Ever since becoming Cheng Chi’s servant, Nanny Shang had learned never to question any of his decisions.

She respectfully acknowledged and went to Pingqiao Street.

Zhou Shaojin was just discussing with her sister, “…Old Madam Gu has passed away. Should we also go pay our respects? No matter what, we did meet Old Madam back then, and we’re on good terms with Seventeenth Miss Gu.”

Zhou Chujin smiled with pursed lips.

Her younger sister was becoming more and more decisive.

This wasn’t really discussing with her—it was clearly convincing her.

With her sister like this, she could marry with peace of mind.

Zhou Chujin nodded. “Just discuss this matter with Madam.”

With the precedents of Lanting and Xinlan, Li Shi surely wouldn’t refuse.

Zhou Shaojin happily agreed.

Chun Wan came in to report that Nanny Shang had arrived.

Zhou Shaojin quickly had Chun Wan invite her in and explained to her sister, “I had her take a message this morning.”

Zhou Chujin didn’t dare be negligent and instructed Dong Wan to invite Nanny Shang to the hall for tea.

Nanny Shang didn’t dare accept such courtesy. She stood there respectfully waiting. When the Zhou sisters came out, she quickly stepped forward to pay her respects and said, “This servant has come on Fourth Master’s orders to relay a message. The Gu family’s relatives are successively receiving mourning reports, and people keep coming to pay condolences. Fourth Master must arrange the evening meal there before he can come over. He asks Second Young Miss to wait patiently.”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but exchange a puzzled look with her sister, then asked Nanny Shang curiously, “Didn’t I say my matter wasn’t urgent and Uncle Chi should finish with the Gu family’s funeral matters first?”

Nanny Shang smiled. “I told Fourth Master the same thing, but Fourth Master insisted on coming over…”

Zhou Shaojin could only nod and say, “Thank you for your trouble, Nanny. I’ll wait for Uncle Chi to come.”

Nanny Shang smiled and demurred, then stood to take her leave.

Chi Xiang saw Nanny Shang out.

Zhou Chujin asked Zhou Shaojin, “What exactly did you have Nanny Shang tell Uncle Chi? Why does it seem like Uncle Chi has some inkling?”

Zhou Shaojin shook her head blankly. “I didn’t say anything!” She then told her sister every detail of what had happened.

Zhou Chujin couldn’t understand either. She could only stop thinking about it and said, “Since Uncle Chi is coming later, instruct the kitchen to prepare some late-night refreshments. Whether he eats them or not, it’s our thoughtfulness.”

Zhou Shaojin agreed wholeheartedly and personally went to the kitchen to give instructions.

Li Shi’s side also received the news.

She said to Nanny Li, “I didn’t expect Second Young Miss’s words to carry such weight in the main branch. This late, with such a major event occurring, yet the main branch’s Fourth Master is specially making time to come over…” As she spoke, she showed confusion. “I heard the main branch’s Fourth Master passed both the provincial and palace examinations and is extremely strategic and capable in his conduct… Could this Fourth Master not be that Fourth Master?”

Nanny Li also found it somewhat incredible and said, “How about I go take a look when he arrives?”

“That would be good.” Li Shi felt that the more she interacted with Zhou Shaojin, the more she seemed soft and compliant on the surface, but her words and actions had deeper meaning the more you thought about them. “Be careful not to let them discover you.”

“Don’t worry!” Nanny Li smiled. Just after dark fell, she went to the kitchen. When the hour of the Dog passed by a quarter hour, Chun Wan came asking the kitchen to bring a bowl of white congee and three or four small dishes to the flower hall beside the main room.

Nanny Li figured the main branch’s Fourth Master had arrived. She picked up a copper kettle as if to fetch water and went to the flower hall.

The flower hall was brightly lit with its partition doors wide open. The servant women were all attending in the covered walkway. Zhou Shaojin sat with a young man at the round table in the center of the flower hall. Chi Xiang led Chun Wan and Dong Wan in arranging bowls and chopsticks.

The man appeared to be only twenty-four or twenty-five years old, wearing a moon-white coarse cotton robe. His features were refined and handsome, his bearing modest and gentle, inspiring favorable feelings—he had the graceful nobility that comes from being well-read.

Nanny Li was considering whether to pretend to pass by accidentally to get a closer look when the man suddenly raised his head and their eyes met directly.

His originally warm gaze suddenly became like an unsheathed sword, shooting toward her with cold light.

She instinctively shuddered, quickly lowered her eyes, and following her instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm, hurriedly left the flower hall.

Cheng Chi withdrew his gaze.

Zhou Shaojin noticed nothing and was still chattering in his ear, “…It’s too late—I was afraid you wouldn’t digest well, so I only had the kitchen make light dishes. Please make do. Remember to eat more tomorrow morning. I’ve seen others manage funerals—after a whole day of busyness, it takes everything out of you. If the stewards have all arrived, you must remember to rest. The work is never finished. You’re so capable and skilled—if you take on everyone else’s work, not only will you exhaust yourself, but others won’t necessarily appreciate it!”

The corner of Cheng Chi’s mouth twitched.

“Why are you like an old woman!”

He interrupted her but said, “I have Huai Shan and Nanny Shang attending me. You don’t need to worry.”

“That’s good then.” Zhou Shaojin wasn’t offended. She took the white congee from a young maid’s hands and placed it in front of Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi took a sip of the congee.

Sweet, soft, and glutinous—authentic Chaozhou white congee.

He was very satisfied and calmly tried the blanched vegetables.

Very authentic Cantonese cuisine.

It made Cheng Chi, who had been busy all day, feel very satisfied.

Zhou Shaojin smiled quietly.

After Cheng Chi finished his late-night refreshments, she called a maid to bring water for him to wash his hands.

Cheng Chi stood up and said, “Come talk with me in the courtyard!”

Talk in the courtyard—what if someone overheard?

Zhou Shaojin hesitated somewhat.

Cheng Chi became even more certain of his suspicion.

This little girl had probably encountered something serious.

He just didn’t know if it was about her sister’s marriage or her own marriage prospects.

He said, “It’s better to talk standing in the courtyard. You can see at a glance who is where, so there’s no fear of being overheard.”

Zhou Shaojin suddenly understood.

If they talked in a closed room, while others couldn’t see her, she also couldn’t see others, making it easier for someone to take advantage.

She followed Cheng Chi to the courtyard.

Cheng Chi stopped in the middle of the walkway and said gently, “Take your time and tell me—what exactly happened?”

Completely different from last time when he sat carelessly behind the desk impatiently asking her, “What do you want now?”

Zhou Shaojin was startled, then quietly told Cheng Chi about Cheng Lu’s matter.

Cheng Chi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

He’d long felt that this Cheng Lu performed too perfectly—something was off.

But he hadn’t paid it much mind.

A small person like Cheng Lu—he could crush him to mud with a finger!

Even now, he still didn’t take Cheng Lu seriously.

If it weren’t for the little girl’s request, even if he knew what Cheng Lu had done, he’d most likely let Cheng Lu off, wait until he passed the provincial examination or became a jinshi and did something even more hateful, then deal with him. It wouldn’t be too late.

To swat him down like this—when the opponent wasn’t even a worthy adversary—what fun was there?

But since the little girl had asked him to his face, if he didn’t come see her that would be one thing, but having come, how could he just brush her off?

However, following the little girl’s method would take three to five years to see results.

He would soon be leaving the Cheng family. He should at least accomplish this matter before leaving.

Cheng Chi pondered this in his mind.

Zhou Shaojin thought Cheng Chi doubted what she’d said. She immediately became somewhat anxious and said, “Everything I said is true! If you don’t believe me, you can have someone investigate! I know this isn’t good for the Cheng family, but this person Cheng Lu… is really too devious. If you’re the slightest bit careless, he causes some trouble. As the saying goes, ‘There are thieves for a thousand days, but no one can guard against thieves for a thousand days.’ Guarding against him like this is really too exhausting for us…”

“I don’t doubt you!” Cheng Chi interrupted her and said thoughtfully, “Nor do I feel this harms the Cheng family. A petty person whose talent exceeds his virtue—such a petty person has enough intelligence to accomplish his schemes and enough courage to commit violence. He’s a tiger with wings. You’re doing the right thing. I’m just thinking whether there’s a faster method…

“But I understand your meaning. Don’t write a letter. Just send a verbal message to your father. Your two families have grievances—paper can’t wrap fire. His adviser coming and going in Jinling is too conspicuous. If Cheng Lu catches wind of anything, he’ll inevitably connect it to your family. You must also guard against Cheng Lu becoming desperate and doing something to endanger you two sisters.

“Tell him not to get involved in this matter. I’ll find a way to resolve it.”

Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew Uncle Chi would definitely help her!

“Thank you, Uncle Chi!” She smiled sweetly.

Cheng Chi suddenly thought of Cheng Jiashan.

Even a young girl like Zhou Shaojin could see that Cheng Lu was improper, yet for a time he’d been quite close to that Cheng Lu. Had he really had no perception at all of Cheng Lu’s character? If that was truly the case, then he really was as Mother said—insufficient to become the Cheng family’s heir…

Cheng Chi thought about this and took his leave of Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin saw him to the door.

But Cheng Chi said, “Just have your Steward Ma see me out. Although it’s spring now, the evening wind is still a bit cold. Be careful not to catch a chill. Also, get a good night’s sleep tonight. I’m afraid you haven’t slept soundly since your father’s adviser returned…”

Zhou Shaojin giggled. “Uncle Chi is amazing!”

She indeed hadn’t been sleeping well these days.

Not only because of Cheng Lu’s matter, but also because of Cheng Yi’s matter.

She was very clear about the elders’ thinking.

If she married Cheng Yi, though she couldn’t have glory and wealth, she would have no worries about food and clothing.

If it were someone else, she definitely wouldn’t refuse.

But Cheng Yi—she really couldn’t imagine the two of them living together as husband and wife… Moreover, she’d long decided that in this life she would certainly marry, but would only have a marriage in name only like in her previous life. If she married Cheng Yi, how could she hide this from the elders?

What if Father agreed to Grandmother’s proposal? What would she do?

A trace of light worry couldn’t help but appear in Zhou Shaojin’s eyes.

Cheng Chi, who had turned to leave, saw this and his heart skipped a beat. After thinking, he said, “Shaojin, is there something else you want to tell me?”

Zhou Shaojin was startled and instinctively deflected. “No, nothing. I have nothing else!”

Cheng Chi didn’t believe her at all.

The Zhou Shaojin he knew was someone who, like a child, couldn’t hide her emotions.

If there wasn’t some other difficult matter, and she’d always trusted him, and he’d agreed to help her handle Cheng Lu’s matter, she should be filled with joy right now rather than showing light worry!

Cheng Chi said, “If you tell me, I might help you when I have nothing else to do. But if you don’t tell me, don’t expect me to meddle in your affairs again!”