Chu Zhao woke up as her head tilted and bumped against the edge of the bed. The little rabbit that had been in her arms had already scurried away, hiding under the bed. Startled by her sudden movement, it jumped up again and squeezed itself into the gap between the bedding.

Chu Zhao came to her senses and quickly knelt up to look at her father. Chu Li was sleeping soundlessly—

She grabbed her father’s hand to feel his pulse, then sighed with relief as she slid back down to kneel on the floor. He was still alive—

The room was dim, with flickering candlelight from the outer chamber.

“Father,” Chu Zhao called softly, shaking Chu Li’s arm.

Although it’s said that patients need plenty of rest, when the physician had said this, Chu Li had smiled and said he was about to rest forever soon, so rather than that, he’d prefer to spend more time with everyone while he could.

“So, A-Zhao, if I fall asleep, remember to wake me up,” he had instructed.

Until the time came when she couldn’t wake him anymore.

With Chu Zhao’s gentle shaking, Chu Li opened his eyes. Though he could see nothing, he immediately responded, “A-Zhao, did I fall asleep again?”

Chu Zhao nodded and made herself smile as she said, “Yes, Father. The stories of my childhood were so dull that they put both of us to sleep.”

Chu Li pondered thoughtfully, “So it seems when you were little, I could easily fall asleep—not because I told good stories, but because I told boring ones.”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily.

Hearing the father and daughter chatting in the inner chamber, A-Le entered from outside. “General, Young Miss, you’re awake. Would you like something to eat?”

As she spoke, she made hand gestures to Chu Zhao.

“Young Miss, as you instructed, the kitchen has prepared chicken soup.”

Chu Zhao responded with an “Oh” and asked Chu Li if he wanted to eat.

“Yes,” Chu Li said. “Since I’m still alive, I should eat.”

Chu Zhao smiled and said, “Good. Father, I’ll go get it myself.”

With that, she pulled A-Le toward the outer chamber.

“What is it?” she asked.

A-Le said, “A-Jiu came looking for you. He said you stole his rabbit and wants you to return it.”

Chu Zhao snorted, “What nonsense! It’s mine—I’ll go find him!”

Her footsteps clattered away.

Chu Li lay in bed, smiling to himself. His eyes had failed him, and his body had no strength left, but his hearing had become extraordinarily acute. He could even hear the patrol of soldiers passing outside the courtyard and insects crawling on the corner walls—

Someone slid in through the doorway like a swallow, with very light footsteps that suggested agile movements.

Chu Li thought of their previous meeting. During the chaos in the capital, this young man had been through a trying experience. His presence should feel different now.

The aura was like a sword, carrying a chill, sweeping around him.

“A-Jiu, what are you looking at?” Chu Li asked.

The person standing beside the bed was startled and stepped back.

“Do I look different than before? Did I frighten you?” Chu Li asked.

Xie Yanlai looked at the general lying in bed. Indeed, compared to his first impression of him, and even compared to how he had appeared a few days ago, the general now seemed almost unrecognizable.

General Chu Li had completely withered.

“No,” he said.

Not knowing whether he meant there was no difference or that he wasn’t frightened, Chu Li smiled and said, “After all, you’re a young warrior who has fought against rebel soldiers and killed Western Liang bandits. Nothing can frighten you.”

Xie Yanlai lowered his eyes and said, “It’s not that. I’ve seen my mother’s death.”

Chu Li’s smile faded, leaving only gentleness as he looked in Xie Yanlai’s direction and said, “Each of us must bid farewell to our parents.”

Xie Yanlai didn’t respond to this.

“A-Jiu, thank you. Thanks to you, A-Zhao could come and accompany me on my final journey,” Chu Li said.

Xie Yanlai quickly interrupted, “General, please don’t say that. It has nothing to do with me. She came of her own accord. I was ordered by the Emperor to bring her back, but with one order from the Emperor and another from the Empress, I’m just a servant who can’t afford to offend either side, so I follow both commands.”

Chu Li laughed heartily, “That’s right. Those of us in service are so helpless. In the future—”

Xie Yanlai interrupted again, glancing outside. He hadn’t come to chat with General Chu. The general’s time was limited; he should spend it with the person who mattered most to him.

“General,” he said, “Mu Mian Hong asked me to inquire if she could see you.”

The withered general on the bed fell silent.

It seemed like a long time passed, though perhaps it was only the span of a breath.

“Has she been following you all the way?” Chu Li asked.

Xie Yanlai replied, “Not the entire way. She saved Miss Chu when she was attacked, then traveled with us. She left when we reached the county city.”

Chu Li was silent for a moment, then said, “See her.”

Xie Yanlai didn’t ask further questions. He responded, “Very well,” and turned to leave.

Chu Li called after him, “Don’t let A-Zhao know.”

Xie Yanlai didn’t look back, “I understand.”

As soon as he said it, he bit his tongue. What was he saying? One was her father, one was her mother—it wasn’t his place to say he understood. What did it have to do with him?

He walked out quickly, then hurried back, saying nothing as he reached into the gap by the bed, grabbed the little rabbit, and rushed out again.

Chu Li didn’t question his coming and going, just smiled slightly.

The room returned to silence, but Chu Li’s ears were not quiet. He heard footsteps receding, then other, softer footsteps approaching—

The soft footsteps stopped at the doorway, as if not daring to take another step forward.

“Come in,” Chu Li said. “At this point, there’s no need to dwell on the past, to feel anxious or hesitant.”

With these words, the halted footsteps rushed in like a sudden rain, straight from the doorway into the inner chamber—

Mu Mian Hong stood beside the bed, her slender figure swaying in the dim light. She looked at the man lying in bed, and a decade of memories instantly flooded her mind—

She covered her face with both hands and knelt.

“When it all began, I don’t know,” she murmured chokingly.

Chu Li’s expression remained calm, showing neither joy nor anger: “What difference would knowing make? Could you bring back the dead?”

Mu Mian Hong cried, “General, you still speak in such a disagreeable manner.”

Chu Li remained silent.

In the quiet room, the past surfaced.

It seemed like a long time, yet perhaps only a moment, before Chu Li broke the silence, pushing down the memories.

“The reason I agreed to see you—”

“Is because you saved A-Zhao’s life.”

“Whoever saves my A-Zhao is my benefactor.”

“Since my benefactor asks only to see me, I naturally agree.”

Just a benefactor, just because she saved his daughter, nothing more.

Mu Mian Hong knelt beside the bed, looking at the man both strange and familiar before her, tears streaming down like rain.

…

…

“He said he was waiting for you by the kitchen.”

A-Le looked around the kitchen and asked the servants and guards, but they all shook their heads, saying they hadn’t seen Xie Yanlai.

“Ignore him,” Chu Zhao said as she tasted the chicken soup and prepared to serve it. Just then, Xie Yanlai returned.

“Where did you go?” Chu Zhao asked.

Xie Yanlai said nothing, but patted his chest—

Chu Zhao immediately noticed the little rabbit bulging from his chest and lunged forward: “That’s mine! How despicable, setting up a diversion!”

Xie Yanlai turned to avoid her, raising an eyebrow as he said, “It’s mine. I found it first.”

Chu Zhao didn’t care and tried to snatch the rabbit from his arms.

Xie Yanlai pressed his hand against her forehead to hold her back. “I can give it to you, but there’s a condition. I’ve already spoken with your father about it, and your father agreed there should be a condition.”

Father? Did he just speak with her father? Chu Zhao chuckled, “What sweet talk did you feed my father?”

Xie Yanlai said, “General Chu is fair and just. He agreed that I could take the rabbit, but if you make me a bowl of soup, I’ll give the rabbit to you.”

Chu Zhao snorted, “Fine! I dare to make it if you dare to eat it.” With that, she went to wash her hands and prepare the soup.

A-Le pursed her lips, ignoring their banter, and went to stand outside the door. Xie Yanlai leaned against the doorframe, waiting for his soup, listening to Chu Zhao’s constant chatter.

“Is my father still awake?” “What did you say to him?” “You’ve been patrolling all night, why don’t you go sleep?” “When you have time, talk more with my father.”

He answered her questions casually. As they were talking, a commotion erupted outside, the voice like thunder.

“—What are you doing here! Guards—”

It was Zhong Changrong’s voice.

Xie Yanlai’s expression changed, and Chu Zhao dropped her bowl with a clatter, immediately rushing toward the door.

“Chu Zhao,” Xie Yanlai reached out to stop the girl as she reached the doorway. “Wait.”