Zhou Shaojin had lived two lifetimes, but in both she was merely an ordinary woman. However, from her years of worshiping Buddha and staying at temples, she had witnessed countless women who were sacrificed for family interests or blamed when matters went wrong. The fates of those women still made her sigh with emotion whenever she thought of them.

Cheng Chi’s words moved her almost to tears.

Though Uncle Chi was formidable, he was unwilling to use his strength to harm women and children. There was probably no one in the world with a kinder heart than Uncle Chi!

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but steal a glance at Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi sat upright, calmly drinking his soup, as if Cheng Jia’s matter wasn’t even worth discussing and such schemes should never have been considered in the first place.

She quickly looked toward Old Madam Guo.

Old Madam Guo nodded slightly, not only showing no sign of reproaching Cheng Chi, but seeming quite pleased with his response.

Zhou Shaojin was somewhat puzzled.

She heard Old Madam Guo laugh and say, “I judged a gentleman’s heart with a petty person’s mind. You’ve done very well!”

If one could enter official service, the future would be bright.

Yet the one confined to the household was this youngest son.

As Old Madam Guo swallowed the words that had reached her lips, her gaze dimmed slightly as she smiled bitterly to herself.

After dinner, everyone moved to the Resting-and-Feasting Hall to drink tea.

Cheng Chi then inquired about Cheng Jia’s matter.

Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but feel somewhat emotional. “This truly was a case of the ignorant being fearless. Fortunately nothing happened. If something had happened, even though we wouldn’t bear responsibility, how could our hearts be at ease? In the future, I wonder if she’ll be able to establish herself in the Li family…”

Cheng Chi tried to amuse his mother: “A married daughter is like spilled water. From now on she’s the Li family’s daughter-in-law—let Li Jing worry about her…”

However, Zhou Shaojin merely smiled as she sat to the side listening, appearing rather silent.

Cheng Chi was puzzled.

What was wrong with this little girl?

Usually when he said one sentence, she had ten waiting for him.

This time he had deliberately brought up her good friend’s matter, yet she remained silent instead.

Could there be some inside story to Cheng Jia and Li Jing’s affair?

Or was there something Nanny Shang had neglected to tell him about the household?

He immediately became somewhat distracted.

Old Madam Guo assumed her son was too tired. After speaking a few more sentences, she stopped and urged him to return to his room to rest. “In any case, the matter is settled. Miss Jia didn’t come to any harm. Being able to marry Li Jing smoothly is ultimately a good thing. When the time comes, we’ll just add to her trousseau. Whatever needs discussing, we can talk about tomorrow—it won’t be too late!”

If he wanted to get anything out of this little girl, he would need to coax it out of her.

How could he coax the little girl in front of his mother?

Better to ask her privately!

Having made up his mind, Cheng Chi smiled, rose, and took his leave.

Zhou Shaojin saw Cheng Chi out of the main room. Only after Cheng Chi’s figure was obscured by large trees did she return to the main room. After speaking a few more words with Old Madam Guo, she returned to Jade Pavilion.

Cheng Chi waited a long while but Zhou Shaojin never came. Growing somewhat uneasy, he instructed Nanny Shang, “Go see what Second Young Miss is doing.”

Nanny Shang came back to report: “She’s already retired for the night!”

Cheng Chi’s brows furrowed tightly.

Given her temperament, if something had happened and he had returned home, nine times out of ten she would come running to tell him… Why was she so abnormal this time? And anything abnormal was suspicious…

He dismissed Nanny Shang and walked to the corridor of Listening-to-Orioles Pavilion’s study. Facing the clear moonlight filling the courtyard, he couldn’t help but fall into a daze.

Huai Shan said softly, “Is Fourth Master worried about the Golden Sands Gang matter? Didn’t they promise to reform and help you? The new gang leader Xu Mu, though young, values righteousness highly and keeps his word. He can be called a gentleman. What he promised, he won’t go back on. What are you still worried about, Fourth Master?”

Cheng Chi said, “I have nothing to worry about regarding those matters! What is evil? What is righteous? It’s merely showing them a clear path so they don’t have to live licking blood from knife edges. Otherwise the Golden Sands Gang wouldn’t have surrendered so quickly.”

He was worried about Zhou Shaojin.

But he still restrained himself from going to find her.

Cheng Chi still clearly remembered that gaze that had lingered on his back.

If he took the initiative to seek her out, it would only make her grow closer to him.

Cheng Chi felt somewhat unsettled. Reviewing accounts, issuing instructions, discussing stock withdrawal with the Wei Trading House… He kept busy like this for two or three days without paying any attention to Zhou Shaojin.

These past few days, Zhou Shaojin had shut herself at home doing needlework.

Only this way could she avoid overthinking.

She and Cheng Jia were so close, yet upon seeing Uncle Chi, she only wanted to ask if the journey had been difficult for Uncle Chi, whether he had encountered any difficulties with meals and lodging, whether the Huai’an matter had gone smoothly, and whether he would need to continue going to Huai’an… As for Cheng Jia’s matter, she wasn’t really interested. Cheng Jia would be fine anyway—she didn’t need to worry about her at all.

On the way from the main room back to Jade Pavilion, she had lingered for a long time on the path leading to Listening-to-Orioles Pavilion, wanting to chat with Uncle Chi, yet afraid he was too exhausted and had already gone to rest and she would wake him.

Finally when dawn came, she went to the main room to accompany Old Madam Guo for breakfast, thinking she could encounter Cheng Chi this way. But Cheng Chi said he was busy, and for several days in a row she didn’t see him.

She had to tell Uncle Chi about the matter of Cheng Lu having already connected with the person who greeted Magistrate Wu, and that person being Cheng Chi!

Although Zhou Shaojin believed that with Cheng Lu’s abilities and methods, he couldn’t possibly harm Cheng Chi, open spears were easy to dodge while hidden arrows caused injury. Someone like Cheng Lu most enjoyed working in the shadows. Combined with how the Second and Third Branches had conspired to scheme against Cheng Xu in her previous life, she was terrified that Cheng Chi might suffer harm from Cheng Lu’s schemes.

After all, this matter was because of her.

If Cheng Lu schemed against Uncle Chi, she could never atone even with ten thousand deaths!

Why was Uncle Chi so busy?

Zhou Shaojin waited another two days. Seeing she still had no opportunity to see Cheng Chi and unable to continue with her needlework, she paced around her room like a caged beast, unable to decide whether to barge into Listening-to-Orioles Pavilion as she used to, or wait a few more days to see how things developed.

After hesitating like this for two more days, Ma Fushan’s wife came to see her, bringing a set of jeweled head ornaments and a set of pure gold head ornaments. She smiled and said, “These were made according to your previous instructions at the Jinling branch of Yongfu Sheng. The total comes to two hundred taels of silver.”

These were what she had prepared to add to Cheng Jia’s trousseau.

She had been so preoccupied with whether or not to see Cheng Chi that she had completely forgotten about this!

Zhou Shaojin smiled wryly.

If she didn’t speak of it, who would know her feelings for Uncle Chi?

Being so anxious about gains and losses would only arouse suspicion in observant people!

Zhou Shaojin had Chun Wan put away the jewelry, rewarded Ma Fushan’s wife, changed into a scallion-green vest, and went to Cheng Chi’s quarters.

Cheng Chi had been thinking that if Zhou Shaojin still didn’t come find him tomorrow, he would go check on her… He hadn’t expected that before he could make a move, Zhou Shaojin would barge in just as she used to.

The corners of Cheng Chi’s mouth lifted slightly. He instructed Nanny Shang, “Go get the fresh lotus seeds we’ve been chilling in the well, sprinkle a light layer of white sugar on them, and bring them over.”

Nanny Shang didn’t dare raise her head.

For several days now, Fourth Master had been having people chill fresh lotus seeds in the well, yet he was too busy to eat them… Today when Second Young Miss came over, they finally had their use!

She respectfully acknowledged the order and withdrew.

She ran right into Zhou Shaojin.

“Second Young Miss!” She curtsied and couldn’t help but give Zhou Shaojin a quick once-over.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes held a smile. She was gentle and soft, appearing obedient and well-behaved, no different from usual.

Nanny Shang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. She smiled attentively and said, “Fourth Master has been busy with accounts these past few days without even time to eat. He just put down his brush to rest a bit when you arrived. You can keep Fourth Master company and help him relax.”

Uncle Chi had been so busy!

She couldn’t help with other matters, but she could certainly keep Uncle Chi company in conversation.

Zhou Shaojin’s spirits immediately lifted. She entered the study with a beaming smile, not even knocking on the door.

Cheng Chi had grown accustomed to her entering unannounced. Without rising, he ground ink while smiling. “Why have you come at this time? Do you have some matter?”

Zhou Shaojin giggled and walked over to help Cheng Chi grind ink.

Cheng Chi teased her, “Showing such courtesy without cause—either you’re a traitor or a thief. Just tell me directly what you want me to do. This way makes my heart very uneasy.”

Zhou Shaojin glared at Cheng Chi unhappily. “Uncle Chi thinks too little of people! Must I always be seeking something when I come to see you?”

She felt somewhat guilty saying this.

Cheng Chi being resented by Cheng Lu was entirely because of her.

Cheng Chi noticed her rolled-up sleeves revealing a small section of her wrist, white and flawless as jade… He thought again of the gift he had brought back for her… a pair of jade bracelets.

They would certainly suit her perfectly.

Especially in summer, cool and refreshing—she would surely love them.

As things stood now, he could only save them to add to her trousseau.

Cheng Chi put aside these thoughts and smiled. “Well then, today we won’t talk about anything else. You can help me with accounts!”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t use an abacus. She enjoyed bantering with Cheng Chi. “I won’t do it! I’m not an accountant you’ve hired. You don’t pay me a monthly salary, so I won’t calculate accounts for you!”

Cheng Chi smiled gently.

Nanny Shang brought in the lotus seed rice.

Zhou Shaojin was delighted.

Cheng Chi smiled slightly and bent his head to the abacus, clicking away.

Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment, used ivory chopsticks to pick up one seed, then carried the dish over. “Uncle Chi, you eat too!”

Cheng Chi smiled and glanced up at her, saying gently, “You eat. Once I finish calculating these last few pages of accounts, I’ll be done.”

Zhou Shaojin helped Cheng Chi grind ink from the side.

Soon, Cheng Chi set down his brush and sat with Zhou Shaojin on either side of the arhat couch, eating the lotus seed rice.

Zhou Shaojin told Cheng Chi about inadvertently encountering Cheng Lu and overhearing his conversation with Cheng Zheng.

Cheng Chi was somewhat surprised but not worried. “Letting him know that I want to strip him of his scholarly status isn’t a problem. Perhaps he’ll anxiously guess in his heart about how he offended me—frightening him a bit is good too.”

But this still wasn’t a good thing after all.

Zhou Shaojin asked, “He really won’t affect you?”

Cheng Chi smiled. “I don’t break laws, I don’t bully the weak with strength, I don’t frequent pleasure quarters—am I not allowed to discipline an unruly junior without interference? That would make life too difficult!”

However, Zhou Shaojin heard another layer of meaning and said nervously, “Has someone been saying things about you outside?”