Sun Xingjian clearly hadn't expected her to ask about this. He took a deep breath before replying with a slightly naive air, "You are a woman, and I am a man. I should stand in front of you. Besides, you are the beloved daughter of the Protector-General. The Protector-General has been incredibly kind to me. How could I disregard your life or death?"

His answer was righteous and awe-inspiring, and everything seemed reasonable, but Pan Wenjun was extremely dissatisfied with it.

"If the woman you encountered in the forest today were a complete stranger, would you still stand in front of her without hesitation and risk your life to save her?" she pressed sharply.

Sun Xingjian frowned deeply, hesitated for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and replied, "Of course, as a soldier of Daye, I will definitely lend a helping hand to any Daye citizen who is in danger in front of me."

These words didn't quite suit Pan Wenjun's taste, but Sun Xingjian's reaction pleased her somewhat. She seized upon a flaw and smiled slyly: "Is that so? But in the short time Brother Sun hesitated just now, Xiong might have already taken the life of the person you want to protect."

After saying this, Pan Wenjun smiled and added, "Today in the mountains, when Brother Sun stood in front of me, he didn't hesitate as much as he did when he answered earlier."

Sun Xingjian said he would protect every citizen of Daye. Pan Wenjun didn't think it was a lie, but at the same time, his hesitation made her realize that she was very different from others in Sun Xingjian's heart.

Sun Xingjian was not good at arguing with people, especially since the other party was a young woman. As the saying goes, a man should not fight with a woman. He embarrassed himself, then shook his head and continued to tend to the firewood in the hearth that was about to burn out.

Seeing that he was trying to brush it off again, Pan Wenjun was determined to speak frankly and ask all the questions she wanted to know.

"Brother Sun, do you still remember the vow you made to my father that you would marry me and treat me well in this life?"

Sun Xingjian's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't expected Pan Wenjun to bring this up again.

The fire in front of him was getting smaller and smaller, and the flames were getting shorter and shorter. The person opposite him, who was initially only able to show his face, was now becoming clearer and more complete. This made Sun Xingjian feel a little uncomfortable.

He himself didn't know what he really thought of Pan Wenjun.

Do I like it? Of course I don't dislike it.

Pan Wenjun was straightforward and frank, with the same cheerfulness as a soldier. When chatting with her in the north, I sometimes couldn't help but treat her like a buddy.

But she wasn't really a buddy; she was a girl, and a girl who had never been married.

Sun Xingjian, being neither blind nor stupid, had always understood her special treatment of him. However, he did not understand his own heart, and therefore dared not tell her anything, much less make any promises.

He used to fight alongside the Protector-General on the battlefield. Once, they fell into the enemy's trap, and their squad was surrounded on the mountain for a day and a night. At that time, the Protector-General said that he would not regret dying, but he could not close his eyes in peace until he could see his daughter get married and have her own home.

To reassure him and prevent morale from plummeting, Sun Xingjian half-jokingly and half-seriously said that if no one else would marry Pan Wenjun, he would marry her and treat her well for the rest of his life, putting the Protector-General at ease.

Pan Wei was relieved. In that battle, they ultimately won with fewer troops, launched a surprise attack on the enemy, successfully broke through the encirclement, and joined up with the main force.

To Sun Xingjian's surprise, at the victory banquet, Pan Wei repeated his promise to marry Pan Wenjun, which he had made on the mountain, in front of Pan Wenjun and all the soldiers.

From that time on, Pan Wenjun's attitude towards him changed. Their previous buddy-buddy relationship had changed after that night; when she looked at him, her gaze was now a mixture of affection and confidence, like that of lovers after a mutual understanding.

The reason Pan Wenjun mentioned earlier that he had sworn to her father that he would marry her and treat her well for the rest of his life stemmed from this. It wasn't exactly a misunderstanding; he was sincere when he said those words. But was it truly sincere? In that situation, he was mostly trying to reassure Pan Wei.

Pan Wenjun had never mentioned this matter over the years, but since she brought it up tonight, he planned to explain the situation to her properly.

"Wenjun, things aren't as you think."

"What do you mean? Could it be that my father framed you in front of so many soldiers of the Weirong Army? Didn't you say those words yourself?"

Pan Wenjun's words were full of mockery. Sun Xingjian forced a smile and explained, "Of course not. I said those words myself. However, the situation was special at the time. Our small team was surrounded on the mountain and we all felt that the chances of winning were slim. Many soldiers began to give each other their last words. Your father was also worried about you not getting married yet. I only said those words to put his mind at ease."

"So you mean you deceived my father at the critical moment of life and death?" Pan Wenjun asked, her demeanor both assertive and aggressive.

Sun Xingjian was so anxious that a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Of course I would not deceive the Protector-General. What I said was from the bottom of my heart!"

Pan Wenjun stopped talking and just looked at Sun Xingjian with a smile. Sun Xingjian naturally understood that he had followed her lead and gotten himself into a trap.

Sun Xingjian sighed heavily, closed his eyes, and said, "But what I said back then was that I would only do this if the Protector-General were to pass away!"

"So, is your vow only valid for that one day, or is it valid for the rest of the time?" Pan Wenjun suddenly asked him seriously.

Sun Xingjian was taken aback. He knew this sounded like a complete set of rules, but he couldn't very well say that his guarantee of someone else's safety was only valid once. So he nervously replied, "Of course it's valid in the future too."

"That makes things simple. No matter how long my father lives, he will eventually pass away. Aren't you destined to marry me?"

Sun Xingjian was stunned. He couldn't believe that anyone could say such treasonous things! He wanted to rebuke them, but after thinking about it, he remembered that Pan Wenjun had said that the Protector-General would live to be a hundred years old, so it didn't seem like a curse.

He raised his hand and scratched the back of his neck, somewhat helplessly.

Pan Wenjun laughed at his silly look, but the smile was as fleeting as fireworks. The moment Sun Xingjian lowered his head, Pan Wenjun's eyes were filled with disappointment.

How could she not see his reluctance and unwillingness?

When the flames dwindled, Pan Wenjun, realizing there wouldn't be much progress that night, got up and said, "It's getting late, and I'm a little tired. Brother Sun, you should go back to your tent and rest early too. We have to ride horses early tomorrow morning, unlike us who can rest in the carriage."