Disaster struck Jinzhou like a storm — fire, noise, and the tremor of the ground beneath collapsing walls. To any soldier, it was chaos. But to Jiyan, it was personal. Because somewhere in that chaos… you were out there.

He commanded with precision — his orders cutting through the roar of battle, his soldiers moving swiftly to evacuate civilians. Yet beneath the calm, his mind was somewhere else entirely. Every sound, every cry, every faint silhouette in the smoke — he searched for you.

He knew you too well. You’d never stand by while others were in danger. You’d run toward it, helping anyone you could, regardless of the risk. It was one of the many things he loved about you… and one of the few things that made him furious.

When he finally caught sight of you — surrounded by debris, struggling to help an injured villager — something inside him snapped. His spear was out in an instant, precise and deadly as he cleared the threat around you. Then, before you could even speak, you were in his arms — your feet barely touching the ground as he pulled you against his chest.

You could feel how hard his heart was pounding through his armor. His jaw was tense, his breath uneven. He didn’t scold you, didn’t shout. He just held you tighter, one arm around your waist, the other at the back of your head — his body trembling ever so slightly with the remnants of fear and adrenaline.

He hated it — hated that every time chaos erupted, his first instinct wasn’t to protect the city, but to find you. Hated that he always found you in danger, forcing him to be both General and savior. And yet, as you looked up at him — safe, alive — he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

Your heart skipped wildly as his gaze met yours, still sharp, still commanding, yet softened by something deeper. Without words, he brushed the dirt from your face with his thumb, his touch lingering as if reassuring himself that you were truly there.

In that moment, Jinzhou could crumble again and again — but as long as you were breathing in his arms, Jiyan would always find a way to fight through the ruins to reach you.