"I’m aware of the situation in Xijing, Lady Yun should take care of herself, wait for my return to the Imperial Court, and do not worry."

He added, "The return date is around mid-June."

At the end of the letter, it seemed as if he wanted to write something else, a drop of ink fell and obscured the words, ultimately leaving a blank space that invites boundless conjecture.

What did he really want to say, and yet restrained his hand?

Feng Yun smiled.

At this moment, the temperature was just right.

Leaning by the window, reading the letter under the lamp...

Those few lines of text, read countless times, then placed back in the small case within the drawer.

Inside were letters.

There were many from when Ao Qi previously went to Bingzhou and brought back with him.

And a few from Pei Jue, brief and scarce.

Ao Qi’s mission to the northwest this time was greatly different.

During that trip to Bingzhou, he hated not being able to write a letter every day to inform her of his well-being.

This departure, there were no letters, no news. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He had grown up, and even taken a wife...

As she had once imagined, the foolish dreams of youth would eventually become the past, gradually fading without leaving a trace...

Feng Yun lazily smiled, opened the case again, and pulled out the letters written by Ao Qi, initially intending to burn them, but as she placed the letter over the flame, before it even caught fire, she withdrew it.

The innocence of the heart is worth preserving.

Let it stay.

She pushed it back, bent down, and patted the head of the turtle hatchling.

"These days not letting you up the mountain, you must feel stifled, right? Shall I take you up the mountain tomorrow?"

The turtle hatchling seemed to really understand human speech, nuzzling against the palm of her hand, its face visibly filled with joy.

In the following days, Feng Yun was busy daily.

Managing the estate’s matters, business affairs, occasionally taking Yuan Shangyi on walks around to understand the common people’s lives.

But one thing, she never took Yuan Shangyi to the mine.

Each time she went to the mine, it was with the turtle hatchling.

The mining operation at Little Jieqiu started in March, currently only mining the shallow layer of graphite, with underground extraction yet to begin.

For two months, the mountain was undergoing initial engineering work.

Stripping rock layers, drilling to ventilate, driving in wooden stakes, piling up stone pillars, building mine shaft supports to ensure safety and smooth transportation for later mining.

Several rows of simple stone and wood houses had been constructed on the mine, where the workers lived.

Seeing Feng Yun come by, each of them seemed jubilantly pleased.

The valley was already hot, yet the mountain remained cool.

But life here was austere; aside from their own brothers, it was rare to see anyone, so one could imagine how unsettled their hearts were at the sight of a great beauty like Feng Yun...

Feng Yun didn’t come empty-handed today.

There were summer clothes made by the garment workshop and food, the delivery of their wages, and even board games, hammers, and ball games for their entertainment.

"These days the mine is rushing to meet deadlines, and everyone has been working hard. Once we start mining underground, you will be able to take turns resting and go to Andu City to enjoy yourselves with your money."

The crowd was momentarily stunned.

There were two types of people on the mine.

One type was the troops dispatched by Feng Yun, followed by those who initially registered with Xing Dalang.

They had all become leaders and minor managers.

The rest were mostly "transferred" from He Qia, displaced people and suspects with nowhere else to go.

The able-bodied displaced went up the mountains, while those with families were settled in villages below the mountain to work, and their children could even go to school in the village school.

Towards the suspects, Feng Yun treated them no differently, for most people selected by He Qia were homeless, desperately stealing food and clothing with no record of violence...

Whether they were displaced or suspects, when they came to the mine, they all knew they were there for hard labor, but never thought that they would be well-fed on the mine, with Changmen giving them money, earning more than working at the docks...

That was not all.

There were even days off?

Wasn’t that a privilege only for the troops and leaders of the estates?

The people looked at each other in disbelief.

Feng Yun laughed, "But there’s one thing, gentlemen, that you must remember. Whether on the mountain or going down to the city, you are under the banner of Changmen, and you must follow the rules of Changmen. Anyone who doesn’t abide by the rules, if discovered once, will not be tolerated."

Only then did the people believe that she was serious.

A cheer erupted.

"Yes!"

Then came loud shouts and cheers.

"We are willing to die for the Lady!"

"We too wish to be soldiers for the Lady!"

Feng Yun slightly smiled.

"Get your clothes and go eat."

She did not directly answer them.

Though when she started recruiting these people to work in the mine, she had the intention to expand Changmen’s troops...

But this matter could not be rushed.

One, their character must be slowly assessed.

Two, it should not be too conspicuous, as to not arouse resentment.

He Qia had already subtly reminded her.

How many workers she had at the bottom was of no concern. But too many armed troops, even if it was just for self-defense, would attract the attention and caution of the Imperial Court...

Pei Jue was returning.

She might hide it from others but not from him.

So, she must be cautious.

-

With the arrival of June, perhaps due to the scorching weather, coupled with many concerns, her heart started to become restless.

Returning from the mountains that day, she took a bath and went to bed early.

Walking around the mine tired her out, and the night breeze brought the scent of flowers, as if a power to intoxicate was present, she gradually sank into sleep and unconsciously had a vivid spring dream...

The dream felt too real.

Vivid and lively.

She sensed the burning lips vividly exploring her body without resistance, the intolerable, hurried breathing, as familiar as if it wanted to wrench her heart out of her chest, her very soul being seized by him...

"Hmm..." she tightened her jaw, arched her head back, and released a low moan from her throat with squinted eyes.

"General..."

"Mhm." The man in the dream responded to her.

His voice was low and husky, laden with emotion.

Strong arms crossed her slender waist, pressing tightly against her, embracing her, the intensity of his fingertips as if to sink into her rounded flesh...

The familiarity of the sensation caused her body to tremble in sync.

She even doubted this wasn’t a dream.

But it was now June, and Pei Jue was still in the northwest—if not a dream, then what?