Chapter 1

Eight years ago, to follow Ji Wenmu, I went with him to the battlefield. As the only female general in the military camp, I gritted my teeth and firmly established my footing, earning the respect of that entire camp of men.

Perhaps because I’d mingled in a pile 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 an aquamarine dress. The layered skirt trailed elegantly across the floor, unexpectedly making my figure look even lighter and more graceful.

The nanny applied makeup to my face and rouged my lips. The woman in the mirror gradually turned delicate and beautiful. It made me a bit uncomfortable, even a little awkward, and the muscles in my face stiffened.

Ji Wenmu stiffened too. Upon seeing me, he stared in dumbfounded shock for a long while before asking in disbelief, “Amin?”

I lowered my eyelids, staring fixedly at the tips of his shoes, and gave a neutral “Mm.”

The man in front of me suddenly shuddered, and an uncontrollable snort of laughter slipped through his lips. He pursed his mouth and turned his head away, but his body kept shaking as he tried to hold it in.

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

I loosely clenched my fist, tilting my head to look at the soldier who had spoken.

After a silent staredown, the 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 shaking.

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

He hurriedly waved his hands, but the moment his attention slipped, he couldn’t stop laughing. The sound came in waves, like a bitter winter wind blowing straight into my heart.

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

“Then what am I suited for?”

Oblivious to the shift in my tone, he leaned back as he laughed, his eyes brimming with amusement. He looked me up and down, pretending to ponder. “Armor, a battle robe… Anything but a girl’s clothes, really.”

Rubbing the back of his head, he added carelessly, “I almost forgot you were even a woman.”

I pulled my hands back to my sides, unconsciously clenching them tight. I took two deep breaths, my nose stinging slightly. “But I *am* a girl.”

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

He wanted to say something else, but as he met my eyes, his volume gradually lowered, and his face filled with a loss for words. “Why are you…”

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

Taking the hit, he toppled onto the ground, clutching his chest and staring at me, wincing and dumbfounded.

I gave him a cold snort and a sidelong glance, then returned to my own courtyard, sending away the nanny who tried to come comfort me.

When the moon reached its peak, I collapsed onto the roof. The courtyard below was littered with wine bottles I had smashed. My mind grew dizzy, and I felt top-heavy.

After my parents passed away, Uncle Ji brought me back to the General’s Manor. Ji Wenmu had 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. Only occasionally would I feel a pang of melancholy, wondering when he might finally treat me even a little bit differently.

The roof tiles clattered. I lifted my eyelids just in time to see Ji Wenmu sitting down next to me, looking like he wanted to say something but stopping himself.

Propping up my upper body, I sat up and grabbed him by the collar. His figure kept swaying in my vision. I patted his cheek. “Stop moving!”

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

Those red lips opened and closed right in front of me, making my throat feel a bit dry. The wine jar in my hand was already empty; not a single drop poured out. I raised my hand, smashed it on the ground, popped open a new jar, and, holding Ji Wenmu by the neck, poured it right into his mouth.

Caught off guard, he choked.

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

“Well, she definitely has to be generous, graceful, gentle, beautiful, beautiful…”

It was exactly what I didn’t want to hear. I shoved the wine jar against his mouth again.

He pushed the jar away, wine spilling from the corners of his lips. In a moment of impulsiveness, I sealed those parted lips with mine, licking away the spicy wine.

The person in front of me instantly stiffened into a block of wood. Parting my 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 girl you’ve ever seen, Huang Yue. 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 drunk, I still had a crystal-clear read on him.

I let out a soft laugh, hooked my arms around his neck, pushed aside his layered collar, and bit down.

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

All I could hear was his heavy breathing. I pressed my entire weight onto him, but suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of my neck, and everything went black.