As Qin Lan’s blade flashed toward Jin An, the latter remained motionless, gazing at Li Shuang as if willing to surrender his life. However, Wu Yin and Li Shuang sprang into action. Li Shuang deftly disarmed Qin Lan, while Wu Yin restrained him, pushing him back.
Undeterred, Qin Lan lunged forward again. Li Shuang thrust the confiscated sword into the ground before the bed, her expression icy and severe. “Kill me first, then him,” she declared.
Qin Lan froze, his eyes meeting Li Shuang’s. His pent-up emotions—anger, hatred, resentment, and jealousy—finally burst forth.
“General, have you truly considered your actions?” Qin Lan exploded. “You journeyed from the northern frontier, sacrificing so much to secure 50,000 troops from the Emperor. Have you forgotten the danger you and the Grand General faced years ago to escape the capital for the frontier? Now you offer yourself up for this man who repeatedly harms and endangers you! What good can come from protecting him?”
Li Shuang remained silent. Behind her, Jin An stared at the sunlight filtering through her body, seemingly lost in thought. Qin Lan’s angry words mingled with unfamiliar yet strangely familiar voices in his mind, as if struggling to emerge from the depths of his soul. Simultaneously, vivid images flooded his consciousness, clearer than yesterday’s vague recollections after hearing about the Western Rong.
No one noticed Jin An’s distant expression as Li Shuang and Wu Yin silently watched Qin Lan.
“You may protect him today, but what will happen when you return to the capital?” Qin Lan continued. “The Emperor won’t allow such a person to exist. Suspicion will arise, and as long as he lives, not only the Emperor but the entire court and harem will know that the Grand General’s daughter…”
Qin Lan abruptly stopped, unable to voice the painful conclusion: Li Shuang would marry the Emperor, and everyone would know of her quest to save this mysterious man.
“It’s precisely because I’ve invested so much that I must keep him alive,” Li Shuang replied hoarsely, her gaze and words resolute.
Qin Lan’s anger dissolved into futility. Li Shuang had always known her actions were reckless, yet her father had indulged her this one time. Despite the potential consequences, she wouldn’t regret her choice.
“General… have you considered the future?” Qin Lan asked, his voice raw with defeat.
Li Shuang had indeed contemplated Jin An’s future with concern, but her own seemed inconsequential now. She had made her choice with clear understanding.
“I have a plan,” she stated simply.
Qin Lan, unable to argue further, lowered his gaze. “If the General has decided, then so be it,” he conceded before leaving.
In the ensuing silence, Wu Yin sighed. “You nobles certainly complicate matters,” he remarked, his usual smile tinged with gravity. “General, do you truly have a plan for the future?”
Wu Yin’s concern centered on Jin An, the Jade Silkworm Gu being a treasured secret of the Five Spirits Gate. Though he had agreed to let Jin An leave with Li Shuang, he had also promised protection and retrieval of the Gu if Jin An died.
Li Shuang turned to Jin An, who sat silently on the bed, bathed in morning light. Surprisingly, he hadn’t reverted to his child form. She grasped his wrist, noting his body no longer burned with its usual heat.
“You mentioned earlier that Jin An now resembles the previous Gu people?” Li Shuang asked Wu Yin.
Wu Yin nodded. “Indeed. He bears the mark on his chest, appears normal otherwise, and doesn’t change size. The flame pattern no longer covers his body.”
Li Shuang wondered if this meant Jin An had fully merged with the Gu. His gaze, though clear, seemed distant, as if looking through her.
Fearing he might dwell on Qin Lan’s words, she reassured him, “I came for you, but it wasn’t as complicated as Qin Lan suggests.” She paused. “I must return to the capital tomorrow. I had planned to tell you yesterday but couldn’t. Will you come with me?” She glanced at Wu Yin. “You can’t be far from me for now, but once we’re back, I… may not be able to stay by your side as I do now.”
Jin An’s gaze sharpened at her words, focusing entirely on Li Shuang.
“I’ll likely enter the palace in a few months,” she continued, her grip on his wrist tightening. “You’ll stay at the General’s mansion. My father and Li Xing will make arrangements.” She struggled to continue, finally meeting his eyes. “At least if your body no longer changes, that’s a good thing. You can teach Li Xing martial arts daily, or travel freely if you wish.”
“What about you?” Jin An asked. “Will you be with me?”