[BL Story] I Was a Burnt-Out Vet Now I'm Exiled!- Full Episode (ENGSUB)

Deutsch Film Mix

After burning out as a military vet, he is exiled and forced into a new life. But when he saves a mysterious wolf, he unknowingly sparks the obsession of a powerful, tyrant general. Now, the general will stop at nothing to keep him, and their tangled relationship leads to fiery passion and unexpected drama.  #BLStory #BurntOutVet #TyrantGeneral #SavedAWolf #ObsessedGeneral #ExiledLife #RomanceDrama #FullEpisode #BLRomance #PowerStruggle #FieryPassion #WolfAndGeneral #BLSeries #BL2025

Transcript

00:00:00The last thing I remember from my modern life was the distinct, unpleasant smell of bleach and dog anal glands.

00:00:06I was a veterinarian.

00:00:09Specifically, I was the head emergency surgeon at a 24-hour clinic in the city.

00:00:13I lived on black coffee, three hours of sleep,

00:00:17and the sheer adrenaline of pulling golden retrievers back from the brink of death

00:00:21after they ate things they absolutely shouldn't have.

00:00:24My name is Jing Chen.

00:00:25I was 30 years old, single, and my spine felt like it was made of crushed glass.

00:00:32After a brutal 26-hour shift involving a very angry iguana and a deeply confused husky,

00:00:38I sat down at my desk to chart my notes.

00:00:41I took a sip of my fourth espresso, felt a sudden sharp squeeze in my chest,

00:00:47and my vision tunneled into black.

00:00:49Cardiac arrest from exhaustion.

00:00:51A truly embarrassing way to go.

00:00:54I didn't get to see a bright light or a tunnel.

00:00:58Instead, I woke up to the feeling of my internal organs being vigorously scrambled.

00:01:03I groaned, opening my eyes, only to bite my tongue as my jaw snapped shut.

00:01:09I was in a wooden carriage, bouncing violently over a road that felt like it was paved with spite and

00:01:15boulders.

00:01:15Where am I?

00:01:17I croaked, my voice sounding entirely too thin and melodramatic.

00:01:22The carriage suddenly lurched to a halt.

00:01:24The wooden doors were thrown open, letting in a blast of freezing autumn air.

00:01:29Two men wearing the crest of a noble household stared at me with expressions of utter disgust.

00:01:35Out, one of them barked, pointing a spear toward the dirt.

00:01:40We've reached the border of the capital.

00:01:42This is where your exile begins, eldest young master.

00:01:46Eldest young master?

00:01:48Exile?

00:01:49I stumbled out of the carriage, my legs feeling like overcooked noodles.

00:01:55I hit the dirt, coughing up dust.

00:01:58As my bare hands pressed against the cold ground, memories that weren't mine crashed into my brain like a collapsed

00:02:04shelf.

00:02:06I gasped, clutching my head as the life of Shen Yu played out behind my eyes.

00:02:11Oh God.

00:02:13I wasn't just in ancient China.

00:02:15I was inside the Jade Crown's Favor, a disgustingly melodramatic BL novel that my clinic's receptionist had forced me to

00:02:22read during my lunch breaks.

00:02:24And I hadn't transmigrated as the male lead.

00:02:27I hadn't even transmigrated as a helpful side character.

00:02:30I was Shen Yu, the cannon fodder, the villainous, despised, abandoned older brother.

00:02:37According to the memories now burning in my skull, the original Shen Yu was the legitimate son of the Prime

00:02:44Minister.

00:02:44But his biological mother had died when he was young, leaving him completely defenseless.

00:02:50His father quickly remarried, bringing in a two-faced stepmother and her illegitimate son, Shen Lian, the novel's green tea

00:02:59protagonist.

00:03:00Together, they made Shen Yu's life a living hell.

00:03:04Shen Lian was a master of the soft smile and the well-timed tear.

00:03:08He cultivated a reputation as a kind-hearted saint who loved animals, often parading around the capital with a prized,

00:03:15incredibly rare white peacock.

00:03:17The original Shen Yu had been desperate for his father's affection.

00:03:21But every time he tried to prove himself, the stepmother and Shen Lian twisted it into a disaster.

00:03:28The final fatal blow had happened yesterday.

00:03:31Shen Lian's beloved white peacock was found dead, poisoned.

00:03:37Shen Lian had fallen to his knees, weeping beautifully in front of the entire household, while the stepmother discovered the

00:03:44poison in Shen Yu's room.

00:03:45It was a blatant, obvious frame-up.

00:03:48But Prime Minister Shen didn't care about the truth.

00:03:52He only cared about his reputation and his favorite new wife.

00:03:56Prime Minister Shen had looked at his eldest son with absolute freezing hatred.

00:04:00He didn't even let Shen Yu defend himself.

00:04:04He ordered him stripped of his noble title, brutally beaten and permanently exiled from the family.

00:04:10A total, absolute blood betrayal.

00:04:13In the novel, the original Shen Yu couldn't handle the heartbreak.

00:04:18Here is the deed to the Northern Mountain estate, the family guard sneered, tossing a rolled-up piece of parchment

00:04:24into the dirt beside me.

00:04:26The Prime Minister has officially wiped your name from the family registry.

00:04:30The Madam says to enjoy your rotting shed.

00:04:34If you ever step foot in the capital again, your father gave us orders to break your legs.

00:04:40With that, they slammed the carriage door shut and rode off, leaving me kneeling in a cloud of dust.

00:04:47I stayed on the ground for a long moment, staring at the departing carriage.

00:04:52The original Shen Yu would have been weeping right now.

00:04:56He would have been screaming for his father, cursing his stepbrother, and tearing at his fine silk robes in despair

00:05:03over the betrayal.

00:05:04I just reached out, picked up the deed, dusted it off, and tucked it into my sleeve.

00:05:10A family betrayal?

00:05:12Please.

00:05:13I had survived corporate managers who stole my credit for a pizza party.

00:05:18A toxic family cutting me off and giving me free real estate was the greatest blessing I could ask for.

00:05:24I took a deep breath.

00:05:26The air here was crisp, sharp, and entirely free of smog, traffic noise, and the sound of ringing clinic telephones.

00:05:34I looked at my new hands, pale and soft.

00:05:38But they were alive.

00:05:40I was alive.

00:05:42I had died of a heart attack at 30 because I couldn't stop working.

00:05:47The universe had literally drop-kicked me into a fantasy novel and handed me an isolated estate far away from

00:05:53city politics and psychotic relatives.

00:05:55Exile?

00:05:56They called this exile?

00:05:58I called it early retirement.

00:06:01I turned around to face my new home.

00:06:04The northern mountain estate sat at the base of a dense, foreboding pine forest.

00:06:09The walls were crumbling.

00:06:12The wooden gates hung off their hinges like broken teeth.

00:06:16The courtyard was completely overgrown with waist-high weeds, and the main house looked like it would lose an argument

00:06:22with a strong gust of wind.

00:06:24It was a dump.

00:06:26But to a millennial who could never afford to buy property in his past life, it was a palace.

00:06:33All right, Shen Yu.

00:06:34I whispered to the ghost of the body's previous owner.

00:06:38Your family was garbage, and you were an idiot for wanting their love.

00:06:43I'm taking over now.

00:06:45There will be no begging, no court drama, and definitely no green tea stepbrothers.

00:06:51I spent the first three hours acting like a one-man demolition crew.

00:06:55I tied my long, impractical silk sleeves back with strips of torn fabric.

00:07:00I found a rusted sickle in a collapsed shed and started hacking away at the waist-high weeds in the

00:07:06courtyard.

00:07:07My new body was pitifully weak.

00:07:10After twenty minutes, my lungs were burning, and my soft palms were covered in angry red blisters.

00:07:16I didn't stop.

00:07:18Physical labor was honest.

00:07:20It didn't lie to you, and it didn't frame you for poisoning a peacock.

00:07:25By the time the sun began to dip below the tree line, I had cleared a path to the main

00:07:29house and swept out a decade's worth of dust, dead leaves, and questionable animal droppings from the main hall.

00:07:35I was starving, covered in grime, and my back ached, but I felt more at peace than I had in

00:07:41years.

00:07:42The problem was, I had absolutely zero food.

00:07:46The guards hadn't left me a single grain of rice.

00:07:49I checked my robes and found exactly three copper coins tucked into an inner pocket.

00:07:54Three coppers wouldn't even buy me a decent steamed bun in the market, let alone sustain me.

00:08:00If I was going to survive my glorious early retirement, I needed to forage.

00:08:05I grabbed a woven basket I'd found in the kitchen and headed toward the dense pine forest behind the estate.

00:08:11The novel had mentioned this forest briefly.

00:08:14It was called the Whisper Woods, infamous for being dangerous, filled with wild beasts, and generally avoided by the locals.

00:08:22Perfect.

00:08:23Where there were no people, there were untouched resources.

00:08:28I ventured about a mile in, keeping a sharp eye out.

00:08:32My modern veterinary knowledge wasn't just about surgery.

00:08:35It required a deep understanding of botany, toxicology, and biology.

00:08:40Within twenty minutes, I had found a patch of edible wild mushrooms, some wild garlic, and a cluster of bitter

00:08:47greens that would make a passable, if depressing, soup.

00:08:50I was reaching for a cluster of pine nuts when I smelled it.

00:08:54The sharp, metallic tang of blood.

00:08:57Not old blood.

00:08:59Fresh.

00:09:00A lot of it.

00:09:01My body froze.

00:09:03The instinct of a normal person would be to turn around and run silently back to the safety of their

00:09:08crumbling house.

00:09:10But I wasn't a normal person.

00:09:12I was an emergency vet.

00:09:15When I smelled blood, my feet moved toward it before my brain could argue.

00:09:19I crept forward, parting the heavy bushes carefully.

00:09:24The smell grew stronger, mixing with the scent of ozone and scorched earth.

00:09:30I stepped into a small clearing and my breath caught in my throat.

00:09:34Lying in the center of the clearing, half-crushed beneath a fallen pine tree, was the most massive animal I

00:09:42had ever seen.

00:09:43It was a wolf, but the size of a full-grown tiger.

00:09:48Its fur was pitch black, matted with mud and dark, thick blood.

00:09:54Deep, jagged lacerations tore across its flank, looking suspiciously like sword wounds rather than animal claws.

00:10:02But what made me freeze wasn't just the size of the beast.

00:10:06It was the terrifying heavy aura radiating from it.

00:10:10Even half-dead, the creature exuded a pressure that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

00:10:16As I stepped on a dry twig, the wolf's head snapped toward me.

00:10:21Its eyes snapped open.

00:10:23They were a piercing, glowing crimson red.

00:10:26A low, vibrating growl rumbled from its chest, shaking the leaves around us.

00:10:32It bared fangs that looked long enough to puncture steel.

00:10:36It was giving me a very clear warning.

00:10:39Take one more step, and I will rip your throat out.

00:10:43Any ancient civilian would have dropped to their knees in terror.

00:10:47But I just sighed.

00:10:49Oh, stop being dramatic, I muttered.

00:10:52I had wrestled 150-pound mastiffs who hated having their nails clipped.

00:10:57I had dodged the snapping jaws of feral bobcats.

00:11:01A giant, bleeding goth wolf was just another Tuesday.

00:11:04I set my basket down and slowly walked toward it, keeping my hands visible and my posture

00:11:09non-threatening but confident.

00:11:11The wolf's eyes widened in what looked suspiciously like shock.

00:11:16It tried to push itself up to attack, but its front legs gave out, and it collapsed back

00:11:21into the dirt with a sharp, pathetic whine.

00:11:23Yeah, that's what I thought, I said calmly, kneeling beside its massive head.

00:11:29You've got massive hemorrhaging on your left flank, a crushed hind leg from that tree, and

00:11:35judging by the purple tint of your gums, you've been poisoned.

00:11:39If you try to bite me, you'll just bleed out faster, so keep your teeth to yourself, big

00:11:45guy.

00:11:46The wolf stared at me.

00:11:48The glowing red eyes tracked my every movement, filled with an intense burning intelligence

00:11:54that felt uncomfortably human.

00:11:56It didn't snap as I reached out and gently laid my hand against its neck to check its pulse.

00:12:02It was erratic, dangerously weak.

00:12:06I needed to stop the bleeding immediately, or he wouldn't last the hour.

00:12:10I need supplies, I muttered, looking around.

00:12:14I stripped off my outer silk robe, shivering as the cold air hit my thin inner clothes.

00:12:20I didn't care.

00:12:21I used the rusted sickle to violently tear the expensive silk into long, clean strips.

00:12:27The wolf watched me destroy garments worth more than a peasant's yearly wages without a

00:12:31second thought.

00:12:33Hold still, I ordered.

00:12:35I pressed the bundled silk directly against the deepest gash on his side.

00:12:39The wolf flinched, a vicious snarl ripping from his throat, and his massive jaws snapped

00:12:45inches from my face.

00:12:47I didn't even blink.

00:12:48I just glared right back into his glowing red eyes.

00:12:52I said, hold still, I scolded, my voice dropping into my stern doctor tone.

00:12:58Do you think I want to be out here freezing in the dirt?

00:13:01I have a perfectly mediocre mushroom soup waiting for me.

00:13:05If you bite my face off, we both die in this forest.

00:13:09Behave.

00:13:10To my utter disbelief, the terrifying beast actually stopped.

00:13:15Its jaws clicked shut.

00:13:17It stared at me, looking profoundly offended, as if no one had ever dared to speak to it that

00:13:23way in its entire life.

00:13:25But it stopped resisting.

00:13:28It let its heavy head drop to the moss, panting raggedly as I applied heavy pressure to the

00:13:33wound.

00:13:34Good boy, I murmured, my hands working quickly.

00:13:39The bleeding slowed, but the poison was the real issue.

00:13:43I needed to flush the wound and stitch it, but I had no clinic, no anesthesia, and no proper

00:13:49sutures.

00:13:50I had to improvise.

00:13:52I managed to stabilize the wolf enough to drag the fallen tree branch off its hind leg.

00:13:58Fortunately, it wasn't broken, just severely pinned.

00:14:02Listen to me, I told the wolf, patting its snout.

00:14:05I'm going to run back to my house.

00:14:07I'm going to get boiling water, a needle, thread, and the strongest alcohol I can find.

00:14:13If you die while I'm gone, I will be very annoyed with you.

00:14:17The wolf let out a faint huff that almost sounded like a scoff.

00:14:22I ran.

00:14:23I sprinted back to the ruined estate faster than I ever had in my life.

00:14:27I raided the dusty kitchen.

00:14:29I found a sewing needle in an old servant's quarters.

00:14:32Pulled some sturdy linen thread from a curtain, and miraculously found a sealed clay jar of

00:14:38cheap, highly potent sorghum wine buried in the pantry.

00:14:42I boiled water in the cracked iron pot, grabbed everything, and sprinted back to the woods.

00:14:48By the time I returned, the sun had fully set.

00:14:52The clearing was bathed in moonlight.

00:14:55The wolf was still there, eyes half-closed, breathing shallow.

00:15:00I fell to my knees beside him, uncorking the wine.

00:15:04This is going to hurt, I warned him.

00:15:07A lot.

00:15:08But if you want to live, you're going to have to take it.

00:15:12I poured the harsh alcohol directly over the open wounds.

00:15:15The wolf roared, a deafening, agonizing sound that shook the trees.

00:15:21His body convulsed violently, but I threw my entire body weight over his chest, pinning him down.

00:15:27Stay with me, I yelled over his snarling.

00:15:31Don't you dare pass out.

00:15:33With the wound flushed, I threaded the needle.

00:15:36My hands, which had been soft and clumsy all day, suddenly steadied.

00:15:41This was my domain.

00:15:42This was what I was born to do.

00:15:45I didn't have forceps or a sterile operating room, but the muscle memory of a thousand surgeries guided my fingers.

00:15:52I stitched the jagged flesh together, my movements precise, fast, and flawless.

00:15:58It took an hour.

00:15:59By the time I tied off the final knot, I was drenched in sweat, my hands were coated in blood,

00:16:05and I was shivering from the cold.

00:16:07I poured the remaining wine over the stitches to sanitize them, then wrapped his entire midsection tightly with the rest

00:16:14of my torn silk robes.

00:16:16I sat back on my heels, exhausted, chest heaving.

00:16:20The wolf was looking at me.

00:16:22The glowing red eyes were no longer wild with feral rage.

00:16:26They were calm, tracking the blood on my face, the ruined state of my clothes, and the steady way I

00:16:33cleaned my needle.

00:16:35There was a heavy, evaluating weight in his gaze that sent a shiver down my spine.

00:16:41There, I breathed out, wiping sweat from my forehead with the back of my wrist.

00:16:46You'll live, but you need to stay warm.

00:16:50I couldn't leave him out here.

00:16:52The night air was dropping rapidly.

00:16:55With a groan that belonged to an eighty-year-old man, I grabbed the scruff of his thick neck and

00:17:00threw his heavy front leg over my shoulders.

00:17:03Come on, big guy, up!

00:17:05It took agonizing effort, but I managed to heave the massive beast to his feet.

00:17:10He leaned heavily against me, practically crushing my side.

00:17:14Together, we hobbled through the dark forest, a pathetic pair, a disgraced, disowned young master and a giant, bleeding wolf.

00:17:23When we finally reached the main hall of the estate, I collapsed onto the dusty floor mats, dragging him down

00:17:30with me.

00:17:31I threw a blanket over his massive body, grabbed a cracked bowl, and poured the remaining boiled water for him

00:17:37to drink.

00:17:38I fell back against the wooden pillar, utterly drained.

00:17:43Congratulations, I muttered to the ceiling.

00:17:46Day one of family exile, and I already adopted a stray.

00:17:51Beside me, the giant wolf rested his heavy chin on his paws.

00:17:55He watched me until I closed my eyes, his red gaze burning in the dark.

00:17:59What I didn't know, what I couldn't have possibly known, was that I hadn't just saved a wild animal.

00:18:07I had just stitched up General Yan Ming, the Empire's most terrifying, ruthless warlord.

00:18:13And the original Shen Yu's greatest nightmare had just decided I was very, very interesting.

00:18:20The next morning, I woke up to the feeling of something heavy, warm, and distinctly murderous breathing on my face.

00:18:29I opened one eye.

00:18:30The giant, terrifying goth wolf was staring down at me, his massive snout inches from my nose.

00:18:37His glowing red eyes were narrowed, and his ears were pinned back.

00:18:42I didn't flinch.

00:18:43I had dealt with chihuahuas who had more intimidating morning breath.

00:18:48Personal space, I grumbled, pushing his heavy, scarred muzzle away with a flat palm.

00:18:54Back up.

00:18:55You're an injured patient, not my alarm clock.

00:18:58The wolf froze.

00:18:59His eyes widened slightly, as if utterly baffled that I hadn't screamed for mercy.

00:19:05He let out a low, warning growl, the kind that probably made enemy soldiers wet their armor.

00:19:11I yawned, stretching my sore arms.

00:19:15Save the tough-guy act for someone who cares.

00:19:18I'm making breakfast.

00:19:20I staggered to my feet, bones popping in protest, and headed to the kitchen.

00:19:25I managed to boil the last of my foraged mushrooms and bitter greens into a watery mush.

00:19:31When I brought the cracked bowl into the main hall and set it in front of him, the wolf looked

00:19:35at the bowl, then looked at me.

00:19:38His expression clearly said,

00:19:40Are you insulting me?

00:19:42Eat it, I said, tapping the edge of the bowl.

00:19:45He turned his massive head away, radiating aristocratic disdain.

00:19:50Oh, don't give me that, I scolded, putting my hands on my hips.

00:19:54Do you think I'm holding out on you?

00:19:56This is all we have.

00:19:58You lost half your blood volume last night.

00:20:00You need nutrients to rebuild cell tissue, and I am not dying of starvation because my rescue dog is a

00:20:05picky eater.

00:20:06The beast's head snapped back to me.

00:20:09Dog?

00:20:11If looks could kill, I would have been reduced to ashes.

00:20:14But the rumbling in his stomach betrayed him.

00:20:17With a deeply humiliated sigh that sounded entirely too human, the giant wolf lowered his head and began to lap

00:20:24up the watery mush.

00:20:25I smiled, feeling a brief flash of professional satisfaction.

00:20:31Good boy, I praised, reaching out and vigorously rubbing the thick fur behind his ears.

00:20:37The wolf choked on his mush.

00:20:39He jerked back, eyes wide, body completely rigid.

00:20:44He stared at my hand like it was a cursed artifact.

00:20:47I frowned.

00:20:49What?

00:20:50Don't look at me like that.

00:20:52You're a canine.

00:20:53You're supposed to like ear scratches.

00:20:56I reached out and scratched under his chin for good measure.

00:20:59The empire's most terrifying warlord, currently trapped in a furry body, looked like his brain had completely short-circuited.

00:21:07He let out a strange, high-pitched whine, immediately realized how undignified it sounded, snapped his jaws shut, and buried

00:21:15his face between his paws.

00:21:17I chuckled, oblivious to the existential crisis I had just caused.

00:21:22But ear scratches didn't pay the bills.

00:21:25If I wanted to survive, I needed capital.

00:21:30I checked his bandages, ordered him to stay put, and walked down the mountain to the nearest village.

00:21:36It was a modest farming settlement, far enough from the capital that the name Shen Yu meant nothing to them.

00:21:43I wandered the dirt roads until I heard shouting near the mill.

00:21:47A crowd had gathered around a farmer who was weeping beside a massive, thrashing ox.

00:21:52It's a curse, one villager yelled.

00:21:55The beast is possessed.

00:21:57The ox was kicking wildly, its abdomen grotesquely swollen, eyes rolling back in its head.

00:22:04The local farrier was standing far back, shaking his head.

00:22:08It's gone.

00:22:09Put it out of its misery before it destroys the cart.

00:22:12I pushed through the crowd.

00:22:14It's not a curse, I said loudly, my voice cutting through the panic.

00:22:18It's acute ruminal timpani, severe bloat, it's suffocating from gas buildup in its stomach.

00:22:26The villagers stopped and stared at me, a pale, skinny young man in ruined silk robes.

00:22:33The farmer looked up, tears streaking his dirt-caked face.

00:22:37Can…

00:22:38Can you save him?

00:22:40He's my family's only livelihood.

00:22:43Yes, I said smoothly, stepping into the danger zone.

00:22:47But it will cost you a sack of rice, a slab of pork, and fifty copper coins.

00:22:53The farmer nodded frantically.

00:22:56I didn't hesitate.

00:22:57I borrowed a sharp, hollow iron reed from a nearby weaver, sanitized it with some strong

00:23:03liquor from a bystander's flask, and approached the thrashing ox.

00:23:07The villagers gasped and covered their eyes, expecting me to be trampled.

00:23:12Instead, I pressed my hand firmly against the ox's left flank.

00:23:16Finding the exact anatomical landmark.

00:23:19The paralumbar fossa.

00:23:21With one swift, practiced motion, I drove the hollow reed directly into the cow's stomach.

00:23:28A loud, hissing sound erupted as the trapped, toxic gas vented out into the air.

00:23:33The smell was absolutely atrocious, but to me, it was the smell of success.

00:23:39Within seconds, the ox stopped thrashing.

00:23:43The massive swelling visibly deflated.

00:23:46The beast let out a long, exhausted breath and rested its head on the ground.

00:23:51The crowd was dead silent.

00:23:54You could have heard a pin drop.

00:23:57I pulled the reed out, wiped my hands on a cloth, and looked at the farmer.

00:24:02Keep him off wet clover for a week.

00:24:04The farmer dropped to his knees, kowtowing to me like I was a descended god.

00:24:09A miracle worker.

00:24:11A divine beast healer.

00:24:13Word spread like wildfire.

00:24:16By the end of the day, I hadn't just earned rice and pork.

00:24:19I had treated a merchant's horse for colic, splinted a hunting dog's fractured leg, and

00:24:24walked back up the mountain with a cart full of food, fresh blankets, and a heavy pouch of

00:24:30silver.

00:24:31I kicked open the doors of my ruined estate like a conquering hero.

00:24:35We're eating meat tonight, I announced to the empty hall.

00:24:39The giant wolf limped out of the shadows, eyeing the massive slab of pork in my hands.

00:24:45His tail gave one tiny, involuntary wag before he caught himself and forced it still.

00:24:51I smirked.

00:24:53Yeah, I saw that.

00:24:54Don't worry.

00:24:55I won't tell anyone you're a softy.

00:24:57Over the next two months, my life fell into a glorious, profitable rhythm.

00:25:02The divine beast doctor of the northern mountain became a famous local legend.

00:25:08I used the silver to hire carpenters.

00:25:10The crumbling walls were rebuilt.

00:25:13The leaky roof was tiled.

00:25:15I bought medicinal herbs, sterilized bandages, and commissioned a blacksmith to forge proper

00:25:21surgical tools to my exact modern specifications.

00:25:24The estate transformed from a haunted ruin into a bustling, fully functional animal sanctuary.

00:25:31Villagers brought me injured strays, broken-winged falcons, and sick livestock.

00:25:36I treated them all.

00:25:39The courtyard was soon filled with a chaotic mix of recovering animals.

00:25:43And right in the middle of it all was the giant black wolf.

00:25:47His wounds had healed beautifully under my care, leaving him looking even more majestic and terrifying.

00:25:53But his behavior was hilarious.

00:25:56The fierce, bloodthirsty beast had inexplicably appointed himself the manager of my sanctuary.

00:26:02If a stray dog barked too loudly while I was sleeping, the wolf would shoot at a single, glowing red

00:26:08glare,

00:26:09and the entire courtyard would instantly fall dead silent.

00:26:12He followed me everywhere.

00:26:14When I analyzed medical notes, he rested his heavy head on my knee.

00:26:19When I cooked, he sat by the oven, watching me with an intensity that felt entirely too focused.

00:26:26He was brilliant, understanding complex commands, and refusing to eat food unless I personally handed it to him.

00:26:34I just chalked it up to him being a highly intelligent breed.

00:26:37One afternoon, I was sitting on the veranda, exhausted after delivering a calf.

00:26:42The wolf hopped up beside me and nudged his massive head under my hand, demanding his daily ear scratches.

00:26:49I laughed, obliging him, rubbing the soft fur behind his neck.

00:26:54You know, I murmured, my old life was a nightmare.

00:26:59But sitting here with you, this isn't so bad.

00:27:03The wolf froze.

00:27:05He looked up at me, his crimson eyes locking onto mine with a startling, profound gentleness.

00:27:12For a split second, I swore I saw a man looking back at me.

00:27:16Someone lonely, fiercely protective, and dangerously devoted.

00:27:21My heart gave a weird, completely unhelpful flutter.

00:27:25I shook my head.

00:27:27Of course, peace in a romance novel is just a commercial break before the drama returns.

00:27:32My booming reputation had crossed the borders of the village and reached the capital.

00:27:37And wherever success bloomed, the green tea protagonist was sure to follow with a pair of scissors.

00:27:44It happened on a brisk Tuesday morning.

00:27:46I was wrapping a splint on a duck's wing when a lavish, gold-trimmed carriage rolled up to the newly

00:27:52built gates of my sanctuary.

00:27:54The crest on the side made my stomach drop.

00:27:57The prime minister's household.

00:28:00The doors opened and out stepped my stepbrother, Shen Lian.

00:28:05A crowd of local villagers and wealthy merchants who had come to buy my herbal remedies immediately parted for him,

00:28:11whispering in awe.

00:28:13Shen Lian approached, holding a delicate silver cage.

00:28:18Inside was a rare, pure white snow fox.

00:28:22Brother, Shen Lian called out, his voice trembling perfectly, just loud enough for the crowd to hear.

00:28:29I heard you were pretending to be a healer now.

00:28:31I was so worried.

00:28:33I didn't look up.

00:28:35I finished tying the knot on the duck's wing, placed it gently in its pen, and wiped my hands on

00:28:41a towel.

00:28:42Shen Lian, I said, my voice deadpan.

00:28:47I'm not your brother anymore, remember?

00:28:49Your mother and our father disowned me.

00:28:52And this is a clinic, not a theater stage.

00:28:56What do you want?

00:28:58Shen Lian's eyes widened and practiced hurt.

00:29:01The crowd murmured.

00:29:03He was playing the victim flawlessly.

00:29:06I only came because my precious new snow fox, Snowball, is dying.

00:29:11He sniffled, lifting the cage.

00:29:13The imperial physicians cannot cure her.

00:29:16Since you claim to be a divine beast doctor, I came to beg for your help.

00:29:21I am willing to forgive what you did to my poor white peacock, if only you save her.

00:29:26The crowd gasped.

00:29:28People exchanged uneasy glances.

00:29:31Shen Lian's trap was obvious.

00:29:33He was painting himself as the merciful saint giving his evil, animal-killing older brother a second chance.

00:29:39If I refused to treat the fox, I proved I was still cruel.

00:29:43If I tried to treat it and failed, he would expose me as a fraud.

00:29:48It was a checkmate.

00:29:50Or it would have been, if I were the original Shen Yu.

00:29:54Bring the fox inside, I said coldly.

00:29:58Shen Lian's lips twitched into a microscopic smirk of triumph.

00:30:02He signaled his guards, and they placed the cage on my examination table.

00:30:07I opened the door, and gently lifted the snow fox out.

00:30:12The poor creature was lethargic, its breathing shallow.

00:30:16Its once fluffy white coat was falling out in clumps, exposing irritated flaky skin beneath.

00:30:24Shen Lian dabbed at his eyes with a silk handkerchief.

00:30:27I have given her everything, he wept to the audience of merchants at the door.

00:30:33The finest quarters, the purest spring water.

00:30:37I even had her groomed daily with pearl dust to keep her fur as white as snow.

00:30:41And yet, the heavens are so cruel.

00:30:44I paused.

00:30:46My hands, moving over the fox's ribcage, stopped dead.

00:30:50I slowly looked up at him.

00:30:52You did what?

00:30:55Shen Lian blinked, trying to maintain his innocent expression.

00:30:59I gave her the best care.

00:31:02I fed her only boiled white radishes and premium white rice,

00:31:06so her coat wouldn't be stained by common meats.

00:31:09And I powdered her with crushed pearls and lily pollen.

00:31:14The silence in the clinic was heavy.

00:31:16I closed my eyes, took a deep breath,

00:31:19and felt the spirit of a thousand furious, overworked veterinarians enter my body.

00:31:25When I opened my eyes, the cold, clinical rage radiating from me made even Shen Lian take a step back.

00:31:33You absolute, unmitigated idiot, I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous hush.

00:31:39Shen Lian gasped.

00:31:41Brother, how can you insult me when my heart is breaking?

00:31:44I slammed my hand on the table.

00:31:48I'm not insulting you.

00:31:49I'm diagnosing you with terminal stupidity.

00:31:51This fox is an obligate carnivore.

00:31:54Feeding it boiled radishes and rice is literally starving it to death.

00:31:58It's suffering from severe taurine and protein deficiency.

00:32:02Its organs are shutting down.

00:32:04The crowd at the door went dead silent.

00:32:08Shen Lian's face flushed.

00:32:10That, that's a lie.

00:32:12I feed her purely...

00:32:14You feed her for aesthetics, I roared, cutting him off.

00:32:19And the pearl dust?

00:32:20The lily pollen?

00:32:21Foxes groom themselves with their tongues.

00:32:24You've been covering her in toxic respiratory irritants and indigestible minerals.

00:32:28You are slowly poisoning your own pet because you wanted a cute white accessory to match your outfits.

00:32:35Gasps echoed from the doorway.

00:32:36The merchants and villagers, who knew exactly how strictly I managed animal diets, stared at Shen Lian in horror.

00:32:44The illusion of the gentle, animal-loving saint shattered instantly.

00:32:49He's been starving it?

00:32:50A butcher muttered loudly.

00:32:52Who feeds a fox radishes?

00:32:54Even a child knows foxes eat meat.

00:32:56An old farmer scoffed.

00:32:59Shen Lian panicked.

00:33:01The script had flipped.

00:33:03He wasn't the victim.

00:33:04He was the abuser, exposed with cold, undeniable medical logic.

00:33:10You, you're just jealous of me, he shrieked, dropping the soft-spoken act entirely.

00:33:16You're making this up to ruin me.

00:33:18Guards, take my fox back.

00:33:20We are leaving.

00:33:21Two heavily armored guards stepped forward to grab the fox from my table.

00:33:25Before they could even cross the threshold, a terrifying, bone-rattling roar shook the foundations of the clinic.

00:33:32The giant black wolf stepped out from the shadows of the back room.

00:33:36He didn't walk.

00:33:38He stalked.

00:33:39His hackles were raised.

00:33:41His fangs bared in a vicious sneer.

00:33:44The guards froze in their tracks, faces draining of color.

00:33:48The sheer killing intent radiating from the wolf made them drop their weapons in sheer panic.

00:33:53The wolf stepped squarely in front of me, planting his massive paws between me and Shen Lian's men.

00:33:59He let out another guttural snarl that clearly translated to,

00:34:03Take one more step, and I will sever your spine.

00:34:08I didn't even flinch.

00:34:09I crossed my arms and looked at my terrified stepbrother.

00:34:13The fox stays here, I said with absolute authority.

00:34:17It requires immediate intravenous hydration and a strict carnivorous refeeding protocol.

00:34:23If you try to take her, my assistant here will gladly show you the door.

00:34:27Through the window.

00:34:28Shen Lian trembled, his face pale with humiliation and fear.

00:34:32He looked at the murmuring crowd,

00:34:34then at the demonic wolf guarding me like a priceless treasure.

00:34:38He had lost completely.

00:34:41Gritting his teeth, he turned on his heel.

00:34:44You will regret this, Shen Yu, he hissed, before fleeing to his carriage.

00:34:49His guards scrambled after him, leaving their swords behind.

00:34:53The carriage sped away in a cloud of dust.

00:34:56The crowd cheered, clapping me on the back and praising my medical genius.

00:35:01I sighed, waving them off and turning my attention back to the shivering little snow fox.

00:35:07Don't worry, little girl, I murmured, preparing a syringe of saline and nutrients.

00:35:13I'm going to get you a nice, juicy piece of chicken.

00:35:17Once the crowd dispersed, I felt a heavy weight rest against my hip.

00:35:21I looked down.

00:35:23The terrifying, murderous black wolf had sat down right beside me,

00:35:28pressing his massive head affectionately against my thigh.

00:35:31He looked up at me, his red eyes completely devoid of anger,

00:35:36filled instead with an unmistakable overwhelming pride.

00:35:39I huffed a laugh, reaching down to aggressively ruffle his ears.

00:35:45He didn't even pull away this time.

00:35:47He just leaned into my touch with a soft, rumbling purr that vibrated through my legs.

00:35:52Good job backing me up, big guy, I whispered.

00:35:56Though I'm pretty sure you just traumatized half the capital's guard force.

00:36:00The wolf simply closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the petting.

00:36:04What I didn't realize was that General Yan Ming wasn't just acting like a guard dog.

00:36:10He was looking at me, the fierce, brilliant, fiercely protective vet,

00:36:15and making a very permanent, very dangerous decision about his future.

00:36:20You know that hollow, sinking feeling you get when you reach for your phone in your pocket and it's not

00:36:24there?

00:36:25Imagine that, but multiply it by a thousand,

00:36:29and replace the phone with a 300-pound, emotionally supportive apex predator.

00:36:34I woke up three days after the snow fox incident,

00:36:37stretched my arms, and blindly patted the floor beside my bed.

00:36:41My hand hit empty wooden floorboards.

00:36:44I blinked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

00:36:48Big guy? I called out,

00:36:51expecting to hear the familiar, heavy thump-thump of his massive tail hitting the ground.

00:36:56Silence.

00:36:58I threw off the blankets and checked the kitchen, the courtyard, and the clinic.

00:37:02The gate was securely latched.

00:37:05There were no signs of a struggle.

00:37:07He was just...

00:37:09gone.

00:37:10I stood in the middle of the empty courtyard,

00:37:13the morning mist wrapping around my ankles.

00:37:16Logically, my modern brain knew this was for the best.

00:37:20He was a wild beast,

00:37:22a creature of the forest.

00:37:24I had healed him.

00:37:25He had recovered,

00:37:27and he had returned to his natural habitat.

00:37:29That was how veterinary medicine worked.

00:37:32You fix them,

00:37:33and you let them go.

00:37:36Emotionally, however,

00:37:37I felt like someone had scooped out my chest with a melon baller.

00:37:41I slumped onto the porch steps,

00:37:43burying my face in my hands.

00:37:46Stupid,

00:37:47I muttered to myself.

00:37:49You got attached to a giant, terrifying stray dog.

00:37:53What did you expect?

00:37:54A postcard?

00:37:56I forced myself to stand up.

00:37:58I had a clinic to run.

00:38:00I had animals that depended on me.

00:38:02I didn't have time to mope like a dumped teenager.

00:38:05I threw myself into my work with a vengeance.

00:38:08The little snow fox from my stepbrother,

00:38:11whom I had unceremoniously named Tofu,

00:38:14was recovering beautifully on a strict diet of minced chicken and organ meats.

00:38:19Her coat was growing back,

00:38:21thick and glossy,

00:38:22and she had taken to riding around on my shoulders

00:38:24like a very expensive,

00:38:26very sassy scarf.

00:38:27But the nights were the hardest.

00:38:30I found myself cooking extra portions of meat out of habit,

00:38:33staring at the empty spot by the oven

00:38:36where a massive black shadow used to sit.

00:38:38A week passed.

00:38:40Then, too.

00:38:42Just as I had finally convinced myself

00:38:44to stop looking at the tree line

00:38:46every time a branch snapped,

00:38:48the earth began to shake.

00:38:50It wasn't a metaphor.

00:38:51The ground literally trembled.

00:38:54I was in the middle of bandaging a goat's leg

00:38:57when the chaotic clatter of armor,

00:38:59galloping hooves,

00:39:00and shouting erupted outside the sanctuary walls.

00:39:03Villagers were screaming,

00:39:05scattering like frightened chickens.

00:39:07The demon general?

00:39:09Someone shrieked in the distance.

00:39:11The Northern Army is here.

00:39:13My blood ran cold.

00:39:15The Northern Army.

00:39:17In the novel,

00:39:19General Yan Ming was the emperor's deadliest weapon.

00:39:22A man who had slaughtered thousands,

00:39:24whose reputation was so soaked in blood

00:39:27that parents used his name

00:39:28to scare their children into going to bed.

00:39:30What the hell was the Imperial Army doing at my animal clinic?

00:39:35I grabbed a heavy iron ladle,

00:39:37because apparently my fight-or-flight response

00:39:40had chosen baking utensils as a weapon,

00:39:42and marched out to the courtyard.

00:39:44The gates were thrown open.

00:39:46Two rows of heavily armored,

00:39:48terrifyingly disciplined soldiers marched in,

00:39:51forming a perfect corridor.

00:39:52And walking down the center of that corridor was him.

00:39:57If I thought the second male lead of this novel was handsome,

00:40:00it was only because I hadn't seen the final boss

00:40:03of the author's character design.

00:40:05General Yan Ming was impossibly tall,

00:40:08clad in dark, intricate armor

00:40:10that absorbed the sunlight rather than reflecting it.

00:40:13His hair was tied back severely.

00:40:16His jaw looked sharp enough to cut glass,

00:40:18and his eyes...

00:40:20My breath hitched.

00:40:22His eyes were a deep, piercing,

00:40:25unmistakable crimson red.

00:40:27He stopped three paces from me,

00:40:29his presence suffocatingly heavy.

00:40:32The entire courtyard went dead silent.

00:40:35Even the goat stopped bleeding.

00:40:38I stood there, clutching my soup ladle,

00:40:41staring up at the most dangerous man in the empire,

00:40:44waiting for the execution order.

00:40:46The original Shen Yu had offended his own family

00:40:49so badly they banished him.

00:40:51Had he somehow offended the demon general too?

00:40:54Was this it?

00:40:56Was I going to be beheaded

00:40:57because of some forgotten plot point?

00:40:59General Yan Ming stared down at me.

00:41:02His gaze swept over my messy hair,

00:41:05the dirt on my apron,

00:41:06and the snow fox currently draped over my shoulder,

00:41:09hissing at him.

00:41:10He raised a gloved hand.

00:41:12I braced myself for death.

00:41:15Instead, he snapped his fingers.

00:41:17Four soldiers stepped forward,

00:41:19carrying two massive iron-bound wooden chests.

00:41:22They dropped them at my feet with a deafening thud.

00:41:26The latches popped open,

00:41:28revealing enough gold and silver ingots

00:41:30to buy my entire mountain,

00:41:31the village below it,

00:41:32and probably a small neighboring country.

00:41:34I stared at the gold.

00:41:37Then I stared at the general.

00:41:39I slowly lowered my ladle.

00:41:42Is this a robbery in reverse?

00:41:44I asked,

00:41:45my corporate slave brain completely short-circuiting.

00:41:48The soldiers gasped collectively,

00:41:51horrified by my insolence.

00:41:53General Yan Ming didn't even blink.

00:41:56His crimson eyes remained locked on my face.

00:41:59I am severely injured,

00:42:02the general stated,

00:42:03his voice a deep, gravelly baritone

00:42:06that vibrated right through my ribcage.

00:42:09The imperial physicians are incompetent.

00:42:11I require a sanctuary to recuperate.

00:42:14A quiet, healing environment.

00:42:16I am moving in.

00:42:18I blinked.

00:42:20Once.

00:42:21Twice.

00:42:22Sir, I said slowly,

00:42:25trying to process the sheer absurdity of the situation.

00:42:28This is a veterinary clinic.

00:42:30I treat cows, ducks, and the occasional feral cat.

00:42:34I am not a human doctor.

00:42:36General Yan Ming stepped closer,

00:42:39his armor clinking softly.

00:42:41He looked down at me,

00:42:43completely unfazed.

00:42:45I have been told your medical skills are divine,

00:42:49he replied smoothly.

00:42:51And I am willing to pay triple your highest rate

00:42:53for a private room,

00:42:55three meals a day,

00:42:56and your undivided personal attention.

00:42:59He gestured lazily to the chests of gold.

00:43:03Consider this a down payment.

00:43:06Morally, I should have said no.

00:43:08I should have told the dangerous,

00:43:10blood-soaked warlord to take his army

00:43:12and leave my peaceful life alone.

00:43:14But then I looked at the gold.

00:43:17I thought about the new barn I wanted to build.

00:43:20I thought about the expensive imported medicines

00:43:22I couldn't afford.

00:43:24The ghost of my modern,

00:43:25unpaid overtime millennial self

00:43:27grabbed the steering wheel of my brain.

00:43:30Cash up front?

00:43:31I asked,

00:43:32my voice suddenly very professional.

00:43:35General Yan Ming's lips twitched upward

00:43:37by a microscopic fraction.

00:43:40Up front,

00:43:41unmarked,

00:43:42tax-free,

00:43:43he confirmed.

00:43:44I kicked the lid of one chest shut

00:43:47and smiled my brightest customer service smile.

00:43:50Welcome to the Northern Mountain Sanctuary, General.

00:43:53Breakfast is at six.

00:43:55We don't tolerate biting.

00:43:57The soldiers behind him

00:43:58looked like they were going to pass out

00:44:00from sheer terror at my tone.

00:44:02But the general just hummed,

00:44:04a low, pleased sound,

00:44:05and strode past me into the main house

00:44:07like he already owned the place.

00:44:09And just like that,

00:44:11I accidentally became the landlord

00:44:13to the empire's most terrifying tyrant.

00:44:15Having a warlord as a roommate was

00:44:18an experience.

00:44:20I had expected him to be demanding,

00:44:22cruel,

00:44:23or at least violently arrogant.

00:44:25But General Yan Ming was none of those things.

00:44:29Instead, he was quiet,

00:44:31intensely observant,

00:44:33and possessed an absolutely staggering lack

00:44:35of personal boundaries.

00:44:37He dismissed his army,

00:44:39keeping only two silent shadow guards

00:44:41stationed outside the estate gates.

00:44:44Inside the walls,

00:44:45it was just me,

00:44:47the animals,

00:44:48and him.

00:44:49And I mean just him,

00:44:51because he refused to leave my side.

00:44:54If I was grinding herbs

00:44:56in the apothecary,

00:44:57he was sitting in the corner,

00:44:58reading military reports

00:44:59and watching my hands.

00:45:01If I was chopping vegetables

00:45:03in the kitchen,

00:45:03he was leaning against the doorframe,

00:45:05tracking my movements

00:45:06with those burning red eyes.

00:45:08It was like living with a very large,

00:45:10very well-armed shadow.

00:45:12Do you not have a war to wage?

00:45:14I asked him one afternoon,

00:45:16exasperated as I tried to step around him

00:45:18to reach the spice rack.

00:45:20The borders are quiet,

00:45:21he replied smoothly,

00:45:23not moving an inch,

00:45:25forcing me to brush against his chest

00:45:27to grab the jar of star anise.

00:45:29The heat radiating off his body

00:45:31was entirely distracting.

00:45:33Besides,

00:45:34I am a patient on medical leave.

00:45:35I must follow my doctor's orders to rest.

00:45:38I never ordered you to stand in my kitchen

00:45:41and aggressively supervise my soup,

00:45:43I shot back,

00:45:44stirring the pot.

00:45:45He merely hummed,

00:45:47reaching over to steal a piece

00:45:49of sliced cucumber

00:45:50from my cutting board.

00:45:51But the real chaos didn't start

00:45:53until I realized

00:45:54the great and terrible demon general

00:45:56was insanely,

00:45:57unbelievably jealous of my patients.

00:46:00It started with a litter of stray kittens

00:46:02a villager had brought in.

00:46:03They were malnourished

00:46:05and needed bottle feeding

00:46:06every few hours.

00:46:08One evening,

00:46:09I was sitting on the veranda,

00:46:11happily letting three tiny,

00:46:12purring fluff balls

00:46:13climb all over my lap.

00:46:15I was cooing at them,

00:46:17completely relaxed,

00:46:18when the temperature on the porch

00:46:20suddenly dropped by ten degrees.

00:46:22General Yan Ming stood there,

00:46:24staring at the kittens.

00:46:26He wasn't just looking at them,

00:46:28he was glaring at them

00:46:29with the focused,

00:46:30lethal intensity of a man

00:46:32preparing to lay siege

00:46:33to an enemy fortress.

00:46:35The kittens,

00:46:36possessing excellent survival instincts,

00:46:38immediately stopped purring,

00:46:40scrambled off my lap

00:46:41and hid under the floorboards.

00:46:44What did you do that for?

00:46:45I demanded,

00:46:47glaring at him.

00:46:48They were finally settling down.

00:46:51Yan Ming crossed his arms,

00:46:53his expression perfectly blank,

00:46:55though his jaw was visibly tight.

00:46:57They were shedding on your robes.

00:46:59It is unhygienic.

00:47:01Before I could argue,

00:47:03he smoothly sat down right next to me.

00:47:05He didn't leave any space between us.

00:47:07His broad shoulder pressed against mine,

00:47:10his thigh entirely flush with my own.

00:47:13He casually opened a scroll,

00:47:16acting as if he hadn't just bullied

00:47:17three baby animals out of their comfortable spot

00:47:19so he could claim it for himself.

00:47:21I stared at the side of his face,

00:47:24utterly bewildered.

00:47:25Was the demon general

00:47:27competing with kittens for my attention?

00:47:30The answer,

00:47:31I soon discovered,

00:47:32was yes.

00:47:34He competed with the kittens.

00:47:36He competed with Tofu the snow fox,

00:47:38who regularly hissed at him

00:47:40from her perch on my shoulders.

00:47:41He even competed

00:47:43with a particularly affectionate draft horse,

00:47:45glaring at the beast

00:47:46until it nervously backed away from the fence

00:47:49so Yan Ming could hand me a towel.

00:47:51But as the days bled into weeks,

00:47:53the sheer absurdity of his jealousy

00:47:55started to crack open a door in my mind.

00:47:58A door I had kept very tightly shut.

00:48:01Because General Yan Ming

00:48:02didn't just share my space,

00:48:04he shared my habits.

00:48:07One night,

00:48:08I made a hearty pork stew,

00:48:09throwing in a handful of boiled radishes

00:48:11to stretch the meal.

00:48:13We sat at the low table.

00:48:15I watched,

00:48:17fascinated,

00:48:17as the terrifying warlord

00:48:19meticulously,

00:48:20with surgical precision,

00:48:21picked every single piece

00:48:23of boiled radish out of his bowl

00:48:24and placed them on a side plate.

00:48:27His expression was one of profound,

00:48:29aristocratic disgust.

00:48:31My chopsticks paused

00:48:33halfway to my mouth.

00:48:34My mind flashed back

00:48:36to the giant black wolf,

00:48:37turning his massive head away

00:48:39from the vegetable mush

00:48:40I had offered him

00:48:41on his first morning.

00:48:42I stared at Yan Ming.

00:48:44He looked up,

00:48:45caught me staring,

00:48:47and quickly shoved a piece of pork

00:48:49into his mouth,

00:48:50trying to look dignified.

00:48:52I narrowed my eyes.

00:48:55Coincidence,

00:48:55I told myself.

00:48:57Lots of people hate radishes,

00:48:59but the coincidences kept piling up.

00:49:02Like the way he always positioned himself

00:49:04between me and the main gate

00:49:06when strangers approached.

00:49:08Or the way he always knew

00:49:09exactly when I was tired,

00:49:11wordlessly sliding a cup of hot tea

00:49:13onto my desk

00:49:14before I even realized

00:49:15I was thirsty.

00:49:16And then came the storm.

00:49:18A massive autumn thunderstorm

00:49:21rolled in off the mountains.

00:49:23Thunder cracked so loud

00:49:24the foundations of the clinic shook.

00:49:27The animals were panicked.

00:49:29I spent three hours

00:49:30running between pens,

00:49:32securing shutters,

00:49:33and soothing terrified livestock.

00:49:35By the time the storm broke

00:49:37and the rain settled

00:49:38into a steady downpour,

00:49:40I was soaked to the bone,

00:49:42freezing,

00:49:42and entirely exhausted.

00:49:45I stumbled into the main hall,

00:49:47dripping water

00:49:47onto the floorboards.

00:49:49The room was dark,

00:49:51lit only by the dying embers

00:49:52of the hearth.

00:49:54Suddenly,

00:49:54a heavy fur-lined cloak

00:49:56was draped over

00:49:57my trembling shoulders.

00:49:59The warmth was immediate.

00:50:01I looked up.

00:50:03Yan Ming was standing there,

00:50:05his crimson eyes

00:50:06reflecting the faint firelight.

00:50:08You do not know

00:50:09when to stop,

00:50:11he murmured,

00:50:12his voice rough.

00:50:14He didn't step back.

00:50:16He reached up,

00:50:17his large, calloused hands

00:50:19gently taking the towel

00:50:21from my grip.

00:50:22He began to dry my wet hair.

00:50:24The gesture was so intimate,

00:50:27so devastatingly gentle

00:50:28that my breath hitched.

00:50:30I stood frozen,

00:50:32trapped in the scent

00:50:33of rain,

00:50:34steel,

00:50:35and sandalwood.

00:50:37As he worked the towel

00:50:38through my hair,

00:50:39my tired brain

00:50:40completely bypassed

00:50:42my common sense.

00:50:43I was so exhausted

00:50:45that my body operated

00:50:46on pure,

00:50:47unguarded muscle memory.

00:50:49Without thinking,

00:50:50I leaned forward,

00:50:52resting my forehead

00:50:53directly against the center

00:50:54of his armored chest

00:50:56with a soft,

00:50:57weary sigh.

00:50:58Yan Ming went perfectly,

00:51:01rigidly still.

00:51:02His hands stopped moving.

00:51:04His heartbeat,

00:51:06thundering beneath

00:51:06the cold metal

00:51:07of his chest plate,

00:51:08was suddenly the loudest

00:51:10sound in the room.

00:51:11I felt him slowly,

00:51:14hesitantly wrap his arms

00:51:15around me,

00:51:16pulling me flush

00:51:17against him.

00:51:18He rested his chin

00:51:20on the top of my head,

00:51:21letting out a long,

00:51:22shaky breath

00:51:23that sounded like

00:51:24absolute surrender.

00:51:26You,

00:51:27I mumbled sleepily

00:51:28into his chest,

00:51:29are acting exactly

00:51:31like a giant,

00:51:32overgrown guard dog.

00:51:34I felt his chest

00:51:35rumble with a low chuckle.

00:51:37And you,

00:51:38he whispered

00:51:39into my hair,

00:51:40are the only person

00:51:41in this empire

00:51:42who has ever dared

00:51:43to treat me like one,

00:51:44and lived

00:51:45to tell the tale.

00:51:47My eyes snapped

00:51:48open in the dark.

00:51:49My sleepiness vanished,

00:51:51replaced by an electric shock

00:51:53of pure,

00:51:54unadulterated realization.

00:51:56The radishes,

00:51:57the glaring

00:51:58at other animals,

00:52:00the fierce protectiveness,

00:52:01the crimson red eyes,

00:52:04the exact location

00:52:06of the scar

00:52:07on his left flank,

00:52:08which I had accidentally

00:52:09glimpsed when he was

00:52:10changing his robes yesterday.

00:52:12I stitched that scar.

00:52:14My heart pounded

00:52:16against my ribs

00:52:17like a trapped bird,

00:52:18the giant,

00:52:19terrifying goth wolf,

00:52:21the bleeding beast

00:52:22I had scolded,

00:52:23bullied into eating,

00:52:24and aggressively pet

00:52:26behind the ears.

00:52:27It wasn't a wolf.

00:52:29It was a cursed man.

00:52:31It was him.

00:52:33General Yan Ming,

00:52:34the demon of the north,

00:52:35was the stray dog

00:52:37I had adopted.

00:52:38I pushed myself back

00:52:39from his chest,

00:52:40my face burning so hot

00:52:42it could have evaporated

00:52:43the rain off my clothes.

00:52:45He looked down at me,

00:52:46his expression softening

00:52:48into a look of such raw,

00:52:49undisguised affection

00:52:50that it made my knees weak.

00:52:53You know,

00:52:54he stated softly.

00:52:56It wasn't a question.

00:52:57I opened my mouth.

00:53:00I closed it.

00:53:01I opened it again.

00:53:03You...

00:53:04You purred.

00:53:06I choked out,

00:53:07my voice cracking

00:53:08in pure, mortified horror.

00:53:10I scratched you under the chin,

00:53:12and you purred like a kitten.

00:53:14You're the supreme commander

00:53:15of the Imperial Army.

00:53:17Yan Ming did not look ashamed.

00:53:20In fact,

00:53:21a slow,

00:53:22devastatingly handsome smirk

00:53:24spread across his face.

00:53:25He leaned down,

00:53:27trapping me

00:53:28against the wooden pillar,

00:53:29his voice dropping an octave.

00:53:32And as your patient,

00:53:33he murmured,

00:53:34I believe I am overdue

00:53:36for my daily treatment,

00:53:37Dr. Shen.

00:53:38I did what any

00:53:40highly educated,

00:53:41financially independent,

00:53:42and deeply terrified

00:53:43millennial would do

00:53:44when cornered

00:53:45by an incredibly attractive,

00:53:47possessive warlord.

00:53:48I panicked,

00:53:50shoved a damp towel

00:53:51onto his very muscular chest,

00:53:53and speed walked

00:53:54to my bedroom,

00:53:55locking the door behind me.

00:53:57Good night, General.

00:53:58I squeaked,

00:54:00burying my face

00:54:00in my pillow.

00:54:02Outside my door,

00:54:03I heard a low,

00:54:04rumbling chuckle

00:54:05that did absolutely nothing

00:54:07to calm my racing heart.

00:54:09The next morning,

00:54:10the tension in the sanctuary

00:54:11was thick enough

00:54:12to cut with a surgical scalpel.

00:54:14I aggressively avoided

00:54:16making eye contact

00:54:16with Yan Ming,

00:54:17who sat at the breakfast table

00:54:19sipping his tea,

00:54:20looking entirely

00:54:21too pleased with himself.

00:54:22You are pouring hot water

00:54:24onto the table,

00:54:25Dr. Shen,

00:54:26he observed smoothly.

00:54:28I snapped out of my daze,

00:54:30nearly dropping the teapot.

00:54:32Before I could formulate

00:54:33a sarcastic response,

00:54:35the heavy wooden gates

00:54:36of the sanctuary

00:54:37were thrown open.

00:54:39The chaotic clatter of hooves

00:54:41and imperial armor

00:54:42shattered the morning peace.

00:54:45An imperial eunuch

00:54:46marched into the courtyard,

00:54:48flanked by royal guards.

00:54:49He unrolled

00:54:51a gold-trimmed scroll,

00:54:52his nose turned up

00:54:53as if the smell of hay

00:54:55and animal feed

00:54:56was personally

00:54:57offending his ancestors.

00:54:58By order of his

00:55:00imperial majesty,

00:55:01the beast-healer Shen Yu

00:55:03is summoned

00:55:03to the palace immediately.

00:55:05I froze.

00:55:07The palace.

00:55:08The very place

00:55:10the original Shen Yu

00:55:11had been banished from

00:55:12in absolute disgrace.

00:55:13I wiped my hands

00:55:15on my apron.

00:55:16May I ask why, eunuch?

00:55:18The man scoffed.

00:55:20The emperor's prized

00:55:21Gur Falcon

00:55:22has fallen gravely ill.

00:55:24The royal physicians

00:55:25are baffled.

00:55:26You are to cure it.

00:55:28If you fail...

00:55:29Well,

00:55:30a disgraced exile's

00:55:31life is cheap.

00:55:33Before I could process

00:55:34the blatant death threat,

00:55:36a shadow fell over the eunuch.

00:55:38General Yan Ming

00:55:39stepped off the veranda.

00:55:41The playful,

00:55:42teasing man from breakfast

00:55:44vanished instantly,

00:55:45replaced by the demon

00:55:47of the north.

00:55:48His crimson eyes

00:55:49locked onto the eunuch,

00:55:51his hand resting casually

00:55:52on the hilt of his sword.

00:55:54You will address him

00:55:56as Dr. Shen.

00:55:58Yan Ming's voice

00:55:59dropped to a lethal whisper.

00:56:02And you will speak to him

00:56:03with the respect

00:56:04owed to the man

00:56:05who saved my life.

00:56:07Or I will demonstrate

00:56:08exactly how cheap

00:56:10your life is.

00:56:11The eunuch turned

00:56:12the color of spoiled milk.

00:56:14He dropped to his knees

00:56:16so fast I thought

00:56:17he shattered his kneecaps.

00:56:19G-

00:56:20General Yan,

00:56:21forgive this lowly one,

00:56:23the man stammered,

00:56:24pressing his forehead

00:56:25to the dirt.

00:56:26I sighed,

00:56:28rubbing my temples.

00:56:29I'll get my medical bag,

00:56:31I muttered.

00:56:32When I emerged,

00:56:34Yan Ming was already waiting

00:56:36by a sleek,

00:56:36unmarked carriage.

00:56:38I am coming with you,

00:56:39he stated.

00:56:41It wasn't a request.

00:56:43I didn't argue.

00:56:44I had a feeling

00:56:46I was going to need

00:56:46a very large guard dog today.

00:56:48The carriage ride

00:56:49to the palace

00:56:50was agonizingly quiet.

00:56:52The massive,

00:56:53imposing structures

00:56:54of the imperial city

00:56:55loomed overhead,

00:56:56a stark contrast

00:56:57to my peaceful mountain.

00:56:59When we entered

00:57:00the great hall,

00:57:01the sheer scale

00:57:02of the wealth on display

00:57:03made my inner accountant weep,

00:57:05but I didn't have time

00:57:07to admire the architecture.

00:57:09Standing at the center

00:57:10of the hall,

00:57:11beside the emperor's throne,

00:57:13was the crown prince.

00:57:15Next to him

00:57:17was my absolute favorite person

00:57:19in the world,

00:57:20my stepbrother,

00:57:21Shen Lian.

00:57:23And standing just behind them,

00:57:25looking as arrogant as ever,

00:57:27was Prime Minister Shen,

00:57:28my biological father,

00:57:30the man who had thrown me out

00:57:32like trash.

00:57:33The moment my father saw me,

00:57:36his face twisted

00:57:37in absolute fury.

00:57:39You, he bellowed,

00:57:41pointing a trembling finger at me.

00:57:43I wiped your name

00:57:45from the family registry.

00:57:47I banished you

00:57:48to rot in the mountains.

00:57:49How dare you show your face

00:57:51in the imperial court?

00:57:53Shen Lian immediately clung

00:57:55to the crown prince's arm,

00:57:56looking like a fragile,

00:57:58terrified lotus flower.

00:58:00Brother?

00:58:01Shen Lian gasped,

00:58:03tears instantly pooling

00:58:04in his eyes.

00:58:06After you cruelly poisoned

00:58:08my poor white peacock,

00:58:10have you come

00:58:11to cause more tragedy?

00:58:13The crown prince sneered at me,

00:58:15his gaze dripping

00:58:16with disgust.

00:58:17A vicious animal-killing exile

00:58:20dares to stand

00:58:20before the emperor?

00:58:22Guards,

00:58:23throw him out.

00:58:24I didn't even get

00:58:25to open my mouth

00:58:26before Yan Ming

00:58:27stepped smoothly

00:58:28in front of me.

00:58:29He is here

00:58:30under my protection,

00:58:32Yan Ming said,

00:58:33his voice echoing

00:58:34like thunder

00:58:35through the massive hall.

00:58:36And by the emperor's

00:58:38direct summons.

00:58:40The crown prince flinched,

00:58:42instinctively taking

00:58:43a step back.

00:58:44Even royalty feared

00:58:45the demon general.

00:58:47The emperor,

00:58:48sitting on his throne,

00:58:49waved a weary hand,

00:58:51looking pale and stressed.

00:58:53Enough!

00:58:54Silence,

00:58:54all of you!

00:58:55I summoned a beast doctor,

00:58:56not a family feud.

00:58:57Save my falcon boy,

00:58:59or face the consequences.

00:59:01A servant rushed forward,

00:59:03carrying a gilded,

00:59:04jewel-encrusted cage.

00:59:06Inside,

00:59:07a magnificent white

00:59:09girfalcon lay on its side,

00:59:11panting shallowly,

00:59:12its eyes dull.

00:59:13It looked

00:59:14completely miserable.

00:59:16I immediately switched

00:59:17into work mode.

00:59:18I approached the cage,

00:59:20ignoring the glares

00:59:21of my father

00:59:22and the royal physicians

00:59:23who had failed to treat it.

00:59:25I gently opened the door

00:59:26and ran my hands

00:59:27over the bird's chest

00:59:28and throat.

00:59:29Its crop,

00:59:30the muscular pouch

00:59:32near its throat

00:59:32where birds store food,

00:59:34was massively distended,

00:59:36hard as a rock,

00:59:37and smelled faintly

00:59:38of yeast and fermentation.

00:59:40I frowned,

00:59:41gently palpating the area.

00:59:43It's a severe crop impaction,

00:59:46I announced clearly.

00:59:48Food has rotted

00:59:49inside its throat,

00:59:50causing a toxic

00:59:51bacterial buildup.

00:59:52What has it been eating?

00:59:54The head physician

00:59:55stepped forward,

00:59:57stroking his beard

00:59:57defensively.

00:59:58It has been fed

01:00:00only the purest,

01:00:01highest quality raw meat,

01:00:02just as a raptor should.

01:00:05I narrowed my eyes.

01:00:07Raw meat digests quickly.

01:00:09This feels like a solid,

01:00:11carbohydrate-heavy mass.

01:00:13Birds of prey

01:00:14cannot digest grains,

01:00:15starches,

01:00:16or sugars.

01:00:17Shen Lian suddenly let out

01:00:19a small,

01:00:19pathetic gasp.

01:00:21Oh no,

01:00:22he whispered,

01:00:24his hands flying

01:00:25to his mouth.

01:00:26The crown prince

01:00:27immediately pulled him close.

01:00:29Lianer,

01:00:30what is it?

01:00:32Shen Lian sobbed beautifully.

01:00:34I,

01:00:35I only wanted to tame

01:00:37the fierce beast.

01:00:38I thought,

01:00:39I thought if I fed it

01:00:40sweet Osmantha's cakes,

01:00:41it would become gentle

01:00:42and sweet like a dove.

01:00:43My brain flatlined.

01:00:46I stared at the saintly

01:00:48protagonist.

01:00:49He had fed a purely

01:00:50carnivorous apex predator

01:00:52hunting falcon sugary pastries

01:00:54to make it sweet.

01:00:56You fed a gyre falcon

01:00:57baked goods,

01:00:58I repeated,

01:01:00my voice devoid

01:01:01of all emotion.

01:01:02You gave an obligate

01:01:04carnivore a pastry.

01:01:06I was just trying

01:01:07to show it love,

01:01:09Shen Lian cried,

01:01:10hiding his face

01:01:11in the crown prince's robes.

01:01:13Prime Minister Shen

01:01:14glared at me.

01:01:15Do not speak

01:01:16to your brother

01:01:17in that tone,

01:01:18Shen Yu.

01:01:18He acted out

01:01:20of the pureness

01:01:20of his heart.

01:01:21You,

01:01:22on the other hand,

01:01:23only know cruelty.

01:01:26I closed my eyes

01:01:27and prayed for patience.

01:01:29The sheer,

01:01:31unadulterated stupidity

01:01:32in this family

01:01:32was suffocating.

01:01:34His pure heart

01:01:35just gave this bird

01:01:36lethal sour crop,

01:01:38I snapped,

01:01:39entirely out of patience.

01:01:41I pulled a sterile

01:01:42rubber tube

01:01:43and a syringe

01:01:43of saline

01:01:44from my medical bag.

01:01:46Hold its wings,

01:01:47I ordered the nearest guard.

01:01:49The guard hesitated,

01:01:51looking at the emperor.

01:01:53Yan Ming stepped forward,

01:01:55his massive,

01:01:56gauntleted hands

01:01:57gently but firmly

01:01:58pinning the falcon's wings.

01:02:00Working quickly,

01:02:01I lubricated the tube,

01:02:03carefully slid it

01:02:03down the bird's throat,

01:02:05and began flushing

01:02:06the hardened mass

01:02:07of rotting pastry

01:02:08out of its crop.

01:02:09The smell that hit

01:02:10the throne room

01:02:11was absolutely apocalyptic.

01:02:13It smelled like a bakery

01:02:15that had died

01:02:16and come back as a zombie.

01:02:18Several ministers gagged.

01:02:20My father dramatically

01:02:21pinched his nose.

01:02:23I massaged the crop

01:02:24until the blockage

01:02:25was entirely cleared,

01:02:26then administered

01:02:27a dose of herbal antibiotics.

01:02:30Within minutes,

01:02:31the falcon shook its feathers,

01:02:33stood up on its talons,

01:02:34and let out a sharp,

01:02:35clear screech

01:02:36that echoed

01:02:37off the vaulted ceilings.

01:02:39It was alive.

01:02:40The emperor's eyes

01:02:42lit up with sheer delight.

01:02:44Incredible,

01:02:45he boomed.

01:02:46But Shen Lian

01:02:47wasn't finished.

01:02:49Seeing his golden opportunity

01:02:50for praise slipping away,

01:02:52he pointed a trembling finger

01:02:54at me.

01:02:55Your majesty,

01:02:56he used dark witchcraft.

01:02:58Look at his strange tools.

01:03:00The Shen Yu

01:03:01I grew up with

01:03:02never knew medicine.

01:03:03He is possessed

01:03:04by a demon.

01:03:05The crown prince

01:03:06immediately drew his sword.

01:03:08Guards!

01:03:09Seize him!

01:03:11Clang!

01:03:12The sound of metal

01:03:13hitting marble

01:03:14silenced the room.

01:03:16General Yan Ming

01:03:17had drawn his own

01:03:18heavy broadsword.

01:03:19He didn't point it

01:03:20at the guards.

01:03:21He pointed it directly

01:03:22at the crown prince.

01:03:24The only demon

01:03:25in this room,

01:03:26Yan Ming said,

01:03:28his voice cold enough

01:03:29to freeze the blood

01:03:30in their veins,

01:03:31is the one

01:03:32who starves foxes

01:03:33and poisons falcons

01:03:34for his own vanity.

01:03:36The emperor

01:03:37slowly sat up,

01:03:38his joy evaporating.

01:03:40What is the meaning

01:03:41of this, general?

01:03:43Yan Ming

01:03:43didn't lower his sword.

01:03:45This boy,

01:03:47he sneered,

01:03:48glaring at Shen Lian,

01:03:49has built a reputation

01:03:50on false kindness.

01:03:52Last month,

01:03:53he brought a snow fox

01:03:54to Dr. Shen's clinic.

01:03:56He had been starving it

01:03:57on a diet of radishes

01:03:58to keep its coat

01:03:59purely white.

01:04:00Whispers erupted

01:04:02through the hall.

01:04:03Nobles exchanged

01:04:04shocked glances.

01:04:06And today,

01:04:08Yan Ming continued

01:04:09ruthlessly,

01:04:10he admits to poisoning

01:04:11Your Majesty's

01:04:12prized hunting bird

01:04:13with pastries

01:04:14out of sheer

01:04:15blinding ignorance.

01:04:16But that is not

01:04:17his worst crime.

01:04:19Your Majesty,

01:04:20my military intelligence

01:04:22network investigated

01:04:23Dr. Shen's

01:04:24sudden exile.

01:04:26My father,

01:04:27Prime Minister Shen,

01:04:27suddenly looked

01:04:28very, very pale.

01:04:31General,

01:04:32my father stammered.

01:04:34This is a private

01:04:35family matter.

01:04:37Silence,

01:04:38the Emperor roared.

01:04:40Yan Ming

01:04:40smirked coldly.

01:04:42Shen Lian

01:04:43poisoned his own

01:04:44white peacock

01:04:45to frame his

01:04:45older brother.

01:04:47We found the servant

01:04:48he bribed

01:04:49to plant the poison

01:04:50in Shen Yu's room.

01:04:52The hall

01:04:52exploded into chaos.

01:04:54Shen Lian

01:04:55dropped to his knees,

01:04:56his mask

01:04:57of innocence

01:04:58shattering

01:04:58completely.

01:05:00No,

01:05:01I didn't.

01:05:02He's lying,

01:05:03he shrieked.

01:05:04The Crown Prince

01:05:05stared at Shen Lian,

01:05:07stepping away from him

01:05:08as if he had

01:05:09caught a disease.

01:05:10The Emperor's gaze

01:05:12shifted to my father.

01:05:14It was the terrifying,

01:05:15calculating gaze

01:05:16of a ruler

01:05:17who had just realized

01:05:18his Prime Minister

01:05:19was a gullible fool.

01:05:21Prime Minister Shen,

01:05:23the Emperor boomed,

01:05:24his voice dripping

01:05:25with venom.

01:05:26You exiled

01:05:28your own

01:05:28legitimate son,

01:05:30a medical genius

01:05:31who just saved

01:05:32my prized falcon

01:05:33over the lies

01:05:34of a malicious,

01:05:35animal-abusing brat?

01:05:37Your judgment

01:05:38is entirely compromised.

01:05:40Guards,

01:05:42strip the Prime Minister

01:05:43of his official seal

01:05:44and confine Shen Lian

01:05:46to the Imperial dungeons

01:05:47for endangering

01:05:48royal property.

01:05:49My father collapsed

01:05:51to the floor

01:05:52in shock

01:05:52as the guards

01:05:53dragged a screaming,

01:05:54weeping Shen Lian

01:05:55out of the hall.

01:05:56The face-slapping

01:05:57was absolute.

01:05:59It was a flawless,

01:06:00devastating victory.

01:06:02The Emperor turned to me,

01:06:04his expression softening

01:06:05into deep respect.

01:06:07Dr. Shen,

01:06:08you have done the Empire

01:06:10a great service.

01:06:11Name your reward.

01:06:12Gold?

01:06:13A position as

01:06:14head royal physician?

01:06:16I bowed respectfully.

01:06:18Your Majesty,

01:06:19I require no court position.

01:06:21I only ask

01:06:23to be left in peace

01:06:24to run my animal sanctuary

01:06:25in the Northern Mountains.

01:06:27The Emperor laughed,

01:06:29a booming,

01:06:30genuine sound.

01:06:31A humble man,

01:06:33very well.

01:06:34You shall have

01:06:34exclusive royal funding

01:06:35for your sanctuary,

01:06:36and no noble

01:06:38shall ever dare

01:06:39interfere with

01:06:39your affairs again.

01:06:41I walked out of the palace

01:06:43feeling like I was floating.

01:06:44The original owner's

01:06:46debts were cleared.

01:06:47The toxic family

01:06:48was ruined.

01:06:49The Green Tea

01:06:50stepbrother

01:06:51was in a dungeon.

01:06:52I was filthy,

01:06:54stinking rich.

01:06:56As soon as we

01:06:57stepped into

01:06:58the private carriage,

01:06:59the adrenaline

01:06:59completely left my body.

01:07:01I slumped

01:07:03against the plush

01:07:03velvet seats,

01:07:04letting out a groan

01:07:05of pure exhaustion.

01:07:07My spine

01:07:08is going to file

01:07:09a lawsuit against me,

01:07:10I muttered,

01:07:12closing my eyes.

01:07:13Suddenly,

01:07:14I felt a strong arm

01:07:16wrap around my waist,

01:07:17pulling me effortlessly

01:07:18across the seat.

01:07:20I opened my eyes.

01:07:21I was practically

01:07:23sitting in Yan Ming's lap.

01:07:24The carriage

01:07:25jolted forward,

01:07:26but his grip

01:07:27was like iron,

01:07:28keeping me

01:07:29perfectly steady.

01:07:30What are you doing?

01:07:32I asked,

01:07:33my voice betraying

01:07:34a slight tremor.

01:07:35He looked down at me,

01:07:37his crimson eyes dark,

01:07:39intense,

01:07:39and utterly unreadable.

01:07:41Collecting my payment.

01:07:43I blinked.

01:07:45Payment?

01:07:46I thought you paid me.

01:07:48He leaned closer,

01:07:50his breath brushing

01:07:51against my jaw.

01:07:52I protected you

01:07:53in the Imperial Hall today.

01:07:55I defied the Crown Prince

01:07:57for you.

01:07:58I expect compensation

01:07:59for my services

01:08:00as your personal guard,

01:08:02he murmured.

01:08:03My face flushed so hard

01:08:05I was surprised

01:08:06the carriage

01:08:06didn't catch fire.

01:08:08I...

01:08:09I can give you a discount

01:08:11on your room and board,

01:08:12I stammered,

01:08:13trying to lean back,

01:08:14but his hand

01:08:15on the small of my back

01:08:16held me firmly in place.

01:08:18I do not want

01:08:19a discount, Shen Yu,

01:08:20he said,

01:08:22his voice dropping

01:08:23into that low,

01:08:24dangerous register

01:08:25that made my toes curl.

01:08:26I want my doctor.

01:08:28Before I could offer

01:08:29another terrible

01:08:30business proposition,

01:08:32he closed the distance,

01:08:33his lips pressed

01:08:35against mine,

01:08:36completely silencing

01:08:37whatever nervous babble

01:08:38I had prepared.

01:08:39It wasn't the tentative,

01:08:41careful kiss

01:08:42of a romance novel protagonist.

01:08:44It was demanding,

01:08:46possessive,

01:08:46and incredibly thorough.

01:08:49Like a man

01:08:50who had been starving

01:08:50and was finally

01:08:51offered a feast.

01:08:53My brain

01:08:54entirely short-circuited.

01:08:56All my modern logic,

01:08:58all my careful plans

01:08:59to stay detached

01:09:00and retire early,

01:09:01vanished into thin air.

01:09:04I made a soft,

01:09:05embarrassing sound

01:09:06in the back of my throat,

01:09:07my hands instinctively

01:09:09reaching up

01:09:09to grip the lapels

01:09:10of his dark armor.

01:09:12When he finally

01:09:13pulled back,

01:09:14we were both

01:09:15breathing heavily.

01:09:16He rested his forehead

01:09:18against mine,

01:09:19his thumb gently

01:09:20tracing my swollen

01:09:21lower lip.

01:09:22You did not push me away,

01:09:25he observed quietly,

01:09:26a faint,

01:09:27victorious smirk

01:09:28playing on his lips.

01:09:30You're wearing

01:09:31full armor,

01:09:32I gasped,

01:09:34trying to reclaim

01:09:34some shred

01:09:35of my dignity.

01:09:36I didn't want

01:09:37to break my hand.

01:09:38He chuckled,

01:09:40a deep,

01:09:41warm sound

01:09:42that vibrated

01:09:43against my chest.

01:09:45Liar,

01:09:45he whispered,

01:09:47pressing a soft kiss

01:09:48to the corner

01:09:48of my mouth.

01:09:50You are entirely

01:09:51mine now.

01:09:53Do not even

01:09:54think about running.

01:09:55I closed my eyes,

01:09:57leaning into his warmth.

01:09:59Run?

01:10:00Who was going to run

01:10:01from a billionaire,

01:10:03fiercely protective,

01:10:04insanely handsome

01:10:05warlord who actively

01:10:06encouraged my career?

01:10:08I was a millennial,

01:10:09not an idiot.

01:10:10One year later,

01:10:12the Northern Mountain

01:10:13Sanctuary was no longer

01:10:14a ruined estate.

01:10:16It was a massive,

01:10:17sprawling complex

01:10:18with pristine white walls,

01:10:20state-of-the-art stables,

01:10:21and a dedicated team

01:10:23of apprentices

01:10:23I had personally trained.

01:10:25The imperial funding

01:10:26had allowed me

01:10:27to import the finest

01:10:28medical supplies

01:10:29in the known world.

01:10:30My father,

01:10:32stripped of his title,

01:10:33had faded into

01:10:34miserable obscurity.

01:10:35His wealth squandered

01:10:36by his toxic new wife.

01:10:39Shen Lian,

01:10:40after being released

01:10:41from the dungeons,

01:10:42was forced to take a job

01:10:43sweeping the floors

01:10:44of a lower-tier tea house.

01:10:46I heard he still

01:10:47tried to cry

01:10:48to customers for sympathy,

01:10:49but no one believed

01:10:50a word he said anymore.

01:10:52I was living

01:10:53the absolute dream.

01:10:55I had wealth,

01:10:56respect,

01:10:57and a job

01:10:57I actually loved

01:10:59that didn't require

01:10:5926-hour shifts

01:11:01under a toxic boss.

01:11:02I was in the apothecary,

01:11:04carefully measuring out

01:11:06a dose of herbal painkiller

01:11:07for an elderly donkey,

01:11:09when I felt a familiar,

01:11:10heavy presence

01:11:11step up behind me.

01:11:12Two strong,

01:11:14muscular arms

01:11:15wrapped around my waist.

01:11:16A chin rested heavily

01:11:18on my shoulder.

01:11:19You've been working

01:11:20for four hours,

01:11:22Yan Ming complained,

01:11:23his voice a low rumble

01:11:24against my ear.

01:11:26The ledger is balanced.

01:11:28The guards are patrolling.

01:11:30Come take a nap with me.

01:11:32I rolled my eyes,

01:11:33though I leaned back

01:11:34into his solid chest anyway.

01:11:37I am a medical professional,

01:11:39General,

01:11:39I said,

01:11:40tapping my wooden spoon

01:11:42against the mortar.

01:11:43I can't just drop everything

01:11:45because you're feeling clingy.

01:11:47Yan Ming tightened his grip,

01:11:49pressing a kiss

01:11:49to the side of my neck.

01:11:51I am your husband,

01:11:53he corrected smoothly.

01:11:55It is your legal duty

01:11:57to attend

01:11:58to my emotional well-being.

01:12:00You are a terror

01:12:01to the entire empire,

01:12:03I laughed,

01:12:04turning in his arms

01:12:06to wrap my hands

01:12:06loosely around his neck.

01:12:08You don't have emotional needs.

01:12:11You have territorial instincts.

01:12:13He looked down at me,

01:12:15those piercing crimson eyes

01:12:17utterly soft

01:12:18and entirely devoted.

01:12:20Only when it comes to you,

01:12:23he murmured.

01:12:24He kissed me again,

01:12:26slow and deep,

01:12:27right there in the middle

01:12:28of the apothecary,

01:12:30surrounded by the scent

01:12:31of dried herbs and sunshine.

01:12:34Outside,

01:12:34I could hear a dog

01:12:36barking happily

01:12:37in the courtyard

01:12:38and the faint chatter

01:12:39of my assistants.

01:12:40I smiled against his lips,

01:12:43wrapping my arms tighter

01:12:44around his broad shoulders.

01:12:46I had died of exhaustion

01:12:48in a cold, sterile clinic,

01:12:50dreaming of a life

01:12:51where I could just rest.

01:12:53And somehow,

01:12:54through the chaotic plot

01:12:56of a trashy romance novel,

01:12:58a dramatic green tea stepbrother,

01:13:00and one giant,

01:13:01terrifying wolf,

01:13:02I had found exactly that.

01:13:04The perfect, peaceful,

01:13:06deeply satisfying

01:13:07early retirement.

01:13:08And that brings us

01:13:10to the end of Shen Yu

01:13:11and General Yan Ming's story.

01:13:13There's honestly

01:13:14nothing more satisfying

01:13:15than watching

01:13:16a manipulative character

01:13:17and a toxic family

01:13:18finally get exactly

01:13:20what they deserve, right?

01:13:21If you enjoyed this story,

01:13:23don't forget to like the video.

01:13:25Make sure you subscribe

01:13:26and turn on notifications

01:13:27so you don't miss

01:13:28the next upload.

01:13:29Thank you so much

01:13:30for listening,

01:13:31and I'll see you

01:13:32in the next story.

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