Of the two first-class merits listed on the medal, one was earned at the cost of his life.

No one knows how much courage this took.

Shen Zhihuan still remembers the regret and admiration she felt when she looked at that photo and those few words.

It was as if she were standing on that battlefield, witnessing this heroic scene firsthand.

Yet, this very person, who was so admirable, became, in Shen Ling's words, "a short-lived ghost who only drags others down."

Whenever Shen Ling felt resentful, she would curse Xie Lanshen.

"If you're going to die, why didn't you die sooner? If you had died on the battlefield, you wouldn't have been a burden on me, making me suffer after marrying into their family."

"This kind of reckless brute who only knows how to charge into battle with a gun deserves to never experience the taste of a woman in his entire life!"

Even though they barely interacted and had barely met, Shen Ling relentlessly vented her resentment simply because of his untimely death.

They actually made such a worthless claim about everything he had done—the life-saving efforts he had risked his life to secure for his company, and all the contributions he had made to his country and family.

It was after returning from the martyrs' exhibition that Shen Zhihuan suddenly realized how ridiculous Shen Ling's complaints were.

She couldn't bear the loneliness of her husband's sacrifice, and she couldn't understand the mission of being a military wife.

Such a selfish and ignorant person is not worthy of Xie Lanshen.

Shen Zhihuan narrowed her bright eyes, which were covered with a layer of cold light.

A fool like her should be bound to a treacherous and wicked scum like Gu Yuchuan for life.

Every step she took closer to Xie Lanshen was an insult to the honor of the military martyrs.

However, that fool is probably now following Gu Yuchuan, just as she imagined, dreaming of a blissful married life.

Chen Zhihuan felt a sense of exhilaration.

She gazed out the window and smiled slightly.

Shen Ling, I wish you success.

Shen Zhihuan suppressed her mocking smile, composed herself, bent down and gently examined Xie Lanshen's wounds, then took his pulse.

Similar to the afternoon, the wound has shown signs of healing.

After her afternoon treatment, her brain contusion has shown some improvement.

As long as we follow the original plan and perform the acupuncture and massage on him step by step, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Shen Zhihuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She tucked the blanket around him and, before leaving, touched the temperature of his forehead with the back of her hand.

Only after confirming that he did not have a fever did he feel completely relieved and quietly leave.

"Click—"

The moment the door closed, the man on the bed, who had been stared at for so long, opened his eyes.

A rare ripple appeared in those deep, clear black eyes, as still as an ancient well.

He just had a dream.

I dreamt that Shen Zhihuan was wearing a plain-colored long dress, standing in front of a glass railing, staring intently at an old photograph.

Countless people walked past her, stopped and left, some out of curiosity, others shaking their heads in amazement.

But no one lingered there like her. Though she didn't show much expression, her beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with sorrow.

It felt so real, like I could truly empathize with the people in the photos.

In her dream, he seemed to be right beside her.

He was holding a red cloth and gold thread amulet.

However, the gold thread embroidery on the amulet was frayed and the fabric was very old, with several small holes in the crisscrossing fibers, through which the yellow talisman paper inside could be vaguely seen.

Only the two characters in the very center, "平安" (Peace), are still intact.

He had never seen this amulet before, but in his dream it felt very familiar.

He held the amulet and watched her stand there for a long time.

When no one was watching, her eyelashes fluttered gently like butterflies, turning her sorrow into tears.

It slid down quietly, and then was wiped away silently.

He didn't step forward, but he truly sensed her regret and sorrow as she looked at the photo.

Even for a brief moment after waking up, he could still see that slender, aloof figure in a plain-colored long dress before him.

Xie Lanshen closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, becoming more awake, but still somewhat bewildered.

"What a strange dream..."

Shen Zhihuan knew nothing about Xie Lanshen's dream. As she walked, she inexplicably felt a chill behind her ear and sneezed twice.

She rubbed the tip of her nose with her finger and immediately took her pulse.

Why are you sneezing all of a sudden?

But this was just a minor incident, and Shen Zhihuan didn't take it too seriously.

She walked along the eaves of the courtyard, admiring the moonlight reflected in the lotus pots in the center of the courtyard and the plump, round koi carp. She then went around the moon gate to the room her grandparents had arranged for her.

The Xie family lived in a separate courtyard. Although it was not large, the small room on the side, separated by the moon gate, resembled a small courtyard.

A circle of bamboo was planted around the outer wall of Shen Zhihuan's room, providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer.

Pushing open the window, I sat down at the table in front of it. The swaying bamboo shadows on both sides, along with the bright full moon, formed a picture-perfect scene framed within the square wooden window.

It's so beautiful that just looking at it makes you feel refreshed and relaxed.

Shen Zhihuan sat by the window, comfortably squinting her eyes, watching the scene while sipping a cup of hot tea.

Think about her two lifetimes; she was either suffering greatly in the Shen family or facing life and death on the battlefield.

In both her past and present lives, she rarely had such a leisurely moment.

After finishing his tea, Chen Zhihuan finally got up and turned on the light.

The room was very clean, with an old-fashioned red lacquered eight-immortal table, two small wooden stools, a simple wardrobe, and a single bed.

Although the furnishings were simple, a cotton and linen tablecloth was laid on the table, and the thermos was filled with hot water.

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