Hidden Shadow – CH 020

Chapter Twenty: The Fierce Mother

To still be able to mock others, she must have truly come to terms with it.

Mei Jiu began to understand An Jiu. Anyone who had experienced those things would be unable to let go, hence her sharp tongue. She also admired An Jiu; if she had gone through those things, she probably would not have survived.

The door was pushed open.

Mei Jiu forced herself to sit up, lifted the curtain, and glanced outside, seeing Mei Yanran carrying a food box in.

“Mother!”

Mei Yanran placed the food on the table and came over to help her up.

Mei Jiu reached out and hugged her, her voice thick with emotion. “Mother, I missed you.”

Having witnessed An Jiu’s misfortune firsthand, Mei Jiu deeply felt that her reunion with her mother was an immense blessing from heaven and therefore cherished it even more.

Mei Yanran paused slightly, then smiled. “You silly child, why are you suddenly acting so coquettish?”

An Jiu felt the sweet warmth emanating from Mei Yanran, sensing the overflowing happiness in Mei Jiu’s heart, and her soul trembled.

“Is Jiu’er feeling better today?” Mei Yanran asked.

“Much better,” Mei Jiu said, dragging her heavy body out of bed.

Mei Yanran led her to the dressing mirror and took a comb to help her comb her hair.

“Mother, how can I let you do this?” Mei Jiu grasped her hand.

Mei Yanran shook her head. “What’s wrong with helping my daughter comb her hair? Did I not always braid your hair when you were little? I have something to tell you.”

Mei Jiu obediently sat down.

“Jiu’er, starting today, you will be going to the clan school. You must study music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose diligently. As for riding, archery, and martial arts, just practice them to strengthen your body; do not go too deep into them.”

Mei Jiu looked at Mei Yanran’s chin reflected in the mirror, wondering what expression she was wearing. “Why?”

“Do not ask.” Mei Yanran gathered her hair into a simple, neat bun and tied it with a blue cloth strip. “The more you know, the deeper you will sink. Mother will not harm you, but I will tell you the reason at the right time.”

Mei Jiu readily agreed, “Alright, I will listen to Mother.”

Mei Yanran bent down and carefully examined her bun in the mirror. “Get closer to Elder Qi; if you can win his favor, you will have a way out in the future.”

Mei Jiu was about to ask why when she heard her say, “Shh—”

A moment later, footsteps sounded outside the door.

“Sister?” Mei Ruyan knocked on the door.

Mei Yanran paused for a moment, then moved to the table and sat down. “Come in.”

Mei Ruyan, hearing this, respectfully pushed open the door and entered, bowing to Mei Yanran. “Greetings, Mother.”

She called out “Mother” smoothly, but Mei Yanran’s expression remained unchanged. She carefully examined Mei Ruyan. “No need for formalities.”

The Old Madam clearly knew that Mei Ruyan was not of the Mei family bloodline but had not exposed it; instead, she had bestowed a name upon her to protect her. This made Mei Yanran quite wary. Whatever her intentions, it could not be anything good.

“The Old Madam is not someone easy to deal with. Aside from paying your respects, you do not need to treat her like a grandmother,” Mei Yanran said bluntly, her brows furrowed. “Ruyan, I know you are a perceptive child. Now I am giving you a choice. If you want to rely on the Old Madam’s protection, I will not stop you, nor will I expose you, but from now on, you are forbidden from approaching Jiu’er. If you are willing to rely on me like Jiu’er, I will ensure your safety and wealth.” Looking at Mei Yanran’s indifferent expression, Mei Ruyan felt a strange fear creep into her heart.

Seeing the current situation, it was clear that the stepmother and stepdaughter were enemies. The Old Madam currently held far more power than Mei Yanran, yet she knew nothing about her. Mei Yanran had placed her on the same level as Mei Jiu, who was quite naive. Gritting her teeth, she decided to take a gamble. “I was born and raised in a lowly place. In a brothel, if you do not know how to scheme, you will only be someone else’s cash cow. I am cunning, but I also know how to repay kindness. Since you’ve accepted me as your daughter, I will treat you as my own mother.”

Mei Yanran smiled faintly. “Alright, I’ve remembered. You two go to the clan school early.”

With that, she rose and left.

Mei Jiu had never seen her mother so cold before and was momentarily stunned. She only snapped back to reality after her mother left. “Sister, Mother is just always cautious. Do not take it to heart.”

Mei Ruyan smiled. “Of course not. I am very happy that Mother was so frank with me.”

“Young Lady, this servant has come to help you wash and change,” someone said at the door.

Hearing an unfamiliar voice, Mei Jiu glanced at Mei Ruyan with a puzzled look. Seeing her equally bewildered expression, she said, “Come in.”

Two maids in light beige dresses led the way in, bowing to Mei Ruyan and Mei Jiu:

“This servant, Yao-Ye, greets both young ladies.”

“This servant, Dan-Yue, greets both young ladies.”

Mei Ruyan reacted first: “Where are Wen-Bi and Wen-Cui?”

Yao-Ye replied, “Reporting to the Fifteenth Young Lady, the two elder sisters were sent to the Bixiang Residence by Lady Yan. Lady Yan assigned us, servants, to serve the two young ladies.”

Mei Ruyan was delighted, but also a little frightened. Mei Jiu’s mother seemed frail and quiet, yet she had actually dared to challenge the Old Madam and acted so fiercely and decisively.

An Jiu, who had been watching the scene unfold, finally spoke slowly, “Your mother is extraordinary. Her heart rate is fifty beats per minute, and her breathing is barely perceptible. She must have trained, and her martial arts skills are quite high.” An Jiu had sensed this when Mei Jiu held Mei Yanran earlier; Mei Yanran’s “stillness” was not just a demeanor but a manifestation of her martial arts training in every detail.

“My mother knows martial arts, but only the basics,” Mei Jiu thought to herself.

“You were ambushed on your boat, and your mother swam ashore with you. Why did she hide you? It must be because the pursuers were either highly skilled or numerous. Your mother felt she could not escape with you, so she hid you in a safe place and distracted them! She had time to hide you while being pursued, and she even managed to escape unscathed. Do you think that’s something that can be done with fancy moves? And I bet if she had not known you were captured, your mother probably would not be here.” An Jiu said through gritted teeth, “Your intelligence is infuriating!”

Dan-Yue reminded her, “Young Ladies, Lady Yan has just returned to the mansion, and there are not many servants available. So, the two of us will each serve one young lady.”

“Sister, please choose first,” Mei Ruyan said.

Mei Jiu wanted to decline, but An Jiu interrupted, “Choose Yao-Ye.”

Thinking of what An Jiu had been through, Mei Jiu agreed without hesitation, “I will choose Yao-Ye.”

After saying that, she wondered why An Jiu was so certain of choosing Yao-Ye. “Why her? Did you see that she’s skilled in martial arts?”

An Jiu said, “I just find her pleasing to the eye.”

Mei Jiu looked at Yao-Ye carefully for a few moments. The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a regular face and thick eyebrows that gave her a somewhat heroic air. Apart from that, she looked quite ordinary at first glance, with nothing particularly special about her. So she said sincerely, “It’s rare to find someone you find pleasing to the eye.”

An Jiu snorted, “You creature with the lowest IQ, do not assume all humans are as stupid as you!”

“You!” Mei Jiu probably understood what she meant and said angrily, “You are so unappealing; it’s impossible for anyone to be nice to you!”