After helping Chu Zhao split firewood, He Yan returned to her room. When she left earlier, she hadn’t closed the middle door, and now it stood wide open, offering a clear view of Xiao Jue’s quarters. Xiao Jue sat at his desk, no longer reviewing military registers. Under the lamplight, he had his eyes closed, fingers pressed to his temple, appearing to be in light meditation.

He Yan thought to herself, how pitiful, he hasn’t rested since returning. She walked to Xiao Jue’s side and bent down to look at him. The dim lamplight fell on his face, making his handsome features appear even more ethereal. His eyelashes were thick and long, like tiny fans, making one want to reach out and touch them.

Just as her fingertip was about to brush the tip of his eyelashes, a voice came: “What are you doing?”

He Yan quickly withdrew her hand as he opened his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping across her face.

“Nothing,” He Yan straightened up casually, “there was an insect on your face, I helped you chase it away.”

Xiao Jue couldn’t be bothered with her.

“It’s so late,” He Yan said, “Commander, you should sleep. You’ve been reviewing registers all day, aren’t you planning to rest?”

Xiao Jue rubbed his wrist, his expression showing slight weariness. Previously in Jiyang, they had also shared a room, without even a middle door for privacy. However, except for the last few days, there hadn’t been much to do then. They would extinguish the lights and rest early, but upon returning to Jiyang, there was suddenly much more work to be done.

“I’ll sleep after I finish reading,” he said.

“Tomorrow, will I be joining the Southern Garrison troops for daily training?” He Yan asked, “Do I need to inform Instructor Liang?”

Xiao Jue: “No need, I’ve already spoken with Liang Ping.”

He Yan nodded.

“You don’t seem worried?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Why should I be worried?”

“The Southern Garrison’s daily training volume is considerably more than Liangzhou Guard’s.”

“I already knew that,” He Yan sighed, “One must always strive for improvement. It’s only natural.” She wasn’t worried about training, it was just a matter of enduring hardship. Suffering in the Southern Garrison offered better prospects than suffering in the Liangzhou Guard.

As she spoke, her gaze fell on a food basket placed on a small table nearby. The table had previously been piled with local products sent by Master Cui, but now it had been cleared, making the food basket particularly noticeable. He Yan asked, “Commander, haven’t you eaten?”

“What of it?”

“You can’t skip meals.” He Yan helped him open the food basket, which contained an extremely luxurious array of dishes, including meat, vegetables, and pastries. He Yan exclaimed with admiration, “Has Liangzhou Guard’s food become this good?” But she quickly corrected herself, “No, this must be the Commander’s special meal, right? Being a commander is great, even your meals are so exquisite. Among all the Great Wei’s generals, you eat the best.”

Xiao Jue replied wordlessly: “Have you seen them all?”

He Yan thought to herself, she had indeed seen them. During her years as the Flying Phoenix General, she hadn’t eaten half as well as Xiao Jue. Forget about pastries, having meat was considered good. Perhaps this was because Xiao Jue was Second Young Master Xiao, while her military identity back then was that of a “commoner”? Even generals were ranked differently. Still, the Liangzhou Guard’s chef had excellent skills, and the pastries were beautifully carved.

He Yan called out to him: “Commander, come eat quickly, it’s almost cold.”

Xiao Jue glanced at her, seeing her enthusiastic manner like that of an innkeeper, seemed somewhat amused, though his expression quickly returned to normal as he sat down at the table.

In Jiyang, they often ate together at the same table, having become accustomed to it. He Yan unconsciously handed him a pair of chopsticks and took a pair for herself. She had already eaten dinner, the familiar Liangzhou Guard dry biscuits, and with her naturally large appetite, she had forgotten she wasn’t in Jiyang anymore, wasn’t “Wen Yuyan,” and happily reached for a piece of sweet cake.

After picking it up, He Yan came to her senses and looked up at the person opposite her. The young man was watching her with composed interest, slightly raising his eyebrows.

“I’ll just have a little bit,” He Yan said, “Commander won’t be so petty, right?” Her courage around Xiao Jue had grown increasingly bold. When she first entered the Liangzhou Guard, He Yan would never have imagined she would one day act so presumptuously in front of Xiao Jue.

“Don’t talk while eating,” Second Young Master Xiao said coldly.

He Yan, with her mouth full of sweet cake, looked at the elegant eating manner of the person opposite her and mumbled unclearly, “Commander, this chef is so considerate.”

“What are you saying?”

He Yan swallowed the food in her mouth, “I said, this chef is so thoughtful, making all the dishes you like. Of course, I like them too.”

Xiao Jue pulled at the corner of his mouth: “Is there anything you don’t eat?”

He was habitually critical of others, but He Yan had long since stopped taking it to heart. At this moment, she accidentally noticed a palm-sized wooden box on the table and picked it up to find it carved with scenes from Jiyang City’s Water God Festival. She paused, “Is this from Master Cui?”

Xiao Jue: “Yes.”

He Yan opened it to look, it seemed to be hand cream, and she leaned closer to smell it, detecting a faint floral fragrance. She couldn’t help but praise, “Things from Jiyang City are really quite exquisite. Master Cui looks tall and imposing, but I didn’t expect him to be so attentive. He even prepared this for you.”

Xiao Jue gave a cold laugh: “I won’t use it.”

“Why?” He Yan was puzzled, “Isn’t it quite nice?”

“Too pungent.”

He Yan: “…”

Being from a wealthy family truly meant having high standards, calling such a mild and pleasant scent pungent. He Yan asked, “It’s someone’s kind gesture, wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it?”

“If you like it, take it,” Xiao Jue said impatiently.

He Yan: “Really?” Seeing Xiao Jue didn’t object, she knew he wasn’t joking. She immediately put away the box of cream. The small box reminded her of another matter she had forgotten.

At the Cui residence in Jiyang, when fighting against the Wutuo people, He Yan had been injured. Lin Shuanghe had given her a box of “scar-removing and flesh-regenerating” medicine, identical to the one Shen Muxue had given her earlier. However, Lin Shuanghe had said only Xiao Jue had this medicine. After thinking about it, she looked at Xiao Jue and tentatively asked, “Commander, did you have Young Lady Shen give me a box of scar-removing medicine?”

Xiao Jue’s hand paused while using his chopsticks, and only asked, “Don’t want it?”

“Was it really from you?” He Yan hesitated for a moment, “Do you… also think that scars on a woman’s body are shameful and a shortcoming, something that can’t be spoken of?”

Back then, Xu Zhiheng had thought so. Although she hadn’t said anything, some things remained in her heart, impossible to dispel. This situation felt familiar, and if all men in the world thought this way, she wouldn’t be surprised. But if that person was Xiao Jue… He Yan thought she would probably be disappointed.

Even though this disappointment came without reason.

Xiao Jue gave her a bland look: “You’re overthinking.”

He Yan was stunned.

The young man’s voice was very calm, “They’re just scars, everyone has them, you don’t need to be nervous, nor do you need to mind. Treat them if you can, if not, then let it be. You don’t need to be so harsh on yourself.”

Don’t be so harsh on yourself.

He Yan lowered her head, saying nothing, but her hand gripped the wooden box of cream very tightly. After a moment, she said softly, “It seems I was being narrow-minded.”

Perhaps, she didn’t need to be so harsh on herself.

The next morning, He Yan went to join the Southern Garrison troops for daily training.

The Southern Garrison was different from the Liangzhou Guard. When He Yan first arrived at the Liangzhou Guard, it was filled with recruits. The recruits were lively, always bustling with activity, getting along well, and occasionally finding time to joke and laugh during training. However, the Southern Garrison was full of veteran soldiers, and training was extremely serious. No one talked, the atmosphere was so tense it felt like they might go to battle at any moment.

The Vice General in charge of the Southern Garrison’s daily training was called Tian Lang. He Yan had met him once before when returning Xiao Jue’s jade pendant when he had been thoroughly scolded by Xiao Jue. This man’s temperament was as cold and hard as Xiao Jue’s. At that moment, He Yan greatly missed Liang Ping’s chatter or Ma Dame’s kindness, even Shen Han, who sometimes showed excessive warmth and concern, became someone she missed.

Tian Lang was also observing He Yan.

The Southern Garrison hadn’t accepted recruits for a long time. Even if they were to take in new people, it wouldn’t be a recruit from the Liangzhou Guard. But this youth called He Yan was different, having made quite a name in the Liangzhou Guard. It was said that he had previously matched against Ri Damu without falling behind, and later went to Jiyang with Xiao Jue, fighting together against the Wutuo people. For Xiao Jue, this already showed great trust in this youth.

This youth looked weak, and Tian Lang had thought he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the Southern Garrison’s daily training. Unexpectedly, he completed everything quite well, showing no signs of struggling. Only then did Tian Lang slightly relax. He Yan was personally selected by Xiao Jue for the Southern Garrison, and if he couldn’t complete these daily training tasks, Xiao Jue probably wouldn’t be too happy. Tian Lang had always been quite fearful of this young superior.

He Yan didn’t know that because of Xiao Jue’s influence, she had become the Vice General’s number one person of interest. The happiest thing was probably that in the evening after all the day’s training was finished, she could go to the adjacent training ground to find Hong Shan and the others.

As soon as she walked in, she heard Little Mai’s excited call: “Brother He, how was it? Are the people in the Southern Garrison formidable? Did you have any matches?”

“…No.” The soldiers in the Southern Garrison had all been trained for many years and didn’t have such competitive spirits. Perhaps in their eyes, He Yan was just one of countless ordinary soldiers, not worth much attention.

“He Yan, why don’t you show them your skills? To establish yourself in the Southern Garrison,” Hong Shan teased with a smile.

“Got taught a lesson, right?” Wang Ba snorted, “There are always better people out there, the Southern Garrison isn’t like Liangzhou Guard, a bunch of useless people!”

He Yan looked at him with a smile: “Brother Wang, you’ve just insulted all of us, including yourself, is that appropriate?”

“I’m already part of the Vanguard Camp,” he said arrogantly, “I don’t belong to Liangzhou Guard anymore.”

Jiang Jiao said wordlessly: “It’s still the Liangzhou Guard’s Vanguard Camp.”

While speaking, He Yan leaped onto the railing beside the training platform. She liked sitting there, swinging her legs like on a swing, but just as she jumped up, something rolled out of her garments with a “rolling” sound, falling near Stone’s feet.

Stone bent down to pick up the object, and Little Mai asked, “What’s this? Is it edible?”

“Seems to be hand cream?” Huang Xiong asked, “I’ve seen my little sister use it before. What’s drawn on this?”

“It’s a scene from the Jiyang City Water God Festival,” He Yan said, “Just a small thing.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Wang Ba turned away in disgust, “Hand cream? Isn’t that for women? You’re a grown man, using these things? Isn’t it disgusting?”

He Yan: “Why can’t men use hand cream? This is called being refined! Of course, you mountain bandits wouldn’t understand these things.”

“How dare you look down on mountain bandits?” Wang Ba was furious, “Even among bandits, there are different ranks!”

Seeing another argument brewing, Jiang Jiao hurriedly stepped forward to mediate: “Alright, stop arguing. But Brother He, we practice with weapons at the training ground every day, using this… isn’t it pointless?”

It would probably be moisturized one moment and cut the next. The rate of moisturizing couldn’t keep up with the rate of getting cuts, after all, everyone training at the grounds had hands covered in scars. Imagine applying fragrant cream one moment, then tossing huge stone locks the next – others would probably think she was crazy.

He Yan mumbled vaguely, “It’s just a kind gesture from someone in Jiyang, wouldn’t want to waste it.” As she spoke, she reached out to take back the cream box from Stone.

Her hand was only halfway there when a gentle female voice spoke up: “What’s this?”

Everyone turned to look – it was Shen Muxue. In the night, she held a lantern in one hand and a basket full of medicinal herbs in the other, her white clothes making her look like a celestial maiden descended to earth. Her gaze fell on the box in Stone’s hand, and she hesitated, “Is this… hand cream?”

“Yes,” Hong Shan said.

“May I take a look?”

No one could refuse a request from the beautiful medical lady. Shen Muxue brought the box close to her eyes, and when she saw the Water God Festival pattern on it, her gaze flickered. After a moment, she raised her head, looked at everyone, and asked, “Whose hand cream is this?”

“Mine,” He Yan said.

Shen Muxue looked at her. By now night was falling, with only dim torches lighting the training ground. The youth sat on the railing with a casual smile. The heroic features were softened by the light, especially those bright, captivating eyes – if they were on a woman’s face, they would be mesmerizing.

Shen Muxue was startled by her absurd thought.

He Yan reached out to take back the box, but Shen Muxue stepped back, not returning it, and asked softly, “This… did the Commander give this to you?”

Had she seen it before? He Yan nodded: “Yes.”

Shen Muxue’s body stiffened slightly.

He Yan noticed her strange expression and after thinking for a moment, asked, “Miss Shen, do you like this box? If you like it, I can give it to you.”

Jiang Jiao had a point – using this hand cream would be a waste of her. Her hands were covered in calluses and scars from weapons, and if she made them too soft, she probably wouldn’t even be able to draw a bow.

This comment made things worse – Shen Muxue suddenly looked up, and her usually gentle eyes showed traces of anger. She shoved the box into He Yan’s hands and said coldly, “No need.” Then she turned and left with her basket.

He Yan didn’t even have time to say goodbye.

Though Shen Muxue was naturally reserved in the Liangzhou Guard, she had never shown anger or spoken harshly to anyone before. This was the first time she had so clearly displayed anger. Little Mai tugged at He Yan’s clothes: “Brother He, Miss Shen seems angry, why?”

He Yan: “How would I know why?” She and Shen Muxue had always kept their distance, and this was their first conversation since returning. Shen Muxue’s reaction was truly puzzling.

“Could it be that she likes you?” Huang Xiong fingered the prayer beads on his neck, “She’s angry because you’re not romantic enough?”

“Get real, how could Shen Muxue fancy him?” Wang Ba sneered, “What daydream are you having?”

“Forget it,” Jiang Jiao patted He Yan’s shoulder, “Brother He, you should be more careful with your behavior, to avoid misunderstandings.” He seemed to recall his deceased fiancée, his gaze becoming wistful, “It would be terrible to ruin someone’s life.”

He Yan: “…”

Because of this incident with Shen Muxue, He Yan discussed with her brothers why Shen Muxue might be angry. They couldn’t conclude. Their final theory was: that maybe she just didn’t like He Yan, without any particular reason – women sometimes just dislike certain people for a few days each month.

After dining with her friends, it was completely dark, and He Yan walked back to her room. Halfway there, she saw Chu Zhao again.

“It’s so late, why is Brother Chu still outside?” He Yan greeted him, “Still collecting stones today?”

Hearing this, Chu Zhao smiled: “When you say it, Brother He, you make me sound like a fool.”

He Yan thought to herself that this hobby of collecting stones in the middle of the night wasn’t much different from being foolish.

“I saw the wind picking up tonight, it might rain tomorrow, so I’m just bringing in the books I left out to dry,” Chu Zhao smiled and pointed to the books in his hands.

He Yan: “I see.”

Perhaps deliberately, Chu Zhao’s quarters were quite shabby, even worse than last time. Previously, he at least had his chef, but this time coming directly from Jiyang to Liangzhou Guard, Chu Zhao had no one except Yingxiang and a few attendants. Therefore, his living conditions were poor, and his meals were simple. However, some people can look refined even in the worst environments, and Chu Zhao was such a person. Far from appearing pathetic, he maintained an air of elegant scholarship.

“I heard Brother He joined the Southern Garrison’s training today?” Chu Zhao walked alongside her, “How was it? Any difficulties adjusting?”

“It was fine,” He Yan smiled, “Except that the Vice General doesn’t talk much, everything else is good.”

Chu Zhao shook his head with a smile: “With Brother He’s skills, you can adapt anywhere.”

He Yan looked at him. This man always spoke with a good temper, appearing cultured and refined. He also knew she was Xiao Jue’s person, making their relationship delicate, yet he never asked about military matters. He maintained perfect boundaries, keeping their casual conversations to such harmless daily topics. If he were an ordinary person, an ordinary girl, they would eventually feel guilty for doubting such a gentleman’s intentions. Add to that Chu Zhao’s appearance, and this guilt could easily turn into pity, and pity could further develop into affection.

No wonder he was the number one dream lover among young ladies in Shuojing City.

However, having seen Xiao Jue’s face so often, she found this kind of gentle smile somewhat polite, and the slender figure seemed too fragile. He Yan was shocked by her thoughts, feeling that Hong Shan and others were right about “women disliking certain people for a few days each month” – for instance now, when Chu Zhao had done nothing wrong, yet she was being so picky, truly unreasonable.

To avoid such random thoughts, He Yan asked Chu Zhao: “Brother Chu has such a good temperament, you must rarely make women angry?”

Chu Zhao asked curiously: “Which lady has Brother He angered?”

This man was too perceptive. He Yan brushed it off: “It’s not exactly anger, just today Medical Lady Shen saw me and acted strange. My friends told me…” though it was somewhat embarrassing to say, He Yan continued, “Perhaps Medical Lady Shen harbors feelings for me?”

Chu Zhao stared at her blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing with a “pfft.” He usually paid great attention to his demeanor, so this was quite out of character. After laughing for a while, Chu Zhao said: “Brother He, although you currently appear quite dashing, but…”

He Yan was puzzled – surely she wasn’t that bad? Seeing Chu Zhao laugh like this made it seem as if someone liking her was completely absurd. After all, hadn’t Song Taotao liked her before?

“Brother He, please rest assured,” Chu Zhao cleared his throat, “Medical Lady Shen will never fall for you. You need not worry about this at all.”

He Yan: “…Why?”

“Because Medical Lady Shen has loved Commander Xiao for many years. Her heart only has room for Commander Xiao, how could anyone else catch her eye?”

He Yan was stunned.

After a while, she finally asked: “Medical Lady Shen… likes the Commander?”

“Brother He didn’t know?” Chu Zhao was also surprised by her reaction. After thinking, he said: “That’s right, you’re a recruit in Liangzhou Guard, you wouldn’t know these things. But actually, everyone in court knows that Medical Lady Shen has loved Commander Xiao for many years.”

“The eldest daughter of the Censor’s household, if she didn’t truly love someone deeply, how could she abandon her status as a young lady, disregard the long journey, and come to such a harsh place to be a mere medical lady?” Chu Zhao smiled, “It shows how much she loves Commander Xiao.”

He Yan suddenly understood. In an instant, she recalled why she had felt such familiarity when first seeing Shen Muxue. It wasn’t her first time seeing Shen Muxue – she had seen her once in her youth. Back then, Shen Muxue was even younger than now but had already grown exceptionally beautiful. On the day when Xianchangguan students were hunting in the mountains, the Emperor was present, and many court officials were there. Shen Muxue, as the youngest daughter of Censor Shen, had attracted the attention of all the young men.

He Yan was among those youths, watching the beautiful young lady wrapped in a rabbit fur cape, holding a brazier, beautiful as a heavenly maiden, feeling extremely envious.

At that time, Shen Muxue had been watching Xiao Jue.