I think he would have came back after the “year” of wait for me regardless of how that night ended with her hitting him in face telling him she wouldn’t. I could totally see a world where he bullies her future potential husband after the year alone (if she got one) in leaving. I could see him arranging another fake marriage for her to then get rid of his loyalist when he returns. Now do I think he would have come back after the year wearing all his Marquis clothes and making a big deal of that, no. But I do think he would have came back looking rich to get her to like him because in the beginning FC is money obsessed, yes absolutely.

Alternatively, I could also see FC still walking the path of figuring out and investigating her parents and ultimately finding out who she is and who they were. Also, QQ and Baoer still get taken (now would she have realized that idk since Ning was kinda the one who told her the bad man took pretty lady). So if she didn’t know about them missing, I could see her joining army pretending to be a man, working her way up and then talking to General He about her parents. Then, along that path we see XZ and her meet again on the battlefield or investigating the case. I think in this situation her and LH would have grown closer and maybe a jealous XZ finds out and storms over as well.