Suddenly faced with Jian Lan and his soldiers, the captain leading the first prince’s people raised a hand to call his troops to a halt. The pounding of hoofbeats slowed to a stop and the two sides faced each other.

“Declare yourselves! Who are you and why do you stand in our way?” the captain demanded.

Jian Lan rubbed the side of his restless stallion’s neck to calm it and answered, “I’m Jian Lan, the former deputy to Ning Wei, the empire’s Great General.”

Ke Jing, who was seated on the horse slightly behind Jian Lan’s, was content to not be introduced.

The captain frowned. “Lieutenant General Jian, you’re a long way from home.”

Jian Lan lifted an eyebrow. “Not really. The empire’s border is only a little way in that direction.” He casually pointed to it with his thumb.

Clenching his jaws, the captain changed tack, “Since the empire’s soldiers have crossed the border without permission, does this mean you’re invading our kingdom even though we’re well on our way to becoming allies?”

“You say that, but the way you’re throwing a tantrum at us for crossing the border sure doesn’t make me feel like we’re growing closer as allies,” Jian Lan said with mock-sadness while shaking his head disapprovingly.

When it looked like the captain’s head would burst, Jian Lan continued, “And we’re not here to invade. We were given leave to take a vacation by the higher-ups, and since our future ally, the lovely kingdom of Sui, was right here, we merely decided to wander over and appreciate the scenery. And yet, this is the welcome we receive. Tut-tut, I’m disappointed.”

The soldiers behind him hid their laughter and loudly agreed that they were merely here to sightsee, try the local food, and appreciate their beauties.

In his anger, the opposing captain tightened his legs around his horse unconsciously, causing it to shift and shake its head nervously. The captain forcefully relaxed his body and let out a heavy breath to control his emotions. “Then you and your men are free to continue your wandering. But how do you explain your interference with the first prince’s guard right now?”

Jian Lan countered, “How about you first explain why you are targeting a duke from the imperial court?”

The captain stiffened. As he thought, it seemed that without them knowing, the empire’s people had infiltrated the forest to search for the duke as well. If he wasn’t cautious, he could implicate the prince and put him in hot water with the king.

Expression darkening as the gravity of his predicament sank in, the captain said, “You seem to have misunderstood. I’m merely inviting the duke to rest under the protection of the first prince to recover from his ordeal.”

Jian Lan folded his arms and looked at him skeptically. “Aha. A very likely story that is.”

Beside him, Ke Jing watched the proceedings with keen eyes.

Assured that Jian Lan would be enough to occupy the prince’s people for now, he nudged his horse into a trot and headed towards the back of the empire’s troops. Enough time had passed since their arrival that if the prince’s people wanted to, they could’ve sent men to circle back and attack the duke. It was better if he went over to check and met the duke while at it.

When Ke Jing neared the group standing at the rear, he glanced curiously at the bandits who surrounded Yan Yixuan as if to guard him. Ke Jing brought the horse to a gradual stop in front of the duke and sprung down from the saddle.

Due to his prominent position beside Jian Lan at the head of the troops when they arrived, Yan Yixuan had already realized that he must be Ke Jing. Since he was the only one of Ning Wei’s subordinates he hadn’t met yet, Yan Yixuan had been eying him with interest the whole time as well.

Ke Jing looked barely twenty-three, with androgynous features and compact muscles that wouldn’t look amiss on an acrobat or dancer. His wide eyes shone with quick intelligence and his long hair was bound tightly behind him. He moved with lightness and fluidity like a fleet-footed animal that was used to hopping from branch to branch. He radiated youthful vitality and his wide mouth seemed used to being stretched into a smile, just like now. His clothing sat loose and free over his frame, yet they couldn’t hide the pronounced curve of his lithe waist or the slight bumps on his chest that spoke of how his physical sex was not the same as his gender.

Walking over to Yan Yixuan, Ke Jing looked him up and down while rubbing his chin with an open and friendly smile. Finished with his observation, he nodded to himself and said, “Yes, you’re exactly like Brother Jian described you, Duke Yan.”

The bandits maintained a cautious distance from a bigshot like one of the great general’s subordinates while casting the occasional envious glance at Yan Yixuan. How lucky he was to have a high enough status that he could converse with one of the great general’s lieutenants! But as much as they wanted to listen in on Yan Yixuan and Ke Jing, the bandits decided to instead stay at a discreet distance and focus more on the enemy for now. Of course, they couldn’t help stealing a glance at them every now and then out of curiosity.

Yan Yixuan didn’t see their reactions and smiled at Ke Jing with amusement. “It’s good to finally meet you too, Lieutenant General Ke.” Tilting his head, he asked, “What do you mean by getting my description from Brother Jian? Why not get one from Ning Wei instead?”

Ke Jing waved a hand, “Now, don’t use those stuffy titles with me and just call me Brother Ke. Do you mind if I call you Brother Yan?”

Yan Yixuan blinked, then nodded.

Ke Jing casually slung an arm around Yan Yixuan’s shoulder and said, “Actually, it’s not like I didn’t ask the general for your description, but he kept gushing about you dreamily, then he’d daze off with this yearning expression as if reminiscing about you. After a few times of this, I had no choice but to ask Brother Jian, really.”

Yan Yixuan pressed his lips together. His cheeks grew pink while his eyes shone with obvious happiness.

The bandits who witnessed his soft expression looked at him as if seeing a ghost. Where had the reserved, stubborn, and mature young man they knew of go?!

Yan Yixuan cleared his throat and diverted the topic, “Then…Brother Ke. May I ask how you made it right on time to rescue us? I’m assuming it’s not a coincidence?”

Ke Jing let go of Yan Yixuan and hooked his thumbs into his belt as if unable to stay still for more than a few moments. “Of course it wasn’t a coincidence. Since we entered the playing field a little late, we weren’t confident in tracking you before the prince’s people got to you. So we reasoned that the people the prince sent to look for you won’t hide their whereabouts and tracked them directly instead.”

He shrugged and played with a stone by his feet with the tip of his boot. “We realized soon enough that they were trying to monitor or outright block all routes going to the empire from this forest, so the general and the lieutenant general—Sister Qiu, I mean—went to keep an eye on the major routes in the south and southwest sides of the forest. Brother Jian and I are supposed to search all the minor routes in between just in case.”

Hearing that Ning Wei was indeed somewhere in this forest, Yan Yixuan’s heart thumped with excitement. But he suppressed it and focused on what was being said.

Restless, Ke Jing walked back and forth while continuing, “We arrived here just half a day ago and sent some people to eavesdrop on the prince’s troops. After hearing that there was a very good chance you will come this way after being herded by the team chasing you, we decided to stay here with the majority of our troops while still sending a few people out to check the other minor routes. So when you and your companions arrived here and headed towards the bridge, then got ambushed by the prince’s people, we were watching from the sidelines.

“Brother Jian wanted to jump in and help you quickly, but I had to point out that if we went out at that time when you and the other side’s leader were talking, it will be made to look like we were the ones who took the initiative to attack Sui’s people when you were having a peaceful discussion. In the future, they will use the fact that we didn’t have sufficient proof that they meant to harm you or the people with you and make this out to be some great injustice to them. On the other hand, if we waited until Sui’s people showed unmistakable hostility and became the first to make a move instead, it won’t be too late for us to interfere, and we will also have the perfect justification.”

Ke Jing peered at Yan Yixuan with a smile and asked, “Do you disapprove that I delayed the rescue?”

Yan Yixuan smiled back. “No. On the contrary, as someone who will most likely be made to smooth out this mess later, I appreciate your consideration. It will make matters significantly easier for me in the future.”

The tense line of Ke Jing’s back relaxed and he laughed freely. “That’s good.”

With that out of the way, Ke Jing decided to focus on the task at hand, which was protecting Yan Yixuan until his general could get here and do it himself.

Ke Jing walked over to his horse to rummage in one of the saddlebags and retrieved a chain whip. The whip consisted of several metal rods, each slightly thicker and longer than a finger, that were connected together with metal rings to make a long chain-like whip. A sharp dart usually hung at the end of a chain whip, but Ke Jing’s used a curved blade instead. The blade’s edge was slightly discolored, reminiscent of a weapon that was regularly dipped in poison.

Yan Yixuan looked on with interest as Ke Jing put on gloves, took out a small bottle from one of his saddlebags, and carefully poured its liquid contents along the edge of the blade that was at the end of the chain whip. Once he was done, he wiped off the excess liquid with a stained cloth that seemed to have been used for the same purpose countless times before. Ke Jing put everything but the weapon away, then carefully folded the chain whip and fastened it to his belt.

Having sensed Yan Yixuan’s gaze on him all along, Ke Jing turned and smiled at him playfully. “That’s it, Brother Yan. I’m done. I’m sorry if the show I put on wasn’t interesting enough.”

Yan Yixuan chuckled. “I thought it was intriguing. What sort of toxin did you coat the blade with?”

Ke Jin shrugged. “A liquid distilled from several kinds of potent venoms. I have a few other bottles of different types of toxins extracted from various animals, insects, and even poisonous plants. Some I use while fighting enemies, and it can very quickly cause paralysis if I want them alive or death if I don’t. Some are annoying but not lethal and I reserve them for the men the lieutenant general gets into fights with. Most of the time it’s because they’ve offended her by talking shit about her people, so I find it justified. There are also a few other kinds that I’ve found use for as medicine.”

Yan Yixuan was impressed. “I have a few little pets back home that are venomous and I extract their toxins to use sometimes, so I find the way you employ yours particularly fascinating.”

Ke Jing displayed obvious interest and commented, “I must visit your house some time and see what all kinds of venom you have.”

“I’d be happy to welcome you,” Yan Yixuan replied with a smile. Then glancing at Ke Jing’s horse, he noted, “Your saddlebags seem bulkier than the others’. Did you bring a lot of those different types of toxins with you?”

Ke Jing grinned. “Yes. I also have needles for acupuncture stored in there. It comes in handy during emergencies.”

Yan Yixuan observed thoughtfully, “Considering the toxins that can be used as medicines and the needles for acupuncture that you have, you seem to lean a bit towards medicine.”

Shrugging, Ke Jing said, “Not quite, but I can’t help it. I might be a man but my body is that of a woman’s, so I’m not as strong as I would like. I also don’t have the perseverance to train rigorously like the lieutenant general. So I can only familiarize myself with sneakier ways of fighting like using toxins to take down any particularly strong opponents. Some of the toxins being medicine is only a side bonus. As for acupuncture, I learned it because I found it soothing. I like order, and acupuncture is very orderly and methodical, so learning it provided me ample satisfaction.”

Then smiling helplessly, he said, “I actually tried to teach the others acupuncture before since it would be useful to them. Brother Jian learned relatively well, but the lieutenant general lost patience with it halfway and abandoned it, while the general consistently placed the needles exactly one-eighth of a finger’s width from where it should be. It drove me mad. I didn’t know if I should feel satisfied that his mistakes were so uniform or frustrated that it disrupted the perfectness of acupuncture.”

Yan Yixuan shook his head and chuckled. He suppressed the vague pang of longing he felt at hearing mention of Ning Wei and tried to distract himself by saying, “If you like order to that degree, then the chaos of war must bother you. Does it affect your performance on the battlefield?”

Ke Jing’s lips stretched in a wild, bloodthirsty grin. “With different countries’ people wearing different armor and generally being messy, war is indeed chaotic, unpredictable, and everything I dislike. That is why I take great pleasure in reducing the enemy’s numbers until it isn’t as messy anymore.”

Yan Yixuan nodded with understanding, not at all disturbed.

Meanwhile, they could still hear Jian Lan and the captain of the prince’s troops arguing loudly. Jian Lan remained unflappable while still managing to be disdainful, but the captain was audibly losing his cool with each exchange.

Yan Yixuan raised an eyebrow and questioned, “How long is Brother Jian going to stall for time? Is he waiting for something?”

Ke Jing folded his arms behind his head and smiled knowingly. “Yes, and it won’t be that much longer. Brother Yan, you should be able to see the person you’re waiting for very soon.”

Yan Yixuan’s eyes widened and he felt his pulse quicken with anticipation.

By now, the captain’s expression had turned forbidding and unpleasant at being verbally suppressed again and again. In a voice that was more of a snarl, he spat out, “No matter how you dress it up, Lieutenant General Jian, the fact remains that your people are here unauthorized! I demand that you withdraw!”

Jian Lan simply smiled. “Sure we will. Just let us retrieve our duke and we’ll be on our merry way out.”

The captain growled, his hands tightening on the reins. “Our prince has invited the duke as a guest. Please do not interfere. Or are you saying that you don’t trust us with the safety of your duke?”

Jian Lan sighed. “Now, that’s a difficult question to answer without hurting your feelings. Look at how much fuss you’re making over an ally’s people crossing the border a little bit. How can I trust you when you’re overreacting so much as if hiding something from us?”

“That’s because your intrusion into this issue is unwarranted!” the captain burst out. “Your actions of coming here unannounced can be construed as the empire declaring war on us! By sending you here, is your general planning to attack an allied country?!”

Jian Lan chuckled. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

The captain froze and had a bad premonition.

Sure enough, a commotion slowly spread from the back of the prince’s troops. A soldier came up to the captain and informed, “There are people on horsebacks approaching us from the rear.”

The captain frowned. “Is it another of our teams?”

The soldier hesitated, then shook his head. “It doesn’t seem so.”

The uneasy sensation in the pit of the captain’s stomach grew stronger. He had been going along with Jian Lan’s arguing all this while in the hopes that if he stalled for enough time, one of the search teams on the prince’s side would catch up. But he hadn’t counted on the empire’s people having many teams as well and being able to catch up with them so soon.

Before the captain could decide on what to do, the vegetation at their backs rustled violently with increasing loudness before spewing out another armed group of soldiers wearing the empire’s armor.

The captain stiffened in alarm and felt his heart drop when he met the eyes of the man in the lead. Without a doubt, this must be the empire’s great general!

Ning Wei gave him an easy smile and called out, “Let me just state this outright. I’m currently off-duty, so I’m not acting on behalf of the empire. The same applies to my men. So don’t think of blowing our presence here out of proportion.” Though his voice didn’t seem loud, its measured and practiced tone managed to roll throughout the field.

His nerves strung tight, the captain gritted his teeth and yelled back, “General, just because you’re off-duty does not mean you can do as you please in another’s country!”

Ning Wei raised his eyebrows. “And our duke staying in your country doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want with him as well.”

The captain momentarily didn’t know what to say.

Ning Wei went on, “By the way your prince is having people pursue Duke Yan, an important official in the imperial court, with the intention of capturing him, can it be surmised that you are the ones showing hostility towards the empire at this crucial time while talks of an alliance are well underway?”

The captain’s patience finally snapped. He was tired of playing word games with the empire’s people one after another, arguing about the same thing again and again, only to be beaten down repeatedly! He was certain that his people would arrive sooner or later to back him up, so he bravely declared, “No one will know that we were the one to capture your duke if we kill all the witnesses now.” He turned to his troops and ordered, “Men! Charge forward and eliminate every imperial soldier who dares to cross our path!”

After so much aimless waiting, the prince’s people roared in enthusiastic assent at finally having a target to vent their mounting restlessness on.

Ning Wei chuckled, eyes shining. Did they not know how easy it would be for him to crush them when they were sandwiched between his troops? He supposed he could only teach them directly.

“Surround those bastards and squeeze the life out of them!” Ning Wei commanded. “Show them how the soldiers who tasted war from the frontlines fight!”

The empire’s troops yelled out war cries and surged forward, quickly closing ranks around the prince’s troops.

Ning Wei took a moment to survey the familiar scenes of a battlefield, then sank into the chaos with his father’s sword in one hand and his ivory-hilted long knife in the other. He was like a wild animal set free in his territory; the ruler of the jungle returning to his kingdom, reveling in the freedom of swinging his claws and flashing his fangs against all who dared challenge him.

On the other side, Yan Yixuan dropped all pretenses and directly stared with unwavering focus in the direction he heard Ning Wei’s voice from. His fingers skimmed up and down the edge of his sleeve. In front of him, the line of bandits excitedly talked among themselves about being on the same battlefield as the great general, though they were only at the very edge.

Ke Jing studied Yan Yixuan and smiled. “Are you nervous?”

Yan Yixuan shook his head. “I don’t need to be. I’m sure he’ll see me.”

Ke Jing chuckled. He couldn’t help but feel his heart warm at how much his general’s lover seemed to anticipate reuniting with him again. To distract him, Ke Jing conversed, “Yes, he’s here for you after all. I think it says much about how deeply the general feels for you with the way he donned his armor and took up his weapons for your sake. I won’t say he dislikes fighting when it’s quick and spontaneous, but he certainly doesn’t enjoy long battles where he is responsible for every soldier, their lives, and their actions.”

Yan Yixuan bowed his head as his ears heated. To hear how much his beloved cared for him always managed to hit him deeply. Then realizing something all of a sudden, he quickly turned to Ke Jing. “Wait, did you say he’s wearing his armor?!”

Ke Jing looked at him with puzzlement. “Yes? What’s wrong?”

Yan Yixuan dazedly shook his head.

He couldn’t help but think back to when he visited the Ning household for the first time and helped Ning Wei take off his armor. At that time, Ning Wei had said, The memories that come with the armor are not pleasant. They aren’t excruciating, just exhausting and…heavy, like the armor itself. The only reason I’d ever consider putting it back on would be if something very, very important was at stake.

Yet, Ning Wei was wearing his armor now to come and find him. Did this mean that Ning Wei thought he was important to such a great degree? A surge of giddy pleasure and a warm, sweet sensation flooded the inside of his chest. Yan Yixuan bit his lower lip and tried to wrangle his roiling emotions into obedience. What was he thinking? It was only logical for a general to put on his armor before a battle. It probably had nothing to do with him… But the butterflies in his stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering their wings.

“Is the general coming here?” one of the bandits suddenly exclaimed.

Another went on tiptoe and confirmed, “Yes, he’s cutting his way through the prince’s people and heading straight in this direction!”

“But why would he come here?” someone asked confusedly.

A man quickly responded, “Of course it’s because one of his lieutenants is here! And he’s here to protect the brat, so he obviously needs to check up on him too.”

Ke Jing’s expression turned amused. It seemed the bandits had no idea the duke was the general’s lover?

Meanwhile, upon hearing that Ning Wei was coming here, Yan Yixuan ignored everything else and gripped one hand with the other while peering expectantly at the fighting soldiers. Sure enough, he saw a sudden increase in the fervency of the battle near their location before the troops wearing the prince’s colors almost disappeared, either downed or having run away. The remaining soldiers in the empire’s armor respectfully parted to let someone pass.

A dark brown horse proudly trotted out, carrying its rider who was garbed in splendid silver armor that was barely marred by scratches or dents. From atop his horse, Ning Wei’s eyes flitted over the crowd quickly before locking on Yan Yixuan. His gaze darkening with intensity, the general got down from his horse and marched in his direction with purpose.

Yan Yixuan’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. He swallowed and tried to move, but found that his feet seemed fixed in place. The more his beloved neared, the more the feeling of surrealism grew.

When Ning Wei finally stood before him, bloodied blades in his hands and yearning etched into his face, Yan Yixuan looked at him uncomprehendingly. He raised his hands and lightly touched them to that familiar face. His lips trembled as he parted them and breathed out, “Ah-Wei…you really came for me.”

Ning Wei looked at his lover’s face and felt something in him finally ease. He might have learned a lot of new things about Yan Yixuan from the stories the empress regaled him with, but when he saw his lover now, he realized that he felt the same affection for him as before. It was just stronger now. Similarly, the warmth and love in the depths of his beloved’s eyes also remained the same. Nothing at all seemed to have changed between them, and it comforted him.

“I will always come when you need me,” Ning Wei leaned forward and finally murmured. “Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Still stuck in a wondering daze, Yan Yixuan shook his head. Most of his injuries from the fall had almost healed already.

Ning Wei put away his weapons, then cupped his beloved’s face and peered into his eyes with a smile. “That’s good.” He then said, “You’ve been taking care of me so long that I couldn’t resist this chance of finally come and show off in front of you. Hopefully, I’m not too late.”

Yan Yixuan let out a strangled laugh and threw himself into Ning Wei’s arms.

Ning Wei hugged him tightly, his eyes turning into pools of quiet warmth. “I know you can take care of yourself, but I needed to see that you’re okay. I was worried you’d be hurt or…worse. I had to see for myself that you’re alright.”

Yan Yixuan buried his face into his beloved’s shoulder and stroked Ning Wei’s back soothingly. “I’m alright. Nothing happened to me. And while I probably could have come up with something, I’m still very grateful for your timely help. It’s taken a big burden off of me.”

In a soft voice, Ning Wei said, “Then it is worthwhile.”

The pair separated and looked into each other’s eyes. Then without a word, they leaned forward and let their lips meet in a brief yet intense kiss.

Sudden hoots and cheers sounded, startling the couple into breaking apart.

“I can’t believe you were telling the truth,” someone said with awe towards Yan Yixuan.

Another shook his head disbelievingly. “How can our empire’s hero really be your lover?”

“First we found out you weren’t lying about being a duke and now we’re seeing that you told the truth about scoring the empire’s great general. Following you is starting to look really attractive,” someone else observed with shining eyes.

From the moment he spotted Yan Yixuan, Ning Wei only had eyes for him and hadn’t processed the bandits’ presence yet. He just trusted that Ke Jing would keep him and his lover safe if these men had any ill intentions. Now that he had become more aware of them, he turned to his beloved with a question in his eyes.

Yan Yixuan looked at the suppressed excitement and worship in the bandits’ gazes and decided he’d put in a good word for them. “These men are bandits, but they generously let me hire them to escort me back home. They accompanied and protected me till here and were ready to throw away their lives for my sake when that dratted prince’s people wanted to forcefully take me away. I’m planning on asking them to consider working for me as guards afterward.”

Ning Wei was duly impressed. He turned to the bandits and bowed. “Thank you for taking care of Ah-Xuan.”

Yan Yixuan watched with amusement as some of the bandits looked just about ready to swoon.

Li Yang was one of the few who were able to maintain his composure. He returned Ning Wei’s bow with a deeper one and said, “Your lover has also helped us quite a lot over the course of our journey, so we are the ones who should be grateful, General.”

As the two men straightened, Ning Wei nodded at him with a smile. It was all Li Yang could do to not show his fluster outward and calmly nod back.

Feeling a bit playful, Yan Yixuan decided to mess with them a bit and turned to Ning Wei, “Yes, we’ve become very friendly, so there’s no need for formalities between us. After all, they also very casually call me ‘brat’…no, it became ‘Lord Brat’ after they learned I’m a duke, didn’t it?”

Li Yang stiffened and shot him a look that was half glaring and half wronged. The other bandits grew anxious and gave Yan Yixuan looks of betrayal. If they knew he was really the general’s lover, they would never have dared to be as presumptuous as to act so familiar with him. With apprehension, they expected to see Ning Wei react with dissatisfaction or possessiveness that other men had been acting so close with his lover.

But Ning Wei only laughed as he lovingly rubbed Yan Yixuan’s cheek. “You’re collecting nicknames wherever you go, aren’t you?”

Yan Yixuan flashed him an impish smile, looking pleased as he joked, “I can’t help that I’m so charming.”

Ning Wei chuckled and kissed the top of his head. “Yes, my little fox is indeed too charming to resist.”

The young man bowed his head as his cheeks flushed a happy pink.

The bandits who were unintentionally disregarded in favor of flirting could only watch with incredulity. They didn’t know what to do with this unexpectedly playful version of Yan Yixuan who blushed easily and smiled a lot, and the easygoing general who lavished affection on his lover so generously. And despite being the general revered by many, he didn’t mind their lower status and even bowed to thank them! Was this a dream?!

Meanwhile, Ning Wei and Yan Yixuan continued asking after each other.

“How was your trip to Xie? How is your father?” Yan Yixuan inquired.

Ning Wei sighed. “The trip was alright. As for Father… he’s not in a good shape. Master Jin is with him most of the time, but there hasn’t been much progress yet. However, there’s still hope that he can return to normal.”

Yan Yixuan grew concerned and hugged Ning Wei again, trying to comfort him. “No matter what, as long as there’s hope, we won’t give up. I’ll help in any way I can.” 

Ning Wei smiled and hugged him back. “Thank you, Ah-Xuan.”

Trying to distract him, Yan Yixuan leaned back and asked, “What about the others? I hope I haven’t worried Elder Sister or Brother Ruan too much.”

Ning Wei froze, looking like he just remembered something. He turned to the Ke Jing who had been quietly watching from the side and said, “Since it’s relatively safe here, bring the others over from where they’re taking cover in the forest.”

Ke Jing showed an expression of realization and nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

Yan Yixuan was puzzled. “The others? Who else do you have with you?”

Ning Wei smiled. “You’ll see.”

Fifteen minutes later, Ke Jing returned with a worried looking Ruan Shu, who had a satchel slung across his body, and a wide-eyed Cang Xiyu, who couldn’t stop turning back to cautiously stare at the battle raging on between the prince’s people and the empire’s troops. In the interests of not making this too big to avoid affecting the treaty between their countries, both sides held back quite a bit and tried to avoid killing as much as possible. As a result, the battle didn’t seem like it would end any time soon.

Yan Yixuan watched Ruan Shu and Cang Xiyu walk towards him with wide eyes. He asked Ruan Shu, “Brother Ruan…what are you doing here?! Are you alright? You didn’t get caught up in any of the fighting, did you?! Wait, what about the house?”

Ruan Shu smiled a bit helplessly and came over to rub Yan Yixuan’s head after ascertaining that he was free of any obvious injury. “Look at you, you’ve lost so much weight!” he exclaimed, fully knowing the young man wouldn’t be pleased hearing it.

Sure enough, Yan Yixuan looked down at his own body with an aggrieved look.

It was only then that Ruan Shu answered his questions, “I’m fine. All I’ve done is babysit your Official Cang on the way here, so I didn’t get involved in any fighting. Sister Yiwen is taking care of the household, so don’t worry.”

Yan Yixuan looked relieved and promptly put his own unwanted weight loss out of his mind. He took the initiative to hug Ruan Shu and the older man patted his back with a warm smile.

At the side, Cang Xiyu sulked. He was here to help too, so why was he being ignored?!

After Yan Yixuan was done confirming Ruan Shu’s wellbeing, he finally turned to Cang Xiyu and greeted him politely, “We meet again, Official Cang. Thank you for accompanying them here to find me. I hope the journey treated you well?”

Cang Xiyu’s expression eased and he said dignifiedly, “Yes, it was no trouble. I’m after all only doing what is expected as a fellow member of the empress’s faction.”

Ning Wei and Ruan Shu, “……”

Where was this sentiment when you were whining twenty times a day on the way here, you prissy little aristocrat?!

While the battle between the empire’s and first prince’s troops thus went on in the background, Yan Yixuan, Ning Wei, Ke Jing, Ruan Shu, and Cang Xiyu, with the occasional input from a few of the bandits, bantered and talked a little about the current circumstance.

But before long, bad news knocked on their doors again.

A harried-looking imperial soldier ran up to Ning Wei and quickly conveyed, “General, the prince’s people have reinforcements coming!”

crimson_carnation

I know, there's been a lot of cliffhangers recently and not as much fluff (￣▽￣;) So here's a fluffy and romantic extra scene where we'll wrap up CEO Yan and Bodyguard Ning's date in the amusement park to make up or it~ And to also kind of compensate for the next chapter.

Extra Scene

(Waylaid in modern setting)

As CEO Yan and Bodyguard Ning enjoy the various rides and entertainments in the amusement park, the day slowly darkens into dusk. Somewhere in the middle, Ruan Shu sneaks off to do something.

As the couple is wandering, CEO Yan sees a store with candy and has his boyfriend wait outside before heading off to buy some.

A few minutes later, Ruan Shu silently reappears and stands beside Bodyguard Ning, carrying a bulky black bag in his hand.

Bodyguard Ning, glancing down: What do you have in the bag?

Ruan Shu, concisely: Equipment.

Since Bodyguard Ning has nothing better to do while waiting, he puts his hands in his pockets and prods further.

Bodyguard Ning, curious: What are you planning to do with your mysterious equipment?

Ruan Shu, looking at him seriously: I’m going to use it to shoot certain people.

Bodyguard Ning: ……

Bodyguard Ning, coughing: I…see. I didn’t know you did that sort of work for Ah-Xuan as well.

Ruan Shu, nodding solemnly: Master considers my expertise in this aspect very important, especially recently. So I hope you will continue to do everything you can to always keep him happy like this.

Bodyguard Ning: ……

Was he being threatened to be shot if he displeased his lover?!

Just then, CEO Yan happily steps out of the shop with a packet of stick-shaped candy. He comes over to hold his boyfriend’s hand and they start walking around again, with Ruan Shu playing the part of their silent, almost unnoticeable shadow as always.

CEO Yan checks his watch several times as the sun slowly sets. A few minutes later, he begins pulling his lover in a certain direction and Bodyguard Ning cooperatively follows along. They soon arrive at the base of a giant Ferris wheel.

CEO Yan, pointing at it: Ah-Wei, we’re going there next!

Bodyguard Ning, indulgently: Alright.

As they head towards the ride, Ruan Shu once again disappears somewhere.

Bodyguard Ning notices with confusion that the staff operating the Ferris wheel is turning people away.

Bodyguard Ning, frowning: Ah-Xuan, maybe it’s closed. They don’t seem to be letting any customers through.

CEO Yan, pulling him insistently with a grin: They’ll let us in, trust me.

Bemused, Bodyguard Ning lets himself be dragged to the counter. The staff indeed let them in, all the while smiling widely at CEO Yan.

Bodyguard Ning realizes that his little fox must have arranged for this beforehand.

The entire Ferris wheel is empty except for the compartment they board. Each compartment has a curved glass roof and transparent walls for the customers to better appreciate the scenery. When the wheel starts moving and they slowly start rising higher, the couple feels like they’re floating weightlessly in the air.

They quietly appreciate the majesty of the sprawling scenery outside as it gradually shrinks lower, with spots of bright electric lights already dotting the darkening vista.

When CEO Yan has had his fill, he opens up the packet of candy he bought earlier while his eyes shine with expectation.

CEO Yan, tilting the packet in his direction: Ah-Wei, do you want one?

Bodyguard Ning, turning to him: What type of candy is it?

CEO Yan offers it and Bodyguard Ning takes the packet. The label reads Kiss Candy in bold red bubble font, with a set of vertical pursed lips substituting the i. The image underneath shows a man and woman, their faces so close that their lips are almost touching, with a string of red candy connecting their mouths.

Bodyguard Ning’s brows rise up while CEO Yan gives him a suggestive smile.

Bodyguard Ning, looking at him with helpless affection: I suppose you want to try it?

CEO Yan, grinning: Why? You don’t want to?

Bodyguard Ning, smiling: It looks interesting.

And so, they take out one of the long red-colored candy and bite one end each. CEO Yan’s eyes narrow with competitiveness and he begins chewing quickly. Bodyguard Ning is affected by his enthusiasm and quickens his pace as well. The candy is sugary and very chewy, it’s flavor a mixture of cherry and strawberry. The couple’s mouths steadily near each other’s, and when their lips are just on the verge of touching… CEO Yan suddenly jerks his head back to steal the last bit of candy from his beloved’s mouth and chews triumphantly.

CEO Yan, with a mouthful of candy: Aha! I won!

Having been looking forward to their candy-flavored kiss, Bodyguard Ning is a little disappointed.

Bodyguard Ning, wryly: If you wanted it that badly, I would’ve let you have a whole piece.

CEO Yan, eyes shining gleefully: But it’s more fun this way.

Bodyguard Ning’s eyes narrow. His lips curling up into a slow and playful smile, Bodyguard Ning takes out another stick of candy.

Bodyguard Ning, holding it up: Want to try again?

CEO Yan naturally agrees with enthusiasm.

They once again start nibbling down the ends of the stick. When they’re almost at the middle, Bodyguard Ning decides to exercise his little fox seducing skills to distract his mischievous lover and begins running his hands up and down his sides.

CEO Yan grows dazed at the sensation of warm and large palms rubbing his body through the clothes. It’s all he can do to suppress the moans climbing up his throat so he won’t let go of his end of the candy. Just as their lips are about to touch, CEO Yan suddenly feels his lover suck hard enough to pull the rest of the candy out of his mouth, leaving his lips empty.

Bodyguard Ning lets go and leans back with a self-satisfied smile and cocks an eyebrow challengingly.

Through the haze of arousal, CEO Yan takes a moment to comprehend what just happened, then his gaze darkens.

CEO Yan, glaring: Ah-Wei, you sly man! You stole the candy! Wait, I’m getting it back!

He bends down and melds their mouth together before his boyfriend can make sense of his words. As if he was really trying to get back the already eaten candy, CEO Yan delves his flexible tongue deep into his lover’s mouth. Bodyguard Ning gasps out a laugh and winds his arms around his beloved to bring him closer and press their bodies together tighter.

After a few minutes of passionate licking and sucking, the pair finally part, faces flushed and chests heaving slightly.

CEO Yan, licking his slickened lips and trying to continue glaring: There, that’ll show you to steal my candy again.

Bodyguard Ning leans back and laughs.

The compartment quietens as the couple regains their breaths. The Ferris wheel slowly turns, bringing them to the very top, and gradually stills to allow them to appreciate the view from the best vantage point for longer.

CEO Yan’s gaze turns anticipatory. He sits beside his boyfriend and hugs his waist. Bodyguard Ning hugs him back, his expression growing tender.

CEO Yan, smiling softly: Ah-Wei, look up.

Bodyguard Ning blinks, then does so with puzzlement. Through the transparent ceiling of the compartment, he can clearly see the night sky. But since they were in the middle of the city, the light pollution renders the stars invisible. The frame of the Ferris wheel above from where their compartment is dangling is dark enough to easily blend into the darkness.

Suddenly, shrill whistles sound as streaks of light shoot up. Then fireworks explode in the sky above them with loud bangs, sprinkling brilliant sparkles in red, gold, green, blue, and white. The previously blank canvas of the sky comes alight with vivid colors, the glitter of the fireworks making stars of their own.

Bodyguard Ning’s eyes widen with awe, the sparkling bursts of light reflecting in his clear eyes. Held so high up from the ground, it was as if he was suspended in the air, the sky forming an endlessly black dome above him that was filled with flashes of shimmering colors.

As he looks around with wonder to take in all in, Bodyguard Ning sees that there’s a giant red neon outline of a heart pulsing on the side of the rollercoaster’s massive support frame. Within the heart, the words YYX + NW glowed brightly, the colors of the letters smoothly shifting through all colors of the rainbow.

Bodyguard Ning lets out a disbelieving laugh. Some couples carve their initials on trees while on a date while his beloved took it to a whole another level.

Above them, colorful light continues to bloom and fade with loud booms, sending dazzling glimmers of spent fireworks raining down around them, the glowing drops fading away before they can reach the ground.

Bodyguard Ning feels something nudging his lips and lowers his head dazedly to see CEO Yan poking him with a stick of candy.

CEO Yan, smiling fondly: Do you like it?

Bodyguard Ning opens and closes his mouth, but finds himself at a loss of what to say. He’s too overcome to find the words to describe his emotions. In the end, he can only nod.

CEO Yan, eyes warm: It’s alright, you don’t have to say anything else. Here, let’s share the candy and watch the fireworks.

And so, they eat the cheap candy and snuggle together while watching the world explode around them with light, sound, and color. When there’s only one last strip of candy left, they share a glance with implicit smiles curving their lips, then bite each end of it and slowly chew, closing in until their mouths meet in the middle.

In the distance, Ruan Shu is hanging upside-down from the rooftop railing of a building directly across from the Ferris wheel. The black bag he had been carrying before lays open and empty on the rooftop.

He zooms into the image displayed in the camera he was holding and adjusts the focus. Through the lens, he sees the silhouettes of a pair of men passionately kissing in the topmost compartment of the Ferris wheel. A big red heart on the side of the rollercoaster’s frame glows behind them, appearing to perfectly enclose the compartment. The fireworks spray light above them, making the scene seem beautiful, ethereal, and more impossibly romantic.

Showing a small, satisfied smile, Ruan Shu starts clicking away.