Su Nuohan lowered her eyelashes and let out a soft sigh. Her voice carried a hint of disappointment.
“Ah… in this chaotic world, no one has it easy. It seems that that so-called righteous thief probably had no choice but to even steal clothes out of survival.”
She paused, then raised her eyes and looked at Fu Chengyan with worried eyes. Her tone softened to the extreme.
“My father… is he alright?”
Madam Fu immediately felt heartache for her and hurriedly comforted her.
“Good child, they are fine. It’s just anger harming the body.”
Fu Chengyan said nothing. He simply picked up the warm water beside him and took a sip, concealing the sharp glint that flashed in his eyes.
Heh. Interesting. He did not expect this woman to have such acting skills.
Shock, worry, detachment, kindness… she controlled every emotion perfectly.
Good. Very good. He would like to see how long she could keep pretending.
Fu Chengyan let out a cold laugh in his heart, then called out.
“Qin Feng.”
The adjutant, who had stood like a shadow behind him, immediately stepped forward and bowed.
“Young Marshal.”
Fu Chengyan set down his cup but did not look at him. His gaze remained casually fixed on the silver candlestick on the table as he gave an indifferent yet unquestionable order.
“Although the Su family brought this upon themselves, they are still related by blood to the Young Madam. Issue an order to the logistics department to allocate fifty silver dollars under the Young Madam’s name and send them to the Su family. Consider it… a small gesture, and a way to preserve their father-daughter bond.”
The moment those words were spoken, the dining room fell silent.
Madam Fu paused, then nodded in approval.
“Yan’er is still the most thoughtful! Nuohan, look how much he cares for you!”
She believed her son was simply protecting his wife’s dignity.
Su Nuohan’s hand holding the cutlery paused almost imperceptibly. She froze for a moment.
Fifty silver dollars?
In this chaotic era, it was a huge sum for ordinary people—but for the “emptied-out” Su family, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean. It was even humiliating.
Damn it… was this Fu Chengyan this black-hearted?
What exactly was his intention? Was he helping her humiliate the Su family? Or did he simply dislike them?
Or… was this a test? Using fifty silver dollars as bait to see her reaction?
Forget it. Whatever his intention was, using this amount to slap the Su family in the face was still satisfying.
At the thought of it, she already imagined Su Yaohua and the others receiving the money and looking like they had swallowed filth.
Still, she quickly put on a touched yet slightly troubled expression. She set down her cutlery and looked at Fu Chengyan with clear, uneasy eyes.
“Thank you, Young Marshal.”
Then she turned to Qin Feng.
“Adjutant Qin, then I’ll trouble you to make the trip tomorrow.”
“Young Madam is too polite. This is my duty,” Qin Feng replied respectfully.
Su Nuohan nodded.
“If you go tomorrow, please also pass a message for me. Tell them I am doing very well in the Fu family. Madam Fu treats me kindly, and the Young Marshal also treats me well. They do not need to worry about me.”
Qin Feng responded again.
“Yes, Young Madam. I will deliver it.”
“Thank you.”
After speaking, Su Nuohan finished her meal and stood up. She bowed slightly to Madam Fu.
“Mother, I have finished eating. I will take my leave first.”
“Go ahead,” Madam Fu said with a smile.
Su Nuohan left the dining room.
Fu Chengyan watched her retreating figure. His eyes narrowed slightly as his fingers lightly tapped the rim of the cup, his interest deepening.
After she disappeared from view, he suddenly called out in a stern voice.
“Qin Feng!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Push me for a walk in the courtyard.”
“Yes!”
Qin Feng pushed the wheelchair, slowly moving through the quiet corridors of the Young Marshal’s residence.
The night air carried a faint chill. Lantern light cast dim golden halos, stretching their shadows long and uneven.
Fu Chengyan remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. His deep gaze drifted into the dark night as if deep in thought.
Qin Feng followed quietly, not daring to interrupt.
After a long silence, Fu Chengyan finally spoke.
“Qin Feng.”
“I am here.”
“What do you think of the Young Madam?” Fu Chengyan asked calmly, as if it were a casual question.
Qin Feng stiffened slightly. He knew this was no casual inquiry.
After a moment of hesitation, he answered carefully.
“The Young Madam… is well-mannered, gentle, and virtuous. She respects Madam and is kind to the servants.”
These were all surface-level impressions.
Fu Chengyan gave a faint laugh, laced with cold mockery.
“Gentle and virtuous? I think even she would feel embarrassed to say that about herself.”
“Hmm?” Qin Feng frowned slightly. “This subordinate is dull.”
Fu Chengyan did not answer. Instead, he coldly changed the topic.
“Any clues about the Su family incident?”
Qin Feng shook his head.
“None. It is truly strange. The locks were not broken, even the cabinets were removed entirely. Even more bizarre, the thief even knew about Master Su’s hidden compartment.”
“If it weren’t for their devastated reactions, I would have suspected it was staged.”
Fu Chengyan sneered.
“With such familiarity of the Su residence and precise knowledge of the hidden compartment, and no trace on the locks… is there even a need to suspect?”
Qin Feng frowned.
“Young Marshal, you mean… it was staged by the Su family themselves?”
Fu Chengyan did not answer immediately. He looked up at the night sky.
After a long pause, he said calmly.
“Now that the world is in chaos, military funds are most needed. The Su family is a century-old household with great wealth. Do you think they would willingly hand over half their fortune to Yan Laoqi?”
“You mean… they staged this to avoid handing over money?”
“It is not impossible.”
“But… didn’t they have a good relationship before? I heard Yan Laoqi even promised them a position as chairman of the South River Chamber of Commerce.”
“Perhaps they had a falling out,” Fu Chengyan said lightly.
“In that case… the Young Madam is not sent by Master Su?” Qin Feng asked, slightly relieved.
Fu Chengyan only shook his head.
Meanwhile.
Su Nuohan returned to her room.
She stood by the window again, gazing at the dark blue night sky and the cold crescent moon.
The night wind brushed her hair, carrying a faint chill.
After a while, she closed the window and lay down on the bed. Before long, she fell asleep.