Bai Fanlu finally found the letters from Mu Yunhe in the drawer. He held them in his hand, stroking them repeatedly, putting them back, and then taking them out again.

After several moments of hesitation, he found the situation amusing. Liu Xin entered with tea and noticed him.

“Young master, are you planning to read the letters? Liu Xin will read them for you.”

Bai Fanlu initially wanted to refuse but inexplicably hesitated. In that brief moment, Liu Xin had already quickly opened a letter and unfolded it.

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“This…” Liu Xin looked down and smiled. “Young master, you can read this letter yourself.”

As she spoke, she handed the letter to Bai Fanlu. “Touch it.”

Bai Fanlu tried touching the letter. It wasn’t made of ordinary paper, but some kind of thick parchment, with the characters imprinted into the surface. He could easily identify the words by feel.

Liu Xin giggled. “The young prince is so thoughtful. He probably didn’t want his secrets to be overheard by Liu Xin. I’ll leave you to read the letter alone, young master. I’ll take my leave!”

The little maid left the tea and departed, even closing the door behind her to allow Bai Fanlu to focus on “reading” the letter.

At this point, Bai Fanlu decided he might as well read it. Justifying it to himself, he sat down and began to carefully trace the characters on the paper.

From the time Mu Yunhe left, there were four letters in total over four months.

The first letter talked about the South Man region, describing how the locals were suffering due to the war. Mu Yunhe was discussing with the generals how to avoid forceful attacks to minimize casualties.

Although the situation was at a stalemate, things were still optimistic, and everything on his side was well. He reassured Bai Fanlu not to worry.

The second letter reported a victorious first battle, where they had recaptured a border county and were now settling the citizens in the city.

Due to the prolonged siege, the city was facing a shortage of supplies, and they urgently needed to borrow from surrounding areas. Food supplies were crucial, so Mu Yunhe planned to personally oversee the transport. Once again, he assured his safety.

The third letter mentioned that the South Man army had temporarily retreated to their base. Many in the army suggested pursuing them to annihilate the South Man forces, but Mu Yunhe refused. He believed that the South Man terrain was complex, full of miasma and poisonous creatures, making it difficult for the soldiers to adapt.

Moreover, while the South Man rulers were detestable, the local people were innocent. Advancing into their territory would do more harm than good. Mu Yunhe asked how Bai Fanlu would decide in this situation.

The fourth letter contained nothing about the war. Although they had won the battle, Mu Yunhe still needed to stay with his troops to help the locals rebuild, unable to withdraw immediately to prevent the enemy from regrouping.

He mentioned the many orphans left behind and that he had established an orphanage, providing them with food, clothing, and survival skills.

In the end, he also wrote that the scenery there was beautiful, with many flowers that couldn’t be seen in Hengchang. He was sure that Bai Fanlu would like it if he visited.

Bai Fanlu read the letters with great care, not missing a single word. He had expected Mu Yunhe’s letters to be filled with his usual flippant remarks, but was surprised to find them rich in content and substance.

He couldn’t imagine that this came from a person like Mu Yunhe, except for the last line in each letter:

“Thinking of my wife, seeing these words is like meeting in person.”

This was the only line where he could take some advantage in the situation.

Bai Fanlu set the letters down, his heart unable to calm.

When he finally came to his senses, he found himself holding a brush. A drop of ink fell from the suspended tip, landing beside the eight characters he had just written:

“Wishing you well, seeing these words is like meeting in person.”

It is said that when inspiration strikes, it’s like divine intervention—this must be what it means.

Bai Fanlu hurriedly folded the paper, feeling a sense of guilt, and placed it in the drawer along with Mu Yunhe’s letters before heading to the courtyard to continue studying medicine.

After he left, Liu Xin quietly entered the study, found the folded paper in the drawer, and smiled as soon as she saw it.

“The young prince was right; the young master really did secretly write a letter but didn’t send it.”

She carefully folded the letter and tucked it into her sleeve, then tiptoed out of the courtyard.

Bai Fanlu was completely unaware of this.

Given his hearing, he should have noticed, but his heart was in such turmoil that he couldn’t focus.

More than ten days passed. While Bai Fanlu was painting, he suddenly heard the system prompt.

“Congratulations on achieving the hidden event ‘Two Souls Sending Their Love Across Distance,’ and obtaining the ‘Immortal Formula: Clear Vision.'”

Hearing this, Bai Fanlu was initially delighted—an immortal formula for clear vision? Then he became puzzled. Nothing special had happened recently, so how had this hidden event been triggered?

“The ‘Immortal Formula: Clear Vision’ can cure any eye disease. The formula details are now available.”

A line of small characters appeared in Bai Fanlu’s mind. With his medical knowledge, he quickly realized that this formula was indeed miraculous.

However, there was a peculiar note in the formula. It required a “Blood凝珠” (Blood Coagulation Pearl) to activate the medicine’s properties and restore vision.

What is a Blood Coagulation Pearl?

“Unknown outcome. Please explore further.”

Bai Fanlu decided to look it up in the medical books. He would first follow the formula, which required a month’s worth of continuous treatment.

After confirming that the ingredients in the formula were safe and without side effects—appearing to have only the usual effects of clearing vision and detoxifying—he realized the key was in the Blood凝珠.

But Bai Fanlu was still curious about how the “Two Souls Sending Their Love Across Distance” event had been triggered, so he asked the system to review the event.

The review showed two letters and two people, far apart, reading them.

Bai Fanlu was shocked and quickly returned to the study to open the drawer, only to find that the paper he had written on was gone.

No one else could have entered the courtyard, so he immediately suspected Liu Xin. When he questioned the little maid, she confessed that she had secretly sent the letter.

“The young prince told me when he left that if he sent letters back and you didn’t respond, I should keep an eye out. He said you might secretly write a reply but would likely not send it…”

Hearing Liu Xin’s words, Bai Fanlu felt a mix of emotions.

“Young master, I’m sorry…”

Bai Fanlu shook his head. “It’s not your fault.”

Liu Xin hesitated before finally asking the question that had been on her mind. “Young master, you and the young prince…?”

She paused before continuing, “Forgive my impertinence, but I really feel that the young prince is… quite pitiful.”

Pitiful? Bai Fanlu felt a pang in his heart.

“Perhaps you don’t realize, young master, but I witnessed it. During that time, the young prince went to great lengths to make you happy. What he tried in front of you was only a small part of it.”

“I really don’t understand, young master, do you have feelings for the young prince or not?”

Whether she finished her sentence or not, Bai Fanlu could guess what she was asking.

But whether he had feelings or not, it wasn’t something that could be easily explained.

After Liu Xin left, Bai Fanlu sat alone in the courtyard to paint, but the landscape he was working on really required concentration. Since he couldn’t see, he had to rely on his heart to paint, and today his heart was too troubled to continue.

Fortunately, he now had the “Immortal Formula: Clear Vision.” He set down his brush and began to gather the ingredients for the formula. The system allowed him to access the recipe at any time, and soon he had prepared everything. There was a small kitchen in the courtyard for brewing medicine, which made things convenient.

For the next few days, Bai Fanlu took the medicine on schedule and had Liu Xin help him search the medical books for any mention of the “Blood凝珠,” while also consulting experienced doctors in town. However, after a month of continuous treatment, he still had no leads on the “Blood凝珠.”

Before he knew it, autumn had deepened. Sitting in the courtyard, he began to feel the cold wind brought by the north. It had been six months since Mu Yunhe left for the war in the South Man region.

On this particular day, something unusual finally happened. The princess suddenly instructed Liu Xin to help Bai Fanlu pack their things, and they left Hengchang City overnight.

Bai Fanlu was initially puzzled, but later learned that the Fifth Prince, Han Ling, had launched a coup that night. The Crown Prince had committed suicide in prison, the Third Prince’s whereabouts were unknown, and a new emperor had already ascended the throne, with the old emperor being honored as the retired emperor.

When Mu Yunhe was summoned back to Hengchang by the new emperor’s decree, the princess and Bai Fanlu had already left. The servants told him that they had returned to the family estate in Lingtong.

Mu Yunhe first went to the court to meet the new emperor, where he was appointed as the General of the Southern Expedition and given a new mission to eliminate the South Man threat once and for all.

His time to rest was short, and Mu Yunhe immediately set out for Lingtong. But when he finally arrived, he was told that the princess and Bai Fanlu were not at the estate.

It turned out that many towns under Lingtong’s jurisdiction had just suffered from floods, and many refugees had poured into the outskirts of the city. The princess had personally gone out to provide relief, and Bai Fanlu had gone with her.

So, Mu Yunhe immediately headed to the outskirts.

When he reached the city gate, it was dusk. The sunset here was far less spectacular than in the southwestern highlands, but during such a great disaster, with corpses scattered and mourning everywhere, the setting sun cast a sorrowful golden hue over everything.

Amid this scene, one person stood out.

Clad in simple clothing, the figure stood tall outside a thatched shelter, waving to an elderly person approaching with unsteady steps.

The shelter was a simple structure made of reeds and sturdy branches, just tall enough to stand over the person’s head.

There were many such shelters around, but the one behind this person seemed to shine with a special light because of his presence.

Even from just a back view, Mu Yunhe immediately recognized who it was.

Lin Qiu!

Before he could call out from his horse, the person had already turned to greet the elderly man, and in doing so, faced the direction where Mu Yunhe now stood.

He still wore a bamboo hat with white gauze, obscuring his face, but Mu Yunhe could clearly imagine that gentle smile, the way he would nod in greeting.

In an instant, all the sorrow of the sunset was dispelled, and Mu Yunhe wished he could fly over and embrace that person.

However, given the current situation, such an action would clearly be unwise.

Mu Yunhe quietly watched for a while longer, until the person finished speaking with the elderly man and was about to enter the shelter, then decided to discreetly go find the princess.

On the other side, Bai Fanlu seemed to sense something. He turned his head, the white gauze of the hat shifting with him. After a moment, he shook his head and entered the shelter.

Inside, a woman was waiting. Bai Fanlu focused on taking her pulse without further thought.

Mu Yunhe passed through the outskirts, initially expecting chaos due to the influx of refugees, but was surprised to find no signs of conflict. The shelters stood quietly, bringing stability and hope to the people.

When he found the princess, she was reviewing disaster relief accounts. Outside the temporary military tent, refugees were lined up to receive rice and porridge, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.

“Yunhe! You’re back?”

The princess was overjoyed to see her son return safely. She held his hand, asking many questions, learning that the new emperor had called him back but that he would have to return to the South Man region soon.

“They want you to take down the South Man? Your father once considered it, but that will certainly be a long-term battle, perhaps taking years.”

Mu Yunhe nodded. “I understand.”

The princess asked, “Did you see Lin Qiu?”

“I did, but he was busy, so I didn’t disturb him.”

“Yes, I didn’t want to burden him with too much, but he volunteered to provide free medical care to the refugees. After a flood, the greatest fear is an epidemic. He’s brave and meticulous, truly a good child.”

Mu Yunhe thought of the person he had just seen and asked, “Mother, is there anything I can help with?”

“Not here. Why don’t you go ask Lin Qiu?”

“Alright!”

Mu Yunhe had been waiting for this. With his mother’s blessing, he finally had a legitimate reason to find him.

The princess watched her son run off and couldn’t help but smile, then sighed, “Years of this… it won’t be easy.”

Bai Fanlu sat in the shelter, having just sent off a patient. “Next, please.”

There was no response. Thinking that there might be no more patients, he rubbed his shoulders and was about to get up when he heard the rustling of clothes as someone entered.

The shelter was small, and the new arrival brought a sense of confinement, likely a tall and strong young man. Bai Fanlu asked, “What seems to be the problem?”

The person didn’t answer, simply placing a hand on the pulse pillow.

Bai Fanlu sensed the movement—perhaps the person couldn’t speak?

It wasn’t unusual for him to encounter refugees who couldn’t speak, but those cases usually had family members accompanying them. This person coming alone was pitiable.

Bai Fanlu raised his hand and gently placed it on the man’s wrist.

Strong and healthy, nothing wrong—just slightly overheated. Such a condition was rare among refugees, who mostly suffered from weakness. This man clearly did not.

Bai Fanlu immediately realized that someone might be here to cause trouble. The princess had warned him to be cautious of mischief from wandering refugees.

Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, the man suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Bai Fanlu frowned but then seemed to realize something. His brows relaxed slightly, and he pressed his lips together without speaking.

The next moment, the white gauze of his hat was gently lifted. Bai Fanlu was startled and hadn’t even had time to retreat when a kiss landed on his lips.

The surrounding silence, the desolate air seemed to warm with that kiss.

Bai Fanlu heard his own heartbeat quicken and also heard the whispered words from the man’s lips.

“I don’t want to meet through words; I want to meet you.”