Xie Jue was not swayed. After days of battle, his body and mind were utterly exhausted. In a rare moment of reprieve, Fang Chuning indulged himself, seemingly hoping Xie Jue would follow suit. But Xie Jue, burdened by too many worries, lacked the inclination. Fang Chuning appeared unbothered, merely smiling. Perhaps he had already foreseen the inevitability—Xie Jue would soon leave for Lanzhou. When Xie Jue left Xie Xun’s tent, Fang Chuning discerned his hesitation from his expression. It was precisely why Fang Chuning brought Xie Jue out to unwind. Once the Ningzhou Battlefield stabilized, Xie Jue would have to head to the Jiangnan front. Marshal Fang had already sent him letters, instructing him to remain in Ningzhou until the Beiman forces retreated. He was forbidden from going to Jiangnan, nor could he bring Zhongzhou’s fifty thousand troops there. Xie Jue’s father’s letter was harshly worded but seemed self-assured. If not for Cui Lansong’s discussion of Jiangnan’s battle situation with Xie Jue and Xie Xun, he might have been completely deceived by his father. Fang Chuning could understand Marshal Fang’s reasoning. The Jiangnan troops were far more familiar with Sannan’s combat strategies than the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. While their cavalry was valiant and unstoppable on the Ningzhou Battlefield, success in Lanzhou was uncertain. Fang Chuning himself had spent years in Ningzhou and had never fought in Southern battlefields. He was unacquainted with Sannan’s armies, and even if he went, he wasn’t sure how much assistance he could offer Marshal Fang. Nevertheless, he was Fang Chuning. If Jiangnan remained unstable, he had to stand alongside his father in resistance. The Beiman situation should stabilize, so he could leave with peace of mind. Since war began, whether it was him, Xie Xun, or Xie Jue, their exhaustion ran deeper than physical strain—it was a crushing psychological weight. Hundreds of thousands of people placed their hopes on their shoulders, and behind Ningzhou City were innumerable civilians. The Beiman arrived fiercely, armed with advanced war machines that nearly obliterated them under relentless artillery fire. The situation grew unbearably tense and frustrating. Now, after a few hard-won victories, even the Beiman sought peace talks, bringing the conflict to a pause at last. After enduring pressure to its extreme comes exhaustion to its extreme. It wasn’t just the generals who felt it—every soldier longed for a moment of true relaxation. Earlier, Fang Chuning had watched Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, and others wrestling jovially with the troops. He let himself indulge by swimming in the icy river waters, while Xie Jue remained unmoved. Instead, Xie Jue retrieved Fang Chuning’s armor and gave it a simple wash, then did the same with Fang Chuning’s robe and inner garments, hanging them to dry on the nearby foliage. Under moonlight as soft as flowing water, surrounded by scattered stars, the Shaling River was bordered by waist-high grass. Not far away stood groves and thickets swaying gently under the night breeze. Xie Jue lay on the grass, hands folded behind his head. The Ningzhou sky was breathtakingly stunning—by far the most beautiful he’d ever seen. Whether amidst clashing swords or tranquil nights, the radiant moon and starlit river mirrored each other in flawless harmony, painting the Shaling River with an ethereal beauty. It felt as though he lay cradled by moonlight, entering a light slumber. It was the most relaxed moment Xie Jue had experienced since the war against Beiman began. With his mind settled, burdens seemed lighter to carry. Ayu was right—revenge could wait ten years for a gentleman. In life, decisions must prioritize what matters most. Killing Dugu Jing was no longer his foremost goal. He basked in the moonlight, listening to Fang Chuning’s splashing sounds from the water, teetering on the edge of sleep. Having Fang Chuning nearby, he felt reassured that if he fell asleep completely drained, Fang Chuning would still take him back to the camp. But just as he drifted closer to sleep, footsteps captured his attention. Ever since his eyesight began deteriorating, his hearing had grown particularly sharp. These footsteps—too familiar. Without opening his eyes, Xie Jue kept his hands behind his head. The man, carrying the damp warmth from the water, drew closer and sat beside him. Xie Jue caught the scent of grass and the distinct aroma he’d become intimately familiar with day and night. His breath grew warmer, and not even the night breeze could cool the flush on his face. He heard his own thunderous heartbeat reverberate conspicuously through the night. Fingers traced the contours of his face, gently soothing his aches and tense nerves. They seemed to untangle the endless knots of thoughts and feelings coiled up within him. Xie Jue succumbed to the torment of indulgence. His exhaustion and tension appeared to dissipate under the gentle touch, gradually relaxing. He then felt Fang Chuning’s fingers trail faintly across his face, taking Xie Jue’s inch-wide silk ribbon and tying it over his eyes in a knot behind his head. "?" Xie Jue was puzzled and just about to ask when he felt a surge of warmth—a pair of lips, soft and feather-light, pressing against his as tenderly as the evening breeze brushing against his skin. Xie Jue opened his mouth to speak, but every sound was swallowed within. He heard Fang Chuning’s husky voice whisper, "Ting Feng, you’re wound too tight. Relax. Stop binding yourself so much." The moonlight was gentle, the breeze even gentler, and the familiar presence at his side most tender of all. Fang Chuning’s lips hovered so close that their breaths entwined as he spoke, sending Xie Jue’s pulse spiraling out of control. His hands, still resting behind his head, gradually clenched into fists, restrained. Prominent veins throbbed at his neck. Indeed, he had been too tense for far too long. Fang Chuning murmured, "Fall asleep... Ting Feng, take a proper rest for once." But he wasn’t asleep, and just as Xie Jue was about to respond, he realized why Fang Chuning had uttered such words—an intense wave of heat swept over his senses as Fang Chuning’s lips and tongue overwhelmed him. Follow current novels on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵