However, Qi Yue quickly understood what was happening.

She had neither the mood nor reason to be a target for these people.

“Sorry, I’m still very busy,” she raised her voice and said. Without caring what these people said next, she pushed through them and walked toward the door.

Everyone was stunned, then became even more respectful in their attitude. Look – why did people have confidence? Because they had backing.

Chang Yuncheng watched this woman suddenly emerge from the crowd and walk toward him, getting closer and closer. He felt his body stiffen as he stared at her without blinking.

She was walking over!

She was walking over!

She… walked past…

Walked past!

Chang Yuncheng’s breathing stopped for an instant.

She walked past!

He spun around sharply.

“Prince, Prince!” The people who had come to their senses rushed toward him, with one officer not forgetting to shout loudly, “Prince, you’ve worked hard…”

“Shut up!” Chang Yuncheng spun around again and roared.

The noisy crowd that had surged forward froze instantly.

The Guard Commander also felt rather embarrassed.

“What have I worked hard at? I’ve been away all along – it’s the Guard Commander who has worked hard!” Chang Yuncheng bowed to the Guard Commander, his expression dark and appearing very solemn. “After the barbarians’ retreat, there are many affairs to handle. I’m grateful that you’ve personally come to inspect and arrange things. You need not worry about the wounded soldiers here. Please go to the official hall to comfort the officers and discuss merit rewards and reports.”

The Guard Commander immediately straightened his back, feeling warm in his heart despite the cold winter.

Good – it seemed those words earlier had indeed worked. What did men want? Face, of course!

You give me face, and naturally I’ll give you face. This misunderstanding could be glossed over.

“These are all my duties – what hardship is there?” the Guard Commander replied formally.

“Please, Commander, take charge of the central affairs,” Chang Yuncheng said again, gesturing invitingly.

The officers of Pengshan Fort, who had been unclear about what was happening, now understood and hurriedly took over with a commotion.

The Guard Commander had both face and substance, so he left happily.

Chang Yuncheng breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked again toward the direction Qi Yue had left. Seeing that woman walking quickly away, he hurried to follow, but was grabbed by the Guard Commander who had only walked a few steps.

“Prince, come along, come along,” he said with a smile.

“You go ahead, Commander. If there’s anything that needs doing, just order me to do it,” Chang Yuncheng said.

The Guard Commander shook his head.

“For such important matters, we absolutely cannot proceed without your presence and counsel,” he said, taking Chang Yuncheng’s hand and leading him forward.

You respect me, I respect you – mutual face-giving meant everyone would be happy.

The others naturally agreed. Chang Yuncheng was helplessly carried along by the crowd.

Meanwhile, A’Ru walked while looking back.

“Lady, the Prince has come!” she said excitedly and repeatedly.

Qi Yue snorted.

“Not surprising at all,” she muttered. “What a loss.”

A’Ru pushed her lightly.

“Lady, isn’t this surprising enough? It’s shocking! Didn’t you see the Prince’s eyes were scattered with fright!” she said.

Really?

Qi Yue tilted her head slightly, recalling.

Apart from that dazed expression, there was no difference from before.

She couldn’t help but smile with pursed lips.

“It’s just that the Prince is too busy…” A’Ru looked back again, saying with some regret.

Qi Yue also looked back.

Chang Yuncheng had already left with the crowd.

“With such a big matter, naturally he has to be busy,” Qi Yue said.

“But knowing that you’re safe and sound, Lady, the Prince can be at ease,” A’Ru said with relief.

Qi Yue said nothing, looking again toward the direction Chang Yuncheng had gone, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.

Yes, everyone being safe was the simplest and happiest thing.

Night fell, and the day’s busy exhaustion temporarily came to a pause.

Qi Yue didn’t request to help at the wounded soldiers’ camp. First, she had no medicine left, and second, Qiao Minghua, with over twenty years of experience dealing with such injuries, was much more skilled than herself.

“What we need to do now is prepare instruments and medicinal materials,” Qi Yue said, looking at Hu San and the others. “For battlefield first aid, only three things are urgent: first is stopping bleeding, second is anesthesia, third is preventing infection. So we need to obtain these three types of medicine.”

“Aren’t there already medicines for stopping bleeding?” Hu San said.

“Those won’t do – we need more effective ones,” Qi Yue said.

“Master, do you have that kind of medicine?” Hu San shouted with delight.

Qi Yue smiled bitterly.

“I know of such medicine, but I don’t have it,” she said.

“Knowing is enough, knowing is enough. Didn’t we already develop penicillin?” Hu San said happily.

Qi Yue smiled and nodded.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said. “Because Yongqing Prefecture is too far away, you need to set up a penicillin extraction base here for me.”

Hu San snapped his fingers.

“No problem, Master. Just watch,” he said loudly.

A’Ru glared at him.

“Alright, it’s getting late. We haven’t had a good sleep for days. Everyone disperse quickly,” she said.

Hu San and the others responded and turned to leave. Xiao Qu suddenly blocked them and gave his companions a meaningful look.

“Master, there’s something I’d like to ask…” he said.

Everyone looked at him.

Hu San frowned even more.

What could you possibly have to ask about, you menial worker? If there’s anything to ask, asking me would be enough!

Before he could speak, he saw Xiao Qu and another guard suddenly pounce toward the door.

“Who’s there! How dare you!” they shouted in unison.

Everyone was startled, as was Chang Yuncheng outside the door.

He instinctively stepped back, avoiding Xiao Qu and the other’s attempt to capture him.

“It’s me,” he said quietly.

Xiao Qu, who was about to advance further, paused.

“Prince?” he shouted in surprise.

There was no light outside. The lamplight from the open door shone on this man – it was indeed Chang Yuncheng.

Qi Yue had already come from inside the house to the doorway. Hu San, A’Hao, and A’Ru also crowded over, all eyes falling on Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng felt extremely embarrassed.

This behavior of his – did it count as eavesdropping?

“Prince, you’ve come! Please come in and sit!” Hu San enthusiastically greeted him, about to enter the house to personally entertain him.

A’Ru pinched him hard from behind.

Hu San grimaced and yelped.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Everyone go down,” A’Ru glared at him and said to everyone, pulling A’Hao, who was still standing to the side grinning, to leave first.

Hu San realized what was happening and followed with a grin. Then Xiao Qu and the four others bowed to him as they passed.

In the blink of an eye, only two people remained – one at the house door, one in the courtyard, facing each other in silence.

Qi Yue had imagined countless scenarios of their meeting, but when they actually met, she felt there was nothing special about it, as if they had never been apart and had always been meeting. Her heart was surprisingly calm.

“Finished with your work?” she asked.

“Finished,” Chang Yuncheng said hurriedly.

Another moment of silence.

“Then rest early,” Qi Yue said.

Chang Yuncheng was startled – he hadn’t come here to say goodnight!

“I, I,” he said hurriedly. “I’m not tired.”

Qi Yue rolled her eyes.

Chang Yuncheng wanted to slap himself.

What nonsense was he saying!

“Well, I’m tired,” Qi Yue said with a straight face.

Chang Yuncheng immediately deflated, lowering his head to look at his feet.

Yes, how tired she must be…

Traveling so far, then experiencing warfare…

“Then… then you rest early,” he said quietly, not looking up, about to turn around while staring at his feet.

Qi Yue was both angry and amused.

“Chang Yuncheng, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?” she asked.

Chang Yuncheng’s head snapped up.

Yes, of course he did!

I missed you, I thought about you, I worried about you, I couldn’t bear to part with you…

“The carriages are all prepared. We can send you away tomorrow,” he said.

Qi Yue’s eyes widened.

“Chang Yuncheng, I rejected my second spring, traveled thousands of miles east and west to find you, and this is what you say to me?” she shouted.

What was “second spring”?

This thought flashed woodenly through Chang Yuncheng’s mind.

“Go away! I’m going to sleep!” Qi Yue shouted and slammed the door shut.

The bang of the closing door made Chang Yuncheng’s heart skip three beats as he stared helplessly at the tightly shut door.

What was happening?

Chang Yuncheng broke out in a sweat.

What should he do?

What should he do?

“No means yes.”

At this moment, Fan Yilin’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears. Chang Yuncheng shuddered.

He looked at that tightly shut door.

The dim lamplight cast a slender shadow on the window frame.

She had traveled thousands of miles to come here…

She had readily accepted the provocation to stay here…

For what?

For what?

What else could it be for!

Another bang – this time Qi Yue was startled. She had just turned around when Chang Yuncheng rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

“What are you doing?” Qi Yue couldn’t help but scream. Her nose and face hit his chest due to his forceful embrace, making her grunt again as she raised her hands to beat him.

Chang Yuncheng let her hit him, just holding her without letting go.

“Yueniang, I missed you,” he said loudly.

He repeated it over and over, from loud at first to murmuring at the end.

“I don’t want you to leave, don’t want to be separated from you, don’t want you to marry someone else. This is what I wanted to say to you.”

“What am I to you? Why should your thoughts concern me!” Qi Yue said angrily, pinching his waist and back.

Chang Yuncheng pulled her away to look at her face.

“You are my woman,” he said.

Qi Yue looked at him in shock and snorted disdainfully.

“You are my woman! Not anyone else’s!” Chang Yuncheng said again, thinking of Jiang Hai’s repeated claims, remembering how he had hidden behind a tree in Yongqing Prefecture watching Qi Yue smile at Wang Qian, remembering Zhou Maochun repeatedly arranging marriage proposals for her in the capital.

“You are my woman, and no one can take you away!” he shouted fiercely. “No one!”

Qi Yue kicked him and struggled free, stepping back several paces.

“Who do you think you are? Dream on! You have no right to control me! I’m leaving right now! You can keep whoever you want!” she glared and shouted.

Chang Yuncheng looked at her, then suddenly without saying a word, reached out and hoisted her up.

Caught off guard, Qi Yue was startled, her head and feet hanging in the air as she screamed.

“Qi Yueniang, you’ve forgotten again!” Chang Yuncheng said in a deep voice. “I told you before – whether you leave or stay, you think you really have a choice!”

With that, he carried her on his shoulder straight toward the inner room with the heated brick bed, casually extinguishing the dim oil lamp on the table. The room was instantly swallowed by darkness.

This time it was truly repaid in full, not even a bit of interest was spared!!