Fan Changyu was stunned.

It wasn’t until a sharp sting came from her lips that she snapped back to her senses. Humiliated and furious, she instinctively swung her free hand at his face.

But he seemed to have anticipated it.

Effortlessly intercepting her strike, he pulled her even harder against himself. His solid chest and iron-like arms locked around her.

Never in her life had Fan Changyu been treated this way.

She tried to break free through sheer brute force, but every ounce of strength she used was neutralized by his skillful movements.

In her anger, she resorted to the only weapon she had left.

Her teeth.

She bit down hard.

Xie Zheng hissed in pain. When they finally separated, blood stained his lips.

“You—”

Before he could finish speaking, Fan Changyu slammed her forehead straight into him.

Her brow struck the bridge of his nose perfectly.

The sharp pain forced him to cover his nose with one hand, and in the next instant, Fan Changyu’s freed fist smashed into the corner of his eye.

Though the blow hurt, Xie Zheng still refused to release her other hand.

With a powerful tug, he pulled her backward, twisted her arms behind her back, and pinned her against the wall. His body pressed firmly against her from behind.

His voice was cold.

“Are you really this aggrieved?”

At that moment, Fan Changyu wanted nothing more than to bite him to death.

Her injured wrist weakened her struggle, preventing her from breaking free.

“What madness has possessed you?” she shouted. “If you want a woman, there are plenty in the pleasure houses willing to take your money. What kind of person do you take me for?”

Xie Zheng abruptly lifted his head.

His dark eyes were unfathomable.

“So that’s what you think of me?”

Held firmly in place, Fan Changyu felt rage nearly ignite sparks in her eyes.

“What do you think you were just doing? Taking advantage of me!”

Something in Xie Zheng seemed to snap.

Instead of getting angry, he laughed.

“Taking advantage of you?”

His voice carried a dangerous edge.

“If I truly wanted to take advantage of you, I wouldn’t have waited until now.”

He released her and stepped back.

The curve of his mouth was cold.

“Can’t let go of that former fiancé of yours, can you? Even in the future, you’ll have to find someone who looks just like him? Haven’t learned your lesson at all?”

Fan Changyu had just been forcibly kissed. Hearing him speak now as though he were lecturing and mocking her only infuriated her further.

Before she even realized it, her fist flew toward him again.

“What does that have to do with you?”

This time, Xie Zheng neither dodged nor blocked.

He accepted the full force of her punch.

The corner of his mouth split open.

A flush spread across half his face.

Against his jade-like features, it created an unexpectedly striking beauty.

Even Fan Changyu froze after hitting him.

She knew exactly how much strength she had used.

Why hadn’t he dodged?

Xie Zheng pressed his tongue against the cut at the corner of his mouth and tasted blood.

Then he turned to look at her.

“Not continuing?”

Fan Changyu couldn’t describe what she felt.

Her knuckles still ached faintly.

His injuries had to be worse.

But after what he had done, she couldn’t bring herself to apologize.

Pressing her lips together, she turned to walk back inside.

Yet before she could take more than a step, the man behind her moved like a ghost.

All she saw were those dark, unsettling eyes.

Then his hand clasped the back of her head.

He kissed her again.

Her scalp practically exploded.

Having lost the initiative, she found herself controlled at every turn.

As she pushed and struggled, he forced her against the wall.

Both her hands were pinned above her head.

Using the advantage of his larger frame, he held her firmly in place.

His breath, usually cool and restrained, now brushed against her skin.

The kiss was even fiercer than before.

More reckless.

More overbearing.

Fan Changyu bit him viciously.

He immediately caught her jaw.

Some clever movement prevented her from biting again.

Yet he still didn’t retreat.

Instead, he used the opportunity to force past her defenses, deepening the kiss despite her resistance.

By the time it ended, Fan Changyu could barely catch her breath.

Her mind felt dizzy from lack of air.

For a moment, she forgot to punch him.

She could only stare at him in disbelief.

Xie Zheng released her.

Using one finger, he wiped away the blood from his lips.

“Now that,” he said, “was taking advantage of you.”

The fury of being violated and insulted shot straight to Fan Changyu’s head.

The moment he released his hold and stepped back, she pulled out the boning knife she always carried and pressed it against his throat.

“Who do you think you are?” she demanded. “You think you can humiliate me whenever you please?”

Leaning casually against a wooden pillar, Xie Zheng showed not the slightest concern despite the blade at his neck.

Only after hearing her words did he raise his eyes.

For once, his expression was utterly serious.

“Rather than letting your poor judgment lead you to another ungrateful man in the future, you’d be better off staying with me.”

The words stunned not only Fan Changyu.

They surprised Xie Zheng as well.

For a brief moment, he paused.

Then came a strange feeling of relief, as though some final restraint had finally shattered.

That was right.

Wasn’t it better to keep her by his side than to watch her marry someone else one day?

Having spoken the first words, the rest came more easily.

After a long silence, he said,

“I have a very dangerous enemy outside. I might die at his hands. Or perhaps he’ll die, and I’ll survive.”

He looked at her steadily.

“If you’re willing, wait for me for two years. If I die, someone will come and bring you the news. Then you can marry someone else.”

Fan Changyu stared at him coldly.

“You keep calling Song Yan an ungrateful wretch. How are you any better?”

Her voice trembled with anger.

“You force yourself on me, and then tell me it’s because you care about me?”

She lowered the knife.

The humiliation she felt overwhelmed every other emotion.

Lifting her sleeve, she wiped her lips fiercely.

“I hit you. Consider us even.”

She pointed toward the table.

“Your things are there. Once the city gates reopen, leave.”

Xie Zheng watched her retreating figure.

For the first time, he couldn’t even manage a cold smile.

So…

He had been rejected.

From the day he was born until now, he had only tasted defeat once—on the battlefield at Chongzhou.

This time, he had suffered another kind of defeat.

He left everything she had prepared untouched on the table.

After standing beneath the corridor for a while, he walked out of the Fan family’s courtyard.

—

Ever since the unrest in Qingping County and the subsequent lockdown, Lin’an Town had become desolate.

Few villagers came to market anymore.

Without any destination in mind, Xie Zheng eventually wandered to the pine forest beside the river outside town.

More than a foot of snow covered the ground.

The river flowed swiftly through the uneven terrain.

The thin layer of ice that had formed overnight had already shattered.

Only the distant sound of mountain springs echoed through the quiet landscape.

At a gentle slope, Xie Zheng lay down directly upon the snow.

One arm rested behind his head as he stared blankly at the faint outline of Lin’an Town in the distance.

On the Chongzhou battlefield, when he had nearly died due to betrayal, he had never panicked.

When assassins chased him for hundreds of miles after he narrowly escaped with his life, he had never been afraid.

Even after falling from a cliff and being carried into Jizhou by the river, he had endured grievous wounds, illness, and fever while searching for a village.

Eventually, he had collapsed in the wilderness.

And she had found him.

Back then, all he had thought about was stabilizing the northwest and taking revenge on the Wei father and son.

So when had he become reluctant to leave?

That tiny house was always noisy and lively.

He had seen countless people bent beneath the weight of suffering.

But that woman…

Even if the sky collapsed, she would straighten her thin back and carry it herself.

Perhaps…

No one had treated him with such simple kindness for far too long.

The preserved tangerine candies she gave him with his medicine.

The red envelope she prepared for New Year.

A self-mocking smile touched his lips.

For a brief moment, he thought of the phrase wagging one’s tail and begging for affection.

Perhaps she was simply too kind-hearted.

If anyone else had been lying wounded in the wilderness that day, she would have cared for them just as devotedly.

She would have bought them candy.

Prepared a New Year’s red envelope.

Because he was pitiful.

Not because she cared for him.

His invitation for her to stay by his side truly had become a joke.

A man who had spent his entire life proud found it difficult to accept such a humiliating defeat.

High above, the Haidongqing hawk circled and cried, searching for him.

This time, Xie Zheng did not whistle.

Turning his head slightly, he noticed a tiny green shoot emerging from the melting snow near the riverbank.

A single blade of grass stood vividly against the endless white.

When the ice melts, the springs awaken.

When the snow is gone, new grass grows.

Those were the words he had written for her in the New Year’s couplet.

He stared at the sprout for a long while.

Then he sat up.

Reaching out, he plucked the blade of grass from the ground and tossed it into the rushing river.

Silently, he watched the current carry it away.

If the heart had become troubled…

Then he would simply pull out the root of the problem.

The circling hawk finally spotted him and swooped down.

This time he didn’t raise his arm to receive it.

The bird landed nearby and waited.

When he still made no move to retrieve the message, it tilted its head curiously before stepping closer and lightly pecking the back of his hand.

Xie Zheng reached out and stroked the feathers atop its head.

His gaze remained fixed on the flowing river.

Only after a long time did he remove the letter tied to its leg.

He scanned it quickly.

The paper crumbled into pieces between his fingers.

Casting one final look toward distant Lin’an Town, he said quietly,

“Let’s go.

It’s time to return.”

—

Jizhou.

An urgent dispatch from Jinzhou arrived at the prefectural office.

Every official who read it was shocked.

“The Northern Ques really have attacked Jinzhou!”

“Fortunately, the Marquis of Wuan didn’t die in Chongzhou. With him defending Jinzhou, those northern barbarians will surely lose heart the moment they hear his name!”

Seated at the head of the council chamber, He Jingyuan’s expression remained grim.

Before he could speak, another guard rushed in.

“Emergency from Lu City! General Guo Xinhou, one of Prince Changxin’s commanders, has surrounded Lu City with fifty thousand troops!”

The room instantly erupted.

The incident in Qingping County, where the Heir of Prince Changxin disguised his men as farmers and incited rebellion, had happened only recently.

Had the county uprising succeeded, Lu City—the first major military fortress bordering Chongzhou—would have been trapped between enemies.

One official slammed the table.

“The rebels planned this from the beginning! With Jinzhou under attack, the Marquis of Wuan will be forced to shift troops there. He can’t continue suppressing the rebels. They’re trying to seize the entire northwest!”

A military officer said,

“The priority now is defending Jizhou.”

If Lu City fell, Jizhou would lose its shield.

Amid the uproar, He Jingyuan spoke calmly.

“Guo Xinhou is a veteran commander. I’ll personally go to Lu City.”

The officials immediately objected.

“My lord, absolutely not!”

“Lu City is too dangerous!”

“If anything happens to you, we’d never forgive ourselves!”

He Jingyuan raised a hand.

The room fell silent.

“If going there is dangerous for me, then are the soldiers defending Lu City not in danger as well?”

His voice was steady.

“If I go, the rebels will hesitate because of me. Lu City may actually become safer. Meanwhile, you’ll have enough time to recruit more troops.”

As soon as the meeting ended, cavalrymen carrying recruitment orders rode out in every direction.

—

Lin’an Town.

Fan Changyu remained angry all afternoon because of Xie Zheng’s recklessness.

She opened a book, hoping reading would distract her.

Instead, she saw the dense notes filling the margins.

The frustration immediately returned.

Those annotations had all been written by him during countless late nights.

As her anger gradually faded, she found herself thinking about what he had said.

That he might die at the hands of his enemy.

A strange discomfort settled in her heart.

Had he always insisted on leaving because he carried such a burden?

Passing through the main hall, she noticed that all the things she had prepared for him were still sitting untouched on the table.

The divorce agreement remained there too.

Only her own signature appeared on it.

He had never signed.

Her feelings grew even more complicated.

Changning and Yu Bao’er were still outside playing with the neighborhood children.

After hesitating for a while, Fan Changyu walked to the south room and knocked.

No answer.

Pressing her lips together, she knocked again.

“Yan Zheng? Are you inside?”

Silence.

Remembering the harsh words she had spoken in anger earlier, she suddenly worried that he had left without saying goodbye.

She pushed the door open.

His belongings were all still inside.

Nothing had been taken.

Only then did her heart settle slightly.

So he had probably gone out to clear his head.

Closing the door again, she turned to leave.

Suddenly, shouting and crying erupted from outside the alley.

Along with the angry voices of soldiers.

“Sir! Please, sir! My family has only this one son! Have mercy on us!”

“The rebels are about to attack Jizhou! If the young men don’t go to war now, do you want the rebels to slaughter everyone later?”

Fan Changyu’s heart jumped.

Opening the courtyard gate, she looked outside.

Armored soldiers were going door to door, dragging able-bodied men from their homes.

The old woman crying on the ground was Granny Kang.

She clung desperately to her son, but several strong soldiers tore him away.

“My son!” she wailed. “Don’t be afraid! I’ll go find Scholar Song! I’ll ask him to plead with the magistrate and bring you home!”

Recognizing the uniforms of Jizhou soldiers, Fan Changyu knew that appealing to the magistrate would be useless.

Unless the magistrate was willing to bribe the recruitment officers personally.

Immediately, she thought of Yan Zheng.

Once someone was conscripted, there was no telling when the war would end.

Most never returned.

Many died on the battlefield and never even received a proper burial.

The children playing outside hurried home in fear.

Changning and Yu Bao’er ran behind Fan Changyu and hid there, peeking nervously at the soldiers.

Changning looked up.

“Big Sister, Yanzi’s older brother was taken away. Will Brother-in-law be taken away too?”

Fan Changyu didn’t know.

This was her first time witnessing military conscription.

In the past, Granny Zhao had said families could sometimes pay silver in place of service.

But this time seemed different.

She hurried the children inside.

“Go into the house first.”

Just as she closed the courtyard gate, the local neighborhood head arrived with soldiers.

The leader awkwardly explained,

“This is the head of the household. Her surname is Fan. Her name is Changyu. She has a live-in husband.”

The soldiers looked surprised.

Seeing only Fan Changyu outside while the gate remained tightly shut, their expressions darkened.

“Where’s your husband?”

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together.

If she admitted they had already separated, it would implicate the other families in the neighborhood.

But if Yan Zheng were taken away because of her…

After a long pause, she answered honestly.

“He isn’t home.”

The soldier clearly had heard similar excuses many times.

His expression darkened further.

Just as he was about to kick the gate open, another soldier holding a register stopped him.

“Wait.”

The literate soldier checked the roster carefully before looking up.

“Fan Changyu?”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

“Her husband is already on the conscription list. Looks like he was among the men taken earlier.”

Fan Changyu’s heart began pounding wildly.

“He’s already been taken? Are you certain?”

The soldier glanced at the roster.

“Isn’t his name Yan Zheng?”

At those words, her final hope vanished.

Her voice became hoarse.

“Yes.

He’s my husband.”

The soldiers moved on to the next house.

Fan Changyu sank down beside the courtyard gate, her limbs cold.

With his skills, Yan Zheng could have escaped easily.

He understood the law so well.

He must have surrendered willingly to avoid implicating the neighboring households.

Thinking of the things she had prepared for him, and their bitter argument not long ago, a heavy ache settled in her chest.

She didn’t know whether it was guilt or something else.

After sitting there for a while, she suddenly raised her head.

“Sir!”

The soldier turned.

“Where is my husband now? Can I still see him? He was taken while outside. I want to bring him some things.”

The soldier glanced at her.

“The first group has already been sent to the county seat. They’ll soon march to Lu City. Whether you can catch them now… that’s another matter.”

Fan Changyu immediately thanked him.

After entrusting Changning and Yu Bao’er to a neighbor, she rushed into the house.

She grabbed the bundle she had prepared and stuffed two packets of preserved tangerine candies inside before hurrying toward the county seat.

A cart was too slow.

She borrowed a horse.

But even then, she was too late.

The first group of conscripts had already departed for Lu City.

Standing outside the city gates in the heavy snow, holding the bundle and the horse’s reins, Fan Changyu stared silently at the official road stretching into the distance.

Her chest felt unbearably heavy.

Eventually, she turned and walked back.

Someone accidentally bumped into her.

The contents of her bundle scattered across the ground.

Without a word, she knelt and gathered everything piece by piece.

When she reached the packets of preserved tangerine candy, she unwrapped one and popped a piece into her mouth.

She thought:

It’s probably for the best that I didn’t catch up.

These candies are too sour.

Not nearly as sweet as the ones before.

Even if I had given them to Yan Zheng…

He probably wouldn’t have liked them.

After packing everything away, she tied the bundle back onto the saddle.

Then she rested her forehead against the saddle for a long time.

How had things ended up like this?

She was angry at him.

Yet he had been taken away before they could even exchange a proper farewell.

No matter how she looked at it, she felt as though she owed him something.

On the way back, she encountered another group of newly recruited soldiers being escorted toward the county seat.

Families followed behind, crying as they saw their loved ones off.

The conscripts themselves had red-rimmed eyes as they repeatedly urged their families to stop following them.

To her surprise, she spotted Old Zhao the carpenter among them.

“Uncle Zhao!” she called. “Why are you going to Lu City too?”

The old carpenter’s wrinkled face twisted bitterly.

“I chose the wrong profession. When I was young, I was a livestock doctor. When I got older, I became a carpenter. The officers said I can treat warhorses and build defensive equipment for the army.”

The soldiers cracked their whips, urging everyone forward.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fan Changyu called out,

“Uncle Zhao, take this horse!”

The officers were about to stop her, but the moment they realized she was donating a horse, they pretended not to notice.

A horse was precious.

It could carry both people and supplies.

In danger, it might even save a life.

Uncle Zhao tried to refuse.

“This horse is too valuable—”

“Take it.”

She pressed the reins into his hands.

“The things in this bundle were prepared for Yan Zheng. I couldn’t catch him. If you see him in Lu City, please give them to him for me.”

Uncle Zhao finally accepted.

His heart ached for the young couple.

“Don’t worry. As long as this old skeleton is still breathing, I’ll make sure he receives them.”

Fan Changyu watched him disappear into the distance.

Only then did she begin the long walk home.

Later, she paid for the horse with her own savings.

When she went to pick up Changning and Yu Bao’er from Granny Zhao’s house, Granny Zhao cried while thanking her repeatedly.

A horse brought by a recruit became that recruit’s personal property.

Most such men would be assigned to the cavalry.

Even if they weren’t fit enough for cavalry service, they would still be treated better than ordinary infantry.

After comforting Granny Zhao, Fan Changyu took the children home.

Perhaps because one person was missing from the household, even the children seemed quieter.

Wrapped in the silence, she increasingly felt that the house had become strangely empty.

How odd.

Yan Zheng had never been a talkative person.

So why did everything suddenly feel different without him?

She went to clean the south room.

His desk was already neat and orderly.

There was almost nothing to tidy.

In one corner lay a pair of leather wrist guards.

Beside them sat a file and several tools.

A piece of paper was tucked underneath.

The wrist guards looked too small to belong to Yan Zheng.

Curious, she picked up the note.

Only eight characters were written on it:

“Happy birthday. May you know lasting joy and lifelong peace.”

Instantly, she remembered the day Yan Zheng had asked about her birthday.

The pair of wrist guards suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in her hands.

Lowering her eyes, she examined them carefully.

One of them had clearly been reshaped and polished.

When she fastened it around her wrist, the leather fit perfectly.

As she reached to undo the buckle, she discovered that her fingers were trembling slightly.

Or perhaps the knuckles she had used to punch Yan Zheng still ached.

Either way, she tried several times and failed to remove it.

In the end, she gave up.

Leaning back against the chair, she stared blankly at the wrist guard on her arm.

For some reason, her heart felt unbearably empty.