Hidden Shadow – CH 215

Chapter Two-Hundred-Fifteen: The White Lotus’s Counterattack

“I am only now realizing how blunt you are.” Hua Rongjian leaned back, muttering to himself, “Is that not right? I am a joke.”

An Jiu frowned. “This is not like you.”

“Not like me? What kind of person am I?” Hua Rongjian tilted his head, asking.

“A heartless airhead¹ who only knows how to have fun,” An Jiu answered truthfully.

Hua Rongjian chuckled. Although he did not know what an airhead was, he knew even with his toes that it was not a compliment.

An Jiu continued, “The way you were before was fine.”

Not everyone had the opportunity to be carefree. An Jiu used to dislike his personality, but she loved the bright smile he always wore.

Hua Rongjian’s expression was complicated. He had lived a good life these past few years. He had left home for several years due to illness as a child. After returning, his mother always felt she did not love him enough and spoiled him rotten. His father and older brother, though strict, did not feign their love. What more could he ask for?

Prime Minister Hua, having risen to a position second only to the Emperor, was naturally no ordinary man. He had handled the events of that year perfectly, leaving no trace for Hua Rongjian to uncover, no matter how hard he investigated. He simply felt something was amiss, lacking concrete evidence.

However, nothing stays hidden forever. Hua Rongjian was not incompetent; with enough determination, he might be able to find out the truth. But regarding the secret of his origins, he desperately wanted to know, yet feared knowing it.

“You probably do not know my new sister-in-law, do you?” Hua Rongjian changed the subject.

“That’s why I’ve come to introduce myself,” An Jiu said.

Hua Rongjian leaned closer to her, lowering his voice, “I heard you joined the Konghe Army. You would not happen to be in contact with my new sister-in-law, would you?”

“No,” An Jiu said, rising to her feet. “To avoid alerting your guards, have someone take me there.”

Hua Rongjian leaned back lazily. “Chunmeng, take her to see Sister-in-law.”

The girl standing not far away bowed in agreement. “Yes.”

An Jiu glanced back at him as she reached the bottom of the steps, thought for a moment, and said, “Some things are easier to bear if you do not think about them.”

“Wow? You’ve changed so much in just a few days! You’ve even learned to comfort people now.” Hua Rongjian did not know her well, but he understood her personality fairly well. He asked with interest, “Do you know what I am thinking about?”

“I roughly understand,” An Jiu said. “When a fool finally realizes he’s a fool, pain is inevitable.”

Hua Rongjian looked at her. Sunlight shone on her smooth, white forehead, and her beautiful eyes were full of seriousness, without a trace of a joke. He immediately regretted asking her that last question and waved helplessly, saying, “Goodbye.”

An Jiu paused, adding before leaving, “While it is good to be self-aware, as a simpleton, you know too much. That makes you unhappy.”

“Fourteenth Young Lady,” Hua Rongjian sighed heavily, “it’s truly a blessing from heaven that you did not agree to marry me.”

An Jiu nodded, “It’s rare that you can see the truth. Very good.”

With that, she turned and left with Chunmeng.

Chunmeng was a very clever girl; her eyes always smiled when she spoke, and she was very approachable. An Jiu liked people like her very much.

So when they arrived at Hua Rongtian’s residence, while standing at the door waiting for the maid to announce their arrival, An Jiu took the initiative to speak to her. “Your young master is quite mischievous, is he not?”

Chunmeng covered her mouth and laughed. “He is a bit, but he’s a very good person, and he’s usually very kind to us servants.”

“Is that so?” An Jiu kindly told her. “Do you not think your name sounds like ‘Spring Dream’?”

Chunmeng paused, her smile fading.

An Jiu said, “Even if it is not like a spring dream, the stirrings of spring are no ordinary stirrings…”

Chunmeng’s eyes welled up with tears. She pursed her lips, holding back her sobs, and choked out, “In the end, I am just a plaything. As long as My Lord likes me, that’s enough.”

For a respectable woman, this was humiliation. Chunmeng was a servant in the household of a high-ranking official, more pampered than the ladies of ordinary families. Her pride was inevitably a bit too high. Suddenly realizing she was merely an insignificant object in her master’s eyes was incredibly painful.

An Jiu could not understand her sudden sadness and comforted her, “Actually… it is a very natural and healthy thing…”

“No,” Chunmeng murmured, “It’s clearly ‘Spring water trickles down the steep rock, sprouting grass breaks through the shady track,’ taken from a poem by Wang Changling.”

This line came from “Goushi Magistrate Shen Xingzong Hosts a Wine Party at Nanxi and Leaves a Gift,” a poem full of imagery.

“Madam, please invite the lady inside,” the maid announced.

Chunmeng covered her face, bowed, and hurried away.

The maidservant glanced curiously at Chunmeng’s retreating figure but did not ask any further questions. “Please come in, Madam.”

An Jiu followed the paved path.

After passing a bamboo grove, she saw a pretty woman craning her neck to look out from under the eaves. Seeing An Jiu, her face welled up with tears, and she quickly came over and grasped An Jiu’s hand. “That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful!”

Tears streamed down her face.

“Let’s go inside.” An Jiu’s heart was also churning, but compared to the others, she was remarkably calm.

“Look at me; I was just crying,” Mei Jiu said, holding her hand tightly.

Inside the house, they each took their seats. Mei Jiu still did not want to let go, as if afraid An Jiu would leave.

“I was so afraid you would not come to find me.” Knowing An Jiu did not like contact with people, Mei Jiu reluctantly let go, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and then sent all the maidservants away.

An Jiu observed the way Mei Jiu bossed others around and felt a difference in her demeanor.

“Is no one around?” Mei Jiu asked softly.

An Jiu nodded.

She sighed and began to recount her story. She had actually been alive for three months. She did not know where she was; everyone around her knew martial arts. She had inherited some of the original owner’s remaining memories and could roughly understand her situation, but she had no way of finding out the details. She could only be cautious every day, afraid to reveal the slightest clue, lest someone notice something amiss.

Until half a month ago, several women suddenly led her to a lavishly decorated room and began preparing her for marriage. Then, in a daze, she was married into the family.

“These past few days I’ve been terrified, but I’ve also thought a lot. When I saw Hua… Eldest Master, I felt it was destiny.” Mei Jiu’s eyes softened, replaced by a firmer resolve. “At first, I was resentful. Since Heaven gave me a second chance at life, why did it have to put me in this predicament? Is it not said that good people are rewarded? But this is clearly torture. Later, I realized I was too greedy. Being able to start over is the greatest blessing Heaven can give me. As for the rest, I have to rely on myself. How many people can have their entire life go smoothly?”

She smiled. “Once I understood that, I felt at ease and was not afraid anymore. You held my hand as we killed people, and I crossed the Naihe Bridge² myself. What else in this world is there to fear?”