As it turned out, Meishan Jun didn’t stay for dinner that day. Just as inconspicuously as he had appeared, he left without anyone noticing when, waving his sleeves and taking not even a wisp of cloud with him.
No one had the time to spare him a thought, for Lu Qianqiao’s return a day early had thrown the Imperial Mausoleum into a whirlwind of excitement. Xin Mei, brimming with energy, crafted tofu sculptures of the Tofu General, Tofu Xinmei, Tofu Xin Xiong, Tofu Zhao Guan Ren, and about seven or eight others. In no time, chopsticks were flying everywhere—everyone was quick-eyed, swift-handed, and merciless, snatching their own tofu heads to plop into the general’s bowl.
Xin Xiong, overjoyed, drank too much again and was dragged back to the guest room by Tao Guoguo and his younger brother to sleep it off. Any demons with a shred of tact quietly took their leave, giving the young couple some privacy. Only Zhao Guan Ren, hiccuping from fullness, lingered nearby, pulling out the rewritten second half of A Match Made in Resentment from his pocket—revised hundreds of times—and insisted on reading it aloud to them.
“General, young lady, based on your recent experiences, I’ve polished and revised the latter part. After Xiao Mei tearfully leaves General Qianqiao, she encounters a graceful and elegant celestial monk, who falls for her at first sight, and from then on, sparks fly uncontrollably—”
A crisp thud cut off his endless chatter as Zhao Guan Ren collapsed face-first onto the floor, out cold.
Xin Mei casually tossed the weapon in her hand—a wooden bucket—onto the ground and smiled at the silent Lu Qianqiao. “Come on, let’s go back to our room.”
The room had already been prepared by thoughtful little demons, who had drawn hot water from the bathhouse. Lu Qianqiao sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching as she wrung out a warm towel and came over to wipe his face and hands.
“Lu Qianqiao, have you been too busy to eat or sleep again?”
Cupping his face, Xin Mei examined him from left to right. He had grown darker and thinner, with faint shadows under his eyes—clear signs of exhaustion. He had originally planned to return the next day but must have missed her too much, pushing through the night to reunite with her a day early.
He smiled faintly, unconcerned. “…I’ll be more careful next time.”
After smoothing out the bedding and patting the fluffy quilt, Xin Mei said, “You should be careful now . Go to sleep. I’ll wake you for dinner.”
Though it was still bright outside, she closed the moon-shaped window and drew the curtains. When she turned back, the general who had traveled so far to return home refused to sleep, sitting at the head of the bed in his inner robe, hair loose, staring at her.
“Not sleeping?” she asked.
Lu Qianqiao coughed lightly, turning his face away somewhat bashfully before murmuring, “You… want to join me?”
Ah, so he still couldn’t bear to part with her.
Xin Mei took off her outer robe, kicked off her shoes, and jumped onto the bed, burrowing into his arms. “Come here, let’s sleep together.”
She carried a scent that was nostalgic and intoxicating—not the bewitching fragrance of passion, nor the clamor of kitchen smoke. It was hard to describe, but the moment she was in his arms, he felt at ease and comforted. The frenzied Blood of the War Devil gradually calmed, and all the deadly thorns he carried outside were sheathed away.
Every time, it left him feeling strange yet familiar, joyful yet tender.
“Lu Qianqiao, what exactly is going on in your clan? Do you have to fight every day too?”
Though she knew he had urgent matters to attend to in his clan, she had no idea what they were. Lu Qianqiao never spoke to her about such violent, blood-soaked affairs. But seeing him grow more haggard with each return, her heart ached for him."Hmm... Fighting every day is way busier than being a general for the Emperor of Qiong."
As the General of Agile Cavalry, he only had to deal with ordinary people. But back with his clan, he was up against the entire, far more prosperous Youhu Clan. With Li Chao Yang still unconscious, it was no wonder he was swamped.
"When will the war be over?"
If it didn't end soon, she was afraid Lu Qianqiao would be worked to the bone.
He thought for a moment. "...It should be soon."
That day outside the Imperial Mausoleum, when he had ambushed and killed the High Priest, the dying man had uttered two words: "Lift the curse." Later, among the High Priest's shattered remains, he had found a wax pellet containing a slip of paper. On it were listed unheard-of herbs, animal hides, horns, sinews, and organs, followed by two final lines: "You're so inelegant! Farewell forever!"
He immediately knew—that cunning fox must have found a way to escape. The items listed on the slip were likely the key to breaking the curse on Li Chao Yang.
It was hard to fathom what the High Priest had been scheming. Anyone with half a brain would have gone into hiding after slaying the Perfect War Devil, not strutted around openly—let alone personally escorted Xin Xiong from the Sinister Clan, guarded by the Youhu Clan, to the Imperial Mausoleum. It was so unnecessary, almost as if... as if he had come specifically to see Lu Qianqiao and deliver the curse-breaking method.
Whatever his motives, the method was genuine. Li Chao Yang's awakening was only a matter of time, and the Youhu Clan's affairs would soon be resolved.
Xin Mei leaned in, eyes wide. "How soon is 'soon'? Six months? A year?"
He smiled and ruffled her hair. "I think... it'll be settled within five years."
Her face fell instantly. "Five years?! By then, I'll be an old woman in my twenties!"
...Did she really think twenty-something was "old"? Among the War Ghost Clan, plenty were still marrying and having children at fifty. The twenty-five—soon to be twenty-six—year-old War Fiend General felt deeply aggrieved. It was like being called a "wrinkled old man" by his young, beautiful wife.
Lu Qianqiao felt the need to prove he was still in the prime of his youth and vigor. Extending his strong, youthful hands, he groped, kneaded, embraced, and caressed the squirming softness in his arms. Blood boiling, he even lowered his handsome young head to plant a kiss brimming with youthful passion.
But instead of the familiar softness, his lips met something rough and cold. Startled, he pulled back and saw Xin Mei grinning mischievously, holding the long-lost Mirror of United Hearts between them. Had she... been hiding it in the bed this whole time?
"Come on, solve my question first."
Xin Mei raised the mirror. Last time at Changgeng Pass, it hadn't shown any reflection, and she'd been brooding over it ever since. Now that he was finally home, she was determined to get a proper look.
The mirror's coarse surface remained blank for a long while. Impatient, Xin Mei smacked it. "Is it broken?"
...Could you not be so hasty? The Mirror of United Hearts wept silently. Then, suddenly, ripples like water spread across its surface, and tiny points of light—like dancing fireflies—swayed within.
Xin Mei gasped in delight. "Ah! It's working!"But those light spots just danced endlessly, no longer quickly forming the image of the two of them embracing affectionately as before. Xin Mei held her breath and waited for a long time, until suddenly the mirror surface darkened, reflecting only her own image—eyes tightly shut, expression serene, as if in deep slumber.
In the mirror, Xin Mei's hands were enveloped by a mass of black clouds... or rather, her entire body was shrouded and embraced by thick, dark mist. The human-shaped black cloud had two blood-red eyes that flickered menacingly. The scene was terrifying enough to send chills down one's spine.
Xin Mei looked at the mirror in shock and confusion, then raised her head to glance at Lu Qianqiao. His expression was calm, his voice low: "Don't be afraid... I'm no longer an ordinary person. It's normal for the Mirror of United Hearts not to reflect me."
No longer an ordinary person?
She reached out to touch his cheek—warm and soft to the touch, his breathing faint, a lock of hair falling over his forehead which she gently brushed aside—where was there anything special about him? He was just an ordinary, somewhat expressionless and taciturn man.
"Come here," she said, tossing the Mirror of United Hearts directly onto the floor and opening her arms to tightly embrace his head. "Let's sleep. I'll make you duck blood soup tonight."
He closed his eyes, drowning in her pleasant scent, unwilling to resurface.
The Mirror of United Hearts flashed once on the floor. In the mirror, Xin Mei smiled as the blood-red eyes of the human-shaped black cloud slowly closed, the image vanishing in an instant.
The two of them no longer needed the Mirror of United Hearts to prove anything. How silly she had been to obsess over this issue before.
"...Let's sell this useless mirror tomorrow... might even earn us a few taels of silver," Xin Mei murmured drowsily.
On the cold floor, the Mirror of United Hearts wept a river of silent tears.
In May, when the lilacs bloomed, Lu Qianqiao—usually so busy—was uncharacteristically not rushing about the clan, planning how to track down the elusive Youhu Clan with their multiple hideouts for the dispatched War Ghosts.
Instead, he was in a town dozens of miles away, carefully examining a box of bracelets presented by the jeweler.
That delicate pure gold Shrimp Whisker Bracelet—would it suit her snow-white wrist? No, no, gold was too vulgar. Better pick another.
This mutton-fat white jade bracelet was exquisite, but the jade wasn't pure. How could he give her something with such a flaw?
The pearl-encrusted one was quite beautiful, but she was so active—what if she knocked the pearls loose? She'd be upset for days.
...
The general was troubled. The jeweler was exasperated.
The third day of the fifth month was Xin Mei's seventeenth birthday. Since he was often away and couldn't spend much time with her, he had taken Li Yan's advice and decided to buy her a gift. Though Li Yan had said Xin Mei might prefer a handmade doll, he simply didn't have the time for that. Besides, giving a doll seemed too cheap...
Lu Qianqiao spent a full half-hour selecting before finally shaking his head: "...Never mind the bracelets. Show me some hairpins instead."
The jeweler tearfully put away the box. This customer had been lingering in the shop for hours, first looking at necklaces, then earrings, yet satisfied with nothing. If not for the man's blood-red eye and intimidating demeanor, he would have had his assistants throw him out long ago.
Two boxes of carefully selected, latest-style hairpins were brought out, featuring kingfisher feather inlays, floral designs, filigree work, and more—every variety imaginable.Lu Qianqiao gave a cursory glance, then suddenly his eyes lit up as he gently picked up an amethyst hairpin. Leaving aside the exquisite craftsmanship and elegant design of the pin itself, the amethyst was flawlessly translucent without a single impurity or crack—truly the finest quality.
Come to think of it, last month when he returned, Xin Mei had just made a new dress in this exact shade of light purple. Paired with this hairpin, she would surely love it...
Just as Lu Qianqiao was about to pay, he suddenly heard Fierce Cloud Colt let out a long whinny outside, followed by Li Min rushing in breathlessly. The panic on his face finally dissipated upon seeing Lu Qianqiao.
"Young Master!" Li Min strode forward, about to speak when he suddenly noticed the shopkeeper eagerly waiting for payment nearby. The shopkeeper took one look at Li Min's bloodshot eyes and scrambled away in terror, shrieking as he fled to the back room, too frightened to come out.
"What is it?"
Lu Qianqiao tossed two silver notes onto the table, carefully wrapped the amethyst hairpin, and tucked it into his robe.
Li Min steadied himself before speaking. "It's the Madam! Madam... she seems to be waking up!"
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