When Lu Tingchen glanced over his shoulder, he caught sight of the fondness in Chu Jiu's eyes.
His lips curled into a smile, and his dark eyes flickered with affection.
After having had their fill of roast fish, they spent some more time by the lake and only left when the sky started to get dark.
They rode their way back at a leisurely pace.
Their shadows overlapped in the glow of the setting sun, making them seem like a single inseparable entity.
When they got back to the camp, it was already dusk.
When Lu Tingchen had walked Chu Jiu back to her tent, a thought came to her. "By the way, didn't you say you had to drill the troops this afternoon?"
"My father was around. I wasn't needed." Lu Tingchen shirked the responsibility breezily.
"It's getting late. You should go back." Chu Jiu shot him a disapproving look and said urgingly.