A smile flickered in Chu Dingjiang’s eyes. “I once thought you were just a beautiful woman from afar, but I never imagined you’d become my soulmate.”

An Jiu had always believed terms like “beauty” and “soulmate” were far removed from her. Hearing Chu Dingjiang use them now felt as if he were speaking about someone else, leaving her unmoved.

“Ah Jiu, I can’t turn back now,” Chu Dingjiang said.

An Jiu watched the mist of his breath. “I know. If you want to stay, why shouldn’t I accompany you? But I’m curious, why did you suddenly change your mind?”

Chu Dingjiang didn’t seem like someone who acted on whims.

“That day when I saw you and Hua Rongjian releasing lanterns by the river, I had a sudden realization,” Chu Dingjiang said, caressing her cold cheek. “Human hearts, power, or peace and simplicity… If one doesn’t strive for anything in this world, even what’s within reach can turn into a fleeting dream. Moreover, an unfulfilled life leaves an emptiness that’s hard to fill. Ah Jiu, with you by my side this lifetime, I can live without regrets, regardless of the outcome.”

At this point, most women would be deeply moved and explain they had no romantic involvement with other men. But An Jiu, ever straightforward, shattered the romantic mood: “I never had any goals to begin with. Following you seems like a good choice to me.”

Chu Dingjiang sighed helplessly. “When will you understand matters of the heart?”

An Jiu suddenly remembered Zhu Pianpian’s tactics for seducing Sheng Changying. Being a woman of action, she immediately extended her index finger.

Focused on her action, which lacked any sense of romance, Chu Dingjiang failed to grasp its significance. “What are you doing?” he asked.

Almost reflexively, An Jiu grabbed his hand, touching her index finger to his. Looking up with a bright smile, she said, “This is how we communicate our hearts where I’m from.”

“Communicate hearts?” Chu Dingjiang looked at their touching fingertips. “What does it mean?”

“This way we can know what each other is thinking,” An Jiu insisted, claiming it was a way of expressing feelings from her hometown.

People tend to raise their voices when lying, and her overly confident tone made it seem suspicious. However, Chu Dingjiang didn’t expose her, finding it interesting instead. “The fingers are connected to the heart, so it makes sense. Do you know what I’m thinking now?”

An Jiu withdrew her hand sheepishly. “You’re thinking, ‘An Jiu is such an idiot!'”

“Oh?” Chu Dingjiang raised an eyebrow. “It works?”

He grabbed her hand again, touching their index fingers. With a mysterious air, he said, “Now you’re thinking that you guessed my thoughts because you’re clever.”

An Jiu’s eyes widened. She had indeed been secretly gloating: ‘Old man, I guessed right thanks to my superior intelligence!’

“Huh?” An Jiu was surprised for a moment but quickly realized he could have guessed based on his intelligence. Moreover, she had reason to suspect Chu Dingjiang had been playing with her all along, given his expertise in mind games.

Realizing this, An Jiu rolled her eyes at him. “Hmph!”

Just moments ago it was like a warm spring day, but now it felt like the depths of winter. People say children change moods quickly, but An Jiu was no different.

“Are you close with Madam Hua?” Chu Dingjiang changed the subject to something he thought might interest her.

An Jiu indeed set aside her grudge. “Has something happened to her?”

“Not exactly,” Chu Dingjiang said. “I’ve learned that she’s been ordered to assassinate Hua Rongtian within six months.”

An Jiu had almost forgotten that Mei Jiu had inhabited the body of a Konghe Army member!

Assassinating Hua Rongtian was something Mei Jiu absolutely couldn’t do. “What will happen if she disobeys?”

“Remember, the Konghe Army has a habit of controlling people with poison. Given Madam Hua’s mission carries a high risk of betrayal, and there’s a precedent for this, she’s likely been given multiple doses of poison,” Chu Dingjiang explained.

Previously, Wei Yue had fallen in love with Hua Rongjian and couldn’t bring herself to harm him, not only exposing herself but also revealing the emperor’s intentions against the Hua family.

But now that the conflict between the emperor and the Hua family was out in the open, An Jiu was confused. “If Mei Jiu acts, won’t it completely sever ties between the emperor and the Hua family?”

Chu Dingjiang analyzed the situation for her. “The current emperor is gravely ill and must plan for the future. The Konghe Army has discovered that Hua Rongjian has been in close contact with the second prince, showing signs of loyalty. If the emperor passes away, Song could face internal turmoil over succession, which the country can’t afford right now.”

“But that crown prince isn’t very impressive,” An Jiu said, her mind filled with images of his flabby body.

Chu Dingjiang smirked. “Don’t be fooled by his apparent debauchery. His scheming nature is ten times deeper than the second prince’s.”

Putting Mei Jiu’s situation aside for the moment, An Jiu asked, “So what’s your plan… You’re not thinking of supporting the crown prince, are you?”

Chu Dingjiang smiled without answering.

An Jiu tugged at his robe. “You can’t be serious?”

“For now, I’m thinking of visiting the second prince’s residence,” Chu Dingjiang said.

“Didn’t you just say he’s not as cunning as the crown prince?” An Jiu personally believed that being emperor required being inscrutable.