There was a brief blank in Cui Jing's mind.

Until he noticed that Chang Suining just moved closer to his shoulder and seemed to sniff him lightly.

After a moment, Chang Suining moved her eyes away from his shoulder and looked up at him.

The two were very close, and when she looked at him like this, Cui Jing's voice became a little uncomfortable: "...What's wrong?"

Chang Suining twitched the corners of his mouth slightly, but considering the possibility that there were ears on the other side of the wall, he didn't say anything in the end.

She grabbed Cui Jing's hand.

Cui Jing was stunned again, but let her hold him.

In the dim shadow, the girl held his wrist through his sleeve, and with her other hand, she used her index finger to secretly write something on his palm.

Because of practicing martial arts, the girl's fingertips also had thin calluses, and now they were sliding across his palm, which was covered with more callous marks.

Finally, she looked at him with questioning eyes.

Cui Jing was stunned for a moment, and seemed to have just come back to his senses. His slightly confused eyes were clearly saying: What did you write? Chang Suining: "..."

In the past, she and Chang Kuo were very good at secretly writing messages with their hands, and she thought Cui Jing should also be good at this.

Cui Jing didn't know how to explain it to her, something he was usually very good at.

How about... writing it again? He looked at her and suggested with his eyes.

Chang Suining gave up, let go of his hand, and fixed her eyes on his shoulder again. She had just written three words on the palm of his hand - Are you hurt?

She vaguely smelled the scent of blood and wound medicine on him.

The smell was not obvious, but because the two were close to each other, the wind was light and there was no other smell to cover it, and she was also very sensitive to these smells, so she could only smell a little.

How could Cui Jing not know what she wanted to ask.

He knew it in his heart as soon as she approached his shoulder.

He really didn't have time to feel what she wrote... but he could understand what she meant without her writing on his palm.

He was never dull.

It was only because I was in front of her that I seemed a little dull for no reason.

At this moment, meeting that gaze again, which was more of a confirmation than a question, Cui Jing could only nod his head imperceptibly.

At this moment, Chang Suining had the answer in her mind about the sound of the mechanism being dismantled and stopped that she suddenly heard when she walked into the secret passage in the daytime.

So, at that time, he took the opportunity to settle the refugees and left the Queen's sight. In a place where she and no one else could see, he broke through the death formation that had to be destroyed once it was activated, and destroyed the center of the formation for her.

She couldn't see or know at that time.

Judging from his appearance, he probably had no intention of telling her.

But now she knew.

So, he really knew, knew who she was - when she didn't know.

The night was quiet and the four looked at each other in silence.

After a moment, Chang Suining said, "Thank you."

Out of caution, she did not forget to make up an excuse for the thank you: "Thank you for coming to see me today."

She wasn't referring to this moment, or rather, not just this moment.

Cui Jing smiled: "Why should we thank each other for such a small thing?"

Hearing this, Chang Suining also had a smile in his eyes.

She thought she was going to lose a very good friend.

It seems that my friends are still here.

Chang Suining's friends did not disappear because of Li Shang, who was involved in too much trouble.

"Besides, I am glad to see you." The young man spoke slowly and seriously. Looking at the pair of dark eyes in the night, he said, "It is nice to see you again."

——It’s nice to see you again.

—It’s nice to see you again, Your Highness.

Cui Jing repeated it many times in his mind.

However, repeating it a thousand times still cannot express even a fraction of his state of mind.

This sentence is shallow, and the other words are destined to be shallow as well. Any words that exist in this world probably cannot describe his mood.

Chang Suiningzi was not a stupid person. She understood what Cui Jing meant, but... did the word "again" in his mouth mean that "she" had indeed seen him before?

She had once had the feeling that she had seen him somewhere, but she had never been able to remember where.

But now was not the time to ask these questions - at the moment she and he were just talking about all these random words, which were incoherent, boring and without any waves. A passing mouse would yawn if it squatted and listened for a while.

But he could only continue to say scattered things: "I still have to thank you, but General Cui will be traveling far away. Bingzhou and the northern border need General Cui. When the general returns to the capital, I will definitely hold a banquet for him."

"Will you prepare wine?" Cui Jing asked.

"Of course." Chang Suining promised solemnly: "But I drink tea."

Cui Jing smiled between his dark brows: "There has always been a rule in Xuan Ce's mansion that those who don't drink should sit at the same table with Ah Dian."

Even though he was able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk in the past, Chang Suining could only compromise with reality at this moment: "...Then I'll sit at the same table with Ah Dian."

Cui Jing's smile deepened, and when talking about her drinking, he thought of what Adian once said, that she liked to eat chestnuts while drinking on the roof of Xuan Ce's mansion.

He subconsciously raised the hand holding the chestnut and showed it to her: "Speaking of thanking you, haven't you already given me a thank you gift?"

It was just a matter of breaking a formation, and a chestnut as a thank you gift was enough for him.

Or rather, he had never thought of asking her to thank him. He just did what he wanted to do. Rather than helping her, he was following his own heart.

No one needs others to thank them after they have done what they wanted to do.

Chang Suining stared at the chestnut in Cui Jing's hand that she had just thrown away, and realized belatedly that this chestnut might be one of the clues to her identity being exposed.

At this time, Cui Jing's voice sounded again: "If you need me to do something in the future, it only takes one chestnut. One chestnut for one thing."

Chang Suining couldn't help but look at him and smiled: "It turns out that a chestnut can persuade Governor Cui."

There was a sense of joking in her words, and it was obvious that she did not take it too seriously, but the young man in front of her was extremely serious and nodded with her: "No matter when, where, what."

Seeing him like this, Chang Suining also became more serious. After a moment, she nodded with a smile: "Okay, then it's settled."

However, since he gave her a chestnut in exchange for a promise, she might as well promise him one.

When it comes to sincerity, she can be a decent person.

"If Grand Commander Cui needs me to do anything in the future, you can tell me directly." Chang Suining added: "No need for Li Zi, just tell me."

Cui Jing smiled and said, "You are much more generous than me."

Well, it is said that the former general of Xuan Ce’s army has always been very competitive and never likes to lose to others in anything. His reputation is indeed well-deserved.

"No problem." Chang Suining said, "You were the one who treated me so generously first, so it's only right that I go back."

She was not a generous person, she just did it because he deserved it.

Cui Jing looked at her: "...Why does it sound like you and I are fighting?"

Chang Suining thought about it for a moment, and it was indeed similar, but she nodded: "It doesn't matter, it's the same principle."

Hostility is exchanged for hostility, sincerity is exchanged for sincerity, and the same is true for many things in this world.

Cui Jing seemed to be convinced by her and nodded: "Yeah, that makes sense."

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Chang Suining: "Then let me try it first."

Cui Jing was puzzled. What was she trying? The next moment, she lowered her head and took out something from the pouch tied around her waist and handed it to him.

Another chestnut.

Cui Jing was startled for a moment, then raised his hand to take it and asked seriously, "What do you need me to do?"

Chang Suining: "Go back and have a good sleep."

Hearing this "request", Cui Jing looked at her and said, "Why don't you try something more useful?"

Chang Suining looked at the chestnut in his hand and asked without answering, "Is it not useful?"

Cui Jing nodded: "It works well."

Since it is useful, he will leave.

He finally reminded: "After returning to the capital, if you need anything, no matter how big or small, you can take the copper talisman to Xuan Ce Mansion."

He added: “If you encounter any trouble in the temple in the next two days, go find Master Wu Jue.”

Wu Jue will have all the answers she wants.

Chang Suining understood what he meant and nodded: "Okay."

Then, she watched Cui Jing leave.

He had a lot to shoulder on this trip. Whether it was Bingzhou Changshi's intention to collude with Xu Zhengye, or preparing troops in the northern border to deter Beidi, all of them were related to the safety of Dasheng. All of this now depended on him, and he was not allowed to make any mistakes.

Although she had never fought alongside Cui Jing, she was once him and their mental states were similar.

Realizing that the gaze behind him was silently following him, Cui Jing did not turn around. Out of cherishing the gaze, he pretended not to notice it so as not to alarm that gaze.

He walked a little slowly, but he didn't dare walk too slowly.

He had received many looks before, but this time, it was different.

Cui Jing looked at the two chestnuts in his hand and smiled slightly. He had gained a lot from this trip.

Yuan Xiang, who was waiting not far away, came forward and walked forward beside Cui Jing, lowering his voice: "...Grand Commander, you finally came out. I thought you were going to stay in there all night, so I almost went in to look for you!"

The Grand Commander was injured today and it was time to change the dressing, but he was almost dying of anxiety as no one came out.

"Well, she told me to go back and have a good sleep." Cui Jing said gently.

Yuan Xiang: “?”

She? Madam Chang? Oh, so the Grand Commander was driven out by Madam Chang.

So, if Lady Feichang chases people away, the commander-in-chief will have to stay for who knows how long.

Yuan Xiang wanted to sigh, but his eyes were drawn to the thing in his own commander-in-chief's hand, and he couldn't help asking: "Grand Commander... where did this come from?"

But for some reason, the moment Yuan Xiang asked this question, he suddenly felt that his own governor had been holding it in his hand, waiting for him to ask this question -

Cui Jing: “She gave it to me.”

Yuan Xiang: “…”

really.

But after all, he was his own governor, so he still had to show his support: "Why did Madam Chang give you chestnuts?"

"One is a thank you gift." Cui Jing explained in detail, "and one is for me to go back and rest."

"..." Yuanxiang's expression looked a little strange.

Thank you gift?

Is he thanking his Grand Commander for his risky move today?

Although he didn't know the detailed reasons, the Grand Admiral and Master Wu Jue needed his cooperation, so he knew very well what his Grand Admiral did today and for whom.

But when his Grand Commander came out, he was covered in blood, and in the end... he only got a chestnut as a thank-you gift?

But the Grand Commander still treasured it very much and even showed off to him.

Yuanxiang felt a little sad. He just liked a girl. He had also seen examples of others who also liked girls. How could his Grand Commander end up like this?

So, he finally let out the breath he had been holding back for a long time: "Sometimes I really want to ask you... Didn't Madam Chang save your life?"

Cui Jing: “Yes.”

Yuan Xiang was stunned: "When did this happen? How come I don't know about it!"

In the darkness of the night, the young man's serious voice came: "Last life."

Yuan Xiang: “……?!”

Goodbye.

Yuanxiang was so shocked that he couldn't utter a word along the way.

Not long after Cui Jing left, Ming Luo, who had taken care of all matters and returned to the Tiannv Pagoda as instructed by the Emperor Shengce, heard the news that Cui Jing had been there from a monk.

(Xiao Cui: She is so nice, if I don’t have a love brain, who will?)

This chapter has 3,000 words. My schedule is quite tight tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to update. I'll be home the day after tomorrow (づ￣3￣)づGood night!