The battle with Phantylia the Undying left a scar not only on Luofu, but also on the General. He was wounded, certainly not badly enough to cause serious concern, but he's not just a general after all, he's your father, the one you worry about by default, no matter how strong and skillful he is in battle.

Seeing his normally serene face now so tense, with that wrinkle between his furrowed brows, even when he was unconscious, was unbearable for you. Bailu reassured you that the general would be all right, and even Yanqing kept his spirits up, trying to support you at every opportunity, but you still couldn't find peace.

It was hard to see him lying in bed with his eyes closed in deep sleep, but not the kind of sleep you were used to catching your father in at any given time-it was a painful dream. Tears came to your eyes, making your throat clench unpleasantly as your palms balled into fists, and it was only the light, barely perceptible touch of a warm palm that snapped you out of the endless whirl of restless thoughts that made you shudder.

"You don't like it?" Jing Yuan grinned hoarsely, looking up at you from below. He finally woke up, and you even wiped your eyes a few times to make sure you weren't dreaming, except that the touch of the general's hand was quite real. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I guess I've fallen out of life for a while, haven't I?" he asked, with a slight smile on his face, as usual hiding everything else that lay on his soul behind it.