In the warm orange glow, Mei Jiu’s smile bloomed like a flower. Her bright eyes held the same gentle warmth as always, clear and transparent.
An Jiu, however, knew she was no longer the innocent rabbit she once was. “It’s been a while since we’ve met. You’ve changed dramatically,” she remarked, her tone neither praising nor criticizing, merely observing.
Mei Jiu’s smile remained serene. “Am I the only one? An Jiu, I’m happy to see how you’ve grown as well.”
An Jiu paused briefly. Though they once shared a body, Mei Jiu had never been able to sense her emotions. Now, she seemed increasingly human-like.
“I heard you received orders to assassinate Hua Rongtian,” An Jiu said, explaining her sudden nighttime visit.
Mei Jiu’s expression darkened. “I suppose this is fate.”
“So you’re just waiting to die?” An Jiu frowned, studying her intently. She felt conflicted, both wanting and not wanting Mei Jiu to harm Hua Rongtian. The old Mei Jiu would never have hurt him, but now, An Jiu wasn’t so sure.
“How could I?” Mei Jiu met her gaze and suddenly smiled. Her composure and determination were dazzling. “Even an ant clings to life. How dare I waste the gift of existence?”
An Jiu admired how quickly Mei Jiu had grasped the situation. She still felt lost, merely following in others’ footsteps.
“I will never kill my husband,” Mei Jiu stated. Her expression seemed calm, but her tightly clenched hands betrayed her inner turmoil. “It may seem dark now, but I believe if we keep moving forward, we’ll eventually see the light.”
An Jiu relaxed, relieved that Mei Jiu remained largely as kind-hearted as before. “Have you fallen for Hua Rongtian? Have you slept with him?”
Mei Jiu blushed furiously. “When will you learn to be more tactful?” she sputtered.
“Don’t try to change the subject,” An Jiu said seriously.
Mei Jiu shook her head helplessly, her cheeks still flushed. “We haven’t… consummated our marriage yet.”
“Oh? Does Hua Rongtian have some problem?” An Jiu asked, puzzled. “A girl like you could easily arouse a man’s desire to ravish you.”
Mei Jiu’s face turned purple with embarrassment. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
An Jiu, oblivious to how strange her words sounded, continued, “See, your reaction right now is especially…”
“Stop!” Mei Jiu quickly interrupted. “Aren’t you here to help me?”
An Jiu shook her head, calmly replying, “You’re mistaken. I just came to check on you.”
Mei Jiu, having just regained her composure, was left speechless.
After a while, An Jiu spoke again, still observing Mei Jiu as if she had truly come just to “see” her. “Is my mother doing well?”
“Without you as a burden? She’s doing great,” An Jiu replied.
Mei Jiu had many questions, but An Jiu’s response pushed them back down her throat. She could only mutter, “That’s good.”
“I think you’ve misunderstood,” An Jiu continued. “First, Mei Yanran is now my mother. Although we don’t get along and she doesn’t want to deal with me, it’s an unchangeable fact. Second, I’ve proven something very important to myself.”
An Jiu’s serious tone intrigued Mei Jiu. “What’s that?”
“A pig is still a pig, even if it becomes a bit smarter. It’s just a slightly more intelligent pig,” An Jiu concluded.
“You didn’t come to help me in my time of need. You came to kick me while I’m down!” Despite her words, Mei Jiu felt certain that An Jiu wouldn’t stand idly by.
An Jiu had always been like this with Mei Jiu. If Mei Jiu were dying of poison, An Jiu would probably say, “Your face is blue now, it’s especially ugly,” or “Do you have any last words?” But despite her words, she would still do everything in her power to save her.
Some people manage to be annoying even when they’re helping others.
“Actually, before coming here, I went back to Meihua Village,” An Jiu said, leaning on the armrest with her chin in her hand. “Sheng Changying has a way to contact Mo Sigui. He’s in Daming Prefecture, not far from here. At his speed, he could be back in ten days at the latest. Add to that the complexity of removing the gu poison, and I wonder if you’ll be able to hold out until then.”
Thankfully, Mei Jiu was good-natured. If it had been Hua Rongjian, she would have started a fight with An Jiu by now.
“I’m leaving,” An Jiu stood up. “Next time you get the antidote, try to keep a bit. It’ll help Mo Sigui analyze the gu poison.”
“Alright,” Mei Jiu rose as well, about to ask An Jiu to stay when she heard footsteps outside. Her heart tightened as she turned towards the door.
A faint silhouette appeared on the lantern-lit door. The figure paused, and Mei Jiu recognized Hua Rongtian. She quickly turned back to tell An Jiu to leave through the back window, only to find the room already empty.
The door creaked open.
Hua Rongtian saw Mei Jiu staring blankly at the center of the room. His eyes quickly scanned the room but found nothing amiss.
Mei Jiu struggled to compose herself before turning to greet him. “Husband, what brings you here?”
Hua Rongtian had never visited at night before, so she couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
“Has your visitor left?” Hua Rongtian asked calmly.
Knowing that Hua Rongtian was aware of the frequent visits from Konghe Army members, Mei Jiu didn’t try to hide it. “Yes.”
He didn’t press further.
A silence fell over the room.
“They ordered me to assassinate you,” Mei Jiu finally said.
Hua Rongtian’s gaze darkened. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’re my husband,” Mei Jiu replied, slowly sitting on the edge of the bed. She used to feel guilty facing Hua Rongtian, but now that everything was out in the open, she suddenly felt at ease. A faint smile appeared on her face. “I had heard about you when I was in Meihua Village. You came to propose then… I never imagined I would marry you. It must be fate, albeit a fate without a future for us.”
Her clear eyes gradually filled with tears, which rolled down her cheeks to her slightly upturned mouth, transforming her faint smile into one of sorrow and determination.
Hua Rongtian felt a dull ache in his heart. The suppressed grief and anger tightened his entire body. He had tasted this feeling once before when he didn’t know his wife was an assassin. He had poured all his emotions into loving her. This time, he thought he had guarded his heart carefully, not allowing even a hint of feeling. Yet somehow, this woman had crept into his heart, occupying a space that surprised him with its significance.
Only now did he realize why he had made so many excuses to come here today. He simply wanted to see her. He wanted to see her shy smile, her excitement barely contained like a little rabbit, her eyes shining as she discussed poetry and literature, her furrowed brow as she pondered her next move in chess…
He had already come to miss her so much.
“Shi Niang…” Hua Rongtian’s voice was hoarse.