Though it was a frontier town, the atmosphere of the New Year was growing thicker and thicker. If not for the broken city walls still under repair and the occasional limping wounded soldiers walking through the streets reminding everyone, it would seem as if that great battle which had passed not long ago had never happened at all.

“I feel something’s not right.”

On the city wall, a man dressed in official robes with a large saber at his waist suddenly spoke.

His gaze looked out over the vast wilderness, his expression serious, brows tightly furrowed.

The soldiers and officers standing around him immediately became tense, all squinting and peering into the distance.

Today was bright and clear, not even a blade of grass could be seen stirring.

“Sir, are they enemy scouts?” they had to ask.

“What enemy scouts?” Defense Official Lü Baoshan asked in confusion.

“But didn’t you just say something wasn’t right, Sir?” his attendant asked.

Lü Baoshan spat, ejecting the dry grass he’d been chewing.

“What I meant was…” The words came to his lips but seemed difficult to say, so he swallowed them back down, sighed, and said, “Never mind, why bother with such petty matters!”

Speaking half and then stopping – this was as poor conduct as winning money at the gambling table and immediately wanting to leave!

The people around him clamored their dissatisfaction.

Lü Baoshan had no choice. This matter had been weighing heavily on his mind, and with his wife having died early, he had no one to talk to about it.

“It’s like this – after I tell you, don’t go spreading it around. Let’s all discuss what to do about it,” he said, squatting down on the city wall.

His personal attendants all hurriedly squatted down as well. Seeing Lü Baoshan’s grave expression, some even automatically walked to the side to have the guards keep watch.

Everyone pricked up their ears and looked at Lü Baoshan excitedly. But Lü Baoshan looked at them in circle after circle, until finally everyone grew impatient and almost forgot about rank and status, ready to raise their fists.

“It’s like this, it’s like this,” Lü Baoshan hurriedly said. “Don’t you all think that the Prince and that… woman…”

He raised his eyebrows at this point, making a “you know what I mean” expression.

Unfortunately, his full beard obscured his expression, so everyone didn’t understand.

“That Madam Qi,” Lü Baoshan had to say explicitly.

“What about Madam Qi? Though this woman hasn’t been much use here, she hasn’t caused any trouble either,” someone asked in bewilderment.

“How can you all not see it? You’re really too slow,” Lü Baoshan said disdainfully, coughing once. “There seems to be something not right between the Prince and her.”

Only then did everyone suddenly understand, their eyes widening immediately.

“This Madam Qi is beautiful, and the Prince is a normal man after all,” everyone laughed and joked.

“You’re still laughing? A normal man?” Lü Baoshan became angry, immediately punching the man beside him. “If he’s a man, how could he go after another man’s woman!”

Only then did everyone come to their senses.

That’s right – wasn’t Madam Qi Jiang Hai’s woman? It seemed like both of them were the Prince’s former servants!

They were all rough men without education who normally enjoyed crude talk and privately lived dissolute lives. But the concept that “another man’s wife must not be trifled with” was deeply ingrained, especially when this “other man” was one’s capable subordinate, and moreover, this subordinate was fighting on the front lines!

Was this something a human being would do?

A group of grown men were extremely troubled. By rank, they couldn’t control Chang Yuncheng, but emotionally, they felt they couldn’t tolerate this.

“Sir, didn’t you want to get rid of him long ago?” someone said.

“Yes, he was originally ill. If something happened to him here, it would be troublesome. I never expected he’d set his sights on this woman and become even more unwilling to leave…” Lü Baoshan stroked his beard and said, “I wrote a letter to the Garrison Commander asking him to step in and request the Prince to return. But the Garrison Commander didn’t respond.”

At this point, he sighed heavily. The few men squatted on the city wall for a long time, staring at each other wide-eyed. This kind of matter was truly difficult for them to handle.

Finally, Lü Baoshan slapped his thigh and took a deep breath.

“I need to personally make a trip to the garrison city to see the Garrison Commander,” he said solemnly.

When night fell deeply, Qi Yue had just finished bathing and was drying her hair while taking notes when Chang Yuncheng slipped in from outside, surprising everyone.

The three women in the room all turned their six eyes toward him. Chang Yuncheng, dressed in an ordinary soldier’s worn jacket, felt uncomfortable under their gaze.

“Actually, actually, all soldiers wear this,” he couldn’t help but cough lightly and say.

The women all laughed.

“Then we’ll go downstairs,” A’Ru said, pulling A’Hao along.

“Go ahead, wash up and sleep early,” Qi Yue said graciously.

The two maids curtsied to Chang Yuncheng, and the door was closed.

Chang Yuncheng breathed a sigh of relief as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted, looking around the room.

The low-ceilinged room had an earthen floor and earthen kang, one charcoal brazier, and two oil lamps placed on the table – though it wasn’t really a table, but rather a chest that Qi Yue had brought, serving as one.

It was so shabby it was painful to look at, but for Chang Yuncheng, he couldn’t bear to blink even once. That woman sat in the room wearing an azure cotton robe, her long hair cascading down.

As long as that figure was there, even if it were the hell of demons, in his heart it would be a heavenly paradise.

At this moment, she was real, not illusory, not something that would disappear with a “poof” the moment he reached out to touch her…

“What are you staring at?” Qi Yue glanced at the man leaning against the door in a daze and said, “You’ve chased away my maids, so you come serve me.”

Chang Yuncheng smiled and walked over. He remembered what the maid had been doing when he first entered, so he picked up a nearby hand towel and gently wiped her hair.

His movements were clumsy but his expression focused, as if he were doing something of utmost importance.

“How did you get here? Don’t let those servants discover you,” Qi Yue said.

To care for this patient, the defense official not only allowed her, as a physician, to come daily for consultations, but also found quite a few servant women, making it so that wherever one went, there were people everywhere. As a result, besides being able to see each other once a day, they didn’t even have a chance to talk much. This greatly disappointed Chang Yuncheng, who had been looking forward to enjoying a world for two. After enduring several days and truly unable to bear the torment, he resumed his old method of sneaking over under cover of darkness. After experiencing several failures, his persistence finally paid off and he successfully got in.

“I had someone stand guard, saying I was sleeping and wouldn’t see anyone,” Chang Yuncheng answered, unable to resist putting down the towel and nuzzling around in her fragrant hair.

“Bah, then what am I?” Qi Yue laughed, reaching up to pinch his face.

“You are my life,” Chang Yuncheng said. Looking at such a beautiful smile in the dim lamplight was an extreme test of willpower – and most importantly, he simply didn’t want to resist.

Saying this, he reached out to hold her face and slowly leaned down to kiss her.

Qi Yue laughed heartily, tilting her head back to avoid him while reaching out to grab his shoulders.

“Oh my, look at this – absence makes the heart grow fonder! Your mouth has become so sweet!” She looked at him teasingly and laughed, “It seems that Fan Yilin didn’t teach you in vain.”

When Chang Yuncheng heard her mention this, he understood that Fan Yilin, that big mouth, must have revealed what happened before. He couldn’t help but blush. Thinking of Fan Yilin reminded him of that bold young clerk Li Something…

“How long did you stay in the capital?” he asked.

“All told, about seven or eight days,” Qi Yue said, casually picking up a teapot nearby to pour water, handing Chang Yuncheng a cup. “Water. Why are you asking about this?”

Chang Yuncheng didn’t take the water cup, instead reaching out to pull her into his arms, muttering something.

“What?” Qi Yue didn’t hear clearly.

“Nothing,” Chang Yuncheng said.

As if! Qi Yue gave him a sidelong glance, reaching out to embrace him. As she touched his broad back, she suddenly thought of something.

“I heard at home that the Emperor beat you?” she asked.

“It’s nothing,” Chang Yuncheng laughed, then quickly stopped laughing as he thought of something, nodding instead. “Yes, yes, he beat me quite severely.”

Qi Yue laughed and patted his back.

“Really, it was quite heavy. You’re a physician – take a look at it,” Chang Yuncheng said.

Qi Yue laughed out loud.

“It’s been so long, what’s there to look at?” she said.

“Just take a look,” Chang Yuncheng said, actually beginning to undress.

How could Qi Yue not see through his intentions? She laughingly grabbed his arm, but even so, Chang Yuncheng still nimbly removed his cotton robe and inner garment, revealing his muscular upper body.

“I’m calling you an exhibitionist!” Qi Yue laughed, pushing away his arm.

With this push, she saw Chang Yuncheng’s side, and then saw the crisscrossing whip marks and scars.

Chang Yuncheng was laughing and trying to grab this woman when he suddenly noticed she had stopped laughing and moving, staring blankly at his back.

Was she really frightened?

He had actually been deliberately teasing her for fun, knowing this woman was easily embarrassed…

“No, it’s already healed…” he hurriedly said, feeling somewhat regretful.

But Qi Yue didn’t listen to his words, grabbing his body and turning him around.

Chang Yuncheng couldn’t see the woman’s expression, and his heart grew panicked.

These flesh wounds were nothing, and besides, they had long since healed. He hadn’t expected this woman to react this way upon seeing them.

Soft hands caressed his spine, touching his scars bit by bit.

“This one – the wound hadn’t healed yet, but was rubbed raw again…”

The woman’s voice behind him murmured.

“Hey, what’s the big deal? Though it looks frightening, it actually doesn’t hurt the muscles or bones. Don’t be such a scaredy-cat,” Chang Yuncheng laughed, trying to turn around, but the woman pushed him to prevent it, and then embraced his waist from behind, pressing against his back.

The soft sensation made Chang Yuncheng’s body instantly tense and rigid.

Then warm drops fell on his back.

She was crying?

Chang Yuncheng was filled with regret.

“Look at you – your courage is quite big, you don’t even blink when cutting people open, so what’s wrong now?” he hurriedly said.

“How is that the same! How is that the same!” Qi Yue pressed against his back, the emotions accumulated since their separation and reunion exploding, tears flowing freely.

She suffered, and he suffered too.

She was heartbroken, and he was both heartbroken and physically hurt.

Chang Yuncheng was extremely regretful, forcefully prying open her hands and pulling her to face him, holding her close. He rubbed, kissed, and comforted her for quite a while before Qi Yue’s emotions finally calmed down.

Looking at the woman lying obediently and pitifully in his arms, this was the first time he’d seen her like this since they’d known each other. Chang Yuncheng only felt his heart aching and tingling.

“It really healed – it stopped hurting right after the beating,” he said righteously.

Qi Yue was amused by him.

“I’m not an idiot,” she laughed and spat, reaching out to pinch his chest.

The muscles were hard as iron, with a firm texture.

Chang Yuncheng’s body trembled slightly again, his breathing growing heavier.

“However, there’s one place that hurts,” he suddenly said in a low voice.

Qi Yue was startled and hurriedly looked up at him.

“Where?” she asked.

Being looked at by such a pair of bright eyes that had just been crying and still held moisture, Chang Yuncheng’s throat made a gulping sound, and he reached out to grasp one of her hands, guiding it downward.

“Here,” he said in a hoarse, low voice.

Even through the thick pants, she could seemingly feel that burning heat.

Qi Yue spat.

“This brain of yours thinks about nothing but this all day long!” she laughed, hurriedly trying to pull away.

“Yueniang,” Chang Yuncheng didn’t let go, calling out in a hoarse voice, “I miss you.”

This voice was low and trembling, making one’s heart involuntarily shiver.

Qi Yue looked at him.

Chang Yuncheng also looked down at her.

The air in the room seemed to stop flowing.

“I miss you too,” Qi Yue said, reaching out to embrace his neck, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his lips.