During the break between shifts, Qiao Minghua walked over and looked at Qi Yue, who was drinking tea.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

Qi Yue knew what he meant.

“Still fine,” she said.

“Still waiting for your so-called hope?” Qiao Minghua asked with a mocking smile.

Qi Yue turned to look at him and also smiled.

“Yes,” she said.

Although this woman’s expression wasn’t as joyful as when she first arrived, the bloody battlefield treatment had covered her with a layer of sadness – the helpless sorrow over life’s fragility – her eyes still remained spirited.

Hope…

Qiao Minghua shook his head and turned away.

“Who doesn’t want to save them, who doesn’t want to preserve these lives? One year, two years, three years…” he said as he walked, seemingly talking to himself. “Four years, five years…”

Simple, dry numbers spoken aloud, yet those who heard felt as if their hearts were being squeezed.

The words “one year” – how many days and nights were filled within them.

Opening and closing one’s mouth, speaking of years while countless lives…

Qi Yue watched his retreating figure and took a deep breath.

“I said there would be hope,” she called out loudly.

Qiao Minghua entered the building.

“What exactly is Hu San up to? Can’t he find any of the medicines I asked for?” Qi Yue turned around, her composure gone, and said to A’Ru with a frown.

In Gansu garrison city, in the house Qi Yue was renting, Hu San sneezed heavily. He pulled the cotton quilt tighter around himself.

“Still no good?” he asked, sniffling.

Xiao Qu and the others, wearing gloves and masks, looked at the opened porcelain dish in their hands with disappointment.

“No good,” he said, removing his mask with dejection. “Senior brother, we really can’t do it…”

“I’ve been busy running around outside so I haven’t learned it, that’s fine, but you’ve been following Master every day. How can you not know either?” Hu San shouted, jumping up and down.

“We never wanted to be doctors,” Xiao Qu said helplessly.

Hu San crouched back down in defeat.

“Then your actual profession – the letter I gave to Master Liu and the others will definitely be received, right?” he asked again.

Xiao Qu nodded with the confidence of professional expertise.

“Lord has already returned the carrier pigeons to us. Don’t worry about this – I think Master Liu and the others are already heading this way,” he said.

Hu San sighed and counted on his fingers.

“That’ll still be after New Year,” he said. “Go tell Master that we can’t make penicillin and can’t find the medicines she mentioned like panax notoginseng and violet. Tell her not to wait and think of other methods.”

Xiao Qu sighed. At this point, this was all they could do.

In the evening, Qi Yue was stepping out of the wounded soldiers’ camp.

“Haven’t seen Lord for a day and night,” A’Hao muttered beside her.

A’Ru quickly bumped her.

“Do you need to constantly remind us?” she whispered.

A’Hao stuck out her tongue and secretly glanced at Qi Yue.

Qi Yue smiled at her and shook her head.

“Look, there’s your Lord coming over. Go see him,” she said with a laugh.

Both A’Hao and A’Ru were startled and instinctively looked ahead, seeing a group of people gathered in the distance talking about something.

Walking a few steps closer and squinting, they indeed saw Chang Yuncheng among them.

“Wow, Miss, your eyesight is really good,” A’Hao exclaimed.

“Of course, he’s my man,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

This time A’Ru bumped her from behind.

“You don’t need to keep saying that all the time either,” she said.

All three laughed. Their atmosphere was cheerful, while Chang Yuncheng’s side was very tense.

“General, General, please don’t make this difficult for me,” the defense official said, gripping Chang Yuncheng’s arm tightly. The burly man was almost in tears. “Please go back. Please take a carriage back. If you’re really concerned about this place, come back after you’ve recovered. I’ll personally come fetch you…”

The officers and soldiers following alongside also urged him one after another, each with tears in their eyes, both excited and sad.

Chang Yuncheng was about to explode with anger.

These guys actually wanted him to leave and return to the garrison city!

What exactly did that damned doctor say!

To actually drive him away! To make him leave this place! Leave his Yueniang!

“Did he say I was dying? What kind of doctor is he!” Chang Yuncheng roared, shaking his arm again.

The burly defense official was shaken off by Chang Yuncheng.

“I’m dying? Come try it – I could handle two of you right now. You’d be the one to die, definitely not me!” Chang Yuncheng shouted.

The defense official rushed forward again.

“General, I know that, which is why I don’t want to lose you,” he cried. “I beg you to go back, I beg you to go back.”

Chang Yuncheng was so angry he felt dizzy. He caught sight of Qi Yue walking over and the military doctors coming out to watch the commotion.

She was his woman!

What was wrong with wanting to see her openly and honorably!

He would see her openly and honorably! Be with her!

“Qi Yueniang!” Chang Yuncheng suddenly roared. “Come here!”

This sudden shout made the noisy crowd fall silent abruptly. Although they didn’t know who Qi Yueniang was, everyone followed Chang Yuncheng’s gaze to that woman.

In the gray, desolate world, among a crowd of men in various old and new military coats, this woman in a brown dress and jacket, without powder or pearl hairpins, graceful and elegant with a charming face, was like a bright splash of color that made everyone who saw her feel vivid and alive.

Qi Yue was looking on in surprise when she was startled by the man’s loud voice.

This man only called her full name like this when he was furious and at his wit’s end.

How long had it been since she heard him call her like this?

Qi Yue looked at him. Under the uniform gaze of everyone around, instead of the expected shyness, panic, and unease, she smiled slightly.

This was his woman!

The woman he could spot at first glance in a crowd, the only one he would see!

The woman who never avoided, hid from, or evaded him!

Chang Yuncheng felt his heart pounding like drums, surging with emotion, wanting to shout out loud.

“General, what is it?” Qi Yue asked. Because of the distance between them, she raised her voice slightly with a casual, relaxed tone.

How dare she speak to the General like that?

And when the General was in a rage, no less.

Shouldn’t she be more respectful and humble?

It’s over – some couldn’t help but look sideways, unable to bear watching her be scolded by the General’s fury.

“I…” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and shouted, “I’m sick!”

Though his voice still carried anger, to careful listeners it didn’t sound as furious as before, but rather somewhat aggrieved.

Once he shouted this out, Chang Yuncheng also realized something was wrong.

“You claim to be a divine physician – come look at me and see if I’m dying!” he continued to roar.

“Alright,” Qi Yue said, lifting her foot to walk over.

So simple?

Chang Yuncheng stood there stunned, then looked at the people around him – they showed no unusual reaction either. Everyone’s expressions remained the same, even offering advice to Qi Yue as she approached.

“…Take a good look at his lordship…”

“…Look carefully, don’t delay his condition…”

Just that simple?

Even after sitting back in his own room, Chang Yuncheng was still somewhat dazed.

It was still the same room, but now there was one more person.

The person he had been thinking about day and night.

“Open your mouth, let me take a look…” Qi Yue said, standing in front of him.

Chang Yuncheng reached out to embrace her waist.

Qi Yue was startled and fell into Chang Yuncheng’s arms.

“Are you crazy? There are so many people outside! There are people in the room too!” she scolded.

The people outside couldn’t see, and A’Ru in the room had already turned away with a red face. Although she desperately wanted to avoid this immediately, she knew she couldn’t leave. If she left too, what would the people outside think about the man and woman alone in the room?

A’Ru steeled herself and stood motionless.

Fortunately, there were no further excessive sounds from behind.

“What’s really wrong? Are you really sick?” Qi Yue stood up and leaned against his side, letting him hold her hand as she asked.

It didn’t seem like it.

“I missed you,” Chang Yuncheng said gruffly, gripping her hand tightly and rubbing it back and forth.

Qi Yue burst into laughter but quickly lowered her voice.

“So you pretended to be sick?” she whispered with a laugh. “Chang Yuncheng, how old are you!”

Children would pretend to be sick to skip school. What about him – pretending to be sick to see his wife?

Then she leaned down and kissed Chang Yuncheng’s forehead.

Chang Yuncheng suddenly raised his head, but was still a step too late. Qi Yue had already smiled and moved away, not letting him kiss her back.

Chang Yuncheng reached out to embrace her waist again.

Qi Yue quickly hit him, pointed to A’Ru standing stiffly by the door, and shook her head.

Chang Yuncheng had to sit properly.

Even just looking at her and being with her like this was good, but the people outside couldn’t wait.

“General, General, Miss Qi, Miss Qi…”

Someone knocked on the door.

Chang Yuncheng exhaled heavily. Qi Yue smiled and withdrew her hand, then quickly kissed his cheek. Before Chang Yuncheng could react, she called out to A’Ru.

“Open the door,” she said.

The defense official, who had been unable to wait any longer, rushed in to see Chang Yuncheng sitting properly at the table with a somber expression.

“Miss Qi, how is the General?” he asked hurriedly.

“He…” Qi Yue opened her mouth to speak.

Chang Yuncheng coughed lightly behind her.

Qi Yue smiled secretly.

If she said he wasn’t sick, this guy would be afraid of having no excuse to see her again…

“He has a slight cold. Let him recuperate for a couple of days and see,” she said.

The defense official’s gaze swept over her, then looked at Chang Yuncheng, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

General Wu Lue was indeed loyal to his duty, actually colluding with this doctor to deceive him. But I, Lü Baoshan, absolutely will not be fooled! Such a rare good superior – I absolutely cannot let him come to any harm here!

The defense official nodded with firm determination.

“Then please rest well, sir,” he said, while looking at Qi Yue. “We’ll trouble Miss Qi then.”

This was the most pleasant thing Chang Yuncheng had heard from this defense official in days!

He couldn’t help but beam with joy, unable to completely suppress the smile that slightly spilled from the corners of his mouth.

Finally, the clouds had parted to reveal the bright moon!

With a cry, Madam Xie woke from her dream with a start. She sat up abruptly, feeling her heart pounding violently, already covered in a layer of sweat.

The bed curtains hung down, the night was deep.

Light footsteps sounded outside, then it became bright beyond the curtains.

“Madam, Madam,” a maid called softly from outside.

Then the curtains were opened, and by candlelight, Madam Xie’s pale face could be seen.

“Madam had a nightmare,” A’Luan said, while a young maid beside her brought warm water.

Madam Xie seemed somewhat lost, staring blankly as they served her tea.

“Still no reply from the Prince?” she asked.

So in the middle of the night, she was thinking about this…

“Madam has forgotten – the Prince’s letter just arrived yesterday,” A’Luan said quickly.

Only then did Madam Xie remember something and quickly reached under the pillow beside the bed, pulling out a letter.

Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, but thinking of the dream she’d just had, she felt nauseous again.

She had actually dreamed that woman was entangling Yuncheng again!

She slowly opened the letter. It contained only simple words about where he had gone, that he was safe, and that mother shouldn’t worry – not a word in response to the marriage proposal matter.

Madam Xie let out a long breath and stared at the flickering candlelight in a daze.

What was to be done?