Chapter Five
A gentle breeze lifted their hair and robes as A Shun smiled sweetly, "Sister."
"A Shun." Mei Jiu was overjoyed and about to reach for her hand when she suddenly heard An Jiu cough heavily. Embarrassed, she withdrew her hand.
Unaware of what had happened, A Shun took the initiative to link arms with Mei Jiu, leaning in to whisper, "Sister, I'm a little nervous."
An Jiu immediately snapped, "Stay away from this girl!"
Only Mei Jiu could hear An Jiu's voice, but their physical sensations were synchronized. Unaccustomed to such closeness, An Jiu instinctively wanted to throw A Shun over her shoulder.
"A Shun..." Mei Jiu hesitated, wanting to push her away but unable to find an excuse.
Her lack of comforting words made the atmosphere slightly awkward.
Wen Cui pretended not to notice and smiled, "Young misses, please board the boat."
A Shun gave Mei Jiu a puzzled glance, noticing her distracted state, and gestured for her to board first.
To prevent A Shun from getting too close again, Mei Jiu deliberately chose the narrowest spot at the bow, where only she could fit.
Once everyone was aboard, the boat drifted leisurely across the water.
A Shun, unsettled by Mei Jiu's sudden distance, decided to break the silence. She turned to her maid and asked, "Wen Bi, I'm not very familiar with the family's customs. Are there any formalities when meeting the Old Madam?"
Mei Jiu looked at Wen Bi. Her appearance was quite different from Wen Cui's—her long, thin face wasn't particularly pretty, with heavy single eyelids and eyes that showed more white than black when she looked at people. She rarely smiled, but her tone was gentle. "Our Old Madam is very kind. She has few descendants, and now that she has two more granddaughters, she’s delighted. You needn’t worry, miss."
Wen Cui chimed in, "That’s right! Our Old Madam isn’t like the one from Cloud Brake Residence. She’s very warm!"
"Are there two Old Madams in the family?" A Shun asked curiously.
Wen Cui explained, "The two Old Madams are sisters-in-law. Our Old Madam is the eldest daughter-in-law of the main branch, while the Old Madam of Cloud Brake Residence is the wife of the second branch. Both elder masters have passed away."
Listening to their conversation, An Jiu roughly understood the family structure. The Mei Shi family was currently divided into two branches: the main branch had fewer members, while the second branch was flourishing with descendants.
The boat glided smoothly, reaching the shore in less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
As they disembarked, a vast pine forest came into view. The surrounding trees were all evergreens, their emerald hues glistening with morning dew, a stark contrast to the withered autumn leaves elsewhere.
A young woman in smoky-colored robes stood at the small dock to greet them. "Sisters Wen Bi and Wen Cui, you’re back!" She then curtsied gracefully to Mei Jiu and A Shun. "This humble maid, Chun Yi, greets the young misses."
Seeing Mei Jiu at a loss for words, A Shun spoke up, "Miss Chun Yi, there’s no need for formalities."
An Jiu scoffed, "Could you be any more useless? Wasting such a presentable face!"
This remark was, of course, directed solely at Mei Jiu.
Standing in the morning light, Mei Jiu felt less afraid of An Jiu and retorted softly, "I’m just a village girl. I don’t know how to act like a noble lady."
An Jiu received another fragment of memory: Mei Jiu had lived in the countryside, but Mei Yanran hadn’t raised her as an ordinary village girl. She had been taught zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—though her limited social interactions made her somewhat shy.An Jiu admired the scenery while murmuring, "The reason humans reign supreme over other species is our advanced ability to disguise ourselves. You've lived this long without mastering even the most basic deception—clearly, you're defective."
Mei Jiu didn't understand some of the words, but through their mental connection, she grasped the general meaning. Unable to refute, she lowered her eyes to stare at her toes.
"Look up!" An Jiu commanded.
"What will it take to satisfy you?" Mei Jiu thought this ghost was being unreasonably meddlesome!
Their internal exchange went unheard, but A Shun, who had been watching Mei Jiu closely, clearly noticed the flash of anger on her face.
"We're here," Wen Cui announced.
Only then did Mei Jiu raise her head.
The architecture of Fragrance Avoidance Residence differed from the ornate carvings elsewhere—its gray walls, black tiles, and pine wood combined to create an unpretentious grandeur reminiscent of the Qin and Han dynasties.
The buildings nestled among verdant pines, with murmuring streams adding to the serene charm.
As the group paused outside, Chun Yi hurried in to announce their arrival and soon returned to usher them inside.
Mei Jiu's heart pounded in her throat, her palms slick with sweat. For An Jiu, this was absolute torture—she could gun down an entire squad without her pulse quickening, yet now she was forced to endure this nervousness.
Moreover, An Jiu's normal resting heart rate was forty-five beats per minute, while Mei Jiu's was over ninety. The sudden jump from forty-five to one-twenty felt like her heart might leap out of her chest! She wondered if Mei Jiu might drop dead any second.
Seeing Mei Jiu was hopeless, An Jiu quickly took conscious control.
Perhaps due to Mei Jiu's subconscious retreat, An Jiu effortlessly seized control of the body. The sudden vividness of sensation sent a small thrill through her.
"So this is my granddaughter?" came a woman's voice.
An Jiu looked up, meeting eyes as clear as a washed sky—definitely not those of an elderly woman.
Indeed, the woman seated in the host's position, dressed in a dark brown beizi, appeared barely forty. With willow-leaf brows, narrow upturned eyes, a delicate nose, and cherry lips, she was the picture of classical beauty.
Fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes when she smiled. "Come here."
An Jiu obediently stepped forward, followed by A Shun.
"Good child." The woman took An Jiu's wrist, discreetly checking her bones and pulse. Finding nothing unusual, her smile faltered slightly as she studied An Jiu's face more closely.
"Good child." Meeting An Jiu's gaze finally revealed something different—those icy depths were anything but ordinary. "What's your name?"
"Mei Jiu," An Jiu answered crisply.
The woman frowned. "What kind of name is that? Such neglect for my granddaughter."
Gazing at the pine forest outside, she pondered before reciting, "'Plum blossoms fall like scattered snow at the steps, brushing them off only to cover me again.' From today... your name shall be Mei Ru Xue. This name will be recorded in the family registry."
"Yes, Grandmother." An Jiu played the "obedient" role perfectly. A name was just a label—anything not utterly repugnant would do.
Mei Jiu, suddenly unable to control her body and now hearing her name changed, panicked. "Jiu was given by Mother, meaning enduring peace and prosperity! You can't just change it!"An Jiu threatened coldly, "Shut up, or I'll kill your mother. Do you want a name or your mother?"
Mei Jiu immediately quieted down.
"What about you?" Old Madam turned to A Shun.
A Shun was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Mei Shun."
"Tch, 'Mei Shun'? That's even more inauspicious." Old Madam was also dissatisfied and said, "Just call her Mei Ru Yan, meaning 'flame.'"
Wen Cui praised, "White plums like snow, red plums like flame—Old Madam, this name is truly exquisite!"
Old Madam chuckled, "Oh, not at all, I’m far behind the second branch! Tch, 'Mei Zhengjing'—'not serious'—such naming talent is something I could never match no matter how hard I try."
The maids covered their mouths and giggled obligingly. Wen Cui laughed and chided, "Old Madam, you always tease people."
"Alright, I don’t care for crowds. Everyone, go back now. Wen Cui, Wen Bi, help them settle in and keep your eyes sharp—pick some good maids to serve them." Old Madam leaned on Chun Yi’s hand and stood up to leave.
Just before stepping out, she paused and said, "Ru Yan, do not forget the Mei family’s kindness."
A Shun’s heart tightened, realizing that her disguise as a Mei daughter had been exposed. She immediately dropped to her knees with a thud. "Yes, Ru Yan swears never to forget."
An Jiu saw the faint smile on Old Madam’s profile, backlit by the light—gentle yet profound. When she spoke to people, she was warm and affectionate, but her actions were indifferent, just like the impression she gave now.
"Fourteen Lady, Shishi Niang, this servant will accompany you to Cloud Brake Residence," Wen Cui said.
An Jiu nodded, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was slightly off about the atmosphere here.
Mei Jiu struggled, trying to regain control of her body. An Jiu said coldly, "Stay still!"
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