Chapter 184 -

Chapter 184: Chapter

Zhengyu and Bai Kang returned to Grandmaster Zhang’s house. Sitting in the courtyard, Zhengyu handed Bai Kang a new stack of calligraphy practice sheets to focus on, while he and Ah Cheng moved to the far side of the yard.

Zhengyu placed his hands firmly on the armrests of his wheelchair, pushing himself upward. He stood still on his own two feet for a short while before his knees buckled, and he collapsed back into the chair.

"Now you can stand for at least twenty seconds! That is a huge improvement, I have to say," Ah Cheng praised, his eyes wide with genuine joy. "Why don’t we try taking a step or two?"

Zhengyu stared down at his boots, taking a deep breath. "Hmm... alright. Let’s give it a try."

He placed his hands back on the armrests and pushed himself up again. Standing up was much less painful than before; now came the hard part taking an actual step. He gripped Ah Cheng’s shoulder for support and forced his mind to focus entirely on his right leg.

Slowly, carefully, he lifted his right foot and moved it forward. It touched the stone ground firmly. He had actually moved it!

Encouraged, Zhengyu tried to lift his left leg to follow. But his knee caved in instantly, and he lost his balance, tumbling forward. Ah Cheng quickly caught him by the arms, breaking his fall before he hit the hard stone.

"Careful!" Ah Cheng gasped, helping him balance.

"Again," Zhengyu said through grit teeth.

They tried again. And again. Sweating under the midday sun, Zhengyu pushed past the burning weakness in his thighs. On his fifth attempt, he moved his right foot forward, shifted his weight, and dragged his left foot past it. Two full steps.

It was a massive improvement.

"You did it!" Ah Cheng beamed, carefully guiding Zhengyu back down into his wheelchair. "Stay right here. I’ll go get us some fresh tea and water."

While Ah Cheng stepped inside, Bai Kang took a break from his calligraphy. Seeing his master rest, the boy picked up his practice stick and started practicing the sword moves Zhengyu had taught him earlier.

Zhengyu sat back in his chair, quietly watching the boy swing the wooden stick.

Ah Cheng soon returned with a tray of refreshments, handing a cup of cool tea to Zhengyu. He leaned against the stone table, watching Zhengyu’s dark, silent eyes.

"Are you alright?" Ah Cheng asked softly. "You seem completely different today. You haven’t even asked me for any tips on teasing Yimei."

Zhengyu’s face went instant ice. His brow furrowed into a tight, harsh frown, and his jaw locked tightly.

"Don’t talk about her," Zhengyu snapped coldly, taking a stiff sip of his tea without looking up.

"Huh!" Ah Cheng was taken aback. He kept quiet, lost in his thoughts for a moment before a soft smile spread across his face.

"I see what’s going on," Ah Cheng said, chuckling as he took a sip of his tea. "The two of you are having a couple’s dispute. Ah... classic."

Zhengyu flustered, his brow furrowing as he snapped back, "We aren’t having a couple’s dispute! Are we even appropriate enough to have a fight like that? We aren’t even a real couple. This marriage was entirely arranged. We don’t love each other, and everything we do is for mutual benefit. We take down our enemies and achieve our goals, that is how it has been from the very beginning."

Zhengyu looked down at the stone floor, his jaw tight.

Ah Cheng took another slow sip of his tea, looking down at his friend.

"Listen, I don’t know much about love," Ah Cheng began quietly. "I’ve never fallen in love myself... but I watched my parents love each other for years. My mother was from a very poor background back when they lived in the capital, before my father married her and relocated here to the south. She had almost nothing to her name and was about to be married off as a concubine to an old minister. But then my father met her just a few days before the wedding was set."

Ah Cheng smiled softly at the memory. "He told her only a few words. He said, ’I don’t know much about you. I don’t even know your full name or the things that make you happy. But I know one thing, I will give you the best life I can afford, a good home, and I will never let you lack.’ That was all he said to a woman he had met just once."

Zhengyu remained silent, but his eyes shifted slightly, listening intently.

"I asked him recently if he fell in love with her at first sight," Ah Cheng continued. "He said he didn’t know what it was, but something simply drew him to her. A few days later, my mother showed up at his door with her things. She had left her home and told her parents she was marrying someone else instead of the minister. My father paid whatever debts needed to be paid, and they got married in a quiet temple."

Ah Cheng looked back at Zhengyu. "They have been together for over thirty years now, and they built a good life. My father is a completely different man around her, and he kept every word he gave her. They didn’t need years to know each other, yet they were perfect for one another. Sometimes, even when everything seems uncertain, the heart just has a way of knowing who the right person is... even if we don’t realize it until it’s almost too late."

Zhengyu sat in complete silence, Ah Cheng’s words hanging heavy in the afternoon air. He stared down at his own hands, his knuckles still white from gripping the armrests. He wanted to push the story away, to call it foolish sentimentality that had no place in his world. But deep inside, a dark, agonizing ache twisted in his chest.

He had wanted to be that man for her. Before last night, he had genuinely hoped he could protect her, give her a home, and offer her a life free of fear. But how could he ever give his heart to someone who viewed him as nothing more than a temporary pawn?

Ah Cheng patted Zhengyu’s shoulder lightly, setting his teacup down on the stone table. "Think about it, my friend. Don’t let pride ruin something before you even truly understand what you have."

Zhengyu didn’t reply. He simply tightened his jaw and looked away toward the courtyard, where Bai Kang was diligently practicing his sword stances under the bright sun.