Wei Wu had initially called Yang Haiyan by her maiden name out of habit and excitement at seeing an old acquaintance.

He hadn’t noticed that she now wore a married woman’s hairstyle.

After her reminder, he quickly corrected himself, “Qin family’s lady? Qin family’s lady, what a coincidence. I didn’t expect to run into an old acquaintance here in the border town. Now that I’m in the military, if you ever need help, don’t hesitate to come find me at the barracks and mention my name.”

He felt a sense of responsibility towards her—not only because she had been his late fiancée’s maidservant but also because they were now familiar faces in this distant land.

From the original host’s memories, Yang Haiyan knew that Wei Wu was open-hearted, refined, and had the demeanor of a nobleman.

Hearing his offer, she responded politely, “Thank you, Young Master Wei. Please have a seat. Aunt Hong, bring some snacks and brew tea for Young Master Wei.”

Aunt Hong obliged, “Yes, Madam.”

Wei Wu seemed surprised, “Is this shop yours?”

Yang Haiyan didn’t hide the truth.

After all, with Wei Wu stationed here for some time, and the entire town knowing she owned the shop, there was little reason to conceal it.

She nodded, “Yes, after I got married, I opened this shop. It’s a peaceful life I never imagined before.”

Wei Wu, being a nobleman, wasn’t well-versed in the affairs of commoners.

However, he could tell that Yang Haiyan was living well.

It wasn’t just her fine clothes—her radiant spirit and healthy complexion spoke volumes.

He could see she was married to someone of means and asked curiously, “Who is your husband?”

Yang Haiyan didn’t hesitate, “He is Qin Fang, a Captain under General Ao.”

Wei Wu was mid-bite of a small cake and nearly choked, “Captain Qin?” Could it really be the same person?

After all, Qin Fang was his superior now, and he, Wei Wu, was just a lowly soldier under his command.

Seeing his reaction, Yang Haiyan couldn’t help but ask, “It seems like Young Master Wei knows my husband.”

Wei Wu nodded, “Yes, we’ve met. What a small world.” But inwardly, he was shocked.

How had such a delicate woman ended up marrying someone as imposing as Qin Fang?

They seemed mismatched at first glance.

Still, he acknowledged, “Captain Qin is very skilled.” His comment was sincere.

The noble sons from the capital, who had recently arrived at the border for military training, often felt superior.

Back in early March, when they first arrived and Qin Fang was away, they’d tried to provoke trouble under the temporary command of Han Zhen, only to be thoroughly put in their place.

When Qin Fang returned, they quickly realized they stood no chance against either of the two men, so they wisely refrained from challenging Qin Fang’s authority.

Rumors of Qin Fang’s prowess in martial arts made it clear that they should steer clear of provoking him.

Yang Haiyan noticed Wei Wu’s somewhat sheepish demeanor but didn’t pursue the matter.

After some casual conversation, Wei Wu stood up to leave. “Madam Qin, I wish you all the best,” he said, feeling a mix of old emotions.

Although his former fiancée was gone, seeing Yang Haiyan was like a connection to that past, and he hoped she would live well.

In some way, perhaps it was his way of easing the guilt he carried.

Yang Haiyan responded warmly, “Thank you. The border can be dangerous, so please take care of yourself too, Young Master Wei.”

Wei Wu smiled, gathered the snacks he had bought, and left.

As he walked away, Yang Haiyan sighed.

If Qin Fang hadn’t returned to his hometown in the original story, and if the original host had met Wei Wu again, what would have happened?

No one could know.

Wei Wu felt quite pleased after the unexpected reunion with Yang Haiyan.

His friend, walking alongside him, asked, “Who was that? She’s quite pretty.”

Wei Wu shot him a look, “Don’t get any ideas. She’s a married woman with a reputation to maintain.”

He sighed again, “She used to be Zixu’s maid. After the Yang family was implicated, many young maids were married off to soldiers. I never expected to see her here, and she’s married to Captain Qin.” Zixu had been the courtesy name of Miss Yang, his late fiancée.

Wei Wu’s friends all knew about the downfall of the Yang family, as many of their families had sided with the current emperor during the power struggle for the throne.

According to Qi Kingdom’s laws, the crimes of the master didn’t extend to the servants, so it wasn’t surprising that Yang Haiyan had been sent to the border.

What surprised them was the connection between her and Wei Wu.

Another young man joked, “So that’s Captain Qin’s wife! Well, since you know her, maybe next time in training, Qin Fang will go easy on us.”

Wei Wu scoffed, “Don’t be ridiculous! Don’t cause trouble for her.”

The scene continues with the soldiers returning to the camp after their time outside.

They were scheduled for night duty, so during the day, some were resting while others were chatting.

Wei Wu, curious about Yang Haiyan’s situation after hearing that she had married Qin Fang, decided to ask the soldiers about her while sharing the cakes he had bought.

Wei Wu handed out the small cakes, saying, “Everyone, help yourselves, no need to be polite. These are fresh from the shop.”

The soldiers were hesitant to accept, as Wei Wu was a nobleman from the capital, and they didn’t feel comfortable taking his things.

However, over the past few days, they had come to know that he was a kind and approachable person.

Still, the difference in their social status made them cautious.

Seeing their reluctance, Wei Wu took the initiative to distribute the cakes to them. “Don’t be shy! I bought these from the pastry shop today, and I found out that the shop is run by Madam Qin—Qin Fang’s wife.”

Now that Wei Wu had personally handed the cakes to them, the soldiers felt it would be rude to refuse any longer, so they accepted. One soldier responded, “Madam Qin is very kind to us. When Centurion Qin was promoted, she even sent us pastries to celebrate. Last year during the Laba Festival, she gave us Laba congee too. Since there were so many of us, she sent two bowls to each person. We felt bad and collected some firewood to send to her in return. Do you know what happened next?”

Wei Wu was intrigued. “What happened?”

The soldier explained, “Well, the firewood we gave her could have been sold for money in town, and Madam Qin said that the firewood was worth more than the congee. So, she turned the value of the firewood into buns and steamed bread and gave them to us as gifts for the New Year.”

Another soldier chimed in, “That’s right. Madam Qin is really great, much better than the wives of other centurions in different sections. Everyone envies us for having her around.”

Wei Wu smiled, agreeing with them. “She has always been kind-hearted.”

Of course, Wei Wu didn’t know that the original Yang Haiyan had praised him in front of Miss Yang in the hopes that Wei Wu would marry Miss Yang quickly, which would increase her chances of becoming his concubine.

Another soldier added, “There were some interesting things that happened when Madam Qin first arrived here. You new folks wouldn’t know, but everyone in the camp envies Centurion Qin.”

Wei Wu, now more curious, asked, “Oh? What happened? Tell me more.”

The soldiers eagerly began to recount their stories, and it was clear that one of them seemed to be a bit of a fan of Yang Haiyan.

Meanwhile, Qin Fang, who had been working on making wooden hairpins in his tent for the past few days, had just finished his latest piece and was feeling satisfied.

However, after staring at the same task for so long, his eyes were tired, so he decided to take a break and go for a walk outside.

As he stepped out, he overheard a conversation…

Wei Wu asked, “What do you guys think of Captain Qin? He always looks so cold, like the Grim Reaper. I bet Madam Qin suffers being married to him.”

A soldier replied, “How would we know what goes on between a husband and wife?”

Wei Wu continued, “I just don’t think Captain Qin is the type to show affection. And—hey, why are you pulling me?”

The soldier’s eyes shifted toward one side.

Following his gaze, Wei Wu turned his head and saw Qin Fang standing there with a dark expression on his face.

Awkwardly, Wei Wu stood up and stammered, “Captain Qin…”

“Come over here,” Qin Fang cut him off.

Wei Wu hesitantly approached. “Is there something you need from me?”

Qin Fang said, “I’ve heard that when you first arrived, you and the others weren’t happy about Han Zhen replacing the previous Captain.”

Wei Wu began to explain, “Well, at the time, yes, but—”

“But I also think it’s reasonable for you to be dissatisfied,” Qin Fang interrupted again. “So, I feel it’s necessary to prove my strength to you all. Otherwise, you might still hold a grudge against me.”

Wei Wu was confused. “Huh?”

Qin Fang then turned to one of the soldiers and commanded, “Go summon all the soldiers from the 18th section. Count to thirty, and if anyone doesn’t show up without a valid reason, they’ll have to run fifty laps around Yongzhou Gorge.”

The soldier’s legs almost gave out at the thought of running fifty laps. “Yes, sir, I’ll go call them right away!” he said, scurrying off.

Before Qin Fang could count to thirty, over a thousand soldiers had gathered, including Han Zhen and ten other centurions who had come to see what was going on.

Han Zhen asked, “Captain Qin, what’s going on? Why the sudden gathering?”

Another centurion, Lu Zhen, added, “Yes, is something the matter?”

Qin Fang responded, “I’ve been meaning to gather everyone. There were some new recruits who were unhappy with Han Zhen stepping in as acting Captain. That discontent is essentially directed at me as well, so I’ve decided to give them a chance. If they can defeat me, I’ll treat them to meat for every meal for a month.”

As soon as Qin Fang said this, one of the noblemen immediately asked, “Are you serious, Captain Qin? If we defeat you, you’ll treat us to meat for an entire month?”