An Yu chuckled, resting his chin in his hand as he stared across at him. “And miss out on looking at your face every day? Not a chance.”

He reached over and slid a thick stack of medical accounts to the edge of Fu Teng’s desk.

“Get to work, Fu Teng. Your desk has been waiting for you.”

Fu Teng just gave a short grunt, pulling the papers closer without another word, though the tension in his shoulders completely melted away.