The courtyard fell completely silent.
No one moved.
No one even dared to breathe too loudly.
I stood quietly beside Fu Sheng beneath the lantern light while watching Li Manman's face twist with humiliation and anger.
She clearly wanted to refuse.
Anyone could see it.
Her hands trembled at her sides while her chest rose unevenly from rage. Several times, it looked like she wanted to turn around and leave immediately.
But she could not.
Because the crowd had already cornered her completely.
"They made the bet themselves…"
"She cannot deny it now…"
"If she runs away, everyone in the barren lands will laugh at her…"
The whispers spread through the courtyard like pressure pressing down on her shoulders.
Li Manman's face grew paler with every passing second.
Even Fu Fong had become strangely quiet.
And somehow, that silence made things worse.
Because he was no longer helping her.
No longer protecting her.
