Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

The courtyard of the Fu family's old house is decorated with warm yellow string lights, and the carved pillars reflect the moonlight, making the blue brick floor look warm and smooth.

As Liu Yunshu stepped into the banquet hall in her stiletto heels, the hem of her silk dress swept across the threshold.

The soft, powdery sheen shimmered under the crystal chandelier, like crushed moonlight wrapped in rouge, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

Fu Jingming was accompanying Su Manli to greet the elders when he turned his head and caught sight of her. His pupils suddenly contracted, and the champagne glass in his hand almost spilled.

Su Manli followed his gaze, and the gentle smile on her face instantly froze, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

Liu Yunshu looked so stunning today.

The soft pink silk dress hugged her slender figure, and the perfect curve of the neckline revealed her beautiful collarbone.

"Yun Shu is here?"

Grandpa Fu's voice broke the brief silence.

He sat in the main seat, tapping his cane lightly on the ground, a kind smile appearing in his eyes.

"Come here quickly and let Grandpa take a look."

Liu Yunshu gently lifted her skirt, stepped forward gracefully, and curtsied slightly.

When she looked up, her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, her eyes shimmered with just the right amount of gentleness, and her voice was soft and sweet, as if it were soaked in honey.

Grandpa, I wish you good health and longevity.

"Good boy, sit here."

The old man took her hand and looked at her with a pleased expression.

"This outfit is a great choice; it makes Yun Shu look even more beautiful."

Fu Jingming's Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously wanted to step forward, but Su Manli secretly pulled him back.

A gentle smile quickly spread across her face as she strode to Liu Yunshu's side, reaching out to affectionately take her arm.

"Yunshu, you look so beautiful today! This dress suits you perfectly."

Just as her fingertips were about to touch Liu Yunshu's sleeve, she turned slightly to the side, naturally avoiding it.

Su Manli's hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on her face cracked.

Liu Yunshu looked up at her, her eyes filled with innocent clarity, her voice still soft and gentle:

"Sister Manli looks good too; the off-white dress suits you very well."

Su Manli's fingertips froze in mid-air, and she almost lost her composure.

She could only awkwardly withdraw her hand, her fingertips twisting the hem of her skirt, a flash of resentment crossing her eyes.

She suppressed her displeasure, her voice still trembling softly: "Sister, you jest. How could I compare to your radiance?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Jingming finally broke free from her grasp and strode up to Liu Yunshu.

His gaze was fixed on her, filled with undisguised amazement and a hint of panic: "Yun Shu, you look so good today..."

"Brother Jingming."

Liu Yunshu interrupted him, the gentleness in her eyes fading slightly, replaced by a hint of aloofness.

"Grandpa is still waiting. We'll talk later."

She turned and walked to the empty seat next to the head of the table, her silk skirt brushing against Fu Jingming's trouser leg.

A faint rose fragrance lingered, more refreshing and captivating than he could ever remember.

Fu Jingming's Adam's apple bobbed, and a strong sense of loss welled up in his heart for no apparent reason.

It was as if something precious was quietly slipping away from his fingertips.

Su Manli followed closely behind, sitting on the other side of Liu Yunshu, and casually mentioned:

"Sister Yunshu, yesterday A-Ming said he would take you to pick out a dress, but I didn't expect you to choose such a beautiful one yourself. It saved you a lot of trouble."

Her words were loaded with meaning, implying that Liu Yunshu was ungrateful and had rejected Fu Jingming's kindness.

Liu Yunshu picked up the cup of warm water from the table, her fingertips tracing the rim of the cup, her voice soft yet sharp:

"Yes, what you choose yourself is always more to your liking, unlike some people who are always thinking about coveting what others have."

She looked up at Su Manli, her eyes filled with innocent clarity.

"Sister Manli, are you right?"

Su Manli's face turned pale. She hadn't expected her to be so direct in her attack, and she was speechless for a moment.

Fu Jingming quickly tried to smooth things over: "Yun Shu, Manli was just trying to be kind, don't misunderstand."

"I didn't misunderstand."

Liu Yunshu put down her water glass, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

"I just think that feelings are like clothes; the best ones are the ones that suit you."

"A forced relationship is never sweet, and something snatched away may not even feel comfortable to wear."

Old Master Fu was incredibly astute and had already seen through the situation. His gaze towards Fu Jingming revealed a hint of disappointment and displeasure.

Liu Yunshu is the granddaughter of his old comrade-in-arms, who entrusted the child to him before his death.

He genuinely hoped that this girl could live a peaceful life in the Fu family and be cherished by others.

But Fu Jingming's clueless behavior really disheartened him.

Grandpa Fu put down his teacup, the porcelain cup clinking against the table with a crisp sound, and the banquet hall instantly quieted down.

He glanced at Fu Jingming, his gaze as deep and dark as ink soaked in water.

"Jingming, Yunshu is right. When it comes to relationships, the worst thing is to be indecisive. You need to be responsible and know how to cherish what you have."

Upon hearing this, Madam Fu's hand holding the teacup paused abruptly, and she frowned in displeasure.

She had always looked down on Liu Yunshu's background as an orphan.

They felt that since this girl had no family background to rely on and could not bring any help to the Fu family, it was already a great honor for her to marry Jingming.

Although Su Manli's sudden departure back then made her quite resentful, the Su family was, after all, a scholarly family with a solid financial foundation.

Unfortunately, this marriage was arranged by the old man himself.

"Yun Shu,"

Mother Fu put down her teacup, her fingertips rubbing heavily along the rim, her tone carrying a hint of condescension.

"It's always better for a girl to be gentle and demure."

"Jingming and Manli grew up together, so their friendship is naturally deeper. As their fiancée, you should be more tolerant of her."

Her words implied that she was biased towards Su Manli, and that Liu Yunshu was making a mountain out of a molehill and was not magnanimous enough.

Su Manli immediately followed up on the topic, her eyes reddening as she lowered her head.

"Auntie, please don't say that. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have kept troubling Ah Ming and made Sister Yun Shu misunderstand."

"Ah Rong!"

Old Master Fu interrupted in a deep voice, his cane striking the blue brick floor heavily with a muffled thud.

"Yun Shu is the Fu family's lawfully wedded fiancée. When did it become anyone else's place to gossip!"

"If Jingming can't even protect his own fiancée, he might as well give up now!"

Madam Fu's face paled, and she shut her mouth awkwardly, but still glared at Liu Yunshu defiantly.

This girl looks docile, but she's actually sharp-tongued and even dares to gossip in front of the old man.

Liu Yunshu lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the cold light in them, her fingertips gently tracing the dark patterns on her skirt.

"Grandpa, please don't be angry. Aunt meant well. I know I come from humble beginnings, and it's already a great fortune to have gained the Fu family's approval, but..."

"Just what?"

A voice suddenly rang out in the banquet hall, deep like a cello, with a cold quality.

Fu Yanshen walked in at some point and first bowed respectfully to Old Master Fu.

"Dad, I'm home."

"Ah Shen is back."

Old Master Fu's tense expression eased slightly, and he raised his hand to gesture for him to sit down.

"Just finished dealing with company matters? Come sit next to Dad."

He walked to the head seat and sat down, his gaze sweeping lightly across the table before finally settling on Liu Yunshu.

Seeing the pleading look in Liu Yunshu's eyes, he chuckled softly to himself, but his voice trailed off in an even lower, deeper tone:

"What did Miss Liu want to say just now?"

His gaze fell on her, his dark eyes unfathomable, like an icy pool.

Yet, as he swept his gaze over the corners of her reddened eyes, a barely perceptible heat flickered across his face.

His fingertips unconsciously traced the gilded buttons on the cuffs of his suit, his abstinent silhouette casting a cold, hard shadow under the warm yellow light.

As his Adam's apple bobbed, the way he addressed "Miss Liu" carried an inexplicable tenderness.

Liu Yunshu felt a tightness in her chest when he looked at her, and her eyelashes trembled violently twice, like the wings of a startled butterfly.

The hidden sharpness she had just displayed vanished instantly, leaving only pure helplessness in her eyes, and her voice softened to the point of melting:

"No, it's nothing. I just feel that Grandpa loves me a lot, and I shouldn't let everyone argue over me."

She subconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt, causing the soft pink fabric to wrinkle, making her wrist appear even more slender and fair, like fragile jade.

Fu Yanshen's thin lips curved slightly, the curve so faint as to be almost invisible, yet it carried a hint of playful coldness.

He looked up at Fu's mother, his gaze calm and unwavering, yet it inexplicably made Fu's mother feel a sense of oppression, causing her to subconsciously straighten her back.

"The Fu family's rule has always been that a formal, arranged marriage is the most honorable."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire banquet hall.

"Miss Liu was chosen by my father, so she is a member of the Fu family."

"It is natural for elders to care for younger generations, but if they use 'good intentions' to hurt the feelings of their own family members, it makes the Fu family seem... out of line."

His gaze suddenly shifted to the other side of the table: "Right, right, brother?"

Fu Yanping paused in his tea-drinking motion, inwardly groaning – how did this trouble get to me? What does this have to do with me?!

He coughed twice, and when he put down the teacup, his fingertips felt uneasy. He could only vaguely mix the mud.

"Ah Shen is right... harmony in the family brings prosperity in everything."

After saying that, she secretly glanced at Fu's mother, her eyes full of resentment. Why did you go and provoke him for no reason?

Fu Yanshen, this icy mountain, when he gets angry, even the old man has to give him some leeway.

Madam Fu's face turned pale and then red. This useless piece of trash!

Her lips moved, but she met Fu Yanshen's unfathomable black eyes.

The harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, leaving his cheeks flushed red.

Su Manli's knuckles, gripping the hem of her skirt, had turned white.

Seeing Fu Yanshen openly supporting Liu Yunshu, the resentment in her eyes was almost overflowing.

But she could only feign weakness, biting her lower lip, her eyes reddening even more.

"Uncle Fu is right... It was my fault for being so ignorant and causing everyone unnecessary trouble."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Fu Jingming.

Fu Jingming was softened by her tearful appearance and instantly forgot Liu Yunshu's earlier aloofness and the old man's warning.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he stepped forward, reaching out to support Su Manli's shoulder, his tone clearly biased:

"Manli, don't be like this, it wasn't your fault in the first place..."

His fingertips were about to touch Su Manli.

Fu Yanshen's icy gaze froze instantly, his eyes sweeping over Fu Jingming's hand like a sharpened blade, his voice low and menacing, as if suppressing a thunderclap:

"Fu Jingming, neglecting his fiancée while showering attention on others—has he neglected the Fu family's upbringing and fed it to the dogs?"