An Jiu spent most of her time wearing dark warrior's outfits, so she was somewhat curious about these dresses. She randomly pointed to an indigo-blue dress with silver trim and a budding magnolia embroidered at the hem.
"This one is a bit too mature," Mei Jiu remarked. Knowing An Jiu wouldn't change her mind, she simply handed the dress over after offering the suggestion.
An Jiu took the dress behind the screen and, after much sweaty struggle, finally managed to put it on.
When she emerged, Mei Jiu's eyes lit up. She stepped forward to straighten the dress while praising, "You look good in anything."
An Jiu glanced down at her. Mei Jiu had regained her health well after childbirth, becoming much fuller than before, with skin so delicate it seemed it might break at a touch. "So all your weight went to your face, huh?"
Mei Jiu suddenly remembered this had originally been her own body—praising An Jiu was essentially praising herself. Her face flushed. "It's impossible to get along with you. Have you ever said a single nice thing in your entire life?"
"I only speak the truth. If you can't handle reality, don't blame me," An Jiu retorted shamelessly.
"..."
Mei Jiu didn't respond. After adjusting the dress, she stepped back to examine it carefully and nodded. "Perfect. Now we just need to do your hair. Sit over there."
Having weathered many storms and lived comfortably these past years, Mei Jiu was no longer the timid girl she once was. Even facing An Jiu, she no longer trembled like before.
An Jiu obediently sat at the dressing table, watching through the mirror as the elegantly dressed Mei Jiu personally styled her hair.
Outside the window, plum blossoms bloomed vibrantly, reminiscent of their days in Plum Blossom Village when they shared one body—so intimately close yet so distant. Even now, it remained the same. Mei Jiu had returned to a normal life, while An Jiu still struggled in the mire.
In truth, it wasn't about circumstances. Mei Jiu had married into the Hua Clan as a Crane Control Army spy—a near-suicidal mission. Yet against all odds, she not only survived but became the genuine Hua Furen. While luck played a part, Mei Jiu's wisdom and efforts were indispensable.
In contrast, An Jiu's situation allowed for advancement or retreat—what truly bound her was her own heart.
When a person knows what they want and strives for it, life tends to work out. But for those lost and directionless, they can only rely on fate's mercy—betting on luck and character.
"You're stronger than me," An Jiu suddenly said.
Mei Jiu's hands paused briefly before resuming, her face still wearing a serene smile. "How rare. To think I'd live to hear you praise me."
"Tch." An Jiu tapped her fingers on the dressing table, slightly melancholic. "If even someone like you could do it, I should step up my game."
"What do you mean, 'someone like me'?" Mei Jiu feigned indignation.
"Was that inaccurate?" An Jiu thought for a moment, then raised a brow at her reflection. "Slow and steady wins the race?"
"Honestly, I can't win against you!" Mei Jiu carefully braided her hair. "You're such a strange person—arrogant, sharp-tongued, a ruthless killer—yet somehow, you never feel truly wicked."
An Jiu arched a brow, idly tapping a hairpin against the jewelry box. "When has a little white rabbit like you ever thought anyone was wicked?""An Jiu, I've changed." Mei Jiu took a fine-toothed comb dipped in osmanthus oil and gently smoothed her hair. Leaning closer to the mirror to check if the hairstyle was neat, she said, "I'm no longer that fool who thought everyone in the world was good. I... have also learned to kill."
"Oh." An Jiu responded expressionlessly. "Do tell, let me see how a rabbit bites."
"Though I haven't killed with my own hands, the lives taken by my schemes are more than one or two. When I wake at midnight, I always feel these hands are so very dirty." Mei Jiu's hand holding the comb trembled slightly. "They wanted to harm me—it was either them or me. I didn't want to die, so I had to strike first, but I still feel these hands are filthy."
Whenever she felt this way, Mei Jiu imagined she was still sharing a body with An Jiu, as if that could bring her some peace.
Suddenly, An Jiu raised her hand and grasped Mei Jiu's trembling one. "Killing will never cease in this world—it's a natural thing. Humans slaughter livestock to eat and survive. If you don't eliminate your enemies, you'll die. Why feel guilty?"
In the mirror, An Jiu's dark eyes were cold and steady. "You don't need to kill anymore. Forget it. Consider those people as killed by me."
Mei Jiu smiled, her eyes glistening. "Actually, you really are a good person."
Though An Jiu's kindness was reserved for very few.
Mei Jiu quickly composed herself and advised, "An Jiu, stop doing those things. Live a peaceful life. Didn't you say you wanted to herd sheep?"
An Jiu lowered her head in silence for a moment before looking up with determination in her eyes. "I could fulfill that dream now, but I'm not ready for such a life yet. If one day I can't free myself, even herding all the sheep in the world wouldn't bring me joy."
She stretched out her fair hands and examined them. "I also feel dirty. Whenever the uncontrollable thirst for blood rises within me, I feel even filthier."
An Jiu finally understood why she had once despised Mei Jiu so much—not just because she loathed her weakness, but also because she envied her purity.
An Jiu wasn't the type who, having fallen herself, wished for the whole world to fall with her. Now that Mei Jiu claimed to have killed, An Jiu felt no joy, only an indescribable heaviness in her heart.
"Enough of these gloomy thoughts. Now that you're awake and I've borne your godson, we have a long life ahead." As she spoke, Mei Jiu swiftly finished pinning up the hair and began selecting suitable hair ornaments.
Mei Jiu particularly liked dangling styles, believing such accessories would lend a graceful sway when walking.
But she clearly miscalculated. After just a few steps, An Jiu grew irritated and yanked out all the hairpins. "Wearing skirts is bothersome enough without adding these trinkets—pure trouble!"
"What's a little inconvenience for beauty?" Mei Jiu tried to reinsert them.
"Before, I couldn't do anything to you." An Jiu turned to stare at her. "Now I can beat you up."
Mei Jiu's hand trembled, and she quickly withdrew the hairpin. Knowing An Jiu well, she didn't take this as a joke. When An Jiu said she'd hit someone, she meant it—without hesitation, whether the target was an empress dowager or the emperor himself.
"Fine, fine, no ornaments then." Mei Jiu conceded in defeat.However, recalling Chu Dingjiang's expression when he saw An Jiu, Mei Jiu immediately became enthusiastic again. She draped a fox fur cloak over An Jiu and urged, "Come on, let's go to Cousin's place."
An Jiu didn't object and followed her to that room.
Inside, medicinal herbs were piled up chaotically like haystacks. Amidst the hazy smoke, three men lay sprawled in disarray.
When An Jiu pushed the door open, Chu Dingjiang was the first to notice her and couldn't help but freeze momentarily. (To be continued...)
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