Though this was a border town, the New Year’s atmosphere grew thicker by the day. If it weren't for the battered, still-mending city walls, and the occasional limping soldier passing by on the street, one might think the great battle that had only recently concluded had never even occurred.

“Something feels off,” the man in official robes, a great saber hanging at his hip, suddenly remarked atop the city wall.

His gaze was fixed on the vast wilderness, his expression grave, his brow deeply furrowed.

The soldiers standing guard nearby instantly tensed, squinting as they followed his line of sight.

The day was clear and bright; not the slightest rustle of wind or movement could be discerned.

“My Lord, is it scouts from the rebels?” they could only venture to ask.

“What rebel scouts?” Defense Officer Lü Baoshan asked, confused.

“Didn't you just say something felt off, My Lord?” the attendant queried.

Lü Baoshan spat out the piece of dry grass he’d been chewing with a peh.

“I mean…” He hesitated as the words formed, then swallowed them down with a sigh. “Never mind. Why bother worrying your old head about this nonsense!”

He stopped midway again, a habit as poor as taking one’s winnings and immediately leaving the gambling table.

The men around him grumbled in protest.

Lü Baoshan couldn't help it. The matter had been bothering him terribly, and with his wife having died young, he had no one to confide in.

“It’s like this, but you must swear not to repeat a word of it. Then we can all discuss what to do about it,” he said, crouching down on the rampart.

His close aides immediately crouched too. Seeing Lü Baoshan’s solemn expression, some even moved to stand guard farther away.

Everyone strained their ears, watching Lü Baoshan with eager anticipation. But Lü Baoshan looked over them again and again, until the crowd grew impatient, some even forgetting rank and status, ready to raise a fist.

“It’s this, it’s this,” Lü Baoshan quickly said. “Don’t you find it strange, the behavior of the Young Lord, and that… woman…”

He raised an eyebrow at this point, making a suggestive gesture that implied, You understand.

Unfortunately, his thick beard obscured his expression, and no one caught his meaning.

“I mean that Lady Qi,” Lü Baoshan finally clarified.

“What about Lady Qi? While she isn't particularly useful here, she certainly hasn't caused any trouble,” someone asked, looking blank.

“How can you all be so dense? You’re truly slow,” Lü Baoshan scorned, clearing his throat. “It seems things between the Young Lord and her are… amiss.”

Suddenly, realization dawned on them, and their eyes widened.

“Lady Qi is beautiful, and the Young Lord is a normal man, after all,” they chuckled light-heartedly.

“You’re still laughing? A normal man?” Lü Baoshan roared, landing a punch on the man beside him. “What kind of man touches another man’s woman!”

The others sobered up instantly.

Indeed. Wasn't Lady Qi the wife of Jiang Hai? And weren't both husband and wife former retainers of the Young Lord!

They were all rough men who hadn't much book learning, prone to crude jokes and debauchery in private. But the concept of not touching another man’s wife was deeply ingrained, especially when that man was a capable subordinate currently fighting on the front lines!

Was this something a decent person would do?

A group of grown men became terribly worried. In terms of rank, they couldn't boss Chang Yuncheng around, but emotionally, they felt they could not endure this situation.

“My Lord, haven’t you wanted to get rid of him for a long time?” someone suggested.

“Right. He was sick to begin with; it would be trouble if anything happened to him here. I never expected he’d set his sights on this woman, making it even harder for him to leave,” Lü Baoshan mused, stroking his beard. “I wrote to the Garrison Commander asking him to intervene and request the Young Lord return, but the Commander hasn't responded.”

At this, he let out a heavy sigh. The few men squatted on the wall for half a day, staring at each other. This situation genuinely troubled them.

Finally, Lü Baoshan slapped his thigh and took a deep breath.

“I must go to the Garrison City myself to see the Commander,” he declared with solemnity.

As the night deepened, Qi Yue was drying her hair after a bath while making notes when Chang Yuncheng slipped in from outside the door, much to everyone’s surprise.

The three women in the room, with their six pairs of eyes, all turned to him. Dressed in the simple, old uniform of a common soldier, Chang Yuncheng felt utterly awkward under their scrutiny.

“Actually, actually, this is what soldiers wear,” he couldn't help but cough lightly to say.

The women all smiled.

“Then we’ll be leaving,” A’ru said, pulling A’hao along.

“Go on, both of you wash up and get to sleep early,” Qi Yue said with poise.

The two maids curtsied to Chang Yuncheng. The door closed behind them.

Chang Yuncheng let out a breath as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from his shoulders, and he looked into the room.

It was a low-ceilinged space: dirt floors, a heated brick bed, a charcoal brazier, and two oil lamps resting on what wasn't truly a table, but a chest Qi Yue had brought.

The simplicity was unbearable to look at, yet for Chang Yuncheng, it was a sight he couldn't bear to blink away from. There, in the room, sat the woman in a plain blue cotton robe, her long hair cascading down.

As long as that figure remained, even the land of Rakshasa would feel like a celestial paradise in his heart.

In this moment, she was real, not an illusion that would vanish with a touch.

“What are you staring at?” Qi Yue glanced at the man leaning against the doorframe, lost in thought, and said, “You shooed my maids away; now you come serve me.”

Chang Yuncheng smiled and walked over. He remembered what the maids had been doing when he first entered, so he picked up a nearby towel and began gently drying her hair.

His movements were clumsy, but his focus was absolute, as if he were performing the most crucial of duties.

“Why did you come? Don’t let the servants see you,” Qi Yue cautioned.

To care for him, the defense officer had not only allowed her, the doctor, to visit daily for check-ups but had also brought in several maids and female attendants. The entire compound was crawling with people. As a result, apart from a brief daily meeting, they barely had a chance to speak, much to Chang Yuncheng's profound disappointment, as he had hoped for time alone. After enduring several days of torment, he couldn’t bear it any longer and resumed his old tactic of sneaking in under the cover of night. After several failed attempts, his persistence finally paid off, and he managed to get inside.

“I told them to guard the door and said I was asleep and seeing no one,” Chang Yuncheng replied, unable to stop himself from setting down the towel and affectionately rubbing his cheek against the soft crown of her head.

“Hmph, and what does that make me?” Qi Yue laughed, reaching up to pinch his cheek.

“You are my life,” Chang Yuncheng murmured. Under the dim lamp, gazing at her captivating smile was a massive test of willpower, and crucially, he had no desire to resist.

Saying this, he reached out, cupped her face, and leaned in to kiss her slowly.

Qi Yue laughed loudly, tilting her head back to evade him, her hands gripping his shoulders.

“Oh my, look at you. Gone three days and you return a new man, with such sweet words?” she teased, gazing at him playfully. “Looks like that Fan Yilin didn’t teach you for nothing.”

When Chang Yuncheng heard her mention that name, he realized the incident must have been blurted out by the loose-lipped Fan Yilin. He flushed with embarrassment, and thinking of Fan Yilin brought to mind that bold little Supervisor Li…

“How long did you stay in the capital?” he asked.

“Seven or eight days, all told,” Qi Yue replied, picking up the nearby teapot to pour water and offer him a cup. “Water. Why ask about that?”

Chang Yuncheng didn't take the cup; instead, he pulled her into his arms, muttering something under his breath.

“What?” Qi Yue hadn’t heard clearly.

“Nothing,” Chang Yuncheng replied.

As if. Qi Yue shot him a sideways glance, then reached out to embrace him, her hand stroking his broad back when something occurred to her.

“When I was home, I heard the Emperor struck you?” she asked.

“It was nothing,” Chang Yuncheng laughed, but then quickly suppressed his smile and nodded. “Yes, yes, he hit me terribly hard.”

Qi Yue patted his back with a smile.

“Really, it was heavy. You’re a doctor, examine me,” Chang Yuncheng insisted.

Qi Yue laughed out loud.

“It’s been so long, what is there to examine now?” she said.

“Just take a look,” Chang Yuncheng insisted, and as if to prove his point, he began to untie his outer garment.

Qi Yue knew exactly what he intended, laughing as she grabbed his arm, but even so, Chang Yuncheng deftly slipped off his padded robe and then his inner layer, revealing his lean, well-muscled upper body.

“I call you a nudist!” Qi Yue laughed, shaking his arm away.

With that shake, she caught sight of his side profile, and then saw the crisscrossing scars from the whipping.

Chang Yuncheng was laughing and reaching for her, but suddenly noticed she had stopped smiling, frozen, staring intently at his back.

Was she truly scared?

He actually knew she was easily shy and had only been teasing her…

“No, it healed already…” he quickly said, already feeling a twinge of regret.

But Qi Yue didn't listen to him; she gently turned his body around.

Chang Yuncheng couldn’t see her expression, and a wave of panic washed over him.

These were just surface wounds; besides, they had long since healed. He hadn't expected her reaction to be like this.

A soft hand traced his spine, touching the scars one by one.

“This one… the wound hadn’t even fully closed before it was rubbed raw again…” the woman’s voice murmured from behind him.

“Ah, it’s nothing! Though it looks frightening, it didn't damage the tendons or bone. Don't be a coward,” Chang Yuncheng said, trying to turn around, but the woman pushed him back gently and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his back.

The soft contact instantly made Chang Yuncheng’s body stiffen.

Then, warm drops fell onto his back.

She was crying?

Chang Yuncheng was overwhelmed with regret.

“Look at you. Weren’t you brave enough? You didn’t even blink when they wanted to cut you open—what’s wrong now?” he quickly said.

“That’s not the same! That is not the same!” Qi Yue clung to his back, the accumulated emotion since their separation erupting, tears flowing unrestrained.

She suffered, and so did he. She was heartbroken; he was heartbroken and injured.

Chang Yuncheng regretted his teasing immensely. He forcefully pulled her hands away, drew her in front of him, and held her, caressing, kissing, and comforting her until, after a while, Qi Yue’s emotions calmed.

Looking at the pliant, aggrieved woman leaning in his embrace—this was the first time he had ever seen her like this since they met—Chang Yuncheng felt a dull, aching, sweet soreness in his chest.

“It’s truly fine now. It didn't hurt after the beating stopped,” he declared righteously.

Qi Yue laughed, amused by his attempt to placate her.

“I’m not an idiot,” she scoffed, playfully pinching his chest.

The muscle was hard, solid to the touch.

Chang Yuncheng’s body trembled slightly again, his breathing deepening.

“However, one place still aches,” he suddenly whispered.

Qi Yue was startled and looked up at him quickly.

“Where?” she asked.

Looking into those bright eyes, still damp from recent tears, Chang Yuncheng’s throat bobbed. He reached out and took one of her hands, guiding it downward.

“Here,” he said in a low, husky voice.

Even through the thick fabric of her trousers, she could sense the heat radiating from him, scorching hot.

Qi Yue scoffed.

“This brain of yours thinks only of this all day long!” she laughed, trying to pull her hand free.

“Yue Niang,” Chang Yuncheng insisted, not letting go, his voice hoarse as he whispered, “I missed you.”

His voice was deep and trembling, stirring something within her heart.

Qi Yue looked at him.

Chang Yuncheng looked down at her.

The air in the room seemed to cease flowing entirely.

“I missed you too,” Qi Yue said, wrapping her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to press her lips to his.

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