Wei Meilan lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers tightening around the tea cup in her hands.
"It was not that simple," she said quietly.
Fu Sheng remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
Wei Meilan let out a faint breath before speaking again.
"Even after I got pregnant…" she said softly, "no man wanted me anymore."
The room fell quiet.
Her voice remained calm, but there was bitterness hidden beneath it now.
"After all, I was already deflowered," she continued. "And the entire village knew the child belonged to a man who had gone to war."
Fu Sheng's expression darkened slightly.
Wei Meilan looked down at the tea in front of her.
"Your parents came to my house," she said. "More than once."
Fu Sheng's gaze shifted slightly.
"They wanted to pay my bride price," she continued quietly. "They wanted me to marry into the Fu family properly and wait for your return."
For the first time since entering the house, genuine surprise appeared faintly in Fu Sheng's eyes.
