Over the past two days, not only had Mu Mu’s condition failed to improve — it seemed to be growing worse.

His complexion had remained persistently pale, and occasionally he even coughed up blood. Even Feng Jiu’er did not understand why he was in such a state. The wound itself had been healing more and more steadily — how could he be coughing up blood for no apparent reason?

Every time she took his pulse, she detected nothing out of the ordinary. After he coughed up blood and she took his pulse again, there was indeed a faint irregularity in his vital energy, but it quickly settled back to normal.

His constitution was exceptionally robust, and his injuries had been recovering remarkably well. As for why he was in this condition now, Feng Jiu’er truly had no idea.

Ye Luosha had suggested more than once that a different physician be brought in for Mu Mu, but Mu Mu refused to see anyone else. Ye Luosha had even arranged for someone to come, only for Mu Mu to send them away every time. Aside from Feng Jiu’er, he trusted no one.

With Mu Mu’s condition having deteriorated to this point, Ye Luosha did not dare act rashly against Jiu’er, for fear that if something truly happened to Mu Mu, there would be no one at his side to care for him.

In the blink of an eye, they were now less than two days’ journey from Phoenix City.

This place… Gazing into the dim haze of the distance through the night, Feng Jiu’er instinctively tightened her grip, her heart still gripped by lingering fear.

Last time, it was right here that she had nearly lost her life.

They had already left behind the last fortified city. Once they passed through this no-man’s-land, they would enter Phoenix City.

But before entering Phoenix City, how could Feng Jiu’er ever forget a place like this? Butterfly Valley.

It was the Butterfly Mistress within Butterfly Valley who had nearly brought about her death, all to save the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

Even though, if it were for the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s sake, Feng Jiu’er would not have minded giving up her life.

But choosing to sacrifice oneself willingly, and being forced to perish through another’s machinations — those were two entirely different matters.

Butterfly Mistress — that score between them had yet to be settled.

“What are you looking at?” Mu Mu appeared from somewhere without warning and was standing just behind her.

“Nothing. Just looking at the night scenery.” Since Mu Mu had already forgotten everything that had happened before, there was no point in bringing it up.

Yet Mu Mu gazed into the distance at the night scene, his eyes gradually deepening. “This place feels somewhat familiar.”

“You’re starting to remember?” Jiu’er turned to look at him, a flash of surprise passing through her eyes.

Mu Mu narrowed his gaze, staring in the direction of Butterfly Valley, his lips pressed into a thin line. Then, suddenly, his large hand pressed against his chest, and his brows knitted tightly together.

“Mu Mu, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” Over these past two days he had constantly appeared pale at one moment or another. Although Jiu’er already had her suspicions, his coughing up blood was real.

She was genuinely afraid that if he kept coughing up blood like this, it would ruin his body — didn’t he understand that?

“It’s nothing. It’s just that I seem to be recalling something, and my heart suddenly aches greatly.”

Mu Mu let out a breath and pressed his large hand down on her shoulder, steadying himself against her: “Is it that I once… nearly died here?”

Jiu’er’s heart stirred. She had not expected that Mu Mu’s heartache was for her sake.

She shook her head, and together they gazed in the direction of Butterfly Valley in the distance.

This foolish man. It was clearly she who had nearly died here — yet to him, was that not far more frightening than if it had been his own death?

“It was I who nearly died here. But afterward, you saved me. This head of white hair you have…”

On this night with a cool breeze stirring gently, Mu Mu’s head of white hair truly made one’s heart ache to look at.

The evening wind rose, lifting the strands of his hair and making him appear all the more cold and solitary.

When Jiu’er turned to look at him in that moment, her own chest suddenly ached as well.

She felt a little flustered. Once this Mu Mu arrived in Phoenix City, how was she to be with him?

The Ninth Imperial Uncle would never allow her to continue staying by his side. But without her, what would Mu Mu do?

He would be left entirely alone. He would be a thousand times lonelier than he was now. When that time came, could she truly harden her heart and leave him behind?

Some feelings of care and concern had nothing to do with romantic love between a man and a woman. She understood very clearly what she felt for Mu Mu — but this kind of care, this kind of attachment, could no longer be cast aside or discarded.

“So I turned my black hair white saving you.” Mu Mu’s mood seemed to have lifted considerably. Looking at his own head of white hair now, he appeared far more at ease with it than he had been before.

“Yes. It was worth it.” He said lightly, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile that made one’s heart go out to him.

Feng Jiu’er felt the corners of her eyes sting, and abruptly turned around. “It’s too cold out here. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Let’s go back inside.”

Mu Mu said nothing, and simply followed in her footsteps.

For the Mu Mu of now, there were no worldly disputes, no responsibilities and burdens pressing down upon his shoulders. His entire world contained nothing but Feng Jiu’er.

He was living very well. Though his body had not recovered, as long as Feng Jiu’er was present, a faint smile would appear at the corners of his lips and the edges of his brows from time to time.

That smile was light and free — something the Mu Mu of the past had never possessed.

That Mu Mu who had always suppressed his own emotions, who had always borne a heavy load, who had considered even a smile a luxury — he had been completely liberated.

If not for her fear of what Mu Mu and Di Wu Ya might make of each other in the future, Ye Luosha herself did not actually want to move against Feng Jiu’er. After all, it was because of Feng Jiu’er that there was now this version of Mu Mu.

She did not truly want Mu’er to be unhappy. She simply did not dare.

She was afraid that if Mu’er’s days were too carefree, he would forget his purpose. Yet the Mu’er of now was someone who genuinely brought her comfort to behold.

There were times when even Ye Luosha felt deeply conflicted, unable to decide how to look at this situation, unable to determine what kind of life she actually wanted for Mu Mu.

Yet now, it seemed there was no longer any need to consider any of that. Because Mu’er no longer listened to her. How Mu’er chose to live was no longer something she had the standing to decide.

And as for what kind of days lay ahead — even Ye Luosha herself felt more at ease.

Jiu’er waited until Mu Mu had entered the room, then glanced from a distance at Ye Luosha’s room across the way, before closing the door behind her.

Mu Mu returned to the room, picked up a military strategy book, and sat down on the long bench to read. It was only when he noticed something unusual about Jiu’er that he looked up at her.

“What is it?” That look in her eyes — was she displeased with him?

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Feng Jiu’er’s words seemed to have no preamble, and most people would certainly not have understood what she meant. But Mu Mu understood perfectly.

He nodded. In front of Jiu’er, he had never liked to deceive her. He was fond of this faithfulness — being faithful to her put him in a good mood.

But this matter, if Jiu’er had not asked, he had no intention of bringing it up himself. After all, it was not something pleasant.

“But harming yourself like this — what if it causes lasting damage? What then?”

Jiu’er was genuinely a little angry. She had worked so hard to restore his constitution, and he had gone and carelessly damaged his own vitality like this?

“Is it truly worth it, just to stop them from making a move against you for the time being? As long as I stay on guard, that should be sufficient — why injure yourself like this?”

Mu Mu set down his book, and suddenly pulled her toward him. He looked at her with complete seriousness. “Even if the odds were one in ten thousand, I am unwilling to take that risk. I cannot bear the risk of losing you. Do you understand?”