Years turn into wind

A few days of peace and quiet allowed Cheng Yuwei to relax a bit, but she knew it was just the calm before the storm. Ling Xiaotian's prestige within the army was growing, and Lu Sheng was eager to take action frequently, trying to disrupt the situation.

That night, Ling Xiaotian was busy with military affairs, so Cheng Yuwei went to the garden of the Marshal's Mansion alone. Here she often took solitary walks, enjoying a brief moment of peace. As she stood quietly in the garden, gazing up at the stars, a soft female voice reached her ears: "Miss Cheng, do you also like the night view here?"

Cheng Yuwei turned around and saw a young woman in a gorgeous long dress walking towards her. Her features were somewhat delicate, yet she exuded an innate pride.

"I'm Lu Zhirou, and my brother is Lu Sheng." The woman introduced herself with a smile on her face.

Cheng Yuwei's heart was filled with alarm. Lu Sheng's sister unexpectedly appeared in the Marshal's Mansion. This was definitely not a coincidence.

"Miss Lu, I didn't expect you to be here." Cheng Yuwei spoke calmly, but her mind was rapidly calculating. Why did Lu Zhirou suddenly approach her? Was she trying to gather intelligence, or was there some other conspiracy?

Lu Zhirou smiled slowly, with a look of scrutiny in her eyes: "I've heard of you, Miss Cheng, as Marshal Ling's right-hand man. I have to say, you're different from the women I imagined before."

"Oh?" Cheng Yuwei raised her eyebrows and responded tentatively, "What did Miss Lu imagine?"

Lu Zhirou smiled slightly, a complex expression flashing in her eyes: "I thought the people around Ling Xiaotian were just women who relied on nepotism. But I didn't expect you to have such talent and courage."

Cheng Yuwei didn't like the contempt in her tone, but she quickly suppressed her emotions and said calmly, "Miss Lu, you're too kind. Marshal Ling has never relied on a person, but on his wisdom and courage."

Lu Zhirou sneered, as if she had seen through something. "Really? Then do you know that for all these years, Ling Xiaotian has had a wish that has never been fulfilled?"

Cheng Yuwei's heart tightened, not knowing what she meant. But Lu Zhirou looked as if she knew some secret that she didn't know.

"Ling Xiaotian...he once promised my brother to marry me," Lu Zhirou said softly, a hint of arrogance and disdain in her tone. "If my brother hadn't parted ways with him later, perhaps your position today wouldn't be yours long ago."

This sentence made Cheng Yuwei's heart suddenly tremble, and she even felt a little sour. Ling Xiaotian had never mentioned these past events, but Lu Zhirou's words made her feel jealous and uneasy.

She didn't believe that Ling Xiaotian had any feelings for Lu Zhirou, but this past event was like a thorn that pierced deeply into her heart.

Cheng Yuwei returned to the Marshal's Mansion with a heavy heart. Ling Xiaotian was in the study, looking at a map. Seeing her return, he frowned slightly: "Where have you been? Why are you back just now?"

"I just went out for a walk." Cheng Yuwei answered lightly, then walked to the table and absentmindedly flipped through the book at hand.

Ling Xiaotian noticed that she was in a different mood. He put down the map in his hand, walked over to her, and asked softly, "What's wrong with you? You don't look well."

Cheng Yuwei bit her lip, not intending to directly mention Lu Zhirou's matter, but she couldn't control the sour feeling in her heart. She turned to look at Ling Xiaotian, her tone somewhat tentative: "You...is there something you've never told me?"

Ling Xiaotian was stunned, frowning slightly: "What's the matter?"

Cheng Yuwei hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "Is the story between you and Lu Zhirou true? She said you once promised to marry her."

As soon as these words came out, Ling Xiaotian's face suddenly turned cold. He obviously didn't expect Lu Zhirou to come to Cheng Yuwei in person and bring up these old things.

"That was a long time ago. It never came true." He said coldly, with a hint of impatience in his tone.

Cheng Yuwei felt a little uncomfortable and couldn't help but said, "But you never mentioned this to me, how can I know whether what she said is true or not?"

Ling Xiaotian frowned, clearly not wanting to continue this topic. He said in a deep voice, "These things are all in the past. They're not worth your attention."

Cheng Yuwei felt a surge of grievance when she heard this. She had thought she and Ling Xiaotian had built enough trust, but now, she felt that he was still hiding a lot from her.

"You said it's over, so it's over?" Cheng Yuwei's tone was a little sad. "What about me? In your heart, what am I?"

Ling Xiaotian was speechless for a moment. He was not good at expressing his emotions, and facing Cheng Yuwei's questioning, he was speechless for a moment.

The atmosphere became tense and heavy. Just as the two men were at a stalemate, there was a knock on the door from the adjutant: "Marshal, urgent military information!"

Ling Xiaotian suddenly came to his senses, his expression regained composure, and he turned and walked towards the door.

"Let's talk about it later." He hurriedly said this and walked out of the room, leaving Cheng Yuwei standing there alone with mixed feelings.

The next day, after Ling Xiaotian finished his military affairs, he took the initiative to find Cheng Yuwei to explain what happened last night.

"I didn't explain what happened last night clearly." Ling Xiaotian spoke with a rare gentle tone. "Lu Zhirou and I did have some kind of arrangement, but it was just a political marriage. There was no love involved."

Cheng Yuwei glanced at him sideways, still a little dissatisfied: "Then why didn't you ever mention it to me?"

Ling Xiaotian approached her, gently held her hand, and said with a firm look: "Because those things are not important to me at all. The only one I care about now is you."

When Cheng Yuwei heard these words, the sourness in her heart finally dissipated. Although she was still a little dissatisfied, she knew what Ling Xiaotian meant.

"You're not saying that just to coax me, are you?" Cheng Yuwei raised her eyebrows slightly, with a hint of sarcasm.

Ling Xiaotian gave a bitter laugh: "Do you think I'm the kind of person who can coax others?"

The two smiled at each other, and the previous tense atmosphere was finally broken.

However, the apparent calm cannot conceal the undercurrents behind the scenes. As the relationship between the two men eases, Lu Sheng's army secretly mobilizes, and a new conspiracy is quietly taking shape.

Lu Zhirou didn't give up. She knew her identity was Ling Xiaotian's biggest weakness. She had never thought she would willingly give in, especially after witnessing the deepening relationship between Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei. The jealousy and resentment in her heart became even stronger.

Lu Sheng's conspiracy gradually began to unfold. A hidden traitor within the army seemed to have begun preparing for his next move, but Ling Xiaotian was unaware that this traitor was inextricably linked to Lu Zhirou.

That evening, Cheng Yuwei sat in her study, continuing to analyze her improved weapon design blueprints. Ling Xiaotian stood by the window, gazing at the night sky in the distance, his mind contemplating the impending battle.

"Yuwei, there have been unusual movements in Lu Sheng's army recently. We must be prepared for the worst." He said in a deep voice.

Cheng Yuwei put down the pen in her hand, walked over to him, and nodded: "I will continue to study the improvement of ammunition and try my best to provide you with sufficient advantages before the war comes."

Ling Xiaotian smiled slightly and put his arm around her shoulders: "With you here, my chances of winning are even better."

The two snuggled together, enjoying the brief warmth.