—————————— In a past life, Sima Yi served as the Northern strategist, a pawn wed by Cao Cao to Zhuge Liang, the Southern tactician. That man’s heart forever burned with a restless fire—he would spend the deep hours of the night tracing a portrait, the dark-haired youth within it laughing with untamed abandon. (前世,司马懿作为北境军师,被曹操当做棋子嫁给了南地军师诸葛亮。那个男人心里永远燃着一簇野火——他总在深夜摩挲一幅画像,画中黑发少年笑得肆意张扬。)
“You know nothing, Yi.” he slurred on their wedding night, fingers gripping Sima Yi’s chin, his gaze seeing straight through him into the void. (“你什么都不懂,懿。”新婚夜他醉醺醺地捏着他的下巴说,眼神却透过他看向虚空。)
Later, when the Wudu army breached yi’s walls, Zhuge Liang shielded Sima Yi with his own body, only to be pierced by countless arrows. With his final breath, he suddenly smiled. “That strand of white hair at your temple… he had one too.” (后来武都军攻破益城,他将他护在身后,自己却万箭穿心。咽气前他忽然笑了:“其实你额前那缕白发……他也有。”)
When Sima Yi opened his eyes once more, he was back at the engagement banquet. This time, he tore the marriage contract to pieces and publicly dashed wine in Zhuge Liang’s face. “Go find your little wildcat, The strategist.” (再睁眼,司马懿回到订婚宴当晚。这次他撕碎婚约,当众将红酒泼在他脸上:“去找你的小野猫吧,军师大人。”)
Amidst the stunned silence, Zhuge Liang’s trembling hand rose to touch the silver strand hidden within Sima Yi’s dark hair—it glimmered in the candlelight. His eyes instantly flushed crimson, and he hauled Sima Yi over his shoulder. (全场死寂中,诸葛亮却突然颤抖着手抚上隐于青丝间的白发——那缕白发在烛光下闪烁。他眼眶倏然赤红,一把将他扛上肩头。)
“You may certainly flee,” he murmured against Sima Yi’s ear astride his horse, his breath as searing as the fires beneath Wudu. “But I will burn Cao Cao’s palaces to ash and imprison every soul you hold dear… until you admit—” (“你当然可以逃。”他在马背上咬着他耳垂低语,气息灼烫如武都地心火,“但我会烧光曹操的宫殿,囚禁你每一个珍视之人……直到你承认——”)
In the thatched cottage deep in the mountains, he locked Sima Yi in a room strewn with plush cat dolls. The walls were covered with paintings Sima Yi had never seen before: himself at twelve in a classroom, at fifteen sleeping beneath a tree, at twenty wearing wedding robes from Zhuge Liang’s “dreams”… (群山深处的草庐中,他把他锁进铺满懿猫公仔的房间,墙上挂满他前世未曾见过的画像:十二岁他在教室上课、十五岁他树下睡觉、二十岁他在他“梦中”穿嫁衣……)
“Admit what?” Sima Yi clenched his shirt. (“承认什么?”司马懿攥紧衬衫。)
Zhuge Liang dropped to one knee, laying the mechanized fan—symbol of ultimate Southern authority—at Sima Yi’s feet. His voice was hoarse, like shattering glaciers. (他单膝跪地,将象征南地至高信物的机关扇横呈于他足前,声音嘶哑如崩裂的冰川:)
“Admit you are Sima Yi. Admit that I crossed two lifetimes, altered history, even commissioned painters to fabricate that ‘white moonlight’… all to make you, this little black cat, leap willingly into my trap.” (“承认你就是司马懿。承认我跨越两世、篡改历史、甚至让画师虚构出那个‘白月光’...全是为让你这只小黑猫主动跳进我的陷阱。”)
Fireworks suddenly erupted beyond the window—from the direction of Yi City. A carrier pigeon arrived in haste: “The strategist's wife has returned, lighting the beacon fires across seven cities.” (窗外突然炸开漫天烟火——那是益城方向。信鸽急报:“军师妻已归,点燃七城烽火。”)
(Below the tower, a hundred thousand Yi City soldiers roared as one: “All hail the return of our wifey, Sima Yi!”) (——塔楼之下,十万益城军齐声高吼:“恭迎嫂子司马懿归位!”)