Extra 3 Part 1

Bu Nian returned from the palace and saw a plate of soft, snow-white pastries laid out on the table. They looked no different from the ones he usually ate, so he casually picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth.

He chewed twice, then suddenly stopped. His brows began to furrow. It would be improper to spit food back out, especially once it had already entered his mouth, but he had no desire to keep tasting it. With no better option, he forced himself to swallow it down like a bitter pill.

Once it was all down, he immediately picked up a teacup and rinsed his mouth with the cool tea.

“Did Fushun House change their chef?” He had always lived with a certain standard. On the battlefield, he made do with whatever was available and never complained. But here in the capital, in his own residence, nothing was allowed to fall short.

The steward standing beside him looked a little uneasy. He stepped forward and bowed. “Master, this didn’t come from Fushun House.”

Bu Nian was even more puzzled. “Don’t tell me the estate hired a new cook?” He pushed the box of pastries away in disgust. “What kind of garbage is this?”

The steward coughed and glanced at the folding screen. “Uh… well…”

Just as he struggled to respond, Lian Ai stepped out from behind the screen, carrying a bowl.

He set it down on the table. Bu Nian glanced at it. It was a bowl of snow fungus soup with goji berries and lotus seeds.

“You made this?” Bu Nian stirred the spoon around a little. “You used to be worse than me when it came to anything in the kitchen. Now you’re making soup? That’s impressive.”

Lian Ai tapped the pastry box with his fingertips, his eyes lowered, a bit embarrassed. “I made those too.”

Bu Nian’s hand, which was holding the spoon, paused in midair. Now he understood why the steward had been so evasive.

He cast a faint, sidelong glance at the steward, then picked up the bowl of snow fungus soup and took a sip. The heat wasn’t right. The fungus was still tough and crunchy. The lotus seeds were hard and bitter. It was truly difficult to swallow.

But he didn’t so much as frown. Bite by bite, he actually finished the entire bowl.

When he was done, he rinsed his mouth with tea, then wiped his lips with the handkerchief the steward handed over.

“It’s your first try, and you did quite well.” He lied through his teeth without a trace of guilt.

Lian Ai smiled with pursed lips. “I added Chinese yam to the pastries, and goji berries to the soup. They’re good for the eyes. I asked Miss Fang about it.”

Fang Yuan had gotten engaged to Helian Qiufeng last year. In another year or so, Lian Ai would have to start calling her sister-in-law. They were already family. And since she owed Lian Ai her life, they had always been on close terms.

The Fang family ran a medicinal herb business, and every now and then, Lian Ai would receive a large parcel of valuable herbs from her. He wasn’t fond of tonic remedies himself, but he had asked Imperial Physician Liang for a prescription to help the eyes and had the kitchen brew it for Bu Nian regularly.

Although Bu Nian didn’t mind bitter medicine, drinking a bowl every day made him feel like the bitterness had seeped into his bones. Wherever he went, he felt like a walking medicine jar. After a month of this, he lost his temper and refused to drink another drop. Not even Lian Ai could persuade him, so he gave up forcing it on him.

Over the past few years, what Lian Ai had worried about most was Bu Nian’s eyes. He didn’t hope for them to return to how they once were, only that they would stop getting worse.

Last time, when Lian Ai was practicing with the Yuanmo crossbow, Bu Nian couldn’t even tell whether the arrows had hit the target. Anything too far, especially if it wasn’t moving, became difficult for him to see clearly.

Bu Nian himself didn’t mind, but Lian Ai couldn’t afford not to care. If it were possible, he would have given his own eyes to Bu Nian.

“You really are finding all sorts of ways to get me to take medicine.” There was a patch of white powder on Lian Ai’s face, likely flour. Bu Nian reached out with his thumb and wiped it away. “Leave this to the servants. Why bother doing it yourself?”

Lian Ai’s eye warmed where he had been touched. He narrowed one eye slightly and said, “I was afraid you wouldn’t eat it. If I made it, even if it tasted awful, you would still eat it. But if someone else made it and you didn’t like it, you’d probably toss it out and feed it to the dogs.”

Bu Nian was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t realized how completely Lian Ai had come to understand him.

“Who says I would eat it?” Bu Nian gave a wicked grin. He picked up a piece of pastry between two fingers and shook it slightly. “What if I really do want to feed it to the dogs?”

Lian Ai held out his hand. His lashes lowered, long and dark like bird feathers, hiding the sly glint in his eyes. “If The General can bear to, then go ahead.”

His hands, once smooth and elegant like polished jade, now bore fresh marks. In the center of each palm were two blisters. More strikingly, a thin cut stretched across one fingertip. Though it was no longer bleeding, the skin around it had gone pale, with a trace of raw red still visible.

Seeing this, Bu Nian’s brows knit even tighter, and his face turned cold. If this had happened back when they first met, when Lian Ai couldn’t even handle small tasks without hurting himself, Bu Nian would’ve scoffed and called him useless. But now, even if the anger was still there, something else had taken root. Something heavier, harder to name.

So this was how the heart worked. It grew tilted over time. Whether someone lived in the heart or not made all the difference. Right now, he might tease Lian Ai with his words, but he could never actually toss the food aside. Even if it made him sick, Bu Nian would shut his eyes and eat every last bite.

“All right, all right. I’ll take the medicine from now on. Just stop doing these things.” He sounded impatient, and his tone wasn’t pleasant, but the way he held Lian Ai’s hands was gentle. “I’ll apply some ointment. Don’t touch water for three days.”

Lian Ai moved his fingers slightly at those words. His voice came out soft and tender, obedient like a kitten.

“Then how will I wash up?” His voice was low and careful, as if raising it might provoke Bu Nian’s temper further.

Bu Nian glared at him. “My eyes may be bad, but my hands still work.”

“You’re going to help me?”

They lived like any ordinary married couple. They ate and slept under the same roof. Unless Bu Nian was working late and stayed in the guest room to avoid disturbing him, they shared the same bed every night. Ever since they started sleeping together, Lian Ai had taken over the task of helping Bu Nian wash up and dress. Even drying and tending to his hair was something he never allowed others to handle.

“What, something this simple and you think I can’t manage?” Bu Nian saw the surprise on his face, raised a brow and smiled. “Just wait and see over the next three days.”

Lian Ai gave a gentle, obedient smile and said nothing more.

The steward, ever sharp-eyed, stepped forward at just the right moment with a bottle of ointment. He also handed over an envelope.

Bu Nian glanced at it. He didn’t recognize the style, and though the seal looked somewhat familiar, it clearly wasn’t anything urgent. He told the steward to open it and read it aloud.

As he applied the ointment to Lian Ai’s hands, the steward began reading. By the time both hands were fully treated, the letter had been read through.

Lian Ai frowned slightly. The wording in the letter was awkward and convoluted. Even though it had been read out clearly, he hardly understood a word. Only the name at the end caught his attention.

“A letter from your aunt?” he asked Bu Nian.

Bu Nian wiped the remaining ointment off his hands, took the letter from the steward, and read it himself. He looked even more surprised than Lian Ai.

“I nearly forgot I even had that branch of the family.”

The letter had come from a distant cousin on his mother’s side. She mentioned that she would be visiting the capital soon and wanted to stop by and see him.

Bu Nian tossed the letter back to the steward with a cold look. “If she shows up, just receive her properly. Don’t let her bother me.”

The steward gave a cautious nod in reply.

Seeing the confusion on Lian Ai’s face, Bu Nian took the initiative to explain. “When my mother was alive, she didn’t get along with her family. After she passed, barely anyone sent a letter of condolence. When my father died, there wasn’t even a ripple from their side. Maybe they thought our family had declined and wasn’t worth staying close to.” His eyes were full of scorn. “I vaguely remember this aunt. When I was little, my mother once took me back to her family’s home. I think I met her then. But I have no idea why she suddenly wants to visit.”

Old General Bu and Lady Bu had married through arrangement. The general had reached the right age, picked a decent match, and got married. Lady Bu was a quiet, proper woman. She and the general rarely had much to say to each other. Her relationship with her own family wasn’t close either. When her relatives saw she had married into the general’s household, they thought she had struck gold. They assumed the entire family would rise with her and live in luxury. But Lady Bu handled everything by the book. Every favor they asked for, every backdoor they wanted her to open, she refused without hesitation.

Over time, this created a rift between her and her family. Whenever she returned for visits, she was met with cold words and distant faces. Eventually, she stopped going back altogether.

Bu Nian could still remember how his mother once sat in her family home, silently shedding tears in front of the candlelight. That image had stayed with him. It was a knot in his heart, and in hers.

She had never been able to let it go. It left her joyless and melancholy. Ever since giving birth to Bu Nian, her health had been frail. Over time, the weight on her heart grew heavier. While still in her prime, she fell ill and never recovered. She passed far too early.

“Should I keep out of the way?” Lian Ai asked cautiously. He was thinking about how elders often didn’t take well to his presence, especially given his position.

Bu Nian flicked the silver pendant resting on Lian Ai’s chest. “You’re the rightful wife of the Grand General. Why would you avoid her? Stay put and behave. You’re not going anywhere.”

Lian Ai’s lips, red like crimson silk, curved slightly. He nodded silently.