Enemies on a Narrow Road

At this moment, Shi Yi was extremely flustered but tried her best to calm herself down: *Calm down. The Imperial Capital is so vast; it might not be him. Besides, I have no reason to fear him.*

However, heaven seemed to play tricks on her. The person outside the door was none other than Prince An. That familiar, cold voice and tone were unmistakable. It was the very man she detested to the core.

Outside, Prince An was warmly welcomed by Lin Ling,

"Have you eaten? Come inside and have a meal with us."

An Dinglun gladly accepted and followed his sister-in-law into the house. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, his sharp eyes locked onto Shi Yi. *What is she doing here?*

Shi Yi frowned. *Oh no, it really is him.* She tried to avoid his gaze.

Seeing Prince An staring at her, Lin Ling thought he had taken an interest in Shi Yi. She pulled him closer and enthusiastically introduced him,

"Let me introduce you. This is An Dinglun of Prince An's Manor, who is also a very majestic general."

Then she turned to him and said,

"This is Lady Shi Yi. Yesterday, I found her fainted in a deserted temple and brought her back. She will be staying with us for a few days. Take your time getting to know each other. Shi Yi is a good girl, so don't bully her."

Having said that, Lin Ling seated Prince An and Shi Yi next to each other. Under the watchful eyes of Lin Ling, Xiao Jing, and little Bao Bao, the two could only pretend they didn't know each other.

He spoke gently,

"Lady Shi Yi, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Prince An, it is my pleasure to meet you as well."

She smiled, but deep in her eyes was a look of utter disgust. *What general? In my eyes, he's just a cold-blooded demon.*

As for Dinglun, though he appeared nonchalant on the outside, he was extremely cautious within: *It seems this lady is not simple. Sister-in-law just arrived here, and I only received the news yesterday. Yet she... managed to be one step ahead of me?*

The two sat face-to-face, staring at each other in silence. Prince An's gaze was as sharp as a blade, his pupils as deep as the ocean. Sparks seemed to fly between their eyes, waiting for a chance to explode. The surrounding atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

After a round of glaring, the two finally stopped. Seeing this, Xiao Jing thought they were exchanging flirtatious glances, her face lighting up with excitement. Resting her chin on her hands, Xiao Jing began to tease them,

"Brother Lun, I know that 'heroes have a soft spot for beauties,' but I didn't expect even you to be unable to resist Sister Shi Yi's beauty."

Dinglun could only offer a wry smile. Shi Yi choked on her food, almost gagging on the vegetable she had just eaten. How could she have any appetite left?

The young girl continued to chatter,

"Oh my, what are you embarrassed about? Besides, Sister Shi Yi is as beautiful as a fairy; she must have many admirers. You have to work hard, Brother, don't let someone else snatch her away."

Prince An's face was as cold as ice as he replied emotionlessly,

"Not interested."

The atmosphere suddenly fell into an awkward silence. Seeing this, Lin Ling spoke up to break the ice,

"Alright, A Jing, stop joking. Eat quickly before the food gets cold."

A moment later, Lin Ling said,

"Oh right! A Lun, follow me inside for a moment. I have something to tell you."

The two left, leaving only Xiao Jing, Bao Bao, and Shi Yi at the table. The young girl asked curiously,

"What could be so urgent?"

Shi Yi replied calmly,

"I suspect it has to do with the urgent matter that brought the three of you to the Imperial Capital. The person Sister Lin Ling wanted to meet is probably him."

The young girl nodded,

"That makes sense. Why didn't I think of that sooner? Oh right, what do you think of Brother Lun?"

Xiao Jing asked with a face full of anticipation. Shi Yi reluctantly replied,

"I think he is very majestic, and quite handsome."

"Huh? Only 'quite handsome'? He spends all year at the border, but his handsomeness far surpasses ordinary men. He has long been considered the number one handsome man under heaven. Every woman wants to marry him, yet you..."

"Is that so?"

Shi Yi didn't know what else to say, so she changed the subject,

"However, I'm still a bit curious. What exactly is his relationship with the three of you? Prince An has a noble status, and ordinary people can hardly meet him, let alone have him personally come to your door like this."

Xiao Jing honestly recounted,

"It's a long story. Brother Lun has followed his father to the battlefield since childhood. My late father was a general under his father's command and was highly regarded, so their relationship was very close. Furthermore, my brother-in-law (Lin Ling's husband) once saved Brother Lun's life. The two became sworn brothers, which is why they are so close."

Xiao Jing leaned close to her ear and whispered,

"My brother-in-law was actually a secret agent Brother Lun planted in Luoyang to gather critical intelligence. Last month, he discovered that someone was secretly building an army to oppose the imperial court, and the mastermind was a member of the royal family. Because of this, he was framed and died in a fire."

Shi Yi pressed,

"Who is the mastermind?"

But Xiao Jing only shook her head and replied,

"I'm not sure either. Only my brother-in-law and sister knew about this. She said that the less we know, the safer we are."

Shi Yi fell into deep thought: *Could it be related to that secret letter? Forget it, Prince An is wise and martial; he will surely resolve it himself. I shouldn't meddle in these matters, otherwise he'll think I have some ulterior motive.*

Then she thought to herself: *But then again, my luck is truly terrible. Yesterday I just escaped the wolf's den, and today the wolf has come to my door. An Dinglun, you jinx!*

While she was lost in thought, the girl's voice pulled her back to reality,

"Sister Shi Yi, what are you thinking about so blankly?"

"Ah, nothing."