My steps are always very light, but his eyes still quickly turned to me. He paused for a moment in his teacup, then leisurely poured me some tea and handed it to me.

"Are you hungry? The old chef is still busy." He tilted his head to indicate.

I shook my head. Life here has been far from peaceful; I've long since grown accustomed to irregular meals and rarely feel hungry. I came here not to find food, but judging from his demeanor, I sensed he had too many stories to tell—stories he knew but was unwilling to share. Yesterday's note detailed my origins, yet last night he barely mentioned a word. Clearly, he was merely using this to try and get closer to me, to let me know that we already knew each other.

"Aren't you used to talking?" he asked.

I nodded. Yes, it's very uncomfortable. Sixteen years of ingrained habits aren't so easy to break.

“It’s alright. You don’t need to say a word in front of me.” He tapped his temple with his fingertips. “I understand.”

But I didn't understand what he meant.

He chuckled softly and pushed the cup of tea closer. "No need to rush. You'll find out eventually. All you have to do now is watch over Ji Mo Dongli." He turned his head and looked at Ji Mo with narrowed eyes. "He must live well."

I looked at him, puzzled. Ji Mo Dongli is still alive and well, isn't he? Even though he used those methods.

"The path he's about to take is one where no one will care even if he dies suddenly. But he can't die." His gaze suddenly fell on my face, looking deeply into my eyes as if they held something hidden within. "For the sake of others, he can't die either."

I still didn't understand, but I didn't ask again. The old cook brought out the porridge, along with fresh wild vegetables from the mountains. I was about to pick up my chopsticks when he stopped me.

“Mr. Xu said that the young lady is weak and cannot eat these.” His voice was flat and emotionless. “The tonic medicine is already on the stove. Please wait a little while, young lady.”

Yesterday I heard from Mao Tui Er and Da Ge that he was stubborn, so I didn't argue much and just put down my chopsticks to watch Mr. Xu's sly smile.

After the old chef left, he grinned and said, "The old chef is a bit slow-witted, but wasn't he doing it for your own good? That medicine was taken from Dongli's room in Jimo. He didn't even touch it when he was seriously injured."

He smiled mischievously, and I turned my head away, ignoring him. Just then, I saw the group from Jimo gathering, seemingly about to arrive. Indeed, judging from the sky, they hadn't had time for breakfast. But the sudden large number of people made me feel suffocated and uncomfortable. I got up, tucked a stray hair behind my ear, and prepared to leave. But Mr. Xu suddenly said, "I won't stop you from leaving, but at least see him one last time. It's not that I mean to scare you, but if something happens to him in the future, you'll be the one who regrets it. I don't care about his life or death. I've waited here for five years, just to wait for him to bring you."

His words stirred up a mix of emotions within me.

The emperor is now in the hands of the Gui Fang, his fate unknown. Fuqi is merely clinging to life in the south; the imperial edict from years ago is now useless. Ji Mo Dongli is someone I've only met a few times, someone who survived the turmoil by sheer luck. From now on, dust to dust. Though we are in the same mountain valley now, I don't believe there will be any connection between us in the future. Although no one here sees me as an outsider, I've grown accustomed to a life of seclusion and would never remain among so many people.

While I hesitated, Mr. Xu spoke again. As we drew nearer to Jimo, his voice became particularly low: "If it weren't for giving you a way out, Jimo would have already seized the emperor and used him to command the other lords. An emperor who is still alive is an important bargaining chip. He knows this, and so does the Guifang. But he sacrificed it for you. It was unwise. I would rather you leave this world, so I wouldn't have to expend so much effort to protect you."

The words fell just as the handcart in Jimo was pushing the nearest tent to us.

I suddenly turned my head to look at him, but I didn't know what to think.

Mr. Xu, are you saying all this to make me grateful to Jimo Dongli? He's a border general who colluded with foreign enemies and did such a disgraceful thing. Moreover, judging from the situation this morning, although the people here are strange, they are the troops he cultivated. As a general, the most taboo thing is to secretly possess your own power behind the back of the court, no matter how incompetent that court may be.

"It's still early, why are you up?" He pulled off the handkerchief tied around his waist and wiped the sweat from his face.