Mei Jiu panicked, “An Jiu, An Jiu.”
Still no response.
Mei Jiu raised her hand to her chest. Due to her fall, even a light touch caused unbearable pain. Could this be why An Jiu had… disappeared?
This thought left her distraught.
An Jiu was just a soul, not truly belonging to her. Mei Jiu had even feared An Jiu’s existence.
At first, An Jiu’s threats nearly frightened Mei Jiu to death. Later, she gradually realized that despite An Jiu’s sharp tongue, her words reflected her true nature and Mei Jiu slowly stopped being afraid. But when had she started depending on An Jiu?
Now that An Jiu was gone, Mei Jiu felt as if she’d lost her anchor.
Thinking this, Mei Jiu could no longer hold back her tears. Having grown up in a small courtyard, rarely venturing out, she cherished every person around her. Suddenly losing someone from her life, as if they had never existed, felt like a pillar supporting her world had collapsed.
Her crying aggravated her injuries, numbing her entire body with pain until she unconsciously fell asleep.
An Jiu was speechless.
Severely injured, she felt unprecedentedly weak. Currently unable to control Mei Jiu’s body with her consciousness, she had no desire to deal with this idiot, wanting nothing more than to tear her to pieces.
But Mei Jiu’s tears extinguished An Jiu’s rage. She despised herself – how cheap were Mei Jiu’s tears? Crying so dramatically over a little scare!
Calming down, An Jiu wondered why, sharing the same body, her soul was so severely damaged while Mei Jiu could cry so energetically, seemingly unaffected.
What could be the reason?
Night had fallen, and An Jiu drifted off to sleep pondering this question.
She didn’t realize that this sleep would last for over forty days!
Due to her severe injuries, Mei Jiu missed the clan school’s month-end exam. Mei Tingyuan was also excused due to her injured right arm.
During the incident at the Chaotic Graveyard, Mei Tingyuan faced danger. Her brother and sister had abandoned her in pursuit of the dagger. After the intense struggle, she was now heartbroken and lacked the energy to cause trouble, giving Mei Jiu some peace for several days.
Winter had arrived. Snow blanketed Mei Hua Village, with ten miles of red plum blossoms in full bloom, ushering in the liveliest season of the year.
Nobles and officials from Bianjing City flocked to the village. They came to appreciate the plum blossoms in the snow, compose poetry, and engage in literary pursuits. The once-lifeless Mei Hua Village seemed to have been revitalized.
In the study of Yuweiju, a brazier provided warmth. Mei Jiu, holding a brush, leaned over her desk, carefully sketching a painting of a lady with plum blossoms.
As she set down her brush, Yaoyue exclaimed, “My lady, your painting is even better than the Sixth Young Master’s!”
The painting depicted a woman in a fur coat standing under a veranda, looking up at a lush plum blossom tree. Unlike the typical delicate beauties in such paintings, this woman, though dressed as a noblewoman, had a spirited and valiant air about her despite her serene expression as she admired the flowers.
Yaoyue asked, “Who did my lady paint?”
Mei Jiu gazed at it for a long time before answering, “Someone in my heart.”
Yaoye was surprised for a moment, then covered her mouth and laughed, “My lady, I didn’t expect the person in your heart to be a woman!”
Mei Jiu smiled slightly and wrote a line of poetry in the blank space: “Not yet understanding, remembering Chang’an.”
An Jiu, following her gaze, stared at the woman in the painting for a long time. Seeing the poem, she scoffed, “Nothing better to do?”
Mei Jiu, who was signing her name, paused at the sound. A drop of ink fell after the character “An,” blooming into an ink flower. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
“My lady?” Yaoyue called out in concern, but seeing Mei Jiu crying while smiling, she relaxed a bit and asked curiously, “What’s wrong, my lady?”
“It’s just… a sudden feeling,” Mei Jiu said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
Mei Jiu asked in her heart, “You’re back?”
“What do you think?” An Jiu had no patience for these meaningless opening questions.
Mei Jiu felt the joy of regaining something lost, ignoring the sarcasm in An Jiu’s words.
The sense of security returned, and Mei Jiu clutched her chest, feeling extremely happy.
Although Yaoyue found it strange, she was glad to see Mei Jiu happy after many days of worry.
“My lady,” a maid called from outside, “The Third Madam sent a message. The Hua family has come to appreciate the flowers and will stay in Mei Hua Village for a few days. She asks that you refrain from going to the Grand Plum Garden during this time.”
“Understood,” Mei Jiu replied.
Yaoyue opened the door to find the messenger had already left. She couldn’t help but say, “My lady rarely goes out except for clan school. Why would they specifically send someone to inform us? There must be a reason.”
Mei Jiu said, “The Third Madam is the principal wife. It’s not strange for her to formally inform us, is it?”
“Let me inquire about this,” Yaoyue suggested. “The Third Madam is shrewd in big matters but often overlooks small ones. Moreover, our household doesn’t strictly regulate the young masters and misses. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t concern herself with such a trivial matter.”
Mei Jiu realized this made sense. Since her arrival at the Mei household, apart from clan school, she had never heard of any strict rules. “All right, go ahead, but be careful not to cause any trouble.”
“I understand,” Yaoyue said. She called two maids to stand guard outside the door before leaving Yuweiju.
“Is the Hua family famous?” An Jiu recalled the young man she encountered in the Chaotic Graveyard who confidently stated his surname was Hua.
Mei Jiu replied, “Yes, everyone in the Great Song knows the Hua family. They have a Grand Councilor and a Privy Councilor in the court, and many family members hold high positions. They’re said to wield immense power in both court and country.”
“Even someone as inexperienced as you know about them. They must be truly famous,” An Jiu concluded.
Although Mei Jiu rarely went out and lacked experience, she couldn’t help but quietly retort, “You didn’t know about them either.”
“Idiot, I’m not from your Great Song!” An Jiu then asked, “How many sons do they have in particularly high positions?”
“How would I know that?” Mei Jiu’s face reddened slightly. “Why would I inquire about their young masters for no reason?”
An Jiu couldn’t understand why this was something to be embarrassed about.
A while later, Yaoyue returned. She dismissed the maids outside and mysteriously closed the door.
“My lady, it’s good news,” she said with a joyful expression. “I heard the Hua family intends to form a marriage alliance with our family. I must inform Lady Yan about this.”
Both An Jiu and Mei Jiu felt strange about this. If they were to continue sharing one body, then…
Seeing Mei Jiu’s odd expression, Yaoyue assumed it was due to shyness and paid it no mind. She continued, “They’re proposing marriage for the Hua family’s eldest legitimate son. His name is Zihong, courtesy name Rongtian. He’s twenty-six years old and was previously married, with a son and a daughter. Although it would be a second marriage, being a second wife in the Hua family is incomparable to ordinary families.”
An Jiu had a vague feeling there was more to this. They had just encountered a Hua family member at the Chaotic Graveyard, and now the family was here to propose marriage to the Mei family. Wasn’t this too coincidental?
Or was that young Hua man there specifically for the Mei family?
If so, how did the Hua family know about the Mei family’s Dark School trial in the graveyard that night? Did the Mei family have a mole?
Why was the Hua family investigating the Mei family?
Many questions surfaced at once. An Jiu couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but she was certain that the Hua family’s marriage proposal was not as simple as it seemed.