Hidden Shadow – CH 216

Chapter Two-Hundred-Sixteen: Climbing Over the Wall

An Jiu’s lips curled slightly, but Mei Jiu did not see it because it was veiled.

“You’ve been so busy talking about me. How are you doing now?” Mei Jiu asked.

“Very well.” An Jiu paused, then said, “I’ve already joined the Konghe Army. Sooner or later, I will find out where your mother is. You…”

She suddenly did not know how to continue the question. Should she know about Mei Yanran?

Mei Jiu’s eyes welled with tears. “Let’s not tell her about this yet. If you have the chance to leave, take her away from this place of trouble and help me support her until the end. Even if… your birth into me was arranged by heaven, and you do not owe me anything, this body is still a piece of her flesh.”

“Do you know your current situation?”

If she did not know, Mei Jiu would definitely be thinking of taking care of Mei Yanran for the rest of her life. She would not have made this decision without thinking.

“I was born into the shadows. If His Majesty had not suspected the Hua family, he would not have assigned me here, and the Hua family might well know about this.” Mei Jiu’s face grew paler with each word. She forced a smile. “It’s all just my guess.”

An Jiu looked at her for a moment, then said with some emotion, “So some fools are foolish simply because they were not placed in the right time and place.”

Mei Jiu sighed helplessly, used to her way of speaking.

“What do you plan to do?” An Jiu suddenly wanted to know what path Mei Jiu would choose.

Mei Jiu said, “I do not want to get involved with the Konghe Army. Now that I’ve married him, he will be my husband for life, and I will follow him to the death.”

An Jiu noticed an eighth-level martial artist quietly approaching, and her heart skipped a beat. She said, “He will not believe you.”

“I know.” Mei Jiu tightly gripped the handkerchief in her hand, a gesture she often made when she was sad. “I am truly sincere with him, and one day, he will believe me. Even if I knew how, I would not use any schemes.”

“Why?”

“In terms of cunning, even a hundred Mei Jius tied together could not compare to Eldest Master Hua. Besides, you know me; for me, scheming in matters of the heart is nothing more than hurting myself a thousand times over, harming the enemy before even harming anyone else,” Mei Jiu looked at her and said softly. “Am I stupid?”

An Jiu shook her head. “No, I have a feeling this is the smartest moment you’ve ever been in, in both your lives combined.”

At first glance, it sounded like a compliment, but the more she listened, the more uneasy she felt…

Mei Jiu knew An Jiu was known for her hurtful words; for her to say something like this was already quite an achievement, and she did not dare to ask for more.

“Since you understand everything, and I’ve said what I needed to say, you can decide for yourself.” An Jiu stood up. “I am leaving.”

Mei Jiu grabbed her hand. “Do not go. An Jiu, talk to me for a while. Although I understand everything, I am still very apprehensive.”

Mei Jiu’s timid nature, cultivated since childhood, was deeply ingrained and would not disappear just because she suddenly understood. She needed to muster the courage to move forward, but once she grasped the lifeline, she did not want to let go.

“You have to walk your own path.” An Jiu looked down at her. “I cannot help you.”

“I know…” Mei Jiu murmured, “I just want you to talk to me occasionally.”

“Do you know my current status?” An Jiu asked.

She was now a Shadow of the Konghe Army. If Hua Rongtian knew his wife frequently met with the Shadows, what would he think? Their marriage had a terrible start; if things continued like this, their relationship would only worsen.

“Actually, I do not have high hopes for this marriage,” An Jiu honestly told Mei Jiu. “But you do not have a better path right now, so I reluctantly agreed to let you take the gamble. The time will be until I find your mother. If you decide to come with me, then I will take you away.”

Mei Jiu released her hand, nodding tearfully.

An Jiu walked to the door, paused, and turned back, saying, “Actually, I do not have high hopes for any marriage.”

An Jiu added the last sentence mainly to avoid discouraging Mei Jiu, to tell her it was just her personal opinion, hoping it would not affect her.

Mei Jiu watched her walk into the dazzling sunlight, her background bathed in white, quickly disappearing into the trees. Carefully considering An Jiu’s words, Mei Jiu smiled faintly and murmured, “You’ve changed too.”

A spring breeze caressed her face.

An Jiu left the Hua residence, glancing back. She’d noticed an eighth-level martial artist had stealthily approached during her conversation with Mei Jiu. Mei Jiu was declaring her intention to follow Hua Rongtian for life, so An Jiu remained silent, letting Mei Jiu continue.

In broad daylight, the Hua residence was heavily guarded. An eighth-level martial artist could not possibly move freely within the Hua residence unless he was a member of the Hua family. Hopefully, letting him overhear Mei Jiu’s conversation would put Hua Rongtian at ease.

“Yo!” Hua Rongjian’s voice came from the opposite wall.

An Jiu looked up, meeting his bright smile. “Turning back every step of the way, are you reluctant to part with your husband?” Passersby on the street, unfazed by Hua Rongjian’s flirting with the young lady, were used to it.

An Jiu ignored him and continued walking south.

Hua Rongjian leaped down from the wall, dusted himself off, and followed behind her. “Fourteenth Young Lady, what exactly did you say to my maid?”

“Tell the facts,” An Jiu said.

“That maid is usually so lively and cheerful, but today she ran back to her room and cried her heart out.” Hua Rongjian was not worried about Chunmeng, but he could not suppress his curiosity. “It only took a blink of an eye; how could you make her cry?”

“How could I make her cry?” An Jiu did not even look at him. “I just said her name sounds like ‘Spring Dream,’ or something like ‘the stirrings of spring.’ Did you not name her?”

An Jiu knew a little about the customs here; many maids’ names were chosen according to their masters’ preferences. This name was undoubtedly Second Master Hua’s.

“Huh? That’s it? That maid has at least received some education; how could she not know the meaning and origin of this name? You must have said something else!” Hua Rongjian said confidently.

“No,” An Jiu told him firmly. “Even the maid does not believe you, which shows your character is seriously flawed.”

“My character is flawed? Why not go and find out!” Hua Rongjian angrily retorted. “While I may be a bit unrestrained, I’ve never done anything like stealing chickens or pulling up garlic sprouts!”

“No need to find out.” An Jiu quickened her pace as she entered the alley, leaving him behind. “Your actions that have lowered the moral standards of Bianjing are obvious to everyone.”

Second Master Hua, panting heavily, wanted to rush up and fight her, but could not catch her. He cursed himself for being too decadent lately. “Fourteenth Young Lady, you stop right there!”

An Jiu dispersed her mental energy, making sure no one was around, then ripped off her outer skirt and threw it at Hua Rongjian. Dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, she nimbly vaulted over a high wall.

The skirt just touched Hua Rongjian’s face. He angrily ripped it off and chased after her.

After vaulting over the wall, he discovered it was actually a government building!

“You audacious scoundrel! How dare you trespass on government property!” A soldier nearby roared, sword in hand, charging forward and closing in within moments.

Hua Rongjian slipped and fell off the wall, immediately turning and running away. “Damn it! No wonder the wall was higher than other places!”