Chapter 166: I Like You

Su Jiu was not in her tent back at the military camp. No one was sure where she had gone.

Xiao Lie told the imperial bodyguard to leave one of the candied hawthorn sticks behind, and send the rest of the things to the kitchen tent.

He had just changed his clothes when a soldier came to report that General Nangong had arrived back in camp.

Nangong Shu naturally looked for Xiao Lie after returning from Yanyun Pass. Both of them stayed in the main tent to chat until the sky turned dark.

The bonfire was already burning brightly as it was evening. Nangong Bi had waited outside the tent for a long while before she saw Nangong Shu stepping out of it. She stepped forward quickly and yelled in excitement, “Brother!”

Nangong Shu’s facial expression remained indifferent as he smiled lightly. “Did you create any trouble?”

“No!” Nangong Bi replied immediately and giggled. “You can ask His Highness if you don’t believe me!”

Su Jiu had been following behind her, and she broke into a huge smile when she saw Nangong Shu as well. “Greetings to the general!”

Nangong Shu looked over as the flames reflected in his eyes. His gaze turned tender as he nodded lightly. “Su Jiu, thank you for taking care of Bi’er for me!”

“You’re welcome, General!” Su Jiu smiled brightly.

Xiao Lie stepped forward and held onto Su Jiu’s hands as he chided adoringly, “Where have you been? Your hand is so cold! Why did you not put on a cloak?”

Su Jiu shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not cold!”

Nangong Shu watched the two of them as his gaze darkened slightly.

“Your Highness, General, Governor Huang has arrived in camp!”

Governor Huang had already walked over to them swiftly when the soldier finished reporting. He bowed and said, “Greetings to Your Highness Prince Rui! Greetings to General Nangong!”

Governor Huang’s daughter, Huang Ying, had followed behind him and had greeted them along with her father. Her head remained lowered as her eyes scanned around fervently as if she was looking for something.

Nangong Bi’s exquisite face turned glum the moment she spotted Huang Ying.

“I have brought along some food and wine to celebrate the New Year together with Your Highness and General Hu!” Governor Huang said.

“Governor Huang, you are very considerate!” Xiao Lie nodded lightly.

Everyone had arrived and settled in their seats as the feast was ready.

Xiao Lie sat in the main seat. On his left was Nangong Shu, followed by Nangong Bi, Su Jiu, Chang Huan, and Ah Shu. On his right were Hu Dapao, Governor Huang, and Huang Ying.

An entire lamb, together with some wine, was being roasted on the bonfire. The aroma of the wine and meat filled the air and enhanced the New Year atmosphere.

Other than the soldiers on guarding duty, the rest of the soldiers had also joined in the feast. They sat around the bonfire and helped themselves to the wine and meat.

It would not be an enjoyable feast if they ate meat without having wine. However, as they were still at war and were only taking a break due to the New Year, they could not fully be at ease. As such, more than half of the soldiers’ wine was mixed with water, and they only drank it for the sake of having a taste.

Xiao Lie got up as the feast started. With his dark-colored robe and intensely dark pupils, he appeared like an honorable and glorious deity as he said flatly, “We, as Daliang Country’s citizens, have the unshirkable responsibility to defend our land as the other countries eye our territories covetously. All the soldiers here are not afraid of death as they fight against our enemies and protect our land and territories. On behalf of the Emperor and Daliang Country’s citizens, I shall give a toast to all of you brave warriors!”

His voice was soft, but it had traveled through the cold wind and entered everyone’s ears.

Nangong Shu took the lead, and all the soldiers got up to their feet as they yelled in unison, “Fight against the enemies, and protect our land and territories! A toast to Your Highness!”

Their shouts were so deafening that they soared through the skies and shook everyone’s hearts!

Su Jiu stood among the crowd and also gave a toast to Xiao Lie. She felt an upsurge of emotion at that moment and was extremely excited. Her objective was to save Dapao when she had traveled from Shengjing City to Youzhou, but through the soldiers’ determined and united exclamations, she had realized that it was every Daliang citizen’s responsibility to fight the enemies and protect their nation.

There could not be peace and prosperity for the citizens if they did not get rid of their enemies!

Every inch of land was obtained via the combined efforts of millions of people. These soldiers had left their homes, and put aside life and death matters. Indeed, they were the strongest defense of Daliang Country’s flourishment!

Everyone consumed their wine and began their New Year Eve’s feast on the vast plains, as gusts of northern winds blew past.

Governor Huang stepped out of the crowd and offered a toast to Xiao Lie and Nangong Shu before the rest of the soldiers followed suit one by one. Joyous laughter sounded everywhere as the atmosphere grew increasingly exuberant. The soldiers laughed heartily even though there were no songs or dance performances.

Su Jiu, Nangong Bi, Chang Huan, and Ah Shu began playing drinking games. As Su Jiu would have to drink on behalf of Nangong Bi if Nangong Bi lost, Chang Huan would lose to Nangong Bi on purpose every time he played against her. Nangong Bi felt proud of herself, proclaiming that nobody could defeat her.

Nangong Shu looked at them as his lips curled into a smile. He was dressed in a cold-looking military uniform, but his expression grew slightly tender under the influence of the lively atmosphere.

Xiao Lie accepted every single toast offered as he remained in the main seat. His expression remained unchanging as he looked noble and elegant while watching Su Jiu and the rest from time to time.

A distance away, a soldier began to sing a song from his hometown, and his voice traveled among the wind and floated across Youzhou and Mount Hala. Everyone’s hearts grew tender as his voice rang across the plains.

Su Jiu rested her head on Chang Huan’s shoulder as she squinted her eyes and sang along softly. She was not sure what she was singing, but it felt like the song was a hidden memory deep in her heart.

On this night, everyone was fully immersed in the buoyant mood even though they were not drunk. They indulged while remaining disciplined, and they broke out in mad laughter all night long.

Hu Dapao was tempted to join them as he saw Su Jiu and the rest drinking together, but he was unable to do so under the eyes of Governor Huang and his men. Thus, he could only drink by himself.

Huang Ying got up and walked over to him. She took a seat behind him and pressed onto his arm, which was pouring wine at that moment, and said with mocking anger, “You cannot drink too much! Your wounds have just recovered!”

Governor Huang could not hold his liquor well, and he got drunk despite the wine being diluted with water. He was chatting with a deputy general and was slurring as if he was about to fall asleep.

Hu Dapao retracted his arm immediately and smiled goofily. “I’m fine! This wine is very diluted after all!”

Huang Ying simply sat down beside him. Her beautiful face appeared all the more radiant as she was covered in a red hooded cloak. She said, “What meaning is there to drink this way? Let’s play a guessing game as well! I will drink if I lose, and you will get punished willingly if you lose! How does that sound?”

Hu Dapao gawked at her. “Can you drink?”

“What kind of look is that? I may not necessarily lose to you in drinking!”

“I can’t do that! The others will think that I’m bullying a woman!” Hu Dapao laughed.

“I think you just don’t have the guts,” Huang Ying snorted casually.

“Who says that I don’t have the guts!”

“Then play with me!”

“Fine!”

Both of them filled up their wine cups and began playing.

Huang Ying lost the first round, and she finished her wine without saying another word.

Hu Dapao said hastily, “It’s fine, you don’t have to drink if you can’t!”

“Let’s play again!” Huang Ying placed her wine cup down delightedly and reached out her arm once more.

Hu Dapao lost the second round, and Huang Ying grinned after giving it a thought. “I want you to sing for me!”

“What?” Hu Dapao frowned. “You drank when you lost, but why do I have to sing instead?”

“We’ve previously agreed that you will be punished willingly if you lose!” Huang Ying raised her brows as she said.

Hu Dapao shook his head. “That won’t do! I don’t know how to sing!”

“You can just hum two lines! Hurry up and sing! You can’t cheat!” Huang Ying shook Hu Dapao’s arm.

Hu Dapao felt extremely awkward as he broke out into nervous laughter.

Across from where they were seated, Su Jiu had noticed Nangong Bi’s unusual expression. She hence followed her gaze until she noticed Huang Ying badgering Hu Dapao.

Nangong Bi was no longer fooling around. Instead, her eyes grew red and sore as she stared at Hu Dapao coldly. She abruptly gulped down a mouthful of wine and ended up choking.

“Hack! Hack! Hack!”

Nangong Shu whipped his head around and snatched the wine cup from her hands as he chided, “Why are you drinking again? Don’t you know that you’re not good at drinking?”

Nangong Bi felt even more upset after being reprimanded by Nangong Shu and said tearfully, “I’m going to bed!”

She got up and ran towards her tent upon speaking.

Su Jiu stood up and asked, “What happened?”

Nangong Shu’s gaze darkened slightly as he replied, “She’s unhappy after I’ve scolded her. I’ll go take a look at her!”

“Sure!” Su Jiu nodded and knowingly looked at the direction where Nangong Bi had gone. She turned around again to look at Hu Dapao and saw him looking over worriedly as well.

There seemed to be something wrong!

Hu Dapao saw that Nangong Bi had left all of a sudden, and he no longer had the mood to continue the drinking game. He could only crane his neck to look at Nangong Bi’s direction.

Nangong Shu caught up with Nangong Bi outside her tent and grabbed hold of her. “Bi’er, what’s wrong?”

It was not her normal behavior, even if she had been chided by him.

Nangong Bi lowered her head and said, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m tired and I would like to go to sleep.”

Nangong Shu frowned, as he knew she was enjoying herself with Su Jiu just a moment before.

“Has something happened?”

“No!” Nangong Bi bit onto her lower lip and said stubbornly.

“Fine, have an early rest then! I’ll head back to Yanyun Pass after the feast, so take good care of yourself. Hu Dapao is safe now. You should go back to Shengjing City with Su Jiu after the new year and don’t let our parents worry!” Nangong Shu urged.

Nangong Bi remained silent for a while, before nodding lightly. “Noted!”

“Go in!” Nangong Shu caressed her hair dotingly.

The young woman felt a pang of sadness as she looked up and said, “It’s going to be dangerous at war! Brother, you have to take care of yourself as well!”

“I will!” Nangong Shu smiled and nodded lightly.

Su Jiu had only consumed a few cups of wine during the feast, but her eyes gradually glazed over as she leaned on Chang Huan and listened to the chaos around her. She suddenly recalled the scene during last year’s New Year, when she was still Young Mistress Ji and enjoying the fireworks together with Ji Yuxian while celebrating New Year’s Eve together. He had said that both of them would have to spend every New Year together.

A year had passed in a blink of an eye, yet at this moment, there were no fireworks, and he was no longer by her side.

Su Jiu suddenly felt slightly suffocated as her heart ached. She excused herself to the toilet and got up to leave the crowd.

The stars were sparse in the night sky, and the wind blowing from the north was bitter and chilly. Su Jiu was not aware of how far she had walked, but when she could no longer hear the bustle behind her and looked up to see Youzhou’s myriad twinkling lights, she realized that she had walked to the location where she and Hu Dapao had sat and watched the direction of Shengjing City.

Su Jiu sat on the ground and looked far ahead. She could make out the dark silhouettes of Mount Hala’s mountain range which blocked her view. It was impossible to see Shengjing City.

Hu Dapao had lied to her. Shengjing City could not be seen at all from this location.

The young woman laughed dryly as she curled up her legs and hugged her knees. Her hair was scattered among the wind as she continued to stare at Shengjing City’s direction.

What was she missing?

Footsteps suddenly sounded behind her, and Xiao Lie appeared by her side. He flicked the lower hem of his robe to the side and joined Su Jiu on the ground as he passed her something he had held in his hand. “This is for you!”

“Candied hawthorn? Where did this come from?” Su Jiu took it and asked in surprise.

“I happened to see it in town today and saw that many women like it!” The man, who was usually calm and composed, had his ears reddened as he attempted to hide his fluster.

Su Jiu chortled. “Am I considered a woman?”

She had never seemed to have the habits that other women had.

Xiao Lie nodded. “Of course!”

In his heart, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, just like his mother!

Su Jiu held onto the candied hawthorn as she smiled. “I’ve only eaten this thing once, and it was when we had first entered the city! We had starved for many days and had only eaten some corn kennels. Later on, when we robbed Miss Su’s horse carriage which was entering the city, we realized that someone else had been one step ahead of us and had taken all the money. As such, we only got to snatch the nanny and Miss Su’s identity.”

Xiao Lie turned around and looked at her expressionlessly.

“After we arrived in the city, the nanny was the one who passed us some money, which we then used to buy a few buns and had a full meal. Later on, when we saw the candied hawthorn vendor on the street, we took a fancy to it and used two buns to exchange for a stick.”

Sympathy flashed across Xiao Lie’s eyes as he asked softly, “Was it good?”

“It was alright!” Su Jiu had remembered the taste as she took a bite of the candied hawthorn in her hand.

The candied crust outside the hawthorn had become crispier, perhaps due to the chilling weather in Youzhou. There was glutinous rice stuffed within the fruit, and it tasted delicious.

“You should have some too!” Su Jiu held up the stick of candied hawthorn in front of Xiao Lie.

The man was startled for a moment as he looked at the woman’s fair wrist before his thin lips curled into a smile and he opened his mouth to take a bite.

It was indeed delicious!

“Why are you sitting here alone when the feast is still going on?” Xiao Lie asked.

“I had more than enough drinks and felt light-headed, so I came here to get some fresh air!” Su Jiu chewed on the candied crust loudly as she gazed at the lights from far away.

Xiao Lie removed the fur coat from his shoulders and placed it around the young woman’s body. He moved slightly closer to her, and his tall and muscular body almost shadowed the whole of the young woman’s.

A few crumbs of the candied crust were left on the corner of Su Jiu’s lips. Xiao Lie raised his hand to wipe them off without a thought.

The crumbs were stuck tightly by her lips, and they were unremovable.

Xiao Lie’s gaze darkened as he leaned forward and kissed onto the corner of her lips. He forgot to breathe, and his heart pounded strongly as his lips touched her slightly chilly and soft skin.

It was as if he had wanted to do this for a long while.

He only paused for a short moment as he sucked onto the melted candied crust and swallowed it down, before slowly kissing Su Jiu’s lips.

Su Jiu widened her eyes and stared blankly at the man, her hand still holding onto the stick of half-eaten candied hawthorn.

Xiao Lie held onto Su Jiu’s shoulders, his gaze turning as dark as the night sky. Even without the moonlight, his eyes shimmered as he looked at her intensely. Su Jiu’s shocked expression was fully reflected on his pupils as he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss.

The stick of candied hawthorn in Su Jiu’s hand fell onto the ground as she pushed the man’s shoulders away and leaned backward. She asked in surprise, “…Xiao Lie?”

The man raised his hand and caressed her delicate face as he struggled to contain the affection for her which he had suppressed for so long. “Ah Jiu, can’t you tell? I like you, I do!”

Su Jiu widened her eyes in disbelief. “…Like?”

“Yes, the feeling that a man has for a woman! I want you to belong to me and only me!” the man said hoarsely.

“I’m not aware of when this feeling had started, but it was too late to stop by the time I realized it. I was in pain when I realized you were Young Mistress Ji, and I had wanted to forget you and even avoided you. However, hope sparked within me when you left the Ji Manor later on, and this inkling of hope had spread like fire and swallowed me in flames. Ah Jiu, I have to let you know how I feel.”

He was not even concerned about what had happened between Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian previously, as long as she belonged to him from this day onwards!

Su Jiu’s eyes flickered as she shook her head lightly. “But I don’t have any feelings for you!”

She had always treated him like a friend who could be relied on and entrusted her life with. Just like Chang Huan, Ah Shu, and the rest, there was no barrier between them.

Xiao Lie’s gaze turned gloomy as he asked softly, “Then do you detest me?”

“Of course not!” Su Jiu said confidently.

“That’s good! Then will you try to like me? I will work hard and let you develop feelings for me!” The man leaned closer to her as his hoarse voice was full of determination.

Su Jiu felt utterly confused as his warm breath, mixed with the aroma of alcohol, was emitted onto her face. She lowered her gaze and said, “Xiao Lie, I don’t want to like anyone else anymore. I’m trying my best to forget Ji Yuxian.”

Xiao Lie wanted to laugh as he listened to the young woman’s innocent words. He held up her chin and lowered his gaze, pondering for a while before subsequently saying with a laugh, “I’ve heard that the best remedy to forget a person is to develop feelings for another one! Why don’t you try it out? I’ll help you!”

Su Jiu raised her brows slightly. “Is that true?”

The man nodded as he looked at her quietly and coaxed tenderly, “I believe that it’s true. As such, do you want to try developing feelings for me? I don’t have a fiance whom I’m engaged to, so you don’t have to worry about anything if you fall for me.”

Su Jiu looked down, shifted herself slightly away from him, and said softly, “Xiao Lie, I feel slightly confused. This took me by surprise and… I can’t promise you anything right now.”

“I know, you don’t have to reply to me urgently! I will handle the rest as long as you don’t push me away!” Xiao Lie was not discouraged. His eyes exuded charm as his thin lips curled into a smile. He felt like he was a step nearer to Su Jiu’s heart.

A gust of cold wind blew past, and the laughter from the tent could be heard. Only the two of them were on this quiet hillside, but it felt more superior to all the hustle and bustle coming from the distance.

Su Jiu looked up and smiled with innocence. “I thought that you would marry Princess Yu Long.”

“No! I have fallen for someone a long time ago, and I still think about her every day. I can no longer accept anyone else.” The man held her gaze intently, and he could not help himself but plant a kiss lightly on her forehead. “Ah Jiu…”

The man’s deep and gentle voice was overlapped with another voice hidden deep in her heart, and the image of the other man’s wild and dark gaze flashed across her mind abruptly. Startled, Su Jiu stood up in a jiffy as she said, “Xiao Lie, I’m heading back!”

She turned around and left hastily upon speaking.

Xiao Lie stood up slowly as the cold wind blew past the hem of his robe. His good-looking face remained calm, though he did feel disappointed.

That outcome was within his expectation, but it would not make him retreat.

He would do whatever it took to have Su Jiu!

Su Jiu did not head back to the feast. Instead, she returned to her tent and hurriedly washed up before lying down on the bed. Her mind was in shambles.

She was truly surprised by Xiao Lie’s words. Even though she had been together with Ah Shu, Chang Huan, Hu Dapao, and the rest for an even longer time, and had behaved more intimately with them as compared to Xiao Lie, such a thing had never happened.

She felt slightly reluctant to accept Xiao Lie to forget Ji Yuxian, but she was not sure if her intention was not to forget Ji Yuxian, or not to fall for Xiao Lie.

The young woman felt lost.

Su Jiu tossed and turned as the laughter outside the tent quietened down. She was not sure when she had fallen asleep, but she could vaguely hear Xiao Lie entering the tent amid her dreams.

She felt that she had something to say to him, but exhaustion hit her all of a sudden, and she had drifted off to sleep even before she could open her eyes.

Xiao Lie walked to the side of her bed and gazed at her with intense passion under the dim lights. He said softly, “Ah Jiu, I understand your hesitation. The person you fell for would be me if you did not get married into the Ji Manor and had instead met me first. It’s alright. Even though I’m late, we can start anew!”

The man got up to leave after adjusting Su Jiu’s blanket properly.

The night had fallen, and it would be a new year the next day. Many people remained awake and were still enjoying the rest of the feast and wine as they did not bear to go to sleep.

Nangong Shu had left and returned to Yanyun Pass, while Governor Huang had also brought his daughter back to Youzhou. Ah Shu and Chang Huan had drifted off to sleep half-drunk, and Hu Dapao stayed tossing and turning in his tent.

The night gradually quietened down, and a new year approached.

Meanwhile, in the Ji Manor, Shengjing City, a thousand miles away…

The Ji Manor appeared particularly quiet on this New Year’s Eve, as Xie Ying and Ren Zhi’er had both passed away, and the Second Mistress remained confined in her courtyard. Miss Su had also been gone, and only an exceptionally obedient Chen Yuchan was around, as less than half of the masters and mistresses in the manor were left.

The servants seemed to lack the mood to celebrate the New Year, as their masters and mistresses were not around. They did not even put up much of the fireworks and had instead gone to bed early as night fell.

Ji Yuxian did not have his reunion dinner in the manor and had gone to entertain the other business owners and shopkeepers in the city. He only returned to the manor late at night.

The horse carriage stopped outside of the Ji Manor and Jin Feng leaped onto the ground. He turned around and opened the carriage doors as he awaited to help Ji Yuxian get off the carriage.

Ji Yuxian had drunk a tad too much on this night. It was beyond what he could normally handle, and he was certainly drunk at this moment.

He had worn a red robe embroidered with lotuses, and his eyes appeared to be in a daze as he stumbled, flicking off Jin Feng’s hand before striding through the main door.

Jin Feng followed behind him immediately.

Red lanterns were hung all over the place, and the manor was decorated with many lanterns and streamers. However, it was dead quiet all around.

Ji Yuxian paused in his footsteps as he passed by the Perched Phoenix Pavilion and asked softly, “Is it New Year’s Eve tonight?”

“Yes!” Jin Feng lowered his head as he answered.

“Why is there nobody setting off the fireworks?” the man’s voice sounded hoarse as he slurred through his words.

Jin Feng was silent for a moment before replying, “They might have set off the fireworks already. The servants must have been tired by now and have gone to bed!”

Ji Yuxian stood there for a while longer, before he turned around and walked back to his main pavilion.

As the doors shut behind him after he entered the bedroom, the world around him finally fell into total silence.

A Chinese palace lantern was placed on the desk in the room, emanating a heartwarming atmosphere as its candlelight shone through its dark-yellow light shade. A young woman could be seen leaning against the couch, with an outer robe casually covering her body. She held an opera excerpt in her hands as she half-squinted her eyes and scanned through its contents languidly.

She was probably exhausted from waiting for him all night.

The young woman raised her head as she heard his footsteps. A smile broke across her face as she said excitedly, “Ji Yuxian, you are finally back!”

The man’s throat was dry and hoarse, and his feet were stuck to the ground. He did not dare to move. The shadow of his lean posture could be seen reflecting on the ground as the candlelight flickered.

He felt like a flame was sparkling in his heart as well.

The young woman put down the book and ran over on her bare feet. Her hair was sprawled behind her back, and the light from the lantern illuminated her tiny face. Her clear eyes sparkled like the night sky as she looked up at him. “Ji Yuxian, it’s New Year’s Eve tonight! I was already back after having drinks with Ah Shu and the rest! Why were you not around?”

Ji Yuxian stared at her blankly and wanted to speak, but no words came out of his mouth as he panted nervously.

The young woman circled her arms around his waist. “Ji Yuxian, I’ve missed you!”

I’ve missed you!

Ji Yuxian’s body trembled abruptly as he hugged her tightly. “Su Jiu…”

Alas, there was nothing within his embrace. The bedroom remained dead quiet in the middle of the night, and he was all alone.

A woman’s outer robe was placed on the couch, and a half-read opera excerpt remained laying on it. The candlelight was dim, and the room was silent.

Ji Yuxian shut his eyes briefly, before stumbling to the couch and laying down on it. He was indeed drunk!

Su Jiu got up early the next morning on the first day of the New Year. Xiao Lie had already washed up and was studying the military map behind the desk.

Su Jiu dressed up and grinned. “Happy New Year!”

Xiao Lie felt slightly relieved after worrying the entire night. At least she did not avoid him!

His lips gradually curled into a smile as he said tenderly, “Happy New Year!”

A soldier served them breakfast which seemed to be more sumptuous than before, perhaps due to the New Year. Su Jiu said as she ate, “All thanks to you that I can enjoy the benefits given to a prince every day!”

Xiao Lie pursed his lips into a tiny smile as he turned around and took something off the shelves. He handed it over to Su Jiu as he said, “This is for you! I hope it will offer you good luck for the New Year!”

On his hand was a glazed crystal bracelet with a delicately carved golden bell hung on it. The bell gave off a deep and melodic sound.

“Didn’t you already give me the candied hawthorn last night?” Su Jiu remarked half-jokingly.

She suddenly recalled the kiss on the corner of her lips upon speaking, and her smile froze on her face.

Xiao Lie did not seem to notice her unusual behavior as he took the chopsticks in her hand and placed it on the table. He took her hand and slipped the bracelet around her fair and slender wrist. It fitted her just right.

The light-green crystal bracelet contrasted with her fair and soft skin, sparkling under the sunlight and appearing exquisite.

Xiao Lie held onto her hand as he observed the bracelet tentatively, and he nodded with satisfaction.

The crystal bracelet was a tribute that had allegedly been blessed by an exceptionally powerful monk. His father had gifted it to his mother, and he had felt that it suited Su Jiu very much the moment his eyes fell on it.

His mother had seen that he seemed to fancy it, and thought that he had fallen for a girl judging from his knowing smile. As such, she gave the bracelet to him.

He had brought the bracelet along with him every day and had thought about how beautiful it would appear on her wrist one day. His wish finally came true on this day.

It was Su Jiu’s first time putting on such a feminine piece of jewelry, other than the times back at the Ji Manor when she had no choice but to put on some. The bracelet had indeed suited her.

Su Jiu looked across her own body and shrugged. “I don’t have anything for you for the New Year. Well… I only have with me the jade pendant that belongs to you. Do I still have to give it back to you now?”

Xiao Lie smiled and shook his head. “No, the jade pendant belongs to you now!”

“It belongs to me?” Su Jiu asked in surprise. The doors to their tent opened upon her words, and Nangong Bi ran in as she giggled. “Your Highness, Su Jiu! Happy New Year!”

She picked up the chopsticks and sat across from both of them.

Nangong Bi’s eyes lit up as she noticed Su Jiu’s wrist, and she held onto her wrist immediately. “This is beautiful! When did you buy it?”

Su Jiu shook her hand, which caused the bell to ring melodiously. “Xiao Lie gave it to me as a New Year gift!”

“What?” Nangong Bi looked at Xiao Lie and grinned mischievously. “Your Highness, why is Su Jiu the only one who got a gift? You have to treat us equally and give me a gift as well!”

Xiao Lie smiled and replied, “What would you like? I’ll buy it when I go to town!”

“I don’t want something bought only after I requested it! I want it now!” Nangong Bi refused to give in.

Su Jiu reached out her arm in an attempt to remove her bracelet. “You can have this!”

Xiao Lie frowned instantly and looked over.

Nangong Bi peeped at Xiao Lie’s nervous expression and confirmed her suspicion. She hurriedly stopped Su Jiu and smiled playfully. “Don’t remove it, I don’t want something that was already gifted to you! How about this, Your Highness can buy me a portion of Youzhou’s authentic bamboo rice when you get to town!”

Xiao Lie grinned. “Sure!”

The three of them headed out after breakfast. The soldiers who had been permitted to take a rest day walked past them, and they hurriedly bowed to offer their New Year greetings upon seeing Xiao Lie.

Hu Dapao, Ah Shu, and Chang Huan walked over together from the opposite direction. The three of them were tall and muscular, and all of them possessed good looks. As such, they warranted a lot of attention as they walked together.

Su Jiu felt proud of them as her eyes sparkled.

Nangong Bi abruptly stopped in her tracks, her smile disappearing from her face. She glared at Hu Dapao furiously before turning around to leave.

Astounded, Hu Dapao took a huge step forward as he looked at the young woman’s back view while frowning.

Su Jiu scratched her head in confusion. “She was fine just now! What happened?”

Xiao Lie grinned as he raised his brows and smiled knowingly in Hu Dapao’s direction. He called out to him, “Quick! Go after her!”

Realization dawned on Hu Dapao, and he chased after her.

“What is going on between them?” Ah Shu scratched his head and asked.

Chang Huan’s eyes flickered when he seemed to realize what had happened. He smiled and said, “Hu Dapao had behaved a tad too intimately with Miss Huang during the feast last night! No wonder Miss Nangong is upset!”

Su Jiu mulled over it and said seriously, “But Nangong Bi does not fancy Dapao! Why is she concerned over who Dapao is behaving intimately with?”

“Precisely!” Ah Shu said hatefully, “Could it be that she refuses to let other girls fancy Dapao even if she doesn’t like him herself?”

Xiao Lie glanced at Su Jiu quietly and said with significance, “She did not like him previously, but it doesn’t mean that she will not like him later on. It’s hard to tell when it comes to relationship matters between men and women!”

Su Jiu’s eyes rolled around as she exclaimed, “You mean Nangong Bi has fallen for Dapao?”

Xiao Lie nodded. “That’s not impossible!”

Su Jiu felt incredulous, given that Nangong Bi had rejected violently when she previously refused to marry Dapao. She had arrived in Youzhou for less than half a month and had taken care of Hu Dapao for only a few days. How could she have fallen for him within such a short time?

“Enough talking about them! It’s Youzhou’s tradition that people have to pay tribute to the God of the mountain on the first day of New Year! I’ll bring you to take a look!” Xiao Lie said as he held onto Su Jiu’s wrist. However, Chang Huan stepped in between them all of a sudden as he smiled politely. “We shall not trouble you, Your Highness. We can bring our Chief to take a look on our own! Your Highness, you must be busy!”

He grabbed Su Jiu’s hand upon speaking and shouted, “Ah Shu!”

Ah Shu was still thinking about Hu Dapao’s matter when he heard him. He then hastily followed after them after answering in acknowledgment.

Xiao Lie stood there and gazed meaningfully at them. He did not appear to be angry as he stared emotionlessly at Chang Huan’s protective behavior towards Su Jiu.

It looked like there was more than one person who could stop him from being together with Su Jiu!

Nangong Bi had wanted to return to her tent, but she turned around and saw Hu Dapao coming after her. She frowned in the next instant, and she walked away from the tent instead.

“Don’t follow me!” The young woman bellowed at him.

“Where are you going?” Hu Dapao asked worryingly.

“You don’t have to care!” The young woman picked up her pace and ran further away from the tent. She became surrounded by a vast patch of grass, where the grass blades were taller than her knees.

“Miss Nangong!” Hu Dapao caught up with her and grabbed hold of her arm. “Don’t go any further!”

Nangong Bi flung his hand off her arm as she said coldly, “It’s none of your business!”

Hu Dapao looked at the young woman’s stiff profile as he frowned and asked, “Why? What happened?”

They were previously fine. Why had they become like that all of a sudden?

Nangong Bi felt even more upset as she looked at the man’s innocent expression. She bit onto her lower lip tightly as she stomped on the grass below her feet furiously.

Hu Dapao walked over and stopped in front of her. He tilted his head and asked, “Are you unhappy because General Nangong had left?”

Nangong Bi looked up at him in frustration and turned around to leave angrily.

All of a sudden, a silhouette appeared among the tall grass. A black and yellow striped snake slithered swiftly towards Nangong Bi!

She widened her eyes in shock, unable to react. In the next instant, Hu Dapao shoved her aside as the snake leaped up and bit onto the man’s neck. Two streams of dark-colored blood rolled down his neck immediately.

Hu Dapao remained calm and composed as he reached out to grab hold onto the snake’s tail and flung it onto the ground with all his might. The snake stopped moving after hitting the ground a few times.

Nangong Bi’s face turned pale as she looked at Hu Dapao’s wound, which was overflowing with dark-colored blood. She said in a panic, “This snake is poisonous! I’ll go get the army doctor right now!”

She dashed towards the tent upon speaking.

Hu Dapao grabbed hold of her and said, “Don’t panic! I’m aware of this snake species, and its level of poison isn’t high. I can purge the poisoned blood on my own!”

He flung the lower hem of his military uniform aside and sat on the ground, before using both of his hands to squeeze the wound on his neck.

Nangong Bi knelt beside him and stared nervously at him with sparkling eyes.

The wound would be easy for Hu Dapao to handle should it be on his legs, but the wound was on his neck instead. As a result, he was not able to view it properly. He could not make out the position of the wound accurately and ended up with blood all over his hands. Because of that, he was not able to purge the poisonous blood out of his wound effectively, and the wound became infected and swollen as it continued to expand across his flesh.

Nangong Bi turned pale with anxiety as she watched him. She suddenly held onto his hands and leaned forward to suck onto his wound with her mouth.

Hu Dapao froze in an instant.

Nangong Bi sucked out a mouthful of poisoned blood efficiently and spat it out, before repeating her actions.

Hu Dapao felt lost as his hands hung around helpless by his sides. He could feel the young woman’s soft lips sucking the blood from his neck, and the veins on it pounded strongly like how his heart did.

Fresh red blood finally began flowing out from the wound after a long while. The young woman wiped her mouth with her sleeve as she heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s done!”

Hu Dapao turned around stiffly and gawked at the young woman for a short moment, before bursting out into a chuckle.

“What’s wrong?” Nangong Bi thought that there was something on her face and touched it with her hand. Her fingers felt her lips, and she realized that her lips seemed to have become swollen.

Her lips had swollen due to the snake’s poison.

Nangong Bi flushed as she stared at Hu Dapao furiously. “How dare you still laugh at me?!”

She attempted to stand up in the next instant.

Hu Dapao hastily clutched her hands as his eyes sparkled and he said with a smile, “I wasn’t laughing at you! You look nice! You’ll still look beautiful regardless of what you’ve become!”

She did not seem to mind that she sucked out his poisoned blood using her mouth. He was extremely touched by her actions.

Nangong Bi’s face flushed crimson as the man continued to stare at her intently. She bit onto her lower lip and turned around.

Both of them sat on the ground with their backs facing each other, as gusts of wind flew across the grass field.

“What happened to you earlier on? Why were you unhappy?” Hu Dapao asked all of a sudden.

“So what if I was unhappy? You just need to care about coaxing Miss Huang!” Nangong Bi retorted without much thinking.

Stunned for a moment, Hu Dapao turned his head to stare at her. “You were upset because of me and her last night…?”

Nangong Bi frowned and quickly continued, “Don’t misunderstand! I wasn’t angry because of you two behaving intimately, I was angry because… we were engaged previously, and even though we won’t get married, other people had also been aware of our matter. You are causing our Nangong Manor to be a laughing stock by behaving intimately with other women!”

“I didn’t!” Hu Dapao tried to explain hastily, “I only drank a few cups of wine with her last night! Nothing is going on between us!”

Nangong Bi snorted, “No matter what, I don’t like her, and I don’t want you to get close to her. You cannot speak to her either!”

“Sure!” Hu Dapao smiled goofily and bobbed his head.

Both of them fell silent as they sat back to back, both kept to their thoughts.

Nangong Bi curled her legs and rested her arms on her knees. She held her chin with one hand and looked far away.

She was nearly submerged by the tall grass blades as she looked across the vast, seeming boundless grass field. The grass field spread to the horizon, and the grass blades swayed side to side as the wind flew by.

She suddenly wondered about the reason why she did not want Hu Dapao to behave intimately with other women when she did not even like him.

Was it really because of the Nangong Manor’s reputation?

However, was this fair to Hu Dapao?

Hu Dapao had ended up in this horrible and barren place because of her, and he had sacrificed so much. How could she still behave so wilfully and remove his rights to fall for other women?

Was she being too selfish?

She had wanted to possess him even though she did not like him.

The young woman’s eyes were filled with confusion as they gradually darkened.

In a distance away, several people could be seen exiting from Youzhou and heading to Mount Hala to pay tribute to the God of the mountain.

Nangong Bi got to her feet and dusted the grass off her military uniform as she said gently, “Let’s go back!”

“Sure!” Hu Dapao looked at her intently.

Nangong Bi’s eyes flickered and looked away as she walked ahead of him towards the tent.

The rest of the people in the military camp, except for the soldiers on guarding duty, had gone to pay tribute to the God of the mountain. Nangong Bi had lost the interest to join in the fun, and she suddenly called out before she returned to her tent, “Hu Dapao!”

“Yes?” Hu Dapao turned around and asked.

Nangong Bi hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have flared up at you. I’ve thought about it, and I realized that I shouldn’t be so selfish. As such, I won’t stop you from being together with Miss Huang anymore. If you like her…”

Nangong Bi paused and bit onto her lower lip tightly. She did not continue her words and instead, she turned around to enter her tent in the next instant.

Hu Dapao remained affixed to the group as his eyes brimmed with disappointment. His gaze darkened, like the evening sky in the Northern Desert turning into pitch black as night fell.

So that was the reason.

He chuckled and thought, what else could it be?

He should not have held any hope.

It was just that, even when she said those words, he had only one person in his mind, and he would not fall for anyone else ever again.

The man inhaled deeply and stepped on the dried grass as he strode away. His footsteps were heavy, and the air around him turned cold as if he could never make it into the warmth of the sunlight.

It was alright, as long as he liked her!

He broke into a wide grin as he stood tall and upright. At that moment, nothing could defeat him.