“Hey, don’t- don’t come any closer,” He Yan quickly stuck her head out from behind the rock, fearing he would walk right up to her. “I’m undressed! What are you doing?”

The other person’s footsteps indeed stopped.

He Yan’s heart relaxed slightly. From her past knowledge of Xiao Jue, she knew he was extremely fastidious – being undressed in his presence would be considered improper, and he wouldn’t want to sully his eyes.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Xiao Jue stared at her, asking coldly.

“I’m a recruit at the garrison, here to bathe,” He Yan answered.

Upon hearing this, a trace of mockery flashed through Xiao Jue’s eyes, clearly disbelieving. He questioned, “Bathing at this hour?”

“There were too many people earlier, and I fell asleep in my room,” He Yan looked at him. “I’m not one of the officials here with my room where I can bathe. If I had that, who would want to come to the river to bathe late at night? I even find it cold!”

By “officials,” He Yan was referring to Xiao Jue himself, hoping he would understand her sarcasm.

Unfortunately, Xiao Jue showed no signs of embarrassment at her words, only looking at her calmly.

He Yan sank a bit deeper into the river and asked, “And who are you?”

Hmm, she would act like an unworldly recruit – that would be more convincing.

Instead of answering her question, Xiao Jue said, “If you find it cold, you shouldn’t have joined the military.”

Was he refuting her earlier statement? He Yan glanced at her clothes behind the huge rock. If Xiao Jue wouldn’t leave, she’d have to stay in the water, but staying too long would surely raise his suspicions.

“I joined the military with a purpose,” He Yan said.

Xiao Jue looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “What purpose?”

“Of course it’s to achieve merit and fame, get promoted and become wealthy, to be someone like General Feng Yun who succeeded young. Then go home, build a house, marry a wife – the most beautiful and virtuous lady – have the most adorable children, be surrounded by descendants, and live prosperously. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful life?” He Yan showed a yearning expression.

At these words, Xiao Jue’s eyes turned ice-cold, and he berated harshly, “Vulgar!”

He Yan was gleefully laughing inside. She had deliberately thrown General Feng Yun’s name together with the common wishes of ordinary men to disgust him. Someone as proud as Xiao Jue must feel insulted.

“What’s wrong with that?” He Yan asked with a serious face. “This is how joining the military should be – to become the happiest man.”

Seemingly unable to bear her wild talk anymore, Xiao Jue glanced at her and left with a sweep of his sleeves, apparently unwilling to speak with her further.

He Yan called after him, “Hey, brother, could you help throw my clothes from behind the rock over here? Just a small favor, help me out!”

Of course, Xiao Jue wouldn’t fetch her clothes. He Yan waited until he was far gone and completely out of sight before quickly washing up and running behind the rock to change into her clothes.

The moonlight remained silent as if it hadn’t witnessed anything. He Yan carried her dirty clothes back, thinking about her encounter with Xiao Jue.

At this hour, Xiao Jue probably wasn’t there for any particular reason, perhaps just taking a walk to enjoy the beautiful night.

Come to think of it, He Yan hadn’t seen Xiao Jue for many years. The last time she encountered him at the horse grounds, fearing he would discover her secret, she had hurriedly lowered her head without getting a clear look at how he had changed. Just now she had a rare chance to see him clearly, and he seemed different from her memories.

She knew Xiao Jue had been unparalleled in his handsome appearance back then, with many young ladies crowding around just hoping for a glance from him. But it turned out that some people could become even more handsome as they aged. Who knew what this person ate growing up, but looking at him now, his grace and beauty had only increased from before. If the younger Xiao Jue had carried a bit of the characteristic frivolity of youth, that touch of romance was now completely gone. Like fine jade or a precious sword in its case, he now carried a subtle, flowing radiance.

Just his temperament had become much colder than before.

He Yan walked slowly.

Back when she had quarreled with the He family and joined the military, she didn’t know what had happened at the Xian Chang Academy. At that time, Xiao Jue was still the young master of the Xiao family, and everything was normal. It wasn’t until several years after she joined the military that she learned about the second young master Xiao’s situation from others’ discussions.

Xiao Jue’s father, Xiao Zhongwu, was a brave general of Great Wei, most skilled at winning with fewer troops against many, like an iron pillar of the Wei kingdom. Yet during the attack on the Southern Barbarians, he fell into an enemy ambush at the Battle of Ming Water and died at the enemy leader’s hands. After General Xiao’s death, Xiao Jue took over the army and continued the campaign against the Southern Barbarians.

He Yan had joined the military at fifteen, and Xiao Jue was only a year older when he joined. She didn’t know exactly what happened, but she knew that for a sixteen-year-old youth to take over his father’s army was certainly no simple matter. Not to mention the royal family’s attitude, just the Xiao family’s political enemies wouldn’t miss this chance to kick them while they were down.

If Xiao Jue had failed, the entire Xiao family would have fallen. As a military family, the Xiao household couldn’t have been sustained by the elder young master Xiao alone, who was merely a civil official serving as Feng Yi Daifu.

Fortunately, heaven showed its favor. Not only did Xiao Jue win, but he won brilliantly, crushing the Southern Barbarians and returning to the capital with their leader’s head. From then on, his reputation as the “Young General-Killer, Jade-Faced Commander” was established.

War is the fastest way to temper one’s character – all edges and sharp points must be withdrawn in the face of life and death. Perhaps Xiao Jue had once retained the proud frivolity of the capital’s noble youth, but now, none of that could be seen.

A more outstanding, colder, more unfathomable, more formidable Xiao Jue.

He Yan reached her door. Everyone inside was sleeping soundly; no one had discovered her absence. She put her clothes at the foot of her bed, lay down flat, closed her eyes, and felt inner peace.

Fortunately, over these years, it wasn’t just Xiao Jue who had grown – she had grown just as he had.

Not much different at all.