Zhao Yusheng took a deep breath and pulled the woman into his arms.

He had said everything there was to say; he no longer knew how else to comfort her.

At the very least, from now on he would protect her — to the best of his ability, he would keep her safe.

Duan Liuyang cried for a while, and then grew tired.

Once Zhao Yusheng felt her breathing steady, he let her go.

He looked at her heavy eyelids and took the sweet potato from her hands.

“If you’re tired, rest. You can eat more after you’ve rested a while.”

Duan Liuyang said nothing, but she didn’t refuse either.

Zhao Yusheng supported her and helped her lie flat on the bed.

Suddenly, the faint candlelight flickered a few times, as if it might go out at any moment.

Just as Zhao Yusheng finished wiping the corner of her mouth and tucking the blanket around her, the room’s only candle went out.

With no candlelight, hardly any moonlight made it in from outside either.

The small room became pitch black, so dark one couldn’t see a hand in front of one’s face.

Just as Zhao Yusheng was about to stand, a cold hand closed around his wrist.

“Young Master Zhao, could you stay tonight? I don’t want anything else — I’m just… afraid!”

“All right.” Zhao Yusheng didn’t refuse…

…

Feng Jiu’er led her troops to join up with Feng Jiang’s forces on the western side of Yongshan City.

This battle had already dragged on for more than ten days, and had only quieted for now with the enemy forces pushed back from the city gates.

As night fell, Feng Jiu’er brought her comrades to camp near the western gate of Yongshan City.

With the city gate firmly shut, everyone could finally relax enough to sit down to a proper meal.

At dinner, Feng Jiu’er was still weighed down with worry, and what she ate was entirely up to whatever Xiao Yingtao put in her bowl.

“Jiu’er, don’t worry so much. No news is good news.” Xiao Yingtao looked at the woman beside her, who had grown noticeably thinner, and shook her head.

She picked up a piece of meat and studied it seriously for a moment.

“There’s good meat right in front of you, and you’re sulking? Do you know how wasteful that is?”

After being so busy for so long, Xiao Yingtao wasn’t about to hold back.

One bite, two bites, three bites… If she didn’t eat heartily, it would be an insult to herself, and to this meat.

At another table nearby sat two people.

“Eat up! You’re far too thin!” Qiao Mu tore a chicken leg apart with her bare hands.

“Thank you, my lady.” Feng Jiang didn’t take the drumstick, but instead picked up the whole chicken and pulled off the other leg himself.

“I don’t care much for drumsticks.”

He looked at Qiao Mu fondly and tore off a piece of chicken breast, putting it in his mouth.

“The best part of a chicken is the drumstick. Do you really not like it, or are you giving it to me on purpose?” Qiao Mu rolled her eyes.

“You always want to save the best for me — don’t you eat anything yourself?”

“Qiao Mu, we’re already so full of sweet nothings, do we still need actual food?” Xiao Yingtao complained through a mouthful of meat, saying she couldn’t eat any more.

“Tch!” Qiao Mu glanced at the gnawed drumstick in Xiao Yingtao’s hand. “As if our Xiao Jiang didn’t learn that from your Xing Zizhou.”

“Just look at how Xing Zizhou gnaws on a bone — so happy!”

Xing Zizhou only smiled and didn’t join in.

“He just likes bones — got a problem with that?” Xiao Yingtao finished off one drumstick and picked up another.

“Jiu’er, hurry up and eat! There might be news any moment — there’s no use thinking so much.”

“Jiu’er.” Yang Sheng strode in from outside.

Feng Jiu’er looked up, instinctively glancing at Yang Sheng’s hands.

No letter. Why still no word by now? Had something gone wrong?

“Nothing’s wrong — let’s eat first, the food’s getting cold.” Feng Jiu’er waved a hand and picked up the bowl of rice Xiao Yingtao had prepared for her.

“Jiu’er, they’re back.” Yang Sheng’s voice carried over, full of delight.

When Feng Jiu’er looked up, she saw a very thin, small figure.

Her eyes lit up, and she stood. “Liuyang, you’ve finally made it back.”

Thank goodness — she was back.

At the very least, now she could give the dead an answer.

For days now, Feng Jiu’er had been counting the stars, counting the moons, hoping for nothing more than this girl’s safe return.

The moment Duan Liuyang saw Feng Jiu’er, the tears started flowing again.

Feng Jiu’er took her hand and pulled her into an embrace.

“You’re back — that’s all that matters.” She patted her gently on the back and led her by the hand toward her own seat.

“Bring more dishes.”

“Yes.” One of the men hurried out cheerfully.

Miss Jiu’er had finally smiled, and such a beautiful smile too — it made him happy as well.

“Have you eaten, Liuyang?” Feng Jiu’er’s voice sounded.

“Not yet.” Duan Liuyang shook her head.

Feng Jiu’er picked up a bowl, put a few dishes into it, and set it before her.

“Thank you!” Duan Liuyang nodded.

Xiao Yingtao pushed the two dishes in front of her over as well.

“No need to be shy! Eat slowly, there’s plenty more.” However you looked at it, she felt for the girl too.

“Yu Jingfeng, didn’t you say you could get hold of some bird’s nest?” Qiao Mu stood up.

“I did.” Yu Jingfeng answered with a grin. “It should be nearly done stewing — I’ll go check right now.”

Soon, one of the men who had gone out brought back a fine dish of good meat.

Yu Jingfeng returned too, carrying a tray with several small bowls of bird’s nest soup, the kind most girls loved.

While holding Duan Liuyang, Feng Jiu’er had checked her pulse and gotten a general sense of her current condition.

Since it was mostly a matter of physical weakness, plenty of nourishment would set it right.

Wounds of the heart, no tonic could heal — only time, slowly, could do that.

With a weight lifted off her chest, Feng Jiu’er felt much more confident about what lay ahead.

After dinner, once Duan Liuyang was settled and had received a thorough examination, Feng Jiu’er returned to her own quarters.

By then, Feng Jiang and the others were already waiting inside her room.

The moment Feng Jiu’er stepped through the door, she found the two of them cuddled up together.

Ever since their reunion, this pair of lovebirds had been practically inseparable.

They were shameless and open about it, not hiding a thing — anyone who wanted to tease them wouldn’t even know where to start.

“Jiu’er, you’re finally here.” The moment Xiao Yingtao saw Feng Jiu’er, she wanted to complain.

But her complaints were nothing new by this point — the other two weren’t the least bit affected, so she might as well save her breath and warm herself up instead.

This weather was simply too cold!

“How is Liuyang doing?” Xiao Yingtao asked softly.

“Not bad.” Feng Jiu’er nodded and came to sit in the main seat.

She glanced at Xiao Yingtao and raised an eyebrow. “Been waiting long? Getting impatient?”

“Not long!” Qiao Mu waved a hand. “It’s just that her man went out to handle some business, so she’s bored.”

“Miss Qiao, could you spare a thought for other people’s feelings?” Xiao Yingtao rolled her eyes.

“The rest of us are reading, sorting through documents, and here you are chattering away.”

“I don’t think I’m that bad.” Qiao Mu frowned and turned to look at her man. “Am I really that noisy?”

“Not noisy at all!” Feng Jiang doted on her, rubbing Qiao Mu’s head.

The old Qiao Mu would never have liked being patted on the head like a child, but now, because of this one gesture from her man, she was happy as a child.

This separation had taught Qiao Mu one thing — the difference between having someone and not having them yet was simply enormous.

Ever since they’d confirmed their relationship, the way she missed him was nothing like before.

Separation — it was simply too painful!