The night had already grown deep by the time Fu Sheng and I finally returned to the Fu household.

The wedding celebration had mostly ended, and the once noisy courtyard was now much quieter than before. Only a few lanterns still remained lit, swaying softly beneath the cool night breeze.

But surprisingly—

Several people were still awake.

Madam Fu sat near the main courtyard table while checking through the remaining wedding items one last time. Beside her, Master Fu drank tea quietly while Fu Tong lazily leaned against a wooden pillar looking half asleep.

Fu Li was also still there helping organize some of the leftover dishes.

The moment we stepped through the gate, all their attention shifted toward us immediately.

Madam Fu’s face instantly brightened.

"There you two are!"

Before I could even react properly, Fu Li had already rushed toward us dramatically.

"Where have both of you been all night?" she demanded suspiciously.

Her eyes moved back and forth between me and Fu Sheng rapidly.

"We looked everywhere earlier!"

Fu Sheng remained completely calm beside me.

"We went out."

Fu Li stared at him.

"...Obviously."

Fu Tong immediately snorted from the side.

"He disappeared with his wife in the middle of the wedding night. What exactly did you expect?"

Madam Fu immediately smacked Fu Tong’s arm.

"Speak properly!"

Fu Tong rubbed his arm dramatically.

"I was only stating facts."

Meanwhile, Fu Li narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me.

"And why do you look like that?"

My expression stiffened slightly.

"...Like what?"

Fu Li immediately pointed at my neck.

"Your face is red."

The moment those words fell, Fu Sheng calmly stepped slightly in front of me.

"The night air was cold."

Fu Tong burst into laughter instantly.

"Cold?"

He looked at Fu Sheng from head to toe.

"You disappeared for hours and came back claiming the cold air attacked only her?"

Even Master Fu nearly coughed into his tea hearing that.

Madam Fu looked between us carefully for a second before suddenly smiling knowingly.

"Alright, alright," she said calmly. "Stop teasing them."

Fu Li still looked unconvinced.

But before she could continue speaking, Madam Fu suddenly noticed something else.

"Wait..."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Where is the outer robe I gave you earlier?"

I froze briefly.

Fu Sheng calmly answered before I could.

"She accidentally stained it."

Fu Li immediately gasped dramatically.

"Stained it with what?"

Fu Sheng looked at her calmly.

"Wine."

Fu Tong nearly choked trying not to laugh again.

Even Master Fu quietly lowered his cup while clearly pretending not to hear anything anymore.

Meanwhile, I silently wished the ground would open and swallow me whole.

Madam Fu finally sighed helplessly.

"Young people these days..."

Despite her words, however, the smile on her face remained warm.

The courtyard atmosphere softened again afterward.

For the first time since the wedding chaos earlier, everything truly felt peaceful.

Then suddenly—

Fu Tong frowned slightly while looking around.

"Wait," he said slowly. "Where is Han Fuji?"

Fu Li blinked.

"Oh."

A strange smile immediately appeared on her face.

"He is probably still inside with Bai Ming."

The entire courtyard instantly became quiet for one second.

Then Fu Tong burst into loud laughter.

"Good luck to him."

Even Madam Fu coughed awkwardly this time.

Master Fu immediately stood up.

"I am going to sleep."

Clearly—

He did not want to continue this conversation anymore.

Fu Sheng and I had only just started making our way upstairs when sudden hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Then came the loud voices of children.

"Wait! Come back here!"

Fu Fei’s exhausted voice followed closely behind.

Both Fu Sheng and I stopped immediately.

A second later, two small figures suddenly rushed around the corner at full speed.

"Papa!"

Before Fu Sheng could even react properly, Fu Jin and Fu Jun had already crashed directly into his legs while hugging him tightly.

Fu Sheng blinked in surprise.

The two boys looked completely awake despite how late it already was.

Fu Jun grabbed onto Fu Sheng’s sleeve immediately.

"We want to sleep with you tonight!"

Fu Jin nodded rapidly beside him.

"Yes! With Papa and Mama!"

Fu Sheng and I exchanged silent looks instantly.

Both of us were clearly caught off guard.

Behind the boys, Fu Fei finally appeared while holding her forehead tiredly.

"I have been trying to get them to sleep for almost the entire night," she complained the moment she reached us.

Her usually calm face now looked completely exhausted.

"Fu Qin and Fu Lin already fell asleep long ago," she continued. "But these two refuse to rest no matter what I do."

Fu Jun hugged Fu Sheng tighter immediately.

"We waited for Papa to come back."

Fu Jin looked toward me next.

"And Mama too."

My expression softened slightly despite myself.

Fu Sheng lowered his gaze toward the boys quietly.

"You two are still awake at this hour?"

Fu Jun nodded seriously.

"We were waiting."

Fu Jin added quickly,

"We thought maybe Papa abandoned us."

Fu Sheng’s brows twitched slightly.

"...Why would I abandon you?"

Fu Jun puffed his cheeks.

"Because you disappeared the whole night."

Behind us, Fu Fei immediately covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

I silently looked away.

Fu Sheng remained perfectly calm somehow.

"We went out for something important."

Fu Jin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What important thing?"

Fu Sheng paused for exactly one second.

Then answered calmly,

"Adult matters."

Fu Fei instantly choked on air.

Even I nearly lost composure hearing that answer.

Meanwhile, the two boys looked even more confused.

Fu Jun blinked slowly.

"What adult matters?"

Fu Sheng smoothly changed the topic immediately.

"You should be asleep already."

Fu Jin shook his head stubbornly.

"No."

Fu Jun hugged his leg tighter.

"We want to sleep with Papa tonight."

The hallway became quiet for a moment.

Fu Sheng slowly looked toward me.

I immediately narrowed my eyes slightly as if silently warning him not to push the problem toward me.

Unfortunately—

That man betrayed me instantly.

He calmly looked back at the boys.

"You should ask your Mama."

Both boys immediately turned toward me together.

"Mama!"

Their eyes sparkled hopefully.

Fu Fei nearly burst into laughter at the side.

"You handle them," she said quickly. "I already lost."

I stared at the two boys clinging to us before finally letting out a quiet breath.

"...Only tonight."

The moment those words fell, Fu Jin and Fu Jun immediately cheered loudly.

"Yes!"

"We won!"

Fu Sheng looked slightly amused beside me.

Fu Fei looked even more relieved.

"Good," she said quickly. "Take them before they suddenly gain more energy again."

Fu Jun immediately grabbed one of my sleeves while Fu Jin clung proudly to Fu Sheng’s arm.

The two boys looked completely victorious.

And somehow the quiet romantic atmosphere from earlier had completely disappeared without mercy.

I stood quietly beside the doorway while watching the two little figures cling tightly to Fu Sheng.

"Papa, hurry!"

"Carry us properly!"

Fu Jin and Fu Jun kept pulling at his sleeves while trying to climb onto the bed at the same time. Fu Sheng looked completely helpless beneath their attacks, yet strangely patient as he lifted one child with each arm.

Behind them, Fu Fei rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"I have been trying to make them sleep for nearly an hour," she complained. "But the moment they heard your voices downstairs, they escaped immediately."

Fu Li crossed her arms dramatically beside her.

"These two are impossible tonight."

Meanwhile, Fu Lin and Fu Qin had already fallen asleep earlier inside Bai Ming’s room after exhausting themselves from the wedding excitement.

But these two—

Still looked completely energetic.

Fu Sheng finally placed them onto the bed while the twins immediately crawled toward the middle happily.

"Papa sleeps here!"

"No, Mama sleeps here!"

I stared at the chaotic scene quietly.

And somehow—

My chest softened slightly without warning.

The children noticed me standing there and immediately waved excitedly.

"Mama!"

Fu Jun even patted the empty space beside him seriously.

"Mama, come sleep!"

For a moment, I simply stood there silently.

Because not too long ago—

These same children used to avoid me carefully.

Back then, the moment I entered a room, they would become nervous and hide behind Fu Sheng instinctively. They were cautious around me... the original Su Long didn’t spare them at all.

Even calling me "Mama" had once sounded forced and uncertain.

But now—

They called me naturally.

As though it had always belonged to me.

As though they had already accepted me completely into their small world.

The realization made something inside me feel strangely warm.

Fu Sheng noticed my silence immediately.

His gaze softened slightly as he looked at me from across the room.

Then quietly, he spoke.

"What are you standing there for?"

Fu Jin nodded quickly.

"Mama, hurry!"

Fu Jun stretched both arms toward me dramatically.

"Carry!"

I stared at the two small troublemakers for another second before finally walking toward the bed slowly.

The moment I sat down beside them, the twins immediately moved closer without hesitation.

Fu Jun leaned directly against my arm while Fu Jin grabbed onto my sleeve tightly like he was afraid I would disappear.

I looked down at them quietly.

Then finally—

A faint smile appeared on my lips.