Chapter 161: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 161: 

 

The man was silent for a moment before saying, “My name is Eikushi-ji…”

After he spoke, he stared intently at Mian Tang’s face, trying to gauge her reaction, but apart from confusion, her expression showed no other signs of anger.

However, after thinking for a moment, she tensed up, gripping her collar tightly as she fixed her gaze on him. “Did you change my clothes...?”

Eikushi-ji raised an eyebrow, surprised that she was so anxious about this question. After pulling her from the river, he had dragged her onto a boat that had been prepared well in advance while she was unconscious.

He hadn’t expected the pursuers to arrive so quickly. Fortunately, he and his subordinates were familiar with the area, and they soon made their way from the river to the sea, stealthily returning to the Island. However, once they reached the island, several small boats kept trying to approach, so Eikushi-ji entrusted Liu Mian Tang to a servant who had been following him, while he and his subordinates went to sink the pursuing boats.

At that moment, a woman in her forties entered, carrying a pot of hot tea. Kneeling at Eikushi-ji's feet, she said, “Young Master, would you like some hot tea to warm yourself?”

Eikushi-ji waved his hand, signaling her to pour tea for Mian Tang, then said, “It was she who changed your clothes.”

But Mian Tang remained tense, insisting, “You still haven’t answered my question! How long have I been unconscious? Why have the injuries on my hands and feet healed?”

Having learned about Liu Mian Tang's life from Shi Yikuan, he naturally knew that she had previously suffered severed tendons and had lost her memory. Could it be... that she forgot her experiences in Beihai due to her head injury?

Thinking this, Eikushi-ji decided to probe further and asked, “You were only unconscious for an hour... Do you remember who your husband is?”

Mian Tang frowned tightly. “I’m not married. How could I have a husband?”

Looking at Liu Mian Tang, whose forehead was bandaged, Eikushi-ji slowly smiled. Whether Liu Mian Tang was acting or truly forgotten, if she completely forgot about Cui Xingzhou, it would be a wonderful thing.

With this thought, he spoke, “You do have a husband. It was I who saved you, so we’ve been married for over three years now…”

Mian Tang had been awake for two days, each day standing in the yard of the wooden house where she lived, gazing at the distant horizon of the sea.

After hearing what the man named Eikushi-ji said, Liu Mian Tang completely exploded with anger, not believing him at all.

However, when the maid named Ji Zi brought her a mirror, she took a look and fell silent for a moment. Because the reflection in the mirror indeed showed a change; she no longer had the youthful face from her memories but rather a fuller, vibrant look—completely the appearance of a blossoming young woman.

She had even grown taller.

Moreover, her hair had grown past her waist. Back when she was on Yangshan Mountain, she had kept her hair cut short for convenience when wearing a helmet and simply styled it into a small bun.

Now, however, her hair flowed like a waterfall, capable of being piled high into various extravagant styles. To her surprise, the thin calluses on her hands had also disappeared. She didn’t know what kind of heavenly life she had lived these past few years, but her hands were now delicate and fair.

Yet, regarding the man who claimed to be her husband, Liu Mian Tang always felt a sense of strangeness and never allowed him to get close to her.

On this island, there were men speaking in a strange, chattering dialect, all supposedly subordinates of Eikushi-ji.

For some reason, Mian Tang was very averse to these men, who constantly regarded her with greasy and lewd eyes. Therefore, she was unwilling to leave the yard, choosing instead to stay within it and move around a little to recuperate.

According to the man named Eikushi-ji, he was a noble from the Eastern Sea, with a large estate and fertile fields in his hometown. Over the years, he had earned quite a bit of money and added many properties to his portfolio. However, he had not returned to his hometown since marrying her. He said he would take her back to the Eastern Sea in the future, where she could help manage his family’s businesses while also settling down to raise children, no longer living such a wandering and aimless life.

After all, she had suffered a miscarriage due to the waves a year ago, losing a child.

Eikushi-ji seemed to speak flawlessly, perfectly explaining why there were faint stretch marks on her abdomen.

However, he said she hadn’t given birth, but in her dreams over the past few days, she often heard the cries of a small baby, which broke her heart. Each time she woke from the dream, she found her arms empty, and her heart felt hollow.

Moreover, in her half-dream, half-wake state, she would dream of a man whose face she could not see, tightly embracing her, his warm lips lightly brushing against her forehead, eyes, and nose, his deep voice calling out, “My little puppy, always disobedient, let me show you how to behave…”

Facing the warm sea breeze, Mian Tang slowly closed her eyes. The feeling of the hot wind against her face was strikingly similar to the warmth in her dreams.

“Mian Tang, why are you standing here again, enjoying the breeze? Come eat with me,” a slightly rough voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Without needing to look, Mian Tang knew it was her husband, Eikushi-ji, returning. Perhaps due to his noble upbringing, he was much more refined and courteous compared to the odd-looking men on the island.

Although his gaze was always too focused and uncomfortable, his words were very reasonable. He always waited for her to start eating before he would pick up his chopsticks.

However, a faint sense of doubt arose in Mian Tang's heart. If she had really lived with him for so long, why was she not accustomed to the food on the island? Whether it was the kelp broth or the fish sashimi with a strong smell, it made one’s mouth feel tasteless.

Yet Mian Tang did not voice her thoughts. After all, the maid named Ji Zi was not very proficient in Chinese and mostly remained silent like a mute. The only way Mian Tang had passed the time in recent days was by learning some simple Japanese phrases from Ji Zi.

During meals, Eikushi-ji kept a close watch on her. She truly was a breathtaking beauty, exuding elegance in every gesture.

Although Shi Yikuan said she had been a bandit, Mian Tang's demeanor and posture were exceptionally refined. One could easily believe she was a princess from a royal family; it was hard to imagine what she had been like as a bandit.

Eikushi-ji himself carried the aloofness typical of Eastern Sea nobility. Unfortunately, his family had slightly fallen on hard times, leading him to go to sea as a pirate in order to revitalize his family’s fortune through smuggling.

Yet he never regretted his decision; if it hadn’t been for this path, he would never have captured this woman, who had captured his heart at first sight.

For the past few days, he had been observing her. The bewildered and helpless look in her eyes was not something one could feign. If she had truly forgotten everything, that would be the best outcome.

Although he had destroyed the ships that pursued him some time ago, he hadn’t seen any bodies washed ashore, so in recent nights, he had taken it upon himself to patrol the area, ensuring no one came ashore.

He hadn’t forgotten that he had abducted the beloved wife of the Grand Marshal of North Sea, Prince Huaiyang. Losing such a beauty would surely infuriate the Prince.

He had already instructed his men to start organizing supplies, preparing to return to the Eastern Sea. After all, in a few days, the typhoon season would hit North Sea, making it unsuitable to stay on this island.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he could return to his homeland and report his achievements to the shogunate. 

By then, even if Liu Mian Tang regained her memory, it wouldn’t matter. 

Women, after all, always have to accept their fate. By then, she would be in a foreign land, unable to communicate, with no relatives around her; how could she survive without depending on him? Of course, it would be even better if he could have a few children with her before she regained her memories...

Eikushi-ji had grand plans, so after finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth, he intended to take Mian Tang’s hand and get closer to her.

However, Liu Mian Tang dodged him, refusing to let him approach.

Eikushi-ji’s face darkened as he said, “I understand that you suffered a head injury by the seaside, but you are still my wife. Why do you keep rejecting me from afar?”

Mian Tang lowered her gaze and slowly replied, “I don’t remember; you must give me time to adjust... By the way, how has my maternal grandfather been these past few years?”

Even though he had memorized the details about Mian Tang’s background, Eikushi-ji wasn’t a firsthand witness. The more he spoke, the more likely he was to slip up, so he simply said, “I have yet to meet him. The next time I take you back to Great Yan, we can visit him.”

Mian Tang nodded and suddenly said, “I’m craving coconut rice. There’s a coconut tree right behind our house; can you climb it and help me pick some coconuts?”

Eikushi-ji wasn’t very familiar with Great Yan’s cuisine, and he had never tried this coconut rice. However, Mian Tang had been eating very little these past few days, clearly struggling to adapt to the island’s food. As her husband, he wanted her to enjoy her meals more.

Thinking this, he took Mian Tang to the back of the house.

The coconut tree was extremely tall, and the fruits hadn’t completely fallen off when ripe. So, he called over a subordinate who was skilled at climbing to pick the coconuts.

The subordinate wrapped a rope around the tree trunk, tied it around his waist, and then scrambled up the tree like a monkey, using both hands and feet.

Mian Tang squinted as she watched, and soon saw him toss down three large coconuts. She walked over, picked one up, and turned to Eikushi-ji with a smile, asking, “Would you like to drink some coconut water?”

Her bright smile, revealing her pearl-like teeth, momentarily distracted Eikushi-ji, and he nodded in agreement.

After finishing the refreshing coconut water, the night began to fall. Reluctantly, Eikushi-ji stood up and said, “It’s getting late. You should rest first; I need to patrol the island. We’ll set off tomorrow.”

Since Mian Tang had asked for some time, he decided to be gentlemanly and wait until she recognized the reality before accepting him sincerely. After all, he intended to marry her as his wife. The sweetness of their moments together, sitting side by side and drinking coconut water, lingered in his mind.

Mian Tang nodded and, after watching Eikushi-ji leave the room, lay down and fell asleep under Ji Zi’s care.

However, Ji Zi did not leave the room. Instead, she sat on one side of the tatami mat, keeping her eyes wide open to keep watch.

The young master had instructed her that this woman from Great Yan was skilled in martial arts and must not be allowed to roam freely on the island. So she focused all her attention on guarding the night.

But she wasn’t overly anxious because, besides herself, there were several hidden sentries outside the wooden house, all keeping a close watch on the woman. After sitting for a while, Ji Zi began to feel her eyelids growing heavy.

Just as she started to doze off, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her neck, and then she collapsed, unconscious.

After knocking out Ji Zi, Mian Tang retracted her hand. She quickly rummaged through Eikushi-ji’s clothes chest, changing into a set of dark clothes that blended with the night.

Then, she slightly opened the door and swiftly leaped out through the back window. Using her clothes' sash, she wrapped it around a tall tree and climbed to the top, mimicking the movements she had just learned during the day. Once there, she curled up and concealed herself beneath the broad leaves.

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