"There's a man, he makes ten thousand a month, but is only willing to spend one thousand for you; the other man makes one thousand a month, but is willing to spend 999 yuan for you. Ge, if it was you, which one would you choose?”

Shen Zechuan abruptly returned to his senses. He was soaked all over through and through. Xiao Chiye cupped his cheeks, touched the tip of his nose to his in the darkness, and kissed him soothingly. Still gasping for breath, Shen Zechuan wrapped his arms around Xiao Chiye's neck, his eyes turning damp as they clung to each other in a snuggle.

A whimper of a sob lingered in Li Jianting's throat—that was a plea for mercy she made when she was being beaten.

Shen Zechuan had never gone into battle to fight against the enemies, nor had he sat in the imperial court a far distance away. He was an ordinary man who came face to face with the scimitars, and it was precisely because he was an ordinary man that the wails of the six prefectures lingered in his ears every night and the bloodbath in the sinkhole haunted his mind all the time. He kneeled in the snowstorm raging at the sinkhole and experienced a separation by death. Overnight, he became the enemy of the entire world.

Shen Zechuan felt a tingle run down his spine from Xiao Chiye's gaze. He felt his way to Xiao Chiye's chest and slid the pads of his fingers down along his chest. All he could feel was Xiao Chiye's sweat-drenched muscles. He whispered in a soft voice, as if he did not seem to understand, "Give it back."

Qi Shiyu's obstinate nature took center stage as he childishly tossed the handkerchief at Qi Zhuyin. "You foolish woman! Bar—bargain with the Empress Dowager. At least have a noble title to your name before you g-go to war!"

Every time Shen Zechuan thought back to that night, tears would stream down his cheeks. He lost the courage to reminisce and walk down memory lane when he was in Zhao Zui Temple; he no longer dreamed of those times again. Over the course of seven years in which he was plagued by nightmares, Ji Mu turned into a grotesque skeleton. Shen Zechuan forgot what his elder brother looked like; he could not even remember their last conversation.

"Livestock..." An agonized voice escaped between Li Jianting's teeth.

Ji Gang was resting his head on an arm with his face to the wall, looking as if he was asleep. Shen Zechuan set his folding fan at the edge of the bed and asked, "Is shifu asleep?"

Shen Zechuan listened as Gu Jin stopped outside the tent. He took the helmet over and put it on for Xiao Chiye. In that brief exchange of glances, he and Xiao Chiye exchanged a kiss across the steel.

With her black hair cascading over her shoulders, Li Jianting gazed at the deep and quiet bedchamber and continued as if answering for both Fengquan and herself.

Shen Zechuan watched Xiao Chiye's expression undergo several changes. Xiao Chiye looked as though he was going to make a grab for him, so Shen Zechuan immediately shook the reins to urge Lang Tao Xue Jin into returning back to camp. Xiao Chiye cradled his helmet in his arms. There was still a lingering warmth from where he had been licked on his temple. He touched it, gradually getting riled up as though he were a maiden of a decent family who had been disrespected by a frivolous philanderer.

"Qi Zhuyin!" From where he was on horseback, Sumeng decried in the Dazhou tongue, "Women are devious–"

Wei Wuxian shot him a look, then turned back to Lan Xichen. "It's like this. I couldn't sleep tonight, so I went out to take a stroll. It was pure chance that I happened to wander this way. Hanguang-jun was in another room, so he didn't know I left."