Hidden Shadow – CH 193

Chapter One-Hundred-Ninety-Three: What Am I Like?

An Jiu did not know Zhu Pianxian’s past, but seeing her relationship with her family and her early widowhood, she could guess that Zhu Pianxian had experienced misfortune, yet she still lived happily.

An Jiu wanted to be like that, someone who would never despair of life, no matter what she experienced.

Mei Jiu was the same. Although she was out of touch with reality and seemed incompetent in the Mei family’s environment, she never considered suicide or murder. She even secretly envisioned a bright future.

Thinking of her again, An Jiu sighed and said softly, “There was a girl I always wanted to kill, and she knew it. But when she died, she told me to find a place to plant a few mu of grapes, raise a flock of sheep, and marry into a good family.”

Chu Dingjiang did not reply.

After a moment, he suddenly asked, “What do you think I am like?”

“You…” An Jiu fell into deep thought.

Chu Dingjiang knew An Jiu was sharp-tongued, so he was fully prepared. He could accept whatever comparison she made to him and waited expectantly for her answer.

An Jiu said, “Like my mother.”

Mother!?

Chu Dingjiang’s smile froze.

Even saying she was like his father would have been easier to accept! How could she say her mother? He, a grown man, how could he be like her mother?

He did not know that this description was the highest praise in An Jiu’s heart. Chu Dingjiang gave her the feeling of being able to rely on him, like her mother, someone worth cherishing.

Chu Dingjiang thought back to the day he revealed his identity; she had also said her name was “An Jiu.”

“Have you ever been to school?” Chu Dingjiang wanted to know about her past. He asked this because she often used the wrong words, and her metaphors… were truly unbearable to listen to.

“Of course, I’ve read them!” An Jiu was very confident in this regard. “I used to be number one in every subject in the organization, reading countless books on firearms, military affairs, communications, and the like.”

Strictly speaking, An Jiu only received a normal education before the age of eight. Later, she was diagnosed with violent tendencies and bipolar disorder, and because the court convicted her of killing her father, everything she was exposed to afterwards was very targeted—mostly positive, beautiful, and simple content, not aimed at imparting knowledge, but at purifying the soul and alleviating her symptoms. After that, everything she learned was for the purpose of killing.

Upon closer examination, in terms of literature, especially Chinese literature, one word perfectly summarized her—uncultured!

However, the most tragic thing in the world was not being uncultured but being uncultured and unaware of it; more tragic than that was not being uncultured and unaware of it but being uncultured and thinking oneself very cultured!

Looking at her confident appearance, Chu Dingjiang smiled and said, “Besides these, have you not read anything else? For example, the Four Books and Five Classics, or perhaps The Precepts for Women.”

An Jiu had never even heard of these books. Mei Jiu had read it, but unfortunately, she only received incomplete memories.

So she honestly shook her head.

“Ah Jiu, why do I resemble your mother more than your father?” Chu Dingjiang asked.

“Father?” An Jiu’s voice suddenly rose.

The bright sunlight shone on her face, making her appear very pale. Chu Dingjiang saw unconcealed fear in her eyes.

Suddenly, he did not want to ask anything anymore. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms.

A black cloak enveloped An Jiu. The unique warmth of Chu Dingjiang’s body slowly calmed her emotions.

At this moment, Chu Dingjiang was certain that An Jiu’s mental state had been abnormal recently. Under normal circumstances, she would never show such an expression. She was always cold and aloof, and even her words, though seemingly polite, were full of barbs. Even her smiles looked sarcastic.

“Ah Jiu.” Chu Dingjiang felt he was becoming increasingly foolish, always doing things that brought him trouble, yet he still spoke, “You can rely on me without worry. I swear to God, I will never harm you.”

This was a heavy vow for Chu Dingjiang.

He did not know how he had come to this. He remembered that at first, he simply felt lonely and thought An Jiu was a good confidante, a weakling he could control and destroy at any time.

But amidst the shock, doubt, and confusion, he also felt it was good this way.

He could love and hate freely, and his life would be unrestrained.

Chu Dingjiang noticed the emotions of the person in his arms gradually calming down, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

“Hey!” Mo Sigui shouted at the two from the wall. “I’ve been here for a quarter of an hour; are you trying to freeze me to death?!”

Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu both possessed Transcendental mental power; they could sense anyone approaching immediately, so it was impossible for them not to know he was there.

“Are you done hugging? If you are done, hurry up and get down for acupuncture! I still need to roast sweet potatoes!” Mo Sigui urged.

The words had barely left his lips when the wall beside him collapsed at his feet with a deafening crash.

Chu Dingjiang pulled his cloak tighter and, with An Jiu in tow, landed in the courtyard.

“What’s going on? Is there an enemy attack?” Sheng Changying peeked out from the kitchen.

Zhu Pianxian, who had been spying nearby, saw Chu Dingjiang’s hostile expression and quickly shoved Sheng Changying’s head inside, then followed him into the kitchen.

“This lady…” Sheng Changying had not seen her before.

Zhu Pianxian, who was peeking from behind the door, heard the commotion and immediately reached out to tuck his head into her arms, tightly covering his mouth. “Do not make a sound, or I will kill you.”

Sheng Changying indeed fell silent and followed her, spying.

Outside, the three figures were bathed in twilight.

“Let’s go,” Mo Sigui said, not lashing out.

The three entered the house together, followed by Chu Dingjiang’s raised voice: “Take off her clothes?!”

Zhu Pianxian pulled Sheng Changying closer.

“How can I insert the needles without removing them?” Mo Sigui said calmly.

Zhu Pianxian clenched her fist excitedly, forgetting that her right hand was covering someone else’s face. Her nails dug deep into Sheng Changying’s flesh, causing him to tremble in pain.

Zhu Pianxian was oblivious, assuming Sheng Changying was as excited as she was.

“Hmm,” Chu Dingjiang’s mellow voice came from inside the room. “Please proceed with the acupuncture. I am not a petty person.”

“Please leave, Lord Chu. You are interfering with my acupuncture.” Mo Sigui’s tone was indifferent, but it felt cold.

“Alright.” Chu Dingjiang readily opened the door and came out.

Zhu Pianxian did not have time to escape and was caught red-handed. She chuckled awkwardly, “I…I…”

Sheng Changying seized the opportunity to pull her hand away, catching his breath, and said, “We came to see if there’s anything we can help with.”

“It’s nothing. You can go back and rest,” Chu Dingjiang said, his demeanor calm and composed, no different from usual.

Sheng Changying turned around, and Zhu Pianxian quickly followed behind him, but a sense of unease lingered in her heart. The man in front of her wore a wide robe and moved with an air of refinement; he was no ordinary kitchen servant!

Turning a corner, Sheng Changying headed straight for the kitchen. He was focused on finishing the half-cooked porridge—a man should finish what he started!

“Young master,” Zhu Pianxian called out, but he ignored her. Thinking he was angry, she quickly ran in front of him to block his path.

Only then did she see his face clearly: long, narrow, fox-like eyes with a weary expression and four deep fingernail marks on one cheek; he looked like a raccoon.

Over there, Chu Dingjiang silently leaped onto the roof, found a spot, and squatted down. He grabbed a tile, lifted it halfway, then paused. Should he look or not? If he looked and found out she had indeed undressed considerably, would not that be even more unpleasant? Better not to look!

He gently placed the tile down, about to climb off the roof, but then hesitated. He would not feel at ease without checking! Mo Sigui’s character…