To be precise, Li Chaoyang was “about to wake up,” but hadn’t truly awakened yet.

Following the antidote formula provided by the great monk, which contained countless medicinal herbs that Lu Qianqiao had never even heard of and had to ask Lord Meishan to help gather, the herbs were boiled daily in a giant cauldron, and the cursed person was soaked in the medicinal broth. No one knew how long the soaking should last. Even with skin as thick and tough as the war ghost Li Chaoyang, after these months of soaking, her skin had wrinkled and turned yellow – the yellow of medicinal broth.

When Lu Qianqiao arrived, she was curled up in the vat full of medicinal broth, frowning and groaning, eyes tightly shut, her facial expressions changing constantly.

The war ghosts of the Li clan crowded in the room, not daring to blink, just staring at her.

Such an expression on Li Chaoyang was rarely seen.

Born into war ghost nobility, she had been strict and disciplined from childhood, seldom speaking or smiling. After successfully surviving her transformation at twenty-five and achieving the perfect war ghost body, she rarely even frowned. A Li Chaoyang with rich expressions was unimaginable.

She was now frowning tightly, as if encountering some extremely difficult decision in her dreams. A moment later, the corners of her lips suddenly lifted, and she actually smiled.

A sweet smile.

Li Min and the others didn’t dare breathe.

A snow-white sheet was suddenly spread down, covering the large vat filled with medicinal broth. Lu Qianqiao bent down beside the vat, brushing away the sticky wet hair from her forehead, saying in a low voice: “Everyone out.”

No matter how reluctant they were, Lu Qianqiao was currently the person closest to achieving a perfect war ghost body in the clan. The war ghosts, who worshipped power fanatically, would never resist his words. They filed out of the room one by one, gently closing the door.

Lu Qianqiao brought over a bucket of clean water and began untangling her matted, sticky long hair, carefully washing it, then clumsily combing it through with a horn comb.

She smiled one moment, frowned the next, looked sorrowful, then relieved.

Was she dreaming of the most brilliant and turbulent period of her life?

He didn’t know much about his parents’ affairs. When he was very young, he had heard people mention that the clan elders weren’t optimistic about their union. Later came her killing Lu Jingran and returning alone to the clan, rejecting all tender emotions, and mother and son had been separated ever since.

Perhaps… perhaps she and Lu Jingran had also shared sweet experiences like he and Xin Mei. Unlike him, seventeen-year-old Li Chaoyang had been direct and passionate in love, never considering escape routes, wholeheartedly marrying the man she liked. In the beginning, she had been happy too.

Unfortunately, the trivialities of life had worn away that happiness. Perhaps when she transformed into a perfect war ghost and killed Lu Jingran in that instant, she had felt a liberating release. She had lost to her instinctive bloodlust, leaving only emptiness and vague regret after the release.

Was that why she didn’t want her only son to walk the same path?

Lu Qianqiao used a soft cloth to gently wipe her wet cheeks when he suddenly felt her eyelashes tremble, and two large teardrops rolled down. Immediately after, the eyes that had been closed for nearly half a year finally opened.

His movements stopped.

Two pairs of eyes silently locked in gaze.

“Qianqiao.”

After a long while, Li Chaoyang spoke, her voice hoarse and dry. She looked at him and for the first time showed a smile – somewhat sad, somewhat weary.

“I dreamed of your father.”

Lu Qianqiao picked up a strand of her wet hair and continued combing: “…What did he say to you?”

“He said he had something to ask me, and that he would wait for me.”

She gazed somewhat blankly toward an unknown distance, blinking in confusion.

“Seeing him again made me very happy.”

Lu Qianqiao looked up in amazement. The words “very happy” coming from her mouth were truly incredible.

Li Chaoyang tried to prop herself up in the large vat but was too weak to even stand. When he reached out to help, she grasped his wrist and instructed: “The large redwood cabinet on the east side, third drawer on the right – bring me what’s inside.”

He went over and opened the drawer as instructed. Inside was a dark purple brocade box containing two wax pills the size of chicken eggs, with brilliant golden light flowing within and emitting a faint, elegant fragrance.

He brought the wax pills over, but Li Chaoyang shook her head.

“These are rewards left by the last celestial deity… Our Li clan has worshipped them for generations, only daring to use them in the most difficult and desperate times. When you failed to transform and the fox clan came to provoke us, I considered taking one to resolve the crisis. However… fortunately, I didn’t use it.”

Someone was still waiting for her by the Wangchuan River, year after year, season after season. She wouldn’t trade an eternal immortal life for his waiting – nothing could make her make that trade.

“My body still needs several years of rest to recover. Qianqiao, today I formally pass these two pills to you. I hope… you’ll never have occasion to use them in your lifetime.”

Lu Qianqiao smiled and tucked the two pills into his chest: “Let me help you up.”

The curse that Li Chaoyang had suffered was extremely vicious and domineering. Combined with being soaked in medicinal broth for nearly half a year, even the strongest body couldn’t withstand such torment. She probably wouldn’t recover the grace of a perfect war ghost for a year or two. The great monk must have calculated this, right? Though he hadn’t truly killed her, he had effectively held her back for several years, giving the fox clan a chance to breathe, or rather, giving both clans a chance to cool down.

When the Li clan learned that Li Chaoyang had awakened, there was naturally great joy and celebration. War ghosts from other major clans also shared in the happiness and relief, significantly lightening the recent atmosphere of slaughter in the clan.

After hastily washing off the sticky medicinal broth, Li Chaoyang was extremely exhausted and soon fell into deep sleep again.

The moon climbed to the zenith. Lu Qianqiao sat by the bed, one hand on his mother’s wrist monitoring her pulse, the other unconsciously reaching into his chest to take out the carefully wrapped amethyst hairpin.

Tomorrow was May third. He probably couldn’t return. This hairpin… was destined not to be worn in her hair on her birthday.

The general felt somewhat depressed and guilty.

“Have Li Yan send it to the Imperial Tomb.”

Li Chaoyang on the bed suddenly spoke, startling him slightly.

She kept her eyes closed, expression calm, adding: “The clan has been heavy with killing intent lately. Don’t have that girl come here. Let Li Yan deliver the gift.”

Lu Qianqiao hesitated: “Mother…”

“I won’t stop you from anything, but if you’re on the battlefield with your heart divided by concerns, others will surely take advantage. Qianqiao, I need you to give our clan five years. At least wait until I recover before returning.”

He fell silent.

“If you miss her, then use all your abilities to resolve the fox clan matter in the shortest time possible. Having no worries behind you – that’s what makes a man.”

Still silent.

“That girl will wait for you.”

Yes, Xin Mei would wait for him. He understood this clearly. Whether five years or ten years, if it were her, she would definitely wait steadfastly without question, waiting for him to come home.

He wasn’t a good husband, always making her wait.

But, Xin Mei, I will definitely come home.

In this world, only where you are can be my home.

Four years later, May third—

Another May third. Xin Mei rose before dawn as usual, grabbed a meat bun steamed the night before from the kitchen, blowing on it because it was too hot, while climbing the slope for her routine gaze into the distance.

If Lu Qianqiao was coming back, he would definitely take this road. Today was her twenty-first birthday – he should be able to make it back, right? If he didn’t return soon, she really would become an old woman.

Two days ago, Li Min had come to deliver a letter and gift – Lu Qianqiao wrote to her every month and included a present, sometimes pearl earrings, sometimes a necklace strung with seashells from the seaside. She remembered once he had killed some demon beast and, hearing that the creature’s liver was highly beneficial, had Li Yan carry it with both hands, bloody and across thousands of miles, to deliver to her.

The result was that during cooking, the liver gave off an overwhelming stench that made all the demons in the Imperial Tomb cry out in distress. Even Li Yan covered his nose with a pale face, refusing to eat it. She reluctantly took one bite to give Lu Qianqiao face, then buried the rest in a hole.

What Li Min had brought two days ago was a pink gauze skirt embroidered with peach blossoms. The fabric was supposedly some rare thousand-year silkworm silk that, besides being light and beautiful, also emitted fragrance.

He had said: “Young Master instructed that with spring here, you should wear new clothes – he might return any day.”

Xin Mei frowned: “What do you mean ‘might return any day’?”

“How would I know? When Young Master returns, ask him yourself.”

This hateful man! Four years ago on her seventeenth birthday, she had waited all day on the slope and he hadn’t come, only having Li Yan deliver a hairpin and a letter with stiff, rigid wording: 【Wait for me. Will return within five years.】

Was he so certain she would wait? Now four years had passed, and he was playing this mysterious game again – might return any day?

“Oh, then go back and tell him for me that if he doesn’t return soon, I might find myself a pretty boy any day.”

Li Min was completely unmoved: “The Imperial Tomb is full of demons. There are no pretty boys.”

Xin Mei was somewhat angry: “Li Yan counts as a pretty boy! Send him next time!”

Li Min remained very calm: “He can’t come recently. His twenty-five-year transformation trial has arrived.”

Over these years, young people in the war ghost clan had been encountering transformation trials one after another. Two years ago it was Li Min, who passed smoothly. Though he didn’t become a perfect war ghost like Li Chaoyang, as a pure-blood war ghost who survived the transformation trial, he could be considered formidable fighting power. This year it was Li Yan’s turn. He was also pure-blood, so the transformation should be no problem.

It seemed that precisely because new fighting power kept joining recently, the southern fox clan finally couldn’t hold out and evacuated their ancestral home where they had lived for generations, hiding to avoid the war ghosts’ pursuit. She heard that recently someone had even written peace proposal letters, though she didn’t know if it was true or false. Judging from Li Min and Li Yan’s attitudes, they were no longer as tense as before, so the dispute between the two clans was probably nearing its end.

“By the way, Young Master also has a birthday gift for you.”

Li Min expressionlessly placed a half-person-high wooden box from his back bundle on the ground and opened it. Inside were two lifelike dolls. One wore armor and carried a whip at the waist, looking majestic and imposing. The other had her hair up in a gauze skirt, graceful as if smiling, holding a small tofu-carved figure in her hands.

“Ah…” Xin Mei was shocked.

These two dolls… weren’t they just miniature versions of her and Lu Qianqiao! The eyebrows, eyes, nose… even her carefree, smiling expression that didn’t worry about anything was exactly the same!

“Young Master said this is called… this is called…”

Li Min frowned, very reluctant to say such mushy words.

“This is called ‘Perfect Match Made in Heaven.'”

His heart was bleeding. That Young Master who was wise, mighty, cold, and ruthless on the battlefield – how could you casually say such mushy, romantic words!

Xin Mei picked up both dolls, looking at this one, then kissing that one, smiling so widely her mouth wouldn’t close, completely forgetting her earlier threat about finding a pretty boy.

“Then tell him for me – say Lu Qianqiao, I miss you so painfully, my heart rains every day, and only when you return will my heart be filled with sunshine…”

“Stop!”

Li Min couldn’t bear it anymore, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms.

“Five words or less.”

“Oh, then tell him to come home soon.”

…

She didn’t know if Li Min had delivered that message. Xin Mei waited on the slope for an hour as usual, seeing not a single human figure, though she did see several fierce ghosts from the burial pits.

A quarter past the hour of Chen, Xin Xiong waved to her from below the slope: “Little Mei, come eat!”

Two years ago he had handed over the Xinxie Manor business to several disciples, bringing his wife’s memorial tablet to live at the Imperial Tomb with his daughter, enjoying his twilight years. When idle, he taught Tao Guoguo and her brother to read, helped Si Lan plant vegetables, and discussed with Official Zhao how to write his plays to be more engaging.

However, Xin Mei thought his most impressive skill was constantly lecturing Miss Yinglian on life philosophy with eloquent persuasion, turning wrong into right, actually convincing her to consider marrying the bear uncle from the north who kept proposing.

About this, Xin Xiong was quite proud: “Your son-in-law is a vigorous young man after all. Having a beautiful female demon constantly pining away in secret could lead to trouble. Dear treasure, just rest assured – Father will solve these problems for you!”

Her father truly was a miraculous existence. Having lived twenty-one years, Xin Mei was increasingly certain of this.

“Can’t your son-in-law make it for your birthday again this year?”

During the meal, Xin Xiong casually asked.

Xin Mei frowned: “Don’t know, but it’s not the first time. Doesn’t matter anymore.”

Xin Xiong thought for a moment: “Dear treasure, after eating, let’s light incense for your mother?”

After Xin Xiong moved to the Imperial Tomb, a room north of Guihua Hall that had been used for storage was cleaned up into a small ancestral shrine with an altar and memorial tablet. Daily fresh water, flowers, and incense – Xin Xiong never missed a day.

After lighting two incense sticks, they stood before the memorial tablet in silent prayer. He suddenly spoke: “Your mother was a disciple of an immortal cultivation sect, upholding justice and traveling the world – very capable.”

Xin Mei was startled. Though her father often spoke of how good and gentle her mother was, he had never mentioned what she did. She had always thought her mother was just an ordinary girl.

“After we married, she also often couldn’t stay home. The sect frequently had orders, and when she left, sometimes for months, sometimes for years. I never knew when she would return, so every day I could only light two lamps in front of the main gate. Lushui Town was very poor – no one lit lamps in front of their houses at night. But think about it, in all that darkness, those two lamps at the gate were very conspicuous. When your mother saw the lamps, she wouldn’t mistake the way and would know I was home waiting for her.”

Xin Mei blinked and turned to leave: “Then I’ll go light lamps outside the Imperial Tomb.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Xin Xiong quickly pulled her back, wiping his sweat. This daughter of his was really difficult to communicate with.

“When two people are together, they always need to accommodate each other somewhat. You’re both still young, and your son-in-law is so capable. If your mother had been as capable as your son-in-law, I would have waited not just four years, but fourteen years. Unfortunately, she was injured before giving birth to you, and after you were born, she couldn’t last more than a few months. But during our marriage, we were very happy with no regrets left behind. So you shouldn’t always think about when your son-in-law will return – thinking like that ruins your own good days. His home is here, and he surely wants to return soon too. Don’t blame him.”

Xin Mei thought for a while and nodded: “If I blamed him, I wouldn’t wait anymore.”

Xin Xiong proudly stroked his beard: “My dear treasure is already the second-best woman in the world.”

“Why not the first?”

“Nonsense, first place is your mother.”

After offering incense, Official Zhao dragged Xin Xiong away. Over these years, the second part of “Fated Resentful Couple” had been revised countless times but never completed. Xin Mei said it should conform to facts, Xin Xiong said he disliked clichéd plot devices, Tao Guoguo wanted to see fighting, Yinglian wanted to see thought-provoking life lessons, and Si Lan said… he said let all those boring puppet plays go to hell.

Official Zhao was very troubled and could only discuss the later plot with Xin Xiong these days. Actually, in the entire Imperial Tomb, only Xin Xiong was willing to discuss plots with him.

Watching the two old men walk away, Xin Mei stretched and continued climbing the slope.

Lilac flowers were blooming, cherry blossoms and apricot flowers hadn’t yet withered – everything was brilliant and colorful, warm and peaceful.

This was a beautiful spring season.

Xin Mei sang a little tune on the slope: My beloved brother, why haven’t you come yet? I’ve waited until the flowers are nearly gone, dear.

The off-key singing carried far, startling countless small birds into flight.

On the fourth repetition, footsteps on grass came from up the slope. Xin Mei lay on the grass, craning her neck and squinting upward.

Two mud-covered boots walked right up beside her, and a person covered in dust sat down next to her, touching her head.

“…I’m back. Stop singing.”

If she continued, the birds in this forest would never dare nest here again.

Xin Mei bolted upright, staring wide-eyed with disbelief, wariness, and wild joy at the travel-worn man beside her. His mismatched red and black eyes were as deep and focused as ever, quietly gazing at her.

“Lu Qianqiao!” she shouted, grabbing his cheeks and pulling them left and right.

It was him, right? No mistake?

He smiled slightly, reaching out to gently grasp her cheeks, imitating her by pinching once: “Xin Mei.”

The next moment, she threw herself into his dust-covered embrace as he opened his arms to hold her tightly.

The one her heart longed for had finally come home.