Longxiang, Chahar’s horse, was the fastest black stallion in all of Orikhe.
With Lin Jiayan in his arms, Chahar rode wildly through the mountains, racing against the setting sun.
They had to find the medicinal herbs she described before nightfall.
Every moment they delayed meant more people could become infected.
The icy wind lashed against Lin Jiayan’s face, making it difficult to keep her eyes open.
But if she closed them, she knew she would lose consciousness.
So she raised one hand to shield her face and forced herself to stay awake, scanning the mountainside and directing Chahar whenever she spotted what they needed.
“Stop.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Fortunately, Chahar had been watching her carefully the entire time.
The instant she spoke, he pulled sharply on the reins.
The horse came to a halt.
He lifted her down from the saddle.
Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, Lin Jiayan pushed through the undergrowth, grabbed a small spade, and immediately began digging.
Every movement sent a sharp ache through her injured shoulder.
She gritted her teeth and kept going.
“I’ll do it.”
Seeing her struggle, Chahar took the spade from her hand.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
She nodded quickly.
“But be careful. Don’t cut the roots.”
She was worried he’d simply hack at the ground with brute force.
If the roots were damaged, all their efforts would be wasted.
Fortunately, Chahar worked quickly and surprisingly carefully.
Before long, he unearthed the entire plant intact.
Lin Jiayan examined it carefully.
Only after confirming it was correct did she place it into the basket.
Then she moved on to find the next one.
One searched.
One dug.
Working together, they soon filled two large baskets.
Chahar secured them to the horse’s back.
“Enough?”
Lin Jiayan silently calculated dosages and patient numbers.
“It should be.”
She nodded.
“At least enough for the next few days. We can gather more later.”
The warhorse stood tall.
Chahar placed both hands around her waist and lifted her effortlessly onto the saddle before mounting behind her.
Then he removed his cloak and draped it around her shoulders.
After a brief thought, he shifted her position entirely and turned her around so she was facing him.
“Rest for a while.”
One arm wrapped around her securely.
“I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
He knew she had been forcing herself onward.
If not for the people waiting to be saved, she would have collapsed long ago.
Longxiang surged forward once more.
Chahar’s cloak was warm, gradually thawing her frozen body.
But Lin Jiayan couldn’t rest.
Her mind continued racing.
She reviewed prescriptions.
Dosages.
Contraindications.
Estimated patient numbers.
The horse was astonishingly fast.
Before long, the tribe appeared on the horizon.
Looking down, Chahar noticed she was still awake.
Hours of riding had loosened her long hair.
Dark strands whipped around her pale face in the wind, making her look even more fragile than before.
Cheren rushed out to greet them.
He accepted the baskets of unfamiliar herbs with a bewildered expression.
“What are these?”
“Wash them all first.”
Lin Jiayan removed Chahar’s cloak and handed it back.
“Separate them according to type. I’ll process them afterward.”
Despite her exhaustion, her instructions remained calm and organized.
There were very few healthy people left in the tribe.
No extra hands could be spared.
Chahar removed his outer robe and joined the work himself.
The three of them labored for nearly two hours.
At last, every herb had been prepared and placed into the cauldron exactly as Lin Jiayan instructed.
Now all that remained was waiting.
The medicine needed to simmer for another half hour before the medicinal properties fully infused into the water.
Only then would it be ready.
Lin Jiayan sat beside the stove.
Even now she refused to relax.
She needed to see patients drink the medicine.
She needed to observe their reactions.
Only then could she know whether all this effort had actually accomplished anything.
And whether adjustments would be needed.
The firelight flickered across her face.
Its glow highlighted the delicate lines of her features.
Chahar returned carrying dried meat and a bowl of milk tea.
He set them beside her.
“Eat something.”
His voice was gentle.
“Get some rest. I’ll wake you when it’s ready.”
He had said similar things countless times already.
Each time, she simply shook her head.
She couldn’t stop worrying.
Lin Jiayan took a sip of milk tea.
The salty liquid touched a wound on her tongue.
She winced immediately.
“What happened?”
Chahar noticed at once.
“It’s nothing.”
She set down the cup and leaned her head against a nearby cabinet.
Even now her nerves remained tightly wound.
Wanting to distract her, Chahar suddenly asked,
“Do you remember my name now?”
Again?
Lin Jiayan laughed.
“Alatangadasu.”
Chahar rolled one of her loose strands of hair between his fingers.
“You’ve got such a good memory.”
“Then why didn’t you remember it the first time?”
Lin Jiayan immediately recalled their first meeting.
She rolled her eyes.
“Because you were terrifying.”
“I was scared half to death.”
“How was I supposed to remember anything you said?”
“I was terrifying?”
Chahar stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He genuinely didn’t think he had ever been harsh with her.
Seeing his confusion, Lin Jiayan burst out laughing.
“Not terrifying at all.”
“Not one bit.”
After a moment, Chahar casually asked,
“How do you know medicine, anyway?”
The question had been bothering him for some time.
She was supposed to be a pampered Southern princess.
So why could she identify herbs, prescribe treatments, and care for the sick?
“I’ve always liked reading medical books.”
Her answer was only half a lie.
“When you’ve watched enough pigs run around, eventually you learn how to eat pork.”
Chahar couldn’t help smiling.
This princess was far different from anything he’d imagined.
Far more interesting too.
“Alatangadasu.”
“Hm?”
He thought she was calling him.
“What does it mean?”
Lin Jiayan smiled.
Chahar glanced toward the window.
Unfortunately, thick fog hid the night sky.
“The North Star.”
“Oh.”
She considered it.
“That’s a ridiculously long name.”
“No wonder nobody actually uses it.”
Chahar laughed.
“And what about you?”
“What does your name mean?”
The smile on her face softened.
Memories of her parents surfaced once again.
“It comes from an old saying.”
“Cherish virtue like precious jade; speak good words and perform good deeds.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means becoming a pure and honorable person.”
She smiled faintly.
“Someone who says kind things and does good things.”
“Jiayan…”
Chahar quietly repeated the words.
Then he asked,
“Can I call you Yanyan from now on?”
Lin Jiayan froze briefly.
Then she looked away.
“If you want.”
“Sister-in-law calls me that too.”
“Then, Yanyan…”
Without warning, Chahar leaned closer.
“Why were you crying that day?”
Lin Jiayan’s heart skipped.
“Which day?”
“Oh?”
Chahar nodded thoughtfully.
“So you’ve cried many times in secret.”
“You tricked me!”
She smacked the back of his hand.
The blow was light.
Like a kitten batting with its paw.
For some reason, Chahar found it adorable.
“Yanyan.”
His voice became unexpectedly serious.
“If you want to cry in the future, don’t hold it in.”
The teasing vanished from his eyes.
“With me, you can let it all out.”
The words struck harder than she expected.
Almost instantly, her nose stung.
Her eyes burned.
“I definitely won’t laugh at you for being a crybaby.”
The seriousness lasted exactly one second.
Then the grin returned.
Lin Jiayan immediately smacked him again.
The tears that had almost surfaced retreated just as quickly.
As they laughed and bickered, the medicine finally finished brewing.
A rich herbal aroma drifted through the room.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t bitter.
Instead, it carried a refreshing scent that cleared the mind.
Lin Jiayan filled a bowl and blew gently across the surface.
Then she tasted it herself.
The flavor seemed right.
Satisfied, she filled another bowl and handed it to Chahar.
“This disease spreads easily.”
“You should drink some too.”
“Just in case.”
Chahar accepted the bowl.
Without hesitation, he drank it all in one swallow.
When he lowered the bowl, he found Lin Jiayan watching him with a strange smile.
“What?”
He frowned.
“What are you smiling about?”
Lin Jiayan lowered her eyes.
Her smile became self-mocking.
“They all say I’m a spy.”
A soft laugh escaped her.
“If I’d poisoned that bowl just now…”
“Then the tribe would lose its Taiji, wouldn’t it?”
“No.”
Chahar answered immediately.
His eyes never left hers.
They were steady.
Certain.
Certain enough that her chest tightened.
“Because I know you’re not.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The fire crackled softly between them.
And somehow, those simple words carried more warmth than the flames ever could.