Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.

Zhou Chujin looked at Zhou Shaojin suspiciously and said, “You just got home and haven’t even settled down yet. Why has Uncle Chi suddenly rushed over?”

If there was something urgent, he would have kept Shaojin waiting earlier. If there was nothing urgent… could it be he was afraid Shaojin was unhappy and came chasing after to explain to her?

Once this thought arose, Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but laugh.

How could she think such a thing?

Wasn’t this far too absurd?

Not to mention that Cheng Chi was their uncle—even if he were a husband, there would be no reason to explain such matters.

She must have gotten muddled from her confinement period, daring to think all sorts of nonsense.

Zhou Chujin quickly instructed the young maid, “Go quickly and invite Master Chi to sit in the reception hall. Tell him Second Miss will be right there.” Then she urged Zhou Shaojin, “Go quickly and see what this is about.” She added reproachfully, “Really, you too! Since Uncle Chi asked someone to wait, you should have waited a while! Uncle Chi surely had something to tell you. You rushed back home like that, making Uncle Chi come over specially again. You need to change this temperament of yours. When has an elder ever accommodated a junior? Besides, Uncle Chi treats us so well—you must keep that in your heart…”

Zhou Shaojin had been afraid her elder sister would be angry with Cheng Chi, so she hadn’t thought to tell her about being encountered by a strange man while waiting for Cheng Chi in his upstairs reception room. Now that her sister was blaming her for being inconsiderate, she naturally had no way to defend herself and could only stand there with a red face listening. It was Li Shi who came in carrying wine-fermented eggs with a smile and said, “Eldest Young Madam is truly something—on one hand telling Second Miss to go quickly see Fourth Master Chi, on the other hand keeping Second Miss here talking, leaving Second Miss not knowing whether to go or stay…”

Hearing this, Zhou Chujin saw Zhou Shaojin looking so meek and submissive that she couldn’t help laughing out loud. She took the wine-fermented eggs from Li Shi’s hands and said, “Go quickly! Come back and tell me why Uncle Chi came.”

Zhou Shaojin felt as if granted amnesty. She hastily agreed and went to the reception hall.

Cheng Chi was standing with his hands behind his back, examining the pair of thin-bodied famille rose snow appreciation vases on the long table in the reception hall.

In the somewhat dim light of the reception hall, his tall, upright figure and refined, composed bearing made him look as beautiful as a painting.

Zhou Shaojin watched until her footsteps paused. Only then did she walk into the reception hall.

Hearing the sound, Cheng Chi turned around and smiled at her, saying, “Whose work are these appreciation vases? This snow painting is extremely well done! They don’t look much like official kiln pieces to me.”

His tone was calm with a touch of intimacy, as if they were still at Hanbi Mountain Villa and nothing had happened.

Zhou Shaojin felt very wronged and said in a low voice, “They’re part of Elder Sister’s dowry. I don’t know where they came from either. I seem to have a pair too, but they were left at the old residence on Pingqiao Street in Jinling. If Uncle Chi likes them, I’ll have someone find them and send them to Yuqian Alley.”

The little girl was still angry!

What was it about this time?

Cheng Chi smiled and sat in the grand armchair below the main hall. He looked at her, a trace of indulgence that neither he nor Zhou Shaojin noticed flashing in his eyes, and said, “That’s not necessary—if you give them to me, what will you do when you marry? You’ll have your coming-of-age ceremony this November, right?”

Marriage! Marriage!

Why was he always thinking about marrying her off!

She hadn’t eaten his food or drunk his drink. She wouldn’t interfere with him finding a new wife. What right did he have to care whether she married or not?

When she was encountered by a strange man in his upstairs room, he didn’t say a word. Now he seemed to find her tiresome, talking about marriage and such!

Zhou Shaojin grumbled inwardly, forgetting that she was still wearing the small crown of red gold inlaid with precious gems that Cheng Chi had given her at New Year’s.

She somewhat angrily took the tea the maid brought in and set it down heavily in front of Cheng Chi.

Oh my!

She was actually showing him attitude!

Seeing the Liao family’s young maid retreat obediently after serving tea and refreshments, Cheng Chi couldn’t help smiling and saying, “What terrible crime have I committed to make you this angry? I left Old Master Song in the study and rushed over here, yet I still can’t appease you…” As he spoke, he looked her over teasingly and said, “I see that since coming to the capital, you haven’t grown taller, but your temper has shot up like a firecracker—it ignites without even being lit…”

“Who’s like a firecracker?” Hearing Cheng Chi say he’d left Old Master Song in the study and rushed over, joy flooded out uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes and brows. Zhou Shaojin said coquettishly, “I clearly grew three inches this year…”

Her chest also always felt swollen and somewhat painful. The undergarments made just last winter were so tight she could hardly breathe and couldn’t wear them anymore… Both Fan Liushi and Elder Sister said she had grown up.

Cheng Chi nodded seriously and drew out his words, “Oh, grew three inches!”

To the listener’s ear, this made one think of the phrase “three-inch mite”!

Plus, even with three inches of growth this year, Zhou Shaojin only reached Cheng Chi’s chin…

“Uncle Chi!” Zhou Shaojin stamped her feet in anger.

Cheng Chi laughed heartily. After a moment he stopped and asked her with smiling eyes, “Not angry anymore?”

Zhou Shaojin shyly lowered her head.

Uncle Chi had actually coaxed her like this… her heart felt sweet as honey. How could she have any dissatisfaction left?

Cheng Chi then smiled and asked her gently, “Then can you tell me why you were angry?”

Zhou Shaojin said awkwardly in a mumble, “Uncle Chi had me wait in the reception room, and I, I encountered a stranger…”

Could it have been Song Xiuzhi?

Today only Old Master Song and his grandson had come to visit him!

Could things really be so coincidental?

He thought Song Xiuzhi was excellent. Before he could speak, Shaojin had already encountered him…

Cheng Chi felt his mouth fill with bitterness, but after a few moments of silence, he still said, “That should be Old Master Song’s grandson, namely Lady Song’s stepson. His given name is just ‘Mu,’ his courtesy name is ‘Xiuzhi.’ He’s the eldest son of Minister Song Jingran, last year’s provincial examination top candidate from the Two Lakes region. He’s only eighteen this year—probably the youngest provincial top candidate in several provinces…”

Why was Uncle Chi being so detailed?

What did this have to do with her?

Zhou Shaojin didn’t understand, but hearing that the person who encountered her was Lady Song’s stepson, Song Sen’s elder brother, someone familiar, she truly felt relieved.

Cheng Chi had been watching Zhou Shaojin intently while speaking, noting the changes in her expression. Seeing her relax completely upon hearing that Song Mu was Lady Song’s stepson, thinking of Zhou Shaojin’s previous life, he instantly understood her anxiety.

Because she was beautiful, in her previous life many men who saw her had harbored admiration for her. This was extremely contrary to the teachings she’d received about proper conduct for young ladies, causing her to doubt her own character. Combined with Cheng Xu inexplicably appearing, she felt extremely uneasy about encountering strange men or even receiving others’ admiring gazes, afraid of causing some incident…

This little fool!

What was to be done!

Cheng Chi’s heart ached.

This also strengthened his resolve to matchmake between Zhou Shaojin and Song Mu.

With a gentle-natured yet independently-minded husband of similar age as companion, she should quickly emerge from these low spirits!

Cheng Chi’s voice became even gentler: “Shaojin, this was my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone in the reception room. I’ve already instructed Huai Shan to add several older women to manage the inner courtyard. Next time you come to Yuqian Alley, such things won’t happen again…”

His making a special trip to chase after her had already completely dissipated Zhou Shaojin’s resentment. How could she bear to hear such apologetic words? She quickly interrupted Cheng Chi with a red face, saying, “Uncle Chi, this matter was originally my fault. I, I shouldn’t have just run back like that… Since they could enter and exit your reception room, they must surely be your close friends or people who had your permission. I shouldn’t have panicked just because I didn’t recognize them.” Thinking of Song Mu’s somewhat flustered back as he withdrew from the reception room, she quickly said, “That Young Master Song is all right, isn’t he? I saw he didn’t mean it. Was he frightened…”

Cheng Chi looked at her expressive eyes full of concern. His heart felt as if something were stuck in it. After a moment he smiled and said, “Were you frightened? You won’t be scared and hide when you see Song Xiuzhi next time, will you?”

“Uncle Chi!” Zhou Shaojin glared at him with dissatisfaction, her face red.

The corners of her eyes lifted slightly, like the charming beauty of fine spring in May.

Cheng Chi couldn’t help covering his chest. After thinking a moment, he smiled and said, “All right, you’re not angry anymore, are you? I have something to tell your elder sister. Go report this for me.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin ran to Cheng Chi’s side with great interest and said, “Uncle Chi, what do you want to tell Elder Sister?”

In his breathing, Cheng Chi could smell the faint fragrance from her body.

It wasn’t like the rich powder scent he usually smelled, nor like the vibrant floral fragrances he knew, but rather subtle and elusive, carrying threads of warmth—like a maiden’s natural scent.

Cheng Chi felt somewhat unsettled.

He pretended to scold, “Little child, why ask so many questions? I told you to go report—why haven’t you gone?”

Zhou Shaojin giggled, playfully winked at Cheng Chi, and scurried away.

Cheng Chi watched her light, deer-like retreating figure, and the smile on his face gradually faded.

※※※

Zhou Chujin looked at Zhou Shaojin in astonishment: “Uncle Chi has something to tell me? What could he possibly need to tell me? Won’t telling your brother-in-law work? Or telling…”

She swallowed the words “Madam.”

What if it was about Cheng Lu or Cheng Xu?

Her expression changed slightly.

Zhou Shaojin was still immersed in the joy Cheng Chi had brought her and hadn’t noticed her sister’s unusual reaction at all. Pouting, yet with joy she couldn’t hide between her brows, making one feel that rather than expressing dissatisfaction, she was acting spoiled: “Uncle Chi said I’m a little child and won’t tell me.”

Zhou Chujin couldn’t help laughing and said to Fan Liushi who was attending her, “Mama Fan, quickly get a mirror for your Second Miss to look at herself and see if she really looks like a child.”

Zhou Shaojin disagreed.

Fan Liushi chuckled.

Zhou Chujin also laughed for a while, then instructed the maids to help her change clothes and asked Zhou Shaojin, “Go ask Uncle Chi if the upstairs reception room will work.”

Zhou Shaojin cheerfully ran off again.

Zhou Chujin smiled and shook her head, passing word for the women of the inner residence to withdraw.

Cheng Chi didn’t care—he could see Zhou Chujin anywhere. Asking Zhou Chujin where to meet was only out of consideration that she was still in her confinement period. He didn’t understand these matters and feared violating some taboo. The reason he wasn’t telling Liao Shaotang or Zhou Shaojin’s stepmother about the Song family matter was because he knew Zhou Chujin would never harm Zhou Shaojin.

The two sat down in the reception room, and Cheng Chi told Zhou Chujin about Song Xiuzhi.