An Jiu left the room and found a hidden spot to conceal herself.
It seemed like only yesterday that Chu Dingjiang had been captured while protecting her. How could their next encounter be like this?
She remembered his words from the beginning – he had saved her because he didn’t know she had lost her inner power and value. He had even threatened to drown her in a pond…
She had forgotten these words herself.
After pondering alone for a while, she returned.
Chu Dingjiang was still there.
He knelt before the table and looked up when he heard her. Seeing An Jiu’s clear eyes, he smiled.
“Why are you pretending to be Hua Rongjian?” she asked. The human skin mask was given to her by Hua Rongjian. Chu Dingjiang hadn’t recognized her immediately downstairs at the teahouse but had identified her by instinct after looking around. So he couldn’t be Hua Rongjian.
“I am Hua Rongjian,” he stated firmly, his gaze unwavering.
During his confinement, he had realized something. Having developed feelings for a woman, there was no reason to hide like a thief. He couldn’t bear the foolishness of silently pining for someone. The woman he chose should share in his glory and shame.
An Jiu sat cross-legged opposite him, staring for a while before saying, “I came back because I believe you’re telling me the truth.”
An Jiu had considered many possibilities, but couldn’t comprehend his answer. If Chu Dingjiang was truly Hua Rongjian, who was the playboy at the Hua residence?
“Every word is true,” Chu Dingjiang said.
“You’re bulkier than Hua Rongjian,” An Jiu suddenly recalled a movie scene she had once glimpsed while hiding from pursuers. In it, a massive mammoth believed itself to be an opossum. Chu Dingjiang was like that mammoth, clearly much larger yet hypnotizing himself into thinking he was Hua Rongjian.
An Jiu suddenly burst into laughter.
Chu Dingjiang couldn’t fathom what was so amusing about him being bulkier than Hua Rongjian. He waited for her laughter to subside before asking helplessly, “What’s so funny?”
“I just suddenly found you very interesting,” An Jiu replied honestly.
She wasn’t adept at handling relationships or maintaining feelings, but she knew she had developed an indescribable emotion towards Chu Dingjiang. For now, she didn’t want to part ways with him.
“Look here,” Chu Dingjiang said, his eyes brimming with mirth. An Jiu’s attitude gave him the courage to be frank.
Chu Dingjiang took the sparrow lamp, caressing it lovingly. “This is my home.”
He shed his bold and cheerful demeanor, as well as his coldness. His tall figure, shrouded in the dim light, appeared particularly lonely and desolate. “I was born in the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. I remember when Prince Fan rebelled. I repeatedly advised my father not to follow him, saying that Lord Zhao was wise and worthy of service. But no one heeded my words. So I had to secretly plan an escape route. In the end, when Prince Fan was defeated, I managed to protect the Hua clan by stepping over the corpses of our Wu clan allies. From then on, I bore the reputation of a traitor to my country, lord, and clan. Now, by the banks of the Yanggu River, the grass grows thick. I wonder which handful of soil was once me…”
When he opened his eyes again, he was still Hua Rongjian, but the world had changed dramatically.
He was reborn into the Hua clan, the foremost family of the Great Song Dynasty, with his memories intact.
After two years of patience, he finally had the opportunity to examine the clan genealogy. There, he found his former self – Hua Ji.
Hua Ji wasn’t his name. In the Warring States period, it meant “youngest son of the Hua clan.” Such a record only let later generations know that such a person had existed in the Hua clan, but his identity remained vague.
No one knew he was once called Hua Rongjian. No one knew how he had exhausted himself and sacrificed everything to protect the Hua clan. And no one would know that the abilities of the Warring States’ heartless young master were certainly not limited to barely protecting a single family.
“When I was seven, I discovered that my father in this life had secretly kept a mistress and had a five-year-old son who looked remarkably similar to me. I appeared before that woman and asked if she wanted her son to become a legitimate heir of the Hua clan. She was willing to pay any price, so I secretly killed her,” Chu Dingjiang paused. Seeing no change in An Jiu’s expression, he continued, “I brought that child back to the mansion to raise him.”
Later, when Minister Hua discovered this, he didn’t try to hide it. He calmly analyzed the Hua clan’s situation with Minister Hua, saying that to protect the Hua clan, they should let this child replace Hua Rongjian’s identity. He still clearly remembered Minister Hua’s shocked expression.
Politically astute, he had long recognized that the Crane Control Army was an invaluable weapon. If used well, it could overthrow the dynasty. So he resolutely disfigured himself and joined the Crane Control Army.
To vent all that resentment and endurance, merely leaving a name in the clan genealogy wasn’t enough! He wanted to leave a bold mark in the history books.
As a child, he and Hua Rongjian looked eight or nine-tenths alike, but as they grew older, they became less similar. That person had become the real Hua Rongjian. If he didn’t do something to prove his existence, there would still be no evidence that he had ever existed in this world.
An Jiu remained silent.
In other words, the Warring States’ Hua Rongjian had been reborn in the Song Dynasty and had abandoned his noble identity to join the Crane Control Army… This also explained why Hua Rongjian’s build differed from his elder brother Hua Rongtian’s, while Chu Dingjiang and Hua Rongtian looked more alike – they were biological brothers.
“You don’t believe me?” Chu Dingjiang asked.
Even he found such an incredible story hard to believe, yet after a long while, An Jiu calmly replied, “Should I call you Chu Dingjiang now?”
He nodded. Mount Dingjiang – if not for facing such a weak yet promising country, he might not have developed such a strong desire.
An Jiu vaguely understood the meaning of this name, but showed little interest. “I want to see you.”
Chu Dingjiang lightly touched his mask. “Another time. When I’ve healed it.”
He had never considered appearance very important, so he hadn’t hesitated to disfigure himself. But at this moment, he suddenly felt self-conscious. “Let’s wait until I’ve healed it.”
An Jiu was not inclined to examine others’ scars, so she nodded and changed the subject. “How can I help you?”
“Stay by my side. I need you and your spiritual power.”
Having received an answer, An Jiu stood up and said coolly, “It’s getting late. I need to go kill someone. We’ll talk more later.”
“Fourteen,” Chu Dingjiang called out, uneasy about her ambiguous attitude.
“In exchange for your secret,” she said as she slipped out the door, leaving parting words, “My name is An Jiu.”
Chu Dingjiang was stunned for a moment before smiling.
With just one sentence, Chu Dingjiang understood why she wasn’t surprised by such an incredible story.
It was past noon, but still early for Li Ting to return home. An Jiu simply wanted some time alone to gather her thoughts.
Storehouse Keeper Sheng was right; Chu Dingjiang was not innocent.
Looking back, he always seemed to know exactly what she craved, invariably touching on her sensitive spots. If he harbored ulterior motives, An Jiu could imagine herself meeting a grim fate.
An Jiu didn’t want to be used, so she decided to observe for now.
She sat at a roadside tea stall with a storyteller until the lanterns were lit.
As summer’s heat dissipated, the streets grew livelier than in the afternoon.
An Jiu spotted Li Ting in the bustling crowd. Unlike the morning, he wasn’t in a sedan chair but walking among the people, followed by a fourth-rank martial artist leading two horses.
Li Ting approached a candy figurine vendor, who greeted him familiarly. He bought two candy figurines, carefully wrapped them after passing through the crowd, then mounted his horse and left.
Galloping was forbidden within the city. Li Ting’s pace wasn’t fast; An Jiu could easily keep up on foot. This method was much quicker than a sedan chair. Eager to return home, he even took a shortcut through a small alley.
An Jiu followed him into his residence, quietly perching in a tall ginkgo tree in the courtyard.
Madam Li was already waiting at the second gate. Seeing Li Ting enter, she stepped forward to greet him, and they walked together towards the dining hall. Like in the morning, they didn’t speak much, but the atmosphere was warm and natural.
As they neared the dining hall, two small figures darted out like joyful birds. The older child called out “Father” in a clear voice, hugging Li Ting’s leg. The younger one, still unsteady on his feet, toddled over, calling “Grandfather” in a baby voice.
“What kind of aunt are you? You don’t know how to take care of your nephew. You have no ladylike manners at all!” Li Ting scolded with a stern face, though his eyes betrayed his amusement.
The little toddler also wobbled over to hug his other leg.
The children weren’t afraid of his mock scolding. Their big eyes blinked at him expectantly, and he pulled out the candy figurines from his sleeve, giving one to each child.
The children cheered as they took the candies and ran back inside.
Madam Li lightly chided, “You bought these trifles again. Eating them at night will ruin their teeth!”
Li Ting smiled and deflected, “I won’t buy them next time.”
“You say that every time,” Madam Li grumbled. “Shu’er will be of marriageable age in a few years. It’s bad enough that you’ve spoiled her character, but if she has rotten teeth, who would want her…”
Li Ting quietly took her hand and squeezed it, laughing it off. “I’ll change next time. Let’s eat first.”
Madam Li blushed and withdrew her hand, softly scolding, “Shameless old man.”
A group of maids and servants stifled their laughter.
The eldest son and daughter-in-law came out to greet them, and the family entered the dining hall together.
An Jiu stared blankly at this scene until only maids carrying dishes remained in the courtyard.
Laughter and chatter drifted from inside.
An Jiu sneaked into the study. As expected, Li Ting came here after dinner to review the official documents he had brought back from the yamen. He returned to his room to wash up and sleep only when it was close to midnight.
As the lights went out, An Jiu sensed a familiar presence nearby. She silently left the Li residence.
After climbing over the wall, she looked towards the shadows and saw Chu Dingjiang leaning against the wall with folded arms, watching her.
“Envious watching others eat as a family?” Chu Dingjiang smiled, pulling out a paper package from his chest and tossing it to her.
An Jiu caught it. Inside was something warm and soft. She opened it to find four plump steamed buns.
She crouched down beside him in the shadows and began eating voraciously.
After finishing, she wiped her mouth and stood up, declaring haughtily, “Don’t think you can buy me four buns.”
“Would eight be enough?” Chu Dingjiang teased.
“Don’t measure my worth by your standards!” An Jiu crumpled the oily paper into a ball and stuffed it into his arms.