When Fu Yu found Jiu Yue, he noticed both her hands were already wrapped in bandages.
"Are you alright?" he couldn't help but ask, subtly disapproving of her rough-and-ready approach. "Did you apply any medicine?"
Jiu Yue dared not let anyone see her wounds.
If she had been even slightly slower, those minor scrapes would have healed on their own. The bandages were merely a disguise.
Still, she responded politely to her colleague's concern, "Yes, I did. There was some hemostatic agent in the kit."
Fu Yu said no more, only murmuring softly, "The prince wants to see you."
Jiu Yue's heart skipped a beat, her expression turning grave. "Is he summoning me to settle accounts already?"
So soon?
Couldn’t he wait until they returned to the capital?
Fu Yu: "..."
Fu Yu quickly clarified, "Not to settle accounts—to reward you. The child you just saved is General Xiao’s grandson."
Jiu Yue paused.
What a... coincidence.
Inside the tent, Xiao Chi and Sima Qing were drinking and chatting merrily. The little grandson, now calmed, sat obediently beside his grandfather, eating and drinking milk.
When Jiu Yue entered with a soldier, her first glance went to Sima Qing.
The man merely gave her a fleeting look, his eyes devoid of any hidden message.
Jiu Yue averted her gaze just as the armored elder on the main seat spoke, "What’s your name?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "Reporting to the General, I am Jiu Yue."
Her confident answer piqued General Xiao’s interest. He then asked how long she had been riding horses.
Jiu Yue hesitated, scratching her head before giving a vague answer, "About five years, I think..."
She wasn’t entirely sure.
"Five years already?" Xiao Chi suddenly turned to Sima Qing and laughed. "Wenye, you’ve been hiding such talent from me all this time? That’s hardly fair."
"It wasn’t my intention," Sima Qing replied evenly. "She’s only been under my command for a little over a month."
Xiao Chi was taken aback, his gaze on Jiu Yue now brimming with enthusiasm.
"Is that so? What a shame! With skills like yours, young lady, you should be making your mark on the battlefield!" Xiao Chi gestured for her to sit and raised his cup in a toast, his demeanor warm. "The capital’s a dreary little place—nowhere near as lively as here!"
Jiu Yue couldn’t help but agree.
Though the capital was far more prosperous than this place—hardly a "dreary little place"—it wasn’t where she saw herself staying long-term.
Xiao Chi laughed heartily and extended an invitation. "Take this as a gift. If you ever wish to visit the barracks, just come find me!"
A soldier promptly handed something to Jiu Yue—a token.
Upon closer inspection, it resembled the Pingwang tokens they’d found on the dead assassins, except this one bore the character "Xiao."
Jiu Yue liked it.
At least this wasn’t a death warrant—it was more like a protective charm!
She instinctively reached for it... only to feel an eerie gaze settle on her. She looked up and met Sima Qing’s indifferent eyes.
He even seemed puzzled as to why she was staring at him.
Jiu Yue: "…?"
Suspicious, she accepted the token anyway and turned back to General Xiao, offering sincere thanks. "I appreciate your generosity, General! If the need arises, I’ll certainly seek you out!"
Xiao Chi roared with laughter, and his little grandson clapped cheerfully before finishing his milk and running over to Jiu Yue—only to drop to his knees in a formal bow.
Jiu Yue’s eyelid twitched. She quickly slid a hand beneath the child’s knees and lifted him back up.
"Young master, that’s unnecessary," she said gently. "Your grandfather has already rewarded me. If you kneel, I’ll have to kowtow to him in return."
The child nodded vaguely, then blinked at his grandfather before eagerly tugging Jiu Yue toward the tent’s exit.
Not daring to resist, she let him pull her along. Before leaving, she stole another glance at Sima Qing—the man was still drinking, showing no intention of intervening.
Fine.
She knew when to make herself scarce.
So Jiu Yue followed the child out, leaving the two men to discuss their business in private.
The moment they left, the cheerful atmosphere in the tent dissipated. Xiao Chi remained silent, focusing on his meal.
He was waiting for Sima Qing to speak first.
Sima Qing finished his wine and finally broke the silence, his tone resigned.
"General..." he began.
Xiao Chi set down his chopsticks, his voice weary. "Wenye, if you’re here to persuade me to return to the capital... you may as well leave now."
Sima Qing chuckled. "General, you’ve misunderstood."
Xiao Chi looked at him in surprise.
Sima Qing retrieved a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Chi. "This is a message from His Majesty. Read it first."
With that, he stepped back and waited patiently.
A moment later, Xiao Chi slammed the letter onto the table, his expression dark and conflicted. After a long pause, he let out a bitter laugh.
"Very well. I misjudged you. After all these years, you’ve become the Emperor’s mouthpiece." Xiao Chi snorted and stood to leave. "Rest here tonight, Your Highness, and depart tomorrow at your leisure. Forgive this old man for being too frail to see you off."
Sima Qing didn’t stop him. Instead, he poured himself tea and remarked casually, "General, you have no choice."
Xiao Chi froze mid-step. When he turned back, his eyes burned with disbelief.
"Even you would force me?" His voice was thick with disappointment.
Sima Qing met his gaze squarely and said firmly, "No one is forcing you. But if you want to protect Wuyou, boarding His Majesty’s ship is your only option. Do you truly believe today’s incident with the crazed horse was an accident?"
Xiao Chi’s eyes widened. He strode back to Sima Qing’s table and demanded in a low voice, "What are you implying?"
"Nothing. I just find it odd." Sima Qing blew on his tea and posed question after question:
"Why did Deputy General Meng search frantically for Wuyou when you sent the boy to him?"
"Why did a normally docile horse suddenly go mad?"
"Why has this never happened before—yet the moment I arrive, Wuyou nearly dies?"
Sima Qing lifted his gaze and delivered the final blow:
"General, surely you don’t believe a man who would use his own daughter as a pawn can truly guarantee your grandson’s safety?"
Xiao Chi swayed slightly, murmuring, "You... you know everything..."
Sima Qing stood and guided him back to his seat, then pushed the teacup toward him.
"The tea is excellent. Savor it while you can." He tapped the envelope beneath the cup meaningfully. "But don’t take too long. Once it cools, it’s wasted."
Inside and outside the tent were two different worlds.
Jiu Yue was officially bestowed the title of "First Friend" by the little boy.
"This is a gift for our first meeting!" The child solemnly pulled out a jade pendant from his pocket and pressed it into Jiu Yue's hand, adding earnestly, "You must keep it safe! As long as you have it, we'll be friends for life!"
Jiu Yue couldn’t possibly accept it and managed to talk the child out of his gift-giving resolve with some coaxing.
"Then... then next time, I’ll give you a new gift—one that won’t break or get lost!" He puffed up his little face with determination.
But Jiu Yue could see the nervousness beneath his brave front.
On the way, Fu Yu had told her about General Xiao’s grandson—a child born prematurely on the battlefield. By the time he was brought back, his mother had already died in combat, and it was only the military doctor’s efforts, feeding him mare’s milk, that kept him alive.
Due to his premature birth, the boy’s health had always been fragile. Though General Xiao doted on his grandson, he was strict when it came to discipline, ensuring the child trained in martial arts and horseback riding from an early age.
Yet because of this, the vast military camp offered no playmates his own age.
Now, under the glow of his sparkling eyes, Jiu Yue felt an unexpected softness in her heart.
It was as if she had returned to a time before she became a ruthless killer.
"Alright, I’ll remember. Next time we meet, I’ll definitely ask you for that gift!" Jiu Yue played along.
The child was overjoyed that his new friend hadn’t scorned him for failing to give a proper gift.
"I already know your name, but you probably don’t know mine yet. I’m Xiao Wuyou. My grandfather is Xiao Chi. Since you saved me today, when I grow up, I’ll repay your kindness by marrying you!"
Jiu Yue stumbled back in shock, flusteredly waving her hands—only to find herself suddenly cast in shadow.
After a beat of silence, she turned and, sure enough, saw Sima Qing wearing that familiar smirk of his.
"Well, it seems this trip was worth it for you," Sima Qing said, his smile almost genuine. "Not only did you find a lifelong career, but also a lifelong love. Congratulations, Miss Jiu. Wishing you happiness."
Jiu Yue: "..."
Jiu Yue: "???"
Had he lost his mind from alcohol poisoning??? Since when was his sarcasm this lethal?!
