As An Jiu was about to peel the chestnut with her hands, Chu Dingjiang warned, “Be careful, it’s full of thorns.”

“I’ve peeled hedgehogs before,” An Jiu replied, irritated at being underestimated. She stubbornly tried to open a cracked chestnut.

As the chestnut split open, a thorn scraped her index finger, drawing blood.

An Jiu glanced furtively at Chu Dingjiang. Seeing he hadn’t noticed, she shifted her position, turning her back to him, and wiped the blood on her undergarment.

“All cleaned up?” Chu Dingjiang asked languidly.

An Jiu turned her head to find him setting up the lamb leg over the fire, a half-smile playing on his lips as he looked at her.

“It was an accident,” An Jiu said nonchalantly.

“Come here,” Chu Dingjiang beckoned.

An Jiu approached him with the scattered chestnuts and squatted down beside him.

Chu Dingjiang looked at her, both amused and exasperated. “You never forget about food, do you? Let me see your hand.”

An Jiu tucked her hand into her clothes. “It’s just a small cut. It’ll heal quickly.”

As Chu Dingjiang reached for her wrist, An Jiu resisted, kicking out at him. He caught her ankle, which only made her more agitated. She lashed out with her other foot.

They ended up wrestling playfully.

Chu Dingjiang was only teasing, not using his internal energy. However, when he sensed An Jiu using her spiritual power to attack, he grew alarmed. He immediately released his internal energy and pinned her to the ground. “An Xiaojiu! No spiritual power!”

An Jiu suddenly remembered Mosi Gui’s instructions and immediately withdrew her spiritual power.

“Ignoring medical advice? Do you have a death wish?” Chu Dingjiang felt he needed to break her habit of instinctively using spiritual power in combat. However, without internal energy, An Jiu would struggle against fourth or fifth-tier internal cultivators if not for her formidable spiritual power.

An Jiu remained silent, her dark eyes fixed on the face so close to hers.

The surroundings grew quiet. When Chu Dingjiang wasn’t thinking of other matters, his senses sharpened tenfold, acutely aware of the soft body pressed against him. His blood seemed to ignite, and his true qi circulated rapidly.

Their breaths mingled in the small space between them.

Fearing he might frighten her, Chu Dingjiang slowly leaned closer.

Lost in thought, An Jiu suddenly raised her head and kissed his lips.

The unexpected “attack” left Chu Dingjiang stunned.

An Jiu’s eyes widened as everything around her blurred, except for Chu Dingjiang’s presence, which remained crystal clear. His warmth carried a hint of sweetness, like sunlight on her skin. Her body felt soft and tingly – a sensation she enjoyed. She instinctively licked her lips.

Chu Dingjiang’s heart raced, the thunderous beat echoing in his ears. He cradled the back of her head, instantly taking control.

The kiss intensified like a sudden storm, fierce and passionate. An Jiu’s heartbeat quickened, and she abruptly broke free, glaring at him in displeasure.

“Ajiu…” Chu Dingjiang’s voice was husky, somewhat surprised by his loss of control.

An Jiu’s gaze softened as she looked at his lips. They weren’t too thin or too full, with a well-defined cupid’s bow. The color was pale, yet not as delicate as a woman’s – they were quite attractive.

“Ahem.” Chu Dingjiang’s heartbeat gradually steadied. Seeing her expression soften, he relaxed. “The lamb leg is about to burn.”

He went to turn the meat.

The aroma momentarily distracted An Jiu. She leaned in to look, noticing the other side had already turned a mouth-watering golden color. Any remaining displeasure vanished instantly.

“Ajiu, you can’t engage in combat for a while. If anything happens, I’ll protect you,” Chu Dingjiang said.

The cold wind dispersed the lingering intimacy, and both tacitly set aside what had just transpired.

An Jiu focused intently on the lamb leg, her face tense as she tried to calm her racing heart. The sensation of the kiss kept resurfacing in her mind, making her heart beat even faster. She pressed her lips together, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

In the flickering orange firelight, Chu Dingjiang couldn’t see the color on her face, only her taut expression and tightly pressed lips.

The event had happened so suddenly that perhaps neither of them was mentally prepared. Chu Dingjiang consoled himself with this thought but inwardly wondered if she felt nothing at all. This wasn’t just a blow to his male ego; it made him anxious, questioning whether she had any romantic feelings for him at all.

The fire crackled.

After a while, Chu Dingjiang broke the silence. “Give me your hand.”

An Jiu, focused on the lamb leg, seemed not to hear him.

“I have something tasty,” Chu Dingjiang tempted.

An Jiu turned her head and extended one hand.

“Both hands,” Chu Dingjiang instructed.

An Jiu hesitated, then obediently offered both hands.

Chu Dingjiang nodded in satisfaction. He took out a small bottle and sprinkled some powder on the wound on her right index finger, then wrapped it with a strip of cloth.

“Liar!” An Jiu snatched her hand back angrily.

“Don’t move!” Chu Dingjiang held onto her, finishing the bandage before letting go. Suddenly remembering something, he said, “You have internal injuries. I’m not sure if eating this will affect you. We should be cautious.”

He moved to take down the lamb leg.

An Jiu wouldn’t have it. She gripped his hand tightly, glaring at him. “Chu Dingjiang, keep roasting!”

“We still have chestnuts and sweet potatoes,” Chu Dingjiang said, putting down the lamb leg. He peeled the chestnuts and buried a handful of the brown nuts in the fire.

“Keep roasting!” An Jiu insisted, ready to fight if he didn’t comply.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back,” Chu Dingjiang said, setting up the lamb leg again before quickly returning to the relay station.

He came back shortly after.

“They said you can eat a little,” Chu Dingjiang said, his tone lighter.

An Jiu’s mood improved significantly. She then remembered to ask about Mosi Gui, “You didn’t bring sweet potatoes earlier. Did you beat him again?”

“…”

“You hit him again?” An Jiu frowned. “You can’t keep hitting him for every little thing.”

“I was going to let it go after getting the sweet potatoes,” Chu Dingjiang explained. “But he tried to poison them to play a trick on you. We can’t let that behavior slide. He needed to be taught a lesson!”

“He wasn’t like this before,” An Jiu said.

Chu Dingjiang asked curiously, “Isn’t Mosi Gui your cousin? You haven’t been back with the Mei family for long. Why are you so close to him in particular?”

“I’m not sure,” An Jiu thought carefully. “At first, I was interested because he looked decent. Then when I found out he was a doctor, I started to dislike him. Later, I realized his personality didn’t match his appearance at all. He was like a persistent fly I couldn’t swat away. As I got to know him better, I found him to be a decent person.”

“Do you like handsome men?” Chu Dingjiang suddenly felt the scar on his face burning.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” An Jiu leaned in and whispered, “I used to like destroying beautiful things. I thought little flowers were pretty and I liked them, but sometimes I couldn’t help wanting to crush them. The doctor said it was an illness.”

An Jiu was aware of her mental issues when she was calm.

Chu Dingjiang had long suspected An Jiu had a mental disorder. Before seeing her pure side, he hadn’t been deeply affected, thinking of her as just a fierce, formidable woman. However, the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that the innocence hidden beneath her ferocity was her true self.

“I have these urges less and less now. Does that mean I’m getting better?” An Jiu looked at him hopefully.

Chu Dingjiang, having grown up in the Warring States period, had seen countless corpses and treated human life as worthless. He had taken innumerable lives and wasn’t a particularly sympathetic person. Even if someone died of illness or starvation before him, he could hardly feel much pity. But now, looking at An Jiu’s hopeful eyes, he felt an inexplicable ache in his heart.

Perhaps it was because he saw in her the tenacity and indomitability of life.

“Yes!” Chu Dingjiang assured her firmly. “You’ll get better soon! Besides, isn’t Mosi Gui here? If he can’t cure you, I’ll beat him to death.”

An Jiu cheered up. Although she was still an assassin, she felt more relaxed more often now. Even while killing, she no longer went berserk at the sight of blood. All these changes were because of Chu Dingjiang, Mosi Gui, and everyone around her. And more importantly, because of… Mei Jiu.

“Does everyone get a next life? Or a chance to be reborn?” An Jiu asked.

Chu Dingjiang didn’t need to think deeply to know An Jiu was thinking about the girl who had let the sheep go. He said, “Yes, kind people will be reborn into wealthy families and live peaceful, happy lives.”

“Someone silly like Mei Jiu should have it even better,” An Jiu said, the corners of her lips turning up slightly.

This smile wasn’t her usual manic grin or her cruel, bloodthirsty smirk. It was a quiet blossoming in the winter night, like a pure, fragrant epiphyllum flower in full bloom. It reflected in Chu Dingjiang’s deep eyes and imprinted itself in his heart.

He was genuinely happy for her.

Smelling the savory aroma of the lamb leg, Chu Dingjiang hurried to turn it. He suddenly paused, “Mei Jiu?”

“Yes!” An Jiu didn’t hide it from him. “Mei Fourteen.”

Chu Dingjiang had his suspicions but didn’t probe further. He only knew that the woman before him was the person he knew, unrelated to anyone else.

“It’s ready to eat!” Chu Dingjiang used his dagger to cut off a tender piece of meat and handed it to An Jiu.

An Jiu hurriedly put it in her mouth, puffing out hot air as it burned her tongue.

“Haha!” Chu Dingjiang laughed heartily. He carved a circle on the lamb leg with his dagger. “There’s no rush. This is all you can eat today!”

An Jiu, chewing on the lamb, had no time to respond. She finished one piece and reached for another.

Chu Dingjiang slowly cut the meat, occasionally handing her chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and peanuts. Before long, she was full.

An Jiu looked regretfully at the large piece of lamb leg remaining and told him, “Wrap it up. We’ll eat it tomorrow.”

“I’ve been busy all night and haven’t eaten my fill yet,” Chu Dingjiang said, taking large bites of meat. “If only we had some wine to go with it.”

After they finished eating, they huddled by the fire to warm up. The warm, flickering firelight made them both think of the kiss.

An Jiu tensed up nervously.

Chu Dingjiang considered testing the waters again, but when he saw An Jiu’s expression, he hesitated. This was rejection, wasn’t it?