Chapter 93: Chapter
"I will be opening my pavilion tomorrow," An Yu said calmly.
His voice was steady, and he spoke as if it was sothing already decided and set in place.
An Li turned to look at him.
"So soon?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Yes. The preparations are already done. There is no reason to delay."
I watched him quietly.
Opening a pavilion in a place like this was not a small matter. It ant he already had enough confidence, resources, and planning to support it.
But he did not stop there.
"There is sothing I still need," he continued.
Fu Sheng looked at him.
"What is it?" he asked.
An Yu rested his hand lightly on the table before speaking.
"I need soone to manage the accounts," he said. "Soone who understands numbers and can keep things in order."
He paused slightly, then added,
"I do not trust just anyone with that."
An Li nodded imdiately.
"That is true," she said. "If the accounts are not handled well, everything will fall apart."
An Yu continued,
"I have been looking, but I have not found anyone suitable yet."
His gaze moved briefly across the courtyard before settling back.
"I do not know if anyone here would fit that role."
The words were simple, but they carried aning.
I felt Fu Sheng glance at .
I turned slightly and t his gaze.
For a brief mont, neither of us spoke.
But the understanding was clear.
We both knew.
I had lived a different life before this. Numbers, planning, organizing... these were not unfamiliar to .
And Fu Sheng...
He was not a fool either. He understood what this ant.
An opportunity.
A clean one.
Working with An Yu would not just be about managing accounts.
It would an access to information.
To people.
To movent within this place.
But also...
It ant exposure.
Risk.
Fu Sheng’s eyes held mine for a second longer, as if silently asking what I was thinking.
I did not answer him directly.
Instead, I looked back at An Yu.
"What kind of work would that involve?" I asked calmly.
An Yu did not seem surprised that I spoke.
He answered without hesitation.
"Tracking inco and expenses. Managing daily records. Making sure nothing is missing and nothing is hidden."
His tone was straightforward.
"I do not need soone who is rely literate. I need soone who understands what they are doing."
An Li crossed her arms lightly.
"That kind of person is not easy to find here," she said.
"No," An Yu agreed. "That is why I am still looking."
The courtyard went quiet again.
Fu Sheng finally spoke.
"And what do you offer in return?" he asked.
An Yu looked at him.
"Protection," he said simply.
Then he added,
"And a share."
That made things clearer.
Nothing here was free.
I leaned back slightly, thinking.
Protection from soone like An Yu...
And connection to a place that would soon gather information and people.
It was not a bad offer.
But it was not sothing to accept carelessly.
Fu Sheng’s expression remained calm, but I could tell he was weighing it carefully.
I looked at him briefly, then back at An Yu.
"You are asking for soone who is good at accounting... Fu Sheng was a general before getting exiled.. things of that nature haven’t really occurred to him."
I responded on his behalf as I felt his gaze linger on . An Yu heard
and nodded slightly.
"And I’m sure you as well aren’t into things like that?"
I shaked my head. I hated school back in my last life. After graduating high school I was enrolled into an acting school... Thankfully, acting was sothing I was brilliant in.
"Nope.. I’m not suitable for that either."
Fu Sheng leaned slightly forward, his expression calm as he spoke.
"There is soone," he said.
An Yu’s eyes shifted to him.
"Who?" he asked.
Fu Sheng did not hesitate.
"My younger brother," he replied. "Fu Teng."
For a brief mont, no one spoke.
Then An Li blinked.
"The quiet one?" she asked.
Fu Sheng nodded.
"Yes."
He continued in a steady tone,
"He is the only scholar in our family. He understands numbers, records, and calculations better than any of us."
He paused slightly before adding,
"Fu Tong is not suited for this kind of work. He does not have the patience for it."
From the side, An Li gave a small laugh.
"I can already tell that," she said.
But Fu Sheng did not react to her.
"Fu Teng is different," he continued. "He pays attention to details. He does not make careless mistakes."
His voice carried quiet confidence.
"If you are looking for soone to manage accounts, he is the best choice."
An Yu did not respond imdiately.
He only watched Fu Sheng for a mont, then asked calmly,
"And Fu Teng..."
There was a small pause before he continued.
"You an the one who has not spoken since I arrived?"
The words were not rude, but they were direct.
"...The mute one?"
Before Fu Sheng could respond—
I spoke.
"He is not mute," I said.
My tone was calm, but clear.
An Yu’s gaze shifted to .
"He simply does not speak unnecessarily," I added.
An Li tilted her head slightly.
"That is true," she said. "I have noticed that too."
I continued,
"If you are looking for soone who talks too much, then he is not your person."
Then I leaned back slightly.
"But if you are looking for soone who observes, rembers, and thinks before acting... then he fits."
An Yu did not interrupt.
So I finished calmly,
"He just does not waste words."
The courtyard fell quiet again.
Fu Sheng added,
"You can test him if you want. There is no need to decide imdiately."
An Yu remained still for a mont, as if considering everything that had been said.
Then he spoke.
"I will see him tomorrow," he said.
His voice was even.
"If he is as you say... then we will talk."
After An Yu finished speaking, he did not stay any longer.
"I will co tomorrow," he said calmly. "Let him be ready."
With that, he turned and walked toward the gate.
An Li stood up as well.
"I should go too," she said. "It is already late."
She looked at
and smiled lightly.
"Do not forget what we talked about."
"I will not," I replied.
She nodded, then followed after An Yu. In a few monts, both of them had left the courtyard completely.
The space grew quiet again.
Only the soft light from the candles and the distant sounds from inside the house remained.
Fu Sheng leaned back slightly in his seat, his eyes still on the gate for a mont before he finally looked at .
"That was unexpected," he said.
I nodded.
"It was."
He rested his arm on the table, thinking.
"If Fu Teng takes this, it will not just be a job," he added. "It will tie us to An Yu."
"I know," I said.
He looked at
carefully.
"But it is also an opportunity."
I smiled faintly.
"You are the one who said we should not rush into things."
"I also said we should not ignore them," he replied.
That made
laugh softly.
"You are learning fast."
He shook his head slightly.
"I have to."
For a mont, we both fell silent.
Then he spoke again.
"We need to tell Fu Teng," he said.
"Yes."
"And we also need to know if he is even willing."
I nodded.
"He will not like being pushed."
Fu Sheng exhaled quietly.
"That is why we should speak to him properly."
Just as he said that—
A figure passed by us.
We both turned at the sa ti.
It was Fu Teng.
He did not look at us. He walked past the courtyard calmly and headed toward the outdoor kitchen, as if he had sothing to do there.
Fu Sheng’s eyes followed him.
"I will go—"
I reached out and stopped him.
"I will talk to him," I said.
He paused and looked at .
"You?"
I nodded.
"Yes. He will not open up if you go to him directly like this."
Fu Sheng hesitated.
I could see he wanted to say sothing else, but he held it back.
After a mont, he nodded slowly.
"Alright."
He stood up.
"But do not only tell him about the job," he added. "Ask him why he has been acting strange since dinner."
I looked at him.
"You noticed too?"
He gave a small nod.
"It was obvious."
I smiled slightly.
"I will ask him."
He looked at
for a second longer, then finally turned to leave.
"I will be inside," he said. "Do not take too long."
"I will not."
With that, he walked into the house, leaving the courtyard to .
I sat there for a brief mont.
Then I stood up.
My gaze shifted toward the outdoor kitchen where Fu Teng had gone.
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
"Let’s see..." I murmured softly.
Then I walked toward him.
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