Chu Dingjiang lowered his gaze to look at her. “Why do you think I’m angry?”
“Intuition,” An Jiu replied.
For a moment earlier, when facing Wei Yuzhi, Chu Dingjiang had indeed become angry, but it was only for an instant. He was exceptionally skilled at controlling his emotions.
Chu Dingjiang smiled slightly, “Even if I were angry, it wouldn’t be directed at you.”
“At Wei Yuzhi? Why?” An Jiu was confused. She thought about it but couldn’t recall Wei Yuzhi doing anything wrong. “I gave him those chestnut cakes of my own accord…”
Chu Dingjiang knew An Jiu was protective of her food. For her, sharing her favorite foods with others was a significant gesture. However, he said, “Just because you offered, does he have to accept? Doesn’t he know you’re engaged? His intentions are improper.”
His face was serious, plainly conveying the message: “Others are at fault, my wife is blameless.”
They had already consummated their relationship, but since An Jiu was reluctant to marry, Chu Dingjiang considered himself her “fiancé.”
An Jiu thought carefully and muttered, “I suppose you have a point.”
“I’ve crossed more bridges than you’ve walked roads. It’s alright if you don’t understand these things; I’ll teach you gradually,” Chu Dingjiang said, freeing a hand to pat her head. He continued, “In the past, you were unwilling to share food due to your circumstances. Now that we don’t lack these things, learning to share isn’t wrong. When we return, give some of these chestnut cakes to Aunt Mei and Mo Sigui. From now on, I’ll buy you chestnut cakes every day.”
An Jiu’s grip on the chestnut cakes tightened, and her brow furrowed.
After pondering for a while, she said, “They’re both important to me, so why do I feel a bit reluctant to share the chestnut cakes with them? Yet earlier, I didn’t feel that way?”
Chu Dingjiang knew the reason without thinking, “That’s because earlier, the chestnut cakes weren’t in your possession yet!”
“That… seems to be the case,” she agreed. Earlier, she had merely instructed the shopkeeper to pack chestnut cakes for Wei Yuzhi, but now, having to personally give away the cakes… the thought alone made her heartache!
Chu Dingjiang said seriously, “An Xiaojiu, you can’t eat all of these today anyway, and we can buy fresh ones tomorrow.”
“Alright,” An Jiu imagined giving the cakes to her mother and suddenly felt no reluctance at all. She felt it wasn’t nearly enough.
They returned to the noodle shop and ate a large bowl of noodles each, working up a slight sweat.
An Jiu cradled her belly while Chu Dingjiang held an umbrella in one hand and carried the chestnut cakes and various snacks in the other.
Seeing her content expression, a hint of a smile appeared in Chu Dingjiang’s eyes. However, the smile was followed by resignation. An Jiu’s fear of marriage was already a significant issue, and now Wei Yuzhi had unexpectedly entered the picture! If he were just an ordinary man, Chu Dingjiang wouldn’t have given him a second thought. But Wei Yuzhi shared a blood connection with An Jiu, seemingly able to communicate through some sort of telepathy. This suddenly transformed Chu Dingjiang from an “insider” to an “outsider.”
An Jiu and Wei Yuzhi’s mutual understanding of feelings was a natural, instinctive connection, while Chu Dingjiang could only rely on familiarity and wisdom to guess her thoughts.
Both power and a woman’s heart were difficult to obtain.
“Uncle Chu,” An Jiu stopped and looked up at him.
Chu Dingjiang snapped back to reality, “Hmm?”
Snow fell steadily outside, people bustling about, but under the umbrella, it felt like a small world of their own. Because Chu Dingjiang held the umbrella, it became warm and safe.
“Let’s get married,” An Jiu said.
As she uttered these words, the falling snow seemed to freeze for an instant before cascading down more intensely, as if someone’s heart had crumbled.
An Jiu’s face paled slightly, and she tasted a hint of blood in her mouth, which she swallowed.
Chu Dingjiang keenly noticed the change and immediately pulled her close. Their figures blurred as they moved swiftly through the crowd.
Behind a wall of lanterns, Wei Yuzhi steadied himself against a pillar.
Earlier, he had been about to cross paths with the couple. Thinking it best to avoid them, he had stepped behind the lantern wall. As they passed by, he unexpectedly heard An Jiu say those words.
He knew he should control his emotions, but the news came so suddenly that it caught him off guard.
The intense emotional upheaval triggered a recurrence of his heart condition. Wei Yuzhi could feel his situation worsening. His powerful spiritual energy suddenly expanded, accurately locating Mo Sigui’s position in the bustling crowd. He quickly made his way towards him.
Everyone on the street felt a chill pass through them, their minds blank for a moment. Some with weaker self-control even fell into the snow.
Mo Sigui, who had been admiring some pretty young women, shuddered unexpectedly. “That’s odd.”
Sui Yunzhu felt it too. The chill invaded her mind directly; resisting it forcefully would have resulted in an excruciating headache.
Mo Sigui looked around, and suddenly his arm was grabbed tightly. “Divine Doctor!”
Wei Yuzhi’s face, as pale as paper, entered Mo Sigui’s field of vision. Seeing his condition, Mo Sigui immediately thought of An Jiu. “What happened? Where’s Ah Jiu?”
“Mr. Chu probably took her back,” Wei Yuzhi said, his body swaying slightly.
Chu Dingjiang had recognized An Jiu’s reaction and understood the situation. Since she was traumatized, Wei Yuzhi was likely hurt even more severely. Chu Dingjiang’s spiritual power couldn’t distinguish between individuals, but Wei Yuzhi could quickly locate Mo Sigui in the sea of people. Therefore, Chu Dingjiang chose to take An Jiu back to wait rather than searching aimlessly like headless flies.
Mo Sigui grabbed Wei Yuzhi’s wrist to check his pulse. After a moment, he ordered, “Carry him on your back. Let’s go!”
Li Qingzhi immediately hoisted Wei Yuzhi onto his back. The group, disregarding the stares of onlookers, leaped onto the rooftops and swiftly returned to their lodgings.
As expected, Chu Dingjiang had already brought An Jiu back and was waiting in Mo Sigui’s room.
Two beds were placed side by side, with Mo Sigui sitting between them, checking both pulses simultaneously.
The onlookers held their breath, afraid to disturb him.
“Ah Jiu is fine. Prepare a dose of the previous prescription and let her rest well,” Mo Sigui said.
Relieved, Chu Dingjiang took An Jiu back to their room to recuperate.
Mei Yanran came out of the kitchen, encountering the pair. Seeing An Jiu’s pale face, she hurriedly followed them into the room. After An Jiu was settled, she asked, “What happened?”
Chu Dingjiang briefly explained the situation.
Mei Yanran pondered for a moment, “I’ll go prepare the medicine.”
She left the room, gathered the herbs, and went to the kitchen.