Cheng Chi glanced sideways at Zhou Shaojin and said, “Are you very idle?”

Zhou Shaojin smiled with a flushed face.

Occasionally she would think about doing something for Cheng Chi like today, but remembering that Cheng Chi had Nan Ping by his side, this thought would immediately fade away. Besides, she currently had to make several garments for Old Madam Guo, so time was indeed a bit tight. However, it wasn’t impossible to find some time…

As if seeing through her thoughts, Cheng Chi said, “Do these things occasionally, but don’t turn yourself into an embroiderer. You must cherish yourself, understand? Don’t always think about others.”

A warm current flowed through Zhou Shaojin’s heart.

Uncle Chi, no matter when, always thought of her first… Even when scolding her, every sentence was for her own good!

Her eyes grew moist, and she lowered her head, embarrassedly responding with a “Yes.”

Seeing her obediently comply, Cheng Chi was in excellent spirits. He called Langyue, who was on duty outside the door, to come in and instructed him to fetch his moon-white fine cotton lined robe hanging on the clothes rack: “…the one Nan Ping just finished making, prepared for wearing out tomorrow.”

Langyue immediately went to fetch the robe.

Seeing that Cheng Chi was only wearing an indigo blue fine cotton straight robe, Zhou Shaojin was puzzled why he would want to change clothes at this hour, wondering if she should avoid the room. Then she saw Cheng Chi casually toss the garment onto her, saying, “Put it on! The evening wind is so cool, what kind of servants do you have attending you? They didn’t even remind you to add a layer of clothing and just let you leave like this?”

She blinked before coming to her senses, but as soon as she did, she jumped up and said, “I don’t want to wear this garment!”

Cheng Chi glared at her.

Zhou Shaojin immediately stopped moving, but inwardly grumbled: What day is tomorrow? Why does Uncle Chi want to wear moon-white clothing to go out? Had she known this, she shouldn’t have worn that apricot-red vest! After putting on this lined robe, the color of her inner clothes would be more vivid than the outer layer, completely overpowering it… It would definitely look ugly.

But Uncle Chi had already spoken. She didn’t dare disobey.

Zhou Shaojin sat as if on pins and needles, very uncomfortable.

Cheng Chi had no choice but to say, “Then I’ll have Langyue fetch one of Nan Ping’s garments for you to wear!”

She would rather wear Uncle Chi’s clothing.

After all, he had already seen her looking even uglier.

Zhou Shaojin could only steel herself and say, “No need, no need. This one is quite fine.”

The moon-white garment enveloped the young girl like moonlight. Cheng Chi thought it looked very good and decided to ignore Zhou Shaojin’s insincerity, pointing to the chess board that had been put aside earlier: “Come. Play a game of chess with me!”

Ah?!

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened, and her heart filled with eager joy as she nodded repeatedly with a beaming smile.

What a silly girl!

It’s just a game of chess.

Is it worth being this happy?

Just don’t throw a tantrum when she loses later.

Though even if she did throw a tantrum, it wouldn’t matter. After all, it was just to pass the time. Did he really expect this little girl to actually play chess with him properly?

The corners of Cheng Chi’s mouth lifted slightly. One held black pieces, the other white, and they leisurely began playing chess.

Langyue very conscientiously brewed tea on the side.

Zhou Shaojin would prop her elbow and study for quite a while before placing each piece.

From beneath the wide sleeves, her wrist emerged, smooth as mutton-fat jade.

Cheng Chi thought he should give her a pair of agate bracelets.

He should buy the thin, delicate kind.

Or jade would also be nice.

If they were too large, wearing them inside as arm bangles would also look quite beautiful.

Just not gold or silver.

Especially gold.

A bit vulgar.

He thought leisurely while casually placing a piece.

Seeing him somewhat distracted, Zhou Shaojin grumbled inwardly.

Uncle Chi really was too much!

He had things on his mind yet still dragged her to play chess.

Clearly treating her as entertainment.

She couldn’t just let him ignore her like this…

Her eyes darted around, and she quickly stopped Cheng Chi’s hand, pouting: “Wait, wait, I haven’t decided yet.”

A gentleman’s move in chess cannot be taken back.

Seeing her looking as if facing a formidable enemy, Cheng Chi thought for a moment and smiled as he withdrew his hand.

Zhou Shaojin now knew where Cheng Chi planned to place his next piece. She secretly smiled and moved the piece she had just placed to a different position.

This way, Uncle Chi couldn’t make that previous move.

Cheng Chi then placed another piece.

This piece wasn’t as cleverly positioned as the previous one would have been.

Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed.

Then the room would occasionally hear Zhou Shaojin’s sweet, soft voice: “Uncle Chi, why are you moving so fast? I haven’t decided yet!”

“No, no, I’m planning to place it here!”

“Uncle Chi, though my chess skills aren’t refined, you can’t do this. I clearly placed it here!”

Cheng Chi found it extremely amusing.

Someone actually played chess shamelessly to this extent, and with such righteous indignation.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

Langyue was dumbfounded.

Was this still chess?

Second Young Miss kept taking back her moves from start to finish.

Fourth Master actually had the patience to indulge Second Young Miss in this nonsense!

But a moment later, he greatly admired Zhou Shaojin.

Even the heir of Duke Liangguo’s manor wouldn’t dare cause such mischief in front of Fourth Master.

Second Young Miss truly had such courage!

He broke into a cold sweat for Zhou Shaojin!

Zhou Shaojin, however, stared wide-eyed in dismay.

Even so, Cheng Chi had severed her large dragon formation into three sections.

She was absolutely furious!

Uncle Chi was clearly using his skill to bully others.

Yes, relying on his superior chess skills to bully her.

She picked up all of Cheng Chi’s white pieces and pouted: “This game doesn’t count, let’s start over!”

Cheng Chi indulged her nonsense and played a second game with her.

But unlike the previous game, this time he was very serious, and his playing style was very gentle.

Zhou Shaojin’s face lit up with joy as she slowly played chess with Cheng Chi.

Watching Zhou Shaojin crouched by the chess board like a cat, Cheng Chi’s heart felt tender.

If this little girl married, where would he see such a scene again?

This room would inevitably lose some of its vitality!

Better to keep this little girl for a couple more years… Marrying later would also be better for childbirth—the chance of difficult labor would be lower.

While thinking these thoughts, Cheng Chi casually continued playing chess.

The next morning when Zhou Shaojin was having breakfast with Old Madam Guo, she couldn’t help but yawn.

Old Madam Guo smiled and asked, “What did you do yesterday?”

Zhou Shaojin was startled and honestly replied, “I played chess with Uncle Chi!”

Old Madam Guo hadn’t expected these two to play chess together after leaving her place, and asked curiously, “What time did you two part?”

Zhou Shaojin said bashfully, “We didn’t part until the third night watch drum sounded.”

Time always passed especially quickly when with Uncle Chi. They had only played two or three games of chess when the third watch was struck. If Langyue hadn’t dozed off and knocked over the nearby lantern, starting a fire that brought Huai Shan and the others rushing in to extinguish it, they might have played two more games.

“So late!” Old Madam Guo was somewhat surprised.

Zhou Shaojin nodded, not guarding against Old Madam Guo, and said, “I kept losing!”

Looking very distressed.

Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but laugh and said, “There aren’t many who can beat your Uncle Chi.”

Uncle Chi is extremely formidable!

Zhou Shaojin nodded with an admiring face, then couldn’t help saying with a bit of small pride, “But later I lost less and less.”

Old Madam Guo chuckled.

Silang had this ability—even when he won, he could make the loser happy about losing.

She smiled and said, “Let’s go play chess with Silang this afternoon!”

Zhou Shaojin’s face burned, and she mumbled, “Can I… can I not go?”

If Old Madam Guo saw her shameless behavior, she would want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

Old Madam Guo asked curiously, “Why not?”

Zhou Shaojin could only say, “I keep losing…”

The young lady was embarrassed.

Old Madam Guo’s smile spread irrepressibly from her eyes: “Alright, alright, alright. You two play your game, I’ll pretend not to know.”

“No!” Zhou Shaojin said in a voice like a mosquito’s buzz, afraid Old Madam Guo would misunderstand that she was a sore loser, but not knowing how to explain to Old Madam Guo. While feeling awkward, Cheng Chi walked in, smiling: “I heard Mother’s laughter from outside the door! Is there some happy occasion?”

If this got out, wouldn’t Uncle Chi laugh at her!

Zhou Shaojin looked pleadingly toward Old Madam Guo.

Old Madam Guo laughed heartily. She winked at Zhou Shaojin and said to Cheng Chi with a smile, “This is between Shaojin and me, you stay out of it!”

Her expression revealed an extremely rare mischievousness.

Not only Cheng Chi, but even Biyu and the other servants in the room were very surprised.

Cheng Chi thought of when he was young—sometimes when his mother said something to his father and he suddenly barged in, his mother would sometimes wink at his father like this.

His gaze involuntarily fell on Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin was staring blankly at his mother, as if shocked by Old Madam Guo.

Cheng Chi couldn’t help but smile.

This silly girl!

If it were someone else, they probably would have rushed over long ago, either fawning before his mother or playfully coaxing her into good spirits. But she just stood there dumbly… However, perhaps this was precisely why his mother, who had experienced so much, had grown to like her.

The young maids set out bowls and chopsticks for Cheng Chi.

The three of them quietly finished breakfast.

But Cheng Chi didn’t go busy himself with his affairs as usual. Instead, he accompanied them in the reception room drinking tea and chatting.

“Mother,” he asked Old Madam Guo with a smile, “do you have any plans for Dragon Boat Festival day?” Then without waiting for Old Madam Guo to speak, he continued, “On Dragon Boat Festival day, the magistrate’s office is holding dragon boat races at Lake Mochou. I’ve reserved three connecting private rooms at Qingyan Tower. I’ll accompany you and Shaojin to watch the dragon boat races then!”

“Oh my!” Even Old Madam Guo couldn’t help exclaiming with delight, “I didn’t expect the government office to hold dragon boat races this year. We must go see!”

The last time the magistrate’s office held dragon boat races was during the previous prefect’s tenure.

Cheng Chi looked toward Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin was already overjoyed and eagerly asked Cheng Chi, “I’m going too?”

“Of course,” Cheng Chi smiled. “When my mother goes to watch the dragon boat races, naturally you’ll go with her!”

Zhou Shaojin smiled with her eyes curved like crescents, nodding repeatedly.

Seeing how happy she was, Cheng Chi couldn’t help saying, “If you have good friends, you can also send invitations asking them to come watch the dragon boat races together. The private rooms at Qingyan Tower are very spacious.”

“We can invite friends too?” Zhou Shaojin was both surprised and delighted.

Cheng Chi smiled and nodded.

Old Madam Guo, however, looked at her son somewhat strangely.

He wasn’t the type to manage every little detail.

Cheng Chi inexplicably felt a bit guilty.

He coughed lightly and said, “The eldest young lady of Duke Liangguo’s household is about to marry and go to Baoding.”