Chapter 33: If She Leaves, Will You Leave Too?

Knowing his good brother had keen hearing, Dong Yuefan, having already entered the main hall, found that his friend did not even lift his head, despite knowing he had returned.

"Ahem, Brother Zitao, it's upside down." He pointed to the book in the other man’s hands and reminded him, struggling to stifle a laugh.

Upon hearing this, Mu Zitao hurriedly turned the book around.

Pfft—Dong Yuefan truly could not hold back his laughter.

Seeing this, Mu Zitao frowned slightly. Once he realized what had happened and looked at the book in his hands again, it was now upside down!

"Dong the Annoying, are you itching for a beating?" he cursed while throwing the book at him.

Though not as skilled in martial arts as his friend, Dong Yuefan could easily have caught it, but he was simply too lazy to lift a hand. He tilted his body slightly, letting it pass. The poor book landed on the floor, even though he had already seen it was a rare, priceless edition from a previous dynasty.

Dong Yuefan sat to one side, crossing his legs and folding his arms to inspect his friend. His complexion truly looked terrible. In his memory, he had never seen him like this before.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "That’s not right. I know this Mopan Town well enough. There are a few unruly characters here, but they aren't stupid enough to fail to see that you are someone not to be trifled with."

Listening to him mutter, Mu Zitao felt his face grow hot. He would rather die than admit he was so depressed because of some young woman who had appeared out of nowhere.

They had passed each other face-to-face, and as if treating him like thin air wasn't enough, she had actually told those seven children that he was sick and that they should stay away or they would be infected! The key was that those seven children actually believed her words implicitly, fleeing from him as if he were a plague.

At the mere thought of that scene, he felt the energy inside him become chaotic.

"What time is it? Why are you just getting back? I traveled thousands of miles to see you, and I haven't even had lunch?" Feeling guilty, he hurriedly changed the subject, fearing that this friend—who, while not as clever as him, was still quicker-witted than most—might stumble upon the truth.

As soon as he finished speaking, the servant at the door led in a waiter from a restaurant, who carefully arranged the food from the boxes on the table.

Without needing a word from Dong Yuefan, the servant paid the bill and gave the waiter a silver tip.

"Aren't you hungry? Come over here," Dong Yuefan called out, reaching for the wine pot from the servant and personally pouring a drink for his friend.

Mu Zitao was in a foul mood and had no appetite, but seeing the wine, he rose to sit down and began to drink.

Although many regions were still unsettled, things had not yet reached the point where a general like him needed to take action. Having followed his father into battle during years of constant warfare and becoming famous at a young age, he had spent most of his life in military camps.

He had only recently returned to the capital, and after spending his days enduring various social obligations with his grandfather—which he hated, though his family tried to decline what they could—he found it all too tedious. So, he had simply left to visit a friend.

Arriving in this remote Mopan Town a few days ago, he had initially felt it was quite pleasant, peaceful, and quiet. But that sense of comfort had vanished the moment he met that young woman.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered staying indoors or leaving altogether, but then he thought: he was the noble Young General Mu, who had fought countless battles and slain countless enemies—was he really going to be afraid of a mere young woman?

After a few cups of wine, the two brothers began chatting about childhood antics, and a hint of a smile finally appeared on Mu Zitao's face.

"By the way, I won't be able to join you for dinner tonight, but the food and wine are already arranged, and they’re all things you like," Dong Yuefan said, deciding to give him a heads-up.

Mu Zitao looked up at him: "Who was it that said in their letters that for the three years they’ve been here, they were too lazy to socialize, had no friends, no obligations, and were all alone? Was that all just a lie to win my sympathy?"

"What are you talking about? Don't you know me? I might have told a lie or two, but I’ve never deceived you. Today is a special case. Xiaoduo is leaving early tomorrow morning. I helped them get their travel permits, and before they left, they insisted on treating me to a meal to show their gratitude. I invited them to breakfast, and they accepted graciously, so if I refused their invitation, wouldn't that make me seem pretentious? Besides, the meat buns you ate the other day were paid for by them. Isn't that how human interaction works—give and take?" Dong Yuefan explained.

"Xiaoduo? You say her name so naturally. How long have you known her? Someone who didn't know better would think you were old friends! Wait, what did you say? She’s leaving?" Mu Zitao suddenly realized.

Dong Yuefan nodded. "Yes, she’s just passing through. Once she’s rested, she naturally has to be on her way."

*Isn't that because you helped them get their travel permits?* Mu Zitao glared at him.

"I heard what you two were saying this morning. Didn't she say she hadn't decided where to go? You two are so compatible, and with your wealth and status here, why don't you keep them here and take care of them? It’s not like you lack the ability. With her around, wouldn't your life be less boring?" Mu Zitao suggested.

Dong Yuefan didn't care at all about his friend's teasing. "I’ve thought about what you just said, but you know my situation. Believe me, if I really kept them here to look after them, someone from my family would be here within a month. I’d only be inviting trouble for her."

Having said this, he sighed, shook his head, poured himself a cup of wine, and downed it in one go.

Mu Zitao felt a sense of empathy. Although both he and "Dong the Annoying" held high status in the capital, they were both burdened by circumstances beyond their control.

That night, as the moon reached its zenith, Dong Yuefan returned to his residence, intoxicated and filled with a faint sense of melancholy.

Seeing his friend awake and reading in the study, Dong Yuefan felt a pang of guilt. "If you aren't tired, should we have a little more to drink?"

Mu Zitao refused. "I waited for you to return because I wanted to tell you that I’m leaving tomorrow, too."

"What? You’re leaving tomorrow? Hey, wait—didn't you say when you arrived that you wouldn't return to the capital unless that person ordered you back? Why are you suddenly leaving for no reason? Is it because I didn't keep you company tonight? I swear, I’m not the type to prioritize romance over friendship! I can swear to heaven! From tomorrow—no, from tonight, right now—I will stay with you. I won't even go to the magistrate's office. How about that?" Dong Yuefan was becoming anxious.

Sister Xiaoduo, whom he had just met, was leaving, and he was already feeling a sense of loss. Now, his good brother was saying he was leaving too?

Suddenly, Dong Yuefan felt abandoned—heartbroken, wronged, and miserable.

Seeing him like this, Mu Zitao felt like a traitor to his best friend—guilty, self-conscious, and even a bit contemptuous of himself.

"How old are you, acting like a child? You know I’ve spent the last few years either killing enemies or training troops. Now that I finally have some free time, I want to take this opportunity to travel around. Otherwise, when the war starts again, who knows if I'll ever have the chance to see these beautiful mountains and rivers?" He, too, knew how to win sympathy!

To ensure this kid didn't think he was leaving out of spite, he was even willing to curse himself a little.

But someone who had been on the battlefield didn't really believe in such things.

"Pah, pah, pah! Stop spouting such unlucky nonsense. We’ll both live long and healthy lives. Anyway, where do you plan to go? South or North?" Hearing this, how could Dong Yuefan continue to insist on him staying?

*Where did he plan to go?* It was a simple question, but Mu Zitao didn't know how to answer it without the kid suspecting things he shouldn't know.

He truly wasn't sure where he was headed. But he knew the young woman was leaving, and he knew that some areas were not peaceful—there were bandits and murderers everywhere.

She was just a young woman traveling with seven young children. It wasn't as if people wouldn't target them just because she carried a sword at her waist.

He would watch which way she went tomorrow morning, and he would follow. Of course, he wasn't doing it out of kindness or because he was worried about her and those seven little bald kids.

*Didn't she treat me like thin air? Didn't she ignore me?* Well, he didn't believe it. He just wanted to see, when she and those children encountered danger, how she would beg him for help...