Chapter 35

Military Camp

Outside the tent, Lin Qianyou was blocked at the entrance by two soldiers. A group of curious soldiers had gathered around, their gazes falling on her as they whispered among themselves.

“Is this woman crazy? She actually claims to be our general’s fiancée?” One soldier scoffed, eyeing her from head to toe with disdain. “Look at how she’s dressed. What kind of woman wears something like that? It’s completely improper! Compared to the young Miss Wang who came a few days ago, she’s worlds apart.”

Lin Qianyou clearly heard his words. She glared at him angrily and snapped, “Mind your own business! I can wear whatever I want!”

She glanced down at her outfit—an off-shoulder short-sleeve top, a brown leather bodycon skirt, and matching knee-high boots. In modern times, this was completely normal.

But this wasn’t the modern world. She was in ancient times, and to them, she must have looked utterly out of place.

Not that she cared. Right now, all she wanted was to see Qi Shanglan as soon as possible.

“Why isn’t your general here yet? Didn’t someone go to call him?” Lin Qianyou asked impatiently.

“You think just anyone can meet our general? And you even dare to call yourself his fiancée? Shameless!” The soldier sneered, and the others laughed along with him.

Lin Qianyou glared at them, fuming. “What are you laughing at? I am his fiancée! Just wait until I see him—let’s see how he’ll deal with you!”

“Quite a big mouth you’ve got there.” The soldiers laughed even harder.

Lin Qianyou couldn’t be bothered arguing with them. She kept looking toward the camp, but Qi Shanglan was nowhere in sight. Instead, the same soldier from earlier returned, looking flustered.

“Why are you alone? Didn’t I tell you to call Qi Shanglan?” Lin Qianyou questioned him.

“You think you can just call our general’s name so casually?” The soldier who had been arguing with her earlier sneered again.

Lin Qianyou was about to retort when the messenger soldier spoke up. “The general has ordered you to go to his tent. Follow me. As for the rest of you, disperse! Get back to your posts or go to sleep!”

The surrounding soldiers exchanged glances, confusion flickering in their eyes. Could she really be the general’s fiancée? But then, what about Miss Wang?

On the way to Qi Shanglan’s tent, Lin Qianyou felt a rare sense of unease.

A thousand years ago, Qi Shanglan had massacred an entire city. Was he truly a cold-blooded and ruthless person? But in the ghost story her brother had told her, the young general had done it because of a girl. Who was that girl?

Lin Qianyou anxiously fidgeted with her fingers.

Forget it. It didn’t matter why he had slaughtered that city. She only cared about one thing: bringing him back to life. As long as he could live again, she wouldn’t hold his past affairs against him. After all, the Qi Shanglan of the present belonged to her.

When they arrived at the tent, the soldier cupped his hands and reported to the young general standing before the map table, “General, I have brought—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Qianyou suddenly rushed past him.

“Qi Shanglan!” she cried out excitedly, completely forgetting herself as she spread her arms to hug him.

“Ah!”

As expected, she fell straight through the air. In the next instant, a sword was drawn and pressed against her throat.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Lin Qianyou frowned at the soldier holding the blade.

“How dare you act so brazenly before our general! Speak! Who exactly are you?!” Liu Shi demanded coldly.

“I already told you, didn’t I?”

“Liar! Our general doesn’t have a fiancée! Speak! Were you sent by the Lord of Yangcheng as a spy?!”

The soldier’s sword pressed even closer to Lin Qianyou, the icy touch sending a shiver through her body.

But how was she supposed to explain this? Should she tell them she was Qi Shanglan’s fiancée from a thousand years in the future? Would they even believe her? Would they just call her crazy again?

Lin Qianyou looked at Qi Shanglan, who was only a few steps away. The grievance in her heart surged up all at once, and her tears fell before she could stop them.

“Qi Shanglan, do you really not recognize me…?” she sniffled softly.

The man furrowed his brows as he studied her bizarre clothing, his gaze cold and unreadable.

Then, suddenly, he curved his lips into a smile. “Of course. Aren’t you my fiancée?”

The moment the words left his mouth, He Chuanan and the soldier Liu Shi both widened their eyes in shock.

That wasn’t what he had said just now.

While the two were still reeling from surprise, Lin Qianyou immediately perked up. “Did you hear that? Now put your sword down!” she said, lifting her chin at Liu Shi.

Liu Shi hesitated and glanced at Qi Shanglan, about to lower his sword—

Until he heard the general speak again, his voice light but laced with mockery. “But why is it that I don’t remember having a fiancée like you?” His tone was unmistakably sarcastic. “Tell me—who exactly are you?”

Hearing this, Liu Shi raised his sword to her neck once again.

Lin Qianyou was stunned. Had he been messing with her just now?

“Do you recognize me or not?!” she asked, annoyed. She had gone through so much just to travel here and save his life, and yet he still had the nerve to joke around.

But after thinking about it, she realized—of course, he didn’t recognize her. A thousand years separated them.

Qi Shanglan’s expression remained unchanged. “Should I?” His tone was flat, as if he were speaking to someone utterly insignificant.

For some reason, hearing his emotionless voice made Lin Qianyou’s heart ache with grievance.

The Qi Shanglan standing before her saw her as nothing more than a stranger.

“But I know you…” she whispered, struggling to hold back her tears.

Forget it. If he didn’t recognize her, then he didn’t. As long as she could stop him from slaughtering the city, she didn’t care if he thought she was crazy.

Qi Shanglan caught sight of the tears welling in her eyes. His brow twitched slightly, and he stared at her in silence for a long moment.

This woman was strange. She had barged in claiming to be his fiancée, and now she was crying? He hadn’t even tortured her yet.

Something in his heart softened—just a little.

“Liu Shi, lower your sword.”

“General,” Liu Shi hesitated, reluctant to obey.

“I said, put it down.”

Qi Shanglan repeated the order, and Liu Shi had no choice but to sheath his sword.

“Now, can you tell me the truth?” he asked Lin Qianyou.

Her tears were about to spill over. “Make them leave first, then I’ll talk.”

Qi Shanglan found the situation increasingly strange. His brows furrowed unconsciously as he struggled to make sense of the woman’s behavior.

Was she a spy? …Unlikely.

A noble lady from the capital? …Also unlikely.

As he continued to scrutinize her from head to toe, He Chuanan, who had been standing nearby with his arms crossed, suddenly chuckled and said to Lin Qianyou, “You want to talk to him alone?”

Then, nudging Qi Shanglan with his elbow, he leaned in and teased in a hushed voice, “Alright then, we’ll step outside. To be honest, she doesn’t seem like a spy—who would send a woman to be a spy, anyway? Maybe she really is your fiancée. Could it be that your parents secretly arranged a marriage for you back in the capital?”

He then turned to Liu Shi, “Come on, what are you standing there for?” He walked up, grabbed Liu Shi’s arm, and dragged him away.

“Deputy General He, but, but—” Liu Shi hesitated. He didn’t want to leave. He was worried that Lin Qianyou might harm Qi Shanglan. He needed to stay and protect their young general.

“Ugh, why are you so stubborn? Have you ever seen a female spy before? She already said she’s General Qi’s fiancée—what, do you plan to stay here and drink wedding wine ahead of time?” He Chuanan shot him an exasperated look.

With that, the two finally left the tent, bickering along the way, leaving only Qi Shanglan and Lin Qianyou behind.

A heavy silence fell over the space.

The quiet was broken when Lin Qianyou’s vision blurred, and a large teardrop splashed onto the ground.

Without warning, she suddenly stepped forward and tightly embraced Qi Shanglan.

The broad shoulders, the firm chest, the familiar scent…

And—most importantly—the familiar person.

Only, to him, she was no longer familiar.

“Qi Shanglan… I finally found you…” she sobbed uncontrollably, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face against his chest.

Qi Shanglan’s body stiffened, his brows deeply furrowed. He was utterly baffled by her actions.

For a long moment, he stood frozen, his mind in complete disarray.

He hadn’t even interrogated her yet, so why was she suddenly crying? She had shamelessly declared herself his fiancée, but now she looked like she had suffered some unbearable grievance instead.

Unbeknownst to them, the tent flap had been lifted slightly, and through the narrow opening, several pairs of curious eyes peeked inside.

“He Chuanan.” Qi Shanglan shot a cold glance toward the entrance.

The soldiers outside hurriedly let go of the flap, closing it shut at once.

“That scared the life out of me.” He Chuanan patted his chest, still rattled. “What was that look for? I only took a little peek—was that really necessary?” He exhaled a long sigh.

“Deputy General He, is she really our general’s fiancée? Why are they hugging like that?” Liu Shi scratched his head, still utterly confused. The other soldiers also crowded around, waiting for an answer.

He Chuanan’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. He took a few steps forward before leisurely saying, “I can’t say for sure if she’s his fiancée, but one thing’s certain—she’s no ordinary woman.”

He paused, then added with a playful tone, “After all, managing to hug that cold-as-ice general? That’s no small feat.”

Inside the tent, neither Lin Qianyou nor Qi Shanglan heard the conversation outside.

Lin Qianyou refused to let go.

Whether it was the Qi Shanglan from a thousand years ago or the Qi Shanglan from a thousand years later, all she wanted was for him to live.

“Qi Shanglan, you scared me to death… Do you know that?” She finally lifted her tear-streaked face from his chest.

Qi Shanglan met Lin Qianyou’s tearful gaze. He was momentarily stunned before reacting and trying to push her away—but he hesitated.

The woman before him was dressed in strange, revealing clothing. Her shoulders, waist, and thighs were all exposed, leaving him at a loss as to where to place his hands.

“Have you hugged enough?” Qi Shanglan wasn’t unfamiliar with women throwing themselves at him, but this time, he had been caught off guard. In the past, such women wouldn’t have even gotten the chance to get close to him.

“No.” She answered, looking even more aggrieved. “Why are you speaking so coldly? I’m already crying, and you won’t even comfort me?” She rested her chin against his chest, tears still brimming in her eyes.

“Let go.” His voice remained indifferent, which only made Lin Qianyou even more furious. She got up from him and punched him in frustration. “Qi Shanglan! How could you treat me like this? I came here to save you, and this is how you repay me?”

“Save me?” He raised an eyebrow. “What kind of danger could I possibly be in that requires a woman to rescue me? On the other hand, you’re the one dressed strangely and speaking nonsense. Tell me—who exactly are you, and why have you come to the military camp?”

“I already told you, I came to save you. Ugh, fine, I’ll just tell you the truth directly.” Lin Qianyou pointed at herself. “I came here from a thousand years in the future. Do you understand what ‘time travel’ is? It means I came from a later era to an earlier one.”

She then pointed at Qi Shanglan, earnestly explaining, “And you—a thousand years later, you’re my boyfriend. Do you know what that means? It means you’re my fiancé. We were supposed to get married. ‘Married’—do you understand that?”

But Qi Shanglan’s brows only furrowed deeper.

Seeing that he didn’t comprehend, Lin Qianyou became even more frustrated. “Ugh! Listen—one thousand years later, something terrible happens to you. You die while chasing down a criminal. ‘Die’ means you don’t come back. I traveled through time to save you! As long as you don’t massacre the city, I can bring you back to life in the future. Do you get it now? I came here to stop you from slaughtering the city.”

She frowned at him, and he frowned back, clearly not believing a word she said.

Lin Qianyou clicked her tongue in exasperation and tried to simplify it further. “In short—if you don’t massacre the city, the you from a thousand years later can live. Do you understand now?”

Qi Shanglan’s brows slowly relaxed, but his expression remained indifferent. He stared at her for a long time without saying a word.

She didn’t seem like a spy. She didn’t seem like a noblewoman. She didn’t even seem like a foreigner. More than anything, she seemed like a lunatic spouting nonsense.

“Are you done talking?” His voice was cold. “If you are, then leave the military camp immediately. This is not a place you should be.”

“I’m not leaving! Promise me you won’t massacre the city first. If you agree, I’ll leave right away!” Lin Qianyou was growing desperate.

“Why should I promise you?” Qi Shanglan raised an eyebrow, his lips curving slightly in an almost imperceptible smirk. “I was sent here to capture the city. What do you mean by ‘not massacring it’? Are you from Yang City? Are you begging for your life?”

“Qi Shanglan! What will it take for you to believe me? The only way for you to live is if you don’t massacre the city!” Lin Qianyou was frantic. “And besides, those people are all living, breathing human beings! Do you really have the heart to kill them?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” His tone remained calm. “Their lives matter, but do the lives of my fallen soldiers not matter?”

“Then don’t lead an army into battle! There’s no such thing as a bloodless war. Can you really bear to watch your own soldiers die?” She looked at him, her breath uneven with emotion. But Qi Shanglan remained unmoved.

“I was ordered to take the city.” His voice was deep and emotionless. “Military orders are absolute and cannot be disobeyed. Besides, on the battlefield, life and death are dictated by fate. If we retreat out of fear, how can we uphold military discipline? How can we command the respect of the troops?”

Lin Qianyou’s heart clenched at his words. Why was this man so stubborn? How could she make him believe her and stop the massacre?

Just as she was about to try persuading him again, the tent flap was suddenly thrown open. Liu Shi rushed in, his expression anxious.

“General, bad news! The grain storehouse is on fire!”

Qi Shanglan’s expression darkened immediately. “How bad is it?”

“The fire has started, but it hasn’t spread yet. We’ve already sent men to put it out.”

Qi Shanglan’s expression eased slightly. Without hesitation, he strode past Lin Qianyou toward the exit. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Casting a sidelong glance at her, he noticed that she was hastily following him.

Without a word, he reached out, grabbed a tent curtain, and threw it over her.

“Inappropriate attire.” His voice was cold.

The large curtain draped over Lin Qianyou, covering her completely—even her head was hidden beneath it. As she struggled to push it off, she heard Qi Shanglan’s voice again.

“Tie her up. Put her in the prison cell first.”