An Jiu slowly raised his eyes to look at him.
Their gazes met, and Hua Rongjian froze. It was the same cold, slightly murderous look, seeming incongruous on such a delicate face. Yet, he had to admit, it was beautiful.
The jade-green bamboo on the embroidered screen rustled. An Jiu sat on the couch in a water-blue silk dress, wearing an ivory-colored brocade jacket with a red plum blossom embroidered on the collar. His slender neck was partially exposed, revealing snow-white skin. His dark hair was half-tied up, and his face was naturally beautiful without makeup.
Hua Rongjian coughed dryly, “I… I’m warning you, if pushed too far, I won’t discriminate between men and women!”
“Have you confirmed?” An Jiu smirked, his light snort more cutting than any harsh words.
Hua Rongjian’s anger, which had just subsided, flared up again. He stepped forward and grabbed An Jiu’s collar, lifting him.
However, once he had done so, he hesitated to go further. He had done many reckless things outside, but he had never hit a woman.
His hesitation cost him. An Jiu didn’t hold back at all, swinging his fist and landing a solid punch on Hua Rongjian’s cheek.
Men who hit women are despicable, but men who get hit by women are cowards! Hua Rongjian was thoroughly enraged, forgetting why he had come in. He grabbed An Jiu’s collar with one hand and pinned down his right hand with the other.
An Jiu’s left hand had already unsheathed a dagger, almost reaching Hua Rongjian’s ribs before stopping suddenly. He reversed his grip and struck hard with the dagger’s hilt.
Hua Rongjian grunted in pain, releasing An Jiu’s collar to grab his other hand.
“Young Mistress!” Yao Ye wanted to help but couldn’t find an opening as the two grappled on the couch. She put down the vases she had been holding and tried to pull them apart.
Initially, Hua Rongjian had been on the defensive, trying to restrain An Jiu. But An Jiu had never been one to be at a disadvantage and struggled fiercely to break free. As they wrestled, neither gave an inch, but both retained a shred of sanity and didn’t use lethal force.
Outside, under the bright moonlight, Mo Sigui, thinking it was getting late, had bought only a jug of wine. After a brief memorial for Qiu Ningyu by the river, he returned to the tavern.
Stepping into the main hall, he sensed an unusual atmosphere and heard a commotion from the second floor. He grabbed a waiter and asked, “What’s happening?”
“Young Master Hua is fighting with someone. I heard there’s even a young lady involved! Ah, what a sin. I wonder how that young lady offended Young Master Hua.” The waiter, realizing he shouldn’t gossip, changed the subject with a smile. “Don’t worry, sir. It’s just a normal disturbance, it won’t affect you.”
Mo Sigui nodded, “Do you know which room the Mei family’s young lady is in?”
“Mei family…” The waiter thought for a moment, then his face suddenly showed shock. “Are you from the Mei family, sir?”
“Yes,” Mo Sigui replied, feeling a sense of foreboding at the waiter’s reaction.
“Please go check quickly!” The waiter slapped his forehead. “It’s in the Jade Bamboo Chamber. I forgot, that’s the Mei family’s young lady! The one I mentioned fighting with Young Master Hua…”
Before the waiter could finish, Mo Sigui rushed upstairs in alarm.
Many of the rooms on the second floor had their doors open, with people peering out. They didn’t dare to gather around due to the guards at the door and Hua Rongjian’s status.
The guards at the door were sweating profusely. Seeing Mo Sigui, they grabbed at him like a lifeline. “Young Master, they’ve been fighting for a while, but the young lady won’t let us enter.”
Since An Jiu had returned alive from the trial, the guards subconsciously assumed her martial arts were good. Even though Hua Rongjian was a man, he was just an ordinary person without inner strength, and surely couldn’t gain the upper hand against her. They were more worried that their young mistress might use too much force and accidentally kill the Hua family’s son!
Mo Sigui kicked open the door and strode in.
The room was in chaos. Mo Sigui saw An Jiu pinning a man in blue brocade robes against the wall, one leg pressed against his abdomen, right hand firmly on his neck, and left hand grappling with the man’s hand. The man wasn’t idle either, one hand choking An Jiu’s throat, the other wrestling with An Jiu’s hand.
Both were red-faced and straining. Yao Ye had torn a cushion from the couch and was busy trying to tie up Hua Rongjian’s feet.
“Tsk, tsk!” Mo Sigui walked over, examining their disheveled state while slowly fanning himself. “Truly eye-opening.”
A faint fragrance wafted with Mo Sigui’s fan movements. An Jiu, Hua Rongjian, and Yao Ye gradually felt their strength draining, and they collapsed.
An Jiu, having some resistance to such drugs, could still move a bit.
Mo Sigui snapped his fan shut. “My apologies, Young Master Hua.”
His drug could render people powerless but not completely unconscious.
Hua Rongjian asked, “Who are you?”
“I’m Fourteen’s cousin,” Mo Sigui replied. “I’ll give you the antidote. You can leave on your own, and we’ll put this matter aside for now. Is that acceptable?”
Hua Rongjian glanced at his torn clothes and readily agreed, “Fine.”
Mo Sigui took out a handkerchief and waved it under his nose.
After a moment, Hua Rongjian felt he could move. He quickly glanced at the scowling An Jiu, cupped his hands towards Mo Sigui, and strode out.
Hua Rongjian’s group of friends had been waiting outside. Seeing him emerge with disheveled clothes, they immediately started making a commotion. One said, “I told you Rongjian could do it! Come on, pay up, a bet’s a bet!”
“Did you place a bet for me?” Hua Rongjian covered the bruise on his face. “I put in a lot of effort!”
“Yes, I put you in my group…”
The door was slightly ajar, and An Jiu heard the laughter from the corridor. His face darkened even more.
Mo Sigui turned to close the window, tapping the table with his fan. He teased with schadenfreude, “My, my, our young lady is growing up and making quite a name for herself!”
For an experienced assassin to engage in such a low-level brawl was truly embarrassing, enough to make nature itself weep with shame!
An Jiu turned away, silent.
Mo Sigui looked around, picked up an intact chair, and sat down, leaning lazily against the table. He asked curiously, “When did you start feuding with Young Master Hua?”
He inwardly sighed, thinking that if An Jiu hadn’t lost his martial arts, he wouldn’t have had to resort to such a physical fight.
“No grudge, no enmity…” An Jiu pondered, unable to recall why they had started fighting.
“It was Young Master Hua who went too far, repeatedly harassing our young mistress!” Yao Ye said indignantly.
“Really?” Mo Sigui said. “Hua Rongjian is known for his playboy lifestyle. He keeps over a hundred singing girls at home and often frequents brothels. However, he dislikes having wives or concubines and never gets involved with respectable women.”
Yao Ye was surprised, “He said he wanted to marry our young mistress. Could he be serious?”