Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

Fan Changyu turned her head to look at Xie Zheng, whose face was half-hidden in the shadows.

Backlit as he was, she couldn’t make out his expression at this moment, but his voice was noticeably deeper than usual. "I spoke harshly to you earlier. My apologies."

Having been proud all his life, it was rare for him to lower his head voluntarily.

Fan Changyu still didn’t respond and simply lifted the tent flap to step outside.

Xie Zheng watched the swaying fabric of the tent entrance, his lips gradually tightening.

A short while later, Fan Changyu returned carrying a water kettle, steam rising from its spout—clearly freshly boiled.

Ignoring the momentary surprise on Xie Zheng’s face, she picked up a wooden cup from the table, poured water into it, and handed it to him. "Want some?"

Xie Zheng took the cup. The freshly boiled water was scalding, so he didn’t bring it to his lips, merely holding it in his hand as he offered a belated thanks. "I appreciate the cloak you found for me."

Fan Changyu glanced at the red velvet cloak draped over his front but still didn’t engage, only asking, "Have you changed your bandages?"

Most of Xie Zheng’s face was obscured by the steam rising from the cup, his long lashes like delicate fans. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head. His pallid complexion, cold as frost, resembled a wintry moon hanging over a frost-laden forest—lonely and detached, his features etched with a world-weary aloofness, as if resigned to withering away here.

Fan Changyu supposed this was the advantage of having a striking appearance. Seeing him like this, she inexplicably felt a pang of pity.

Assuming the army doctors were too overwhelmed with the influx of wounded to tend to him, she wordlessly stood and went to fetch medicine.

After today’s fierce battle, the mountain had indeed gained many more injured. The few army doctors accompanying the troops were rushing about the camp. The one assigned to Xie Zheng had originally intended to change his bandages on schedule but had been dismissed with Xie Zheng’s insistence to "see to the other soldiers first."

The doctors were well aware of Xie Zheng’s temperament, and since his bandages had only been changed the night before, they didn’t press further. Now, seeing Fan Changyu approach, they inwardly sighed in relief and promptly handed her the herbs for dressing his wounds and the decoction to be brewed.

Returning with several packets of medicine, Fan Changyu looked at Xie Zheng, who was propped against the headboard, and said stiffly, "Take off your clothes."

Xie Zheng glanced at the medicine in her hands but asked no questions, obediently removing his thin robe.

Compared to when Fan Changyu had first found him, he was noticeably more solid now, his abdominal muscles well-defined and sculpted. Yet the scars—some deep, some shallow—were just as glaring.

Her expression stern, Fan Changyu carefully unwound the bandages that slanted from his shoulder to his ribs, her movements deliberately gentle.

The innermost layer of gauze was stained with herbal juices and blood, the smell far from pleasant. When she saw the wound—slightly improved from before but still gruesome—her heart churned with mixed emotions, and she averted her gaze.

She was about to apply the herbs when a hand closed over hers. The warmth against her skin sent a jolt through her, her entire arm prickling as if her blood were flowing backward. Frowning, she turned to Xie Zheng.

His eyes seemed to hold a multitude of emotions, yet none were clear. He only said calmly, "The wound is unsightly. I’ll do it myself."

Hearing this, Fan Changyu pressed her lips together, applied a bit more force, and pressed the herbs onto his injury. Xie Zheng looked at his now-empty hand, lowered his gaze, and seemed lost in thought.After applying the medicine, Fan Changyu silently wrapped the clean gauze around his wound layer by layer before finally murmuring, "I wasn't afraid of that wound of yours."

Xie Zheng was momentarily stunned by her words, but before he could respond, Fan Changyu added, "Push aside the hair on your left shoulder."

Having been bedridden for days, his tied-up hair had long since become disheveled, with many loose strands falling down. To wrap the gauze over his shoulder, she needed to brush aside the stray hair, but her hands were full.

Xie Zheng did as she asked, though a few strands still remained.

As she wound the gauze around, Fan Changyu continued her earlier thought: "I was afraid you would die."

Xie Zheng's long lashes lifted slightly, his cold, star-like eyes showing a trace of bewilderment.

The girl before him whispered, "Such a severe wound, nearly piercing your organs... it must have been excruciating at the time..."

Xie Zheng stared unblinkingly at her delicate features, feeling as though a tree with inward-curving thorns had taken root in his chest. Each inch its roots grew deeper into his heart brought a dull, aching pain, while the branches stretching upward filled him with a tender warmth, causing the tree to grow even more wildly.

He said, "I won't die."

How could he bear to die before marrying her?

Fan Changyu seemed naturally incapable of lying. Her clear almond eyes met those of this man who remained strikingly handsome and fierce even in his weakened state as she stated, "All men must die."

Xie Zheng smiled and said, "I know."

His genuine smile was breathtakingly beautiful. Unsure why he suddenly smiled, Fan Changyu was momentarily dazzled before frowning and continuing to wrap the bandage.

Xie Zheng asked, "Not angry with me anymore?"

Her hands paused slightly. "I wasn't really angry to begin with. I'm not part of the military camp and don't understand the rules. What you said wasn't wrong."

Though her words sounded reasonable, Fan Changyu felt slightly embarrassed recalling her earlier behavior.

She had indeed been angry, though she didn't understand why.

After descending the mountain to seize salt—solving the most pressing issue for those above—she had casually taken two cloaks, thinking of Yan Zheng and Changning.

But returning full of joy, she was met with harsh scolding instead. She knew Yan Zheng's words were justified, yet couldn't suppress the ache in her heart, that inexplicable feeling resembling grievance.

Wrong was wrong—why feel aggrieved?

Fan Changyu felt she was becoming strange, almost unlike herself, which was why she had hurried away.

In the past, she wouldn't have taken Yan Zheng's words so personally—after all, his disdain for her wasn't new.

Now his words could hurt her.

Fan Changyu didn't know what had changed. She seemed to have become worse—acknowledging mistakes and correcting them was the right way.

Hearing her words, Xie Zheng also paused slightly before saying, "My earlier words were too harsh. Your trip to the back mountain wasn't reckless—on the contrary, you uncovered the rebels' scheme. Your merits far outweigh any fault."

Fan Changyu only offered a shy smile, lacking the casual closeness they once shared, even showing a polite distance usually reserved for outsiders.After bandaging his wounds, she stepped back and sat on a round stool, lowering her eyes as she said, "Someone will bring you medicine tonight. Remember to take it. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Xiao Wu to come help change your bandages and clean you up. Rest well, and if you need anything, just tell Xiao Wu. I heard you two were in the same unit before, so it’s good to have someone familiar looking after you."

Xie Zheng finally sensed something amiss, his handsome brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"

Fan Changyu casually made up an excuse: "More injured soldiers have been brought down from the mountain, and the army doctors are overwhelmed. I’m going to help out and won’t have time to come here anymore. I’ve told Ning Niang to stay in her tent these past couple of days and not go outside."

Xie Zheng didn’t say another word until Fan Changyu left.

Fan Changyu felt uneasy too. She wandered off alone to a quiet slope and sat there in a daze for a while.

She knew that with Yan Zheng’s proud nature, he wouldn’t lower himself to ask her to keep tending to him. Even if he misunderstood that she might be repelled by his injuries, he wouldn’t press further.

But her heart was in turmoil right now. Fan Changyu didn’t understand what was happening to her. The only solution she could think of was to stay far away from Yan Zheng for the time being.

Gongsun Yin spent the entire afternoon coming to terms with the fact that the girl Xie Zheng had taken a liking to was just as much of an oddball as he was. When he went to discuss the upcoming battle plans with Xie Zheng, to avoid walking into a storm, he first asked Xie Wu, who had been standing guard in the shadows. Learning that Fan Changyu had visited Xie Zheng and even changed his bandages, Gongsun Yin thought that should have smoothed things over.

But the moment he stepped into the tent and saw Xie Zheng’s expression, he nearly turned right back around.

That deathly glare was anything but smoothed over—it was like someone had combed his fur backward with glue!

The chill in his gaze could freeze icicles!

Gongsun Yin cleared his throat and asked, "I heard Miss Fan came by?"

The moment Xie Zheng’s cold, heavy gaze turned on him, Gongsun Yin instantly regretted not wearing thicker clothes tonight. The spring chill was bone-piercing.

Rubbing his arms, he asked, "Did you two argue again? Wait, I ran all the way to the cookhouse camp to sing your praises. Xie Jiuhang, you’re a grown man—can’t you just swallow your pride and coax her properly?"

Xie Zheng leaned back in his armchair, unfinished documents still spread across the desk before him, his expression dark with self-loathing. "I apologized."

Gongsun Yin said, "With girls, you’ve got to humble yourself and sweet-talk them. You can’t just scowl your way through an apology—"

Xie Zheng’s glare cut him off.

After a long pause, Xie Zheng said, "I apologized properly. She said she wasn’t angry, but then she said she wouldn’t be coming back."

Gongsun Yin declared without hesitation, "That’s obviously her still being angry!"

Seeing Xie Zheng still looking somewhat confused, Gongsun Yin couldn’t help but say, "Women are always like this—they say one thing but mean another! When she says she’s not angry, she’s actually furious! She even said she won’t be coming for the next few days—didn’t you catch that?"

This was the first time Xie Zheng had ever liked a girl, and he had no idea how a woman’s mind worked. He asked, "How do I make her stop being angry?"Gongsun Yin pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, Miss Fan has every reason to be angry. With her exceptional martial skills, before coming here, when rebel scouts discovered the construction of the dam upstream in Jizhou, she had the courage to cross Witch Ridge alone on a rainy night to intercept them. This morning, she went hunting and single-handedly brought back a bear. Such bravery is rare even among your top generals. According to Xiao Wu, Miss Fan decided to pursue the rebels only after assessing their strength—showing both wisdom and courage. Not to mention, this act earned her solid military merits. Yet you scolded her harshly without a second thought. How could she not be angry?"

Fan Changyu had previously glossed over her experiences in Jizhou to avoid worrying Xie Zheng, so he was unaware of her exploits.

Hearing about them now, especially her solo bear hunt, he couldn’t help but feel astonished, though he grew even more silent.

Seeing this, Gongsun Yin sighed. "Miss Fan is no ordinary woman. I know your words that day came from concern and good intentions, but don’t mistake a swan for a sparrow. Though I haven’t interacted with her much, I can tell she has a very kind heart. Right now, the best course is for you to show some vulnerability."

Xie Zheng’s handsome brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Show vulnerability?"

The next day, Fan Changyu indeed went to help the Army Doctor, as she had told Xie Zheng the day before.

Her feats of seizing salt and killing a bear had already spread throughout the camp overnight.

As soon as she entered the wounded soldiers’ tent, many greeted her enthusiastically. Upon realizing she was a strikingly beautiful young woman, their surprise only grew.

The Army Doctor, aware of Fan Changyu’s status, didn’t dare let her bandage wounds and instead assigned her to brew medicine.

One wounded soldier remarked, "What a shame Miss Fan wasn’t born a man! With her martial prowess, she could’ve earned herself a generalship through military merits!"

Though there had been female generals in the dynasty, they all came from military families. Ordinary women, no matter how skilled, couldn’t even enlist, let alone fight for merits.

Another soldier joked, "Whoever has the fortune to marry Miss Fan won’t just have ancestors smiling in their graves—their graves would be on fire!"

Someone promptly elbowed him and whispered, "Watch your words! Miss Fan is already married!"

The uninformed asked eagerly, "Miss Fan is married?"

Xie Qi, who had ostensibly come to help but was actually there to protect Fan Changyu covertly, entered carrying a freshly brewed pot of medicine. Hearing the lively discussion about her, he couldn’t help but feel indignant on behalf of his master. "Miss Fan traveled thousands of miles to these mountains just to find her husband."

A wounded soldier immediately asked, "Who is Miss Fan’s husband? Did she find him?"

Xie Qi proudly lifted his chin, about to answer, but a soldier who’d heard rumors cut in first: "She found him, but they say he’s barely clinging to life, just hanging by a thread."

Xie Qi: "..."

The crowd first sighed in sympathy, then broke into animated chatter. A few even subtly adjusted their hair when Fan Changyu walked in, their hopeful gazes seemingly willing her "barely alive" husband to stop struggling and pass on sooner.

After leaving the wounded soldiers’ tent, Xie Qi couldn’t resist rushing to report this to Xie Zheng.On the other end, Fan Changyu had just started brewing the medicine sent by the Army Doctor when Xie Wu came rushing to find her: "Miss Fan! It's terrible! Your husband suddenly coughed up blood! You must come back quickly!"

Fan Changyu's heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly asked, "How did he cough up blood?"

Xie Wu didn't dare meet her eyes, his face twisted in distress as he said, "I don't know either! When I went in to deliver the medicine, I found him coughing so violently that the bedding was covered in blood!"

Fan Changyu thought to herself that such severe coughing was absolutely alarming. She immediately called for the Army Doctor who had previously examined Xie Zheng to accompany her back for a look.

The young soldier helping her brew the medicine was the same lad she had thrown out of the encirclement earlier.

Watching Fan Changyu and the Army Doctor hurry away, the boy sighed and muttered, "Is Sister Fan's husband really going to die?"