Cheng Jia glanced coldly at Zhou Shaojin and said: “I’ve already been confined to my quarters, and you still want me to keep telling you about Li Jing and me? Not a chance!”

Zhou Shaojin took Cheng Jia’s hand and said softly: “Good sister, please tell me!”

Cheng Jia ignored her.

Zhou Shaojin then said: “Fine then. If you won’t tell me about you and Li Jing, I won’t help you find Li Jing either!”

“You little wretch!” Cheng Jia’s face reddened as she reached to pinch Zhou Shaojin’s cheeks. “Where did you learn this? You’ve actually learned to threaten people? I see you don’t regard me as your elder sister at all. I’ll tickle you today until you surrender!”

“Help! Help!” Zhou Shaojin rolled around on the bed, and the two of them tumbled into a heap again.

But Cheng Jia wasn’t someone who only thought of herself without knowing restraint.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin was truly laughing too hard, she stopped and lay side by side with her on the bed, saying in a lighthearted tone: “Why are you so foolish! If someone likes you, how could you not know? The way he looks at you will be different. He’ll treat you more intimately than others. He’ll take to heart every word you say, and remember everything you like… You just need to pay attention, and you’ll naturally know.”

Was that really how it was?

Zhou Shaojin pondered in her heart.

Uncle Chi always looked at her with disdain, but after those disdainful glances, he would still take very good care of her. Whatever she thought of, he would help her accomplish. As for what she liked… she thought of the furnishings at the Floating Jade Pavilion… she hadn’t said anything, yet everything there was arranged exactly like the Wanxiang Residence she was accustomed to living in.

As for treating her more intimately than others… she really couldn’t tell!

Uncle Chi didn’t seem particularly close to anyone.

Not even to Old Madam Guo!

But he was certainly closer to her than to Ji Ying.

But Ji Ying was a maid! How could that be compared? When masters were intimate with maids, it usually meant they intended to take them as bed servants…

Oh my!

This was so vexing!

If only there were someone she could discuss this with.

Her expression became somewhat despondent.

But Cheng Jia suddenly cried out, as if startled, and exclaimed: “Shaojin, tell me the truth—have you come to care for someone?”

Having her thoughts suddenly exposed, Zhou Shaojin immediately panicked and hurriedly said: “No, no! What are you talking about? How could I possibly care for anyone!”

Cheng Jia stared at her with wide eyes and said: “Is caring for someone such a terrible thing? You’re not stealing or robbing—why can’t you care for someone?”

Zhou Shaojin thought of Cheng Jia and Li Jing and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Cheng Jia must think she was looking down on Cheng Jia’s affection for Li Jing!

She could only say: “I truly don’t care for anyone! I’m not talking about you!”

“You’re still lying to me!” Cheng Jia humphed. “Look at yourself.”

As she spoke, she pulled Zhou Shaojin in front of the mirror: “One moment you look lost and distracted, the next moment overjoyed. When you speak, you stammer and hesitate. This is exactly what it’s like when you secretly care for someone. Otherwise, why would you come ask me? Confess quickly—could you have come to care for Cheng Yi?”

“Don’t go randomly matchmaking people!” Zhou Shaojin cried out. “I haven’t come to care for Cousin Yi at all! He’s like a child, and we grew up together. I regard him as a blood brother—how could I care for him romantically?”

Grandmother already wanted to match them up. If Cheng Jia broadcast this, she wouldn’t be able to escape even if she tried.

However, Uncle Chi had promised her that he wouldn’t marry her to Cheng Yi, so she definitely wouldn’t have to marry Cheng Yi… Thinking of it this way, Uncle Chi must care for her a little, right?

She bit her lip, her mind wandering again.

“Then who do you care for?” Seeing her like this, Cheng Jia completely disbelieved her words. “Let me think—among the ‘Yan’ generation masters, the ones you know are: Cousin Shi is married, Cousins Gao and Nuo are engaged, so only Cousin Yi is left… No, wait, there’s also my big brother…” She suddenly jumped up. “Shaojin, you haven’t come to care for my big brother, have you? So you want me to act as matchmaker?”

Cheng Jia’s wild imagination gave Zhou Shaojin quite a fright.

“Did you take your medicine today?” She couldn’t help but glance sideways at Cheng Jia. “How could I possibly care for your eldest brother? He and I have barely exchanged two sentences, all right?”

“That’s true!” Cheng Jia touched her head sheepishly and said: “Then who exactly do you care for?”

“No one!” Zhou Shaojin insisted firmly. “I’m just a bit curious, that’s all.”

Cheng Jia still had some doubts.

Zhou Shaojin then said: “If you want me to help you send a message to Li Jing, you need to tell me where Li Jing is staying! And how will the person I send gain his trust?”

This was the top priority in Cheng Jia’s heart.

She couldn’t worry about Zhou Shaojin’s situation anymore and hurriedly said: “Wait a moment, I’ll write down an address for you.”

Zhou Shaojin had suffered in this regard in her previous life, so she reminded her: “You should call someone in to write it for you. Otherwise, if it falls into someone else’s hands, there could be complications.”

Cheng Jia was stunned, then beamed with joy and hugged Zhou Shaojin, wanting to kiss her cheek.

Zhou Shaojin dodged with some distaste.

Cheng Jia didn’t mind and giggled: “Our Shaojin is so thoughtful, treating me like a real sister. Rest assured, if things work out between Li Jing and me, I’ll have Li Jing give you a big red envelope as a gift. From now on, I’ll provide all the seasonal clothing for you and your future children.”

Her bold proclamation made Zhou Shaojin’s face flush red. She chided her for being shameless, yet also admired her a little—being able to speak so openly about caring for someone was also a kind of happiness.

Before long, Cheng Jia had someone write the note.

Zhou Shaojin tucked the note into her bosom, and only then did she realize she was breaking out in cold sweat all over, her head felt heavy, and even standing still, she saw stars before her eyes.

She silently cried out “Oh no” in her heart.

Could Old Madam Guo’s prediction have come true—had her condition relapsed?

Zhou Shaojin had Cui Huan make her a cup of hot brown sugar water. After drinking it, she felt much better and forced herself to return to the Floating Jade Pavilion with spirit.

But as soon as she returned to the Floating Jade Pavilion, she collapsed.

This time she forced herself to wait for Madam Zhou to come examine her, and before Madam Zhou could speak, she was already apologizing profusely.

Madam Zhou was most afraid of patients who didn’t follow medical instructions. Now seeing Zhou Shaojin apologizing with her clear, water-like almond eyes full of regret, whatever dissatisfaction she had felt vanished without a trace. She smiled and said: “Since Second Young Lady understands, I won’t say more. I’ll prescribe five more doses of medicine for Second Young Lady. After you finish them, I’ll come for a follow-up examination.”

Zhou Shaojin thanked her repeatedly and had Fan Liushi accompany Madam Zhou to write the prescription.

On Old Madam Guo’s side, when she heard the news, she said: “Don’t gossip in front of Second Young Lady. She sneaked out to play like this, but her body didn’t cooperate. She must feel very guilty inside. Let’s pretend I don’t know. When I go over tonight, I’ll act as if I just discovered it by chance.”

When Cheng Chi learned of it, he frowned deeply.

This little girl took every stray cat and dog to heart, afraid of even stepping on an ant, yet when it came to herself, she valued herself not at all. Clearly her body couldn’t handle it, yet she still went to Cheng Jia’s place.

The visit to Cheng Jia was probably false—knowing that Cheng Jia had been confined because of her, going to comfort Cheng Jia was the real reason.

At that moment, he was discussing business matters with Wu Santuan, another head of the Canal Gang. Wu Santuan asked him twice whether something was “acceptable or not” before he collected his thoughts and stated his true intention: “…When I originally acted as intermediary to help you and the排 Gang divide territories, I never intended to get involved in water transport business again. I don’t care what you do. But now I need to regularly ship a batch of tobacco from Jinling to the capital. You just need to guarantee that my goods arrive on time to the people I designate.”

Wu Santuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Fourth Master Cheng had severed an arm of the Jiao family’s young master and killed Jiang Qin. Now, among them, only the Wu family hadn’t made an enemy of him. He was still hoping Fourth Master Cheng would cause more trouble and completely ruin the Jiao and Jiang families! Never mind shipping tobacco—even if it were smuggled salt, he’d have to do it!

“Listen to what you’re saying,” he said, patting his chest with an air of duty. “Such a small matter—leave it to me. I’ll issue you a military pledge right now. If there’s even the slightest mishap, I’ll bring you my head.”

Cheng Chi said with a half-smile: “Bringing your head won’t be necessary. You just need to make sure that when my tobacco goes missing, you don’t tell me it was the Jiao or Jiang family who tampered with it. That would make your position as Canal Gang leader seem rather undeserved and unworthy of trust.”

Wu Santuan’s heart trembled, and he smiled: “How could that be! Whatever the Jiao and Jiang families do is a matter between them and us Wu family. How could it possibly affect you, Fourth Master!”

Cheng Chi nodded with satisfaction.

Wu Santuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The two exchanged a few more words. When Wu Santuan saw a trace of weariness appear on Cheng Chi’s face, he rose to take his leave.

Cheng Chi sat in the teahouse’s private room for a while before slowly going downstairs.

At the entrance, a group of children were chattering and chasing after a peddler’s colorful pinwheels on his carrying pole. To avoid the children, the peddler nearly collided with Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi’s attendant shouted sharply.

The peddler’s face turned pale with fright, and he bowed repeatedly in apology.

But Cheng Chi walked over, pointed at the pinwheels on his carrying pole and said: “How much are these each?” Then he instructed Huai Shan: “Buy them all and send them to the Floating Jade Pavilion.”

If the little girl got these things, she should be able to stay home obediently and recover, right?

The corner of Huai Shan’s mouth twitched. After a long moment, he answered “Yes.”

The peddler was immensely grateful, while Cheng Chi’s thoughts had already turned to what he had just discussed with Wu Santuan.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows.

The court’s postal stations, the Beggar Gang’s beggars, plus the Canal Gang’s water transport—messages between the capital and Jinling could be transmitted to each other at the first opportunity.

Next would be to bring several gangs in the capital under his control. When needed, they could run errands and serve as muscle.

Cheng Chi was calculating which gangs in his memory had considerable martial strength.

Zhou Shaojin, who received the pinwheels, was overjoyed.

So many pinwheels—they were truly beautiful!

She wanted to get out of bed despite Chun Wan’s attempts to dissuade her.

Fan Liushi, who entered carrying medicine, rushed over in two or three steps and pleaded earnestly: “My young ancestor, please just rest peacefully in bed. Whatever you want, just give an order—if you want to see the pinwheels, I’ll have them bring all the pinwheels over right now.”

Bitao and the others, hearing this, brought all the pinwheels over.