“Uncle, don’t worry! I’ll make a full recovery very soon.” Feng Jiu’er handed Long Buqu the extra bowl and chopsticks she had prepared.

“You haven’t had your midday meal yet, I take it. This is not a good place to linger — let’s eat our fill, and then we can talk more once we’re back.”

“And besides…” Feng Jiu’er looked at Long Buqu and curved her lips ever so slightly, “once we’re back, I have a surprise for you.”

“A very big one — an enormously big surprise. But let’s eat first, shall we?”

This was not just a surprise for her uncle. It was also a surprise for her mother. Today, the two siblings would be reunited — it was sure to bring great joy.

Long Buqu met Feng Jiu’er’s gaze and ultimately nodded, accepting the bowl and chopsticks from her hand.

The three of them began to eat. No one spoke much.

Feng Jiu’er kept picking out dishes for Long Buqu, and Long Buqu’s eyes stayed on her for almost the entire meal.

After eating quickly, the three of them each mounted a horse and rode away, with the large, powerfully built hunting hound following close behind.

They left Fenghuang City, travelling a winding back road for a full hour, entering a dense forest, winding past two mountains, before finally arriving at this secluded stretch of grassland.

Having been gone for the entire day, they returned to the camp as evening was descending.

Feng Jiu’er chose a less-trafficked route and made her way toward the tents.

They came to a tent that had been prepared in advance off to one side. Feng Jiu’er dismounted.

As she turned around, Long Buqu and Qiao Mu dismounted as well.

“Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er went over with a smile and took Long Buqu’s hand. “Go inside the tent and rest for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

Before lifting the tent flap, Feng Jiu’er looked back at Qiao Mu.

“Qiao Mu, keep my uncle company for me. Don’t bully him now.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Feng Jiu’er released Long Buqu’s hand, lifted the tent flap for him, and let him inside.

Long Buqu said nothing, and stepped in.

When Feng Jiu’er turned around, Qiao Mu gave her a look of exasperation.

She simply shrugged in response, flashed Qiao Mu a mischievous smile, and ran off.

Feng Jiu’er made her way as quickly as she could to Long Feiyan’s tent and stopped outside.

“Mother, come out for a moment.”

Long Feiyan came out from inside the tent, with Xue Gu following close behind.

“Mother.” Feng Jiu’er took Long Feiyan’s hand and walked back in that direction. “I’m taking you to meet someone. I promise you’ll be very surprised.”

Even though Feng Jiu’er was only a girl of her teens, her experiences had left her rarely smiling the way she did now — like a child.

Right now, she was genuinely happy, and genuinely excited.

What would it look like, she wondered, when her uncle and her mother saw each other again?

Long Feiyan followed Feng Jiu’er without asking a single question.

They returned once more to the tent at the edge of the forest. Qiao Mu stood alone outside.

“General Long.” She clasped her hands in a respectful bow toward Long Feiyan.

Long Feiyan met her gaze and nodded, saying nothing.

“Mother.” Feng Jiu’er stopped walking and looked at Long Feiyan. “There is someone inside who you very much wish to see. Let’s go in right now — you should probably be prepared…”

Before Feng Jiu’er could finish her sentence, the tent flap was lifted from inside.

Long Buqu, his veiled hat removed, stood at the entrance, looking at the silhouette that had appeared outside. His entire body went rigid.

He had heard his Jiu’er call out “Mother” — how could he possibly have kept quietly waiting inside the tent?

Long Feiyan saw the man who had emerged clearly, and her eyes went wide. She was completely speechless.

Feng Jiu’er was so overcome with happiness that she had entirely forgotten these tents had no soundproofing whatsoever.

She glanced at Long Buqu, then took Long Feiyan’s hand and moved a few steps forward.

“Mother — it’s Uncle. He’s here.”

Long Feiyan’s body was still somewhat stiff, as was Long Buqu’s.

Feng Jiu’er took one of each of their hands and guided both of them into the tent, then turned to look back outside.

“You two take your time talking. I’ll stand guard out here.” Qiao Mu gave Feng Jiu’er a reassuring look, stepped over, and let the flap fall closed.

Inside the tent, Long Buqu finally came to his senses. He drew his hand back from Feng Jiu’er’s grasp and stepped half a pace forward.

Long Feiyan curved her lips faintly, stepped forward, and pulled the tall figure standing before her into her arms.

“I never imagined — you would be the surprise Jiu’er had for me.” Long Feiyan gently patted Long Buqu on the back, and a sheen of tears rose in her eyes.

She released Long Buqu and looked up at him steadily, her gaze unwavering.

Her long fingers came to rest on his face, which had not yet fully recovered, and her fingertips trembled slightly. “What happened to you?”

Long Buqu closed his hand around Long Feiyan’s arm and returned a faint smile. “I used Jiu’er’s medicine. It’s much better now.”

“Sister.” He looked at her, then suddenly called out softly, “If Father knew you were still alive, he would be overjoyed!”

“Father is still alive?” The elation beneath Long Feiyan’s widened eyes was unmistakable.

“Yes.” Long Buqu nodded with evident delight, then shifted his gaze to Feng Jiu’er. “The first time Jiu’er came to our place, Father took her for you at once. It seems old age hasn’t made him foolish at all.”

Feng Jiu’er smiled and went over to take both of their hands, guiding them to the low table nearby.

“Uncle, Mother — please sit down and talk.”

“Mother.” Feng Jiu’er crouched down beside Long Feiyan, still holding her hand. “You know — at the time I was still going by the name Feng Jiu, and Grandfather could actually recognize me.”

“If he hadn’t kept calling out ‘Long’er’ and refusing to let me leave, Uncle would have had me thrown out long ago.”

Her gaze swept over Long Buqu. Feng Jiu’er pouted slightly. “Uncle was so fierce back then!”

“Though Uncle has done quite well for himself in the imperial capital — he is the manor lord of Tiānxià First Manor, Lanyue.”

“All these years, you and Father were at Tiānxià First Manor?” Long Feiyan turned to look at Long Buqu, her brow faintly creased.

“Yes.” Long Buqu nodded in reply. “With my appearance destroyed, it made it easier for us to settle in the imperial capital, so we never sought any treatment all this time.”

“No wonder Tiānxià First Manor has always been so mysterious. I once had a mind to go in and investigate the situation there, but could never find a way in.” Long Feiyan let out a soft sigh.

“To think that my own family was so close at hand, yet we didn’t recognise each other.”

Long Buqu looked at Long Feiyan, his handsome brows knitting together slightly.

“Then — Sister, were you the veiled woman who had been living inside the imperial palace?”

“Yes.” Long Feiyan gave a light nod. “All these years, I have been using Emperor Qiwen to help me with certain matters.”

“Uncle, Mother — the two of you have a good talk. I want to make dinner for you myself tonight — I’m too happy today.” Feng Jiu’er stood up.

“All right. Your uncle likes fish. Go and prepare several different styles for him.” Long Feiyan waved her hand.

The truth was, who among them today was not as joyful as Feng Jiu’er?

What she had given Long Feiyan and Long Buqu was not merely a surprise — it was happiness, and it was hope.

A family travelling the same road together was incomparably better than fighting alone.

“All right, I know.” Feng Jiu’er looked at the two of them one more time and nodded.

“I’ll bring some tea and refreshments in first. Tonight, Uncle is staying here — no one is going anywhere! There’s no rush!”

Feng Jiu’er turned and strode out, looking every bit as eager as the two siblings who had just been reunited — perhaps even more so.