Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

Li Shuang noticed Jin An's gaze, and the tenderness in her heart was tinged with a hint of bitterness. She gently patted his head but remained silent, afraid her hoarse voice might deepen his sorrow.

The cell fell into silence. Wu Yin stood nearby, observing for a while. Seeing Jin An calm, he cleared his throat lightly. "General Li..." Yet the moment he spoke, Jin An abruptly turned his gaze toward him.

The instant his eyes left Li Shuang, they grew dark and ominous. The flame-like patterns on his bare chest slowly expanded, burning and creeping up his neck.

"Jin An," Li Shuang called his name softly, her voice barely above a whisper but enough for him to hear. She turned his face back, forcing him to look at her. "It's alright."

The chaos in Jin An's eyes seemed to settle under the steadiness of her voice. After a pause, he raised his hand again, silently touching the wooden board around Li Shuang's neck.

Wu Yin sighed. "Seems the chains can't be removed yet."

At the same time, Li Shuang said, "Give me the key."

"..." Wu Yin rubbed his temples. "I’ve heard those who lead armies are bold... General Li, as I mentioned earlier, he is..." He paused, noting Jin An showed no reaction to him now, then continued, "Even if you are the Gu Master now, his condition is unstable. It’s best not to let your guard down."

"I know," Li Shuang replied hoarsely, her tone resolute. "Give me the key. You go out first."

Was she planning... to lock herself in this room with the Jade Silkworm Gu?

Wu Yin raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Jin An. The boy merely frowned, his fingers gently tracing Li Shuang's neck over and over, appearing harmless.

Perhaps it was better for the Gu Master to stay alone with the Jade Silkworm Gu. The master's presence might gradually soothe his inner turmoil.

Wu Yin retrieved the key from his sleeve and placed it on the ground. "I’ll be right outside, not far." With that, he stepped out and shut the heavy iron door.

Only after hearing the lock click outside did Li Shuang remove Jin An's hand and walk over to pick up the key.

As she bent down, Jin An watched her intently. Restricted by the chains, he stretched his arm as if trying to support her neck, though he couldn’t reach.

When Li Shuang turned back with the key, his posture and expression made her chuckle despite herself. "My head isn’t going to fall off."

She spoke softly, returning to him, and effortlessly unlocked the shackles on his feet and neck. Removing the chains, she noticed the skin around Jin An's neck had festered into a ring of sores.

Li Shuang frowned.

At her expression, Jin An immediately withdrew his hand, covering his neck and averting his gaze, as if afraid the ugly wounds would frighten her.

"I’m dangerous," Jin An murmured. "You should lock me up again..."

Ignoring his words, Li Shuang stood and turned to leave.Jin An glanced at her retreating figure, his lips parting slightly, but in the end, he said nothing. It was only right for her to leave. Over these past days and nights, he had barely been able to control his own body, feeling as though he had turned into a ball of fire, flames burning all over, scorching away the rage and bloodlust buried deep within his heart.

He wanted to break free from all restraints and kill everyone who came near him. He longed to go far away, guided only by a vague subconscious sense that somewhere distant, there was a place that could calm him, a person who could cool his boiling blood.

Yet when he had seen that very person yesterday, he hadn’t recognized her—instead, he had hurt her.

Jin An no longer had any confidence in his self-control.

So, it was only right for Li Shuang to leave him, the farther the better. She shouldn’t see him, nor should he see her—this ugly, terrifying version of himself...

"Bring me some medicine. His wounds need dressing."

Li Shuang’s voice sounded at the door. Jin An froze, staring at her back in disbelief as she spoke in a hoarse voice to Wu Yin outside, listing the medicines she needed.

Before long, Wu Yin opened the door and handed in a basin of water and some ointment before closing it again.

Li Shuang took the supplies and returned to Jin An, kneeling before him. She instructed him to lift his chin, then carefully cleaned the wound on his neck before gently applying the medicine.

She was a general, accustomed to battles and wielding blades, so her movements lacked finesse. Often, her touch was too heavy, pressing into his wounds and making them sting even more.

Jin An endured in silence, obediently bearing the pain, for compared to the turmoil in his heart, the ache of these wounds was hardly worth noticing.

"Aren’t you afraid of me?" Jin An asked her.

Li Shuang gave him a calm glance. "Why should I be?"

"I hurt you."

"It was just a momentary loss of control."

"What if... I still can’t control myself?" As he spoke, Jin An’s emotions surged uncontrollably. His heartbeat quickened, and the fiery patterns on his chest began to spread.

"But you’re fine now, aren’t you?" Li Shuang patted his head. "Why don’t you rest for a while?"

Her composure was so steady that Jin An’s restlessness had nowhere to go. After a pause, he watched as she patted her thigh. Hesitantly, he lay down, resting his head on her lap.

"Sleep for a bit," Li Shuang murmured, leaning against the wall. "You must not have slept well last night. I could use some rest too."

Jin An carefully settled his head on her thigh, afraid his weight might hurt her. But Li Shuang’s hand gently stroked his hair, her touch as light as the softest breeze of spring, warm enough to soothe the soul.

All his agitation and the sharp thorns bristling inside and out were effortlessly smoothed away by Li Shuang. The scent of her filled his senses, her skin against his, her warmth enveloping him—everything filled him with a deep sense of peace.

His head grew heavy on her lap, and under her comforting touch, he slowly drifted into sleep.

Li Shuang continued stroking his hair for a while. Then, as he slept, she noticed the wounds on his ankles healing at a visible speed.Li Shuang was taken aback, finally realizing why she had never suspected they could be the same person before.

Because on so many nights when Jin An transformed into an adult to help and rescue her, he always returned with various injuries. Yet by the next day, when he reverted to a child, all his wounds would vanish.

Such terrifying healing speed was something ordinary people probably wouldn't dare imagine.

Li Shuang sighed softly, her thoughts drifting to the future. If Jin An truly couldn't bear to be separated from her, then what would become of him when she returned to court, surrendered her military authority, and married the emperor?

How should she arrange for him? And... before becoming a Gu person, who was Jin An really? What was his true identity?

Amidst these questions, Li Shuang leaned against the wall and gradually grew drowsy. In truth, the future held nothing to fear. She had rushed all this way to save his life. And now, this person lay safely in her arms. No matter what the future held, at least she hadn't failed in her original purpose.