Chapter 230 -

Fu Teng pushed open the heavy wooden door to his room. The faint scent of jasmine incense drifted out into the hallway, mixed with the warm glow of a single candle burning on the table.

Zhao Yue was sitting near the small desk, leaning her chin on her hand as her head nodded off in tiredness. Hearing the door creak open, she startled awake, her eyes instantly brightening when she saw him.

“Fu Teng, you’re back!” she said softly, standing up quickly to smooth out her robes. She gestured toward the covered tray on the small table. “I kept your food warm. I knew you would be tired after working so late at the pavilion.”

Fu Teng stood near the doorway, looking at her gentle, hopeful face. She was a good woman, kind, respectful, and entirely innocent in this mess. Yet, looking at her only made his heart feel heavier, weighed down by the truth he had carried all night.

“Zhao Yue, you shouldn’t have waited for me,” Fu Teng said quietly, his voice dry and flat as he walked further into the room. He didn’t sit down. “It’s past midnight. You need your rest.”

Zhao Yue looked at Fu Teng, her initial timidness fading. Instead of looking hurt, her expression turned calm, mature, and deeply perceptive. She stepped closer to the table, her eyes clear as she looked straight at him.

“You don’t need to tread so carefully around me, Fu Teng,” she said softly, her voice steady. “I know about your heart. I know you prefer men.”

Fu Teng froze, his breath catching in his throat. He stared at her in complete shock, stunned by how outspoken and direct she was being. He had expected tears, confusion, or anger, but there was only calm understanding in her eyes.

“I didn’t bring dinner up here tonight to play the dutiful fiancée,” Zhao Yue continued smoothly. “I came to ask you directly: do you truly want to marry me? Because I refuse to spend my life bound to someone who cannot love me. If all we can ever be is friends, I am more than content with that. I value honesty over a hollow marriage.”

Fu Teng stood motionless for a long moment, the silence in the room heavy between them. Looking at her, the last of his defenses crumbled. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her.

“No,” Fu Teng admitted quietly, his voice raspy with emotion. “I cannot give you the love you deserve, Zhao Yue. My heart… belongs to someone else.”

A faint, sad smile touched Zhao Yue’s lips, but she nodded in relief, glad to have the truth at last.

“Thank you for being honest with me,” she said gently. “Don’t worry about the families. Tomorrow, I will go to my parents and yours, and I will tell them that I am the one breaking off the engagement. I’ll make sure the blame falls on me so you won’t bear any burden or shame from the elders.”

Fu Teng looked at her, deeply moved and immensely grateful for her grace. “Zhao Yue… you don’t have to do that—”

“I want to,” she interrupted firmly. She reached out, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on his forearm, and looked into his tired eyes with a small piece of advice.

“Life in these barren lands is already far too short and full of misery, Fu Teng. Don’t let pride or fear keep you from chasing the person your heart actually beats for. Go after them before it’s too late.”

Later that night…

Inside Hanfuji’s room, a single candle burned low, throwing dim shadows across the wooden walls.

Hanfuji lay on the bed, holding Bai Ming close. They had finally consummated their marriage as husband and wife. It gave him a deep sense of relief to know she truly trusted him now. But alongside that happiness, a heavy wave of fear kept his mind spinning.

He slowly sat up, resting his back against the headboard as the blanket slipped to his waist. His thoughts were far away.

Bai Ming felt the sudden cold air as he moved away. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, noticing how tense his body felt. She sat up beside him, pulling the sheet over her chest to cover herself.

“Hanfuji… are you okay?” she asked softly.

Hanfuji looked at her and forced a small smile. “I’m fine, my love. Just thinking.”

Bai Ming did not believe him. She reached out, placing a soft hand on his arm. “Don’t lie to me. What is wrong?”

Hanfuji let out a long breath, his smile completely disappearing. “My job here in the barren lands is finished, Bai Ming. I have to go back to the capital and report to the Emperor.”

Bai Ming went completely still, her breath catching in her throat.

“I didn’t go to the outer district tonight,” Hanfuji admitted, looking down at his hands. “I went to see the local magistrate. He had news for me. Because we are officially married now, I can ask the Emperor to grant freedom to you and your children. You were only sent to these barren lands because of your ex-husband’s family. Now that you are divorced and married to me, you and your kids have a real chance to leave this place and live a good life.”

It was life-changing news, a real chance at freedom and safety back in the capital.

Instead of looking happy, Bai Ming felt her heart sink. Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head softly. Leave the Fu family? Leave the people who had protected her and treated her like real family when she had nowhere else to turn?

“No…” Bai Ming whispered, her voice shaking. “Hanfuji… I can’t just leave the Fu family behind.”

Hanfuji looked at her with deep, gentle understanding, his eyes warm as he reached out to brush a stray tear from her cheek. He knew how much the Fu family meant to her and to him. They had been a shield for both of them when their lives were falling apart.

“I know, Bai Ming,” Hanfuji said softly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close against his chest. “I am not asking you to forget them or cut them off. But this is a real chance for your children to grow up without the stain of exile. They can have a real future in the capital.”

He looked up at the dark ceiling, his voice dropping into a quiet, honest whisper.

“It’s not just about duty for me, either,” Hanfuji admitted, his breath warm against her hair. “Over these past months, I have grown so deeply attached to them too. Fu Sheng has become like my own best friend. Madame Fu is so kind and warm, just like a real mother to me. And Su Long… she feels like my own younger sister. They are my family now, Bai Ming. Leaving them behind… that was something I was never prepared for either.”

Bai Ming rested her forehead against his chest, tears spilling over her eyelashes as she listened to his words. Hearing that he loved them just as much brought a quiet comfort to her aching heart.

“We aren’t abandoning them,” Hanfuji reassured her firmly, tightening his embrace. “If I return to the capital with my standing restored, I will have real power and influence. I can work from the inside to help the Fu family. I can fight for their pardon or at least make their lives here much easier. But to do any of that, I have to go back.”

Bai Ming stayed silent for a long moment, listening to the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. She thought of her children, their innocent eyes and the bright future they deserved away from these harsh, unforgiving barren lands.

Slowly, she let out a long, trembling breath and nodded against his chest. “Promise me…” she whispered, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Promise me you won’t forget them. Promise me we will do everything we can to clear the Fu family’s name too.”

Hanfuji leaned down, pressing a long, warm kiss to her forehead. “I promise you, Bai Ming. On my life.”