Is it true that Fetion charges for sending short messages now?

Not necessarily, this may be related to the region, and some places may be open. However, I haven't heard the news of Fetion charging. It is very likely that you inadvertently opened a charging service of Fetion (for example, Fetion friends and Fetion members ..... all charge money). I don't think Fetion will charge you, but based on your situation, I suggest you call your local number 10086 directly and transfer it to the manual service. It's simple. I hope my answer can help you.