Chu Moyu lazily sat back down and exchanged a half-smile with Meng Yuxiu, who had suddenly appeared.

Chang Lili turned around and saw the imposing Meng Yuxiu. Her face lit up with joy, and she stood up and ran to his side: "You're back."

Meng Yuxiu touched her hair, nodded slightly, and then said to Chu Moyu, "Thank you, I'll take Lili home now."

For some reason, Chu Moyu felt a little resentful looking at Meng Yu's self-righteous manner and Chang Lili's dependence on him. After the two left, he put away the faint smile on his face and drank the wine glass on the table in one gulp.

"When did you get back?" Chang Lili asked as she followed Meng Yuxiu.

Meng Yuxiu's horse was outside. He straddled the horse with his long legs and reached out to Chang Lili. Chang Lili put her hand on it for support and sat down, leaning against Meng Yuxiu. She nudged his waist with her elbow and said, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Meng Yuxiu rubbed her chin with his thumb: "You've only been back a short time. Don't go out with him alone in the future."

This means they're unhappy.

Chang Lili wanted to explain, but couldn't suppress her inner joy, so she lowered her head and nodded: "I had something to do, I won't do it again next time."

Seeing that she was relatively well-behaved, Meng Yuxiu said as he rode forward, "Grandma is back."

"What?" Chang Lili turned to look at him in astonishment, her delicate skin cupped to Meng Yuxiu's lips. Meeting Meng Yuxiu's ambiguous smile, she quickly turned back shyly, "Really?"

"My mother-in-law had already returned when I got home."

"What's wrong with her?"

"No, he was unharmed. He said he just went out for a stroll."

Chang Lili finally felt relieved.

Back at the general's mansion, her mother-in-law was waiting for her outside the door. When she saw her riding a horse with Meng Yuxiu, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Grandma!" Chang Lili ran to hug her mother-in-law like a swallow returning to its nest, her eyes welling up with tears. "Where have you been?"

The mother-in-law wiped her face and said, "What's the big deal? I just went out for a walk. What could an old woman like me possibly encounter? Look at you, crying so easily. How old are you?"

Chang Lili hugged her arm tightly and said, "I was worried about you."

Meng Yuxiu explained from the side, "Lili is just worried and confused. Because of me, she may be afraid that someone will harm you."

His mother-in-law gave him a forced smile and patted Chang Lili's hand.

It was already quite late, and there wasn't enough time to return to the forbidden area, so the two stayed at the General's Mansion.

Their room is still there, and everything is the same as before. Meng Yuxiu asked the servants to clean it so they could move in. Chang Lili was terrified today and stayed by her mother-in-law's side, repeatedly telling her, like instructing a child, not to go out alone in the future.

“I’m at the Light Machinery Department now. You know it’s a very special place, with a lot of people watching. I’m afraid someone might come after you. You’re an elderly person, so you have to be extra careful.”

Looking at the once carefree girl now so cautious and timid, the mother-in-law didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She reached out and stroked Chang Lili's long, soft black hair, saying, "Lili has grown up. I hope you are safe and happy, but I also want you to understand the hardships of the world. Now that you are giving me these words, I feel a mix of emotions."

Chang Lili leaned on her shoulder, acting like a child, and said, "Of course I've grown up. How can I stay a little kid forever? Just wait and see, I'll take good care of you in the future."

Looking at the innocent and carefree Chang Lili, the mother-in-law secretly wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, her mind echoing with the words she had heard today: "Aunt, how can you bear to ignore those who have died? There are some things you can't avoid. She will have to bear what she has to bear one day. This was decided from birth."

Why.

A sigh sank into the depths unknown to anyone.

My mother-in-law is old and goes to bed early. Chang Lili waits until she falls asleep before quietly leaving.

Upon entering the study, Meng Yuxiu was indeed inside. His profile was clearly defined in the lamplight, and his shoulders and back resembled a tall and straight pine tree. He was looking intently at the military treatise in his hands.

Chang Lili walked over with the tea, but he didn't look up.

Chang Lili poured herself a cup of tea with a practiced air and said in a high-pitched voice, "General, please rest for a while and have some tea."

Meng Yuxiu glanced at her indifferently, a hint of amusement creeping into his eyes at her mischievous antics, and asked, "Is Grandma asleep?"

Chang Lili nodded, stood behind him, put her small hand on his shoulder, and continued to say in a high-pitched, flattering voice, "General, you've worked hard. Let me give you a shoulder massage."

Unexpectedly, Meng Yuxiu was very cooperative, putting down the military book, leaning back in his chair, and asking in a relaxed posture, "Where did you come from, you little prostitute?"

Chang Lili recounted the place where they first met, saying, "I'm new here, General, please teach me what I don't know."

Under her well-balanced massage, Meng Yuxiu's tense muscles relaxed, and he said with his eyes closed, "If you serve me well, this general will redeem you."

Chang Lili was both annoyed and amused by his arrogant attitude, but she also felt sorry for him having run around to so many places today, so she obediently massaged his shoulders.

After about half an incense stick's time, Meng Yuxiu leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep, his breathing long and even.

Chang Lili bent down slightly to look, and reached out to touch his face, when suddenly she was grabbed by a hand. She gasped and fell into a hard embrace. Meng Yuxiu pinched her chin and said, "So proactive?"

Chang Lili twisted her fingers, looking shy and timid, and said, "Since the general is so kind to me, then I have no choice but to repay him with my body."

Meng Yuxiu rubbed her chin with his thumb and said, "That won't do. I have a shrew at home, so I can't bring you home."

Chang Lili was both ashamed and angry. She wanted to know where she had been fierce, but then she thought again. She wrapped her arms around Meng Yuxiu's neck, her breath as sweet as orchids, like a charming girl in a brothel, and said, "I'm not afraid. I just want you to come and see me often, General."

Meng Yuxiu chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll hide you away deep in the mountains. I'll come to see you when my wife isn't home."

Perhaps she was too immersed in the role, because looking into those deep and captivating eyes, Chang Lili momentarily believed that she was having an affair with him. Her heart pounded, and she closed her eyes as Meng Yuxiu drew closer.

Their lips met, their breaths mingling. Under Meng Yuxiu's large hands, Chang Lili felt as if she was being crushed by him. She tightly gripped his clothes, her lips turning red and her face becoming rosy.

Meng Yuxiu kissed her cheek and said, "You don't want me to leave?"

“Of course.” Chang Lili’s muddled mind still remembered her current identity. “General, please stay and keep me company today.”