Hidden Shadow – CH 195

Chapter One-Hundred-Ninety-Five: Kiss

An Jiu was about to peel the chestnut with her hands when Chu Dingjiang reminded her, “Be careful; it is covered in thorns.”

“I’ve peeled hedgehogs before,” An Jiu said, feeling slighted, and went to break off a split chestnut.

As the chestnut split open, a thorn grazed her index finger, and blood immediately welled up.

An Jiu secretly glanced at Chu Dingjiang, and seeing that he was not paying attention, she shifted her body, turning her back to him, and wiped the blood off her hands onto her undergarment.

“All done?” Chu Dingjiang asked slowly.

An Jiu turned her head and saw that he had already put the lamb leg on the fire, looking at her with a half-smile.

“An accident,” An Jiu said indifferently.

“Come here!” Chu Dingjiang beckoned.

An Jiu picked up the broken chestnuts and squatted down beside him.

Chu Dingjiang was both amused and annoyed. “You never seem to forget about food. Show me your hand.”

An Jiu pulled her hand back into her clothes. “It’s just a little scratch; it will be fine in a minute.”

Chu Dingjiang grabbed her wrist, but An Jiu resisted and tried to kick him. Chu Dingjiang grabbed her ankle, which only made An Jiu more agitated, and she kicked back with her other foot.

The two of them started wrestling.

Chu Dingjiang was just joking and had not used his internal energy. But when he sensed An Jiu using her mental energy to attack, he panicked and immediately released his internal energy, pinning her to the ground. “An Xiaojiu! Do not use your mental energy!”

An Jiu then remembered Mo Sigui’s instructions and immediately withdrew her mental energy.

“Disobeying medical advice, do you want to die?” Chu Dingjiang felt he had to teach her a lesson for this habit of using her mental energy whenever she started fighting.

However, An Jiu did not have internal energy; without this domineering mental energy, she would have had a hard time even dealing with a fourth- or fifth-level internal cultivator.

An Jiu remained silent, her dark eyes fixed on the face so close to hers.

The surroundings were quiet. When Chu Dingjiang was not thinking of anything else, his senses sharpened dramatically as he pressed against her soft body. His blood seemed to boil, and the flow of his inner energy surged several times faster.

Their breaths could be heard.

Afraid of startling her, Chu Dingjiang slowly and deliberately moved closer.

An Jiu, for some unknown reason, suddenly looked up and kissed his lips.

The sudden “attack” stunned Chu Dingjiang.

An Jiu stared, feeling everything around her blur, only Chu Dingjiang’s breath clear and distinct, warm and sweet, like sunshine on her skin, making her feel soft and tingly—she loved it. She could not help but lick it with her tongue.

Chu Dingjiang’s heart pounded wildly, the thunderous thud echoing in his ears. He cradled the back of her head, instantly taking control.

The kiss came like a storm, fierce and intense, making her heart race. An Jiu jerked away, glaring at him with displeasure.

“Ah Jiu…” Chu Dingjiang’s voice was hoarse, somewhat surprised by his earlier loss of control.

An Jiu looked at his lips. Her gaze gradually softened.

Although Chu Dingjiang wore a human skin mask, the shape of his lips remained unchanged; they were not too thin or too full, with distinct angles at the cupid’s bow. The color was pale, not as pink as a woman’s, but very beautiful.

“Ahem.” Chu Dingjiang’s heartbeat gradually calmed, and seeing her expression soften, he felt relieved. “The lamb leg is going to burn.”

He went over and flipped the lamb leg.

The aroma temporarily diverted An Jiu’s attention. An Jiu leaned closer to look; the other side was already roasted to a mouthwatering golden brown. The last vestige of displeasure was instantly forgotten.

“Ah Jiu, do not use force during this time. If anything happens, I will protect you,” Chu Dingjiang said.

A cold wind dispelled the ambiguity, and both of them instinctively put aside what had just happened.

An Jiu stared intently at the lamb leg, her face tense as she tried to calm her racing heart. The feeling of their kiss involuntarily flashed through her mind, and her heart, instead of calming down, beat even faster! She pursed her lips, but a blush rose to her cheeks.

In the flickering orange firelight, Chu Dingjiang could not see the color on her face, only her tense expression and lips almost pressed into a line.

It had all happened so suddenly; perhaps neither of them was prepared. Chu Dingjiang reassured himself but secretly wondered, did she not feel anything at all? This was not just a blow to his confidence; it also made him a little uneasy. Did she absolutely have no feelings for him…? A crackling sound came from the fire.

After a while, Chu Dingjiang broke the silence. “Hold out your hand.”

An Jiu, focused on the lamb leg, seemed not to hear him.

“There’s something delicious,” Chu Dingjiang tempted.

An Jiu turned around and held out one hand.

“Both hands,” Chu Dingjiang said.

An Jiu thought for a moment, then obediently held out both hands.

Chu Dingjiang nodded in satisfaction, took out a small bottle, sprinkled some on the wound on her right index finger, and wrapped it with a piece of cloth.

“Liar!” An Jiu angrily pulled her hand back.

“Do not move!” Chu Dingjiang grabbed her, bandaged her finger, and then let go, suddenly remembering something. “You have an internal injury; I do not know if eating this will cause any problems. It is best to be careful.”

Saying this, he reached for the lamb leg.

An Jiu would not have it. She grabbed his hand tightly, glaring at him. “Chu Dingjiang, roast it!”

“There are also chestnuts and sweet potatoes.” Chu Dingjiang put down the lamb leg, peeled the chestnuts, and buried a handful of brown chestnuts in the fire.

“Roast!” An Jiu looked ready to fight to the death if he did not roast the lamb leg.

“You sit here; I will be right back.” Chu Dingjiang put the lamb leg on the table and quickly returned to the post station.

He returned a moment later.

“They said you could eat a little.” Chu Dingjiang’s tone was much more relaxed.

An Jiu, hearing this, was in a much better mood and then remembered to check on Mo Sigui. “You did not take the sweet potato, and you did not hit him, did you?”

“…”

“You hit him again?” An Jiu was a little displeased. “You cannot just hit him all the time.”

“I originally thought I’d just take the sweet potato and leave it at that,” Chu Dingjiang explained. “Who knew he’d poison the sweet potato to trick you? This cannot be allowed to continue; we had to teach him a lesson!”

“He was not like this before,” An Jiu said.

Chu Dingjiang asked curiously, “Mo Sigui is your cousin, right? You have not been back at the Mei family for long; why are you so close to him?”

“I do not know,” An Jiu thought carefully. “At first, I was a little interested because he looked decent enough. Later, when I found out he was a physician, I disliked him. Then, I realized his personality and appearance were completely mismatched, like a fly that I could not get rid of. After getting to know him better, I found him to be a decent person.”

“You like handsome men?” Chu Dingjiang suddenly felt a burning pain on the scar on his face.

“Let me tell you a secret,” An Jiu leaned closer and whispered. “I used to like destroying beautiful things. I think little flowers are very pretty, and I like them a lot, but sometimes I cannot help but want to smash them to pieces. The physician said it is an illness.” An Jiu had mental problems; she was very clear-headed when she was calm.

Chu Dingjiang had suspected An Jiu had a mental illness long ago. Before he’d seen her innocent side, he was not deeply impressed; he only saw her as a fierce and ruthless woman. However, the longer they spent together, the more he realized that the innocence hidden beneath her ruthlessness was her true nature.

“I am experiencing these impulses less and less these days. Does that mean I will be better soon?” An Jiu looked at him expectantly.

Having grown up in the Warring States period, Chu Dingjiang had witnessed countless mountains of corpses and lives wasted on people. He was not a compassionate person; he’d seen too many pitiful people. Even if someone died of illness or starvation before his eyes, he rarely felt much pity. But looking into An Jiu’s expectant eyes, for some reason, he felt a pang of pain in his heart.

Perhaps it was because he saw the tenacious resilience of life in her.

“Yes!” Chu Dingjiang told her confidently, “You will be better soon! Besides, is Mo Sigui not there? If he cannot cure you, I will beat him to death.”

An Jiu cheered. Although she was still an assassin, she felt increasingly at ease, no longer losing control at the sight of blood, even in the heat of battle. All this change was because of Chu Dingjiang, because of Mo Sigui, because of everyone around her. And even more so because of… Mei Jiu.

“Does everyone have an afterlife? Or a chance to be reborn?” An Jiu asked.

Chu Dingjiang knew without a doubt that An Jiu was thinking of the girl who made her herd sheep, so he replied, “Yes, kind people are reborn into wealthy families, living a peaceful and joyful life.”

“That fool Mei Jiu would probably be even better off.” An Jiu’s lips curved slightly upward.

This smile was not a morbid, silly smile nor a cruel, bloodthirsty one; it was simply a quiet bloom in the winter night, like a pure white, fragrant epiphyllum in full bloom, reflected in Chu Dingjiang’s deep eyes and etched into his heart.

He was genuinely happy for her.

Smelling the aroma of the roasted lamb leg, Chu Dingjiang hurriedly began to flip it, then suddenly stopped. “Mei Jiu?”

“Yes!” An Jiu did not hide it from him. “It’s Fourteenth Young Lady.”

Chu Dingjiang already had a guess in his mind, so he did not press further. He only knew that the woman before him was the one he knew and had no relation to anyone else.

“You can eat now!” Chu Dingjiang used his dagger to cut off a piece of tender meat and handed it to An Jiu.

An Jiu hurriedly put it in her mouth, the heat making her gasp for breath.

“Haha!” Chu Dingjiang laughed, using his dagger to make a circular cut on the lamb leg. “There’s no use in rushing; you can only eat this much today!”

An Jiu, biting into the lamb, did not have time to pay attention to him, finishing one piece after another.

Chu Dingjiang slowly cut the meat, handing her some chestnuts, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and other snacks as he went, and soon she was full.

An Jiu looked regretfully at the remaining large leg of lamb and told him, “Wrap it up, and we will eat it tomorrow.”

“I’ve been busy all night, but I am still not full,” Chu Dingjiang said, taking large bites of meat. “It would be even better if there were some wine.”

After they finished eating, they huddled around the fire to warm themselves. The warm firelight flickered, and they both suddenly remembered that kiss.

An Jiu tensed up, her face tightening again.

Chu Dingjiang thought about trying again, but when he turned to look at An Jiu’s expression, he hesitated. It was clearly a rejection…