He slowly proved the promise he made in front of Fu Yun, that one day he wouldn’t need to inherit the property given by Mrs. Ning, and he could still have the strength to become a person of high standing.

In early spring, local officials entered the capital one after another to report their duties. Each day after completing their tasks, they would find themselves wandering and drinking tea in various places around the capital. Yang Tong and Zhang Cheng brought new news from the post house.

"We saw Fu Jun. He stayed at the post house, wearing a faded old robe, with much of his hair turned white. It’s really a world of difference from how he looked in the capital!"

Fu Zhen was somewhat surprised by this and calculated the time; it had already been a year since Fu Jun left the capital. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Besides this, she didn’t have much feeling. Although he was the biological father of this body, in her original life, this person hadn’t left much of a mark. Whether he was a biological father or not was already irrelevant.

Last year, when Fu Zhen brought up the idea of changing her surname back, Pei Zhan had a different thought this time.

"Why can’t your surname ’Fu’ be considered an inheritance from the Grand Tutor Fu Ziyu of the previous dynasty?

"The Ning family’s large house was originally the old house of the Grand Preceptor, which your grandfather bought for you to live in. That in itself is a kind of fate.

"Now the Ning family already has Brother Jia as an heir. Although Fu Jun is detestable, Grand Preceptor Fu was of high virtue, and even the Emperor praised his contributions to the country multiple times. If you feel you don’t need to change it, then you might as well consider yourself as a descendant of the Grand Preceptor."

With Pei Zhan’s explanation, Fu Zhen found some sense in it.

Originally, Fu Jun’s branch was closely related to the Grand Preceptor, and it was by relying on the identity of being a descendant of the Grand Preceptor that they seized the house from many Fu Family members.

Therefore, Fu Zhen could naturally be considered a descendant of Fu Ziyu.

In this way, Fu Zhen didn’t bother to worry anymore; whether her name was Ning, Fu, or even Liang, it didn’t matter to her.

Fu Zhen thought that she would never have the chance to meet Fu Jun again, nor did she have the necessity to meet him, so even though she knew he was staying at a post house in the capital, she hardly thought of going to see him.

Unexpectedly, Fu Jun came to find her himself.

That day, the accumulated snow finally began to melt, and the sun warmly illuminated the streets. Fu Zhen came out of Wanbin Building and was preparing to visit the Gu family to see Yang Yi, while also asking for his thoughts on the marriage matter.

Along the way, she saw the beautiful scenery of early spring and had the urge to stroll around, so she called Ziyan to accompany her, and they walked along the main street leisurely.

It was at this moment that Fu Jun approached.

Fu Zhen had a good memory. Even though the person in front of her looked nothing like the one in her memory, she still recognized him quickly.

The two sides were silent for a moment, then Fu Jun spoke first: "What a coincidence. Are you coming from your mother’s place?"

Fu Zhen looked at his graying temples and nodded slightly: "When did you enter the capital, sir?"

Fu Jun’s facial muscles twitched: "You don’t even call me father now?"

Fu Zhen tugged at the corner: "How is Mrs. Liu? Has she borne you any children? Surely, you don’t still have no children of your own?"

Fu Jun’s muscles twitched even more.

Fu Zhen lowered her eyelids, looking at his worn sleeve cuffs: "Sir, it’s fitting for you to maintain your dignity as an official, even though you no longer have limitless ways to amass wealth.

"It’s a rare trip to the capital; if your reporting doesn’t go well, you might end up losing your official position completely."

Fu Jun’s gaunt face flushed deep red.

Fu Zhen courteously nodded to him and walked past him.

She did not look back.

What happened to the person behind her after that? She wasn’t interested in the slightest.

To her, when he allowed Fu Rou to attempt to kill her multiple times, this father was already as good as dead.

However, it was only after many years that Fu Zhen learned that this encounter was indeed their last. After that, Fu Jun never appeared again.

...

"The palace cannot go a day without an owner. Several months have passed in the blink of an eye. Your Highness, have you made your decision yet? Have you seriously considered the list I handed you last time?"

Sitting in a sideline courtyard prepared by the Gu family for Yang Yi to lecture and study, Fu Zhen directly asked.

Yang Yi hesitated a bit: "But the names on the list you gave me, I hardly know any of them. Besides, at my age, it’s awkward to pick and choose, isn’t it?"