The autumn wind passed through halls and chambers, lifting strands of Qin Chang Ge’s hair.

This hair now belonged to a stranger from another lifetime.

The past was gone. Those life-and-death moments, shared bloodshed, deep mutual promises, and shared fate on the battlefield had long been buried in the cold paper piles of history books. What people commemorate forever is only the emperor’s skillful warfare and heroism; no one knows of that moment’s hardship and peril, when life and death pressed close.

Just like at this moment, beneath her fingers, the old scar she pressed against was merely a memorial between him and her, hidden behind the dragon robe, unknown to anyone.

A memorial that had also become sorrow.

That year, when she thought both she and Xiao Jue would perish in that place, Yu Zixi finally arrived.

Though he appeared delicate and beautiful, when it came to fighting he was no less fierce and sharp than the domineering Xiao Jue. That night he ordered his other subordinates to spread out and encircle, while he himself led fifty cavalry in a direct assault on the central army’s encirclement. Before his person arrived, his voice reached them first as he shouted loudly: “Prince Wei’s head is in my hands—I seek the marshal’s reward!”

He hurled over a bloody, unrecognizable human head. The central army immediately fell into chaos.

Everyone wanted to pick up the head to identify it, but in the confusion, the head was instantly trampled to pieces by countless feet.

Yu Zixi had already charged in.

When Qin Chang Ge lifted her head from exhausted dizziness, what she saw was Yu Zixi with a face white as frost, eyes blood-red, fiercely biting a strand of black hair between his teeth, his long blade trailing blood-light as he charged toward them. His white like snow jade, red like a demonic moon, black hair deep as night—infinitely vivid. He raised his arm and lifted his long blade three feet high, flashing with snow-bright cold light, standing straight against the blood-colored full moon behind him, extraordinarily beautiful and strange.

Like a demonic killing god charging out from hell.

…

Qin Chang Ge smiled faintly, a trace of amusement in her eyes, like restless water ripples.

Still, on that battlefield of years past, people were more like real people.

After the founding of the nation, as status, class, court politics, and interests changed, gradually no one remained who they originally were…

Those lovers who had shared life and death through a hundred battles, who could entrust their very lives to each other, yet after the empire was established and they ruled the world in peaceful times, due to political disagreements and court disputes, gradually developed friction, ultimately leading to…

Slowly withdrawing her hand, she left that scar that stirred her memories.

Qin Chang Ge spoke a sentence, extremely softly.

No one could hear what that sentence was, including Xiao Jue who was close at hand.

When Xiao Jue opened his eyes, he saw that mysterious woman’s lips moving slightly, as if saying something.

However, he could not hear.

He thought that due to his severe injuries and dizziness, he could not hear others speak. Then he discovered that aside from some flesh wounds and a slight itch in his chest and lungs that made him want to cough, he was quite well—his spirit complete, energy sufficient, blood flow peaceful.

Something was wrong… there were also his unfastened robes.

Xiao Jue’s gaze slowly moved down to his exposed chest, then moved to Qin Chang Ge’s face—she showed no embarrassment and still brazenly kept her fingers pressed against his chest. His long eyebrows raised slightly, a trace of anger tinting his eyes.

This audaciously reckless woman…

Smiling, unhurriedly covering Xiao Jue’s robes, Qin Chang Ge said innocently: “Your Majesty, did this servant bandage you poorly? Shall I have someone return to the palace to summon the imperial physicians to rebandage it?”

Hmm? Xiao Jue looked down again—it seemed the wound had indeed been bandaged.

Looking at Qin Chang Ge’s expression, his heart suddenly tightened, his gaze falling again to sweep over where the wound was bandaged.

When he looked away, Xiao Jue’s expression actually showed a trace of self-mockery.

He could not help but laugh at himself—what was he thinking? What did he want to see from this bandaging technique? He really was going mad!

Qin Chang Ge naturally did not miss his momentary expression. The smile in her eyes deepened slightly, and behind that slight smile was also a faint coldness. Xiao Jue, what do you want to discover?

Ruiyi used to follow you into battle as your dedicated military physician. Her bandaging technique was different from others—she did not tie knots with the white cloth, but wove it into the layered fabric, securing it crosswise.

And I now, very carefully tied you a knot.

The same butterfly knot I often tied when wearing canvas shoes in the modern world.

Do you like it or not?

…

Qin Chang Ge smiled gently, tucking the blanket corners around Xiao Jue, saying softly: “This servant will go check if Your Majesty’s medicine has finished brewing.” She bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Xiao Jue watched her robes flutter as she departed, pursed his lips tightly, then suddenly said angrily: “I do not want you attending me. After you check the medicine, you need not return.”

Under the blanket, his hand clenched tightly into a fist, the thin calluses on his palm touching the wound on his little finger where the nail had been removed a few days earlier, waves of thread-like pain.

Yet this could not compare to the overwhelming tide turning in his heart at this moment, so unbearable.

In that instant just now, within this woman’s eyes that smiled like spring flowers, that faintly strange expression actually made him momentarily feel as if he were seeing Chang Ge.

Long, long ago, at their first meeting on the main street, that sudden turning back of her head—that woman like snow and jade standing at the street corner smiling at him, vaguely had that same look in her eyes.

The wind then was very transparent, the road very vast, the winding long street extending to her feet, which she stepped upon with smiling indifference. Though she was clearly delicate and slender, gentle and calm, in her gaze she looked down upon all under heaven.