Hidden Shadow – CH 117

Chapter One-Hundred-Seventeen: Handshake

An Jiu lowered her head, adjusted the crossbow’s blade, and fired an arrow.

With a thud, the arrow grazed Hua Rongjian’s right hand and embedded itself deeply in the nanmu carriage wall.

“You woman!” Hua Rongjian glared at her resentfully, then turned to look at the damaged carriage wall with a pained expression. “What a waste!”

An Jiu looked at this man who was worried about the carriage wall but not about himself. “The Hua family does not lack this kind of money, does it?”

“The Hua family does not lack it, but I do.” Hua Rongjian was not afraid to expose his weakness. He had a notorious reputation for slacking off, and Prime Minister Hua had long since controlled his spending.

Hua Rongjian paused slightly and then smiled, “But you do not need to worry. I secretly run several casinos; there’s plenty to spend.”

This surprised An Jiu. This should have been his secret, right? He just told her so casually?

“I want to get off,” An Jiu suddenly said.

“Wait, we will be there soon,” Hua Rongjian reassured her. “You cannot just wander around the streets like this. We are going to a tavern. The owner and I are good friends. We can enjoy the view from the window, and there are many interesting things to see. You will not be bored.”

The words “interesting things” successfully captured An Jiu’s attention. She peeked out from behind the curtain. Sure enough, there were very few women on the street; those who did pass by were mostly maids from wealthy families or other women.

The carriage traveled for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea before stopping in front of a secluded and simple tavern.

Hua Rongjian handed An Jiu a bamboo hat, then got out of the carriage and extended his hand to her.

In the bright spring sunshine, a handsome man in a blue satin robe smiled brightly. An Jiu glanced at his long, fair hand; the base of his thumb had thick calluses, suggesting he was skilled with a sword.

Hua Rongjian, seeing her icy demeanor, assumed she would ignore him, but she only hesitated for a moment before taking his hand.

Her soft, smooth hand was as cold as ice. Hua Rongjian could not help but hold it tightly, trying to melt it.

As their palms met, An Jiu felt a warm current flow into her hand, like a gentle early summer breeze, and a strange sense of familiarity.

The surrounding houses were dilapidated, and many poorly dressed people peeked in. Hua Rongjian led An Jiu quickly into the shop.

Inside, tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly, covered in a thick layer of dust, and cobwebs stretched everywhere, almost enough to make a blanket. An Jiu was wary and gently withdrew her hand. She looked up at the second floor. It was pitch black up there, the railings were broken and covered in dust, but strangely, some sections were very shiny, as if someone had wiped them clean.

An Jiu squinted and vaguely saw a figure in the darkness. She gripped her crossbow tightly.

Hua Rongjian clenched his fist in disappointment.

“Oh, you’ve brought Sister-in-law?” The voice preceded the person.

Immediately afterward, a man with a full beard leaned out from the second-floor railing. The surrounding gloomy light seemed to fall away as he slumped drunkenly against the railing. His large, beady eyes scanned An Jiu.

Hua Rongjian stepped forward to block her from his view, tilting his head back and laughing, “Do not talk nonsense. This is Fourteenth Young Lady Mei, not your sister-in-law.”

He then added, “I want to marry her, but she does not want to.”

The man seemed quite convinced. “That’s right, why would a decent woman want to marry you?”

Hua Rongjian laughed and scolded, “Nonsense! Get down here and entertain the guests!”

“No, there’s wine and meat in the back garden; go play by yourself!” The man said, about to pull back, when suddenly he remembered something and laughed with a particularly lewd grin. “I’ve already heard about what happened on the street, hehe.”

What happened on the street?

Hua Rongjian was completely bewildered. Judging from his tone, it was clearly not good news. But what was one thing if you could not get rid of something? Even if word got out tomorrow that he, Hua Rongjian, had impregnated a man, it would not be surprising. So he did not bother to investigate further and simply led An Jiu into the back garden.

From the outside, the house looked dilapidated, but once inside the garden, it was a completely different world. The garden was lush with vegetation, blooming flowers, and charming pavilions and terraces.

Hua Rongjian skillfully navigated the maze of paths and entered a house.

An Jiu reached the doorway and immediately noticed that the walls were covered with human faces! Men, women, young, and old, their eyes empty and terrifying.

She paused at the doorway.

“What is this?” An Jiu poked at the nearest face with her crossbow. The face fell off, revealing only a piece of skin.

Hua Rongjian explained, “For the past two years, I’ve been searching far and wide for renowned physicians for my elder brother. By chance, I met someone who calls himself a ‘Medical Immortal,’ but his medical skills are worse than a barefoot physician making a living on the street. However, he’s a skilled craftsman, especially adept at making these human skin masks.”

“Is that the old man from earlier?” An Jiu was intrigued by the thin mask and took a few steps closer.

Hua Rongjian laughed heartily, “Although he has a full beard, he’s actually not even thirty-five.”

An Jiu paused for a moment, then said, “Then he really does look like he’s wearing a human skin mask.”

“Speaking ill of others behind their backs, be careful of retribution.” The man’s voice suddenly came from the rafters.

An Jiu was startled. Had she been too careless, or was the man’s martial arts incredibly advanced?

Hua Rongjian seemed to guess her thoughts. “He made the sound transmission bowl himself.”

He picked out a mask from the wall that looked somewhat refined and held it up to An Jiu’s face. “You Mei clan women are always different, but it is inconvenient to walk on the street during the day, so I brought you here to find two suitable masks.”

“Hey! Do you two think I am dead?!” Another roar came from the roof beam.

Seeing that Hua Rongjian ignored him, An Jiu also ignored him.

“Hmm, this one is suitable.” Hua Rongjian was satisfied with what he had chosen, pointing to a stool by the window. “Sit down; let me help you try it on.”

An Jiu quietly released her mental power, sensing that there was indeed no one around, and sat down as instructed.

Seeing her so obedient, Hua Rongjian was somewhat surprised but also felt a faint joy.

Hua Rongjian stared intently at her. “Tsk tsk.” He touched his face. “I can see myself in your eyes.”

An Jiu stared at the face so close to hers, truly radiant like the moon. She was about to speak when Hua Rongjian pressed a finger to her lips.

He quickly said, “Do not speak; I understand, really!”

He dared not hear the words coming from those lips! In such a beautiful moment, he feared he would explode in anger.

“I want to ask, why are you so good to me?” An Jiu stared unblinkingly into his eyes.

Her soft lips brushed against his finger as she spoke, and Hua Rongjian trembled slightly, withdrawing his hand. “I am proposing marriage. I’ve made myself very clear.”

His cheeks burned, and he immediately turned away to find the adhesive tape to stick the mask on.

An Jiu stared at his back, pondering the familiar feeling she had when they shook hands earlier. She rarely interacted with people; in the past, she had mostly resisted shaking hands with others. This time, however, she had actually enjoyed it?

Why? An Jiu was certain it was not some strange emotional reason, because she knew very well that she disliked Hua Rongjian.