The fireworks over Lu City exploded in magnificent bursts, bringing color and warmth to the cold northern winter night.
Countless pedestrians lined the streets, faces turned skyward to watch the display, some laughing, some chattering. Yet in the middle of the street stood two figures, facing each other in silence.
Both wore masks that concealed their features, though they hardly stood out among the crowds of black-masked revelers attending the gathering.
As Li Shuang pondered how to respond to the man before her, several children came running wildly from behind. They crashed into her back—normally, she would never have allowed such a collision, but today her thoughts were entirely focused on the man before her. Before she could react, she felt a firm grip on her arm as she was pulled into an embrace.
This wasn’t the first time he had caught her off guard with an embrace, and Li Shuang found herself not resisting. Instead, she remained in his arms for a moment, only coming to her senses when his hold suddenly loosened. Her first thought upon regaining awareness was…
*Strange… why did he let go on his own?*
Looking up at Jin An, she saw his other hand had caught the child who had nearly crashed into her.
“Watch where you’re going,” he said coldly, his voice sharp with frost. The captured child froze, staring dumbly at the black-masked man with red eyes, seemingly on the verge of tears.
Seeing him so protective over a mere childish collision made Li Shuang uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and said, “It’s fine, let him go.”
He released his grip as requested, but the moment he did, the child’s lip quivered and they burst into loud wails, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
Li Shuang wasn’t particularly skilled at handling children and found herself growing embarrassed. As a great general, making a child cry in the street wasn’t exactly becoming of her position if she were to be recognized. Just as she was trying to think of a way to console the child, the black-masked man grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the noisy street without another word.
“Wait…” Li Shuang called from behind him, “The child is crying… we should comfort them first…”
Jin An’s steps faltered. “If they cry, you comfort them? Then if I cry, will you comfort me too?”
Though it should have been a sarcastic comment, he spoke with such earnestness that Li Shuang found herself at a loss for words. It was as if he might burst into tears at any moment if she said she would comfort him.
“Alright…” Li Shuang rubbed her forehead, realizing she didn’t know how to handle this man. She tried to pull her wrist free from his grip, but of course, to no avail. She could only let him lead her along as she asked, “What have you come for this time?”
“To let you understand me.”
As expected… that little Jin An had gone and leaked information again. Li Shuang sighed, “Understanding takes time.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“Why must it take time?”
“Because…” Li Shuang looked up, suddenly realizing that during their noisy journey, he had led her into a relatively quiet and deep alley.
Outside on the main street, fireworks continued to crackle and boom, their colors reflecting and shifting in his crimson eyes.
*His eyes are beautiful.* The thought crossed Li Shuang’s mind unbidden before she quickly suppressed it with her usual rationality. She took a deep breath and said, “A horse’s strength is known by the distance traveled, and a person’s heart is revealed through time. Understanding someone requires patience.”
“Time isn’t necessary.” Jin An turned, pressing close to Li Shuang in the narrow alley until she was backed against the wall. He took her hand and placed it over his heart. “You can know right now.” He leaned in closer, the atmosphere growing intimate. “This heart is full of only you.”
For a moment, Li Shuang found herself… blushing.
Amid falling snow, in a secluded corner of the bustling market, the warmth from his chest made her cheeks burn.
While she stood stunned, Jin An guided her hand up to his mask. “If you wish, you can understand me now.”
He released her hand, and as if possessed, Li Shuang found herself untying the mask’s strings behind his ears.
The mask fell with the snowflakes, sinking into the snow-covered ground with a soft sound that seemed to sink into Li Shuang’s heart as well.
The man before her had flame-like markings reaching to his eyes, yet rather than making him appear frightening, they added an exotic allure. His appearance was similar to what she had imagined, yet also quite different in many ways.
His nose bridge was higher, his eye corners sharper than she had pictured. But these features combined created a soul-stirring beauty.
Li Shuang found herself stunned by someone’s appearance for the first time.
And in his eyes, he reflected only her image.
“What else do you want to know about me?” he spoke, his expressions now clearer without the mask’s obstruction. Those bright eyes remained unwavering, their light steady and constant.
He guided her hand down from his cheek to rest upon his collar.
Li Shuang’s fingers tensed. Surely he wasn’t planning to have her remove his clothes here! How absurd! Although… what absurd thing wouldn’t he do!
She panicked and quickly withdrew her hand. “No, no, no… I don’t need to see anything else.” At least not here! What would people think?
Jin An seemed somewhat disappointed. “You don’t want to understand me anymore? Have you lost interest?”
That question… there was no good way to answer it…
Just then, a rapid burst of fireworks exploded outside the alley before falling silent, marking the end of the night’s display. Li Shuang cleared her throat and began making excuses to leave: “The fireworks are over, I should return to camp.”
Jin An’s eyes dimmed slightly like a puppy watching its owner leave, making Li Shuang’s heart clench. She told him, and herself: “I need to go.”
“…Alright,” Jin An replied with difficulty.
But just as Li Shuang was about to turn and leave, there came a whistling sound from outside as one final firework shot straight up into the cold night sky. The crowd gasped in amazement, and in that instant, Jin An grabbed Li Shuang’s wrist once more.
“There’s one last burst.”
He pulled her into his embrace, and Li Shuang barely registered his hurried whisper before feeling the warmth of his lips pressing against hers.
The massive firework exploded overhead, nearly illuminating the northern night into day. Its thunderous boom was deafening, and disorienting, and in this dizzying moment, Li Shuang received his passionate kiss.
As the firework’s light faded and darkness returned, the man disappeared just as he said he would when the display ended.
Li Shuang stood alone in the small alley, touching her slightly swollen lips, lost in thought.
He was a scoundrel, an emotional rogue, and somewhat frightening, but for some reason, Li Shuang found she wasn’t as angry as she had been the first time he kissed her.
She even…
“Hah…” Li Shuang let out a long breath, thinking perhaps she should write a letter home now, telling her father not to rush with marriage arrangements—she might as well have her wedding here in the borderlands.
Her body was betraying her, already beginning to stir with desire.
Finally calming herself, Li Shuang turned to leave the alley, but as she looked up, she suddenly spotted a disheveled man across the main street, licking a candied haw stick while staring at her.
However, after a carriage passed by, the man had vanished.
Li Shuang frowned. That man… had looked somewhat similar to the strange “spy” they had captured near Lu City’s walls. Could it be… was that him?
But that was impossible, wasn’t he locked up in Lu City’s prison…?
With suspicion in her heart, Li Shuang hurried back to Changfeng Camp. But before she could inquire about whether the man was still in the dungeon, Qin Lan came rushing to report: “General, the Crown Prince has already departed and is on his way to Lu City.”
Li Shuang froze, momentarily unable to process this information: “Who did you say?”
Qin Lan looked at Li Shuang, his expression falling slightly: “The Crown Prince is coming to Lu City to oversee the border defense.”
Li Shuang felt her thoughts scatter for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. “Oh.” She nodded, “Why would His Majesty send the Crown Prince here? How could someone of his noble status endure the bitter cold of the borderlands?”
Qin Lan paused briefly: “A few days ago, when the Western Rong army was pressing our borders, the urgent military situation was reported to court. The Crown Prince requested to join the battle before the entire court, asking to guard the northern border. Seeing his determination, His Majesty granted his request.”
“I see.” Li Shuang understood. The Emperor surely wanted the Crown Prince to gain experience at the border, and if he could establish military merit, all the better for his future reign. However…
“We didn’t expect the Western Rong to withdraw so quickly. The Crown Prince has already reached Liangzhou, and it’s only a two-day journey from there to Lu City.”
“Make proper arrangements,” Li Shuang commanded. “We must not slight the Crown Prince.”
Qin Lan accepted the order and bowed. He was about to withdraw but hesitated, finally looking up at Li Shuang: “General, you’ve been at the border for many years. Now that the Western Rong has withdrawn, perhaps this winter, you should return to the capital…”
Li Shuang smiled and waved her hand: “Don’t worry about me, Qin Lan. Once the Crown Prince arrives, you can focus on attending to him.”
Watching Li Shuang turn and leave, Qin Lan’s words caught in his throat, ultimately remaining unspoken.
Li Shuang returned to her main quarters, lit a candle, and sat in silence for a while.
The Crown Prince…
Li Shuang sighed.
How many years had it been since she’d seen him?