Of everything Zhou Chujin said, Zhou Shaojin didn’t remember much else, only that Cheng Chi would move to the residence near Chaoyang Gate after they moved in. She said, “Why does Uncle Chi only move out after we move in? Since it’s already been decided to move to Chaoyang Gate, why not move before we move in, to avoid any suspicious circumstances?”

This was the first time Zhou Chujin had encountered her sister being so willful. But strangely, she wasn’t annoyed. Instead, she found her charming and adorable, and said with a smile, “Why do you have so many complaints? Uncle Chi is the host. When he waits for you to move over before moving himself, that’s proper hospitality etiquette, showing respect to you. Yet you’re picking faults? Where have all the rules you learned from following Old Madam Guo these past months gone?” Then she spoke to her earnestly, “Old Madam Guo and Uncle Chi like you and treat you well, but you must also know proper boundaries.”

It wasn’t that she lacked proper boundaries—it was Uncle Chi who lacked proper boundaries!

But how could she dare say such things to her sister?

That would cause tremendous upheaval.

Uncle Chi would be utterly disgraced.

Zhou Shaojin could only purse her lips and say nothing more. In her heart, however, she had made up her mind. In any case, Grand Madam Liao wouldn’t come to the capital for some time yet. She would wait until Madam and her younger sister had both moved to Elm Money Alley, and Uncle Chi had also gone to live at Chaoyang Gate, before moving over herself. That wouldn’t be too late.

Thinking this way, she no longer felt this was a difficult matter, and began packing trunks with Chun Wan and the others.

The best things in the household must be given to the elders.

Zhou Chujin planned that once Li Shi and the others moved to Elm Money Alley, she would move to the east wing room and vacate the main room for her mother-in-law Fang Shi to live in. Every day she had to both care for her newborn infant and keep busy directing maids and servants to acquire additional items. She was run off her feet, but still found time to visit the rear courtyard. Seeing that Zhou Shaojin had already begun placing commonly used daily items into trunks, she assumed that day had just been her sister throwing a little tantrum, and didn’t take it to heart.

However, when moving day arrived, Zhou Shaojin insisted on staying behind for a few more days.

Zhou Chujin frowned and said, “Shaojin, you promised me! By going over, you’re also fulfilling the duties of a host on my behalf.”

The implication was that Li Shi was a guest.

But Zhou Shaojin displayed unusually rare stubbornness. Pretending not to understand, she said, “Isn’t Uncle Chi still at Elm Money Alley? With Uncle Chi there to help entertain Madam, that’s enough. I want to stay here a few more days before moving over!”

Zhou Chujin, thinking of the people Cheng Chi had sent to help them move, was so anxious she developed mouth sores.

Cheng Chi’s side also quickly received word.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

This little girl—when had she changed her nature and become like a cat? When others bullied her, she would walk away without a word, but when it was his turn, she extended her little claws to scratch at him.

He’d see how he’d deal with her!

Cheng Chi went to Elm Tree Alley.

Zhou Chujin was still at an impasse with Zhou Shaojin. It was Li Shi who, seeing Cheng Chi, felt utterly embarrassed and hurriedly explained with a smile, “Second Young Miss just can’t bear to part with Grand Lady and Little Guan!”

Cheng Chi didn’t mind. He smiled and said, “It’s fine. I’ll go persuade her!” Then he went to the rear courtyard.

Nanny Shang and the others serving Zhou Shaojin all stood with lowered hands in the courtyard.

Zhou Chujin was standing helplessly by the latticed window, earnestly trying to persuade her sister, “I know you don’t want to move to an unfamiliar place. But isn’t it Uncle Chi’s residence? When you were at Cold Jade Mountain Lodge, you weren’t without dealings with Uncle Chi. Uncle Chi has treated you so well! He said you would definitely go offer incense on the eighth day of the fourth month, and specially set the moving day for today. What do you have to be afraid of? If you really don’t want to move over, just go through the motions today, and tomorrow morning I’ll send someone to bring you back, all right?”

She had only gone to look at the main courtyard for a moment. When she returned, Zhou Shaojin had already dismissed her own maids and servants and shut herself in the room.

Seeing this, Cheng Chi laughed in exasperation and said, “Grand Lady, please step aside for now. I’ll go persuade her!”

Nanny Shang, standing properly among the servants, saw Cheng Chi and her eyes lit up.

Zhou Chujin awkwardly stepped aside.

Uncle Chi had kindly let them move over, yet her sister wasn’t appreciative.

She wondered how much of what she’d just said Uncle Chi had overheard?

Standing under the covered corridor, Cheng Chi said, “Shaojin, I know you can hear me. Open the door! Otherwise I’ll let myself in!”

Inside the room, there was complete silence with no movement.

Cheng Chi stepped back and called Qin Zi’an inside.

Qin Zi’an took something like a blunt iron strip and, working through the door crack, gradually lifted the door bar bit by bit.

Zhou Chujin’s eyes widened. For the first time in her life, she learned that door bars could be opened this way. She suddenly felt a bit frightened, remembering how once she had inadvertently overheard Cheng Shi speaking privately about Cheng Chi with an expression of both jealousy and envy. Though seeming to joke, his words were actually quite caustic, saying that although Cheng Chi was a scholar, he conducted merchant’s business, and in just a few short years had earned so much money. It was impossible that he hadn’t used some unsavory methods. Perhaps he looked respectable and righteous on the surface, but privately committed all manner of crimes including murder and arson…

Watching Qin Zi’an’s methods, she felt that although Cheng Shi exaggerated, Cheng Chi probably wasn’t entirely clean either.

Zhou Chujin feared that if her sister provoked Cheng Chi’s anger, she would suffer for it. She couldn’t help but step forward earlier to tap on Zhou Shaojin’s window lattice, saying, “Shaojin, be good and open the door quickly.”

Zhou Shaojin sat hugging her knees in the corner of the bed, determined not to open the door.

Hearing Cheng Chi’s voice, she scoffed inwardly: In any case, no matter what she said, Sister remained unmoved, so she could only use this foolish method. Could Uncle Chi possibly drag her to Elm Money Alley in front of Sister? Even if he wanted to, Sister wouldn’t agree!

Zhou Shaojin smiled smugly with pursed lips.

Let’s see what Uncle Chi could do!

So when Zhou Chujin tried to persuade her, she didn’t take it to heart at all.

But very soon, she couldn’t smile anymore.

Outside suddenly became completely quiet, without a single sound.

Sister couldn’t possibly give up this quickly, and Uncle Chi couldn’t just walk away like that either… Could something have happened?

She hesitated for quite a while before finally quietly getting out of bed, slipping on her shoes and walking out of the inner chamber, wanting to look through the colored glass panels inlaid in the hall’s door leaves to see what was happening in the courtyard.

Who knew that just as she left the inner chamber, the hall’s door leaves would suddenly be pushed open with a “crack.”

The bright morning sunlight flooded in.

Zhou Shaojin, like a demon illuminated by a demon-revealing mirror, shrieked and ran toward the inner chamber.

Cheng Chi was both amused and exasperated. Without thinking, he followed after her.

Zhou Chujin, afraid Zhou Shaojin would be frightened, lifted her skirt and was about to chase after Cheng Chi inside.

But Nanny Shang appeared from somewhere and blocked her way. Smiling respectfully, she said, “Grand Lady, you’d better not go in. I used to serve Fourth Master, and I can tell he’s quite angry this time. Given Fourth Master’s temperament, he’ll surely scold Second Young Miss thoroughly. I serve Second Young Miss, so I really shouldn’t say this, but Second Young Miss’s behavior this year has indeed been somewhat improper. No wonder Fourth Master is angry. It’s just that Second Young Miss has thin skin. If you barge in like this and happen upon Fourth Master reprimanding Second Young Miss, how could Second Young Miss save face? Why don’t you wait out here and see how things develop? Perhaps our Fourth Master can persuade Second Young Miss!”

Zhou Chujin felt Nanny Shang’s words made great sense. She nodded slightly, but still couldn’t help standing by the window lattice, listening to what was happening in the inner chamber.

Zhou Shaojin ran back to the inner chamber and climbed onto the bed. Hiding in the corner of the bed, she wrapped herself up with the quilt, leaving only a pair of dark, rolling eyes peeping out cautiously to observe Cheng Chi.

What good would this do?

Cheng Chi smiled and shook his head at Zhou Shaojin’s ostrich-like behavior. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

Zhou Shaojin shrank further inward.

Cheng Chi found it amusing and said gently, “Shaojin, why don’t you want to move over?”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t speak.

So Cheng Chi patiently sat by the bed waiting for her to speak.

His posture looked very elegant, yet conveyed the steadfast patience of an immovable mountain, as if he could sit there waiting indefinitely until she spoke.

Zhou Shaojin knew how formidable Cheng Chi was.

She didn’t doubt his determination in the slightest.

Zhou Shaojin lowered her eyelids and murmured anxiously, “I, I don’t want to live together with Uncle Chi…”

Had he frightened the little girl badly?

Cheng Chi felt a bit regretful.

He knew there was a barrier in her heart. But he hadn’t expected this barrier to be so deep.

Yet he didn’t regret his loss of control.

The little girl was truly sweet beyond measure.

Just thinking about it made his heart race.

It was just that he needed to be more methodical in the future.

His face showed apology, and his voice became even gentler as he said, “This matter is my fault. I should have explained things clearly to you. Do you remember Shi Kuan? The head eunuch by the Fourth Prince’s side—the one you said would become a Chief Supervising Eunuch of the Ceremonial Directorate? I deliberately walked past the Fourth Prince’s gate a few times recently and actually ran into him. I found out he has a younger brother, only seven years old this year, fostered with a family surnamed Zheng in Money Alley, not far from Elm Money Alley. He often goes there to see his brother. I was thinking I might bump into him again someday, so I needed to stay at Elm Money Alley for a few days…”

Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed bright red.

How could she have forgotten something so important!

She had nearly delayed Uncle Chi’s important business.

Fortunately, Uncle Chi had kept it in mind all along.

She shyly poked her head out.

Cheng Chi smiled gently and continued, “Does Shaojin feel it’s not quite proper to live at my place? I had previously planned to give you this residence…”

What would she want his residence for?

Zhou Shaojin was about to say “no need” when she heard Cheng Chi say, “You mentioned before wanting to become a lay Buddhist at home, didn’t you? After I returned, I thought it over carefully. If we were to rashly tell your father, what doting father would agree to let his daughter in the prime of her youth set out on the path of renunciation? Not only would he obstruct you, he would also find ways to marry you off as quickly as possible…”

This was exactly what Zhou Shaojin worried about.

She sat up straight.

The quilt wrapped around her loosened.

“I think your best approach is to have your sister find an excuse for you to stay long-term in the capital. After a couple of years, when you’re a bit older, we can then speak to your father. When your father comes to the capital and sees how you’ve been practicing, knows you’re not joking, and I help plead your case from the side, your father will find it easier to accept!”

It would be better than running to tell Father now.

Zhou Shaojin nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Cheng Chi smiled and stood up, saying, “Then quickly get up and change your clothes—I’ve been a bit busy these past few days. I don’t know when Shi Kuan will come by? I still need to make a trip to the capital branch of the Thirteen Hongs later. I heard that the Haichang, the ship I invested in, capsized. I need to go ask about it…”