Since the late emperor had passed away and the Crane Control Army had fragmented, the new emperor, having usurped the throne, was unlikely to fulfill the late emperor's wish to exterminate the Hua Clan. That being the case, Mei Jiu was the legitimate eldest daughter-in-law of the Hua Clan, and the child she carried was the future legitimate eldest grandson of the Hua Clan. How could they allow An Jiu to remain outside for long?
Mei Jiu had always been the epitome of a virtuous wife, but this time, she was uncharacteristically stubborn. She felt that only she and An Jiu had shared such a unique bond. Half a month ago, she had even seemed to hear An Jiu speak a few words—how could she simply give up?
A light rain fell in the mountains, shrouding everything in mist.
Hua Rongtian and Mei Jiu sat in the pavilion for a long time before he finally spoke. "Why not bring Miss Mei to the Hua residence?"
Mei Jiu's eyes brightened, but then she hesitated. "Would Master Chu agree?"
"Is he her husband?" Hua Rongtian asked.
Mei Jiu shook her head. Though there was no formal title, Mei Jiu knew very well that the person closest to An Jiu in this world was Chu Dingjiang.
"If he's not her husband, then we only need her mother's consent. Besides, bringing her to the Hua residence is for her recovery—it's not a bad thing. Since she's your sister, I will naturally do everything in my power to help." Seeing the lingering worry in her expression, Hua Rongtian took her hand and softened his tone. "The Hua Clan is a prominent family, and you are its matriarch. Even if I wanted to stay here with you, it wouldn't be proper."
Mei Jiu understood that Hua Rongtian was thinking of her best interests. "I'll go ask them."
Hua Rongtian nodded and helped her back to the house.
Mei Jiu relayed the discussion to Mei Yanran and Chu Dingjiang.
Mei Yanran looked at Chu Dingjiang. "You decide."
After a pause, Chu Dingjiang turned and cupped his hands toward Hua Rongtian. "Then we'll impose on your hospitality."
Their decision to go to the Hua residence wasn't to seek the clan's power but to hold onto a sliver of hope regarding the connection between Mei Jiu and An Jiu. With An Jiu's mental strength scattered, the longer this dragged on, the worse her condition would become. Before Mo Sigui returned, Chu Dingjiang didn't want to sit idly by.
The Hua Clan's carriages had long been waiting outside the plum grove. Transporting a few people was no trouble—even without prior arrangements, it would have been manageable.
There was only one carriage, but it was spacious. An Jiu and Mei Jiu lay inside without feeling cramped, and there was even room for one or two maids to attend to them.
The two lay side by side, hands tightly clasped, just as their souls had once intertwined years ago.
Mei Jiu could hear the steady breathing beside her, yet she couldn't sense An Jiu's presence.
Memories flooded back, and Mei Jiu suddenly recalled how An Jiu had once fallen into a prolonged silence after suffering trauma many years ago. Unable to resist, she sat up and gazed at An Jiu's face with a sigh. "I hope it's like last time."
This was a scenario Mei Jiu had never imagined. She had always assumed someone as weak as herself would die young—and indeed, she had already died once. But shouldn't someone as strong as An Jiu live longer? Not end up a living corpse at such a young age.
The carriage moved slowly, not entering the city until evening.
Hua Rongtian privately arranged for An Jiu to stay in a courtyard close to Mei Jiu's, instructing the servants not to disturb them. Only Chu Dingjiang and Mei Yanran kept watch, with meals delivered daily.
Chu Dingjiang was satisfied with this arrangement.
As lanterns lit up the night, Panlou Street began to bustle with activity.Chu Dingjiang remained seated by the bed, taking out a scroll of silk and placing it beside An Jiu's pillow. "I've retrieved the mission you accepted for you. There's less than half a month left before the deadline. You said you wanted to do it yourself, so no backing out now."
This was a mission An Jiu had taken from the Bounty Board. Chu Dingjiang had initially assigned it to his subordinates, but before they could act, the emperor passed away, and the matter was temporarily set aside.
Despite his busy schedule, Chu Dingjiang still remembered An Jiu's insistence on taking it back—she wanted to complete it herself.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone was at the door. With a flick of his mental strength, Chu Dingjiang sensed it wasn't Mei Jiu or Mei Yanran, but someone familiar nonetheless—Hua Rongjian. (To be continued...)
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