Xie Yanlai sneered. “Isn’t it because you don’t think things through completely? Every time you think of something, you have someone summon me. Now that I’m leaving, don’t summon me later. I’m not idle with nothing to do in Luo City.”
With that, he turned and strode away.
Xiao Shan chased after him for a few steps. “Young Master—” But knowing he couldn’t make him stay, he called, “Young Master, let me get you a good rain cloak—”
Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked from behind again by Zhong Changrong.
Xie Yanlai had also disappeared from view.
“General,” Xiao Shan turned around with slumped shoulders, looking unhappy. “Why are you hitting me?”
Zhong Changrong exclaimed, “I hit you and you give me attitude? But that Xie Yanlai—” He pointed toward the doorway where the figure had vanished. “Last year he beat you until you cried, yet when you see him, you act like you’re seeing your own father?”
Mentioning last year’s incident, Xiao Shan’s eyes suddenly reddened, as if the pain of that beating had surged back.
“What do you understand, General?” he said with a thick nasal tone. “You all only saw that I cried, but you didn’t see that Young Master Xie was also crying. While beating me, he was crying himself. What does that prove? It proves I disappointed him too much. He had high expectations for me—the beating fell on my body, but the pain was in his heart. I have no father, but if my father were alive, he’d probably treat me just like Young Master Xie does.”
Zhong Changrong listened in astonishment, both amused and exasperated. What utter nonsense.
He didn’t actually know what had happened between Xie Yanlai and Xiao Shan. It seemed that right after he’d left, someone reported that Xie Yanlai had given Xiao Shan a beating and sent him back.
He hadn’t taken it seriously—since Xie Yanlai came to the border army, he’d gotten into private fights more than once or twice.
That dog’s temper, naturally annoying to people.
Of course, some generals had also made snide remarks to him, saying that Xiao Shan was Zhong Changrong’s man, so naturally the Xie clan wouldn’t use him. They reminded him that the Xie clan wasn’t of one mind with them, and he should guard against this Xie Yanlai too.
Zhong Changrong naturally ignored such talk. The Xie clan was indeed not of one mind with him, but this Xie Yanlai—
He was heartless!
Zhong Changrong’s mind wandered slightly as Xiao Shan crouched on the ground muttering. “I broke Young Master’s heart. I’ve been working hard to improve myself for a year, hoping Young Master will notice me—”
Zhong Changrong kicked him. “You worthless thing. I give you soldiers and horses, made you squad leader, let you lead troops into battle—you don’t think of repaying me, but only think of getting Xie Yanlai to notice you. What good does getting his attention do?”
“General, fighting under Young Master Xie’s command is so satisfying,” Xiao Shan retorted, becoming animated. “When Young Master fights, it’s with ingenious strategies, incredible speed, and ruthless methods. The battles he fights leave not a single Xi Liang soldier alive—extremely fierce.”
This kid Xie Yanlai was indeed fierce in battle, fighting as if he didn’t care about his own life, which was why Zhong Changrong couldn’t help worrying every time.
“Fierce, yes—and the casualties are fierce too,” he muttered.
“That’s not true at all,” Xiao Shan immediately objected. “Young Master fights the fiercest battles, trains fiercely in private, and protects everyone fiercely on the battlefield too. Young Master doesn’t recklessly trade lives for military merits. He’s clever—both skilled and capable of fighting. Many of the brothers under his command have received his help. Otherwise they’d have died on the battlefield long ago. Although I haven’t had the honor of fighting alongside Young Master, when he beat me that time, it looked severe, but he avoided vital areas. My backside has plenty of flesh, so he only struck my buttocks—”
Zhong Changrong really couldn’t listen anymore and kicked him again. “Shut up! It’s been a year since you came back and you’re still like this.”
Xiao Shan got up and started walking away.
“Hey, hey, where are you going?” Zhong Changrong called again. “Do you have any more of that ginger tea? Is the hot water ready? Where is it? I got drenched too—”
Xiao Shan didn’t turn his head. “The hot water is ready, in the pot. Sir, you can go scoop some and drink it yourself. After you’re done drinking, soak yourself in the pot. I still have things to do—it’s our squad’s turn to patrol the city today.”
Zhong Changrong glared angrily. Why did it become just drinking a couple gulps of hot water when it came to him?
“You stinking brat, you still remember you’re supposed to patrol the city? Yet you sneak into my place to fawn over someone,” he cursed.
But the kick missed—that kid had already run off like a wisp of smoke.
Zhong Changrong cursed under his breath as he went to wash up himself. He’d just changed out of his clothes when a message was delivered. Hearing it was from the capital, Zhong Changrong couldn’t even wait to dress properly before taking it. He opened it and read thoughtfully, pacing back and forth in the room several times before finally stopping, as if he’d made a difficult decision.
“Someone come,” he ordered. “Summon School Captain Xie from Luo City.”
……
……
Xie Yanlai burst in carrying the atmosphere of rain with him.
“General Zhong,” he called out, “I said before, don’t casually summon me—”
Zhong Changrong glared at him. “There’s a new assignment.”
Xie Yanlai stood in the hall, raising his hand to brush the rainwater from his brow, his phoenix eyes slanting upward. “This subordinate officer will not comply with orders.”
Zhong Changrong gave a cold laugh. “Go to the capital.”
The cold laugh that had been rising to Xie Yanlai’s nose immediately stopped, and his fingers froze on his brow.
The capital.
In that distant capital was someone he hadn’t seen in a long time—her.