Liu Xiangbai’s voice was hoarse with emotion as he choked out, “It’s my family that has burdened you, making you suffer along with me…”

Regret filled his heart. If he had known things would turn out this way, he never would have sought to marry her.

Sensing her husband’s thoughts, Madam Liu gripped his hand tightly. “Why would you say that? I was never valued in my own family. But when I came to the Liu household, Father treated me with kindness, and you’ve always treated me well. The people in the household respect me. I’ve never regretted marrying into the Liu family, not before, and not now.”

Her voice was firm, and she looked her husband in the eye, wanting him to understand that even if the Liu family was in trouble, she would always protect Father’s memorial tablet and wait for his return, wait for their family to be reunited.

Tears glistened in Liu Xiangbai’s eyes as he pulled his wife into a tight embrace and made a promise: “I will come back.”

“I believe you.”

A bright white light flashed, and his wife’s voice and face began to blur. Liu Xiangbai jolted awake!

He tore off the eye mask, his heart still pounding. The reunion with his wife in the dream had felt so real, as if he had truly seen them.

His heart raced, and he clutched the eye mask to his chest, holding it tightly against him. For the first time in a long while, his usually dull eyes shone with determination—he had to return to the capital!

Meanwhile, in the small courtyard outside the capital, Madam Liu awoke from her dream, still calling out for her husband.

As she looked around the room, she realized it had all been a dream, and a wave of disappointment washed over her.

Her daughter had woken up at some point and was sitting by her bed, watching her. Seeing that she was awake, the little girl’s eyes sparkled. “Mommy, I dreamt that Daddy came home!”

Madam Liu was taken aback. Had her daughter dreamt the same thing?

Since hearing the news that the exiled group had been attacked by bandits, her heart had been in constant turmoil, plagued by nightmares of her husband being wounded and covered in blood.

But last night’s dream had been different, as if it was meant to reassure her that he was safe, and it had calmed her troubled heart.

She pulled her daughter onto the bed and gently comforted her, “Your daddy is busy, but he’ll be back in a little while.”

The little girl grinned, “Yes! I know Daddy will come back!”

Madam Liu couldn’t help but find the dream strange. Remembering how her husband had mentioned the Lu family’s divine protector in the dream, she decided to buy some incense and make some pastries as offerings, just in case the divine protector was real. Even if the rumors were false, she wanted to pray for her husband’s safety.

When the system notified her that Madam Liu had set up an altar to offer incense to her, Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

She materialized in the small courtyard, where the young woman had set up a small table with incense burning in a censer. The offerings were simple, just two plates of pastries, reflecting the family’s strained finances.

Though she wouldn’t receive any tribute points, Gu Xingzhao was moved by the woman’s sincerity. “Well, it’s a small matter anyway,” she thought.

She carefully wrapped the two plates of pastries in paper and left a note before leaving gracefully.

“Mommy, the pastries are gone!” the little girl exclaimed, running around the small table in search of the missing treats.

She had been eagerly waiting to eat them, her eyes fixed on the pastries, and suddenly, they were gone!

Madam Liu was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly got up. She saw that the two plates of pastries that had been on the table were now gone, replaced by a note that read: “I have delivered the food to Liu Xiangbai. A simple word of thanks will suffice. You are not part of the Lu family, so you need not offer tributes to me.”

Holding the note, Madam Liu pinched herself hard, her eyes welling with tears—it was real!

Last night’s dream had been real, and her husband was safe.

She pulled her daughter to her knees, and they both bowed deeply, her voice choked with emotion, “Thank you, Divine Protector, for safeguarding my husband!”

The little girl, not fully understanding what had happened, mimicked her mother’s actions, her curious eyes still glued to the table. She was delighted to see that the pastries had reappeared, neatly arranged on the plates.

The girl’s pitiful, hungry gaze was so heart-wrenching that Gu Xingzhao couldn’t resist her pleading eyes. Smiling, she unwrapped the pastries and placed two pieces back on the plates.

She reached out to gently pat the girl’s head, chuckling, “What a little glutton.”

The girl, startled, grabbed her mother’s arm in fear. “Mommy, someone touched my head!”

Terrified, she hid behind Madam Liu, peeking out with one eye, though still unable to take her gaze off the two pastries on the table.

Madam Liu, overwhelmed with emotion, comforted her daughter, “Silly child, that was a divine being.”

“A kind divine being who’s protecting us.”

Realizing it was getting late and that she still needed to return to the present to pick up her car, Gu Xingzhao couldn’t afford to delay any longer. She took the pastries with her and teleported back to the area near the exiled group. She placed the wrapped pastries along with a note in one of the bamboo baskets and then informed Lu Qing.

“Lu Qing, Liu Xiangbai’s wife made some pastries. I’ve placed them in the bamboo basket. When you have time, make sure they’re delivered to him—it will give him some comfort.”

Lu Qing was surprised. “How does the divine being know Liu’s wife?”

Gu Xingzhao explained, “Last night, I saw him missing his wife, so I granted his wish and allowed them to reunite in their dreams. His wife got up early this morning to make these pastries as an offering to me. I thought it best to deliver them to him.”

To her, the pastries were nothing special, but to Liu Xiangbai, they were priceless because they were made by his wife’s own hands.

Lu Qing understood the divine being’s intention and assured her that he would deliver the pastries to Liu Xiangbai intact when the group stopped to rest.

Back in the modern world, Gu Xingzhao tidied up and hailed a cab to the city to pick up the car she had bought a few days earlier.

As she was leaving, she ran into Lin Ting, who was wearing just a thin sweater and carrying a bowl of soup. Seeing Gu Xingzhao locking the door, he stopped in his tracks, his fingers red from the cold. “Sister, are you going out?”

Gu Xingzhao nodded. “I bought a car, so I’m heading to pick it up.”

Her eyes landed on the bowl of soup in Lin Ting’s hands, and she instinctively licked her lips. “Why don’t you cover the soup up? I’ll drink it when I get back later.”

Hearing that she had bought a car, Lin Ting’s lips curled up in a smile, genuinely happy for her. “Congratulations, Sister.”

Having grown up with Gu Xingzhao, he understood what it meant for her to buy a car or a house.

Gu Xingzhao smiled, checking her phone—the cab should be arriving soon. “How about this, why don’t you put the soup away and come with me to check it out?”

Lin Ting was taken aback. Check out what… the car?

Seeing his lack of enthusiasm, Gu Xingzhao raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Not interested?”

She had thought that most guys would be excited about cars, but it seemed Lin Ting was an exception.

But Lin Ting quickly ran back home with the soup, put it away, grabbed his coat, and rushed back out, catching up just in time to get into the cab with Gu Xingzhao.

As they sat in the back seat, Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but laugh—so Lin Ting wasn’t an exception after all.

Lin Ting didn’t know why she was laughing, his thoughts swirling, and his ears grew hot. It wasn’t the car he was interested in… he just wanted to be with her during this important moment.