Madam General, please run slower.

Is the hairpin polished?

Yu Xun was silent, and he said that he seemed to have forgotten some steps.

Yu Xun looked up at the sky awkwardly. He should have taken the box back just now. "Well, why don't you give it back to me?"

"Are you still going to recycle a gift that has already been given away?" Li pulled out the wooden splinter from his fingertips, closed the box, and didn't dare to touch it again.

"Who said I was going to give it to you? I just wanted you to take a look at it." Yu Xun really didn't want to admit that he had done something stupid.

"Oh, I'll give it back to you."

After Li Zhen stuffed the wooden box into his arms, Yu Xun became anxious, "You don't like it?"

"What's the point of liking something that doesn't belong to me?" Li Shen sighed and smiled at Yu Xun as if he didn't care. "Let's go, don't we still need to go shopping?"

"This is for you. It's really for you." Yu Xun was really anxious. After handing the box back, he turned his hands behind his back, fearing that Li would stuff it back into his hand.

Seeing Yu Xun's little action, Li burst out laughing, and the smile in his eyes seemed to turn into a warm current, flowing out gently. There was a hint of mischief and tenderness in that smile, just like a spring breeze blowing across the lake, rippling layers of ripples in Yu Xun's heart.

Seeing her laughing like this, Yu Xun had nothing to understand. He said helplessly, "You are teasing me again, right?"

But this time, Yu Xun was no longer angry about Li's teasing. On the contrary, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"General, why did you think of giving me a hairpin?"

Yu Xun coughed twice and reminded, "Today is the sixth day of March."

"So what?" Li looked puzzled and didn't remember anything special about that day.

"You don't even remember your own birthday?" Yu Xun tapped her head gently. He knew that this monster couldn't remember.

Birthday, what a strange word.

Li was lost in thought as he looked at the wooden box in his hand. Qu Tangli's birthday was indeed today. When she was in the palace, Chunmei would take great pains to find lots of delicious food for Qu Tangli, allow her to do anything, and play with her all day. In his memory, Qu Tangli had a happy birthday every year because of Chunmei's presence.

But this is Qu Tangli's birthday, not hers. People who cultivate immortality don't care about these mundane days, let alone people like Li who live on the edge of a knife. It is a blessing to be able to open your eyes and see the sun outside every day. How can you care about birthdays?

In her previous life, Li had lived in a daze for more than a hundred years. When she was young, she lived for a steamed bun. When she grew up, she lived for a full meal. She just wanted to survive. Li didn't even know when she was born. She didn't even know why she came to this world.

But at this moment, Li felt a desire in his heart, and kept persuading himself to be a little more greedy and steal the day that belonged to Qu Tangli to make it his own birthday.

"What's wrong? Don't you like this gift?" Yu Xun, who hadn't waited for Li to speak, suddenly became nervous. "This is my first time making this and I'm not very experienced. Just accept it for now. I'll give you a better gift for your coming-of-age gift next year."

"Thank you General, I like it very much."

Yu Xun lowered his head and met a pair of deep black pupils. The girl's eyes were shining as if they were decorated with stars, and his figure was reflected in her eyes. This made Yu Xun feel that she only had eyes for him.

Yu Xun seemed to be attracted by the stars in her eyes, and he leaned down slightly, unable to resist the urge to get closer, and closer. Until the warm breath swept over his face, Yu Xun suddenly came to his senses and backed away.

Yu Xun looked around and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this was in an alley and no one was passing by. His actions just now were really too reckless in broad daylight.

The sound of his heartbeat was like a drum rumbling in Yu Xun's ears, making him restless. He looked around but didn't dare to look at the person in front of him.

Li looked at him with amusement, as if he was a thief. The distance just now was wide enough for Qu Tangli's fist. He clearly didn't accomplish anything, so how could he act like he had succeeded?

"Everyone in the capital praises our General Zhennan for his bravery and skill in battle, his ability to plan and win battles thousands of miles away. Why do I feel that this praise is a bit exaggerated?"

"Huh?" Yu Xun looked up in confusion, not understanding how this matter had come to this.

Seeing that Yu Xun finally dared to look her in the eye, Li took a few steps towards him and closed the distance between them again.

Yu Xun was stunned by her action, but he did not avoid it. He was secretly expecting something in his heart.

Li chuckled and tapped his chest. The man had become much stronger after months of marching. "General Yu, who is resourceful, should have known that in the situation just now, you had a great chance of succeeding."

Yu Xun's heart, which had just calmed down, began beating faster again because of Li's words.

"What about now? What are my chances of success?"

Yu Xun stared at Li closely. The heat and desire in his eyes made Li feel like she was his prey.

"Thirty percent." Li stretched out three fingers and waved them in front of him.

So little? Not even half the chance?

Yu Xun felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe. He asked unwillingly, "What about the remaining 70%?"

"You will be beaten up by me." Li was very unhappy with the way he looked at her.

She enjoyed being the predator rather than being someone else's prey. If it weren't for the fact that Yu Xun had carefully prepared a birthday gift for her, Li would have punched him in the face the moment he stared at her, letting him know why the flowers were so red.

Yu Xun: ...He knew it would be like this.

Maybe it was because he was too angry, but Yu Xun adjusted his emotions much faster. In a few breaths, he suppressed the strangeness in his heart. "Let's go, let's go somewhere else. Do you want to go somewhere?"

Li: "I'm not familiar with this place, do you have any good suggestions, General?"

Yu Xun: "The number of refugees has increased recently. I don't recommend going outside the city. Cuilan City is guarded by the army, so it will be safer."

Li recalled the day when they were attacked by refugees. "It's getting chaotic outside so quickly?"

"Yeah." Yu Xun's expression became more serious when he talked about this. "Now many aristocratic families outside have heard about what happened in the palace and are getting restless. Several princes have already established their own army. The people under their jurisdiction are suffering. There have even been many cases of refugees rising up in rebellion."

"How could the news spread so quickly? Did the prince just let the news spread?" It has only been a few months since Emperor Qu was seriously ill and did not attend court. Besides, the prince is only nominally acting as the governor and has not really started a rebellion. Why are these people outside more eager to die than him? Do they like to kill nine generations of the family so much?

Yu Xun was also speechless to the prince. "Who knows what the prince is thinking? He has the capital under his control, but he still let the news get out. I am really impressed."

"I suspect..." someone is secretly fanning the flames.

Before Li finished her words, Yu Xun looked at her and knew what she wanted to say. He nodded in approval, "I think so too."