When he went to visit yesterday, the mansion seemed to be so busy. The first time he saw them, they used to be like haggard-faced people. Not many of the residents smiled nor talked. It seemed like the General was the only bubbly one in that place. But what he recently saw made a quick impression that everyone had been replaced with high spirited souls.

The soldiers by the gate even greeted him with a more subtle expression compared to their usual aloof faces. He wondered but did not want to pry believing it might irritate a certain infamous figure of the empire. As he was about to give up like yesterday, a familiar man has spotted the young man.

Elder Jin sighed, contemplating on how he can make up for his mistake for ignoring his future lord yesterday due to the sudden summon. When the general suddenly made up a new rule in her household, the entire residence took a big change beginning from the rearrangement of the servants' quarters to the structure of their mansion's servants. Even their living conditions and wage have improved. Basic education and training were also started. Was the lady starting a small kingdom within her residence? If her enemies have heard about it, it would be like signing a death agreement with them.

Luckily, she had another clause regarding confidentiality and penalty contracts! She was still a devil in nature.

Now, to make the child relax and take a break from continuously reforming her household, having the future lord distract should be a great gift by fate.

"My lord, please don't go yet. Our general is in the study."

But of course, Cai Jin has never been called by any t.i.tle aside from a young master in his entire life. He keeps walking with a lonely back as he slowly headed back into the carriage. Thankfully, Elder Jin's has realized that issue so much to his displeasure, the old man had to toss his cane and ran after his lord in full speed.

Many who had seen him today has known the limping elder from the general's mansion from over the years. Who knew that one day, he would recover?

Nevertheless, the important person was stopped and dragged into Wei Xia Ri's office in the blink of an eye.

"My, what a great afternoon. Cai Jin, you visited me!" Today, the man wore a white robe with light-blue bamboo prints. Half of his long, silky, black hair had been tied back showing off his jawline and the sneaky collar bones peeking from underneath his robe. His handsome face also made her sigh. 'In combination with his complex personality, he is so cute!'

"General Wei, it is my pleasure."

"Hmmm," the woman could not resist grinning. Just as the room was getting awkward for the young man, a certain elder cleared their throat. "Oh! Haha, I almost missed!"

When Wei Xia Ri saw that he was missing his cane, she could not help but remind him of his missing accessory. It was his 'fas.h.i.+on statement.'

"I mean, won't you look better without those?"

"It is better to look smarter, milady. You will soon understand this."

"I'm fine. Anyway, please make sure they take their breaks. Tell them that I would rather have increased productivity compared to overworked people. In addition, here are my proposals for the business. Can you review this and make suggestions? Thank you." She smiled and watched the Elder leave for his much-deserved break.

Aside from her shadow guards, the study only has her and Cai Jin. He stood not too far from her table and looked at her quietly as if expecting her to say something. It seemed like his womanizing skills were running into an error code at the moment, he couldn't say a single pick-up line.

"Oh, do you play any instruments?" she started. If she could remember, Wei Xia Ri used to read that many n.o.ble males were taught to play at least one musical instrument. For a moment, he silently remained on his feet before surrendering and walking to the window and sat on the window sill.

He takes out a simple, wooden flute and began playing a somewhat calm but tragic tone. It reminded Wei Xia Ri of the ancient OST instrumentals in Korean and Chinese dramas. Instincts and years of reading had taught her that if the male lead played such tragic music, it was either reminiscing a sad history or their past lover.

At that thought, Wei Xia Ri could not help but turn frigid. She bit her lower lip as she waited for him to finish. The wait reminded her of the planking exercises she used to do wherein just a minute felt like a lifetime.

"Cai Jin," she called out breathlessly.

In response, the youth stopped playing as his heart started beating erratically. Was he scared? No. Was he attracted to her voice? Not really. But to Wei Xia Ri? Probably. He thought that the women at the brothel were already a.s.sertive and quite mature. Yet this wild general who basically held great power in the empire can also capture his interests.

It also surprised him to see that the woman who was seating and watching him from her desk has disappeared and reappeared near him in a blink. Without touching him fully, she leaned her cold forehead against his left collarbone. Usually, if a woman does this to him, he would push them away or he would initiate the start of a long night all together. However, he was afraid that this seasoned soldier was maybe even stronger than him. He has never practiced the ways of a sword as well.

His skin that held so much warmth let the rigid lady relax for a bit. "Who taught you that song?"

"My mother."

"Mother? She is such a genius." 'But why did they keep her as a caged bird?'

"Is there anything wrong?"

When her inst.i.tution calmed down, Wei Xia Ri remembered Concubine Gu's situation. It was probably tormenting her son. She closed her eyes and slowly lifted her face. But the opportunistic lady she was, a kiss on his seductive neck was the point of initiating contact!

She grins victoriously and patted his red right cheek before moving back to her desk. "I don't know how to sing but I can hum a song I used to like when I was younger. Would it be possible for you to pick up the notes and play it?"

"I- I think I can," he stuttered. The general is so cunning! When he agreed, Wei Xia Ri began humming Pachelbel's Canon. A strange and unique melody he had never heard of, it was so different from the regular music he heard and learnt. It was still mesmerizing. "Did you learn this from the outside?"

'Well, I came from another world. It is outside this world.' Wei Xia Ri looked straight into his eyes, a smile playing on her lips as if inviting before she nodded with gentle, "Yup."

Cai Jin looked at the woman with a bit of envy. She was the general who traveled far and wide for the empire. Rumors said that she liked to bring back souvenirs from wherever. His eyes wandered around the study and saw some foreign instruments and weapons. Even the decor inside was completely different compared to his home. Her clothing and hairstyle was even a mix of their culture and a foreign touch.

'One day, if possible, can I walk beside her and see what the outside looks like?'

Meanwhile, the single dog shadow guards shuddered from their master's smooth tactic.

"Oh my, outside seems so sunny. Cai Jin, would you like to have a stroll around the garden?"

"But we're currently learning?"

"Oh, I can still hum and you try to play with the notes as we walk. Mult.i.tasking! Don't worry, we'll slowly reach a nice view. It will be fine!"

"Hmm, it would be a waste to stay indoors. General Wei, please guide the way."

'Aww, what a cute gentleman!' Wei Xia Ri nodded and walked next to him. "Here, let me start humming."

"Alright."

"Just so you know, if you feel exhausted or sweaty, I have a bath here and extra clothes."

"I will be fine, thank you for your concern." The youth quickly answered with a small smile.

As they made their way out, Wei Xia Ri could not help but continuously steal glances. Dressed in bamboo-printed white robes, his long hair tied halfway and pulled to one side to show his handsome face, Cai Jin looked like a live model walking down the catwalk. "You know, you really look like a scholar at every angle. Are you really into women? Wait, my apologies! I mean are you really what the rumors say you are?"

'Someone so gentle, how could he have any charm to seduce MATURE and EXPERIENCED women.'

His brow twitched and he stopped trying to find the right note for a second just to give her a blank stare. "Are you hesitating now?"

Cai Jin himself once thought about the same thing. His appearance definitely can't make up for his

hobbies. But he grew up a scholar and always have dressed like one. If he was not studying and working in the study, he would be found with the ladies. Initially, nothing felt so wrong with a man his age. But now that his fiancee started to ask, it seemed like a tinge of regret pinched his heart.

Wei Xia Ri shrugged her shoulders. Because the old one used to be philandering tyrant herself, no, she was someone worse than Cai Jin even, viewing him under that light would be too hypocritical. In addition, Wei Xia Ri in her previous world have had at least three imaginary boyfriends and fantasized about them so much throughout her previous life. She looked at him in the eye and could not help but also observe his soft cheeks.

"Not really," she grinned. And much to the man's surprise, her fingers reached his face once again and pinched his soft cheeks. "You're so tall, look at me Cai Jin. I'm suffering!"

"Huh?" Just as the lady said, she was already on her toes but her arms were outstretched. It was adorable to see her looking like this. And he came to realize that despite how dangerous and powerful the general is, no matter how big the rumors make her, she was still a woman and is physically shorter than him. Cai Jin bent his back and lowered his face to ease her struggle.

"Oh my thanks! You're awesome!"

"My apologies."

"Hmm? For what?"

"For quickly--"

"Nahh, it's fine. More importantly, you should start eating more you know? Do you only eat vegetables and a bit of meat?"

"I do."

"I eat double or thrice the nutrition you get on a daily basis!" Hearing her high spirited voice, Cai Jin could not help but nod.

'We'll compromise,' he thought to himself.

General Wei Xia Ri, a big figure riding a stallion, and she usually looked, acted, and was known to be intimidating. Anyone would always feel like she was looking down on anyone. But probably it was just in their head? Right now, it was just him and a lady he was about to marry.

"Oh by the way, have you got the hang of it?"

"Excuse me, what do you mean?"

"Shoot! They don't speak like this over here! Sorry, I meant to ask if you can play it now?"

When she was humming, it seemed like he can finally find common ground with her. While they began to discuss music, she was not the general and he was not the scholar.

"Do you mind humming it once more?"

"Hmm, sure! It's fine!"