61 Identity

After leaving the banquet hosted on the center garden of the Prime Minister's residence, XuanRong decided to visit the left wing of the residence where the former courtyard of her mother was located. She could not help but feel nostalgic. Seeing the familiar pathway and the familiar flowers potted on the side of the path, XuanRong could not stop herself from walking forward and pick flowers along the way. Ever since her rebirth, the only thing that was planted within her courtyard in Lu Shan were all poisonous and medicinal plants. She missed the smell of the ordinary flowers.

Looking at the flowers swaying with the wind, XuanRong closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ah. What a fresh air."

She turned her head and saw that An Wei was looking at her.

"Why? Is there something wrong with my face?" XuanRong touched her face confusedly, trying to wipe it with her hand.

XuanRong was oblivious that An Wei had been staring at her ever since she asked him to accompany her. When she caught him staring at her, she only thought that he saw something on her face.

"What is it ah?"

She moved closer to An Wei and stuck her face near him, hoping that he would wipe the dirt on her face. After she was able to adjust with them, XuanRong no longer feel repulsive towards An Wei and the others' touch. Ever since she wholeheartedly trusted An Wei, she no longer viewed him as a man but her companion and friend.

That was why, even though An Wei was a man, XuanRong no longer despise his touch and would even feel comfortable with his warmth.

Waiting for An Wei to raise his hand and help her clean her face, XuanRong blinked her eyes. Even though she always acted older that her current age due to the fact that she was older on her previous lifetime, XuanRong would sometimes show her childish side. Although she was cold and ruthless against her enemies, but she was a warm person inside. Whenever she was in front of strangers, she would either act like a white lotus or act like an arrogant noble lady, but in front of An Wei and the others, she could be herself, without any pretense.

"An Wei? Is there a dirt on my face? Can you wipe it?"

XuanRong blinked her eyes while staring asking An Wei. She was unaware that she looked very cute at the moment, making An Wei petrified. Sensing An Wei's weird reaction, XuanRong raised her hand and was planning to tap his shoulder when a small nut fell on the ground between them.

"Who?!"

By reflex, both An Wei and XuanRong turned their head towards the direction where the stone came from. An Wei subconsciously moved himself forward, shielding XuanRong from danger.

"Young Miss, please prepare to escape. This servant was not able to sense that someone was here. This servant is afraid that the person has a higher qinggong[1] that me."

XuanRong shook her head.

"Why would I leave? I can help you. Even if could not defeat him, I can use poison to slow him down."

An Wei shook his head. If he was not wrong, their enemy was very powerful. Ordinary poisons could not pose any threat and XuanRong would be forced to use the art of Gu. He knew that every time XuanRong use the poison Gu, she would endanger herself. Thus, how could he allow her to harm herself?

"Young Miss, please---"

Before An Wei could finish his sentence, another nut fell on their feet. When they raised their head, they saw a squirrel. XuanRong could not help but laugh loudly. It seemed like they were being anxious for nothing.

"Hou... It was just a squirrel."

XuanRong squinted her eyes and stare at the squirrel. She turned around and stretched her arms upward.

"An Wei… let's go. We are almost there."

XuanRong spoke and walked away, leaving An Wei how kept on staring at a distant tree, trying to confirm something. When An Wei did not see any movement and could not feel any malice on that direction, he turned his head and walked forward, following XuanRong's lead.

After the two people left, someone suddenly appeared out of thin air and stepped the nut on the ground, creating a small sound of 'crack, crack' and destroying it with his feet. It was a man wearing a black overall outfit. In his hand was a butterfly shaped hairpin.

--------

When XuanRong reached her mother's previous courtyard, she could not help but whisper, "Mother, Rong'er is back."

She pushed the courtyard's gate and saw that the length of the grass on the ground were already above a person's waist. In her previous lifetime, in regards with her mother, Chen Yi, XuanRong had mixed feelings. In the past, XuanRong seldom visited her mother's courtyard because Xiao Lou would often say that it was not got to visit someone's courtyard especially when the owner was already dead. She was still very young when her mother died, and it was basically Xiao Lou who raised her, so, she would always listen to her. Although she acknowledged Chen Yi as her birth mother, XuanRong would often lament why Xiao Lou did not gave birth to her. She did not notice that Xiao Lou was poisoning her mind. Xiao Lou would often say that it was bad that Chen Yi left early as if it was all Chen Yi's fault that XuanRong was raised by other people. She was blind to think that Chen Yi was at fault for dying early and listen to Xiao Lou's brainwashing.

Since she could not enter the courtyard, XuanRong could only jump on the roof and sat on it.

An Wei hesitated a little bit before he followed her and sat beside him.

Raising her head, XuanRong once again stared at the moon.

"An Wei…"

"This servant is here."

"Are your parents still alive?"

Out of the blue, XuanRong suddenly asked An Wei.

When she did not hear his response, XuanRong knew that he did not want to say anything related to his identity. She opened her mouth to say that he should just forget her question when An Wei spoke.

"My mother is already dead, but my father is still alive."

Startled, XuanRong stared at An Wei's eyes.

An Wei had been with her ever since she was ten years old. In almost five years of being with him, XuanRong had never seen his face without any veil covering it and she knew a little of his personal life. Although she had her own suspicion of who he was, XuanRong was not sure whether she was correct or not.

She had tried to probe him a couple of times, asking him a couple of questions related to his identity, but it was the first time he answered her question which made her quite surprised.

"If he is still alive, why didn't you stay with him and decided to become maternal grandfather's shadow guard?"

XuanRong could not help but want to know more about An Wei.

Being questioned by XuanRong, An Wei could only sigh and stare on the moon.

With deep hatred, he spoke, "My mother was killed because of him. He said he loved my mother, but he could not marry her and could only make her a lowly concubine. She exchanged her freedom and accepted her fate being imprisoned in a golden cage just to be with him, but in the end, she died in regret."

Listening to An Wei's words, XuanRong felt like her assumption was correct.

"An Wei… are you…"

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[1]. Chinese Martial Arts

[Unedited Chapter]