Forcing someone who never thought to start thinking and reflecting—this really wasn’t a good thing, because once the sluice gate opened, it could never be closed again. Once the state of mind rose, it could never be lowered again.
If Xiao Rong had understood this principle, it would have been good. Unfortunately, although he possessed many talents, everyone only lived once. Even he couldn’t win by taking shortcuts. Like countless others in this world, he could only stumble forward clumsily, exploring as he went.
…
After Wang Xinyong left, Xiao Rong had someone bring over a meal. Once he finished eating, he went back to look at the map again. Qu Yunmie had nothing to do. He knew his only task at the moment was to recover from his injuries, but recovery wasn’t something that required energy. On the contrary, it left one with plenty of energy and nowhere to release it.
Normally, when Qu Yunmie got bored, he would find someone who didn’t want to live and kill them to let off steam, or he would go to the training grounds to practice. If that didn’t work, he’d go up the mountains to hunt and have a chase with the beasts of the forest, but now he couldn’t do anything. Even if he wanted to get out of bed and walk around, Xiao Rong wouldn’t allow it.
Official documents, which had once seemed dull to him, now appeared somewhat endearing. Of course, just somewhat—unless it was absolutely necessary, Qu Yunmie still didn’t want to deal with such boring things.
All paths were blocked. What else could he do? It seemed like all that was left was thinking.
Qu Yunmie had always thought thinking was something like official documents—dry and boring—until Xiao Rong asked him with such a calm expression whether he had ever thought for himself. After returning to the royal tent, Qu Yunmie actually felt numb. He couldn’t feel any emotion—worry, sadness, fear, or guilt. He felt none of it. This seemed to be his body’s defense mechanism: whenever something became too much for him to bear, a barrier would suddenly form in his mind, blocking all those terrifying emotions. He could see them, he could see them surging toward him like a tsunami, crashing against the barrier—but he couldn’t feel a thing.
It was thanks to this defense mechanism that, in his panic and numbness, his first reaction was to do as Xiao Rong said—to think. To think as Xiao Rong wanted. To think for the past few days.
Now he had thought it through. He had found the answer and reached a result that Xiao Rong reluctantly accepted.
Still, the experience was strangely novel. Qu Yunmie had never known that deep thinking could be such an exhausting thing—and, at the same time, something that gave such a sense of accomplishment. When he finally figured it out, he suddenly felt enlightened. The heavy weight that had been pressing on his chest since he woke up disappeared all at once—because he knew how to make Xiao Rong forgive him.
Having tasted the sweetness of this, Qu Yunmie began to think again.
This time, what he thought about was different. He wondered—why was Xiao Rong so powerful?
All his life, Qu Yunmie had never feared anyone. He had always done things his own way and believed only in himself. There were many important people in his life, but none of them could force him into such a position the way Xiao Rong did. Even forcing him to start feeling sorry for himself.
He was the unmatched King of the Northern Army, a great hero capable of withstanding thousands of troops. He never boasted, but that didn’t mean he didn’t think it. He always believed that yes, he truly deserved to be the best under heaven.
So, why?
Why did he let Xiao Rong order him around?
Why did Xiao Rong interfere in military affairs without saying a word, and why had he never stopped him?
Why, after only knowing each other for half a year, had Xiao Rong become so important to him?
Was it just because he was smart? Because he assisted him? Because he was wholeheartedly devoted to him?
Qu Yunmie seriously contemplated this question.
Xiao Rong: “…”
Xiao Rong was writing something, but as he wrote, he suddenly felt a prickling on his back. At first, he thought the system was acting up again, but after a moment, he realized it wasn’t the system—it was his own intuition.
Holding the brush, Xiao Rong didn’t even dare to look up immediately. Only after preparing himself mentally did he slowly raise his head. Qu Yunmie was still sitting on the bed in the same posture, seemingly unchanged.
Xiao Rong said, “It’s late, my Lord, aren’t you going to sleep?”
Qu Yunmie seemed not to hear him. Just as Xiao Rong was about to ask again, Qu Yunmie suddenly moved. He lay back slightly. “I’m going to sleep now.”
Xiao Rong felt this was even stranger. So obedient?
Qu Yunmie had already laid down. Xiao Rong looked at the mess on the table, then lifted the blanket and blew out the lamp.
There were four lamps in the tent—one on the table, one in the center, one by the entrance, and one next to Qu Yunmie’s bed.
Xiao Rong blew them out one by one. He kept the one by the entrance for lighting his way out. Just as he blew out the lamp by Qu Yunmie’s bed, Qu Yunmie suddenly asked, “Where are you going to sleep?”
Xiao Rong found the question a bit strange. “Naturally, back in my own tent.”
Qu Yunmie gave a soft “oh.” Just as Xiao Rong frowned and was about to leave, Qu Yunmie added, “Aren’t you afraid I might sneak out in the night, or have another high fever?”
Xiao Rong: “…”
After a pause, he said, “Dongfang Jin will come guard you.”
Qu Yunmie was silent for a moment, then said, “Dongfang Jin snores—and it’s thunderous.”
Xiao Rong: “…”
You sleep like the dead, and you’re worried about that?!
Forget it. After all, the Northern Army was well-staffed, and Qu Yunmie was an injured man. Xiao Rong felt there was no need to be overly strict. This kind of harmless little request—he could grant it.
Xiao Rong thought it over. “Then I’ll have Yu Shaocheng come.”
Qu Yunmie responded, “Yu Shaocheng doesn’t sleep. Once you’re asleep, he’ll just stare at you.”
Xiao Rong: “…”
Xiao Rong had no idea Yu Shaocheng had such a trait. He opened his mouth in surprise, then shut it again. After a while, he tried to reason with Qu Yunmie sincerely. “Isn’t that perfect? He’s the ideal guard.”
Qu Yunmie replied, “But it’s scary.”
Xiao Rong: “…”
Grinding his teeth, Xiao Rong asked, “What about General Jian?”
Qu Yunmie shook his head. “You haven’t seen Jian Qiao before bedtime, have you? The Jian Qiao before bedtime is not the same as the one during the day. Daytime Jian Qiao is very reliable, nighttime Jian Qiao can’t stop talking about his wife—three sentences in, and it’s always ‘my wife this, my wife that.’ It makes your ears grow calluses.”
Xiao Rong couldn’t take it anymore. “General Jian is there to guard you while you sleep! You sleep, he watches. It’s not like you’re going to chat!”
Qu Yunmie looked at him. “I will know what he’s thinking. When I think about how his head is full of ‘wife, wife, wife,’ I’ll feel it’s noisy.”
Xiao Rong: “…”
He stared at Qu Yunmie blankly, while Qu Yunmie slightly turned and looked at him in the dark with his eyes wide open.
Qu Yunmie’s gaze was straightforward and simple—it made Xiao Rong’s heart tremble.
The two of them silently stared at each other. After a moment, Xiao Rong smiled. “It seems the Lord doesn’t like being guarded. Fine, then sleep as you like. The area around the royal tent is already extremely secure. I’ll tell the guards to keep a tight watch at the entrance—no one gets in or out. I suppose nothing will go wrong, right, my Lord?”
They both knew what the other meant, so Qu Yunmie also knew that Xiao Rong had refused him—he didn’t want to stay.
Qu Yunmie wasn’t truly intent on making Xiao Rong stay. Since he was unwilling, Qu Yunmie nodded. Then Xiao Rong left. He left quickly, even forgetting to blow out the lamp at the entrance.
Qu Yunmie rested his arm behind his head, looking at the area lit by the lamp, listening to Xiao Rong talking to the guards outside. His gaze grew distant.
Why was it that the last time he was injured, Xiao Rong ate and lived with him—but this time, when he was hurt even worse, Xiao Rong didn’t want to stay with him?
Qu Yunmie looked up and realized he was having trouble falling asleep again.
…
＊
Qu Yunmie gave an order that Yuan Baifu and Jian Qiao must bring back the few grave-robbing brats within two days, but one day passed, then two—still no word.
…
Yuan Baifu had gone out personally to chase them, while Jian Qiao sent his trusted subordinates and holed up in the camp, not daring to show his face before Qu Yunmie.
Little did he know, his most admired Master Xiao was speaking up for him.
Xiao Rong said, “Two days is asking a lot. Those people had a seven-day head start. Yanmen County is a vast area. Besides, bringing people all the way back to camp from Yanmen—just that alone takes time.”
Qu Yunmie was unconvinced. “If I were the one chasing them, I’d have brought them back on the first day.”
Xiao Rong: “…”
He paused, then gave Qu Yunmie a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Exactly. So why didn’t you go after them on the first day, my Majesty?”
Qu Yunmie: “…”
This was like lifting a rock only to smash one’s own foot.
Xiao Rong remained calm and at ease. That morning, after the doctor confirmed Qu Yunmie no longer had any signs of fever, Xiao Rong expanded his range of activity—he was allowed to walk, but not leave the royal tent.
Since then, Qu Yunmie never went back to that bed again. Xiao Rong watched him fidget and smiled quietly to himself, thinking: Serves you right.
He was sipping the tea Qu Yunmie brewed for him. Xiao Rong didn’t usually like boiled tea, but Qu Yunmie’s tea was well made—and with the weather turning cold, one sip of hot tea warmed the whole body.
Thinking about the increasingly cold weather, Xiao Rong couldn’t help but ask, “When does it usually snow in Shengle each year?”
Qu Yunmie answered, “October. Generally speaking, it’s mid to late October, but sometimes it comes earlier.”
Xiao Rong asked, “Once it snows, does the weather become unbearably cold?”
At that moment, Qu Yunmie was dropping sweet dates into the tea pot. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but look over at Xiao Rong.
Xiao Rong: “…”
Edited by: Antiope
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