Hidden Shadow

"I’ve just realized how brutally honest you are," Hua Rongjian leaned back and muttered to himself, "Isn’t that right? I’m just a joke."

An Jiu frowned. "This doesn’t seem like you."

"Doesn’t seem like me? Then what exactly is ‘like me’?" Hua Rongjian tilted his head and asked.

"A carefree idiot who only knows how to have fun," An Jiu answered truthfully.

Hua Rongjian was momentarily speechless before bursting into laughter. Though he didn’t know what an "idiot" was, he could guess from context that it wasn’t a compliment.

An Jiu continued, "The way you were before was good."

Not everyone had the chance to live without worries. In the past, An Jiu hadn’t liked his personality, but she had always liked the bright smile he often wore.

Hua Rongjian’s expression turned complicated. He had lived well these past years. As a child, he had left home for several years due to illness, and upon his return, his mother had doted on him excessively, as if she could never love him enough. His father and elder brother, though strict, had genuinely cared for him. What more could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

Prime Minister Hua had risen to a position second only to the emperor, and his methods were naturally extraordinary. He had cleaned up all traces of the past so thoroughly that no matter how Hua Rongjian investigated, he couldn’t find even the slightest clue. The more he thought about it, the more something felt off, but he had no concrete evidence.

However, nothing in the world could remain completely hidden. Hua Rongjian wasn’t an incompetent fool—if he truly resolved to uncover the truth, he might eventually succeed. But when it came to the secret of his origins, he both desperately wanted to know and was terrified of actually finding out.

"You probably don’t know my new sister-in-law, do you?" Hua Rongjian changed the subject.

"That’s why I’m here to meet her," An Jiu said.

Hua Rongjian leaned closer and lowered his voice, "I heard you joined the Crane Control Army. You’re not here to secretly contact my sister-in-law, are you?"

"No," An Jiu stood up. "To avoid alarming your family’s guards, have someone take me there."

Hua Rongjian sprawled lazily. "Chun Meng, take her to meet Sister-in-Law."

The young woman standing nearby bowed slightly. "Yes."

As An Jiu reached the bottom of the steps, she glanced back at him and added after a moment’s thought, "If you don’t think about certain things, life becomes much easier."

"Oh? Three days apart, and I should really look at you with new eyes! You’ve actually learned how to comfort people." Hua Rongjian didn’t know her well, but he had a decent grasp of her temperament. Intrigued, he asked, "Do you know what I’m thinking about?"

"I have a rough idea," An Jiu said. "When a fool finally realizes he’s a fool, suffering is inevitable."

Hua Rongjian stared at her. The sunlight fell on her smooth, fair forehead, and her striking brows and eyes were filled with nothing but solemn seriousness—not a hint of jest. He immediately regretted asking that last question and waved his hand helplessly. "Safe travels. I won’t see you out."

An Jiu paused, then added before leaving, "Though self-awareness is good, as a fool, the more you know, the less happy you’ll be."

"Mei Shisi," Hua Rongjian sighed heavily. "The heavens must have taken pity on me by not letting you agree to marry me."

An Jiu nodded. "It’s rare for you to come to such a realization. Good."

With that, she turned and followed Chun Meng away.

Chun Meng was a clever girl, her eyes always smiling when she spoke to others, radiating warmth. An Jiu liked people like her.

So when they arrived at Hua Rongtian’s residence and stood at the door waiting for the maid to announce them, An Jiu took the initiative to speak to her. "Your young master loves to fool around, doesn’t he?"Chun Meng covered her mouth with a chuckle, "There is some truth to that, but the young master is very kind and treats us servants with great gentleness."

"Is that so?" An Jiu kindly informed her, "Don't you think your name sounds like 'spring dream'?"

Chun Meng froze for a moment, her smile gradually fading.

An Jiu continued, "Even if it doesn't sound like 'spring dream,' the stirrings of spring aren't exactly ordinary stirrings..."

A mist gathered in Chun Meng's eyes as she pressed her lips tightly together, holding back tears. Choking up, she said, "In the end, I'm just a plaything. As long as the young master is pleased, that's all that matters."

For a respectable girl, this was an insult. Chun Meng, being a servant in the prime minister's household, was more delicately raised than daughters of ordinary families and naturally had higher self-esteem. Suddenly realizing she was merely an insignificant object in her master's eyes was unbearably painful.

An Jiu couldn't comprehend her sudden sorrow but still attempted to comfort her, "Actually... it's a very natural and healthy thing..."

"No, it's not," Chun Meng murmured. "It's clearly from a line in Wang Changling's poem: 'Spring springs drip in empty cliffs, tender grass splits the shaded ground.'"

This line came from "Magistrate Shen Xingzong of Gou County Hosts a Banquet by South Brook and Leaves This Gift," an entire poem rich in artistic conception.

"The madam invites the young lady inside," announced the maid who had gone to inform.

Chun Meng covered her face with a slight bow, then turned and hurried away.

The maid cast a curious glance at Chun Meng's retreating figure but didn't inquire further. "Young lady, please come in."

An Jiu followed the path paved with floral-patterned bricks.

Passing through a grove of quiet bamboo, she spotted a delicate-looking woman craning her neck under the corridor. Upon seeing An Jiu, the woman's face brimmed with tears as she rushed forward to grasp her hands. "Wonderful, just wonderful."

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Let's go inside," An Jiu said, though her own emotions were stirred. Compared to the other woman, she seemed remarkably composed.

"Look at me, crying like this," Mei Jiu said, gripping An Jiu's hands tightly.

Once inside and seated, Mei Jiu still refused to let go, as though afraid An Jiu might leave.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't come to find me," Mei Jiu said, finally releasing her hands reluctantly, knowing An Jiu disliked physical contact. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears before dismissing all the maids.

Watching Mei Jiu command others with such poise, An Jiu sensed something different about her compared to before.

"Is there no one around?" Mei Jiu whispered.

An Jiu nodded.

Only then did Mei Jiu sigh and begin recounting her experiences. She had actually been revived for three months now. She didn't know where she was—everyone around her practiced Martial Arts. She had inherited some fragmented memories from the original owner, giving her a rough understanding of her situation, but the details were impossible to inquire about. She had to tread carefully every day, not daring to reveal the slightest clue, afraid someone might notice something amiss.

Until half a month ago, when several women suddenly took her to a lavishly decorated room and began preparing her as a bride. Then, in a daze, she was married off."These past few days I've been terrified, yet I've also done much thinking. When I saw Hua... the eldest young master, I felt it was fate." Mei Jiu's gaze held less timidity now, showing some determination. "At first, I was full of resentment—since Heaven gave me this chance to live again, why must I be trapped in such circumstances! Don't they say good people get good rewards? Yet this clearly feels like torment. But upon reflection, I realized I was being too greedy. The greatest blessing Heaven could give is this chance to start anew. As for other things, I must rely on myself. How many people get everything they wish for in life?"

She smiled. "Once I understood this, my heart felt lighter, and the fear left me. You've guided my hand to kill before, and I've walked the Naihe Bridge myself. In this world, what is there left to fear?" (To be continued...)

PS: Apparently I've had a fever for two days without realizing it—just thought it was unusually cold. Damn it, only when I took my temperature tonight did I discover I was actually running a fever... No wonder I've been so exhausted.