Chapter 16: Silent Protector

Seeing that it was Qin Chanyue, the Crown Prince silently took two steps back and exchanged a glance with the vice general.

Everyone in Chang’an knew that Qin Chanyue was the most precious person in the Prince of Zhen Nan’s heart.

No matter how outrageous her behavior, he indulged and protected her without question.

The Prince of Zhen Nan was a man of strict discipline, always upholding propriety

But when it came to Qin Chanyue, he never cared for reason.

She was his one and only weakness.

For this reason, the Crown Prince had always chosen not to provoke her.

If he allowed Qin Chanyue her way,

The Prince of Zhen Nan would only become more loyal to him.

Letting one woman do as she pleased in exchange for such a powerful supporter

It was an excellent bargain.

And so, the Crown Prince quietly stepped out of the room.

The vice general and the physician followed suit, exiting the chamber.

Before leaving, the vice general thoughtfully closed the door behind them.

With the doors shut, only Qin Chanyue and Chu Heng remained inside.

The room was not dim.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the space in golden brilliance.

The light fell upon Chu Heng’s face as he lay on the bed.

Qin Chanyue stared at her foster brother in a daze.

He lay motionless, his upper body bare.

A deep wound stretched across his chest, wrapped in layers of gauze.

The crimson hue of the bandages stung her eyes.

Below the waist, he wore only a thin pair of silk undergarments.

His breath was faint.

This once towering and formidable man now lay here, helpless.

Just one look at him

And her heart ached as though it would shatter.

Even though her foster brother had always been strict with her,

Even though she had often resented his control over her

She knew that he was the one who had always cared for her the most.

And now, seeing him like this, she wanted to cry.

Tears fell freely down her face as she kept her eyes fixed on him.

She felt as if every moment she looked away was one moment less she had with him.

In her past life, he had died at the border.

What she received was merely his remains.

His body had rotted away within his armor, leaving her nothing but a pile of bones.

She had almost forgotten what he looked like.

Only Heaven knew how much guilt she felt when she learned he had been gravely injured.

In her past life, at this time, he had still been safely stationed at the border.

But because she had sent him that letter

Now, he had returned like this.

Surely, this was her fault.

She couldn’t help but reach out, her fingertips brushing against his face.

At thirty-four years old, he looked older than his years.

His face was chiseled and sharp.

A deep scar ran across his forehead

A scar that had not been there when she was married.

He must have gained it later.

Her fingers traced the lines of his face, then moved downward.

She wanted to see the wound on his chest.

His body was strong, forged by years of training.

His skin, tanned by the sun, was firm beneath her touch.

His chest, broad and muscular, was warm and solid

Yet his wound lay hidden beneath the gauze.

Qin Chanyue knew he could not be given medicine.

There was no anesthesia for his pain.

When he was wounded, he could only endure it.

The thought made her heart ache even more.

Her fingers glided from the soft muscle of his chest down to his hardened abdomen.

Then, further

Had his legs been injured too?

Qin Chanyue reached for his waistband, intending to check.

She had spent time in military camps when she was young.

Her father had always told her to take pride in the Qin family.

She had seen countless Qin soldiers wounded in battle.

To her, an injured general was not a man

There was no distinction of gender, only battle scars.

She had always seen injuries as badges of honor.

She had no reservations about inspecting them.

She had even watched her foster brother receive treatment before

A long, long time ago.

But just as she started to pull his waistband down,

The man lying beneath her suddenly shuddered.

Qin Chanyue’s heart leapt.

Was he awake?!

She lifted her head in excitement.

“Big Brother?” she called softly.

Had he regained consciousness?

But the man on the bed gave no response.

His lips were pale, his breathing shallow.

Still asleep.

Just as she was about to continue her examination

A knock sounded at the door.

From outside, the vice general’s voice called out.

“Miss Qin

The Prince is gravely injured.

He needs rest.”

Qin Chanyue’s hand froze.

She hesitated for a moment.

Then, reluctantly, she pulled the blanket back over him.

After smoothing the covers, she got up and replied.

“I understand.”

Then, she stepped out of the chamber.

As soon as she was outside, she grabbed a servant and began questioning them.

She needed to know exactly how her foster brother had been wounded.

Meanwhile, inside the chamber, the vice general approached the bed.

He crouched beside it and whispered,

“My Lord?”

The Prince of Zhen Nan slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze flickered toward the doorway

Just in time to see Qin Chanyue interrogating the servants outside.

He stared at her back in silence.

After a long pause, the vice general asked in a low voice,

“Shall we tell Lady Qin…

About your plan?”

Chu Heng remained still, watching her intently.

After receiving Qin Chanyue’s letter, he conducted a thorough investigation of the military camp.

Sure enough, he found several spies.

If these spies were not eliminated, he could not continue guarding the border

Otherwise, disaster was inevitable.

So he decided to retreat in order to advance.

He feigned injury and returned to Chang’an overnight, throwing the issue onto the young Crown Prince and the aging Emperor.

Look

Your own court officials are killing each other.

They even want the life of your most decorated general.

What will you do about it?

He wanted to use his past military achievements to force the Emperor into giving him an answer.

Those who tried to kill him

Some of them had to die.

So he had to act.

He had to appear gravely wounded.

Too weak to leave his bed.

He had to make it seem as though he was on the verge of death.

He could deceive anyone

Anyone except Qin Chanyue.

After all, she really was bold enough to strip off his undergarments.

The lingering sensation of her fingers on his forehead was still fresh in his mind.

Chu Heng closed his eyes briefly and said, “Keep it from her.”

Yes

He could tell Qin Chanyue the truth.

But just now, when she had leaned so close to him,

That warmth

That long-lost warmth

Was something he could not resist.

He longed for her presence,

Yet dared not reveal it.

He thought

Perhaps only when he was at death’s door would Qin Chanyue come this close to him.

Before, she had always been far, far away.

All he had were faded memories, replayed again and again in his mind.

But now, she was so close.

Close enough that the moment she drew near,

Countless forbidden, greedy thoughts would arise.

He could not control himself.

If keeping the truth from her meant she would visit him more often

Then he was willing to do it.

The vice general, half-kneeling beside the bed, glanced up when he heard the Prince’s order to “keep it from her.”

Following the Prince for so many years, he understood his master’s thoughts to some extent.

Seeing the way the Prince looked at Qin Chanyue’s departing figure,

The vice general hesitated before cautiously saying,

“The Lady did not have a good life after marriage.

The Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness has wronged her.

With her temper

If not for the fact that the Marquis is on his deathbed,

She would have already cut him down herself.

Once the Marquis dies, the Lady will still be young.

Perhaps in the future”

Perhaps she will marry again.

Chu Heng’s gaze finally shifted.

He cast a heavy look at the vice general.

A sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

The vice general instantly tensed.

Realizing he had said the wrong thing,

He immediately lowered his head, awaiting punishment.

“Speaking disrespectfully of the Lady

Twenty strikes of the military rod.”

After a pause, the Prince added,

“Leave.”

The vice general bowed his head and replied in a low voice, “Yes.”

Then, he swiftly exited the chamber.

Once the vice general had gone,

The room was left in utter silence.

The stillness enveloped Chu Heng.

Once again, his gaze drifted toward the doorway

Seeking Qin Chanyue’s shadow.

But she was nowhere in sight.

He did not know where she had gone.

His eyes lowered, and he lay quietly in bed.

Perhaps because his fake injury felt too real,

He truly did feel a bit weak.

His tightly wound nerves loosened for a brief moment,

And in that haze,

His thoughts drifted far, far back in time.

Back when he once entertained the fantasy of marrying Qin Chanyue.

But she had flatly rejected his foster father’s proposal.

That was when he realized

Qin Chanyue would never like him.

One day, she would remarry.

But it would not be with him.

He…

He was not worthy.

He had consumed too many poisons.

His body was not healthy.

He would never have children.

He bore too many old wounds.

He never knew when the wind might carry him away,

Like a withered leaf.

A man like him…

Could not give Qin Chanyue a complete, beautiful life.

She did not like men like him.

She liked gentle scholars.

She liked poetry and music.

She liked men like the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness.

And he

He spread his fingers, staring at his own calloused, scarred palms.

Then, slowly, he withdrew his hand under the blanket.

It was fine.

He told himself

It was better this way.

When he died,

She would not grieve.

And one day, a hundred years from now,

When history remembered Qin Chanyue,

They would remember her foster brother too.

That would be enough.

In the vast mountains of the southern border,

Among the swarms of venomous creatures,

A love grew

A love as boundless and pure as the open sky.

And yet,

Qin Chanyue knew nothing of it.

She had never known.

She had never understood

The weight of love her foster brother bore for her.