Chapter 1

Eight years ago, to follow Ji Wenmu, I went with him to the battlefield, becoming the only female general in the military camp. Gritting my teeth, I firmly established my footing among the ranks and earned the deep respect of those men.

Perhaps because I had mingled in a crowd of men for so long, I forgot what a woman was supposed to look like. Or perhaps because he was so used to seeing me covered in dirt and grime, Ji Wenmu had always treated me like a man.

After returning to the capital, I changed into a cerulean blue dress. The layered skirts trailed gracefully along the ground, unexpectedly accentuating my light and slender figure.

The nanny applied powder and rouge, dabbing my lips with red. The woman in the mirror gradually turned beautiful and delicate, making me feel a bit unaccustomed and even awkward. The muscles in my face grew stiff.

Ji Wenmu stiffened as well. Upon seeing me, he looked astonished for a long time before asking in disbelief, “A’min?”

I lowered my eyelids, staring dead at the tips of his shoes, and gave a light, noncommittal hum.

The person in front of me suddenly trembled all over. An uncontrollable snicker escaped from between his lips. He pursed his mouth and turned his head away, but his body kept shaking from holding back his laughter.

The young soldier behind him was more straightforward. After staring dumbfounded, he burst into loud laughter. “General Liu, what kind of shock did you suffer?”

I loosely clenched my fist and tilted my head to look at the soldier who spoke.

After a silent stare-down, the young soldier immediately shut his mouth, shot a glance at Ji Wenmu, and quickly slipped away.

Ji Wenmu was still trying to hold back his laughter, his shoulders trembling.

“Is it that funny?” I asked him, my voice cool.

He hastily waved his hand. Distracted, his laughter could no longer be contained, washing over me like a bitter winter wind blowing straight into my heart.

“No, no, at first glance I thought it was Xiaoyue, hahahahaha! You’re really not suited to dress like this.”

“Then what am I suited for?”

He didn’t notice the shift in my tone. Laughing while leaning back, his eyes brimming with amusement, he looked me up and down and pretended to ponder. “Armor, battle robes… definitely not a girl’s clothes.”

Rubbing the back of his head, he said without a care in the world, “I actually forgot you were even a woman.”

I pulled the hand I had extended back to my side, unconsciously balling it into a tight fist. I took two deep breaths, the tip of my nose turning sour. “But I *am* a girl.”

“What kind of girl are you? You can fight better than a man!”

He wanted to say more, but as he met my gaze, his volume gradually dropped, and a look of fluster appeared on his face. “Why are you…”

I didn’t let him finish his sentence. I kicked him squarely in the chest.

Taking the direct hit, he tumbled to the ground, clutching his chest, staring at me blankly while bearing his teeth in pain.

I sneered, shot him a sideways glare, and returned to my own courtyard, sending away the nanny who came to comfort me.

When the moon reached its peak, I collapsed onto the roof. The courtyard below was littered with wine jars I had smashed down. My mind gradually grew dizzy, and my head felt heavy while my feet felt light.

After my parents passed away, Uncle Ji brought me back to the General’s Manor. Ji Wenmu promised he would protect me and never let me suffer any grievances.

Because of him, I learned martial arts and went to the battlefield, enduring it all gladly. Yet occasionally, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of seasonal melancholy, wondering when he would ever treat me just a little bit differently.

The roof tiles shifted under someone’s weight. I lifted my eyelids and saw Ji Wenmu sitting down next to me, looking like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

I propped myself up on my upper body and grabbed his collar. His figure was constantly swaying. I patted his cheek. “Don’t move!”

“I’m not moving,” he said, sounding a bit wronged.

His red lips opened and closed right before my eyes, making my throat feel dry. The wine jar in my hand was already empty, unable to pour out a single drop. I raised my hand, smashed it onto the ground, opened a fresh one, and holding Ji Wenmu by the neck, poured it directly into his mouth.

Caught off guard, he choked.

“Ji Wenmu, what kind of girl do you like?”

“She definitely has to be generous, proper, gentle, beautiful, and pretty…”

I didn’t want to hear it anymore, so I stuffed the wine jar back against his mouth.

He pushed the jar away, wine overflowing from the corners of his lips. In a moment of impulsiveness, I sealed those opening and closing lips, licking away the spicy liquor on them.

The person in front of me instantly stiffened into a block of wood. Parting his lips, I whispered, “Ji Wenmu, you have no idea how much I like you.”

But in your eyes, there is only the battlefield, the soldiers, and the most beautiful Huang Yue you’ve ever seen. You just can’t see the me who has always been right by your side.

Or maybe you do.

“Liu, Liu Min, I treat you as a brother!”

How detestable. Even when drunk, he still had a crystal-clear understanding of our relationship.

I chuckled lightly, hooked my arm around his neck, rubbed against his layered collar, opened my mouth, and bit down.

I pinched his earlobe, coaxing him. “Relax, be good.”

Heavy breathing sounded by my ear. I pressed my entire weight onto him, but suddenly, a sharp pain struck the back of my neck, and everything went black.