Extra 18. The Protagonist’s Current Life (End)

On New Year’s Eve, Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce enjoyed two reunion dinners—one at the military camp and one at home. After the feasts ended, they nestled together in the warm pavilion of Yaoguang Garden. Each held a set of playing cards, sitting opposite each other at either end of the small tea table on the monk’s bed, passing the time while staying up to welcome the new year.

As the game reached its decisive moment, Jiang Zhiyi furrowed her brows, intently studying her hand of cards and pondering which card to play to outmaneuver Yuan Ce. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a yellow blur dart past. Glancing down, she saw Hu Hu (Tiger), neck stretched high and paws tiptoeing, clearly wanting to climb onto the bed.

When they had first settled in Hexi, Jiang Zhiyi had considered bringing Hu Hu from Chang’an. However, she initially worried about the long journey, fearing the cat might fall ill due to changes in environment. Thus, it was postponed until Li Dafeng returned to Guzang, when she entrusted him to bring Hu Hu along.

With the ever-reliable Li Dafeng, known as a “miracle doctor,” taking care of Hu Hu during the journey, the cat arrived safely by their side.

Jiang Zhiyi was busy flipping through her cards, silently mouthing calculations under her breath. Amidst her concentration, she managed to free one hand to poke Yuan Ce’s forearm resting on the table.

Yuan Ce understood immediately. He extended his arm downward.

Hu Hu climbed up his arm and plopped down solidly on his shoulder, perched atop the high ground, surveying the entire spread of cards. When Jiang Zhiyi reached out to flip over one of her cards, Hu Hu suddenly swiped a paw toward her.

Yuan Ce swiftly grabbed the cat’s paw.

Jiang Zhiyi paused mid-play, raising her head to see Hu Hu extending its second paw, only for Yuan Ce to firmly restrain it as well.

“What’s gotten into you? Feeling restless?” Yuan Ce tilted his head to look at Hu Hu.

“Meow—” Hu Hu struggled to lift its remaining two paws.

Noticing Hu Hu’s intent gaze fixed on her cards, Jiang Zhiyi picked up her card and blinked at Yuan Ce. “If I play this one, will it not beat your hand?”

Yuan Ce’s lips curved slightly. “How would I know? I can’t see your cards.”

“You may not see them, but you’re good at calculating.”

In the depths of winter, Jiang Zhiyi preferred staying indoors rather than venturing out into the cold winds. Recently, she often spent her days playing games with Yuan Ce at home. At first, she assumed Yuan Ce wouldn’t be as skilled at leisure games as Shen Yuan Ce—or perhaps even less so than herself. But she had underestimated the shared talents of twin brothers. Yuan Ce picked up gaming skills effortlessly, mastering them quickly. Even dice-throwing seemed to yield results as he wished. She joked that if he weren’t destined to be a war god, he could easily become a gambling god renowned across the land.

Jiang Zhiyi beckoned to Hu Hu. “Hu Hu, come tell me which card to play.”

Yuan Ce glanced at the cat on his shoulder. “A true gentleman doesn’t speak while observing a game. If you spy on my cards and act as a spy, does that mean my shoulder is yours to sit on for free?”

Hu Hu’s paws were still firmly held by Yuan Ce, and it drooped its head in surrender.

“He cheats even when throwing dice—we don’t need to be gentlemen,” Jiang Zhiyi said, clapping her hands at Hu Hu. “Come!”

Hu Hu wriggled free from Yuan Ce’s grasp and leapt toward Jiang Zhiyi.

“Ungrateful little thing,” Yuan Ce chuckled. “I spent all afternoon playing with it yesterday.”

“That wasn’t playing—that was teasing! Who makes a cat roll on the ground and stick its tongue out?”

“That’s what Li Dafeng said—to help it lose weight for better health. I just made it run a few laps. Compared to the soldiers’ training, it’s nothing.”

“Hu Hu is my pampered pet, not some military cat. You need to take it slow and help it build strength gradually.”

“I know,” Yuan Ce said, glancing at Jiang Zhiyi with a light scoff. “You’re all my ancestors.”

Jiang Zhiyi flushed at his pointed use of the word “all.” Clearly, Yuan Ce wasn’t just referring to helping Hu Hu grow stronger—he also meant her, who often lacked stamina in their intimate moments. Come to think of it, over the past year, Li Dafeng had indeed noted that her constitution had improved significantly.

“If your mind’s no longer on the game,” Yuan Ce observed her distracted thoughts, gathering the cards and tapping them on the tea table, “let’s wrap it up—”

“Who says? I still want to win!” Jiang Zhiyi picked up Hu Hu, holding one of its paws to point at the cards. “Come on, tell me which card will win.”

After staring at the cards for a long while, Hu Hu pressed its paw down.

Yuan Ce propped his forehead on his hand and sighed.

Studying Yuan Ce’s expression, Jiang Zhiyi flipped the chosen card and played it.

Yuan Ce leaned back lazily with a smile, revealing his hidden cards.

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes widened at the sight of his hand. “You have such a strong hand, and yet you sigh?!”

“I sigh because it gives my wife a fleeting moment of joy in thinking she might win. If I didn’t sigh, wouldn’t even that fleeting moment disappear?” Yuan Ce revealed his unbeatable hand, flipping the cards over for her to see.

“Isn’t this bullying? How am I supposed to beat you with these cards…” Jiang Zhiyi pouted and dramatically collapsed onto the tea table.

Yuan Ce tilted his head to look at her. “So eager to beat me, are you?”

“It’s said you shouldn’t lose all year round. On New Year’s Eve, I at least need to beat you once.”

“That’s true,” Yuan Ce nodded. “Then how about… I teach you how to ‘beat’ me?”

Jiang Zhiyi sat upright abruptly. “How?”

“First, send Hu Hu away.”

Jiang Zhiyi glanced at the little Pekingese dog dozing off in the distance and patted Hu Hu’s behind. “Go play with Yuan Tuan.”

Hu Hu hopped off the bed and scampered over to Yuan Tuan, meowing softly.

Jiang Zhiyi smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeping gown, then looked up to see Yuan Ce removing the tea table from the monk’s bed.

“Didn’t you say you’d teach me?” she asked.

“I did,” Yuan Ce replied, reaching out to take her wrist and pulling her toward him. Jiang Zhiyi stumbled forward, falling onto him as he leaned back. “Isn’t this how you ‘press’ me?”

Jiang Zhiyi blinked in surprise before glaring at him angrily. “Yuan! Ce!”

Yuan Ce laughed so hard his shoulders shook. “I can’t lose at cards, but isn’t it fine if I let you ‘press’ me somewhere else?”

Staring at his shameless expression, Jiang Zhiyi bit down hard on his lower lip in irritation.

In the warm little room, a heat far more intense than the charcoal fire began to spread. As their bodies intertwined in the sultry embrace, articles of clothing were tossed off the bed one by one.

From afar, the cat and dog sitting on the ground heard the commotion. Their ears perked up, and they stared with wide eyes at the couple entwined on the monk’s bed.

Noticing the gazes behind him, Yuan Ce paused as he untied the last ribbon on Jiang Zhiyi’s garment.

Through her hazy gaze, Jiang Zhiyi looked at his halted hand and panted as she lifted her head.

Yuan Ce scooped her up and walked over to close the lattice doors, blocking the two pairs of curious eyes. Turning back, he gently placed her back on the bed.

Jiang Zhiyi’s back pressed against the mattress as she watched him lean down. Breathing heavily, she raised her arm to pull his neck closer. “…Didn’t you say I could press you?”

Yuan Ce flipped her over, guiding her to straddle him. “Are you satisfied now, my little ancestor?”

________________________________________

The final hours of the New Year vigil weren’t spent playing games but were instead entirely consumed by their passion.

By the time Yuan Ce tidied up, it was already past midnight. Jiang Zhiyi lay sprawled on the bed, deeply regretting her obsession with winning and insisting on “pressing” him. After all that, while he seemed thoroughly relaxed, she was utterly exhausted, unable to move even a finger.

“Won’t we light the lanterns?” Yuan Ce sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her head, remembering her earlier words about releasing Kongming lanterns tonight.

“We must. It only happens once a year—it’s a tradition we can’t skip,” Jiang Zhiyi said, propping herself up and opening her arms. “Carry me there…”

Yuan Ce chuckled, lifting her into his arms. He draped her cloak over her and instructed Qingsong to prepare the carriage.

Like someone who had lost the use of her legs, Jiang Zhiyi clung to Yuan Ce’s neck as he carried her out of the estate and into the carriage.

The carriage rolled through lantern-lit alleys, streets as bright as day, and bustling night markets alive with music. As the middle of the night approached, people poured out of their homes—young and old gathering together to hang firecrackers by their doorsteps to welcome the new year.

Jiang Zhiyi gazed at the vibrant scenes outside the window, breathing in the scent of fireworks. She leaned contentedly against Yuan Ce’s shoulder.

When the carriage arrived at the gates of Guzang City, Yuan Ce carried Jiang Zhiyi down. She patted the back of his hand. “We’re here to release sky lanterns. A sincere heart is key, so we’ll have to walk a bit.”

“You sure have a lot of rules,” Yuan Ce teased, setting her down and taking her hand as they climbed the steps to the city wall.

Shoulder to shoulder, Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce ascended higher and higher, looking out over the streets and alleys below. Suddenly, the scene felt familiar.

She recalled that two years ago, during the first lunar month, she had taken Yuan Ce to the top of Chang’an’s city wall to show him the city’s splendor. Now, two years later, he was bringing her to the top of Guzang’s city wall to show her its festive liveliness.

Though nearly two thousand miles away from her hometown, she felt no trace of unfamiliarity or unease.

Upon reaching the top of the city wall, Yuan Ce opened the Kongming lanterns Jiang Zhiyi had prepared in advance. “Why are there three lanterns?”

“One for us, one for my uncle, and one for my sister and brother-in-law.”

Together, they unfolded the lantern covers. Yuan Ce knelt on one knee, lighting the wicks.

The three sky lanterns slowly rose into the air, glowing faintly as they drifted into the boundless night sky.

Just as the middle of the night struck, firecrackers erupted simultaneously across the city, filling the air with deafening pops and cracks.

Jiang Zhiyi watched the bustling crowds in the streets, laughing children, and hugged Yuan Ce tightly, raising her voice above the noise. “So lively!”

Yuan Ce held her firmly, lowering his head to whisper, “Every year will be this lively from now on.”

They smiled at each other, leaning their heads together to gaze at the sea of lights illuminating the city—and among those countless lights, the one that belonged to them.

【—The End—】