What if Gao Dazhuang wasn’t the one who withheld the poison pills? Asking about it outright might expose the fact that they hadn’t taken them. Given Gao Dazhuang’s loyalty, he might even make up for it by forcing them to take the pills now.
Upon careful consideration, it really wasn’t something they could casually bring up.
After discussing for a long time, the three of them still couldn’t come up with a solution, so they each returned to rest for the time being.
When An Jiu entered her room, she found a letter on the table. Noticing a tiny "Chu" character written in the corner, she opened it.
Chu Dingjiang had already arranged for replacements, instructing her to leave the palace in three days. Aside from Mei Yanran, Sui Yunzhu and Li Qingzhi would also be leaving with her.
So, not only had Chu Dingjiang recruited Sui Yunzhu, but he had also taken in Li Qingzhi.
Among their team, Lou Mingyue had the highest martial arts skills, while Qiu Yunxiao excelled in using poison. Why had Chu Dingjiang specifically chosen these two, who were relatively average in ability?
Lost in thought, An Jiu lit a lamp and burned the letter to ashes.
She sighed. Three days—would Mei Yanran really be able to leave with her?
Knock knock!
Someone was at the door.
An Jiu opened it to find Mei Yanran standing outside.
"I’ve decided to leave with you," Mei Yanran stated, "but before that, I need to see Jiu'er."
In truth, she had already gone to the Hua residence today. However, with so many guards around, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t be detected. She had considered sending a note to summon Mei Jiu out, but hesitated due to lingering concerns. To be safe, she decided to return and seek An Jiu’s help instead.
"Alright," An Jiu agreed. "Wait here. I’ll request an exit permit."
"No need." Mei Yanran took out a token and tossed it to her. "This will do just as well."
An Jiu caught the token, and the two of them left the palace together.
By the time they exited, the sky was just beginning to lighten. After changing into plain clothes, they found a teahouse to have breakfast.
Mei Yanran had little appetite. Watching An Jiu—wearing a human skin mask—mechanically stuffing steamed buns into her mouth, she felt a pang of sorrow.
The teahouse was still mostly empty. Mei Yanran asked, "What did you do before this?"
An Jiu swallowed a large bite of bun and washed it down with soup. "The same as now."
The Crane Control Army had many female shadow operatives. Perhaps because An Jiu now inhabited the body of Mei Yanran’s daughter, the question stirred something in her. "What about your parents?"
"Long dead." Sensing the softening of Mei Yanran’s hostility, An Jiu thought to herself— So this is where Mei Jiu gets her temperament from. Though Mei Yanran was intelligent, like Mei Jiu, she could drop her guard for inexplicable reasons.
"And you?" Mei Yanran pressed.
An Jiu wondered what exactly she was trying to ask. After a brief pause, she replied softly, "They died on a mission."
The teahouse quickly filled with customers, and soon nearly every seat was taken. Mei Yanran stopped questioning her.
An Jiu devoured a bun in a few bites, finished her soup, and glanced at the sky outside the window. "Let’s go."
Mei Yanran had assumed An Jiu had some clever way to arrange a meeting with Mei Jiu. To her surprise, An Jiu simply walked up to the main gate and knocked.
To the gatekeeper, she said, "We’re here to see your Madam."
The Hua Clan had only two female heads of household—the Old Madam and the Madam. Hua Rongtian held a high-ranking official position, and his wife held a noble title. To avoid confusion, the wife of the Hua Chief Councillor was respectfully referred to as the Old Madam.
Though the two visitors were plainly dressed, their bearing was dignified. The gatekeeper didn’t dare treat them carelessly. "You’ve come at an unfortunate time. Our Madam is ill and isn’t receiving guests lately."
"We’re from the Mei family," An Jiu said. "We heard she was unwell and came specifically to see her."The gatekeeper glanced behind them and thought to himself, Coming empty-handed to visit the sick—this is a first! However, the eldest young master had previously instructed them not to neglect the guests of the madam, so he said, "Please wait here for a moment. I'll go and report your arrival."
Mei Yanran found it strange. "Is she still considered part of Mei Shi?"
"Yes, it was a marriage arranged by the Emperor," An Jiu replied.
Only then did Mei Yanran recall hearing about the Emperor bestowing a marriage upon the Hua Clan some time ago. However, she had been away on missions during that period and didn’t know the details.
After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the gate opened again. The gatekeeper said, "Please come in."
Mei Yanran’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly. By the time they walked from the main gate to the inner gate, her palms were already damp with sweat.
Mei Jiu was already waiting at the inner gate, her face somewhat pale. It seemed she truly was ill and hadn’t been making excuses.
From a distance, Mei Jiu caught sight of An Jiu wearing the Human Skin Mask and froze momentarily.
"It's me," An Jiu said as she approached.
Only then did Mei Jiu smile, quickly stepping forward with tears glistening in her eyes. "You finally came to see me."
Mei Yanran observed this unfamiliar woman in lavish attire—every smile, every gesture carried traces of Mei Jiu. Her own eyes welled up with tears.
Mei Jiu wanted to reach out and take An Jiu’s hand, but hesitated, remembering An Jiu was dressed as a man. The hands she had extended awkwardly withdrew. Her gaze swept over Mei Yanran, pausing briefly before she looked questioningly at An Jiu.
Though Mei Yanran was still dressed as a woman, she too wore a Human Skin Mask. Mei Jiu didn’t recognize her immediately. Worried Mei Jiu might lose composure in front of others, An Jiu said, "Let’s talk inside."
Mei Jiu nodded, but couldn’t stop glancing at Mei Yanran as they walked. At the steps, she stumbled, but a quick-witted maid beside her caught her before she could fall.
Once inside, Mei Jiu dismissed all the maids.
Only then did Mei Jiu take a closer look at Mei Yanran. When their eyes met, her voice caught. After a long pause, she tentatively called out, "Mother?"
She could recognize her like this?!
An Jiu glanced at Mei Yanran, thinking of her own deceased mother. Even if she hadn’t been disguised as someone else, An Jiu probably wouldn’t have recognized her if she stood before her now. The image of her mother’s emaciated, unrecognizable form had left too deep a scar, blurring her original face in An Jiu’s memory.
"You two talk. I’ll take a walk outside," An Jiu said, turning to leave.
As she stepped past the curtains, she heard Mei Yanran sigh, "Jiu'er."
Immediately followed by Mei Jiu’s sobs.
Outside, the sunlight was bright. An Jiu sat on the steps when a maid approached and said, "Would the young master prefer to rest in the pavilion over there?"
"No. Stay away from me," An Jiu replied coldly.
The chilling tone made the maid’s hair stand on end, and she hastily retreated three zhang away.
This maid was a fourth-rank Martial Arts Master—either sent by the Emperor or Hua Rongtian. An Jiu turned to look at her. "Retreat ten zhang."
The maid felt the pressure emanating from An Jiu but bit her lip and stood her ground.
An Jiu’s Mental Strength suddenly surged forth. The maid’s mind went blank with a ringing noise, and her body collapsed to the ground.
An Jiu stood up, dragged the maid away herself, and tossed her into the garden. She then delivered another strike to the back of the maid’s neck for good measure.
"The one on the roof—do I have to deal with you, or will you leave on your own?" An Jiu called out loudly.
Inside, the voices of Mei Yanran and Mei Jiu abruptly fell silent.An Jiu waited for the person to quietly retreat before calling inside, "Continue, I'll wait out here."
The interruption caused the mother and daughter inside to stop their tears, shifting to talk about other matters.
Mei Jiu's appearance was vastly different from before. At first, Mei Yanran found it quite jarring, but the Mei family all shared similar noses—small and high-bridged. Upon closer inspection, there was still a faint resemblance in her brows and expression. Combined with the way she spoke, she bore about thirty to forty percent similarity to her former self. Mei Yanran simply assumed her daughter's features had matured in her absence.
An Jiu sat on the railing of the corridor, arms crossed, basking in the sun. Sensing a martial arts master of the third or fourth tier approaching, she looked up.
A young man in a blue robe entered the courtyard.
He carried a scroll in hand, his handsome face glowing like an ancient moon. His smile was as dazzling as ever, but compared to before, there was now a trace of melancholy about him.
Hua Rongjian spotted the human skin mask on An Jiu's face, and his grin widened. "I didn’t expect you’d still be using this."
At this hour, Hua Rongtian should have been at court or in his office. An Jiu cut straight to the point, "What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re even targeting your own sister-in-law now?"
Hua Rongjian choked. "Is that really what you think of me? After all my unwavering devotion, waiting for you all this time?"
An Jiu didn’t believe him.
"Really! The moment the gatekeeper mentioned someone from Mei Shi had arrived, I knew it had to be you." Hua Rongjian craned his neck. "Why are you out here?"
"None of your damn business," An Jiu retorted.
Unfazed, Hua Rongjian plopped down beside her. "So, about what I mentioned last time—have you thought it over?"
An Jiu considered for a moment, recalling what he was referring to. "I’m not interested in you. Shouldn’t you be relieved you dodged a bullet?"
Hua Rongjian chuckled. "Just a joke, don’t take it seriously."
"Have you ever said anything serious?" An Jiu squinted at the pomegranates hanging heavily from the tree in the courtyard.
Hua Rongjian unrolled the scroll and nudged her with his elbow. "This is a betrothal portrait Miracle Doctor Mo painted for us."
An Jiu glanced sideways. "He painted it for you. What does that have to do with me?"
"This one’s the female!" Hua Rongjian pointed at one of the figures.
An Jiu said nothing, staring at him as if he were an idiot.
Hua Rongjian set the scroll aside, his smile fading as his eyes filled with loneliness and bitterness.
He might not have genuinely wanted to marry her, but there were few people around him he could confide in. He had told himself to live well and forget the mystery of his origins, yet he couldn’t help but notice things. He hadn’t deliberately investigated, but once he started paying attention, everything felt off.
"Mei Shisi," Hua Rongjian slowly rolled up the scroll. "Have a drink with me."
An Jiu was baffled. Her recent pattern seemed off—why did so many people keep seeking her out to vent? Could Chu Dingjiang’s "sympathetic uncle" trait be contagious?
"Just a drink," Hua Rongjian said.
His need to confide was obvious, and An Jiu didn’t doubt it. "We’ll see in the afternoon."
Hua Rongjian finally smiled again. "Good. As thanks, I’ll tell you—my eldest brother will definitely return by noon."
Mei Jiu had been sent by the emperor, so Hua Rongtian would surely be wary of her. Their sudden visit today might end up causing trouble for Mei Jiu.
"How’s your eldest brother and his wife getting along?" An Jiu asked."Respect each other like guests? That's what it looks like on the surface." Hua Rongjian leaned closer to her and whispered, "But I heard they haven't consummated the marriage yet."
An Jiu looked at his grinning face and couldn't help but comment, "How vulgar."
"It was the maids at home who said it! I just happened to overhear!" Hua Rongjian protested indignantly. "You take advantage of the gossip and still mock me!" (To be continued...)
OpenNovel