Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

Although Jin An had responded that way, Li Shuang knew her own body best.

Lu Xin couldn't help but say from the side, "General, you need to take care of your health." She left the rest unsaid, but Li Shuang understood her meaning—every time she was injured, the military doctors would say something similar after taking her pulse.

But military operations were inherently straightforward, especially during campaigns outside. Anything could happen on the road. If there was an icy river ahead, the entire army would have to wade through it. As a general, could she let others carry her across just because she was a woman? How could she command troops like that?

Li Shuang nodded, giving a perfunctory acknowledgment. Lu Xin opened her mouth but ultimately didn't voice her final thoughts, only saying, "If you're still in pain tomorrow, I'll come back to administer acupuncture."

"Mmm."

"You'll still be in pain tomorrow?" Jin An's brows furrowed tightly.

Li Shuang ruffled his hair. "She means just in case. Usually, it doesn't hurt. If it does, Miss Lu will definitely be able to treat it." Her tone was one used to placate a child, and Jin An recognized it, but he couldn't argue back.

"Alright, it's getting late. I need to change and head to the city governor's banquet. You two can leave now."

Lu Xin complied and obediently withdrew. Jin An followed her out, where Ji Ran was still waiting outside. Lu Xin had intended to exchange a few words with him, but Jin An suddenly grabbed her sleeve and pulled her aside without explanation.

"Miss Lu."

"Uh..." Being addressed so formally by a child made Lu Xin a little uncomfortable. "Oh, you can call me sister—"

"What does the General need to be careful about for her health? How should she recuperate?"

What a forceful child... Lu Xin found herself answering automatically, "Nothing too special. Just keep warm, avoid letting cold air enter her body, don't eat cold foods, avoid icy water, and don't stay up late..."

Jin An memorized each point. "Anything else?"

"Not really." Lu Xin paused. "You care a lot about the General, little one."

"Yes, I like her."

"..."

Just as Lu Xin was left speechless, Ji Ran approached. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing much, Brother Ji. The kids in your Changfeng Battalion really adore the General..." As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to look—only to find Jin An, who had been standing right in front of her moments ago, had already disappeared somewhere.

Ji Ran nodded. "That kid Jin An? The General picked him up. He's pretty attached to her." He turned to Lu Xin. "Are you done with the General's business? Should I walk you back?"

"Thank you, Brother Ji." Lu Xin walked with him for a while. "Actually, I think I left some soup simmering before I left today. If you don't mind—"

"There's a banquet at the city governor's residence tonight. I'm accompanying the General."

"Oh..."

By evening, heavy snow had begun to fall again, and the roads of Lucheng were soon covered in a thick layer. Yet the snow couldn't dampen the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

Li Shuang led the Changfeng Battalion's officers to attend. Amid the feasting and drinking, civil and military officials conversed cheerfully in front of the Crown Prince, and Li Shuang wore a polite smile on her face.

Yet even as she drank, she was thinking about when this banquet would finally end.

There were many reasons why Li Shuang had left the capital and never returned, choosing instead to remain deep in the northern wilderness. The simplest one, perhaps, was that she wanted to escape these tedious social obligations.As the banquet neared its end, the Crown Prince raised his cup to praise the border troops, offering a toast and boosting morale for the future. Everyone returned to their seats, engaging in casual conversation. Li Shuang could no longer bear to stay and found an excuse to slip away, with Qin Lan covering for her, as she retreated to the garden for some fresh air.

Snowflakes swirled in the sky. After walking a few steps, Li Shuang suddenly noticed a paper fan shielding her from the snow above. For a fleeting moment, the face of the black-armored man flashed through her mind. But when she glanced to the side, it was Sima Yang’s faintly smiling face that met her gaze.

"I knew you couldn’t stand it and would run off eventually. I didn’t expect you to endure it for so long today."

Li Shuang took a step back and bowed in greeting. "Your Highness—"

Sima Yang grabbed her arm, stopping her mid-bow. "Shuang’er…" he sighed. "Must you be so deliberately distant with me?"

His palm was cool in the northern snow. Li Shuang lowered her head without answering.

"Three years ago, you requested to be stationed at the border. I thought you’d stay at most a year, earn some military merit, and then return to the capital. Who would’ve thought you’d be so stubborn—not once returning to the capital in three years. Even if you were angry with me, you’ve held onto it long enough."

"Your subject is unworthy," Li Shuang finally replied, stepping back and kneeling on one knee in a soldier’s salute. "Your subject dares not harbor any resentment toward Your Highness." Her voice was calm and composed. "For three years, I have guarded the border out of deep affection for its scenery, its people, and the city. It is my honor to defend the frontier for the Great Jin and His Majesty. I take pride in this duty. There has never been any other motive."

Sima Yang gazed at Li Shuang in her subordinate’s posture and fell silent for a moment. "Affection for the border city, affection for its people… Li Shuang, does that mean you no longer have any affection for me?"

The snow fell softly, quickly muffling Sima Yang’s voice.

Li Shuang remained kneeling, answering coolly, "Between Your Highness and this subject, there is only the bond of ruler and subject. I am grateful for Your Highness’s grace and will never forget it, even in death."

"Shuang’er." Sima Yang bent down, gripping her arm and gently pulling to lift her up. "When I heard the Western Rong army was pressing in and the Changfeng Battalion was in peril, I rushed here in desperation over thousands of miles—not for this bond of ruler and subject."

Li Shuang’s lashes trembled slightly.

Sima Yang understood her well. He knew exactly what to say to soften her heart. But…

Suddenly, a glint of cold light flashed at the corner of Li Shuang’s eye. Her heart tightened. "Your Highness, be careful!" she hissed. In an instant, she yanked Sima Yang behind her, sweeping her foot across the ground to kick up a veil of snow, obscuring the attacker’s vision.

Yet the assailant’s sword pierced through the snowy mist, driving straight toward Sima Yang behind Li Shuang.

Li Shuang pivoted, exchanging two moves with the attacker, but she couldn’t halt their advance—her skills were far inferior. The next strike would be unstoppable. Without hesitation, Li Shuang stepped in front of Sima Yang, shielding him with her own body!

The attacker’s sword abruptly halted. Just before it could pierce Li Shuang’s chest, the blade twisted and was flung violently to the side.

With a thud, the sword embedded itself into a stone pillar of a nearby pavilion, sinking in over three inches—a testament to the sheer force behind it.The exchange between Li Shuang and the man had been so swift that the snow mist in the air hadn't fully settled to the ground. Now, as the close combat ended and the snow mist dissipated, Li Shuang finally saw the person clearly and frowned. "It's you?"

It was actually the mysterious black-armored man. He... wanted to kill the Crown Prince?

"Why are you protecting him?" The black-armored man's voice carried a chill and anger that surpassed Li Shuang's.

The question caught Li Shuang off guard. She glanced back at Sima Yang, who was equally confused, his brow slightly furrowed as he stared at the black-armored man before them.

Sima Yang had heard many tales of this mysterious black-masked warrior who single-handedly repelled the Western Rong army. He recognized him instantly, but why was he speaking to Li Shuang like this?

Yet Li Shuang seemed accustomed to it. Were these two... familiar?

He had thought no one in the northern frontier was close to this enigmatic black-masked figure. But apparently, Li Shuang...

"Why are you attacking the Crown Prince of Great Jin? Do you know what crime this is?" Li Shuang was both anxious and furious. How could this grown man in black armor be as reckless as that child Jin An?

Thankfully, she was present and barely managed to shield Sima Yang. If she hadn't been here, given Sima Yang's lack of martial prowess, he might have been killed on the spot. Then this man would have gone from being Great Jin's savior to its greatest criminal...

Though... perhaps becoming Great Jin's criminal meant nothing to him. After all, he had effortlessly slain three of Western Rong's top generals...

It seemed there was nothing he wouldn't do if it pleased him.

"I don't care," Jin An said, his crimson eyes behind the black mask reflecting only the snow and her. "All I know is he tried to harm you. I won't allow anyone to hurt you."

Li Shuang's heart skipped a beat.

Behind her, Sima Yang narrowed his eyes slightly.

Li Shuang sighed. "He didn't harm me."

Hearing her defend him and seeing her still standing protectively in front of Sima Yang, Jin An's clear eyes flickered with hurt. "Do you love him?"

Li Shuang was taken aback, unsure why his thoughts always leaped so unpredictably. "I—"

Sima Yang interrupted her. "Are you the warrior who single-handedly defeated the Western Rong army?"

Jin An ignored him entirely, repeating his question to Li Shuang. "Do you love him?"

"I am his subject, and he is my lord. It is my duty to protect him."

"If I kill him, you'll grieve, won't you? If I kill him, you'll hate me, won't you?"

Under Sima Yang's gaze, Li Shuang struggled to find an answer that would satisfy everyone. This mysterious man was as simple-minded as a child—his world was black and white. How could she explain the tangled web of political interests and unresolved emotions behind her actions? And there was no time for such explanations now.

The guards outside the garden had already mobilized upon hearing the commotion, surrounding the area in layers.

Jin An kept his eyes fixed on Li Shuang, who could only whisper, "Go. Now."

His gaze darkened. Though his heart wasn't torn with agony this time, it felt unbearably heavy, as if suffocating him.

He felt wronged.The guards outside the garden drew their bows and fired three arrows in his direction. The arrows came with fierce momentum, yet not a single one struck him. He didn’t even flinch as one landed by his feet. He merely picked it up, his gaze sweeping coldly toward the source of the arrows.

Li Shuang, who had witnessed his skills firsthand, immediately called out, "Stop..."

Jin An glanced at her, then loosened his grip and dropped the arrow. In the next moment, his figure blurred as he stirred up a flurry of snow and vanished without a trace.

Li Shuang watched the direction he had disappeared in but gave no order to pursue. Sima Yang did the same.

Only when a guard approached to ask for Sima Yang’s instructions did he wave a hand dismissively. "You won’t catch up." He turned to look at Li Shuang, but she never once glanced back at him.