Volume Three: Neither Following Nor Carefree Chapter 113

"You really are something. Wouldn't it have been easier to just use a spell? You had to go and grab it with your bare hands—does it hurt?"

Jin Li chided him softly while bandaging the boy's hand. The boy’s eyes were filled with affection, but when he heard her ask if he was in pain, his expression shifted instantly, turning adorably aggrieved. "It hurts."

The young girl grew anxious at his words. "I'll go get you something for the pain. Thank goodness no tendons were damaged."

As she moved to rise and fetch the medicine, the boy grabbed her hand. Jin Li lost her balance and tumbled into his arms. They both froze for a moment, and then the boy whispered with a tenderness that could drown a person, "If I blow on it, it won't hurt anymore."

Jin Li was stunned, then leaned in toward his hand and blew on it gently. Suddenly, she felt a cool, soft touch on her forehead—a fleeting, light contact that sent a rush of heat straight to her face. Ever since they had defined their relationship, the boy had become much more proactive.

Jin Li looked up, dazed, and found herself lost in his gaze. "A-Jin, you’re unharmed. I’m so relieved."

He sounded as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest. He had been truly terrified; when he woke up at Mount Buzhao, he had rushed day and night, racing against time to catch up to her.

Jin Li smiled faintly. "I’m fine. A-Yuan, thank you."

The boy smiled back. "I want you to know that I can protect you, too. You have me at your back. Please, stop pushing me away, alright?"

"But..." But the road ahead was fraught with peril, and the boy before her was still so young; he had so many possibilities ahead of him. In the end, she did not give him an answer and returned to applying his medicine.

Just then, Jin Li noticed a scar on the boy’s chest. It was a burn, but not from any ordinary fire; it was...

The boy quickly pulled his clothes back into place, preventing Jin Li from seeing more, but she wondered when he had suffered such a grievous injury.

Night fell quietly. Jin Li only left after she had settled the Second Princess into bed. As she stepped outside, the boy came to report to her.

"A-Jin, the rebels have been cleared out, and Lord Sinian has already sent people to search for the City Lord."

She nodded and asked, "A-Yuan."

"What is it?"

She wanted to ask about the wound on his chest, but after some thought, she decided it was better to wait for a more appropriate time. "When did you start pretending to be Lord Sinian?"

The boy gently took her hand and sat down. "What do you think?"

"It must have been at the inn, right?"

"A-Jin is truly clever; nothing escapes you." He spoke softly. "That day, when Lord Sinian went out of the city to catch thieves, I was in the crowd, and I saw you."

"That’s not right. My Transmutation Bead has never failed. How could you recognize me so easily?" This was a question Jin Li had wanted to ask for a long time, but she had kept putting it off until she forgot.

"Heh, that’s my secret. Why should I tell you?" He smiled, his eyes clear and deep under the moonlight. "My own transmutation magic isn't very good; it can't be used during the day. But, well, it can be used at night when I absorb the essence of the sun and moon."

Jin Li was startled, then laughed. "So, the person on the roof that night was you."

"Who else? I stood in the rain all night, and you didn't even recognize me the next day."

But thankfully, she hadn't recognized him, or who knew what might have happened. The boy’s eyes dimmed with a hint of melancholy. Jin Li reached out and gently stroked his hair. "It’s a good thing you have immortal magic; although you stood in the rain, at least it wasn't too serious."

"That’s true."

They shared a smile, and then Jin Li asked, "Did you know about the Grand Princess's plan all along, which is why you hurried me to leave?"

That wasn't it. He simply didn't want Jin Li to find the Kunlun Mirror, return to the past, and witness those painful memories again. He didn't want to lose this chance.

He smiled. "I didn't know. I only knew that I didn't want you to marry Si Mu."

His tone was strange, laced with a hint of resentment. "You've never even met him, so how could you marry him?"

Jin Li looked at the boy, who was acting like a jealous little wife, and finally burst into laughter. The boy was quite dissatisfied with her sudden amusement. "I'm already this jealous, and you’re still laughing?"

"Alright, alright. Can you tell me why you're so jealous over someone you've never even met?"

The boy pouted and turned his head away. "Hmph, what’s so great about him?" Then, as if realizing something, he turned back to look at Jin Li. "You haven't taken a liking to him, have you?"

Jin Li was astonished by his train of thought. "I—I have not!"

At that moment, someone came up to report, "My Lady, Young Master Si Mu has arrived."

What?! Why did he have to show up at a time like this? She glanced at the boy’s expression and found his face had turned as dark as coal.

"Fine, I understand. You may go."

Lin Zhong stepped out from the woods. "Lord Si Mu must have learned of the city's upheaval."

Before Jin Li could speak, the boy stood up with a jerk, straightened his clothes, and declared with indignant resolve, "Si Mu? Hmph, I’d like to see just what kind of person he is!"

With that, he ran off.

Wait—he was just going to meet a romantic rival; why was he running so fast?

Jin Li quickly said to Lin Zhong, "My Lord, please rest assured. Everything in the city will slowly improve. Lord Sinian has found the City Lord and the others; they will return to the city in a few days. It is late, so please get some rest."

"Thank you, My Lady."

Jin Li exchanged a few more words before hurrying after Geng Yuan. However, while still a distance away, she spotted the boy standing motionless. They were on a high terrace, and below them were stone steps.

"What’s wrong? Why did you stop?"

Jin Li asked as she looked down to see a large procession winding through the city streets toward them.

On the corners of the ornate sedan chair hung bells that rang out with a crisp, clear sound.

Yet, there was something strangely familiar about the chime of those bells.