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In the military, discipline was strict, and those who entered the barracks could not return home for at least three to five years. Besides, when his elder brother left, he vowed not to come back without earning a name for himself.

Gu Changjin reckoned that with his brother's abilities and skills, it would take roughly two to three years to attain such an honor.

A few days ago, their father injured his hand. Gu Changjin intended to hunt more game before leaving Floating Jade Mountain so that his father could stay at home comfortably and enjoy a peaceful New Year with their mother.

Gu Changjin shouldered his bow and arrows, heading into the dense forest.

He didn't let Ah Chai accompany him deep into the woods, for Ah Chai was getting old. Last year, he had injured his leg in a fierce battle with a wild wolf, and it still limped. However, Ah Chai was prideful; if he was denied the chance to follow, he would sulk all day. Several of Gu Changjin's outer robes had been torn by his teeth, so he decided to bring Ah Chai along. He allowed Ah Chai to catch small animals around the perimeter of the forest.

Dressed in short hunting attire, Gu Changjin's black hair was tied up high, revealing his smooth forehead and deep-set eyes. His expression was stern, and his steps light as he moved nimbly like a stealthy leopard through the forest.

Upon entering the dense woods, Gu Changjin hid behind a ginkgo tree, holding his breath for half an hour before encountering a male deer out foraging. His gaze sharpened, and he drew his arrow, ready to aim at the deer. Suddenly, a fierce barking erupted from the edge of the woods.

It was Ah Chai's voice, causing Gu Changjin's eyebrows to furrow.

Glancing at the now-distant deer, Gu Changjin put down his longbow, reinserting the arrow into his quiver on his back. He turned and headed out of the forest.

A cry of such urgency from Ah Chai could only mean it had encountered a formidable adversary.

Gu Changjin assumed that Ah Chai had stumbled upon the she-wolf with which it had a score to settle last year. Little did he expect that the source of the dog's excitement was actually a young lady.

The girl sat in the snow, dressed in a vivid red riding outfit, with a pristine white fox fur draped over her shoulders. She looked at Ah Chai with amusement in her eyes.

Ah Chai had a fierce appearance and a tempestuous temperament. Ordinary girls would usually burst into tears or retreat in fear at the sight of it.

Yet, this lady's fox fur cloak was being tugged by Ah Chai, and instead of showing fear, she was laughing at the dog.

Hearing its master's voice, Ah Chai wagged its tail and released its grip promptly upon Gu Changjin's command.

The girl didn't rush to retrieve her cloak but turned her head to look at Gu Changjin instead.

Gu Changjin was also looking at her, about to apologize, when their gazes met, and both of them froze for a moment.

Those were a pair of very familiar eyes.

This familiarity made Gu Changjin's heart thump wildly, "thump, thump," several beats in quick succession.

It was as if he had seen her before, those very eyes. But Gu Changjin was well aware that he had never met this maiden.

They stared at each other for a long while until Ah Chai's discontented cry brought them back to their senses.

Xiao Yu looked at Gu Changjin and smiled, saying, "Is this your mastiff?"

Gu Changjin acknowledged with an "mm," "I apologize, Ah Chai has a bit of a temper."

His gaze swept over the fox fur cloak that Ah Chai had bitten through, and he paused before adding, "I will compensate you with another cloak for that."

Xiao Yu smiled nonchalantly, "No need, since it likes the cloak, I'll gift it to him. My name is Shen Zhao, as in 'zhao' from 'day and night shining brightly.' May I know your name, sir?"

Day and night shining brightly.

Gu Changjin gazed at the girl's bright smile and felt that the name suited her exceptionally well.

"Gu Changjin." He picked up a stick and quickly wrote his name in the snow, "This is my name."

These characters are beautifully written.

Xiao Yu gazed at the words on the ground, feeling a strange familiarity with both the handwriting and the name.

This sense of familiarity resembled the enigmatic man whose face she could never quite see in her dreams.

Ever since her first menstrual cycle at the age of twelve, she had recurrent dreams about a man.

In those dreams, the man's features were indistinct, his facial details blurred, and even his voice vanished from memory the moment she woke up.

The only thing Xiao Yu remembered was that he called her "Zhaozhao."

She had never mentioned this dream to anyone else.

For some inexplicable reason, this young gentleman before her evoked memories of the man from her dreams.

When their eyes met just now, her heart had pounded fiercely.

Xiao Yu scrutinized the young man sitting across from her.

He was strikingly handsome, with high cheekbones and a prominent nose bridge, giving him deep eye sockets that made his gaze resemble the vast ocean under the night sky.

Her imperial brother was already considered the most handsome man in the capital, yet this man surpassed him in beauty. His demeanor was also captivating; despite wearing casual attire, an air of refinement surrounded him.

Xiao Yu recalled the ancient wooden sword her father concealed in his study - it was solemn, grand, yet carried a subtle chill.

This man gave her precisely that impression.

"Mr. Gu," Xiao Yu greeted with a smile, her luminous peach blossom eyes curving into crescents.

"Miss Shen," Gu Changjin replied coolly, his gaze gently descending upon her pallid lips, the snowflakes clinging to her skirt, and finally resting on her limp ankle. "Has your leg or foot been injured?"

Xiao Yu was surprised that he had noticed her injury. While riding up the mountain just now, she accidentally collided with a mastiff. Her horse, purchased after arriving in Jinan Prefecture, was timid; it shuddered at the dog's barks and bolted down the slope.

That's when Xiao Yu was thrown off, one foot still caught in the stirrup. Upon hitting the ground, her ankle seized with pain, leaving her uncertain if a bone was fractured.

She had been pampered since childhood and was particularly fearful of pain.

Fortunately, a Tibetan Mastiff was playing with her, diverting some of her attention. But now that Gu Changjin inquired, the piercing pain returned.

Xiao Yu briefly recounted the incident without any hint of blame toward Ah Chai in her tone.

Upon hearing this, Gu Changjin understood that Ah Chai must have recalled its own experience of having a leg injury last year, which was why it wanted to lead the girl to the nearby wooden cabin to wait for him to tend to her injured limb.