“Um… Yhness, you really don’t hold a grudge against me, right?” Li Xue asked hesitantly as she hurried to catch up with Jin Shu. He had just stepped out of the damp underground interrogation room and showed no signs of slowing down.

  “ht. Where’s my seal?” Jin Shu asked ftly, not sparing her a gnce.

  “Um… Captain Gong has it,” she replied quickly, then fidgeted nervously. “But… you won’t hold a grudge, will you?”

  “I will if you keep pestering me,” he stated bluntly, ing to a stop as he leaned against the corridor wall to wait for Shen Gong.

  Miicked by, with Shen Gong presumably still handling the interrogator. Despite the silence, Li Xue remai Jin Shu’s side, growing visibly restless. For fifteen long minutes, she alternated between staring at her boots and sneaking g Jin Shu’s stoic face. Finally, uo tain herself, she blurted out, “You’re really handsome—ah! I mean, Yhness! Uh… er…” She flushed furiously, stumbling over her words. “W-where are you from? What brings you to the capital?”

  “Bck Mountain City,” Jin Shu answered curtly. “I’m here to meet my uncle.”

  “Oh, that’s right! You’re from the Jin family, yeah?” she asked, trying to maintain the versation.

  “Uh-huh,” Jin Shu nodded without eborating.

  Suddenly, Yin’er’s small voice cut through the awkward exge. “Big Sister, Daddy’s not ied in you.”

  Jin Shu choked on his saliva, coughing loudly in surprise. “Cough! Where did you learn to talk like that?!” he demanded, his voice ced with disbelief.

  “From Daddy’s mommy,” Yin’er replied ily, her tail flig as if her statement were pletely natural.

  Jin Shu pihe bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh. “Ah, that makes sense,” he muttered under his breath.

  Jin Shu hadn’t gotten a good look at the girl earlier, so he turo g her. His gaze met hers just as she’d been staring at him. She widened her light brown eyes and quickly looked away, her long bck hair—loosened during her brief scuffle with Yin’er—whipping against his nose and leaving behind a sweet st.

  “Do they have strawberry shampoo in this world?” Jin Shu muttered absentmindedly, his thoughts slipping out loud.

  Li Xue perked up, catg only the word "strawberries." “Oh! Do you like strawberries? I made this st myself since I love them! Would you like some?” She spun back toward him, her hair once again smag him in the face.

  Jin Shu groaned and grabbed her helmet. “Stay still!” he hissed, stepping back slightly.

  Her small pink lips formed a frown as she looked up at him with watery eyes. “I’m sorry… but, um… would you like some?” She hesitated before holding out a small embroidered pouch, its sweet strawberry st matg her hair.

  Before Jin Shu could respond, Yin’er’s paw darted out, snatg the pouch from her hands. “Yin’er wants it!” the little tiger decred smugly.

  “Ah! But that’s my only one!” Li Xue pouted, crossing her arms.

  “Blee!” Yiuck out her tongue, her tail swishing with satisfa.

  Li Xue’s eyes narrowed. “Grr… If you weren’t the prince’s pet, I’d sp your naughty bottom!”

  “Yin’er is Daddy’s daughter,” the tiger said with an air of superiority.

  “Daughter…?” Li Xue blinked, her brows furrowing in fusion.

  “She’s…” Jin Shu hesitated, about to say "my pet," but paused when he caught Yin’er’s pleading gaze. He let out a resigned sigh. “Hah… yeah, she’s my daughter.”

  Li Xue recoiled slightly, her expression shifting to one of arm. “Such… strong tastes…” she muttered under her breath.

  “Adopted daughter!” Jin Shu quickly crified, rubbing his temples.

  Li Xue gave him a skeptical look but nodded with an exaggerated, overly polite smile. “Riiight… adopted.”

  Just as Jin Shu was about to eborate further, the faint sound of steady footsteps echoed through the corridor. Shen Gong rouhe er, wiping his hands with a rag that bore faint streaks of red.

  “Yhness, I’ve dealt with that man,” Shen Gong stated curtly.

  Jin Shu caught a faint tang of iron in the air. “Is he dead?”

  Shen Goated, faltering in his steps. “...Should I finish him off?”

  “No,” Jin Shu said firmly, shaking his head. “He hadn’t crossed the line just yet.”

  Shen Gong exhaled lightly in relief, then watched as Jin Shu extended a hand toward him expetly.

  “My seal,” Jin Shu said simply.

  Shen Gong raised an eyebrow, momentarily puzzled, before realization struck. “Oh.” He retrieved the seal from his pocket and ha over with both hands, his demeanor respectful. “My apologies, Yhness.”

  “It’s fine,” Jin Shu replied, tug the seal away. He turo leave but paused after a few steps. “Would you mind apanyio the pace? I’d rather avoid a repeat of tonight’s events.”

  Shen Gong gave a slight nod. “It shouldn’t happen with the royal guards, but I will apany you, just in case.”

  With that, they left the dim underground pound and stepped into the open night. As they began making their way toward the pace, Jin Shu gnced over his shoulder to see Li Xue trailing behind them.

  “You’re following us?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “’t I?” she replied, a pyful grin tugging at her lips.

  Jin Shu shrugged, turning back toward the road. “Do what you’d like.”

  ***

  “Halt! ry! The pace is closed for the night,” a guard the polished golden armor of the royal guards barked, blog Jin Shu and his panions before the grand pace gates.

  Jin Shu paused, his hand halfway to his pocket to retrieve his seal. He hadn’t pced it in his spatial earring, fearing the fsh of qi would arm the guards.

  “I am the Golden Prince, and I seek an audieh the Emperor,” Jin Shu announced, produg the seal and holding it aloft for the guard to see.

  The guard’s eyes widened as he reized the seal, the authenticity unmistakable. “Five my rudeness, Yhness, but the pace remains closed after dark. I ot let you through.”

  Jin Shu frowned. “Does this seal not grahe Emperor’s authority?” His tone was firm as he stepped closer.

  “It… does, but only in special circumstances,” the guard replied hesitantly, caught between duty and respect.

  “Well, I have urgent business with the Emperor. I’d say this qualifies as a special circumstance,” Jin Shu pressed, his gaze unwavering as he took aep forward, now face to face with the guard.

  k!

  The sed guard shifted, leveling a spear against Jin Shu’s chest. Jin Shu gnced down at the on’s sharp tip, then back up to the guard’s eyes, his intense gaze brimming with suppressed frustration. The guard hesitated uhe pressure of Jin Shu’s stare before l his spear.

  “Five my as, Yhness,” the guard said deeply, a slight bow. “But no o even the Prince—is permitted to ehe pace after dark.”

  Jin Shu exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening. He uood the rules of the pace, but the weight of his urgency made him relut to retreat.

  A geug on his sleeve drew his attention. He gnced back to find Li Xue looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes. “P-Prince, let’s go back for the night. You see the Emperor in the m, okay?”

  Jin Shu narrowed his eyes at her, his frustration barely cealed. She flinched under his gaze but refused to release his sleeve.

  “Hah… fine,” he relented, casting the guards and the looming pace gates o gnce before turning away.

  Li Xue and Shen Gong followed a few steps behind. After a brief silence, Li Xue spoke up hesitantly. “Um… d-do you have a pce to stay for the night?”

  Jin Shu stopped in his tracks, realizing he had been wandering aimlessly. “I… do not,” he admitted after a moment’s thought.

  “You stay with us, then!” Li Xue offered brightly, her smile lighting up her face.

  “Us? Ah,” Jin Shu said, gng between her and Shen Gong. “Are you two father and daughter?” He suddenly realized he knew little about their retionship—or even the girl's name.

  “Um… we’re not, no,” Li Xue replied after a pause, fiddling nervously with her helmet straps.

  “Huh?” Jin Shu blinked in fusion.

  “Ahem,” Shen Gong cleared his throat, stepping in to expin. “She’s the daughter of a te rade. Since her parents passed, I’ve taken responsibility for her.”

  “Ah… I see,” Jin Shu said, nodding slowly. “Well, if you don’t mind the intrusion, I could use a pce to rest for the night.”

  “It would be our pleasure! Right?” Li Xue spun to face Shen Gong, g her hands together and staring up at him with wide, watery eyes that brimmed with exaggerated pleading.

  Shen Gong sighed, his tone dry but resigned. “It certainly would.”

  ***

  As they approached the general's mansion, Jin Shu slowed, gng back at the silent, dark streets. A chill ran down his spine—an instinct honed from his past life. Someone was watg.

  Li Xue seemed oblivious, chatting cheerfully about how she’d prepared a guest room just in case someone . Shen Gong, however, tightened his grip on the hilt of his bde, his eyes sing the surrounding shadows.

  “Did you feel it too?” Jin Shu murmured, his voice low.

  Shen Gong nodded once. “We’re being followed.”

  Jin Shu’s gaze hardened. Whoever it was would regret their decision.