Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Yuan Feng sat in the small hall with her back to the door, lost in thought. Nan Fei stood at the door for a while, then took out the medicine from the cabinet, poured it into a small earthenware pot, added more than half a pot of water, and lit the medicine stove.

Tears welled up in Yuan Feng's eyes, but she tried her best to keep her voice calm: "What did you talk about with the young master?"

Nan Fei didn't even turn his head, sitting in front of the medicine furnace and occasionally poking at the charcoal fire: "Young Master said that there are 50,000 Wind Dragon Soldiers on Shadong Island, more than I thought."

Yuan Feng asked, "Is there anything else?"

Nanfei sighed almost inaudibly: "We'll set off back to Bianjing tomorrow. Young Master and Chief Xue will go together. After we get back to Bianjing... I'll go with you to pay respects to your father-in-law first, and then you can come back to the Nan residence with me."

Yuan Feng asked, "Is there anything else?"

Nanfei put down the small charcoal tongs and sat down opposite her: "That's all."

How could it not be?

Yuan Feng seemed about to laugh, but the smile vanished before it could fully form. She said sadly, "Nanfei, I...I don't like to cry, I just...can't control myself...I came to Chongming Island to see you...I'm afraid if I don't see you this time...I'll never see you again..."

Nanfei touched the corner of her eye; it was wet. He gently coaxed her, "How could I not see you? I was planning to go back anyway. While it's free and easy outside, you have to earn your own money. It's not as comfortable as being supported by you. The son-in-law of the Yuan family, what a prestigious name..."

Yuan Feng pressed his hand to her face and shook her head: "Your parents don't like me, and Nanhua is angry with me too. Only my brother and sister-in-law are relatively kind to me. Every time I go back to Bianjing, people talk about me behind my back, saying that I drove you away, that I'm an old cow eating young grass, that I'm not good enough for you, that I..."

They say she broke up Nanfei and Duoyi...

Yuan Feng choked up, "Nanfei, so many hurtful things were said... If it weren't for my father being in Bianjing, I would rather stay in Fengzhou and never come back. I would be willing to die on the battlefield... Before I came, I thought you would scold me and say cold words... I was prepared... But you didn't... I'm so happy... Even if I die, I'll be happy..."

Nanfei, you have no idea how much I love you... to the point of being humble and asking for nothing in return... I hate this version of myself... I despise this version of myself... but when I think about how it's because of you... I feel I can still bear to love you..."

Three years later, he was still the boy Yuan Feng remembered—intelligent yet arrogant, steady yet lively. So many contradictions combined in him, yet it all felt natural and reasonable.

Everyone called Yuan Feng a hero. Only Yuan Feng knew that when Nan Fei single-handedly rescued her and Nan Hua from the desert, deep in enemy territory, Nan Fei was her hero.

Nanfei was living a carefree life away from home, unaware of the dire situation she was in in Bianjing. Even so, she would still make time to send him things.

In my memory, she was a heroic and decisive woman, so how could she be so fragile like a young girl? Was she simply unable to hold on any longer? Or was she prepared to die?

Nanfei pulled Yuan Feng onto his lap, wiped away her tears, and said with tenderness, "General Yuan is unparalleled, how could she not be worthy of anyone? A woman three years older than you is a golden brick in the palm of your hand. If it weren't for you supporting me all these years, I would have starved and frozen to death outside... It's my fault, I should have gone back sooner... Don't take the gossip to heart. Nanhua hasn't been good to you, I'll go back and talk to her..."

Nan Fei loosened her hair ribbon and twirled her hair with his fingers: "I was young and naive back then, and I never thought about marrying anyone. Now that I'm older, I know how to settle down and live a simple life. I just don't have any official position or income. I hope General Yuan doesn't mind."

Since I've already said it, let's be completely open this time, the first and the last.

Yuan Feng choked up and said, "I don't like you calling me General Yuan, and I don't like you calling me sister. I just like you calling me Ah Feng."

Nanfei kissed her cheek: "Afeng, don't cry, smile. I get really anxious when you cry."

Yuan Feng forced a smile and pointed to her lips: "Kiss here."

Nanfei's lips parted as soon as he touched her: "Alright, go to sleep first. I'll brew the medicine and bring it to you."

Yuan Feng didn't show her disappointment. She rubbed against Nan Fei's chest and hugged his waist, saying, "I don't want to sleep. I just want to hold you like this."

Nanfei hummed in agreement, resting his head on her shoulder, and memories of the past flashed before his eyes.

Why run away from this marriage? Wouldn't it be better to marry by imperial decree and have children? Why put her in this pitiful situation? Nan Fei sighed.

Yuan Feng nestled quietly against his chest, feeling a pang of sadness upon hearing his sigh.

Yuan Feng reached her hand inside Nan Fei's clothes and groped downwards. The uncontrollable passion she had felt during the day was gone. She no longer wanted to distinguish whether Nan Fei's feelings for her were affection or physical instinct; she just wanted to live for the moment.

Nan Fei hissed as he snapped back to reality: "Huh?"

Yuan Feng said in a low voice, "Didn't you say you'd come back tonight?"

Nanfei realized what was happening and said, "Your medicine is almost ready. Drink it first."

Yuan Feng looked up and kissed his neck, her hands busy teasing him. Nan Fei seemed somewhat absent-minded and out of sorts.

Yuan Feng suddenly slid down, knelt down, and lowered her head to kiss him.

Nan Fei's hands suddenly felt empty, and before he could react, he felt as if his soul had left his body. Yuan Feng, having teased him enough, straddled his lap and ruffled his hair.

Their hair was intertwined and their bodies were pressed together. Only when Yuan Feng was panting in his arms did Nan Fei regain his senses: "Feng, the charcoal is out, and the medicine is almost cold."

Nanfei poured the medicine into a bowl and fed it to her. Then he took a candied date from the candied fruit box in the drawer and put it in her mouth to feed her.

Yuan Feng clung to Nan Fei like someone drowning, her eyes glazed over. Nan Fei felt a chill run down his spine. He tore off his clothes and threw them on the ground, grabbed a wine jug, and slammed her onto the table.

Yuan Feng's voice was filled with panic: "Nanfei..."

Nan Fei clasped one hand on his waist and held the wine pot in the other. He tilted the pot slightly, and the wine fell from the air like fine rain, landing in Yuan Feng's slightly open mouth.

Yuan Feng choked on the wine and coughed so loudly that it made Nan Fei's eyes turn red.

Nanfei slowly moved the wine jug, the wine flowing down from his neck to his chest and waist. The cool liquid bounced off the jug as it fell, dancing on his body, burning hot like fire.

Both of them lost their minds. Yuan Feng was as soft as if her bones had been removed, while Nan Fei's eyes seemed to burn with great fire.

Yuan Feng, engaged to him at fifteen, married him at eighteen, and at twenty-one, fearing death on the battlefield, came to see him one last time. The renowned female general wept and confessed her love for him, humbly submitting.

He betrayed her!

When Luo An and Nan Fei returned after their conversation, they saw Nian Yao sitting on the bed reading a book, looking very focused.

Luo An chuckled inwardly; she'd improved, now knowing to come to the room on her own initiative. As Luo An got into bed, Nian Yao moved over to make room for him.

The Thirty-Six Stratagems? Isn't it supposed to be memorized perfectly? Is this some kind of review to learn something new?

Luo An glanced at it: "Honey trap? Didn't you say that honey trap is the most shameless, despicable, and undignified lowlife..."

Nianyao then looked up and said, "I misspoke. There's no such thing as a superior or inferior strategy; as long as it works, it's fine."

Luo An asked with interest, "You want to use it?"

Nianyao shook her head: "I don't have the looks to use."

Luo An casually peeked into her clothes: "Yes, I've already fallen for it."