Despite her rational mind telling her otherwise, Lixi found herself sharing the bed with Jinan the next morning. He held her in his arms possessively, as if protecting his most treasured possession.
As Lixi stirred, Jinan tightened his embrace. Resigned, she allowed him to hold her. Glancing outside, she saw the dawn sky painted red, yet Jinan hadn’t transformed into a child. Wu Yin’s words proved true—Jinan’s proximity to her, especially such close contact, indeed affected his transformation timing.
She wondered if to help Jinan return to normal, they truly needed to…
“You’re awake,” Jinan’s low, husky voice whispered near her ear. His breath, warm and slightly moist, tickled her ear, creating an unexpectedly intimate atmosphere that made Lixi blush.
She quickly freed herself from his embrace, sitting up and rubbing her ear as if to erase the lingering warmth of his breath. Avoiding questions about how they ended up sleeping together, Lixi cleared her throat. “I need to leave briefly to give instructions to the troops at the foot of the mountain.”
As she reached the door, she glanced back to find Jinan had transformed into a child, his clothes now oversized and draped over him like a blanket. The child’s gaze fixed on her, prompting Lixi to pause. “I’ll be back in half an hour at most. Don’t just wait around; find something to do.”
“Okay,” he replied, allowing Lixi to leave with peace of mind.
After borrowing writing materials from Wu Yin, Lixi had barely finished half of her troop withdrawal plan when a visitor arrived from the foot of the mountain.
“General,” the newcomer greeted.
Lixi was surprised to see him. “Qin Lan? Why are you here instead of at Changfeng Camp? What about the Western Rong…”
Qin Lan looked at Lixi silently for a moment before lowering his gaze. “There’s indeed a matter concerning the Western Rong,” he said gravely.
Lixi’s expression turned serious as Qin Lan continued, “The Western Rong king died suddenly last month. Instead of the crown prince ascending the throne, the king’s brother, the Duke of Shugan, has become the new emperor. The Western Rong has undergone a significant change.”
Lixi was stunned. She knew the situation in the Western Rong court well. The queen, known for her fierce personality, had prevented other women from bearing the king’s children. She had only given birth to two sons—the eldest was simple-minded and unfit to rule, while the younger was too young to take the throne. The king’s brothers had been eyeing the throne for years, leading to constant power struggles within the court.
Now, with the king’s sudden death and the young prince bypassed, the king’s third brother had become the new emperor. The details of what transpired were known only to those directly involved.
“How does this new Western Rong emperor view our Great Jin?” Lixi asked.
“The new King Daiqi, formerly the Duke of Shugan, seems less bellicose than his predecessor…”
A sharp crack interrupted their conversation. Lixi and Qin Lan turned to see young Jinan standing in the doorway, a shattered cup at his feet.
He appeared dazed, his gaze unfocused—a rare occurrence when Lixi was present. After a moment, his eyes regained focus, fixating on Qin Lan.
Jinan remained silent, his expression odd. Lixi, puzzled, called out, “Jinan?” Her voice seemed to bring him back to reality. “Why are you here?” she asked.
“You said to do what I wanted…” he replied, his demeanor more absent than usual. Lixi understood without him finishing—she had told him to do as he pleased, and what he wanted most was to be by her side.
Lixi felt a mix of exasperation and a subtle sweetness at being so depended upon.
Qin Lan, noticing Jinan, raised an eyebrow. “General, this child…”
“It’s a long story,” Lixi said, brushing off the topic. “Let’s focus on why you’re here. Has the new Western Rong king made any moves?”
“The new King Daiqi has sent envoys to the capital, expressing willingness to sign a ten-year armistice with Great Jin. However, the envoys insist on meeting with you, General.”
“They must see me?” Lixi was puzzled. If the envoys were already in the capital, couldn’t they settle the armistice with Sima Yang? Why did they need to see her?
While Lixi pondered this, Jinan unexpectedly spoke up, asking Qin Lan, “Say that again—what’s the new Western Rong king’s name?”
Qin Lan, finding the child’s behavior stranger than before but unable to pinpoint why, answered, “Formerly the Duke of Shugan, Daiqi, the late king’s third brother.”
Jinan fell silent, staring blankly ahead.
Noticing his odd behavior, Lixi crouched down, gently gripping his shoulders to bring his attention back to her. “What’s wrong? Do you know Duke Shugan Daiqi?”
After a long moment, Jinan’s gaze returned to Lixi’s face. “No, I don’t know him.”
With Qin Lan still present, Lixi refrained from asking further questions. Just then, Wu Yin appeared at the door. “Ah here you are,” he said, gesturing to Jinan. “Come, let’s go check on your condition.”
Jinan left with Wu Yin, leaving Lixi frowning and Qin Lan standing in the room.
“General,” Qin Lan called, “I understand you came here to rescue that mysterious person. He’s not here, yet Jinan is. Why?”
Lixi shook her head, pushing aside her speculations. “Never mind that. When will the Western Rong envoys arrive in the capital?”
“I escorted them from the northern border to the capital, then came here on the emperor’s orders to bring you back. His Majesty places great importance on the armistice. General, you may need to depart immediately.”
Lixi glanced at the half-written paper on the table. She had planned to stay longer at the Five Spirits Sect, hoping to give Jinan more time to stabilize emotionally and possibly return to normal. Now, it seemed her time was even more limited than anticipated.
“We can’t leave today,” Lixi said. “The day after tomorrow. Have the main army return first. I’ll ride swiftly and catch up with them.”
Qin Lan remained silent for a while before asking, “General, is there something you’re waiting for… the mysterious person, perhaps?”
Lixi knew that two days wouldn’t be enough for Jinan to fully recover, regain his memories, or return to a normal state. But she also knew that once she returned to the capital, she would have to confront Jinan and explain that the palace walls would become an insurmountable barrier between them. He would have to either leave or remain outside those walls, guarding her from afar.
She couldn’t imagine how to tell Jinan this or what his expression would be. Perhaps it would be similar to when she had asked him to wait, and he had waited endlessly for her. Only this time, once she entered the palace, Jinan might never see her again.
“Yes,” Lixi replied. “Let’s wait two days. Just these two days.”
She hoped these two days would feel longer than any time before.