The three took a carriage to Bianjing’s most famous restaurant, known for its fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful hostesses. This establishment catered to refined clientele; the hostesses weren’t courtesans but rather experts in wine service, trained in brewing, cooking, and warming various wines, knowledgeable about the most elegant ways to enjoy each type.
Hua Rongjian was a regular. As soon as they entered, a servant greeted him with a smile, “Young Master Hua, shall we have Miss Xin serve you again?”
Hearing this, Hua Rongjian glanced at An Jiu, seeing no reaction. He felt relieved yet disappointed. For a moment, he recalled past experiences drinking with friends, remembering how one friend’s wife had sent a servant to publicly order her husband home, threatening punishment if he delayed.
Back then, he had mocked that friend mercilessly with the others. Now, he found himself wishing An Jiu would do the same to him. Snapping out of his reverie, Hua Rongjian thought he must be going mad to have such absurd ideas.
An Jiu, standing on the stairs, turned to look at him, “Are you coming or not?”
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Hua Rongjian hurried to catch up.
In the main hall, people began whispering, “Look at how eager Hua Er is. Could this be the woman who abandoned him?”
“She’s truly beautiful. No wonder Young Master Hua is so infatuated, giving up men for her…”
Since the “carriage incident” and Hua Rongjian’s declaration of marriage, there have been no further developments. Those eagerly awaiting the outcome were left confused. Rumors spread after someone saw Hua Rongjian drinking alone, looking dejected.
Some said a woman had abandoned him, while others claimed there was no woman at all, that it was just an excuse for Hua Rongjian to openly pursue male relationships…
Various explanations circulated, but all seemed far-fetched. As Hua Rongjian gradually faded from public view, such gossip died down.
Gossipmongers are quick to forget, their attention easily captured by new topics. In the past year or two, they had almost forgotten about Hua Rongjian.
“I only recently found this quiet place,” Hua Rongjian explained after they sat down.
An Jiu nodded, quickly drawn to the appetizers on the table. She picked up her chopsticks, sniffed a morsel, and popped it into her mouth.
As she was chewing, someone gently knocked on the private room’s door.
After Hua Rongjian responded, a woman in a light green silk dress entered, her head bowed. She was slender and graceful, with her black hair half-tied with a sandalwood hairpin.
An Jiu’s first impression was of her fair skin and beautiful hair. The glossy black strands falling over her shoulders were smooth and lustrous, like fine silk, making one want to touch them.
The woman didn’t raise her head, but bowed slightly and moved silently behind the long table to prepare the wine.
The light fell on her face, revealing a flawless complexion with fine, downy hair visible from the side. Her delicate hands had short, clean nails, unlike many noblewomen who deliberately grew and carefully manicured theirs.
As she prepared the wine, her hands moved like white butterflies, mesmerizing to watch.
An Jiu, still chewing, stared at those hands, unconsciously thinking how easily an arrow could strike down those white butterflies.
Seeing her transfixed, Hua Rongjian chuckled, “Now you see the difference between you and other women?”
Hearing his words, An Jiu quickly employed techniques her former therapist had taught her to dispel such thoughts – deep breaths, focus on the beauty of the world, avoid violence…
She thought she wouldn’t be able to control herself, but surprisingly, her emotions calmed. This feeling suddenly reminded her of a pair of eyes – deep gray, always calm and peaceful, yet belonging to hands that never ceased calculating and killing.
Those were Wei Yuzhi’s eyes.
An Jiu found these occasional thoughts of him troubling.
Noticing her slight change in expression, Hua Rongjian immediately dropped his playful attitude and carefully asked, “Are you angry?”
“No,” An Jiu replied, continuing to eat.
Wu Lingyuan, sensing the strange atmosphere, kept his eyes lowered and slowly chewed a piece of vegetable.
After the meal, the three returned to the Hua residence together.
Seeing it was still early, An Jiu went to visit Mei Jiu.
As she was led into the inner chamber, she saw Mei Jiu coming to greet her. A young girl was by the bed, amusing Mei Jiu’s son with a tiger toy.
“You’re here,” Mei Jiu chided gently. “You left without a word, just a note. We were so worried.”
An Jiu didn’t respond, but after looking her over, commented frankly, “You’ve gained weight this time.”
Mei Jiu glared at her, then called to the young girl, “Yu’er, come greet your aunt.”
The girl handed the toy to a maid and gracefully approached, curtsying to An Jiu, “Aunt.”
The girl’s features resembled Hua Rongtian’s by about thirty or forty percent. An Jiu knew this was his daughter from his previous marriage. “No need for formalities,” she said.
Mei Jiu nudged her, feigning displeasure, “This is my daughter. As her aunt, shouldn’t you give her a gift?”
“Oh,” An Jiu thought for a moment, then pulled out a dagger from a pocket on her thigh. “Here, this is for you.”
Before the dagger could reach Hua Yu’s hands, Mei Jiu intercepted it. “My daughter doesn’t engage in violence. Find a more appropriate gift.”
While the dagger might have been unsuitable as a gift for a young girl, its craftsmanship was exquisite and valuable. Mei Jiu’s intervention wasn’t due to its unsuitability, but because she knew of its special properties – it could penetrate the protective energy of inner cultivators, making it extremely important to An Jiu.
An Jiu rummaged around and finally produced a small crystal tiger. Crystal was rare in the Song Dynasty market, and even when available, it usually had impurities or patterns. This piece was exceptionally clear, and the carved tiger was adorably chubby, captivating Hua Yu.
After sending Hua Yu and the maids away, An Jiu finally relaxed.
“Where did you get this strange little trinket?” Mei Jiu knew An Jiu liked collecting seemingly childish toys but hadn’t expected her to carry one.
An Jiu replied, “I dug it out of the study in Meihua Li last night and carved it with a dagger.”
Mei Jiu had stayed in Meihua Li but wasn’t familiar with many areas, including the unique study of Chayun Residence.
An Jiu moved closer to the bed, looking at the small figure lying there. Meeting his grape-like eyes, she grinned.
The little one, unimpressed, pouted and began to cry.
Mei Jiu picked him up, cooing softly despite the child being too young to understand, “This is your godmother. Say hello, she has a gift for you!”
An Jiu promptly drew a long sword from behind her back and presented it to the mother and child. “Here.”
She thought, surely giving a weapon to a boy couldn’t be wrong!