Chapter Seven
"How could you be so rude!" Mei Jiu scolded An Jiu in her mind.
An Jiu replied nonchalantly, "With that kind of attitude, I thought she was tough and resilient. Who knew she’d be so weak! Besides, enemies are enemies—the fewer, the better!"
Mei Jiu corrected her, "She’s my grandaunt, not an enemy."
An Jiu couldn’t be bothered to argue. "I’ve been itching to kill someone lately. So, tell me—should it be you or that grandaunt of yours?"
"I…" Mei Jiu gritted her teeth. "If you must kill someone, kill me! Don’t harm my family!"
An Jiu paused, then felt Mei Jiu’s overwhelming tension, which made her uncomfortable. She snarled, "Fine, I won’t kill anyone—but you’d better toughen up. Otherwise, I’ll kill you first, then your whole family!"
"You’re so unreasonable," Mei Jiu protested, both afraid and unable to resist pushing back.
It was precisely this small defiance that amused An Jiu. "Unreasonable? Don’t insult my character. I can be very reasonable when I want to be."
Mei Jiu’s chest tightened with frustration. "Can’t you just speak properly?"
"Tch, it’s just words. Don’t get emotional!" An Jiu felt irritated. Reflecting on the situation, she couldn’t help but mock herself—it was like she was indulging in some high-level mental self-torture for fun.
Mei Jiu’s eyes reddened, and she stayed silent.
Wen Cui entered with tea and snacks, noticing Mei Jiu sitting quietly in the corner, her face slightly pale. Assuming she was still shaken, Wen Cui reassured her, "Don’t dwell on it, Miss. Aside from Second Madam, everyone in the second branch is reasonable and won’t blame you. Second Madam has a weak heart, and the whole family humors her. She’s lived so comfortably for so long that she can’t handle the slightest upset—it’s hardly your fault."
"Thank you, Wen Cui," Mei Jiu said.
Wen Cui smiled and leaned in to whisper, "If Third Madam finds out, not only won’t she hold it against you, she’ll probably thank you!"
"Isn’t Third Madam Second Madam’s daughter-in-law?" Mei Jiu asked, puzzled.
"She is, but since when do mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law truly get along? Third Madam and Second Madam keep up appearances but don’t see eye to eye." Wen Cui helped her up. "You’ve had a long day, Miss. Have some snacks to settle yourself."
Outside, dusk had fallen.
In Cloud Brake Residence, Second Madam lay with a damp cloth on her forehead, complaining to a middle-aged man. "Third Son, your mother may not have the bones or blood of the Mei family, but I’ve been married into it for forty years! Everything I’ve said and done has been for the Mei family! And now some milk-fed brat dares to call me an outsider!"
The middle-aged man replied, "Mother, asking the Mei family’s master to apologize to a servant—where does that leave our dignity?"
Second Madam shot up from the bed, pointing at him. "You—I raised a thankless wretch! How dare you side with outsiders!"
"Enough," interjected a woman in luxurious robes, sensing the tension had peaked. She stopped her husband from speaking further and sat on the embroidered stool by the bed, taking Second Madam’s hand. "Mother, you were just disciplining an impudent junior behind closed doors. How does that reflect on the Mei family’s dignity?"
"Exactly!" Second Madam finally calmed down a little.The Third Madam said, "It was all that ignorant maid's terrible idea. How dare a mere servant presume to make her master bow her head? Such wolfish ambition! Thankfully, Mother is wise and didn't agree. In my opinion, we shouldn't keep that maid either—dispose of her quickly. I'll select a better one for you, Mother-in-law."
Second Madam's face stiffened, realizing she'd fallen into another trap. Her eyes rolled back as she feigned unconsciousness again.
Jade Serenity Residence.
While clearing the table, Wen Cui remarked, "Third Madam is full of schemes. If not for Second Madam's seniority giving her some advantage, even a hundred of her wouldn't be a match."
Mei Jiu hadn't realized there were so many hidden complexities. Unable to make sense of it, she stopped trying. "Wen Cui, can I go sleep with Mother?"
Before Wen Cui could answer, An Jiu vehemently objected, "Absolutely not!"
"Young Mistress shouldn't wander about for now, but we can invite Yan Niangzi to Jade Serenity Residence," Wen Cui said as she carried the tray out.
An Jiu's voice tensed. "How terrifying to have someone sleeping beside you!"
"What's so scary about that?" Mei Jiu asked, puzzled.
"Isn't it horrifying to wake up next to a corpse?" An Jiu wasn't trying to frighten her. As the most wanted sniper with the highest bounty, hunted by countless experts, she'd developed the habit of leaving no living beings near her sleeping quarters.
Mei Jiu shivered. "I'll sleep alone," she whimpered.
Before bedtime, Mei Yanran came to see Mei Jiu but left after exchanging a few words.
Strangely, no lamps were left burning in the room, and no maids kept watch overnight. Unfamiliar with the customs of wealthy households, Mei Jiu found this unremarkable, though the pitch darkness frightened her.
"An Jiu, are you asleep?" Mei Jiu asked tremulously, curled under the blankets.
Though they shared the same body, Mei Jiu couldn't access An Jiu's memories or emotions. Yet she felt an inexplicable closeness to her. Compared to the unknown dangers lurking in the dark, An Jiu seemed less frightening.
An Jiu couldn't be bothered to respond.
"I can hear sounds from very far away now. I'm scared, but my heart isn't racing like before—it's like I'm not that afraid after all," Mei Jiu mused aloud. During the day, distractions had dulled this sensation, but now in the silent night, her heightened focus revealed even the distant howls of wolves in the wilderness.
An Jiu sighed inwardly. So Mei Jiu had inherited her abilities too. It seemed the final victor was still undecided! At least for now, Mei Jiu held the advantage—she was the body's original owner and didn't need to find ways to control it.
At this thought, An Jiu had an idea. She cleared her throat softly and spoke in the gentlest tone she could muster, "I'm here."
"Can we talk? I'm scared," Mei Jiu pleaded. Suddenly able to hear and perceive so much in the dead of night, what was once peaceful had turned terrifying.
"Not afraid of me anymore?" An Jiu asked.
Mei Jiu didn't answer. Afraid? Of course she was. But what frightened her most now were the faint rustling sounds—like leaves brushing against each other, or perhaps someone tiptoeing nearby.
"You don't need to fear me. I'm just staying here temporarily, and you happened to be the one I found," An Jiu said, racking her brain for ghost stories she'd heard before. "Not everyone can host me. That you can bear me means we're fated. You're doing a good deed, and blessings will surely follow."Fortune! It was hilarious. An Jiu thought playing the Big Bad Wolf was quite amusing.
She didn’t know many ghost stories, but she figured it was enough to fool Mei Jiu’s intelligence.
Sure enough, Mei Jiu was delighted. "I knew you weren’t a bad person."
"Good girl, you’re absolutely right," An Jiu affirmed enthusiastically. Of course, she wasn’t a bad person—because she was a demon.
"You sleep first. With me here, no monsters or ghosts can get close." An Jiu’s voice suddenly turned cold. "But while I protect you, you must promise not to tell anyone about my existence. Otherwise… you know what will happen."
"Okay," Mei Jiu agreed readily.
With companionship, Mei Jiu gradually relaxed and soon fell asleep.
An Jiu seized the chance to take control of the body and get out of bed.
She wouldn’t just sit and wait for death. If one person had to be sacrificed for another, she refused to be the victim! Even if coexistence was possible, she would do everything in her power to kill or expel Mei Jiu’s soul—because she had always been alone and needed no extra attachments.
She didn’t know how to seize the body yet, but first, she had to familiarize herself with it.
An Jiu could sense at least five people around the house, so she couldn’t make too much noise. Since she had nothing better to do, she started exercising inside the room—push-ups, sit-ups, and the like.
Only after trying did she realize how utterly weak this body was!
An Jiu lay on the ground—these thin arms couldn’t even manage a single push-up! It took sheer willpower for her to grit her teeth and force out five.
Too much too soon would be counterproductive, so she didn’t push herself. After the push-ups, she did twenty sit-ups.
Then, she sat on the bed and practiced finger exercises, which not only helped her control her limbs but also improved flexibility.
After working most of the night, An Jiu reluctantly closed her eyes.
Morning.
When Mei Jiu woke up, her entire body felt as if it were filled with lead—even her eyelids were unbearably heavy!
"Madam, today you must go to the front courtyard to greet the Master and the elders," Wen Cui reminded her, knocking on the door.
"Come in," Mei Jiu said, but she couldn’t even lift herself up.
Wen Cui pushed the door open and entered. When she reached the inner chamber and saw Mei Jiu’s pale face and dark circles, she was shocked. "Madam, what’s wrong?"
"I don’t feel well," Mei Jiu said weakly.
Wen Cui checked her pulse but couldn’t detect anything unusual. Assuming her own medical skills were lacking, she panicked. "What should we do? Meeting the elders can’t be delayed! I’ll go fetch a physician."
Before she even finished speaking, she dashed out like a gust of wind—clearly in a hurry.
Not long after, through the gauzy bed curtains, Mei Jiu faintly saw Wen Cui leading in an elderly man with a long beard.
The old man sat by the bed while Wen Cui placed Mei Jiu’s wrist outside the curtain, covering it with a thin, translucent silk cloth.
The physician rested his fingers on her wrist and examined her briefly. "Madam is in good health, merely overtired. Perhaps she hasn’t rested enough. Continue with the dietary tonic prescribed the other day, and she’ll recover fully within five days."
"But Physician Liu, Madam must meet the Master and the elders today. Is there any way to help her get out of bed?" Wen Cui asked.
Physician Liu replied, "She can get up without Medicine—it’ll just be a bit tiring. Fourteen Lady, please endure it."
"Thank you, Physician Liu," Wen Cui said, escorting him out.Upon returning, Wen Cui drew back the bed curtains. "Madam, today's matter is of utmost importance! Please bear with it a little longer."
"Mmm." Mei Jiu struggled to prop herself up.
Wen Cui helped her sit before the dressing mirror and began the daily routine of washing and grooming.
Today's attire was a plain smoke-gray, with hair simply tied into a modest bun devoid of any ornaments. "House rules dictate one must dress plainly when meeting the clan elders."
Mei Jiu smiled faintly. "This is more comfortable anyway."
"Mmm." Wen Cui applied a light dusting of powder to her face, concealing the dark circles beneath her eyes.
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These past few days, after reviewing the various metrics for "Fake Song," my friends and I were utterly stunned. We've been anxiously refreshing our screens daily, wondering if our eyes deceived us. How could we possibly deserve such overwhelming love and support! Whether it's PK votes, regular votes, comments, or bookmarks—Xiu Zhi is endlessly grateful. Though I can't thank each of you individually here (there are simply too many, tears), it seems I'll have to pour my heart and soul into writing this book! Clenches fist.
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