"That Chun Xin?" An Jiu remembered her crying very sadly last time.
"It's Chun Meng!" Hua Rongjian glanced back into the house. "There aren’t many of your Mei Clan left, right? Who’s inside?"
An Jiu ignored his question. "Would your elder brother harm his wife?"
She recalled that Hua Rongtian’s first wife had been an informant sent by the Emperor, yet in the end, she had fallen deeply in love with him and refused to do anything against him, even at the cost of her life.
If even a specially trained shadow unit member could be swayed like that, An Jiu had reason to worry that Mei Jiu might become the second.
"My elder brother isn’t that kind of person." Hua Rongjian was quite confident about this. "After his first wife passed away, he was depressed for a long time. People say the Hua Clan breeds devoted lovers—like my father, who has cherished only my mother all these years, or my younger brother, who still pines for his childhood sweetheart."
Hua Rongjun had been betrothed as a child, back when the Hua Clan wasn’t as powerful as it is today, so an alliance with the Crown Prince’s tutor’s family wasn’t an issue. The Crown Prince’s tutor had risen step by step from Jiangning Prefecture, earning great prestige and mentoring countless students. Though he never held real power, his connections were formidable. Now that Hua Rongjun was long past marriageable age, Prime Minister Hua still dared not let him wed.
Hua Rongjian continued, "My brother’s childhood sweetheart is the Crown Prince’s tutor’s granddaughter, and the tutor was also my father’s teacher..."
Given their already deep ties, how could the Emperor sit back and allow the two families to unite through marriage? Unless the Hua Clan fell, this marriage would inevitably dissolve sooner or later.
An Jiu wasn’t interested in this. What she thought was—if Prime Minister Hua was truly so devoted, then how did you come into existence?
For some reason, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable and fell silent.
After half an hour, Mei Yanran finally emerged.
Seeing her reddened eyes, An Jiu asked nothing. "Let’s go."
"Hey, didn’t we agree to go for a drink?" Hua Rongjian complained.
An Jiu hesitated.
Mei Yanran said, "If you have something to do, go ahead. Don’t worry about me."
"Fine." An Jiu sighed.
The three left the residence together. Hua Rongjian and An Jiu boarded a carriage, while Mei Yanran returned alone to the palace.
The carriage took them to the slums. Hua Rongjian leaned against the window, no longer as lively as before.
After a while, the carriage stopped in front of a house. Hua Rongjian didn’t get out but stared through the bamboo curtain at the tightly shut door, his brows gradually furrowing.
This was Lu Danzhi’s residence. An Jiu had come here with him once before.
Lu Danzhi’s death had also changed Hua Rongjian’s life. He probably didn’t like coming here. An Jiu said, "I know a quiet place."
Hua Rongjian raised an eyebrow. "Then let’s go."
An Jiu tapped the carriage wall and told the driver their new destination.
"Once when I was wandering around, I found a place here that serves good wontons," she explained.
"There’s a decent wonton stall in a place like this?" Hua Rongjian didn’t believe it. In such a poor area, forget wontons—having meat broth would be a luxury!
Hua Rongjian loved exploring the city, and the driver was familiar with every street and alley. In about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at the riverside intersection.
The carriage couldn’t go further, so An Jiu dragged Hua Rongjian out, and they walked toward Wu Lingyuan’s wonton stall.
Before they even reached it, a rich aroma wafted toward them.
Hua Rongjian looked utterly astonished.An Jiu was surprised by the aroma. Last time, Wu Lingyuan had used lard to pass off as pork, with a bland broth floating a few wontons of questionable freshness. How could there be such a big change in such a short time!
Turning a corner, An Jiu saw a man in a gray-white robe lying by the riverbank under the willow shade. A copy of the "Great Compassion Mantra" covered his face, and he held a fishing rod in his hand, completely at ease.
The stall still had the same shabby tables and stools, with steam rising from a pot on the charcoal stove nearby.
Hearing footsteps, Wu Lingyuan’s ears twitched slightly. His slender hand removed the Buddhist scripture from his face as he smiled and asked, “Has my benefactor arrived?”
An Jiu sat on the stool behind him and gave a noncommittal hum.
Wu Lingyuan got up and secured the fishing rod. “I’ve long prepared something for you, Benefactor.”
Hua Rongjian, seeing his refined appearance but lifeless eyes, could roughly guess his circumstances. “Do you have any wine?”
Wu Lingyuan shook his head. “I can ask someone to fetch a jug for you. Please wait a moment.”
An Jiu held out her hand to Hua Rongjian. “Give me the money.”
Hua Rongjian took out his purse and placed the few remaining silver fragments into her palm.
An Jiu stuffed them into Wu Lingyuan’s hand.
“How can I accept money from my benefactor!” Wu Lingyuan hurriedly declined.
“It’s not my money anyway. This guy beside me is so poor he only has money left—no need to save for him,” An Jiu said.
Wu Lingyuan chuckled. “Then I’ll accept it with shame.”
Hua Rongjian found himself relaxing at his faint smile. Watching Wu Lingyuan leave, he remarked, “This man is extraordinary.”
An Jiu went to the stove and lifted the lid. A cloud of steam infused with the fragrance of chicken wafted out. “Compared to you, who isn’t extraordinary?”
“I came to chat and relieve boredom, not to have you annoy me,” Hua Rongjian grumbled.
“If you want flattery, you can pay someone to praise you. Here, you’ll only get the truth.” An Jiu ladled a bowl of chicken soup and handed it to Hua Rongjian.
Seeing her scold him yet still serve him soup, Hua Rongjian felt a warmth in his heart. He took the bowl and sipped, praising, “Not bad—quite flavorful. This is wild chicken.”
After drinking most of it, he noticed An Jiu hadn’t touched hers. “Why aren’t you drinking?”
An Jiu hesitated briefly, seeing he was fine, then served herself a bowl. “When traveling, one must be cautious.”
Especially in places she had visited before.
Hua Rongjian’s face darkened instantly. “Mei Shisi, you really… really…”
For once, he couldn’t find the words to describe her!
After finishing their soup and chatting for a while, Wu Lingyuan returned with two jars of wine.
“Would you like a bowl of wontons to line your stomach before drinking?” he asked.
The earlier soup had whetted their appetites. Hua Rongjian nodded. “Sure.”
Wu Lingyuan washed his hands, rolled out the dough, and began wrapping wontons. Though blind, his speed was undiminished—within moments, he had made twenty or thirty.
Noticing the lack of customers, Hua Rongjian asked, “Do you get much business here?”
Wu Lingyuan replied, “Yes. Many boats dock here in the morning. The busiest time lasts about an hour.”
“No troublemakers?” Hua Rongjian inquired.
Wu Lingyuan dropped the wontons into the pot. “The people here are simple-hearted. I often teach the local children, and they frequently bring me food. No one causes trouble.”
The local ruffians didn’t bother with such a poor area. Every day, he prepared a portion for An Jiu. If she didn’t come, he gave it to the neighbors.
Two steaming bowls of wontons were served.An Jiu took a bite and was surprised to find that Wu Lingyuan's cooking was truly excellent. The wontons were savory and delicious, with a smooth and refreshing wrapper and a filling that was neither greasy nor tough.
Hua Rongjian finished one bowl and asked for another. The melancholy he had felt earlier was momentarily forgotten, and even the wine became a post-meal indulgence.
After the meal, Hua Rongjian inquired in detail about Wu Lingyuan's background.
It turned out that Wu Lingyuan was a noble from the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang fell, his family migrated south. Wu Lingyuan had come to the capital to take the imperial exams but unfortunately contracted an eye disease and never returned. His parents had long passed away, so he decided to spend the rest of his days here.
Hua Rongjian sighed sympathetically. "Tomorrow, I'll find a doctor to take a look at you."
As he spoke, he turned to ask An Jiu, "Where's Miraculous Doctor Mo?"
"He's currently lovesick," An Jiu replied.
Hua Rongjian's interest was piqued. "Over which love?"
"Does he have many?" An Jiu raised an eyebrow.
"How would I know? That's why I'm asking you!" Hua Rongjian scoffed.
To those who didn't know Mo Sigui, he was a miracle doctor who saved lives. Those who had only superficial interactions with him thought he was indifferent and cold in matters of the heart. Only someone like An Jiu knew what Mo Sigui was truly like.
"He's infatuated with a woman who doesn't like him," An Jiu said.
Hua Rongjian looked at her disdainfully. "Boring."
But he believed that, stripped of any exciting embellishments, An Jiu's account was the most truthful.
Having lost interest in the topic, Hua Rongjian dragged Wu Lingyuan off to fish.
An Jiu sat on a stool, watching Hua Rongjian's retreating figure. She realized he had grown taller and thinner. Hua Rongjian was a cheerful person, his smile as warm as the sun. Someone like him shouldn't become somber.
Thinking this, she suddenly felt a twinge of resentment toward Chu Dingjiang's past actions. But then she found the thought inexplicable—she herself had taken countless lives. What right did she have to criticize Chu Dingjiang?
The two lingered at the wonton stall until sunset before leaving with two jars of wine, strolling along the riverbank.
"How about we have a fight?" Hua Rongjian suddenly suggested.
"Hah." An Jiu squinted at the golden-red horizon. "You'd better stick to drowning your sorrows in wine. If we really fight, I suspect someone might find the second son of the Hua Clan floating in the river tomorrow."
"..."
Hua Rongjian sat by the riverbank, opened the jar, and took several deep gulps.
An Jiu sat down beside him.
"Lu Danzhi told me I'm not actually twenty-six," Hua Rongjian wiped the wine from his lips, resting his hand on the jar as he turned to look at her. "I lost my memory as a child—they said it was due to illness. But considering all the circumstances, I can't help but suspect that the real Hua Rongjian died for some reason, and I was brought in as a replacement."
An Jiu remained silent. The truth was close to his guess, but he would likely never figure out that it was the real Hua Rongjian who had orchestrated it all.
She knew the truth but couldn't tell Hua Rongjian. Seeing him like this, she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"But I look so much like my elder brother and younger brother, and my parents treat me well," Hua Rongjian doubted his mother—she doted on him excessively, unlike the strict demands she placed on his elder and younger brothers. Had he not been spoiled since childhood, perhaps he wouldn't have lived so aimlessly before. "Aren't mothers usually more affectionate toward the youngest? Why does my mother dote on me so much?"Old Madam Hua also doted on Hua Rongjun, but unlike with him, she often imposed restrictions on Rongjun. Before Lu Danzhi came along, he had simply thought his mother favored him over his two brothers, but now it seemed that might not be the case.
"Am I being unfilial? To actually doubt my own mother?" Hua Rongjian gazed at her, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears, as if they might overflow at any moment. (To be continued...)
PS: Recommending a new work by my good friend Qing Shan Yan Yu—"The Male Supporting Character in Cultivation Isn't Easy to Handle." Her stories are always thrilling—her previous works like "All Male Cultivators Are Cauldrons" and "Mechanical Wings" were fantastic. If you like them, go check it out!
Synopsis: The male lead is wicked and domineering, while the male supporting character is gentle and loyal.
His sole purpose is to live for the female lead, die for the female lead, and suffer worse than death for the female lead...
But he doesn’t care for pure little lilies—he prefers a fiery little chili pepper instead!
OpenNovel