Chapter 196 -
Chapter 196: Chapter
Master Fu looked directly at Fu Teng, his expression stern and unyielding as he spoke in a voice that left no room for argument.
"If you insist on walking out of this house after everything that has happened this morning, then perhaps you no longer consider yourself a member of this family."
The words immediately caused the entire hall to fall silent.
Madam Fu’s face turned pale.
Grandfather Fu slowly lowered his teacup.
Even Fu Fei and Fu Li stopped trying to speak.
Nobody had expected Master Fu to say something so severe.
Fu Teng stood motionless near the doorway.
His face was dark, and the anger he had been suppressing all morning was now plainly visible.
For several moments, he simply stared at his father.
Then he let out a cold laugh.
"So now everyone has decided that I am the one in the wrong."
Nobody answered.
Fu Teng’s gaze swept across the room.
He looked at Fu Sheng.
Then at me.
Then at his parents.
The disappointment in his eyes was obvious.
"What exactly have I done?"
His voice was no longer loud, but that only made the atmosphere heavier.
"Nobody will tell me the reason."
"Nobody will explain anything."
"You all keep telling me to listen, to obey, and to stay home, but not one person is willing to tell me why."
His eyes landed on Fu Sheng again.
"You expect me to give up my work."
"You expect me to agree to a marriage within a few days."
"And you expect me to accept all of this without a single explanation."
The room remained silent.
Seeing that nobody intended to answer him, Fu Teng’s expression became even colder.
"Fine."
He nodded slowly.
"Since none of you are willing to explain anything, then there is nothing left for me to say."
With those words, he abruptly turned around.
Instead of heading toward the gate, however, he changed direction and strode toward the inner courtyard.
His movements were quick and filled with obvious frustration.
"Fu Teng—"
Madam Fu called after him anxiously.
But he did not stop.
He did not even turn around.
Everyone watched as he disappeared down the corridor before entering his room with heavy footsteps.
A moment later, the sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the residence.
Bang.
The noise seemed to shake the entire hall.
Nobody spoke afterward.
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Madam Fu lowered herself back into her seat and pressed a hand against her forehead.
Master Fu let out a long breath.
Grandfather Fu closed his eyes.
Fu Fei and Fu Li exchanged helpless looks.
Meanwhile, Fu Sheng remained standing exactly where he was.
Although his expression appeared calm on the surface, the tightness in his jaw revealed that he was no less troubled than anyone else.
As for me, I could only stare in the direction of Fu Teng’s room and quietly sigh.
Because I knew that forcing him to stay had only solved one problem.
The much bigger problem was that nobody had any idea how to make him understand why.
...
The hall gradually became quiet after Fu Teng stormed away.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
The atmosphere felt heavy and uncomfortable.
Eventually, Grandfather Fu let out a long sigh and slowly rose from his seat. Grandma Fu followed after him, shaking her head as they left the hall together.
Fu Li and Fu Fei exchanged worried glances before quietly excusing themselves as well.
Even Zhao Yue left without saying anything.
Although she had tried her best to remain calm throughout the argument, the tension had clearly exhausted her.
One by one, the others slowly departed until only a handful of people remained.
By the time the hall finally settled into silence, only Master Fu, Madam Fu, Han Fuji, Fu Sheng, and I were left behind.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Master Fu sat quietly in his chair with one hand pressed against his forehead.
Madam Fu looked no better.
The argument between her sons had obviously shaken her.
As for Han Fuji, the usual playful expression on his face had completely disappeared.
The atmosphere was far too serious for jokes.
Finally, Master Fu lowered his hand and looked directly at Fu Sheng.
This time, there was no anger in his eyes.
Only seriousness.
"Now that everyone is gone," he said slowly, "I want the truth."
The hall immediately became silent again.
Fu Sheng remained standing where he was.
His expression did not change.
Master Fu continued staring at him.
"You have never behaved this way before."
His voice was calm but firm.
"You threatened your own brother."
"You nearly drove him out of the house."
"You insisted he quit his work."
"And now you are insisting that he marry Zhao Yue immediately."
Master Fu paused.
Then he asked the question everyone wanted answered.
"What exactly is going on?"
Beside him, Madam Fu immediately nodded.
Her eyes were filled with worry.
"Your father is right."
She looked at Fu Sheng anxiously.
"Even now, I still don’t understand."
Her voice softened.
"If something is wrong, then tell us."
"If someone has caused trouble, tell us."
"If Fu Teng has done something, then still tell us."
She swallowed.
"But don’t keep treating us like outsiders."
The hall fell quiet once more.
I looked toward Fu Sheng.
For several moments, he didn’t speak.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Then his gaze shifted toward me.
I already knew what he was thinking.
The truth was simply too complicated to explain.
At least, not yet.
After several seconds, Fu Sheng finally looked back toward his parents.
His voice was calm when he spoke.
"I can’t explain it right now."
The answer immediately caused Madam Fu’s expression to fall.
Master Fu’s brows knitted together.
But before either of them could interrupt, Fu Sheng continued.
"I know it sounds unreasonable."
"I know none of this makes sense."
"And I know everyone thinks I’m overreacting."
He paused briefly.
Then his voice became firmer.
"But I need you to trust me."
The room became silent.
Master Fu studied his son carefully.
Fu Sheng rarely asked people to trust him blindly.
In fact, he almost never did.
Which only made the situation feel more serious.
Fu Sheng took a slow breath.
Then he continued.
"I cannot tell you everything yet."
"Not because I don’t want to."
"But because I don’t have enough proof."
His gaze lowered briefly.
"If I speak too soon and I turn out to be wrong, the consequences will affect the entire family."
Those words immediately caused Master Fu’s expression to change slightly.
Even Madam Fu became more serious.
Fu Sheng wasn’t speaking like someone acting on emotion.
He was speaking like someone carrying a burden.
A very heavy burden.
After a moment, Master Fu asked quietly,
"Then what are you asking from us?"
Fu Sheng answered immediately.
"I’m asking you to trust me."
His gaze remained steady.
"And I’m asking you not to interfere with this matter."
Madam Fu frowned.
"Not interfere?"
Fu Sheng nodded.
"For now."
Silence followed.
Then Master Fu leaned back in his chair.
His eyes remained fixed on his eldest son.
"And Fu Teng?"
The moment those words were spoken, Fu Sheng’s expression hardened again.
There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation.
"Fu Teng will marry Zhao Yue."
The certainty in his voice startled everyone.
Even Han Fuji looked surprised.
Master Fu frowned deeply.
"You sound very certain."
"I am."
"But Fu Teng clearly disagrees."
Fu Sheng remained calm.
"He can disagree now."
His voice remained steady.
"But sooner or later, that marriage will happen."
Madam Fu stared at him in disbelief.
"You’ve already decided that?"
Fu Sheng nodded.
"Yes."
The firmness in his answer left no room for argument.
I simply watched the conversation unfold quietly.
Because unlike everyone else in the room, I already understood why Fu Sheng was being so stubborn.
The problem was that he could not tell them.
Not yet.
Eventually, Master Fu released a long breath.
The exhaustion on his face became obvious.
For the first time that morning, he looked much older than usual.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Very well."
Everyone looked toward him.
Master Fu shook his head slowly.
"I still don’t understand what is happening."
His gaze moved between Fu Sheng and me.
"And honestly, I dislike being kept in the dark."
He paused.
Then his voice softened slightly.
"But if both of you are standing on the same side..."
His eyes lingered on us.
"Then perhaps there is a reason."
The hall became quiet.
Madam Fu looked unconvinced, but she didn’t argue.
Because deep down, she knew exactly what her husband meant.
Neither Fu Sheng nor I were impulsive people.
If both of us were willing to create this much conflict, then something serious was undoubtedly hiding beneath the surface.
Master Fu slowly rose from his seat.
As he did, he looked toward Fu Sheng one final time.
"I will trust you."
Fu Sheng’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
But before he could speak, Master Fu raised a finger.
"However..."
His expression became stern again.
"You had better make sure all of this is worth it."
The hall fell silent.
Because everyone understood what those words meant.
If Fu Sheng was wrong, the damage caused by today’s argument would not be easy to repair.
But if he was right...
Then today’s conflict might only be the beginning.