In the middle of the night, Qi Yue walked out of the room during her shift rotation.

“I’ll go get some water for Young Madam to soak her feet and relieve fatigue.” A’Ru said in a low voice.

“You’re also exhausted, don’t worry about it, go rest quickly. You’ll need to replace them later.” Qi Yue shook her head and said.

“I’m not tired, it’s just washing and wiping. Young Madam, you and Doctor Liu are mentally exhausted—that’s the most tiring.” A’Ru said, then went to call the servants.

Qi Yue stood in the courtyard, feeling tired and weary all over, but had no sleepiness.

She simply sat down on the steps.

“Get up, how can you sit here?” Chang Yuncheng’s voice came from the side.

Qi Yue was startled and quickly looked in the direction of the voice.

“Why are you here?” she asked in surprise, then laughed at herself as soon as the words left her mouth. “Look at me forgetting again—this is your home.”

Chang Yuncheng walked out from under the corridor.

“Why aren’t you resting? It’s so late.” Qi Yue stood up, moved her hands and feet, stretched her muscles and bones, and asked.

“Was busy with some matters.” Chang Yuncheng said.

He didn’t say what matters, and Qi Yue naturally wouldn’t ask. The two fell into silence.

“Why don’t you ask how the patient is doing?” Qi Yue smiled.

“Do your best and leave the rest to fate—what’s there to ask?” Chang Yuncheng said.

Qi Yue smiled. This child had never asked about how the injured person was being treated from beginning to end, probably not wanting to add pressure to her.

“Thank you.” she said. “You don’t need to worry, and you don’t need to blame yourself. I won’t hold this matter against you.”

Chang Yuncheng snorted with laughter.

“Really…” he turned his head away and said, “Self-righteous.”

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“Though you’re very annoying, you’re still an honest scoundrel.” she said with a grin. “But don’t think too much about my thanks—it’s just dealing with matters as they come, one thing at a time.”

Chang Yuncheng looked down at her.

“You’re the one overthinking.” he frowned and said. “Better sleep early and clear your head.”

As they were talking, A’Ru brought servants with hot water.

Qi Yue leaned against the corridor pillar, looked up at the cold night sky, and exhaled.

“You go wash first, I’ll come over in a moment.” Qi Yue said.

A’Ru hesitated, glanced at Chang Yuncheng who was still standing with no intention of leaving, then nodded and responded yes, leading the servants into the room.

What a beautiful starry sky.

In the past, working night shifts or having surgeries go until midnight was common, but there had never been a chance to look at the stars. Or rather, she had never thought to look at the starry sky.

What was the point of looking at stars? Her relatives, friends, and colleagues were all by her side, not under different starry skies.

“When those two girls came to see you, what did they say?” Chang Yuncheng suddenly asked.

Qi Yue, lost in thought, was startled by the question.

“What?” She withdrew her gaze and looked at Chang Yuncheng.

“When you were staying at the estate, both Mother and Concubine Zhou sent girls to see you. What did they say?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and asked.

Oh, that’s what he meant. Qi Yue raised her hand to rub her nose, dispelling the slight stiffness from the cold.

“One advised separation, one advised reconciliation.” she laughed, then looked at Chang Yuncheng with raised eyebrows. “Guess which one advised what?”

Chang Yuncheng snorted, expressing his disdain for her question.

“You’re investigating my attack, aren’t you? How’s it going?” Qi Yue asked with some curiosity.

“As long as I want to do something, nothing can’t be done.” Chang Yuncheng said with some arrogance, raising his head.

Qi Yue shook her head and chuckled.

“Easy to say. Some things in this world don’t have results just because you work hard.” she said, somehow feeling her nose tingle as she spoke these words. Like treating patients and saving lives…

“What exactly are you being sentimental about?” Chang Yuncheng frowned at her. “It’s just treating an illness. Why do you look like you’re going to die? Really disgusting.”

This time, this woman didn’t fly into a rage and argue back as before.

Qi Yue still leaned against the pillar, holding her arms in an ungraceful posture unbecoming of a woman, her gaze still on the night sky.

“Treating illness—two simple words, but they relate to life. Others entrust their lives to you…” she smiled bitterly, “But you can’t do it. This feeling, you wouldn’t understand.”

Chang Yuncheng said nothing.

The surroundings fell into nighttime tranquility again, with only the occasional moans of the injured person from the room behind them and the soft footsteps of Hu San and others.

“Three years ago, I was responsible for a forward reconnaissance mission.” Chang Yuncheng suddenly spoke.

This was the first time the boy had initiated conversation with her, and it seemed to be about the past.

Qi Yue glanced at him without speaking.

“This was my first time being so close to the Eastern barbarians.” Chang Yuncheng wasn’t looking at her, also gazing at the night sky, his voice heavy. “I sent out a twenty-man squad, all carefully selected by me. These soldiers had followed me for a long time, they were my trusted men. I believed we would definitely achieve great victory this time.”

He paused here, seeming to immerse himself in memories.

Qi Yue straightened up against the corridor pillar.

“I determined the reconnaissance route based on intelligence obtained beforehand, then ordered them to set out.” Chang Yuncheng paused for a moment, then continued.

He stopped speaking again.

“Then what?” Qi Yue asked.

“Then there was no ‘then.'” Chang Yuncheng said, his voice calm.

“Huh?” Qi Yue asked in confusion.

Chang Yuncheng turned his gaze to her.

“I made an error in judgment. The route I determined for their advance not only failed to gather intelligence, but led them into an ambush. Total annihilation, no survivors.” he said, his expression and voice showing no change, as if discussing what he had for dinner.

Qi Yue stared at him blankly.

“You mean they all died?” she blurted out, thinking she had misheard.

“Yes, they all died.” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and smiled in response.

“Then… then…” Qi Yue looked at him, stammering, not knowing what to say.

“You’re wondering how I’m fine, how I can still live so happily now, right?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and smiled. “What else could I do? Should I have died too? If I died, would they come back to life? Instead of wasting time in grief and regret, better to live well, kill more enemies, win more battles. That way their deaths wouldn’t be in vain.”

Though his expression remained calm as he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, suggesting he was struggling to control his emotions.

Qi Yue looked at him.

“I’m sorry.” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “For making you remember this…”

“You woman are always inexplicable. You never apologize when you should, and apologize when you shouldn’t. Incomprehensible.” Chang Yuncheng sneered, then strode down the steps and walked away.

“It’s just courtesy, why think so much about it?” Qi Yue said, shaking her head at his retreating figure.

The night wind blew, and Qi Yue shivered. She looked up at the starry sky once more.

At this time, under that same starry sky, her colleagues working night shifts probably weren’t sleeping either, each busy with their own tasks.

When encountering such patient complications, they probably wouldn’t feel as much pressure as she did.

You guys don’t have my good fortune to encounter such challenges!

Qi Yue smiled.

“Good, rest a bit, then continue.” She waved her hand, rotated her stiff neck, and walked toward the rest room…

Author’s Note: Written halfway through, everyone read this first. I’m going out for duty, will continue writing at work and post at noon. This counts as half a chapter…

Zhuzimugua, please stop! You’re being too generous! Once is enough!