Someday I’ll become stronger than Your Highness, and that day I will take my brother back!

"No! I don't accept it!"

"Yu-er"

"I've just returned, I haven't talked to you yet, and now that brute of a general is taking you away?!"

"Yu-er, don't call the general that."

"But I haven't been with you even for twenty-four hours."

"What's 'hours'?"

"It's something that I won't let be taken away from big brother and me." She tightly hugged her brother's waist.

Bai He looked at his sister who started throwing tantrum the moment he was notified to return to the border that night. Her slim arms wrapped around his waist in a lock that made it hard to breathe. He could only sigh and turned to ask for help from his mother with his eyes. Although Yue Mei also agreed with her daughter, she had to accept that this was Bai He's duty.

"Yu-er, release He-er. Your brother has to prepare before going back to the border."

"No! I'm not letting brother go."

In her former life, Bai Yu never had a sibling. She was a normal woman who was self-centered because she was an only child. After her mother's death, she never acted childish in front of anyone else. Sometimes she would go to her grandmother, but it was only a brief moment before having to return to wear the fake smiles for the entertainment industry.

Because of her image as a villainess, she was often looked at with unfriendly eyes in public. Furthermore, she built a high wall in her heart and never revealed that private side of hers to anyone. Even with Li Wenrou, she would rarely do so. Because they were together when she started taking international works, both workload and distance made it hard for them to meet. They would mainly contact through video calls, and that long-distance relationship was another reason why she was cheated on for three full years.

She transmigrated to this life and got to have a mother and brother who dearly loved her, then why did that foul-mouthed man have to steal her brother away from her. She had not even begged her brother to teach her magic yet, and she had already planned that he would be able to help train her to become stronger. Everything was canceled because of that man.

Frustrating!

"Dear brother, can't you stay? Can't you stay with Yu-er and mother for a day longer?" When she saw that tantrums would not work against him. Bai Yu let go of him and looked up at him to beg. Her dark eyes were filled with tears.

Bai He took a deep breath, trying not to be swayed by his sister. He slowly and gently consoled her with the voice that could make any other women swoon.

"Dear sister, this is your brother's duty. I'm the Emperor's soldier, so I have to—Yu-er…"

A drop of tear fell.

"My dear, darling sister…" Bai He's heart melted. "…Big brother is so sorry." The tall figure kneeled in front of his sister before pulling her into a hug. He was trying to explain his duty to her but ended up being distracted by her tears.

"Ugh…But I…hic…don't want brother to go."

The sweet voice now turned into a sob. Bai Yu tightly hugged her older brother as she nuzzled into his broad chest. Her tears flowed freely because of her past life's skill in acting. She hid a subtle smile on her lips…here come the tears, are you still going, brother?!

"Yu-er, you have to restrain yourself." Her mother came to stroke her hair in an attempt to console her.

Bai Yu shook her head as a refusal to her mother's words. How could she not notice the look in her mother's eyes when she saw her brother, it was full of happiness. When her brother was at home, when he was beside her, mother was happiest!

"Brother's just going to the border, not some faraway place. You can just visit me whenever you want."

"Is that true?!"

Bai Yu moved away from the warm embrace. Her eyes that were brimming with tears stared straight at her brother.

"I can go to see you?!"

Bai He could not nod. But it was also too late to reject. What did he just say?

"Mother, I can go visit big brother?" Bai Yu turned to asked her mother. Her excitement was overflowing.

She could go to the border?! She could travel far away from here?!

Yue Mei and Bai He's eyes met. Though she did not want her daughter to risk her safety, she had to nod to confirm her son's words in order to appease the crying girl. In the blink of an eye, the tear-stained face suddenly bloomed into a wide smile. Yue Mei could only hope that her reserved and obedient daughter would not get an idea and actually go to the dangerous border.

"Mother and brother promised." Bai Yu quickly wiped away her tears before offering her little finger to her mother and brother. Yue Mei and Bai Yu looked at that finger, puzzled.

"You have to do this when you make a promise." Bai Yu pried her mother's and brother's little fingers and locked them together, before intertwining her own finger on top of them.

"And then the promise is complete!"

The image of three fingers together made Bai Yu beamed wider than ever. While Yue Mei and Bai He did not understand the gesture, they also looked at it with a smile.

The three of them looked at the intertwined little fingers, feeling warmth spreading within their hearts.

"Informing first Furen, the commander general has arrived."

A maid notified them quietly after she saw that the first miss had calmed down. Half a shichen ago, Wangye ordered the first master to prepare to go back to the border. Even though he did not specify the time, no one expected that it would be so soon, and so he had been waiting at the Bai mansion for over one ke.

The first miss had protested since the moment she heard the news, preventing the first master from preparing anything. Yue Mei's personal maid then had to choose between facing the wrath of their first miss or the general commander.

"Has he been waiting for long?" Bai He frowned.

"It has been almost one ke, master."

"Mother, do you know who the Empress Dowager summoned today?" The lieutenant-general turned to ask his mother who knew almost everything that was happening inside the imperial palace.

"Empress Dowager called Rui Wang a little while after he left the mansion," Yue Mei told her son.

When Bai He heard the answer, he heaved out a sigh, almost like he was worried about something.

"Then I think I know why Wangye wants to return to the border so soon."

"Why is it?" Bai Yu immediately clung to her brother's arm.

Both mother and son were finally able to meet, then why would the son hurry to leave? Did he not miss his mother who had been waiting in the palace?

"It's none of your business." Bai He pinched his sister's nose. She not only clung to him but also unconsciously stretched her neck to move her face closer because of her curiosity.

"Come, mother will help you pack your things." Yue Mei who had some knowledge of the matters within the palace changed the subject. She signaled the maids to go and prepare the first master's belongings at his residence, Jiu He building. Right now, everyone was gathered at the first miss's Jiu Yu building because of her unusual tantrum. She kicked up a huge fuss just because her older brother had to return to the border when she herself just came back.

"Mother and brother will go take care of his things. Yu-er, you go and greet Wangye."

"Why does it have to be me? There are a lot of people around here." She was still angry with him. She did not want to see his face at all.

"He suddenly came at a time like this, others are all asleep already. Think about Rui Wang's personality. He wouldn't want to wake up everyone in the mansion to go and greet him in a grand welcome. Having such a down-to-earth commander like him is such a blessing for your brother…" Yue Mei said to her daughter in an almost scolding tone when she saw Bai Yu openly pouted. "…And you who keep throwing tantrums instead of going to sleep should go to greet him."

Her daughter's ability in covering up her thoughts would always fail when it came to Bai He. This time was no different.

"Yes, mother." Now that her mother gave her the opportunity, she would then direct her anger storm at Ouyang Feilong. Tch! He thought he could steal her brother just because he was commander general of Da Yang?

"Blessings to Wangye." She curtsied according to the manner, though at the same time also used a sharp tone toward him.

She already forgot how gentle he was before this. Right now, she only had an anger storm for him.

"It's you?" The calm voice that was unusually cold made Bai Yu stop.

Ouyang Feilong was able to suppress his emotion for quite a while now, but seeing the woman who was like his mother made him forget that this little fool was not the same person as her, and so his tone turned unconsciously cold. When he saw her beautiful face, what he had heard her said to her sister from earlier today resurfaced and made the truth in his heart clearer than ever. All women pretended to be good in front of others to maintain their images, but when in private they would reveal their cruelty and corruptness.

How could he not hate fake women like them?

In the army, sincerity and trust were most important. If those were not present, then he would never dare turn his back toward his own soldiers to face the enemy. Without trust, his back would already be stabbed through.

"Wangye…Is something the matter?"

A soft voice asked the question that Ouyang Feilong never expected to hear from anyone. He turned unusually quiet at the query.

Apart from Emperor Ouyang Hongxian, former commander general Yue, and lieutenant-general Bai He, no one knew of his life's struggle. For this woman who was like a stranger, it would be even more impossible for her to know anything. Yet she still asked that, when he thought he could conceal his sadness. Even his close companion, lieutenant-general Yue Huiling never noticed, then how could she ask so?

Ouyang Feilong stared at the woman in front of him with a heart full of turmoil. Was she faking? Or was this her truthful question?

"Are you still injured? Is your wound not completely healed?" Bai Yu asked again with a worried voice that she never thought she would use with him now. She intended to vent her anger on him at first, but her every thought stopped the moment their eyes met.

The majority of her former life was spent on acting. A good actor must express their emotion through both body and eyes, and the latter was the most crucial aspect. If one could not convey their emotion through their eyes to the acting partner, then both would not be able to tune in to their roles and the resulting scene would be incomplete.

Apart from communicating through one's own eyes, accepting the emotion that the other person sent was no less important. Bai Yu had to be able to read her partner's gaze and understand what it implied in order to match their acting. This was the skill she honed from experience, making her sensitive to the change in others' eyes.

And the eyes of the man in front of her did not reflect indifference like before. Every time she looked at those silver irises, it would be indifferent, but at the same time lively. It was the eyes that hid a faint 'hope' within.

She used to be curious about how the eyes of those who went to war since young would be. Obviously, it was cold, aggressive, and absolute. Someone who had bloodied hands that had killed countless people must more or less have bloodthirst. But Ouyang Feilong did not. Maybe, it was that 'hope' hidden inside that prevented him from becoming a killing machine.

Knowing that her older brother had him as commander made Bai Yu relief.

Currently, he still had the same façade of indifference, but the 'hope' he had had disappeared. It was replaced by the eyes of someone whose soul was shattered. That…might be Ouyang Feilong's true feeling.

It was as if this man in front of her was an empty shell and nothing within…

Because of that, Bai Yu could not help but feel worried for him. The question she had in her heart was blurted out without thinking, or maybe even after thinking, she would insist on asking the same thing again.

He might be a brute or a foul-mouthed, but he was still a person. This man was in deadly pain but had to endure to live on for the nation. Bai Yu did not wish for any person to be hurt this much, because she understood it well, and so she did not want anyone to go through the same feeling as hers. Looking into the empty and soulless eyes like this saddened Bai Yu…What hurt this black dragon? Was there anything she could do to help him?

"Benwang is fine, just annoyed because of a foolish woman's tantrum."

Ouyang Feilong no longer cared whether she was faking or not. Whatever answer he gave to that question…no one would be able to help him. He never wanted concern from any woman, and this place was not his. Even if she was truly worried for him, he still had to leave today, and it was uncertain that she would still remember him in the future.

"It's all because of you," Bai Yu muttered, forgetting that she was speaking informally with him again. Originally, she was never a polite or reserved person. After crossing into this world, she had to be even more careful. But there were too many times that she slipped up in front of this man because he was provoking her all the time!

"What did benwang do?" The esteemed Rui Wang did not take offense from her casualness. It was odd that he felt at ease when there was someone who talked to him in common words. Normally, everyone would speak with flowery language and formality, since he was a royal.

An abandoned royal…

"You're stealing big brother from me."

"But you already have your dear sister with you?" He emphasized the word dear sister. A glimpse of life returned to the soulless eyes as he started mocking her again.

You're as two-faced as me, Ouyang Feilong! "How can I be closer with a sister than a brother?"

"You're telling benwang that you're more used to being close to men than women?"

She meant that she was closer to her brother born from the same mother!

"Blessings to Wangye."

Bai Yu's argument was interrupted by her brother and mother who came to greet the Wangye. Bai He was already wearing armor with a black cloak, a uniform of the grand army.

"I am ready, Your Highness."

"Benwang has reconsidered."

The other three people stared at the speaker's face in confusion. What did Wangye reconsider?

"Benwang will return to the border alone. You stay here and help Huiling take care of the mission."

The pain of separation was something Ouyang Feilong understood best. The foolish woman's protest reminded him that he should not take Bai He away from his family right now. He should not be so selfish and steal Bai He just because he was feeling weak and needed his lieutenant-general who was like a brother beside him. He should let his brother stay with his own family, otherwise, a certain shameless woman around here would burn the mansion to the ground.

"I will go with you, Your Highness," Bai He firmly insisted. He knew well what Wangye had to face, and he could not let the weakened black dragon travel back alone. Even if he had to leave his sister and mother.

"Benwang wants you to be with your family," Ouyang Feilong repeated. He knew that his lieutenant-general was concerned, but as the commander, he should not be selfish.

"Wangye please do not worry. Brother was determined to go with you, and as for me, I can go visit him whenever."

Though she was happy that her brother would be able to stay beside her longer, she still respected Bai He's choice to return to the border with Ouyang Feilong.

"Can a fool like you go to that dangerous border?"

She already backed down for him, then why would he still rile her up like this. "Someday I will surely stop being foolish and become strong."

Ouyang Feilong was amused by the small woman's overconfidence. Bai He saw his reaction and turned to meet his eyes with his mother's. Somehow Bai Yu and the commander general became close without them knowing?

"Benwang will wait."

"Someday I will become stronger than Your Highness, and that day I will take my brother back!"

Ouyang Feilong was stunned.

Bai He and Yue Mei immediately kneeled. "Bai Yu was out of line, Wangye please be merciful."

The royal was still quiet, while Bai Yu was puzzled as to why they would suddenly kneel and be so afraid of Ouyang Feilong. Then, she was pulled by her mother to also kneel to ask for mercy.

"Heh!"

Bai Yu pressed her lips together. Was he angry?

"Hahahahaha"

Those on the floor were dumbfounded. W…Wangye was laughing! The dark dragon who was solemn and stern was laughing?!

"Hahaha. The fool will become a strong woman. Hahahaha. Benwang will wait for that day, little girl. Hahahaha."

Three of them heaved a sigh of relief. Ouyang Feilong's laughter made Bai Yu's heart race uncontrollably. This time, she had to overcome the 'fool' label he had for her.

Ouyang Feilong was able to broaden his view because of the fake woman. He laughed at her for a while before returning to his usual calmness. The silver eyes glinted with humor as he walked toward the front gate, signaling his departure.

The head of the Bai family was standing at the front gate. He was woken up by his daughter's tantrum but did not interfere because he knew that Bai Yu's outburst was uncontrollable even for him. And so, he chose to wait to see off Rui Wang at the gate instead of going to welcome him at the main building.

Politics prevented him from being too close to Rui Wang. Just by letting his son become lieutenant-general, he was already straining his good favor with Empress Dowager Wei enough.

"Farewell to Wangye."

The royal cavalcade this time consisted of no more than ten people, though a strong aura of magic could be felt from all of them. Bai He hugged his sister and mother, made a fist-to-hand salute to his father, then turned to his horse.

Ouyang Feilong was the last person to get on his horse, but Bai Yu's voice interrupted him. "Wangye."

The beautiful face with swollen eyes because of crying appeared to him when he turned back. The first miss's behavior today could be called offensive, but for some reason that he himself did not know, he would always forgive her.

Forget it…she was just a foolish girl.

The cavalcade was far from the front gate where her mother and father were standing at. The soldier's horses were also a little distance away from the general's horse that was at the front. Bai Yu did not have to worry that the word she was going to say would be heard by anyone, though she still would not care if someone heard it.

The slender figure stood in the cold in front of Ouyang Feilong. Her dark eyes gazed deep into his silver as her thin lips moved to form a sentence, to which Ouyang Feilong listened intently.

"May the force be with you."