A smile surfaced in Chu Dingjiang's eyes. "I originally thought you were merely a beauty by the waterside, never imagining you would become my confidante."
An Jiu had always believed that words like "beauty" and "confidante" were far removed from her. Hearing Chu Dingjiang say them now, it felt as though he was speaking of someone else, leaving her unmoved.
"A Jiu, I can no longer turn back," Chu Dingjiang said.
An Jiu watched the mist flower form from his breath. "I know. If you wish to stay, why shouldn’t I accompany you? I’m just curious—why the sudden change of heart?"
Chu Dingjiang didn’t seem the type to act on whims.
"That day, when I saw you and Hua Rongjian releasing lanterns by the river, I had an epiphany." He gently touched her cold cheek. "Human hearts, power, peace, or simplicity... In this world, if one doesn’t strive or fight, even what seems within easy reach may dissolve into an illusory bubble. And more than that—a life of mediocrity leaves an emptiness in the soul that’s hard to fill. A Jiu, with you by my side in this lifetime, I can live freely and passionately. Whatever the outcome, I’ll have no regrets."
At such a moment, most women would be deeply moved and would inevitably explain that they had no improper relationship with another man. But An Jiu, ever blunt, shattered the tenderness with her honesty: "I never had any goals to begin with. Following you seems like a pretty good choice."
Chu Dingjiang sighed helplessly. "When will you ever understand matters of the heart?"
An Jiu suddenly recalled Zhu Pianxian’s methods of seducing Sheng Changying. A woman of action, she immediately extended her index finger.
Her focus was so intense that there wasn’t a trace of romantic softness in the gesture. Chu Dingjiang, failing to grasp its significance, asked, "What are you doing?"
Lost in thought, An Jiu reflexively grabbed his hand and pressed her index finger to his, tilting her head back with a bright grin. "Where I come from, this is how we connect hearts."
"Connect hearts?" Chu Dingjiang eyed their touching fingertips. "What does that mean?"
"This way, we can know what the other is thinking," An Jiu declared firmly, insisting it was a custom from her homeland.
When lying, people unconsciously raise their voices. Her brazen confidence made it all the more suspicious, but Chu Dingjiang didn’t expose her. Instead, he found it amusing. "Fingers are linked to the heart—it makes sense. So, do you know what I’m thinking now?"
An Jiu withdrew her hand sheepishly. "You’re thinking, ‘An Jiu, this idiot!’"
"Oh?" Chu Dingjiang raised a brow. "It actually works?"
Seizing her hand again, he pressed their index fingers together, his expression inscrutable. "Right now, you’re thinking, ‘I guessed his thoughts because I’m clever.’"
An Jiu’s eyes widened. She had indeed been inwardly gloating: Old man, I guessed right because of my exceptional intellect!
"Huh?" For a moment, she was stunned, but then she realized—he had guessed correctly because of his intellect. And she had every reason to suspect Chu Dingjiang had been toying with her all along, given that mind games were his forte.
At this thought, she shot him a glare. "Hmph!"
One moment, it was the warmth of spring; the next, the bitter chill of winter. If children were said to change moods quickly, An Jiu was no less mercurial.
"Are you close with Hua Furen?" Chu Dingjiang steered the conversation toward a topic she might find interesting.
As expected, An Jiu set aside her grievances. "Did something happen to her?""It's not exactly an accident," Chu Dingjiang said. "I've learned that she was given orders from above to assassinate Hua Rongtian within six months."
An Jiu had almost forgotten that Mei Jiu had taken over the body of a Crane Control Army member!
Assassinating Hua Rongtian—Mei Jiu would absolutely be incapable of such a task. "What would happen if she disobeys the order?"
"Have you forgotten? The Crane Control Army has the practice of using poison to control people. The missions Hua Furen carries out are prone to betrayal—there's precedent for this. What happened once cannot happen again, so she was likely poisoned," Chu Dingjiang explained.
Previously, Wei Yue had fallen in love with Hua Rongjian and ultimately couldn't bring herself to act, not only exposing herself but also revealing the Emperor's intention to act against the Hua Clan.
But now, the conflict between the Emperor and the Hua Clan was practically out in the open. An Jiu was puzzled. "If Mei Jiu makes a move, wouldn't that tear the last shred of pretense between the Emperor and the Hua Clan?"
Chu Dingjiang analyzed it for her: "The current Emperor is seriously ill and has no choice but to plan for the future. The Crane Control Army has discovered that Hua Rongjian has been in close contact with the Second Prince, showing clear signs of allegiance. If the Emperor were to pass away, the Great Song Dynasty could very well plunge into a civil war over the throne. The dynasty can't afford such turmoil right now."
"But that Crown Prince is truly unimpressive," An Jiu said, thinking of the Crown Prince and recalling only images of pale, jiggling flesh.
Chu Dingjiang smirked. "Don't let his debauchery fool you. He's ten times more cunning than the Second Prince."
Setting aside Mei Jiu for the moment, An Jiu asked him, "So what's your plan? You're not thinking of supporting the Crown Prince, are you?"
Chu Dingjiang smiled without answering.
An Jiu tugged at his robe. "You can't be serious?"
"For now, I plan to visit the Second Prince's residence," Chu Dingjiang said.
"But didn't you say he's not as cunning as the Crown Prince?" An Jiu privately believed that an emperor should be inscrutable. (To be continued...)
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