After everything finally settled, we returned to our resting place.
The camp felt strangely quiet now, as if all the shouting and crying from earlier had drained the night of sound. I sat down on the blankets with a slow breath, my ankle still aching faintly. Fu Sheng sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders almost touched.
At the other corner, Master Fu and Madame Fu spoke in low voices. Their backs were turned to us, their heads bent together, both of them looking tired in a way that went deeper than the body.
Fu Sheng said nothing.
He stared ahead, his gaze fixed on the fire, his face calm but distant, like his thoughts were somewhere far away. Watching him like that made my chest feel a little tight. I pressed my lips together, then nudged him lightly with my elbow.
"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual. "Don't tell me you're upset with me for exposing Fu Li like that."
He didn't answer right away.
For a moment, I thought he might ignore the question completely.
