Chu Qiao had never seen Zhuge Yue sleep like this before. From the moment they boarded the ship in Cangzhou, he had fallen asleep and hadn't opened his eyes for a full day and night, not even noticing when she entered the room. Yue Qi said that ever since they departed from Zhenhuang, he hadn't had a proper night's sleep, and after switching to the land route from Xianyang, he hadn't closed his eyes at all. He must have been utterly exhausted.
Zhuge Yue's health wasn't actually very good. During these days of travel, she had seen him taking some dark black pills in private. When she discreetly asked Yue Qi about it, he was evasive. Duoji, who had some knowledge of medicine, later told Chu Qiao that Zhuge Yue was likely suffering from overexertion, insufficient heart blood, and exposure to cold.
Overexertion, exposure to cold—
Chu Qiao rested her chin on her hand as she sat in the chair. The ship sailed smoothly, the weather was fine with no wind or waves. Though the window was tightly shut, she could still see the passing green mountains and clear waters through the paper pane.
She recalled those days when Zhao Chun'er had forced her to flee to Biantang. She and the bookworm Liang had been bought by the Zhan family as slaves. At that time, she was injured, and Liang would cheerfully go out to fetch meals for her while she lay alone in the narrow cabin, gazing at the scenery outside through the only window. One day, it rained heavily, and in her sleep, she heard Meteor's whinnying. She rushed out in panic, but the ship carried her farther and farther away until she could no longer see the misty spring shores of Jiangnan.
Back then, Zhan Ziyu and Zhan Ziming were still obscure and downcast individuals. Li Ce was alive and well, living as the carefree Crown Prince in Great Tang. Mr. Wu, Miss Yu, and others were still striving wholeheartedly for their ideals. Yan Xun was still her childhood friend and beloved. And she, too, was full of confidence in the future, firmly believing that with her own strength and the help of like-minded friends, she could contribute her part to this war-torn world.
But alas, time ultimately remains the most merciless killer in this world. Li Ce was gone, Mr. Wu was killed, Miss Yu died in her arms, Zhan Ziyu's ambition led to the deaths of all his relatives, and the friends she thought were like-minded turned out not to be as loyal as she had imagined. Before power and imperial ambitions, many gradually drifted away from her. Even Yan Xun grew increasingly distant, eventually becoming a stranger.
The nation fell into ruin, grand ambitions were abandoned, ideals turned to ashes in the wind, like withered reeds at the end of autumn, swaying their barren, yellow leaves to mock past vows.
Yes, who could remain unchanged? Even the person she was today—was she truly the same as before?
She turned her head gently. Zhuge Yue was still sleeping quietly. He was truly a stubborn and obstinate person; even in sleep, his brows were furrowed. His usually sharp eyes were hidden beneath his eyelids, accentuating his distinct features—a tall nose bridge, thin lips, and well-defined contours.
They say people with such features are often cold-hearted and fickle. Yet he was the exception—so persistent, so fixated, so stubborn it was heartbreaking.
Zhuge Yue had once asked her if she had held such thoughts from the beginning or if she had a change of heart later. Even now, she found it difficult to answer that question. The human heart is a complex thing. When facing a single matter, you might have dozens or even hundreds of thoughts. You might plan one way at this moment, only to change your mind the next.She thought, she had changed as well. If it were the Chu Qiao of the past, she would likely have stayed in Tang Capital. Even if she couldn't truly marry Li Ce, she would have remained in the Tang palace as an honored guest, protecting Li Ce's child until they grew up.
Yet, after experiencing so much, she had ultimately developed her own desires—things she couldn't let go of or abandon.
The court of Biantang was turbulent, with undercurrents that had accumulated over a thousand years. Unlike the overt sharpness of Daxia and Yanbei, these were invisible cold arrows wrapped in layers of intricate schemes and warm, intoxicating breezes, capable of killing imperceptibly in an unguarded moment.
She later learned indirectly from the old head of the Biantang Imperial Hospital that the death of Li Ce's father was also due to Li Ce's mother.
For so many years, she had repeatedly attempted to kill the Tang Emperor, resorting to poison, assassination, and every conceivable method. Several times, she nearly succeeded. Yet, the old emperor had always shielded her, never publicizing the matter. He had been furious and resentful, threatening her with the Prince of Luo, taking her maternal family hostage, lavishing favor on other consorts, confining her, and even sending her to the cold palace three times. However, in the end, he couldn't overcome his own heart. In his later years, he dismissed all the palace consorts, keeping only her, caring for her with great affection. She, in turn, seemed moved by him, giving him a few years of happiness and solace.
Yet, in the end, he died by her hand—because he accidentally tasted the medicine he was feeding her, and succumbed to the poison.
Only then did he realize that she had long been resolved to die. For years, every meal she ate had been laced with potent poison. She would take antidotes in advance, using various bizarre toxins to ravage her body, all to wait for that one careless moment when he would meet his end.
The Tang Emperor ultimately died, killed by the woman he loved most in his life. Though he had guarded against her his entire life, he still couldn't match her resilience and patience. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to kill her. Instead, he left an edict forcing her to leave the palace and devote herself to Buddhism, never to set foot in the palace again. Outsiders only thought the emperor and empress were deeply devoted, unaware that the emperor merely wanted to protect his only son before his death.
However, this palace secret was still uncovered by Zhan Ziyu through Consort Zhan. After Zhan Ziming's failed attempt to assassinate Li Ce, he privately brought the Empress Dowager out of the temple and secretly sent her into the palace. Using the hands of this woman whom no one would suspect, he killed Li Ce and dashed the great opportunity for the revival of the Li Tang dynasty.
Empress Dowager Yao ultimately took her own life after hearing of Li Ce's death. Chu Qiao didn't know what she must have felt then—was it the joy and relief of vengeance achieved, or the desolation and helplessness of a grave mistake made? She was a stubborn and extreme woman, who had clung to that blood debt her whole life, personally killing the two men who loved her most in this world. In her final moments, could she have laughed in liberation?
Perhaps not. After all, while avenging her husband and son, she also killed another pair of husband and son. For the sake of a grudge, she buried a woman's life from youth to weathered age.After Empress Yao's death, she was buried with Emperor Xizong at Meishan. During their lifetime, they were an embittered couple - fighting, scheming, plotting assassinations, and hating each other, their grudges entangled lasting an entire lifetime. Yet in the end, within that cold and silent underground imperial mausoleum, they had only each other for company, with no person or force able to separate them again.
Chu Qiao didn't know what exactly had happened back then, nor could she understand how one person's hatred could be so terrifying. Yet sometimes she still secretly wondered if perhaps Empress Yao had harbored some maternal love for Li Ce in her heart. She still remembered that sunny afternoon when the gentle-faced woman had frowned slightly and said to her: "He wants to enshrine the Buddha of Joy in the palace. Ah, I really... If you have time, please try to persuade him. After all, he is the Crown Prince of Great Tang, he shouldn't be too reckless."
However, Prince Luo's death ultimately destroyed even this remaining love. She was eventually consumed by the demons in her heart, perishing within this man-eating imperial family.
After Li Ce's death, Biantang's court became unstable, with powerful ministers causing trouble internally and imperial relatives watching covetously from outside. At that time, Chu Qiao could have used the capital garrison and Xiuli Army to eliminate the Central Army in one fell swoop and remove Zhan Ziyu and his sister.
However, if she had done that, Prince Jing'an and others would never have raised troops. Keeping these regional princes with their own armies would be like nurturing a tiger that would eventually turn on its master. Moreover, a newly enthroned emperor must avoid unjustified killings. Therefore, Chu Qiao went along with the scheme, first allowing Zhan Ziyu to seize power, then swiftly removing him. Riding the momentum of her merit in suppressing the rebellion and with the support of Sun Di and other supporters, she made a show of ascending the throne, giving Prince Jing'an and others a pretext to raise troops. Only then could she use Li Ce's pre-death arrangements to capture all the rebel forces at once, permanently resolving Great Tang's internal turmoil for the next twenty years. And twenty years later, Yi'er would have grown up with sufficient ability to face the storms that would come.
Yet at that time, she might not have been completely without the thought of remaining in Biantang after suppressing the rebellion.
That evening, Jingjing roasted two sweet potatoes that Zhuge Yue had sent from Qinghai. The aroma was delightful, like a cloud sweeping through her heart.
Jingjing sat on a small stool in the outer room, carefully peeling a sweet potato while muttering: "Qinghai must be very cold, that's why the skin grew so thick."
Her heart suddenly ached, her mind once again recalling that frigid icy lake, Zhuge Yue's pale face, and how he had written over and over in her palm: Live on... live on...
The human heart is such a complex thing. No matter how many thoughts or considerations one might have, in the end, only one decision can be made. Regardless of whether she would regret it in the future, at the very least, she had finally followed her heart once.
A rustling sound suddenly came as the window was gently pushed open by the wind. The river breeze made the window curtains sway lightly, startling Chu Qiao from her contemplation. She turned to see that Zhuge Yue had woken up at some point and was leaning against the headboard, wearing a pale white robe, looking refreshed. The usual cold sternness on his face had been replaced by a peaceful warmth.
Seeing her look over, he gently beckoned, signaling for her to come closer.
She walked over, poured him a cup of tea, and asked: "Did you sleep well?"
"Mm." He took a sip of tea and said: "It would have been better if no one had secretly entered my room sighing."Chu Qiao's face flushed as she lifted her eyes to glance at him. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
He nodded. "I was a little earlier, but I'm better now."
Chu Qiao stood up. "You've been asleep for a full day and night without eating, of course you'd be hungry. I'll have the kitchen prepare some food for you."
"No need." Zhuge Yue suddenly reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her down to sit beside him on the bed. "Stay with me for a while first."
Chu Qiao smiled and obediently sat down.
"You've been spacing out for quite some time. What were you thinking about just now?" Zhuge Yue naturally held her hand, his palm warm, not letting go.
Chu Qiao shook her head. "Just some irrelevant matters from the past."
A faint smile played on Zhuge Yue's lips as he leaned against the headboard, looking at her sideways. "Since we have nothing else to do, why not tell me about these irrelevant matters of yours?"
Chu Qiao looked at him, a mischievous thought crossing her mind. She slightly furrowed her brows and gazed directly at him as she slowly said, "I've made many mistakes in the past, repeatedly neglecting and wronging someone. Thinking back on it now, I feel terribly sorry for him."
Zhuge Yue was taken aback, not expecting Chu Qiao to bring up such a topic at this moment. His eyes burned intently as he stared at her, his expression growing more serious.
Chu Qiao continued, "He has always been good to me, but I took his kindness for granted, selfishly monopolizing the warmth and help he offered me. He saved my life multiple times, and no matter what difficulties I faced over the years, he never abandoned me. He gave me hope in moments of despair and accompanied me through countless hardships without asking for anything in return. Yet I never once considered what I should give back to him, repeatedly overlooking him instead."
As Zhuge Yue watched her, a smile gradually spread across his lips. His palm, calloused from years of training, gently rubbed against her fingers.
"Since you regret it now, it's not too late to make amends."
Chu Qiao looked at him, her eyes misty, and murmured, "But I'm afraid he might blame me."
Zhuge Yue's grip on her hand loosened slightly as he slowly raised it, his gaze filled with affection and emotion. His palm gently caressed her cheek as he said with a smile, "Who would dare blame you?"
"Really?" Chu Qiao widened her eyes, asking slyly, "Do you think He Xiao won't blame me? He's followed me for so many years, and I even abandoned him once. He's almost thirty now and doesn't even have a single wife or concubine..."
The more Chu Qiao spoke, the more she wanted to laugh, until she finally burst into giggles. Only then did Zhuge Yue realize he had been tricked. He pulled her into his embrace, pinching her chin as he said fiercely, "Daring to play tricks on me?"
Chu Qiao laughed. "Who asked you to be so presumptuous?"
Zhuge Yue looked at her sideways, his dark eyes carrying a dangerous, wolf-like intensity. A wicked smile curled his lips as he said, "Just who raised this woman? She has no manners at all."
"Who raised me? Wasn't it you, Young Master Zhuge, in your Green Mountain Courtyard?" Chu Qiao replied with a laugh. "Have you forgotten how you volunteered to teach me how to write?"
"Oh?" Zhuge Yue deliberately drew out the syllable, then nodded. "I really had forgotten. It seems I need to establish some rules for you, lest you continue to be so disrespectful."As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuge Yue suddenly leaned in close, his scorching kiss abruptly covering her lips. With a trace of suppressed heat, he ruthlessly claimed her mouth, his arm around her waist tightening relentlessly. His cold lips gradually warmed, gently parting her lips with an irresistible force that slipped into her mouth—cool as a spring yet burning like embers.
He half-squinted at her, his eyes concealing an unfathomable darkness. Zhuge Yue suddenly lifted her forcefully and pinned her to the bed. Chu Qiao gasped, the sound swallowed between their lips.
"Understand now?"
Chu Qiao glared at him, wiping her already swollen lips fiercely. "Is this your family discipline?"
"Not entirely." Zhuge Yue gave a faint smile, tinged with arrogance, and lifted his chin. "There’s more intense. Would you like to try?"
Chu Qiao narrowed her eyes, staring at this unbearably smug man. Suddenly, she leaned forward, her gaze seductively hooking him, and flicked her tongue over his lips. Zhuge Yue froze in surprise. Before he could react, she bit his chin fiercely like a wild animal.
He grunted softly, reaching up to touch it. Though it didn’t bleed, a row of tiny teeth marks remained.
"Hmph, don’t think I’m afraid of you!" Chu Qiao waved a fist defiantly, her tone full of bravado.
Zhuge Yue flexed his wrist. "You’ve grown wilder over the years, you brat. I really need to teach you a lesson."
Just as he moved to act, Chu Qiao was quicker. She nimbly leaped away from him, dashing to the door with a laugh. "Do I look stupid? Bye, no need to see me out!"
With that, she flung the door open.
Suddenly, a chorus of "Oof!" sounds erupted as Jingjing and the others tumbled inside, scrambling to their feet with flushed and pale faces, awkwardly greeting the pair.
Chu Qiao, the undefeated general who had commanded millions, flushed crimson. Frowning at Jingjing and Ping An, she was startled to see Yue Qi trailing behind. "Yue Qi, why are you joining their nonsense?" she snapped.
"Ahem, I was just passing by, came to call you for dinner, hehe..." Yue Qi stood up, putting on an innocent expression as he nodded and backed away. "Don’t mind me, carry on."
Then he turned and fled, but not before raising a fist to Zhuge Yue and shouting, "Young master! Go for it!" before striding off.
Jingjing scampered over with a cheeky grin, sweetly calling, "Brother-in-law!" Pleased, Zhuge Yue casually pulled out an exquisitely crafted dagger adorned with rubies and generously rewarded his savvy sister-in-law.
Seeing this, Ping An immediately followed suit. With nothing else on hand, Zhuge Yue promised him his pick of the finest horses from the stables once they reached Zhenhuang.
The two cheered "Long live brother-in-law!" three times in delight. Chu Qiao watched, fuming inwardly. Who said Zhuge Yue was rigid and unfamiliar with courtly tactics? His methods of winning people over were quite polished.The meal was quickly prepared. Since they were outdoors and had young children with them, they casually set up a table and everyone sat together to eat. Yue Qi and the others couldn't help but feel somewhat restrained, while Jingjing, Ping An, and Mei Xiang were lively personalities. He Xiao had grown quite familiar with Yue Qi and the others over the past few days, but Duoji remained cold and distant, seemingly lost in thought. Even if Jingjing spoke to him ten times, he might not respond once.
After the meal, the sky darkened. Yue Qi mentioned they had already reached Cangling Ridge and would dock at Huxian County in two days. Upon hearing this, Chu Qiao was momentarily stunned. Huxian County—that meant they were very close to Zhenhuang.
The evening wind was strong. She sat at the stern of the boat as the sun was about to set, its half-visible face staining the entire river crimson between heaven and earth.
Time passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, she had already spent fourteen years here. Often, when she thought back to her previous life, she wondered whether she was a modern person who had traveled through time or an ancient person with modern memories. The past felt like a dream—rushing in and rushing away.
She thought about how she had been reborn here after her death. Would Li Ce also continue his life somewhere else after he died? And what about Mr. Wu and Miss Yu, Huanhuan and Xiaohe—would they meet again and remember each other after death? As for Jing Zisu, she hoped she could live in an era governed by law and lead a happy, carefree life.
Sitting there, her thoughts drifted aimlessly, and gradually, her heart felt lighter. Lifting her head to gaze at the sunset, she could almost see Li Ce squinting at her, smiling as he said, "Eat more meat—your figure is too thin."
"What are you thinking about?"
Zhuge Yue's voice suddenly came from behind her. Chu Qiao turned around and saw him dressed in a purple robe embroidered with subtle patterns of clustered blessings. Though it was a rather ordinary garment, it carried a unique elegance on him, making him appear distinguished, handsome, and upright.
Chu Qiao stared at him wide-eyed. Zhuge Yue slowly furrowed his brows, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he said, "What are you looking at? Like a fool."
With that, he sat down beside her.
Snow-white waves rippled in circles at the stern, birds flew across the sky, and the sunset bled crimson. The river wind lifted the edges of their clothing, their sleeves billowing like the wings of a butterfly ready to take flight.
"Xing'er, why did you change your name to Chu Qiao?"
Zhuge Yue asked. Chu Qiao turned to him and replied with a smile, "Because I was never truly Jing Yue'er. My original name was Chu Qiao. I died because of an incident, and then—well, how should I put it—just as you might say, a ghost possessed Jing Yue'er's body. So after I escaped, I changed my name back."
Zhuge Yue hadn't expected such an answer and was momentarily stunned, his expression full of surprise. After a long while, he murmured, "Then the first time I met you...?"
"That was just a few days after I had possessed her, and I was planning to escape."
Zhuge Yue nodded, then lowered his head, seemingly pondering the credibility of her story with great intensity.
"Hey, you don't actually believe that, do you?"This time, it was Chu Qiao’s turn to be stunned. Such bizarre and far-fetched talk—would anyone actually believe it? She remembered once telling Yan Xun about it when they were young. At the time, Yan Xun was still a pimple-faced youth who thought she was delirious from fever. He insisted on forcing a bowl of medicinal soup down her throat, and ever since then, she had never spoken of it again.
“I believe you.”
“Huh?”
Zhuge Yue looked at her strangely, his brow slightly furrowed. “Why wouldn’t I believe it? I’ve investigated you. The servants all said that ever since you returned from the human hunt, your temperament changed drastically. At the time, I thought you were just frightened, but now it seems your explanation makes more sense.”
Young Master Zhuge accepted this rather profound reason with an equally profound expression. Nodding, he said, "So that's how it is. I was wondering how a seven- or eight-year-old could possess such cunning and tactics. Turns out you weren't actually a child. By the way, before you died, were you already in your seventies or eighties?"
Chu Qiao struggled to keep up with his leaps in logic and replied somewhat dazedly, "I was... twenty-seven back then."
"Twenty-seven?" Zhuge Yue frowned, looking displeased. "That's quite old. Were you married? Did you have children?"
"No," Chu Qiao answered honestly. "Where I come from, twenty-seven isn't considered very old. We advocate for late marriage and childbirth."
"Where is your hometown? Biantang? Daxia? You have such strong feelings for Yanbei—you couldn't be from Yanbei, could you?" At this point, Zhuge Yue's expression suddenly changed, and he asked nervously, "You're not Yan Xun's mother, are you? No, that doesn't line up with the timeline. She seems a bit older."
Chu Qiao felt like crying but had no tears. "My home is in another world, a different dimension from yours. It's a parallel space—no intersection, separated by both spatial and temporal distances. It's completely unreachable. Do you understand?"
She tried her best to explain it to him in a way he might comprehend, gesturing as she searched for a suitable analogy but failing to find the right words. However, she had clearly underestimated the young master's comprehension. The man frowned slightly and asked, "So, it's like an apple tree—we are the leaves in spring, and you are the fruits in autumn?"
Chu Qiao was taken aback that he had grasped this much and quickly replied happily, "That's half right, but not entirely. Because it's not just time that separates us—there's also space. Do you understand? Space means..."
"Oh."
Zhuge Yue nodded casually and said, "So we are the apple leaves in spring, and you are the oranges in autumn. Right?"
Chu Qiao was utterly dumbfounded. She stared blankly for a long time before finally nodding foolishly, "Right."
Then Zhuge Yue turned away and continued gazing at the flowing river, silent. The setting sun cast a golden, resplendent glow on his face.
Chu Qiao couldn't help but marvel inwardly: Look at his composure! Truly someone who has seen the world and possesses great wisdom. So steady, so calm, so devoid of curiosity—nothing like those country bumpkins in typical time-travel novels who ask things like, "What do people from your world look like?" "How many eyes do people from your world have?" or "Are people from your world like beasts, covered in fur?" as if only the people in their world are fit to have two eyes and one nose, while outsiders must be covered in fur and fangs to satisfy their psychological superiority. This is true equanimity, true unflappability in the face of disaster, true detachment from joy and sorrow, true indifference to honor and disgrace, with a heart as clear as the moon...
"What do people from your world look like?"
Chu Qiao: ...
"How many eyes do people from your world have?"After a long silence, someone finally snapped back to reality and asked with great interest, "Are the people from your place like beasts, all covered in bristly hair? I've seen such people in the southern borderlands—their behavior is quite peculiar. Are they your distant relatives?"
Chu Qiao took a deep breath, gathered her spirits, and began the basic education about the new world.
By the time she finished speaking, her throat was dry and hoarse. The sun had already set behind the mountains, and a full moon climbed over the peaks, casting a brilliant glow over the silvery ripples of the water.
A gentle river breeze blew as Chu Qiao set sail. Suddenly, a poetic sentiment welled up in her heart. With deep emotion, she recited, "Over the sea, the moon shines bright; we gaze at it far apart, at the same time."
Zhuge Yue, however, remarked coldly from the side, "A bit out of place, isn't it? This is a river, not the sea."
Chu Qiao frowned and said, "Then, over the river, the moon shines bright."
Zhuge Yue looked at her skeptically and asked, "It probably wasn't you who wrote that, was it? Someone from your place did, and you're plagiarizing it, right?"
Chu Qiao once again felt like crying but had no tears. She was instantly flustered, her cheeks flushing red. See? Things like this never turn out well when spoken aloud...
"Xing'er."
After a long silence, Zhuge Yue suddenly called her name. She responded reflexively, only to hear him say inexplicably, "I don't care who you are."
At first, Chu Qiao didn't quite understand, but upon careful thought, she grasped his meaning. She smiled and nodded, saying, "I know. I will always be your Xing'er."
Zhuge Yue trembled slightly. He lowered his head, his eyes burning as he gazed at her. Chu Qiao regretted her words almost as soon as she said them. Two faint blushes crept onto her cheeks. Just as she was about to lower her head, Zhuge Yue reached out with two fingers, deftly lifted her chin, and with a hint of amusement in his eyes, said, "Say it again."
Chu Qiao avoided his gaze, mumbling somewhat sheepishly, "Say what?"
"Exactly what you just said."
Zhuge Yue spoke firmly, his eyes holding two warm flames—not scorching, but bright and intense.
"I am yours, and you must be mine too."
Summoning her courage, Chu Qiao said steadily, "In this lifetime, there are two things I will never sacrifice or trade away, no matter the circumstances. The first is my beliefs and principles, and the second is my marriage and body. If you want all of me, you must give all of yourself to me."
Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow, giving her a roguish look as he asked flippantly, "All of it?"
"Go to hell," Chu Qiao pushed his shoulder and turned away. "You're never serious."
"Xing'er," Zhuge Yue suddenly wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warm, masculine presence. His arms held her shoulders tightly, so very tightly.
"I'm happy," he whispered. "I truly am happy."
Leaning against his chest, Chu Qiao felt a sense of peace she hadn't known in years. She turned and embraced him, saying softly, "Let's not be apart anymore."
Zhuge Yue asked, "Aren't you afraid to go to Zhenhuang with me?"
"I'm more afraid of being separated from you. Every time we part, so many things happen—like this time, I almost never saw you again."The situation in Tang Capital City that day was utterly chaotic. She had fought with her back to the river, treading on thin ice, where the slightest misstep could have plunged her into the enemy's grasp. Zhan Ziyu's arrogance when he held great power, the bloody chaos of the Taian Gate battle, the endless stream of assassins storming the imperial city night after night after the news of the enfeoffment spread, and finally, that massive battle involving hundreds of thousands—none of it had seemed particularly daunting at the time, but now, looking back, a faint sense of fear crept in.
Zhuge Yue held her in his arms and said in a low voice, "You don't have to be afraid anymore."
The moonlight was beautiful, and they sat together for a long time.
After returning to the room, Zhuge Yue sat on the bed, frowning in thought for a long while. He felt that Chu Qiao was right—he should consider finding an appropriate time for the two of them to fully entrust themselves to each other.
Yes, this was a splendid idea. Walking the night road too often inevitably leads to encountering ghosts; sleeping too much inevitably brings dreams. Matters should be handled cleanly and decisively, striking directly at the heart of the matter to settle it once and for all. It was time to be open and honest... completely... thoroughly...
In the dead of night, he suddenly stood up, paced around the room a couple of times, and decided that today was the perfect time.
OpenNovel