Hidden Shadow – CH 005

Chapter Five: Mei Ruxue

A gentle breeze lifted her hair and clothes. Ah Shun smiled sweetly. “Sister.”

“Ah Shun.” Mei Jiu was overjoyed and was about to take her hand when she suddenly heard An Jiu cough loudly, so she awkwardly withdrew her hand.

Ah Shun, unaware of what had happened, reached out and hooked her arm around Mei Jiu’s, whispering, “Sister, I am a little nervous.”

An Jiu immediately snapped, “Stay away from this woman!”

Only Mei Jiu could hear An Jiu’s voice, but their physical sensations were synchronized. An Jiu was not used to being so close to someone and instinctively wanted to throw Ah Shun over her shoulder.

“Ah Shun.” Mei Jiu was very embarrassed, wanting to push Ah Shun away but unable to find an excuse.

Mei Jiu did not offer any comfort, making the atmosphere slightly awkward.

Wen-Cui pretended not to hear and smiled, “Young Ladies, please board the boat.”

Ah Shun gave the absent-minded Mei Jiu a strange look and let her board the boat first.

To prevent Ah Shun from getting any closer, Mei Jiu deliberately chose the narrowest spot at the bow of the boat, just wide enough for her alone.

Once everyone was on board, the boat moved slowly forward in the water.

Ah Shun was uneasy, wondering why Mei Jiu had suddenly become distant, and decided to break the awkward silence. She asked her maid, “Wen-Bi, I am not very familiar with the household customs. Is there any etiquette I should show to the Old Madam?”

Mei Jiu looked at Wen-Bi. Her appearance was quite different from Wen-Cui’s; she had a thin, long face that was not particularly pretty, with somewhat heavy single eyelids. When she looked at people, her eyes were mostly white with less black than white. She did not smile much, but her voice was quite amiable. “Our Old Madam is very kind. She did not have many children or grandchildren, but now she has two granddaughters, which makes her very happy. Young Lady, you do not need to worry.”

Wen-Cui chimed in, “Yes, our Old Madam is nothing like that one at Shayun Residence. She’s very kind!”

“Are there two Old Madams in the family?” Ah Shun asked curiously.

Wen-Cui explained, “The two Old Madams are sisters-in-law. Our Old Madam is the eldest daughter-in-law, and the Old Madam of Shayun Residence is the principal wife of the second branch. Both Old Masters have passed away.”

An Jiu listened to their account and roughly understood the family’s situation. The Mei family was currently divided into two branches; the eldest branch had fewer members, while the second branch had many descendants.

The small boat drifted along, reaching the shore in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The group disembarked one after another. Before them stretched a large pine forest, surrounded by evergreen trees, their verdant leaves glistening in the morning mist—a stark contrast to the withered autumn leaves elsewhere.

A young girl in a smoky-colored dress stood at the small ferry crossing to greet them. “Sisters Wen-Bi and Wen-Cui are back!” she said, then smiled and bowed to Mei Jiu and Ah Shun. “This humble servant, Chun-Yi, greets both ladies.”

Seeing Mei Jiu uncertain about what to say, Ah Shun said, “Miss Chun-Yi, there’s no need for such formalities.”

An Jiu said disapprovingly, “Could you be any more clueless? What a waste of a presentable face!”

These words were directed only at Mei Jiu.

Standing in the morning light, Mei Jiu’s fear of An Jiu lessened somewhat. She said aggrievedly, “I am just a country girl; I do not know how to act like a refined young lady.”

An Jiu recalled a memory: Mei Jiu had always lived in the countryside, but Mei Yanran had never treated her like an ordinary country girl. She had been taught music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; it was just that Mei Jiu had little contact with people, so she was somewhat shy.

As An Jiu admired the scenery, she murmured, “What makes humans superior to other species is their advanced ability to disguise themselves. You’ve lived this long and still cannot even do the most basic disguise; you are clearly a defective product.”

Mei Jiu did not understand some of the words, but because of their telepathic connection, she could roughly grasp the meaning. Unable to refute, she could only lower her eyes and look at her toes.

“Look up!” An Jiu commanded.

“What will it take to satisfy you?!” Mei Jiu thought this devil was being far too nosy!

No one could hear their internal conversation, but Ah Shun, who had been watching Mei Jiu closely, clearly saw the fleeting anger on her face.

“We are here,” Wen-Cui reminded her.

Mei Jiu finally looked up.

The architecture of Bixiang Residence differed from the ornate beams and painted rafters of the surrounding buildings. The combination of green walls, black tiles, and pine trees exuded a simple yet grand atmosphere, reminiscent of the Qin and Han dynasties.

The buildings, nestled among the pines, with a babbling brook, created a tranquil and charming ambiance.

Several people stopped outside. Chun-Yi quickly went in to report, then returned shortly to welcome them in.

Mei Jiu’s heart was in her throat, her palms sweating profusely. This was absolutely inhuman torture for An Jiu. She could kill an entire squad with a single shot without her heart even racing, but now she was forced to experience this tension.

What was more, An Jiu’s normal heart rate was 45 beats per minute, while Mei Jiu’s was over 90. An Jiu already had difficulty adapting, and now it had jumped from 45 to 120—it felt like her heart was about to burst! She wondered if Mei Jiu was about to die suddenly.

Relying on Mei Jiu was futile; An Jiu quickly tried to control her body with her mind.

Perhaps it was Mei Jiu’s subconscious attempt to escape, but she easily gained control of her entire body. The sudden sense of reality made her involuntarily jump for joy.

“This is my granddaughter?” a woman’s voice came.

An Jiu looked up and was first met with a pair of eyes as clear and bright as the sky, definitely not the eyes of an elderly person.

Sure enough, the woman in the main seat, dressed in a dark brown jacket, was no more than forty years old. Her eyebrows were like willow leaves, her eyes long and narrow with slightly upturned corners, her nose delicate, and her lips cherry-red—a true beauty with an ancient charm.

When she smiled, fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes.

“Come here quickly.”

An Jiu obeyed and walked to her side, followed by Ah Shun.

“Good child.” The woman grasped An Jiu’s wrist, subtly feeling her pulse. When she found nothing unusual, her smile faltered slightly, and she carefully examined An Jiu’s face.

“Good child.” Meeting An Jiu’s gaze, she finally noticed something different. That cold, penetrating gaze was definitely not ordinary. “What’s your name?”

“Mei Jiu,” An Jiu replied concisely and firmly.

The woman frowned. “What kind of name is this? Such disrespect for my granddaughter!”

She gazed at the pine forest outside the door, pondering for a long time. “Fallen plum blossoms lie scattered like snow beneath the steps, brushing them off only to find them still covering you. From this day forward… your name will be Mei Ruxue¹, and this name will be recorded in the family genealogy.”

“Yes, Grandmother,” An Jiu agreed obediently. A name was just a label; as long as it was not unbearable to hear, it was acceptable.

Suddenly, Mei Jiu lost control of her body. In her panic, she heard the old lady change her name and protested even more fiercely. “Jiu is the name my mother gave me, meaning longevity and peace. It cannot be changed so easily!”

An Jiu threatened coldly, “Shut up, or I will kill your mother. Do you want your name or your mother?”

Mei Jiu immediately quieted down.

“And you?” the old lady asked, looking at Ah Shun.

Ah Shun was overjoyed and quickly replied, “Mei Shun.”

“Hmph, not ‘Shun’? Even less auspicious,” The Old Madam was also dissatisfied, saying, “Let’s call her Mei Ruyan, meaning ‘flame.'”

Wen-Cui praised, “White plum blossoms like snow, red plum blossoms like flames, Old Madam, you’ve chosen such a beautiful name!”

The old lady smiled and said, “Not at all, not at all; far inferior to the second branch! Hmph, Mei Zhengjing is so frivolous; her talent for naming is something I cannot even dream of matching.”

Several maids covered their mouths and chuckled in agreement.

Wen-Cui playfully scolded, “Old Madam always knows how to make fun of people.”

“Alright, I do not like crowds; go back now! Wen-Cui and Wen-Bi, you two help out and make arrangements, keep your eyes open, and pick out some good maids to serve them.” With that, the Old Madam, holding her spring dress, got up and left.

She stopped just before reaching the door. “Ruyan, never forget the kindness of the Mei family.” Ah Shun’s heart skipped a beat; she knew her secret of not being Mei’s daughter had been exposed. She immediately knelt on the ground with a thud. “Yes, Ruyan swears to never forget.” An Jiu saw the Old Madam’s profile, backlit, with a faint smile, peaceful yet profound. She was so warm and friendly when speaking to people, yet her actions were cold, just like the impression she gave now.

“Fourteenth Young Lady, Fifteenth Young Lady, this servant will accompany you to Shayun Residence,” Wen-Cui said.

An Jiu nodded, feeling that something was a little off about the atmosphere.

Mei Jiu struggled to control herself, but An Jiu coldly said, “Behave yourself!”