Seeing Jin An’s gaze, Li Shuang felt a mix of tenderness and bitterness. She gently stroked his head, remaining silent to avoid distressing him further with her hoarse voice.
The dungeon fell quiet. Wu Yin, observing from the side, noticed Jin An’s calm demeanor and cleared his throat. “General Li…” But as soon as he spoke, Jin An’s eyes snapped towards him, darkening instantly. The flame tattoo on his bare chest began to grow and spread towards his neck.
“Jin An,” Li Shuang called softly, just loud enough for him to hear. She turned his face back to her. “It’s alright.”
Her steady voice seemed to quell the chaos in Jin An’s eyes. After a moment, he reached out again, touching the wooden board on her neck in silence.
Wu Yin sighed. “It seems we can’t remove the chains yet.”
Simultaneously, Li Shuang demanded, “Give me the key.”
Wu Yin rubbed his brow. “I’ve heard you military types are bold… General Li, as I explained earlier, he is…” He paused, noting Jin An’s lack of reaction, then continued, “Even though you’re now the parasite’s master, his condition is uncertain. It’s best not to let your guard down.”
“I understand,” Li Shuang replied, her voice hoarse but resolute. “Give me the key and leave.”
Wu Yin raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Jin An, who was fixated on Li Shuang’s neck, gently stroking it repeatedly. He appeared harmless.
Deciding it might be beneficial for the master and host to be alone, allowing her presence to calm his agitation, Wu Yin placed the key on the ground. “I’ll be just outside, not far.” With that, he exited, locking the iron door.
Once Wu Yin left, Li Shuang removed Jin An’s hand and retrieved the key. As she moved, Jin An watched her intently, his chains preventing him from reaching out as if to support her head.
Returning, Li Shuang couldn’t help but smile at his gesture. “My head won’t fall off.”
She unlocked the restraints on his feet and neck, revealing a ring of festering skin around his neck where the chain had been.
Li Shuang frowned at the sight. Noticing her expression, Jin An withdrew his hand, covering his neck and averting his gaze, as if ashamed of his ugly wound.
“I’m dangerous,” Jin An said. “You should lock me up again…”
Ignoring his words, Li Shuang stood and turned away. Jin An watched her silently, wanting to speak but holding back. Her departure seemed right to him. For days, he had been unable to control himself, feeling like a fireball of rage and bloodlust. He had wanted to break free, kill everyone near him, and flee to a place—and person—that could calm his boiling blood.
Yet when he finally saw that person yesterday, he didn’t recognize her and hurt her instead. Jin An had lost all confidence in his self-control.
So Li Shuang should leave him, he thought. She shouldn’t see him in this hideous, frightening state…
“Bring me some medicine. His wounds need treatment,” Li Shuang’s voice came from the doorway. Jin An looked up, surprised, as she discussed the required medical supplies with Wu Yin outside.
Soon, Wu Yin opened the door to pass in clean water and ointment before locking it again.
Li Shuang returned to Jin An, instructing him to lift his chin as she gently cleaned and treated his neck wound. Her soldier’s hands, more accustomed to wielding weapons, were sometimes a bit rough, causing him to wince occasionally.
Jin An endured silently, the physical pain insignificant compared to his emotional turmoil.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked.
Li Shuang glanced at him. “Why should I be?”
“I hurt you.”
“You just lost control momentarily.”
“What if… I can’t control myself again?” Jin An’s agitation grew, causing the flame tattoo to spread once more.
“You’re fine now, aren’t you?” Li Shuang patted his head. “Why don’t you rest a bit?”
Her calmness soothed Jin An’s restlessness. When she patted her leg, he hesitantly lay down, resting his head on her lap.
“Sleep for a while,” Li Shuang said softly, leaning against the wall. “You must not have slept well last night. I need to rest too.”
Jin An carefully placed his head on her lap, afraid of hurting her. But Li Shuang’s hand gently stroked his head, her touch as soft and warm as a spring breeze, melting away his anxiety.
Surrounded by her scent, feeling her warmth, Jin An felt completely at ease. His head heavy on her lap, he slowly drifted off to sleep under her soothing touch.
As Li Shuang continued to caress him, she noticed his ankle wounds healing at an astonishing rate. She realized why she had never suspected they were the same person before. The adult Jin An who rescued her at night often had various injuries, but they would vanish when he became a child the next day. Such rapid healing was beyond imagination for ordinary people.
Li Shuang sighed, pondering the future. If Jin An couldn’t be separated from her, what would happen when she returned to court, surrendered her military power, and married the emperor? How could she provide for Jin An? And who was he before becoming a parasite-host? What was his true identity?
Amidst these questions, Li Shuang leaned against the wall, gradually growing drowsy. She reassured herself that the future wasn’t something to fear. She had come all this way to save his life, and now he lay safely in her arms. Whatever the future held, she had at least fulfilled her initial purpose.