Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

Grand Tutor Tao returned from He Jingyuan's place and went straight to find Fan Changyu. Upon arriving at her camp, he was informed that she had gone home.

New recruits were not yet required to fight, and officers were granted one day of leave every half-month, allowing the soldiers under them a day of rest as well. Those like Fan Changyu, who had their own residences near the garrison, could return home for the day.

Grand Tutor Tao clasped his hands behind his back and glanced at the sky, murmuring, "How capricious fate is—why must everything converge at once?"

By the time Xie Zheng arrived at the small courtyard Fan Changyu had rented, following the address Xie Qi had provided in his letter, the sun was already setting.

The courtyard was somewhat secluded, with a stone path leading to the gate. A pomegranate tree stretched its branches over the wall, its red blossoms long gone, replaced by tiny pomegranate fruits no larger than fingernails.

The gate was open. A woman past fifty sat on the threshold, slowly trimming a basin of greens, while a young woman dressed in feminine attire sat on a low stool beside her, helping with the task.

Inside the courtyard, a wiry old man was crafting some sort of tool, while a young man beside him diligently planed a piece of wood.

Xie Zheng halted with his horse, quietly watching for a long time.

Perhaps it was the golden glow of the setting sun casting a warm haze over everything, but for a moment, it gave him the illusion of home.

The undercurrents of court intrigue seemed distant now, leaving only tranquility in his heart.

Footsteps approached from the other end of the path, accompanied by a child’s cheerful, off-key humming of a nursery rhyme.

Xie Zheng turned his head and saw Changning skipping ahead, her twin buns bouncing with each step. Xie Qi followed behind, herding a mother duck and a brood of ducklings, calling out helplessly, "Little ancestor, slow down—be careful not to trip..."

The gyrfalcon waddled along as well. Whenever a duckling strayed too far and Xie Qi couldn’t manage, the gyrfalcon would peck at it, sending the fluffy yellow hatchling scrambling forward with frantic cheeps.

Xie Qi looked up and was startled to see Xie Zheng standing by the path with his horse. "Marquess—er, Master," he quickly corrected.

Changning also exclaimed in surprise, "Brother-in-law?"

Hearing the commotion, Fan Changyu, seated at the gate, looked up. When she saw the figure standing in the sunset with his horse, she froze for a moment before wiping her hands on her clothes and rising to her feet. She hesitated, torn between stepping forward to take the reins and staying where she was.

Aunt Zhao, however, beamed at the sight of Yan Zheng and urged Fan Changyu, "Quick, Xiao Yan is here—why aren’t you going to greet him?"

Fan Changyu was simply caught off guard by Xie Zheng’s sudden appearance in Chongzhou.

Wasn’t he supposed to be leading troops to attack Kangcheng?

Why had he come here all of a sudden?

Her mind buzzing with questions, Fan Changyu stepped forward, about to offer to take the horse, but Xie Wu, who had been planing wood with Zhao Mu Jiang in the courtyard, rushed over and snatched the task from her.

With a grin, he said, "The ox pen is empty—I’ll tie the horse there for now."

The courtyard originally belonged to a farming family, complete with pigsties and ox pens.

After Aunt Zhao arrived, she not only planted vegetables nearby but also raised a flock of chickens and ducks. Changning pestered Xie Qi daily to take her and the ducks to the river for a swim before returning.

Zhao Mu Jiang, conscripted as both a craftsman and a veterinarian for the army, wasn’t required to train with the troops. His schedule was even more flexible than Fan Changyu’s. After Fan Changyu brought Aunt Zhao back, she had gone to find him.Zhao Mu Jiang never expected to reunite with his wife in a foreign land. When he was conscripted and taken away, he had already prepared himself to die far from home. Now that the old couple could be together again, he mostly stayed at the small courtyard.

Restless by nature, he noticed the worn-out tables and chairs in the yard and began crafting various household items. Gradually, the once dilapidated courtyard took on a lively atmosphere.

Fan Changyu looked at the man she hadn't seen in just a few days and asked bluntly, "Weren't you supposed to be in Kangcheng? Why are you here?"

The orange-red sunset cast a glow on her cheeks, as if she were wearing rouge. Xie Zheng gazed at her for a moment before replying, "If the mountain won't come to me, then I must go to the mountain."

Having been forced by Grand Tutor Tao to study daily, listening to his endless lectures on philosophy, Fan Changyu had made some progress in her learning. She understood his meaning, and her face flushed even redder under the sunset.

Aunt Zhao, holding a basket of freshly picked vegetables, stood up cheerfully. "Xiao Yan, come inside and sit!"

She was overjoyed to see Xie Zheng. In times of war, few soldiers returned alive, yet here was her husband safe and sound, and Changyu's husband too. To Aunt Zhao, this was a tremendous blessing. She immediately turned to Zhao Mu Jiang and urged, "Old man, quick—go slaughter that speckled hen from the coop!"

Xie Qi, who had just herded the ducks back into their pen, spoke up. "Auntie, I'll do it." With that, he grabbed the hen from the coop beside the duck pen and headed to the kitchen.

Unaware of Xie Zheng's true identity, Aunt Zhao worried he might misunderstand and explained, "That was Xiao Qi just now. The one who took your horse earlier was Xiao Wu. They're both soldiers under Changyu's command. You wouldn't believe it—Changyu has become quite capable now! She's an officer in the army, leading dozens of men."

Fan Changyu had never revealed Xie Zheng's real status to the elderly couple—partly to avoid alarming them, and partly because their previous marriage arrangement was no longer valid. She had planned to explain everything once things settled down.

She hadn't expected Aunt Zhao to boast about her modest position as a squad leader right in front of Xie Zheng. Flustered, she quickly interrupted, "Auntie, what are we having for dinner?"

Aunt Zhao's attention shifted immediately as she pondered the welcome feast. Muttering to herself, she said, "We have the chicken, but only one mother duck left—she's needed to tend to the ducklings, so we can't slaughter her. Maybe we should stew some ribs too..."

Likely wanting to give the "long-separated" couple some alone time, Aunt Zhao took Zhao Mu Jiang to help with the cooking fire and coaxed Changning into the kitchen as well.

Xie Wu, who had gone to tether the horses, still hadn't returned. The courtyard was now truly empty except for Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng.

Feeling awkward, she said, "I haven't told Aunt Zhao about your identity yet."

Xie Zheng replied, "It's fine."

Then he asked, "How have things been in the army?"

Though they had parted on good terms, Fan Changyu now felt inexplicably uneasy. She traced circles on the ground with her toe and answered, "My adoptive father secured me a squad leader position. Everything's going well so far."

Xie Zheng gave a faint "Hmm" in response.

At a loss for words, Fan Changyu noticed the long, narrow wooden case he was holding—taller than a person—and asked, "What's this?"

Xie Zheng said, "For you."

"For me?" She glanced at him curiously. When she reached out to take it, she found it surprisingly heavy.Upon opening it, she found a Horse-Cutting Sword inside, its blade dark with golden-red forging patterns and only the edge gleaming snow-white, looking brand new.

Fan Changyu picked up the long sword and weighed it in her hand, finding the weight perfect for wielding. As her fingertips lightly brushed the edge, her skin broke, and tiny beads of blood welled up.

She exclaimed in surprise, "What a sharp blade!"

Lifting her head to look at Xie Zheng, she asked, "Did you specially have this made?"

Xie Zheng neither confirmed nor denied it. Lifting his eyelids lazily, his tone carried a hint of amusement as he said, "Waiting for you to achieve great feats sooner."

Fan Changyu caught the implication in his words, her face burning again. Gripping the hilt tightly, she nonetheless raised her eyes to meet his gaze firmly and said, "I will."

Xie Zheng was momentarily taken aback by the look in her eyes, his own darkening slightly. He asked, "Want to try out the new blade?"

Thinking he meant to spar with her, Changyu happily agreed, "Sure."

She immediately assumed a fighting stance.

But Xie Zheng said, "Let's go outside."

Assuming he found the courtyard too cramped for proper movement, she readily agreed, "Then let's go to the riverbank. It's more open there."

Calling out to the kitchen that she'd be back later, she followed Xie Zheng outside, carrying her newly acquired sword.

At this hour, dusk had settled over the land, and the riverbank was completely deserted.

Xie Zheng casually picked up a wooden stick as his weapon. Changyu, who had previously wielded two butcher knives with a bold and unrestrained fighting style, now fully utilized her strengths with this well-balanced long-handled Horse-Cutting Sword.

Under the moonlight, the clash of their weapons was almost a blur—metallic clangs against the dull thuds of wood.

Compared to short knives, Changyu's moves with the long-handled sword were more fluid, but having rarely used such a weapon in actual combat and facing Xie Zheng, her movements still betrayed some inexperience.

For some reason, Xie Zheng didn't seem to be giving his all tonight, relying more on finesse than brute strength. Accustomed to aggressive offense with little defense, Changyu found her raw power stifled by his evasive tactics. In her urgency, her swordplay revealed openings.

After a fierce slash, Xie Zheng exploited a gap, using his stick to flick her sword away. Stumbling back on loose gravel, her back hit a post on the dock. As she leaned forward to retrieve her sword, Xie Zheng's stick was already pointing at her heart, half an inch away.

Changyu was inwardly startled. The exertion had left her sweating heavily, her breathing deep and chest heaving, her collar nearly brushing against the stick aimed at her.

In the darkness, Xie Zheng's expression was unreadable, but his voice, oddly hoarse, said, "You lose."

Recalling each move, Changyu pressed her lips together. Attempting to move, she found Xie Zheng's stick still firmly in place. Indignant, she said, "Again!"

But the man before her simply stared intently.

Meeting his gaze, Changyu was startled by the darkness in his eyes. Instinctively wanting to look away, she found herself mesmerized, staring back in a daze.

When he leaned down to kiss her, her breath hitched slightly. Listening to the murmuring river, her long lashes fluttered before she slowly closed her eyes.

Compared to before, his kiss was gentler this time, yet lingeringly tender.Fan Changyu felt like she couldn't breathe anymore, so she tried to push him away, but he caught her hands and pinned them above her head. With his other hand gripping her chin, he kissed her deeply.

Perhaps because he had just finished practicing martial arts, his entire body was burning hot. His breath felt like fire, and the thin summer clothes couldn't block the scorching heat radiating from him.

The heat intensified his scent—not incense, nor sweat, but something unique, belonging solely to him. It was pleasant.

Most likely due to lack of oxygen, unlike the numbness she felt in her lips and tongue after previous kisses, Changyu now felt her limbs go weak, barely able to stand.

The man before her seemed to be in an even worse state. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breathing heavy like a beast on the verge of frenzy. The warmth of his breath against her neck was almost scalding.

Instinctively sensing danger, Changyu tilted her head to the side and, after some thought, suggested, "How about we fight again?"

The man suddenly bit down on a small patch of skin on her neck, sucking on it as if in retaliation.

The sharp yet subtle pain made Changyu gasp, and she didn’t dare speak again.

Her knowledge of matters between men and women was limited, but she noticed that after hearing her faint gasp, his body seemed to tense even more, his temples damp with sweat.

Sensing his distress, Changyu gently patted his back in reassurance.

He released her neck but remained just half a foot away, his dark eyes deeper than the night itself. His hoarse voice carried a softness as he murmured, "Fan Changyu, when can I marry you?"

He was undeniably handsome—his sweat-dampened bangs tousled across his forehead, his deep phoenix eyes intense yet tinged with a barely noticeable compromise and grievance, his lips pressed into a tight line that made her want to kiss him.

Changyu’s heart softened. She reached up to touch his face and said earnestly, "When I’ve saved enough 'dowry' for myself, I’ll marry you."

The dowry she spoke of wasn’t money—it was what she had told him before: the confidence to stand by his side as his equal.

Xie Zheng stared at her. "Fine, I’ll wait. I’ll marry no one but you in this lifetime, and you can’t marry anyone else either."

Changyu laughed. "In all my years, you’re the only one I’ve ever liked. If I don’t marry you, who else would I marry?"

Her words left Xie Zheng stunned for a long moment.

Feeling a little embarrassed after saying that, Changyu averted her gaze and added, "Aunt Zhao has probably finished cooking. Let’s go back."

But Xie Zheng suddenly asked, "What about your former fiancé?"

So much had happened since Changyu left Qingping County that she had nearly forgotten about Song Yan. Hearing Xie Zheng mention him now, she looked at him incredulously. "You think I liked him?"

Xie Zheng forced out two stiff words: "Back then."

Changyu hadn’t expected him to bring up old grievances—especially since he had always dismissed Song Yan with utter disdain.

She sighed helplessly. "Believe it or not, I didn’t like him back then either."She scratched her head, a bit embarrassed, and said, "Actually... I wasn't very close to him. In the past, it was mostly the adults from both families who interacted. He was always buried in his books growing up, while I used to run wild with all the kids in the alley as a child. Later, my mother kept me under strict supervision, so I rarely saw him. Even when we did meet, we barely exchanged a few words. I always thought he was quite proud and seemed reluctant to marry a butcher's daughter. I even privately suggested calling off the engagement to him."

Xie Zheng suddenly interjected, "You gave him a pair of clay dolls."

Fan Changyu was utterly dumbfounded. For the first time, she felt this man's memory was annoyingly sharp.

Stammering, she replied, "No, I wasn’t even eight years old then. Giving him those clay dolls wasn’t out of romantic feelings—I just pitied him because his father had just passed away."

Xie Zheng pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Fan Changyu ruffled her hair and asked, "Didn’t you ever give gifts to little girls out of courtesy or something?"

He coldly dropped two words: "Never."

Fan Changyu truly didn’t know how to handle the situation. It felt as though she were some heartless playboy, encountering a beloved girl who suddenly took issue with her past.

She sighed, "If you mind—"

He cut her off: "I don’t mind."

Fan Changyu: "..."

What else could she say?

They stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Finally, Xie Zheng lowered his long, thick lashes and said, "Let’s go back."

His retreating figure under the moonlight looked both ethereal and lonely.

As Fan Changyu hoisted her Horse-Cutting Sword and chased after him, she was still utterly bewildered. She had no idea how she’d suddenly become the heartless woman who’d broken someone’s heart.

Along the way, Fan Changyu tried several times to strike up a conversation with Xie Zheng, but he responded with only one or two words at most.

Realizing he had no intention of engaging with her anytime soon, she eventually gave up and stayed silent all the way home.

During dinner, Aunt Zhao seemed to notice the strange tension between them.

After the meal, Xie Qi and Xie Wu scrambled to clear the dishes. Xie Zheng sat in the courtyard, exchanging idle chatter with Zhao Da Shu, while Fan Changyu went to fetch bedding for the makeshift bed.

There were only three rooms in the courtyard. Usually, Aunt Zhao and Changning shared one, Xie Qi had his own, and the last was reserved for Fan Changyu.

Whenever Fan Changyu returned, Zhao Mu Jiang and Xie Wu usually came back together. At such times, Changning would sleep with Fan Changyu, the elderly Zhao couple would take one room, and Xie Wu would squeeze into Xie Qi’s room.

Tonight, someone would inevitably have to sleep on the floor.

As she carried the bedding back to her room, Aunt Zhao blocked the doorway, her expression serious. "Changyu, I have something to say to you."

Thinking it was something important, Fan Changyu set down the bedding. After Aunt Zhao closed the door and sat down inside, she said, "Go ahead."

Aunt Zhao sighed and said, "Changyu, I know you’ve come up in the world now, but there’s a saying among common folk: 'Do not cast aside the wife who shared your humble beginnings.' When times were toughest for you, it was Xiao Yan who stood by you. Later, he was even conscripted and taken away. That bond is something no one else can compare to. Xiao Yan isn’t lacking in looks or stature either. No matter what, I still hope you two can make it work and not follow the example of those heartless men who turn their backs on their past once they gain wealth."Fan Changyu found it hard to explain and could only brace herself to say, "We're fine."

Aunt Zhao scowled. "He was perfectly fine when he first came looking for you. How come he returned with that expression after you two went out together? You must have had a disagreement. Don’t try to fool me—I’ve been around long enough to tell from just a glance that something’s off."

After a moment’s thought, she asked, "Xiao Wu has always been by your side. If Yan Zheng is bothered by that, how about I act as matchmaker and find Xiao Wu a wife?"

Fan Changyu quickly replied, "It’s not about that, Auntie. Please don’t worry. It’s really nothing serious. I’ll find a chance to talk it out with him."

Aunt Zhao looked skeptical. She glanced at the quilts Fan Changyu had pulled out, stuffed them all back into the cabinet, and shut the door firmly. "Then you two will share a room tonight and sort things out properly. I’ll take care of Ning Niang."

Fan Changyu made a last-ditch effort. "One quilt isn’t enough."

Aunt Zhao glared. "How is it not enough? It’s already summer—each of you can just cover a corner. Did you take out all those quilts to force him to sleep on the floor?"

When Fan Changyu was shooed back into the room, she felt even more aggrieved.

She wasn’t the one who started this!

Before long, Xie Zheng also entered the room—no doubt persuaded by Aunt Zhao.

Fan Changyu sat on the edge of the bed. The two of them locked eyes, and she awkwardly managed, "Shall we rest?"

Xie Zheng removed his outer robe, leaving only his inner garments, and lay down on the outer side of the bed.

Fan Changyu looked at the generous space he’d left for her. Given how strained things were between them, she couldn’t very well suggest he sleep alone now.

She blew out the lamp, groped her way past his feet to the inner side, and lay down near the edge, leaving a wide gap between them.

Neither spoke in the darkness. After a long while, Fan Changyu sighed and said, "How can you be so unreasonable? When I gave those things away as a child, I had no idea the Song family would turn out this way, nor that I’d ever meet you. You can be upset with me over things now, but if you resent the past, what am I supposed to do?"

The figure lying on the outer side didn’t move. A low voice broke the silence. "When I was four, I lost both my parents."

Hearing this, Fan Changyu thought he was bringing it up because she’d mentioned giving Song Yan a clay doll after his father’s death, and now he wanted a gift from her too.

Helpless, she said, "Those clay dolls were actually made by Uncle Zhao for me to play with, just like the grasshoppers Changning plays with. How about I make a pair for you with my own hands?"

As she spoke the last three words, she reached out, took his hand, and gave it a gentle shake.

Her heart felt as if a feather had brushed against it.

He remained silent for a long time before answering with a single word: "Okay."

He wasn’t resentful—he was jealous.

Jealous that in the years before he met her, while he walked alone, there had been another child who, grieving a father’s death, had earned her compassion. That child had received gifts from her, grown up alongside her, witnessed every version of her from the past—versions he could never see—and had even been engaged to her.

Just thinking about it made an indescribable malice spread through his heart.

But he didn’t dare tell Fan Changyu any of this. He was afraid she’d think him a madman.

Hearing his response, Fan Changyu felt she’d finally managed to placate him. "Then it’s settled," she said.Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, he firmly grasped it in return, leaving her no room to pull away.

Fan Changyu turned her head in surprise to look at the person beside her, only to find his eyes closed as if he had already fallen asleep.

Helpless yet amused, her heart softened completely. With their hands still intertwined, she lay flat and drifted off to sleep.

Only after Changyu's breathing steadied did the feigning sleeper suddenly open his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, gazing at her unblinkingly in the darkness.