The sensation of a heartbeat—the uncontrollable acceleration of its rhythm.
When An Jiu coexisted with Mei Jiu, she often felt it—when Mei Jiu was frightened or nervous, her heart seemed ready to leap out of her throat.
An Jiu had also experienced moments of terror: witnessing her mother’s death, accidentally killing her father, surviving the organization’s training by trading others’ blood for her own life…
This tension forced her to recall those unbearable memories, so she resisted it.
Yet the fluster in her heart when she kissed Chu Dingjiang just now—though it felt like nervousness or fear, it also seemed… different.
“A Jiu.” Chu Dingjiang called softly.
An Jiu sensed his approach and instinctively shrank back, avoiding his gaze. “Let’s go back.”
No matter how wise Chu Dingjiang was, he couldn’t guess the reason for her retreat. He assumed she was rejecting him.
“Let’s go.” He didn’t use his qinggong, instead walking slowly behind her.
He thought he might feel something—after all, he had never been refused like this before—but to his surprise, he was unexpectedly calm.
Chu Dingjiang had never devoted much thought to matters of the heart. Long, long ago, he had had women—more than one—but they were like passing clouds, their faces long forgotten with the passage of time. Only two remained vivid in his memory: Zhao Zhangji and Song Huaijin.
These two women were utterly different. Zhao Zhangji was the consort of the King of Zhao, a beauty capable of enchanting any man in the world. He had seen her once as a child—she sat in a luxurious carriage, veiled by silk curtains. When the wind lifted them, her peerless face was seared into his mind. A few years later, the King of Zhao passed away, and Zhao Zhangji committed suicide to follow him in death. As he grew older and wiser, he realized her suicide wasn’t out of love but calculation. His admiration only grew—how rare for a woman to possess both beauty and brains! If he had ever admired any woman, it was Zhao Zhangji alone. As for Song Huaijin, he neither admired nor even liked her. The only reason he remembered her was because she had once risen to power in Qin through sheer ability, her brilliance surpassing countless men—a rarity in the world.
But An Jiu was different. Unlike his admiration for Zhao Zhangji.
Zhao Zhangji was a dream. Though he had always known she belonged to the king, Chu Dingjiang had never felt jealousy. An Jiu, however, was real—her ferocity, her smiles, the warmth of her hands. If one day…
Suddenly, he recalled Gu Jinghong’s words not long ago—that he intended to offer An Jiu to the emperor as a furnace. His heart skipped a beat. Was it his fate to forever yearn for women who belonged to kings?
“A Jiu.” He stepped forward, reaching for her hand.
Lost in thought, An Jiu turned at his voice and instinctively grasped his hand. The familiar warmth brought her a measure of calm.
She stopped and said to him, “Cold.”
Chu Dingjiang chuckled, wrapping his mantle around her. “You really do treat me like your mother.”
An Jiu stayed silent.
They walked slowly, as if strolling after a meal.
“A Jiu,” Chu Dingjiang asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know, “have you ever admired any man?” He needed to confirm whether she was normal in this regard."Love?" An Jiu pondered for a long time. As they neared the relay station, she finally said, "I don't know. Maybe there was."
Chu Dingjiang's breath hitched. He wanted to tell her she didn't need to continue, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
"The commander in the organization," An Jiu continued. "He gave me missions. Every time I completed one, he'd come to pick me up. He'd always roll down the car window halfway, smoking while gazing outside. When he saw me appear, he'd flick the cigarette away and flash me a thumbs-up with a smile. Those were my happiest moments."
Some of the terms were unfamiliar, but Chu Dingjiang grasped the gist. "That man was clearly using you."
"I knew. But in those moments, I felt like I had a home, that there was always someone waiting for me," An Jiu said.
Chu Dingjiang held her tighter.
Upon returning to the relay station, Chu Dingjiang went alone to find Mo Sigui.
As expected, he received another "warm" welcome—more poisonous creatures than last time, and the two tiger cubs pounced with even greater enthusiasm.
Mo Sigui crouched in a corner, stirring a medicine jar with a bamboo stick, his voice cold and eerie. "What are you here for this time?"
"Has An Jiu fully regained her sanity?" Chu Dingjiang asked.
"Guess whether I'll tell you," Mo Sigui retorted, emerging from the shadows with a resentful glare.
"You will," Chu Dingjiang replied calmly. "You've only just taken your first steps in the way of medicine. Dying young would be such a pity, don't you think?"
"Chu Dingjiang!" Mo Sigui slammed the medicine jar onto the table. "Don't think I'm afraid of you! I won't be bullied! Go ahead, kill me if you dare!"
"I've already witnessed Miracle Doctor Mo's backbone," Chu Dingjiang remarked indifferently, pulling a paper packet from his pocket and placing it on the table. "I've collected quite a few things like this. I think you'll be interested."
"Dream on! I—" Mo Sigui's defiant words trailed off as his nose twitched. He silently moved closer and opened the packet. "Seven-Leaf Grass!"
This herb grew on cliffs by the sea, said to be nourished by dragon's breath and the essence of the sun and moon. It was rumored to prolong life, and when used in the right medical formula, could even revive the dead!
Mo Sigui immediately wrapped it up and stuffed it into his robe. "Do you have other herbs?"
"Mn. I used quite a few when breaking through to the Transformation Realm. Only a few dozen varieties remain in my possession now," Chu Dingjiang said.
Mo Sigui instantly shed his resentful demeanor and grew serious, discussing An Jiu's condition. "After one session of acupuncture, A Jiu can now control her emotions. She'll need a few more sessions to fully recover, but based on what she's described, I believe her madness is showing signs of improvement."
An Jiu hadn't exhibited any signs of insanity these past few days. The reason Chu Dingjiang suspected something was off was because the An Jiu he knew was extremely wary, rarely allowing anyone close. It made no sense for such a person to suddenly turn into an innocent little girl because of a stranger like Zhu Pianxian.
"You mentioned her body was damaged by her own mental strength. What did you mean?" Chu Dingjiang asked.
Mo Sigui leaned forward and sniffed. "That answer will cost you a Blood Lingzhi. Deal?"
Chu Dingjiang tossed him a small cloth pouch."Tsk tsk, what a waste to keep such a fine thing in your hands, actually storing it carelessly in this ragged cloth." Mo Sigui took out a pitch-black jar from his medicine chest and placed the dark red blood ganoderma inside. "What a pity only this much remains."
Chu Dingjiang didn't hurry him, waiting patiently instead.
"A Jiu's body is experiencing varying degrees of collapse in multiple areas. I haven't identified the cause yet. She mentioned Wei Yuzhi's mental strength can control external objects to kill, which led me to suspect mental strength might be damaging her body. But I still need to verify this." Mo Sigui glanced at him. "Any other questions?" (To be continued...)
PS: The second update might come later. No need to wait up, you can check again tomorrow morning.
: Younger Brother's Wife (Second Update)
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