Chapter 229 -

Hanfuji froze, his body going completely stiff against the soft cushions of the carriage. The sudden question hung in the dark space between them, leaving him completely caught off guard.

A red blush crept up Hanfuji’s neck, spreading all the way to his ears. He coughed awkwardly, clearing his throat and looking everywhere except at Fu Teng’s calm, searching eyes.

“I… well, Fu Teng, what kind of weird question is that?” Hanfuji stammered, waving his hand around nervously. “Bai Ming is a woman! Why would you even ask something like that?”

Fu Teng didn’t laugh, nor did he look away. He kept his dark eyes fixed on Hanfuji’s flustered face, his expression deeply serious.

“Just answer me, Hanfuji,” Fu Teng repeated softly against the quiet creaking of the carriage wheels. “If Bai Ming were born a man… if everything else about her stayed the same her mind, her laugh, her core would you still love her? Would you still want to be with her?”

Hanfuji stopped fidgeting. He looked closely at Fu Teng, noticing the deep, heavy pain hiding behind his friend’s quiet eyes. The nervousness left Hanfuji, replaced by a thoughtful silence.

He leaned his head back against the wooden wall of the carriage, staring up at the roof as he really thought about it.

“When I fell in love with Bai Ming,” Hanfuji began slowly, his voice dropping into an honest, gentle tone, “it wasn’t just about her face or her gender. I fell in love with her courage. I loved how brave she was to escape that stupid forced marriage with Fu Tong, how she fought for her own freedom when most people would have just given up. I fell for her spirit.”

Hanfuji rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a small, quiet laugh before looking straight back into Fu Teng’s eyes.

“So… if I am being completely honest,” Hanfuji said softly, “if she had been born a man who showed that exact same incredible courage and spirit, I know my heart would have still fallen for her. True love is about who a person is deep down, not just their body.”

A heavy, comforting silence settled over the carriage.

Fu Teng leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. Hearing those words from Hanfuji brought a quiet wave of peace to his hurting heart. It proved to him that loving An Yu wasn’t wrong, he had simply fallen for An Yu’s spirit all those years ago.

“Thank you, Hanfuji,” Fu Teng whispered softly.

Hanfuji placed a firm, supportive hand on Fu Teng’s shoulder. “You don’t ever have to hide who you are around us, Fu Teng.”

Fu Teng nodded quietly as the carriage rolled through the dark, quiet streets, taking them back home.

Meanwhile, back at the pavilion, the quiet hallway felt suffocating.

An Yu was still standing on the wooden stairs, right where Fu Teng had left him. Fu Teng’s confession kept echoing in his mind over and over again.

Fourteen years old. A masked party in the capital.

It all came crashing back to him in a sudden rush. Years ago, back when he was a careless, wealthy young nobleman in the capital, he had gone to a secret party where everyone wore costumes and heavy makeup. He remembered flirting the entire night with a quiet, breathtaking person dressed as a woman, whose deep, dark eyes he could never forget. He had searched for that person for months back then before his family was exiled.

All this time, he thought it was just a distant memory. He never imagined that the person he had been looking for was the exact same stoic man who worked at his desk every single day.

“Fu Teng…” An Yu whispered into the dark, his voice shaking.

A sharp, painful guilt filled his chest. He had treated Fu Teng like a game, teasing him and giving him a wedding invitation just to get a reaction, while Fu Teng had been holding onto a quiet love for him for years.

An Yu sat down heavily on the wooden stairs, burying his face in his hands.

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the Fu residence, where the soft glow of hanging lanterns still cut through the midnight darkness.

Fu Teng and Hanfuji climbed down from the carriage. Hanfuji handed a few coins to the driver and thanked him before the carriage rolled away into the night.

Inside the compound, the house was dark and quiet, as everyone had already retired for the night. However, a warm light flickered from the kitchen window. Bai Ming was still up, finishing a few late-night chores at the counter.

Hearing their footsteps, Bai Ming turned around, wiping her hands on a cloth. “You two are back very late,” she said, looking between them with a mixture of relief and concern. “What kept you out at this hour?”

Hanfuji walked over with a soft smile and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Just clearing up some loose ends in the outer district,” he replied smoothly, his tone warm.

Bai Ming smiled, then turned her attention to Fu Teng. “Fu Teng, your dinner is up in your room. Zhao Yue had it sent up for you earlier. She’s been waiting up in your room for you to return.”

Hearing Zhao Yue’s name made Fu Teng’s chest tighten. The reminder of his own forced arrangement felt like a weight settling back onto his shoulders.

He let out a long, quiet sigh, forcing a polite nod. “I understand. I’ll go up and see her now. Thank you, Sister Bai.”

With a quiet nod to Hanfuji and Bai Ming, Fu Teng turned and walked toward the stairs, preparing himself for another conversation he didn’t have the heart for.

After he left Bai Ming turned to Han Fuji, “Are you hungry let me prepare something quick for you.”

He smirks and shakes his head pulling her closer, “I am hungry but not for food.. I think I’m finally ready to have a taste of my wife.”