The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

"that……"

Looking at his grandson's slightly flushed face and those luscious ears, Ma Hongtao understood everything.

"You like that girl from the Ji family?"

Ma Liangcai didn't expect his grandfather to be so direct, and he lowered his head somewhat embarrassed.

Ma Hongtao looked down and gently poked Ma Liangcai's head, "Look at you, so pathetic."

"It's nothing like me."

"You need to know about what happened between me and your grandmother back then. I was captivated by your grandmother's sword dance."

“I went to her house that very day,” Ma Liangcai continued. “Grandpa, you’ve told me this story eight hundred times already, I know it by heart.”

“Ji Fu is not Grandma, and I am not Grandpa.”

"I'm just not as good as you, okay?" Grandpa, you're so shameless.

"By the way, Grandpa, when are you setting off from Beijing?"

"What? You brat, you think I'm annoying?"

Ma Liangcai shook his head. "No, I was just asking."

"Number 24."

"what?"

"We will leave Beijing on the 24th and return to the border."

"Oh, I see." Ma Liangcai muttered softly, "That just happens to be Ji Fu's birthday."

"What are you muttering about, you little brat?"

"Nothing? By the way, Grandpa, could you change the time of your departure from Beijing?"

Upon hearing his grandson's words, Ma Hongtao slapped him on the head, saying, "Do you think this is a joke? The time for leaving or staying in the army is decided by the higher-ups. How could it change?"

"Oh." Ma Liangcai was somewhat disappointed after hearing this.

Wait a minute, he realized why Ji Fu was angry just now.

It turns out it was because of that sentence he said.

"Grandpa, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Remember to get some rest early tonight.

After saying that, he ran away as if fleeing before Ma Hongtao could react.

In the back garden of the Ji family, Ji Fu followed her maid with a look of annoyance to the spot where Ma Liangcai had climbed the wall earlier.

She looked at the person on the wall and asked, "Aren't you afraid of my older brother?"

"Ji Fu, I didn't mean it today, don't be angry."

Ji Fu rolled her eyes at him. "Just because of this, you had the maid wake me up."

"Yes, I was wrong. I will be more careful in the future."

Ji Fu was a little disappointed and waved her hand, "Okay, I know, I'm not angry anymore."

"You should go back now."

After hearing that Ji Fu wasn't angry, Ma Liangcai happily watched her leave and then prepared to climb down.

"Huh?" He tried hard, but no matter how he moved, he couldn't move.

Someone grabbed my neck.

He turned around, and when he saw clearly who was gripping his neck, he was so frightened that he stumbled and almost knelt down.

After Ji Lingfeng brought him down, he cautiously looked around at the scene before him.

He had looked at this back garden from the wall many times, but this was the first time he had seen it from the inside. Although it was winter now, it was indeed much more elegant than his own house.

Now in the depths of winter, the wintersweet in the garden is blooming in all its colors.

Unlike his family, whose garden is always green, because his garden only has cedar and cypress trees.

After looking him over, he remembered who had taken him down. He put on a smile, turned around, and raised his hand to greet Ji Lingfeng.

"Greetings, General Ji!"

Ji Lingfeng ignored him and kept staring at him.

Ma Liangcai felt a little scared under Ji Lingfeng's gaze.

"General Ji, what a coincidence."

Ji Lingfeng frowned. "A coincidence?"

"I had no idea that the road to the Ma residence was built on the wall of my backyard?"

"Was it you the other time?"

Ma Liangcai nodded somewhat guiltily.

Ji Lingfeng glanced at him. "You're General Ma's grandson?"

"He looks much stronger than when he was a child."

Before Ma Liangcai could react, he rushed forward and started fighting with him.

Ma Liangcai was caught off guard and was punched several times.

Later, he found an opportunity to rest and regroup, and then fought with Ji Lingfeng.

Ji Lingfeng initially held back, but by the end he got serious.

After several dozen moves, Ma Liang was finally defeated.

A hint of appreciation appeared in Ji Lingfeng's eyes. "As expected of General Ma's grandson, his skills are quite good."

Ma Liangcai was somewhat unwilling, "Sigh, we still lost."

"There are fewer than ten people in the entire Great Xia Kingdom who can withstand thirty moves from me."

"However, you'll have to work harder if you want to defeat me."

Ma Liangcai respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Indeed, I still have a long way to go."

Ji Lingfeng glanced at him. "You and Ji Fu are very close?"

What's going on? Two people have already brought up his relationship with Ji Fu in front of him tonight.

He's so shy.

He covered his face with his hands, chuckled softly, and seemed a little embarrassed.

Ji Lingfeng watched his actions with a puzzled frown. Why did he suddenly become so cowardly?

He heard Ma Liangcai say in a very soft voice, "She's alright, I think I know her pretty well."

“We usually go hunting together.”

"Can't you speak properly? You're really asking for a beating."

Ma Liangcai immediately suppressed his embarrassment and nodded emphatically, "It's fine."

"Then do you know..." This time, Ji Lingfeng didn't know how to start the conversation. He felt it was a bit strange that a man was asking his sister what she thought of him.

However, Ma Liangcai seemed to understand his meaning, walked up to him, and slowly said, "Actually, Ji Fu admires you, her older brother, very much."

"Although she is usually afraid of you, I know that you are a great hero in her heart and the most important person to her."

“She got into danger a month ago while she was praying for you.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Lingfeng became anxious, "She's in danger?"

Ma Liangcai quickly covered his mouth. Oh no, he'd let something slip.

That foul mouth of his.

Ji Lingfeng glared at him, making him somewhat intimidated, so he had no choice but to briefly recount what had happened.

Ji Lingfeng's face darkened, making it impossible to discern his emotions. Ma Liangcai only sensed that the surrounding temperature was somewhat low.

"continue."

“Take this time, for example. She got angry because I said you left before her birthday. She thought you stayed in Beijing so late this year to celebrate her birthday.”

"I didn't expect it to be the same as always; he left immediately after finishing his business."

"She was very sad."

"She most wanted you to be with her on her birthday. For so many years, since you went to join the army, you haven't been able to celebrate her birthday with her."

“Every year on your birthday, she goes to Hongfu Temple to pray for your well-being.”

……

After driving Ma Liangcai away, Ji Lingfeng stood there for a long time.

He originally thought that his younger sister had always been afraid of him. The reason he left the capital so early was because he saw that she would hide far away and feel uncomfortable whenever she saw him.

He just thought that once he left, his sister would be more at ease.

I never expected it to be like this.

Suddenly, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes, and he shouted into the shadows, "He Fei!"