An Jiu quickly grasped his meaning. “Dogs biting dogs?”

“You’re as clever as ever, and your words remain precise and sharp,” Chu Dingjiang remarked, his tone shifting from casual familiarity to genuine admiration.

An Jiu raised an eyebrow noncommittally. “How did you know about my hostage situation with Wei Yuzhi?”

“I saw Wei Yuzhi’s injuries clearly,” Chu Dingjiang said, embracing her briefly. “I went to Meihua Li and learned you had entered the palace. When I suspected you might have gone missing, I had people keep watch. So as soon as you entered the city, I spotted you.”

Chu Dingjiang had always been confident in his judgment. Before seeing An Jiu, he hadn’t felt particularly worried or longing. But now, with her in his arms, he realized his heart had finally settled.

“Let’s go back,” Chu Dingjiang said, releasing her.

Though he occasionally engaged in intimate gestures, he struggled to voice tender words at this moment. Instead, he wrapped his cloak around her and hurried with her through the rain.

An Jiu looked up, noticing the stubble on his jawline.

After staring for a while, Chu Dingjiang slowed his pace slightly and glanced down at her. “What do you want to say?”

“Chu Dingjiang, let’s sleep together,” An Jiu stated.

Chu Dingjiang stumbled, nearly losing his footing.

He stopped and asked, “You mean… that kind of sleeping?”

An Jiu nodded calmly.

Chu Dingjiang felt utterly helpless. He could never have anticipated things developing this way. An Jiu’s words were too shocking, too direct, too sudden… At this moment, ignoring her proposition would be unmanly, but accepting too readily seemed inappropriate. Chu Dingjiang pondered what she might be thinking.

Seeing his prolonged silence, An Jiu asked, “Was I too abrupt?”

“It’s not abrupt coming from you,” Chu Dingjiang replied.

An Jiu remained silent, staring intently into his eyes, awaiting an answer without a hint of coyness or feigned reluctance.

“Ahem.” Chu Dingjiang’s heart had already agreed a thousand times over, but he wondered how to respond gracefully and handle the situation delicately without making her feel slighted.

As various approaches flashed through his mind and he was about to speak, he noticed An Jiu gazing at the sky, her right foot fidgeting on the ground.

An Jiu was contemplating whether Chu Dingjiang’s hesitation stemmed from her lack of feminine allure. She recalled seeing blonde women seeking love by wiggling their round, plump bottoms at men, batting their eyelashes, and licking their lips seductively. An Jiu wondered if she should try something similar. However, after preparing to attempt such moves for a while, it still felt off to her.

Noticing him looking her way, An Jiu waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind, another time perhaps.”

The wind howled and the rain poured, making it difficult for hormones to surge. Otherwise, how could she fail at even the most primitive form of courtship? She thought to herself, it must be because of the heavy rain.

Chu Dingjiang’s mind raced with perfect responses, but they caught in his throat. He let out a sigh, patted her back with a smile, and said, “You’re being silly.”

An Jiu suddenly felt dejected. So he wasn’t interested and even thought she was just fooling around!

Chu Dingjiang received an inexplicably cold glare. As he held her close again, her words “Let’s sleep together” echoed in his mind. Even the night rain couldn’t quench the fire in his blood!

Half ice, half flame, the two made their way to Meihua Li, conflicted the entire journey.

The island was in disarray.

As dusk fell, only a few red lanterns hung under the flying eaves of a pavilion in the courtyard.

Mo Sigui lay in the pavilion on a wolf skin, his head resting on Xiaoyue and his feet propped on Dajiu. He took slow drags from his medicinal pipe, filling the entire pavilion with a hazy fog.

Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu stood about twenty paces from the pavilion.

Noticing Dajiu’s sudden excitement, Mo Sigui lazily rolled over, squinting as he took a puff from his pipe. “Did you get the item?”

“Mm,” An Jiu nodded, approaching the pavilion and retrieving a small pouch from her inner thigh.

“How vulgar,” Mo Sigui said with a look of disgust as he sat up. He took the pouch between his teeth, opened it to glance inside, then tucked it into his robes.

Chu Dingjiang stepped onto the pavilion. “What did you just say?”

Mo Sigui jumped. “When did you die? It’s one thing for a ghost to move silently, but why suddenly speak and scare people? I’ll have you know, I’ve been blessed with talismans from a master since childhood. If you know what’s good for you, begone!”

Chu Dingjiang sat cross-legged beside An Jiu, his face hidden by his large hood. He calmly ignored Mo Sigui’s words and asked, “What happened on the island?”

Mo Sigui took a deep drag from his pipe. “Who knows? At dusk, a pack of mad dogs stormed the island, asking everyone they saw, ‘Where is Divine Physician Mo?’ They’d cut down anyone who claimed not to know. All six Shadow Guards of the Crane-Controlling Army were wiped out. Luckily, I’m clever and hid in the cellar with the tiger.”

An Jiu furrowed her brow slightly. “Where’s Madam Mei?”

“She’s tending to the wounds of those two newcomers. Speaking of which…” Mo Sigui tapped his pipe. “An Dajiu, don’t you owe me an explanation? Why are so many people seeking refuge with you? Someone like you… can’t possibly be that popular! Don’t tell me they’re all escapees from the Crane-Controlling Army. I left openly and righteously, unlike you lot. Don’t try to drag me onto your ship of thieves!”

“Even if you had a hundred mouths, you couldn’t talk your way out of this now,” Chu Dingjiang said, lowering his hood to reveal a composed smile.

Mo Sigui had taken in fugitives, and now all the Shadow Guards protecting him had suddenly died. How would the emperor interpret this?

Chu Dingjiang spoke leisurely, “For someone as important as the Divine Physician, once branded a traitor, the pursuit will likely be as ruthless as the preferential treatment once received. I happen to have some resources at my disposal that could ensure the Divine Physician remains unbothered.”

Mo Sigui saw Chu Dingjiang’s face conveyed: Well, well, will you follow or not?