Yun Chang POV

“At my lord.” Wen Yuan replied crisply. I followed her gaze and looked at Lu Bu as well before returning my gaze to her. In my heart, several questions swirled.

“Ah… Un…” I uttered as I scratched my head, wondering how I ought to ask Wen Yuan what she discussed with Lu Bu in her room. Did she persuade her? Or did she comfort her? Or did she just keep her company?

“Yun Chang, you don’t need to say anything.” Wen Yuan said as she heard my stammering and her smile slightly diminished as she continued, “I was indeed a little rash as you saw. I should have been more calm like what I told you before.”

— I’m numb to this sort of thing already.

Wen Yuan had said as much before. Compared to the Wen Yuan then, she seemed a lot more agitated and emotional.

“Un…” I did not know how to respond and merely nodded.

“I thought I was numb to it already.” Wen Yuan shook her head, “I also thought my lord was numb to it as well. Compared to myself, my lord has been through a lot more after all.”

Wen Yuan stopped at this and buried her head into her arms deeply. She then gave a long sigh before looking up and then burying her head once more. She did this several times and soon, I could hear some sniffling.

“Wen Yuan…”

“No, I’m fine.” Wen Yuan shook her head vigorously, “I was just venting a little of my pent up emotions.” As she said so, her face trembled and she closed her eyes to suppress her emotions.

“You know, Yun Chang?” Wen Yuan said as she shrugged and looked at me as though she was perfectly fine, “When I went into my lord’s room today, did you know what I saw my lord doing?”

“… What was she doing?” I asked as I frowned.

Wen Yuan looked up and bent down, supporting her chin with her arm as she looked at Lu Bu on the other side, “My lord, she was crying…”

Eh? I could not believe my ears when I heard what Wen Yuan said.

“What do you think? Very unexpected right?”

“Ah, no…”

Wen Yuan seemed to see through me but I hurriedly feigned nonchalance as I looked at Lu Bu. When I saw that she was not looking in our direction and she could not hear what we said because the rainfall was still loud, I heaved a sigh of relief.

“You said Lord Lu Bu… She was crying?”

“If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it either.” Wen Yuan nodded as she continued to look at Lu Bu, “To be honest, I’ve been with my lord for a very long while now. Since I was just a junior constable in a commandery city, I’ve been with her. After all these years, no matter what we went through. she never shed a single tear.”

I looked at Wen Yuan and saw that the corners of her eyes were wet.

No matter what, everyone is capable of crying. Or so I would have liked to say to Wen Yuan but these words were stuck in my mouth when I realised these words were not suitable for certain people, Lu Bu in particular.

“Lu Bu must really cherish big brother huh?”

“Very. My lord would have left long ago if she had any adverse opinion about him. The time she’s spent serving him has been the longest to date, and it will continue on in the future as well.”

“I see…” I did not know how I ought to reply Wen Yuan. If what Wen Yuan said was true, then Lu Bu definitely has some expectation of big brother or perhaps she has entrusted something to him.

Be it in

Xuchang, or when we were traversing the Pa.s.ses, I never heard Lu Bu utter a single grievance. All she did was wordlessly search for and follow big brother.

“From my lord (Lu Bu) said, our lord (Xuan De) has provided her with a path to walk. Back when my lord (Lu Bu) said she wanted to follow our lord (Xuan De), she did so to find her own path. But now, it seems like our lord (Xuan De)’s path has become my lord (Lu Bu)’s path.”

Un…

Wen Yuan smiled as she said so, “It is my lord’s wish to continue walking down this path.”

“… What about you?”

“Me? It’s the same for me of course.” She turned and looked at me, smiling radiantly as she did so, “I am grateful to be able to be here.”

“… Hmhm.” I chuckled as I looked at Wen Yuan.

“Lord Zhang Liao, Lord Guan Yu.”

Un? When I turned back, I saw Guan Ping and Liao Hua walk over to where we were. Guan Ping had a big pot of red bean soup in her hands while Liao Hua had 2 gourds of wine with her.

“How about some wine?” Liao Hua said, her expression a lot more relaxed and calm. Looks like she’s gotten over what happened before.

“Ah, thank you for your kind intentions but I’m not too keen right now–”

“Alright, let’s have a good drink then.”

Eh? Wen Yuan reached out immediately after she finished and took a few gulps.

*Gudu*… *Gudu*…

“Haa~ That’s really good stuff…”

Even though she was all sombre from before, she’s having a good time now huh?

“What? Yun Chang, what are you worried about?” Wen Yuan smiled as she looked at me. She just drank a few mouthfuls but she’s already acting tipsy.

But… Yes… If I can, I hope I can smile when big brother returns. No one likes to be greeted with a sad face after all. Moreover, we have all made our resolve to wait for big brother to return.

“Alright, I’ll have some.” I said as I took the pot of bean soup from Guan Ping, “Go and call the others to come over and help Chen Gong get a change of clothes.”

“Alright! I understand~ Mother~” Guan Ping said in her usual airheaded fas.h.i.+on and dashed off.

I have said this hundreds of times already; stop calling me mother.

Never mind.

“Let’s go to the main hall then,” I said as I carried the beans to the main hall, “Let’s enjoy the rain in the room where we won’t be splattered by mud and rain.”

“That sounds good.”

“Ah, oi~ Don’t s.n.a.t.c.h it away~” Wen Yuan complained as she s.n.a.t.c.hed away the gourd in Wen Yuan’s hands and wordlessly followed behind me.

“Lord Mi Zhu gave specific instructions not to let any single person monopolise the liquor.” Liao Hua said very seriously, which made me smirk.

“That stingy woman…”

But I wonder, what do I do with Gan Qing and Mi Zhen? And there is Hua Tuo as well. Looks like they will probably be very sad for the near term at least.

Un? During the short span of time while walking towards the room, it seemed like the sky had lightened up a fair bit. When I looked up at the skies, I saw that the clouds had begun to part, letting in the warm rays of suns.h.i.+ne.

Looks like a drizzle will continue for another 2-3 minutes before the rain fully dissipates. I was planning on enjoying a rainy landscape but the after rain scenery is good too.

As I thought so, I looked at the sun that had begun its descent towards the west. It shone a bright, majestic red that spread across the sky, making the sky seem a desolate red.

Haha… What am I doing? I am getting melancholic and waxing lyrical about the scenery like a d.a.m.ned scholar. This is completely unlike me.

“It’s so beautiful.” Wen Yuan gasped as she looked outside. Yes, that much is enough.

I wonder if big brother is seeing this now? It does not feel like we are completely separate if we are looking at the same sky…

Big brother, we are here, I muttered as I stared at the sky in a daze, hoping that it would send this message across to big brother where ever he was.

— *Dong* *Dong* *Dong*

Un? Just then, knocks came from the main door.

— *Dong* *Dong* *Dong* *Dong*

Before we could reply, another 4 knocks came in quick succession.

“Un?” “Who’s back?” “Could it be Lord Sun Qian and the other 2?”

Everyone began discussing their theories but compared to them, the me of now had wide open eyes and a look of disbelief.

As the door opened, I felt an inexplicable current of air blow past me and my heart stopped. I do not even know who it is who is opening the door but in that instant, I could tell who it was just from his breath.

In the next instant, he appeared before me and I called out to him like I always did.

— Big brother.