For example, the scenes with Liu Buwang. It's so heartbreaking that there are only so many people who treat He Yan wholeheartedly and know who she is in both lives. Their interaction really really tugged on my heartstrings. The timeline allows us to retain these moments and feel affection for these characters which would have been impossible if this was a total rebirth.

It is with a cautious heart that I am finally writing this review/summary for He Yan and Xiao Jue. Most of the time, I get scared whenever I try to write a review for my favorite novels because I feel like I am finally letting go of the emotions that I feel while reading them, but at the same time, I feel like I am immortalizing these feelings through writing. It's quite complicated, but here it goes.

Rebirth of a Star General, as the name suggests, was about a female general who got reborn in her namesake's body. She was wronged by the people who should have loved and protected her in her first life. Now, as she was given by god to relive her life, she was determined to get back what were rightfully hers and avenge her previous life. Unlike the other rebirth novels wherein the main character was reborn in her original body, He Yan, the female main character, lived again in another person's body. And the timeline was just a continuation of what happened to her family and country after her death. Despite being a revenge-focused novel, I believe this novel is also more about living your life the second time around and trying to fulfill the regrets from your previous life — it is more of a journey of He Yan's chance to live for herself this time. And in this journey, she encountered Xiao Jue again. They were classmates in her first life. Xiao Jue was the opposite of He Yan in terms of talent, but He Yan knew that beyond the cold appearance of this person lied the gentlest of heart. Together, they walked the path of their revenge not just for themselves, but also for the common people.

He Yan was a female general in secret in her first life. She was the first legitimate daughter of the second household of the He Family. The moment she was born, her fate was already tied to her cousin, He Rufei, who was then diagnosed as sick and wouldn't live a long life. Because the He Family was scared that their clan would be reduced to nothing if He Rufei died, they made He Yan as his substitute. She appeared in public as He Rufei and thus started her life as the masked He Rufei. Circumstances arose that she had to escape her home and join the army. Through hardwork, determination, and perseverance, He Yan as "He Rufei", became a general who bravely fought the Qiang tribe. However, the one who received all the rewards and promotions was the real He Rufei. He Yan became the legitimate daughter He Yan again. She accepted everything as it was and was married off. Little did she know, she already became a thorn in her own family's heart that they couldn't wait to see her death. It was with her family's doing that the valiant female general meet her death, not even in the battlefield. It was truly a pity.

He Yan woke up in the body of another He Yan, the daughter of a low-ranked soldier. She gained a new family in this second life. But, she was forced to join the army and pretend as a guy again. Due to the vast difference between her current family's position in the society and the He Family, for He Yan, the army was her only chance to exact her revenge. She's now back in the army as a soldier, but this time around, using her own name — He Yan. This began her persistent efforts and hardwork to be the best among all the new recruits and at the same time finding new friends and colleagues who would be with her until the end.

"In other people's eyes, He Yan was righteous, forthright, confident and generous. But in his eyes, He Yan was a person who could eat, sleep, talk nonsense, and was also a person who was greedy and stingy... He Yan was probably the most contradictory woman he had ever met in his life. She was a pitiful person who hid in the darkness and didn't want others to discover her true heart. In the army, she never looked back and always strode forward. With her, the morale of the army was stable... But, He Yan was not a person who never looked back. For the past, she had longer attachment and affection than other people. Especially those good and precious memories, she carefully kept them and never neglected them... She seemed to be free and easy, but she was especially afraid of loss."— Xiao Jue describing He Yan, Chapter 270

How Xiao Jue described He Yan was the most accurate. He Yan was righteous, she was the type of person who would save anyone who needed help. She was the type who never thought twice when it came to helping people, even if it meant risking her life. He Yan was generous in a way that she never hesitated to share the good things that she had to other people, even her rewards were shared and given to people in need. Hence, she was taken advantage of by her own family in her first life. She also treated everyone with respect and believed that everyone deserved to have a second chance in life, especially the women. He Yan was a good person, in her first life and more so in her second life.

In terms of personality, He Yan was a bubbly, friendly, and likeable person. She was able to be friends with all kinds of people, even those who didn't like her at first. But, she was no pushover, especially now in her second life. With the lessons in her first life, she now knew how the world worked. No one would save you, but yourself so you needed to stand up for yourself first. She had this confidence that made others look upon her more carefully, but at the same time, she knew when and where to accept her weaknesses. Her weaknesses never hindered her and instead made her increase her efforts in improving herself.

However, like what Xiao Jue said, He Yan always hid what was in her heart. She was like this in her first life, considering the things that happened, she was even more guarded in this life. Yes, she was friendly, but she always interacted with them at arm's length. She never really showed people what she truly felt and went with the flow most of the time, with the exception of Xiao Jue. She rarely lost her patience to others and most of the time didn't really care beyond the surface level, especially if they didn't really matter that much to her life or to her path of revenge. The reason for this was because she cared deeply for her people. Once you become one of her people, she will treasure you forever. She truly was contradictory.

She was most afraid of loss. This was true. She lost everything in her first life. In her second life, she tried her best to treasure and keep everything precious to her. She rarely cried. No matter how many wounds she got from the training and war, she never once cried for herself. But, she cried for her people. She cried upon knowing that she lost her beloved subordinates in her past life. She cried and nearly went insane when she thought she lost Xiao Jue. She cried so hard when she lost her master. She never cried for her own sufferings, but she cried her heart out for the people she loved. She was this type of person.

I admire He Yan for her perseverance and determination, whether in her first life or second life. I love that she always gave her best, especially for the country and for the people. I also love the fact that she was not O.P., she literally worked hard to achieve everything. She was the personification of "hardwork pays off". And what I love the most about He Yan was her heart for the people. She was a good person, a good general, a good friend, a good lover, and a good daughter/sister. She was the best and she truly deserved only the best (Xiao Jue) in this life.

"The young man who led three thousand people out of the city alone at night had finally become the frightening General Fengyun in the eyes of the world."

General Fengyun, Xiao Jue (courtesy name: Xiao Huaijin), was the infamous Jade-faced general in Great Wei. He was the second son of the Xiao Family. People feared his name. He was famous for being cold and ruthless, not only to his subordinates but also to his family, but was he really? His father was a renowned general who died in a tragic war. His mother took her own life right after because of grief. But, even before a week passed, Xiao Jue asked for the army to go to war against the Southern Barbarians. He won all his succeeding wars and from then on, he got the title of being a young ruthless killer. He was only 16.

People only knew him for being so ruthless, but they did not really care about how he became so. They criticized him for being selfish for asking for an army right after his parents' deaths. But, what did they know? People had no right to criticize him for how he grieved his parents. He chose to bear the responsibility of the Xiao Family Army at such a young age, it was like a thankless job. He saved Great Wei from enemies times and times again, and yet he still got the reputation of being ruthless. If he was not ruthless enough to his enemies, would he have won? Xiao Jue remained calm and indifferent in the eyes of the world. He did not care about irrelevant things like this. Only he knew the sufferings he had to go through to be in his position.

He Yan always described him as a genius who never needed to lift his hand to know everything. But, that was before she knew how he became as such. Xiao Jue was naturally gifted and talented. As his older brother was not learned in martial arts, his father made it upon him to learn martial arts. At a very young age, he was forced to live in the mountains with his masters. People often forget that he was just a child then. He was forced to bear all of these trainings and practices because his father wanted to. When he got back to the capital and to his home, his temperament became so calm and indifferent that his own mother didn't even know how to interact with him. He was just 14 then. He was left alone in the mountains and when he came back, he still felt alone at his own home. Even then, he chose his family. When his parents died, he chose to fight for his family's rights despite the danger. He literally risked his own life.

Xiao Jue was very much like He Yan in a sense that he also kept everything in his heart. He only said something to his parents once and yet those angry words were the last words his parents got to hear. How bad he would have felt. People only saw what was on the surface so he was criticized. But, Xiao Jue was deep. He went ahead with what his father wanted because that was his father. As a child, you only wanted to please your parents. He never wanted sweets, but his mother always made him osmanthus candies so he ate them silently. His mother was afraid of the thunder when it rained so he always made sure to accompany her. He loved his parents in silence. It was because of this love that he braved through every obstacle and criticism that came his way. Xiao Jue was this kind of person.

Xiao Jue was a misunderstood "villain" in a sense, but he didn't care. I admire him for his patience in dealing with every person that would throw insults and criticisms at him. I admire how he loved deeply and silently. He never really asked for anything in return. He accepted his responsibilities as they were. Like He Yan said, "this person wasn't as heartless as he made himself out to be."

"The person holding the sword should know where the tip of the sword is pointed. Whether it is pointed at the enemy in front of him or the weak behind him. You shouldn't point your sword at the weak." — Xiao Jue using He Yan as He Rufei's words (He Yan's first life)

In terms of being a general, He Yan and Xiao Jue were the same kind of people. They would never point their swords at the weak. They both had the heart for the people which made them one of a kind. They both had compassion for the weak. I truly admire the kind of generals they were. It is one thing to be strong and fight, but it is another thing to never forget who you are actually fighting for.

He Yan always teased that Xiao Jue must have liked her even in her first life where she was a "boy" — implying that Xiao Jue might be gay. Xiao Jue had helped her a lot in her first life, all of which without her knowing. Little did she know that Xiao Jue saw his past self in He Rufei (He Yan 1.0) — hardworking, persistent, and had the heart of compassion for the weak. The only difference was He Yan was more naive and more determined because she hadn't seen the world yet whereas Xiao Jue was trained at a young age.

He helped her because he knew how difficult it was to be fighting and surviving alone. He helped her in a way that he could have been helped too, but he never got any help from others. He knew how it was and so he helped without asking for anything in return. He never even managed to tell her that it was him all alone. This was the kind of people Xiao Jue and He Yan were. They were truly the best.

Their love story — it was cut short in He Yan's first life, but thankfully, God had been merciful to both of them that they met each other again.

"She fell first, he fell harder."

This is their trope.

He Yan as He Rufei already admired Xiao Jue, it might not have been developed romantically because it was cut short, but she truly admired him a lot to the point that she knew his likes and dislikes.

In Chapter 118, it said, "He Yan also saw herself (in the painting). The masked girl sat in the corner. Amidst the laughter and chatter, she seemed to have been forgotten. Her head was slightly tilted, as if she was following something. As far as her eyes could see, there was a white-robed youth sitting in the middle, casually drinking with his head lowered."He Yan was already looking at him even before Xiao Jue finally looked at her. I think even before she knew that it was love, she already secretly loved him. But, fate was cruel to her, she got married to someone else and then died. Thankfully, God was still fair to both of them and He Yan was reborn.

He Yan always praised and also never denied Xiao Jue's beauty, both in her previous and second life. He was handsome and no one could compare. One funny anecdote was when He Yan pretended to be Xiao Jue's nephew, Cheng Lisu, and they encountered a disgusting pair of father and son. In Chapter 91, it mentioned, "He Yan didn't think she was a superficial person who judged people by their appearance. When she saw this person, she couldn't help, but look away. Then, she looked at Xiao Jue's face and Xiao Jue's waist. She suddenly felt much more comfortable. This was what it meant to be beautiful."If Xiao Jue's fans would be ranked, He Yan would definitely be the top.

He Yan always mocked and criticized Xiao Jue in her mind for being a pampered general e.g., he ate more delicious food than her, his bed was most likely softer than hers, he could take a bath in his own room whereas she couldn't. He Yan was actually funny because of course, Xiao Jue would be entitled to this because he was the general, she was just a new recruit. Although, she also compared her past general life to Xiao Jue's current, and then mocked Xiao Jue for being pampered again. Majority of the first half was He Yan complaining about Xiao Jue in her mind and it was hilarious because Xiao Jue didn't know a thing about it.

All of these little complains told a lot about her heart. How would she know about Xiao Jue's preferences and taste if she didn't pay attention to him? (1) Whenever Xiao Jue was not in a good mood, she would give him a candy because she remembered that when they were classmates, he always had this sachet of osmanthus candies that he always carried around. Hence, she always believed that Xiao Jue must have liked sweets. (2) She knew that Xiao Jue disliked getting dirty, but it was so particular in her that even the person himself didn't think so. When Xiao Jue came to rescue her in the wolf scene, he extended his hand to her so he could help her. He Yan didn't take his hand immediately because she thought that he disliked getting dirty, but she was so dirty from her fight. She didn't want to sully him. But, did Xiao Jue really care about how she looked then? No, I don't think so. Xiao Jue didn't care so seeing that He Yan wasn't taking his hand, he held her himself. (3) He Yan knew that he disliked the cold. In Chapter 106, He Yan thought to herself, "He seemed to be afraid of the cold. When the weather turned cold, he would always wear brocade clothes and a fox fur coat. However, this room was cold and not as warm as it used to be."

It has always been the littlest of things that tells a lot about a person. He Yan knew all these little things about Xiao Jue, not only telling a lot about Xiao Jue, but also about her.

He Yan knew all of these, but she never thought that she liked him all along, even though everybody else already saw right through her. In Chapter 128, when Xiao Jue asked her if she liked him, she couldn't answer right away and even dug her fingertips in her palms, "The pain cleared her mind for a moment, so that she wouldn't say something shocking."What shocking thing would it be, He Yan? It was just a simple yes or no question. Do you like him?

The moment when He Yan finally acknowledged her feelings for Xiao Jue was when he gave her the Purple Jade Whip. In Chapter 136, "He looked at the people below the platform, or perhaps he was just looking at He Yan. He smiled and said, "I got it." He Yan looked at him in a daze. For a moment, she could hear the sound of her own heartbeat. It was so loud that it was difficult to ignore."It was difficult to ignore also implied that she couldn't deny it anymore, she liked Xiao Jue.

I really like this line signifying that she finally understood her heart, "The wind does not move the flag, but it moves the heart and the ears."She did not understand this line when she was studying. But, upon this moment, looking at Xiao Jue, she finally understood, "It was not the wind, it was not the flag, it was the heart."

"One last secret. I like the moon. The moon doesn't know." — He Yan's secret confession, Chapter 137

You might think that because He Yan finally knew her heart, she would confess to Xiao Jue, considering that she was bold and confident. The thing is He Yan was confident in all other matters but love. This was because she never really knew what love entailed. She was not someone who experienced being taken care of, much more being loved. How could she be confident in something she never really experienced before?

In Chapter 138, Xiao Jue told her, "If you like it, then buy it. In this world, it's too boring if you don't fight for it because you're afraid of losing it. Lady He, we're in Jiyang. You can do whatever you want today. You don't have to worry about it. You are exactly how you were before this. You can tell me what you like or hate. You don't have to wrong yourself, and you don't have to lie to everyone." He Yan had always lived her first life doing everything for others that she forgot that she could actually do whatever she wanted for herself, not for anybody else. In the next chapters, Xiao Jue would always remind her of this, that she should do whatever she wanted and she should never lie to herself.

He Yan didn't dare. She never dared to confess. When her master, Liu Buwang, asked her if she liked Xiao Jue, she said in Chapter 148, "Master, look at the moon in the sky. It can shine in the backyard of the rich and the ditch in the wilderness. But, you can't catch it, right? I can't catch the moon, nor can I make the moon come for me, so I can just stand here and look at it from afar."She basically said that even though she liked him, she couldn't catch him and so she would just watch him from afar. Like I said, He Yan was never confident when it came to matters of her own heart.

He Yan didn't even dare to think that Xiao Jue could actually like her. As she said, she couldn't make the moon come to her. She never thought about it. In Chapter 167, when she and Xiao Jue had a fight, Lin Shuanghe told her that maybe Xiao Jue was jealous of her closeness to the second male lead. She immediately asked him if he was sick. Silly He Yan. Lin Shuanghe even thought to himself, "This girl looked as bright and cheerful as a little sun, but why did she have such low self-esteem? It was as if she had never been treated by anyone. She didn't even want to believe that she was favored in the slightest."He Yan might be cheerful on the outside, but she was so used to not being favored that she never knew how it was supposed to feel.

This was how He Yan fell in love with Xiao Jue first and secretly kept everything in her heart.

On the other hand, for Xiao Jue, it was gradual. He was suspicious of her first. The more he found out something about her, the more he got confused. This confusion led him to understanding He Yan more — her hardwork, her struggles, and even the emotions she wanted to keep in her heart.

At first, Xiao Jue believed in her capabilities, he knew how hard she worked. Once, he saw her practicing the crossbow, he might have said sarcastic words, but he still let her practice every night and never once did he disturb her again. He left the crossbows for her to practice without anyone knowing. He was suspicious of her identity and did everything to test her, but never once did he try to endanger her life. He was this kind of person.

Most probably at first, what he felt for her was just a general to his soldier, it never changed even before and after he knew she was a woman. But, even so, he was gentle to her. (1) When he thought she would be sad because the second male lead didn't come, although she was really sad about her comrades Even if he disliked the second male lead a lot, he still went to accompany her to comfort her. (2) When they were pretending as husband and wife, upon knowing that she was in her monthly period, he made sure that she was comfortable in every way and compromised to her. He entered the contest to gift her the Purple Jade Whip. He was very attentive when it came to food that she took. It is uncommon to know that cold drinks are not suitable when you are on your period, especially from men. But, Xiao Jue asked for a hot drink instead when He Yan was offered a cold drink. (3) I think one of the things that I love about Xiao Jue that showed his care was he always remembered everything that He Yan said. She casually mentioned that it would be her birthday, he remembered it and even cooked noodles for her. (4) Xiao Jue was also sensitive when it came to her emotions, just like He Yan to his. He immediately knew when He Yan was not in the mood. And he always asked her what happened.

As I mentioned above, it is always the little things that pile up in your heart until it overflows.

When Xiao Jue finally knew the truth about He Yan in Chapter 215, his heart ached so much upon remembering everything that He Yan in her first life went through and the words she said to him. "Sometimes, after being someone's substitute for so long, it's hard to avoid forgetting who you are. Commander, you must remember my name. My name is He Yan."

"When I was He Rufei in Xianchang Hall, you took care of me a lot. You helped me apply medicine and taught me swordmanship. In this life, when I was He Yan, you always protected me. You always appeared when I was in danger. Xiao Jue, I used to like you, and now, I like you even more." — He Yan's confession

He Yan knew what kind of person Xiao Jue was, he clearly didn't like people lying to him. And He Yan lied to him in both lifetimes even if she didn't really want to. So, she thought what it was over. It was actually sad because He Yan still didn't think that she meant a lot to Xiao Jue now — this showed how deep her trauma was. She didn't even think that his love might forgive her lies. She didn't even wrong anyone, she was the one wronged. But, even then, she thought that she didn't deserve Xiao Jue. In Chapter 216, she thought to herself, "She liked this person so much, and had experienced so much with this person. Xiao Jue had given her warmth and treasures she never experienced before. She thought she had caught the moon, but in reality, she had only caught the reflection of the moon under the water." She thought she only dreamed of actually catching her moon, when in reality, the moon was already hers to begin with.

Xiao clearly announced to the whole world that she was the person in his heart. In Chapter 201, he asked her, "Do you like the moon?" "I like it." "Now, the moon is yours."

The moon was hers from then on, but He Yan thought that her lies ruined everything. However, what kind of a person was Xiao Jue? "Under the seemingly cold black robe, there was an incomparably warm embrace. As the most valiant general, he had the softest heart."

He only stated that she lied to him as a fact and asked her if she also lied when she told him she liked him. When she confessed to him, he never once blamed her and said sorry instead. "I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you at first sight."

He was angrier at himself for failing to recognize her the moment he saw her. He even found her suspicious. At that very moment, he had a lot of regrets. This time around, he vowed, "I missed you twice. This time, I won't miss you again." Xiao Jue, the man that you are.

This is their their love story — one that is filled with deep understanding of one another. And throughout the whole novel, you would see how their relationship developed so deeply. I love it so much.

Some might feel that Xiao Jue might have liked He Yan more because he accepted her whole being — her past and current lives. For Xiao Jue, she was just He Yan. But, I beg to disagree. He Yan loved him just as deeply as him.

I mentioned above that He Yan rarely cried for herself, but the very first instance she cried in this novel was when she thought she lost Xiao Jue.

"That person... That person who pulled her out of a desperate situation, the person who remembered her birthday, made her longevity noodles, took her to see the fireflies, the person who laughed at her and indulged her in the spring, how could he disappear here?... There weren't many people who were good to her. The one who was the best to her must not die."

Among all the people in her life, she considered Xiao Jue as the person who treated her the best. It's to the point that she couldn't even fathom the fact that he could actually die in front of her.

"She was a little confused, so confused that she couldn't tell what the uncontrollable sadness in her heart was. The feeling was like the day she suddenly became blind. It was like the day she was pressed into the water by He Wanru's people. She was about to lose something very important. It was so sad."

She nearly lost her mind by the amount of carnage she lost while coming to the area she last saw Xiao Jue. She literally killed every enemy soldier who blocked her. If her love wasn't deep, that I don't know what would be.

"The next moment, the girl suddenly rushed over and threw herself into his arms. Her hands tightly wrapped around his waist and she buried her face in his chest...

He Yan stared at him in a daze. This person was standing in front of her, alive and well. He was alive and well. He was right in front of her..

Tears suddenly fell from her eyes."

he didnt fell inlove instantlyz too!