“Come in,” Chu Dingjiang said.

Hua Rongjian pushed open the door and entered. Seeing that Chu Dingjiang made no move to rise, he walked to the bedside and stood there for a moment before uttering a provocative statement: “Since you can’t protect A’Jiu properly, why don’t you let me take over?”

Chu Dingjiang gave Hua Rongjian a cool glance. While he might criticize his inadequacies, it didn’t mean just anyone could dictate terms to him, let alone try to take away the one he loved.

Hua Rongjian gazed at the somewhat familiar man with a complex expression. “I only regret not paying enough attention before. That’s why Shi’si is in this state today.”

This wasn’t mere boasting. If An Jiu had been with him, at least her safety would have been assured. Even setting aside the Hua family’s vast influence, he would never have allowed his woman to rush into danger.

Chu Dingjiang understood his meaning. However, even without the Hua family, given An Jiu’s abilities, she wouldn’t die unless she sought death herself. But Chu Dingjiang was too weary to argue and simply stated a plain fact: “This is the path she chose for herself. I can indulge her, but you can’t.”

How could the Hua family possibly tolerate their daughter-in-law engaging in assassinations? After all, this was still largely a world of normal people.

Hua Rongjian sighed as he looked at An Jiu’s pale, gaunt face. He liked her very much, but this affection was mixed with various other emotions. He had many fair-weather friends, but only two he could truly confide in. Being with An Jiu felt different from others. To put it kindly, she was a pure person; in other words, she was single-minded. He could be as childish and unreasonable as he wanted, and she would still be that trustworthy friend.

Unfortunately, Chu Dingjiang had taken all of that away!

Chu Dingjiang had killed Hua Rongjian’s birth mother, and An Jiu, someone who knew the truth, had chosen Chu Dingjiang over him and lied to him.

Hua Rongjian couldn’t accept this reality.

Objectively speaking, being raised as a legitimate son despite being born to a concubine was advantageous for Hua Rongjian. Even if his birth mother hadn’t died, she would have remained just a concubine. He only had one proper mother. However, there was always something inexplicable in a man’s pride. Hua Rongjian couldn’t bring himself to be completely indifferent.

Looking at Chu Dingjiang’s current state, his earlier schemes seemed like a joke. Hua Rongjian suddenly wanted to know if he had any regrets. “Do you regret it?”

Chu Dingjiang remained silent. He was at odds with this world. His pursuits and ideals seemed too naive to people nowadays. No one could understand. If he said he had no regrets, others would probably think he was just being obstinate. Better to say nothing.

Seeing no response, Hua Rongjian didn’t jump to conclusions. “Abandoning your family status to become a person who can’t show his face in public, unable even to protect the woman you love – was it worth it?”

Chu Dingjiang truly felt that Hua Rongjian had a fateful connection with him; every word struck his heart.

However, Hua Rongjian still underestimated Chu Dingjiang’s resilience. For him, even if the sky fell, he would just laugh it off.

“Whether it was worth it or not, it was my life,” Chu Dingjiang said calmly.

His words made Hua Rongjian want to grind his teeth in frustration. What he hated most was having his life arranged by others without even a chance to choose. He had once asked An Jiu if thinking this way made him seem overly sensitive. After all, he had a good life – few in the country were as wealthy or carefree as he was. Yet upon learning of past grievances, he began to resent this life! If given the chance to exchange, countless people would gladly trade places with him.

But Hua Rongjian was a sentimental person. While some might sacrifice a concubine mother for noble status, he was unwilling. Others might give up a close friend for a lifetime of comfort, but he refused.

“You’re no better than a woman,” Chu Dingjiang said, easily imagining his current dilemma.

Hua Rongjian frowned but didn’t rush to anger. “Please elaborate.”

“Do you know of the Lou family?” Chu Dingjiang asked.

Hua Rongjian paused. “I do.”

“The Lou family was almost completely wiped out because of the Liao people. Lou Erniang vowed revenge.” Holding An Jiu’s hand, Chu Dingjiang briefly recounted Lou Mingyue’s story. “She and Doctor Mo were childhood sweethearts with an exceptionally deep bond. But in this world, one can’t have everything. She was able to decisively cut ties with Mo Sigui. Whether her choice was right or wrong, at least she acted decisively. You, however, struggle even to make a choice. Aren’t you far inferior to her? If you had come to seek revenge on me, I might have respected you more.”

There are always people in this world who don’t want to offend anyone and try to make everything perfect. If an ordinary person has this personality and some skill in handling affairs, they might, at most, earn a reputation for being agreeable through hard work. They can’t achieve anything greater.

When Chu Dingjiang was Hua Rongjian’s age, he already held the fate of his entire clan in his hands, making decisive moves.

“With your personality, it’s no wonder you missed your chance with A’Jiu,” Chu Dingjiang said. He knew that Hua Rongjian and An Jiu had been acquainted long before he met her and that Hua Rongjian had once declared his intention to marry An Jiu. However, given his personality, Chu Dingjiang had never considered him a real rival. In his view, Hua Rongjian’s competitiveness was even less than that of Gu Jinghou and Wei Yuzhi.

It must be said that men understand men best. Chu Dingjiang had never sensed any true determination from Hua Rongjian regarding An Jiu. Setting aside the already deceased Gu Jinghou, even Wei Yuzhi, who appeared gentle and non-confrontational on the surface, had a kind of persistence in his bones. Chu Dingjiang hadn’t missed any of his exchanges with An Jiu and knew this man had truly taken her to heart.

Hua Rongjian’s initial interest in An Jiu had been ineffective for two reasons: firstly, their relationship was more friendship than romance; secondly, having grown up in a normal environment, he subconsciously had reservations about her identity as a female assassin.

The Hua family’s playboy seemed unrestrained, but his mind was quite constrained.

“Indeed,” Hua Rongjian chuckled lightly.

Hearing this, Chu Dingjiang looked at him closely and noticed a significant change in his demeanor. The sunny young boy was long gone. “It seems you’ve been thinking about a lot lately.”

Had he come to terms with things? Or had he become more entangled?

Chu Dingjiang, born in turbulent times, couldn’t understand the concept of mediocrity. He believed people should have passion and the drive to pursue their dreams. So regardless of how Hua Rongjian had changed, he saw it as a positive development.

A man should have some character.

Thinking this, Chu Dingjiang paused slightly. Come to think of it, why should he care what Hua Rongjian became?

“A’Jiu, when you wake up, let’s have another fight,” Hua Rongjian said, reaching out to touch An Jiu’s face.

However, when his hand was about a finger’s width away, Chu Dingjiang grabbed his wrist.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

In the past, Chu Dingjiang hadn’t considered Hua Rongjian a threat, but now things were different.