Hidden Shadow – CH 282

Chapter Two-Hundred-Eighty-Two: Second Madam Hua

The extraction of the Gu poison went smoothly, but Mo Sigui, having exhausted his inner energy, fainted and slept for five days and six nights.

This sleep was incredibly restful; it was the first time he had slept so soundly since Lou Mingyue entered the Dangerous Moon Team.

An Jiu stayed on the island to help care for the two of them.

The island was shrouded in mist in the early morning, the damp air refreshing and invigorating.

An Jiu sat by Mei Yanran’s bedside, carrying a bowl of medicine.

An Jiu had been feeding Mei Yanran the medicine during her coma, and this morning was no different, except that Mei Yanran was awake.

“I can do it myself,” Mei Yanran said, looking at the spoon being offered to her lips, unable to accept it readily.

An Jiu did not speak, but handed her the medicine.

Mei Yanran propped herself up, leaning against the headboard, and slowly stirred the medicine with her eyes lowered.

After a moment, she paused. “From now on, treat me like a stranger.” The room fell silent.

Mei Yanran looked up and saw An Jiu’s slightly furrowed brows, her gaze clear but cold. The familiar face, the unfamiliar feeling, made Mei Yanran very uncomfortable. “You are not my daughter; there’s no need for you to fulfill your filial duties for her. I have a mother-daughter bond with her; she was born into my family, but I failed to take good care of her. I am the one who wronged her.”

During this time, Mei Yanran had thought a lot. The same body, the same circumstances—a different soul could survive tenaciously, but Mei Jiu could not.

“Jiu’er’s nature was not inherently weak. In the years after we escaped Mei Mansion, we hid here and there, living a very hard life. I remember one time we did not eat all day, hiking through a forest stretching for li. I was seriously injured and lost in the forest. She not only insisted on walking herself but also comforted me, saying, ‘Mother, we will be out soon.'”

In reality, even Mei Yanran did not know when they would be able to leave the forest.

“Back then, I swore I would take good care of her,” Mei Yanran said, her eyes slightly red as she stirred the medicine. “My excessive protection cost her her life.”

Mei Yanran was certain that a woman as beautiful and delicate as Mei Jiu would be married off to another family upon returning. But An Jiu’s arrival, contrary to her calculations, was seen as a sign of the Mei family’s interest in her talent for archery. Taking her down that path was tantamount to putting Mei Jiu on the line; her death was inevitable.

However, Mei Yanran did not hate An Jiu. Once the Mei family discovered her death, the frail Mei Jiu would be useless, and they would choose to silence her. Mei Jiu would already be dead then; it was An Jiu’s exceptional archery that gave them a chance to live.

Mei Yanran understood all of this. She felt a deep guilt towards Mei Jiu, which made it even harder for her to face An Jiu.

“Jiu’er has changed a lot because of you,” Mei Yanran said, her eyelashes trembling slightly, a hint of tears glistening in them. “I will not interfere in her life anymore. Only when she’s in dire straits might I be able to use my remaining years to carve out a sliver of hope for her. It is a kind of mother-daughter bond.

You do not owe me anything. It is my fault for not raising our daughter well. That’s why you came.” Mei Yanran tilted her head back and downed a bowl of bitter medicine, hiding her tears.

All her love was poured into her daughter, even though she used the wrong methods. But the pain of admitting and letting go was something only a mother who loves her daughter deeply could truly understand.

An Jiu stood up and silently turned to leave.

No matter how good a mother was, she was ultimately not her own.

Outside, the clouds parted, and the sun shone. An Jiu closed her eyes, her mind replaying the image of that gaunt woman in her memory. She held her passport and excitedly said, “Ann, we can go back home.”

She did not describe much about life after returning home, but An Jiu could see a beautiful yet unreal future in her excited expression.

At that time, she huddled in bed, her emotions a complex mix of fear, pity, and even disgust for her mother’s incompetence and foolishness.

It was not until her mother’s eyes lost their life, and grief and panic overwhelmed her, that An Jiu realized the mother who had loved her most foolishly was gone.

As a mother, Lady Mei might have been foolish, but undeniably, there was no other love like that in this world.

Therefore, the regret could only remain a permanent regret, never to be found again.

An Jiu slowly exhaled, leaving Mei Mansion alone, and went to the Hua Mansion.

The Hua Mansion was adorned with bright red lanterns and ribbons, the festive atmosphere still lingering.

An Jiu inquired around and learned that Hua Rongjian had been married three days prior.

An Jiu did not know when the marriage had been arranged; even two months ago seemed far too hasty.

Prime Minister Hua was trying to win over the Emperor; although he could not dispel the Emperor’s suspicions, at least he could buy some time.

Was the Hua family’s situation really that dire? It was actually necessary to sacrifice the marriage of a legitimate son as a temporary measure.

An Jiu sighed inwardly. No wonder Chu Dingjiang left the powerful family without hesitation. Born into a wealthy family, he must have foreseen the price he would pay for staying with the Hua family, so he was willing to start from scratch.

“Looking for Second Master Hua.” An Jiu bought some gifts, knocked on the door of the Hua residence, and said to the gatekeeper, “I am Fourteenth Young Lady.” An Jiu was dressed in men’s clothing and wore a human skin mask, but made no attempt to conceal her identity.

“Please wait a moment.” The gatekeeper went back to report.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the door opened again, and a maid came to lead her in.

An Jiu followed her to Hua Rongjian’s residence and sat in the hall to wait. A maid served hot tea and snacks.

An Jiu sat for a long time, then picked up the now-cold tea and took a sip. She would not eat or drink casually outside, but she trusted Hua Rongjian.

A full quarter of an hour later, Hua Rongjian slowly walked in.

He wore a dark blue robe, his expression calm, completely unlike his usual spoiled young master persona. He dismissed all the servants, leaving only the two of them in the room.

“I heard you got married, so I came to congratulate you,” An Jiu said, pushing the gift box on the table.

This was the first time she had given a wedding gift; it was not expensive, just an interesting ornamental stone, which had taken her quite a bit of effort to carry.

“Ah Jiu,” Hua Rongjian asked, his face devoid of joy, staring at her, “Do you know Chu Dingjiang?”

An Jiu’s heart skipped a beat. Unsure how to answer, she remained silent.

“Is it that hard to answer?” Hua Rongjian scoffed, self-deprecatingly. “I treated you with such sincerity, yet you hid it from me so deeply. You clearly knew the real Hua Rongjian was right beside you, yet you helped him deceive me! I have no regrets!”

An Jiu felt a moment of turmoil but quickly calmed down. “I have the right not to speak.”

“Ha!” Hua Rongjian chuckled.

An Jiu was not wrong; she could choose to speak or remain silent. But this made Hua Rongjian feel that she did not value him at all. Being looked down upon by a friend was a significant blow to this noble young man. Moreover, Hua Rongjian did not have many true friends, and An Jiu was especially special—she was the person he loved.

“Take your things and leave! Pretend I never knew you!” Hua Rongjian stood up. Looking down at her, he shouted, “Someone!”

A maidservant hurriedly opened the door and entered.

“Show him out!” Hua Rongjian stopped looking at her and turned away.

An Jiu stared blankly at his retreating figure, finding it hard to believe that he was the same young man with the radiant smile who had shone brightly when they first met.

Without much thought, An Jiu could guess that Hua Rongjian’s knowledge of this matter must be inextricably linked to Wei Yuzhi, and Mei Ruyan was the key figure in this connection.

Chu Dingjiang was always cautious and prudent in his actions. Nearly twenty years had passed, and perhaps not a single trace remained, yet Wei Yuzhi possessed the ability to unearth it.

“Miss,” a maidservant whispered.

An Jiu left the gift behind and followed the maidservant away.

These people had not heard their conversation. Not knowing that Hua Rongjian had not accepted it, they had not reminded her to take it.

Just as she stepped out of the room, she saw a woman in red approaching, surrounded by a group of maidservants.

An Jiu stopped to wait.

Mei Ruyan approached quickly with a joyful smile. “Sister. My husband’s maidservants said you’ve arrived.”

“You’ve transformed into Second Madam Hua,” An Jiu said calmly.

“You may all leave,” Mei Ruyan said.

“Yes.” The maidservants bowed and withdrew.

“Sister, come with me to the pavilion,” Mei Ruyan said.

An Jiu nodded. She followed her to the pavilion in the garden.

The pavilion was built by the water, with sheer curtains hanging around it, allowing a cool breeze to waft through. Inside, on a small table were laid out many snacks, tea, and a zither stand, upon which sat a jiaowei zither, the character “Mo” engraved on its tail. Judging from the scene, Mei Ruyan had already been there before coming to find her.

“Sister, please sit,” Mei Ruyan said, sitting down beside the zither.

“I thought your feelings for Master Mo would allow you to endure years of loneliness,” An Jiu said.

Mei Ruyan’s slender fingers lightly touched the strings, her smile as beautiful as a flower. “Sister, you’ve forgotten; I am a woman raised in a brothel. Promiscuity is commonplace for me.”

“You are lying,” An Jiu said, seeing the tenderness she showed towards the zither and the deep affection in her eyes as she gazed at it.

From the beginning, although An Jiu did not particularly like Mei Ruyan, she could still discern that beneath her worldly and sophisticated exterior lay a fiercely independent woman. An Jiu could not fathom the depth of a relationship; she only knew that such a person should not easily let go of hatred.

Could it be that Mei Ruyan knew Wei Yuzhi was one of the masterminds behind Master Mo’s murder, and therefore deliberately approached him, now intending to use the Hua family’s power to take revenge on Wei Yuzhi?

“Sister, you are mistaken.” Mei Ruyan’s sharp, nail-painted fingernails suddenly plucked the strings of her zither, producing a piercing sound. “My relationship with Master Mo ended abruptly at its most beautiful moment. Any woman would likely never forget it. But how many women could remain unmoved by the prestige of the Second Madam of the Hua family? Besides, Second Master Hua is young and handsome; few men in the world can compare.”

“How did Wei Yuzhi learn about Hua Rongjian’s background?” An Jiu asked.

Mei Ruyan was somewhat surprised, but then her phoenix eyes brightened with a smile. “Sister, you’ve become so clever! That’s truly something to celebrate. Who can keep something from Master Wei? As sisters, I will tell you frankly: The Hua family is the most prominent family in the Song Dynasty, with immense power capable of challenging the Emperor. Naturally, Master Wei is very attentive. He investigated this matter half-heartedly, half-guessing, and unexpectedly, he actually found a clue. Originally, Chu Dingjiang handled this matter very discreetly. Although Master Wei guessed that the real Hua Rongjian was in the Konghe Army, he did not know who it was. Unfortunately, Chu Dingjiang has been working so diligently for the Hua family lately that Master Wei cannot ignore it even if he wanted to.”

Mei Ruyan’s face was not particularly beautiful, but she possessed an indescribable charm—a reserved yet passionate, dignified yet alluring, gentle yet strong and unyielding—a very unique quality.

She, too, was a secret guard bestowed marriage by the Emperor, but she was clearly a hundred times more successful than Mei Jiu.

Mei Jiu was still confined to that courtyard, unable to freely go out and receive guests. Mei Ruyan, on the other hand, was much more unrestrained. She even held the secrets of the Hua family, making both Hua Rongjian and the Prime Minister wary of her.

This was not to blame Mei Jiu for being incompetent; Hua Rongtian was simply too domineering. Even Mei Ruyan would likely gain no advantage over him, let alone Mei Jiu.

However, this was also good; at least there was no need to worry about Mei Jiu and Mei Ruyan having too much contact.

“Congratulations,” An Jiu said, rising to leave the pavilion.

Mei Ruyan lowered her head, her smile slowly turning to loneliness. She stroked the strings of her zither as if caressing a lover, softly instructing her maid, “Dujuan, see the guest out for me.”

“Yes,” Dujuan hurriedly followed An Jiu.

After leaving the Hua residence, An Jiu paused at the gate for a while before finding a restaurant on the street for lunch.

She stayed outside until the city lights came on.

Under the cover of night, An Jiu quietly slipped back into the Hua residence, easily finding her way to Mei Jiu’s quarters.

She sat quietly in the hall, alone with a table of food, not touching her chopsticks.

After about a quarter of an hour, a maidservant came and said, “Madam, the young master is resting in his study today.”

This was merely a polite way of putting it; Hua Rongtian slept in his study every day and never stepped into the courtyard at night.

Upon hearing this, Mei Jiu picked up her bowl and silently began to eat.

“Madam, would you like to reheat it before eating?” the maidservant suggested.

Mei Jiu shook her head.

The maidservant dared not persuade her further.

An Jiu squatted on the roof beam, watching her finish her meal listlessly, then went out for a walk alone.

An Jiu secretly followed her. An Jiu knew Hua Rongtian was in the back garden, and judging from Mei Jiu’s route, perhaps the two would meet.

The maidservant led the way with a lantern, and Mei Jiu strolled into the garden.

And so, the couple unexpectedly met.

Still a dozen or so feet away, Mei Jiu saw Hua Rongtian in the pavilion and wanted to turn back.

But An Jiu clearly saw that when Hua Rongtian saw Mei Jiu turn around, a moment of disappointment flashed across his face.

Mei Jiu took a few steps, then turned back towards Hua Rongtian.

An Jiu vaguely saw Hua Rongtian’s eyes brighten slightly.

“Husband,” Mei Jiu bowed respectfully.

“Rise.” Hua Rongtian was calm and aloof at this moment, showing no emotion whatsoever.

“Husband, have you eaten?” Mei Jiu had been married to Hua Rongtian for some time and knew a little about his temperament.

“Yes.” Hua Rongtian paused. “Sit down.”

Mei Jiu was taken aback, then her face lit up with undisguised joy.

She sat down opposite Hua Rongtian and, seeing the book in his hands, cautiously began to speak, “Husband, are you reading ‘The Nine Strategies’?”

Hua Rongtian asked in surprise, “You know ‘The Nine Strategies’?”

This book was considered a miscellaneous work, and the author was not very famous; even ordinary scholars might not know it.