A Sick Tree's Branches

[Noble Lady x Masked Man in Ancient Times] “Wanderer, what’s your name?” “Li Ke. My courtesy name is Shoujing.” She started calling him Jingjing. The tall swordsman was wrapped from head to toe in black, even his fingers bound in black cloth. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, as if scorched by fire. The man in black glanced sideways at her. “It’s Shoujing, not Jingjing.” Much later. “What are you doing?” “Oh, I’m trying to find some peace and quiet.” … “Li Ke, would you escort me back to Chang’an?” “Li Ke, if I want to see you, how can I get in touch with you?” “…” He found her noisy, yet for some reason he kept a homing pigeon. War raged everywhere, leaving scars across his body. He had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood with a hoarse voice. He was withdrawn and insecure, covered in hideous burn scars. He never showed his true face, always holding his sword and saying nothing. Whenever she reached out to touch him, he would pull his hand away. You couldn’t read his emotions from behind. Beneath his sleeves, his scarred hands always trembled. To keep her from noticing, he would hide up in a tree. She stood beneath it. “If you won’t let me hold your hand, then don’t ever come see me again!” Helpless, he climbed down and let her take his hand. Rain falls over the martial world at night, and the road ahead is long. … The emperor was frail, and his uncle ruled as regent. They said the man had emerged from a battlefield piled with corpses and awash in blood. His face was hideous, and he was covered in scars, so he never showed his true face. They said he was vicious by nature and had left Chang’an’s streets strewn with severed heads. Everyone feared him like a demon god. Rumor had it that when he was gravely wounded, a woman saved his life. He left her a jade pendant as a token. Whoever held it was his savior. Fuju wanted to pretend to be the regent’s savior, and was determined to get her hands on the jade pendant. Instead, she met an amnesiac swordsman. “Wanderer, give me the jade pendant and I’ll pay you a fortune!” The swordsman’s rough, hoarse voice was cold. “He’s a vicious demon. You still want to marry him?” Fuju thought, with her whole family’s lives on the line, she’d marry even the King of Hell! She declared confidently, “Wanderer, I’ll make him fall head over heels for me!” In a ruined temple on a rainy night, he lowered his head, only to catch a glimpse of the trembling hibiscus flower wet with rain and dew. … Later, Fuju learned that the regent was a complete madman. The jade pendant wasn’t meant to help him find his savior. Whoever took it was his sworn enemy. Whoever took it would die. Remembering how many heads he had supposedly severed, Fuju was horrified. In a panic, she packed her things and tried to flee, planning to roam the world with her wanderer. But from afar, she saw the mad and cruel regent. Beneath his wide sleeves and splendid robes were the familiar burn scars. She had traced them countless times and held those hands a thousand times over. [Reading Notes] 1. The male lead has facial scars and wears a mask. Please don’t read if that bothers you. There’s an age gap between the two! 2. A sweet little story set in an alternate history. No need to worry about historical accuracy! No transmigration or fantasy elements. 3. Updates every night at nine! Theme: Though the old ship has sunk, countless sails pass by; though the old tree is sick, spring returns to its branches.