Fu Yanqing didn’t sleep well all night.

It wasn’t exactly insomnia; it was more like a hazy, half-asleep state—floating on the surface of the water, sinking for a moment only to rise again. In his dream, he stood in a long corridor lined with doors on both sides. He pushed open one, and it was pitch-black inside. Then he tried another, still dark. He kept pushing door after door, but not a single one led to any light.

And then he woke up.

It was just dawn outside, and gray-blue light seeped through the cracks in the curtains, tracing a thin line across the bedsheet. He lay there for a while, then picked up his phone and took a look.

The battery was at 100 percent.

He’d deliberately swapped out the charging cable last night and double-checked three times that the plug was firmly inserted and the switch was turned on. Now it seemed the cable had at least made it through the night—quite an unusual stroke of luck.

He got up, washed up, and changed clothes. The words Grandpa had said at the hospital yesterday were still swirling in his mind—marriage, Chongxi, a girl with a Strong/Hard Fate.

Thinking about heading back to the Old Family Residence soon, he grabbed a quick breakfast and headed out.

At 9:50, Fu Yanqing’s car pulled up to the gate of the Old Family Residence.

He stepped out and stood by the door for a moment. The house looked just as it always had—red bricks and gray tiles, with gardenias in full bloom at the entrance. He used to live here, but later moved closer to his workplace for convenience. Still, every now and then he’d come back to visit Grandpa.

Today he wore a deep-blue shirt and black dress pants, his hair neatly combed. It wasn’t deliberate grooming—it was just habit; he presented himself this way no matter who he met.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

In the living room, Fu Zhengyuan sat on the sofa, holding a cup of tea. When he saw Fu Yanqing enter, he set the cup down and smiled.

“You’re here? Have a seat.”

Fu Yanqing sat across from him. Zhou Shen brought over a cup of tea and placed it in front of him.

“Grandpa, what did you want to see me about?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Fu Zhengyuan glanced at him but didn’t reply right away. He lifted the cup to his lips, took a sip, set it down, and then spoke slowly, “You remember that thing I told you about yesterday, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“That girl arrived yesterday,” Fu Zhengyuan said, glancing toward the staircase. “I’ve asked her to rest upstairs for now. Would you like to meet her?”

Fu Yanqing was silent for a few seconds. “Grandpa, are you serious?”

“When have I ever joked with you?”

Fu Yanqing looked into his grandfather’s eyes. Though they were a bit clouded, the earnestness and determination in them were impossible to hide. He knew his grandfather—once this old man made up his mind, not even ten oxen could pull him back.

“All right,” he said. “Then let’s meet her.”

Fu Zhengyuan nodded and said to Zhou Shen, who was standing nearby, “Go call Xingyu down.”

Zhou Shen replied and went upstairs.

The living room fell silent. Fu Yanqing held his teacup but didn’t drink. He watched the tea leaves floating in the cup, each one slowly sinking to the bottom.

Footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Light, slow—the sound of cloth shoes stepping on the wooden stairs, carrying an indescribable rhythm.

Fu Yanqing looked up.

A young woman descended the stairs.

She was thinner than he’d imagined. She wore a white cotton shirt and faded blue jeans, with black cloth shoes on her feet. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore no makeup. Overall, she looked clean and fresh, like the morning mist in the mountains.

But what caught his eye most was her eyes.

They were bright—not the kind of brightness lit up by city lights, but a clear, inner radiance, like spring water trickling through a mountain stream. As she came down the stairs, her gaze swept across the living room before settling on Fu Yanqing for a second.

End of Chapter 6: The First Encounter