A dim flicker of lantern light filtered through the tent as Gao Zian slowly opened his eyes.
His breath hitched.
Everything felt heavy — his body, his chest, even the air around him. He blinked slowly, disoriented. The last thing he remembered was... the lake, the crocodiles, Yuexin grass gripped in his hand. Then — black.
And her.
His body jerked up in a panic, but the strength wasn't there. He fell back with a weak grunt, wincing as a jolt of pain shot through his muscles.
The sudden noise brought two figures rushing into the tent — Wen Heng and Zhu.
"General!" Heng dropped to his side. "You shouldn't move yet."
"You're still too weak," Zhu added, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Zian ignored their concern. His voice, dry but urgent, cracked through the silence:
"Where is she? How is she?"
Then after a pause — "And how long have I been unconscious?"
The two exchanged a look. Zhu hesitated before answering.
"You've been in a coma for three days, General. The Yuexin grass... it took a toll on your internal energy." He looked down, then slowly added, "As for the girl..."
Zian's chest rose sharply. "What happened? Is she—?"
"She's alive," Zhu quickly reassured him. "Safe. Mr. Su fed her the extract... and she woke up."
A sigh of relief escaped Zian's lips — only for his heart to twist again at Zhu's next words.
"But..." Zhu glanced toward Heng, who gave a subtle nod.
"She doesn't remember anything. No name, no past... nothing. When she woke, she panicked. She didn't recognize any of us, and it triggered a stress response. Mr. Su had to sedate her before things got worse."
Zian stared at the tent ceiling in silence, breathing heavily.
Then, with great effort, he sat up, gritting through the pain. "Take me to her."
The scent of herbs lingered faintly in the air.
Zian stepped inside slowly. She lay on the bed, pale but peaceful, wrapped in soft linen. At her side, Mr. Su was checking her pulse.
The old doctor straightened up as he noticed Zian. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet, General."
"I'm not here for me," Zian said quietly, eyes locked on the sleeping figure. "Tell me about her condition."
Mr. Su nodded. "Physically, she's recovering well. But mentally... complete memory loss. A clean slate."
He hesitated, then added, "That's why I wanted to speak with you. We can't let her drift in uncertainty. Sooner or later, she'll ask, Who am I? What should we tell her?"
Zian said nothing, just waited.
"I've come up with something," Mr. Su continued. "A few days ago, I met an old friend — a village chief nearby. Two wives. The first dominates the house — gave him a son and daughters, backed by the elders. The second wife... quiet, powerless. She only had one daughter, who was believed to bring misfortune."
Zian's brows furrowed.
"That child was sent away at birth. Now, years later, the second wife is gravely ill, and her dying wish is to see the daughter she never got to raise. My friend tried to bring her back... but the real girl was killed by bandits before she arrived. He's desperate — and asked me to find a way."
Zian's eyes hardened, already guessing.
"Don't tell me... you want her to become your friend's dead daughter?"
Mr. Su hesitated, then nodded. "She'd have a name. A family. A quiet, safe life. They'd treat her well... especially now, for the sake of the dying mother."
Zian's face darkened.
"A family that called her cursed and discarded her like trash?"
He stepped forward, his voice sharper now.
"Even if they accept her back, what kind of life will she have after the mother dies? Surrounded by people who never wanted her? You think I went to Mount Fei and fought off death just to throw her into another hell?"
Mr. Su replied gently, "It's not forever. Once things settle, she could return. Here. With us."
Zian's voice dropped to a dangerously quiet tone.
"Once she's given that identity, why would she come back? She'd believe that's her real family. That we were just strangers passing through."
A heavy silence.
Mr. Su looked regretful but said nothing more.
Zian stood there for a long time, watching the girl sleep.
Finally, he spoke, voice low but firm:
"No. I won't give her a false past... only to lose her to it."
He turned to Mr. Su.
"If she's going to find her place in this world, it'll be her choice. Not something we feed her like medicine."