The pavilion was somewhat messy, with lumber piled everywhere. Cheng Chi wore a blue-lotus-colored fine kudzu robe and was using a gleaming chisel to carve the qin’s groove.

The scent of sandalwood floated faintly in the air.

Nan Ping curtsied respectfully. “Fourth Master, Second Miss Zhou from the fourth branch just came by and left you a letter.”

“Just put it there!” Cheng Chi said coolly, carefully examining the initially formed qin body in his hands for a moment before cautiously making a few more cuts with the chisel.

“Yes!” Nan Ping responded quietly, then tiptoed out.

The sound of light chiseling echoed in the pavilion, stroke after stroke, neither fast nor slow, neither loud nor soft. Each sound had no variation whatsoever, as if repeating the previous one. At first it merely seemed monotonous, but over time, like summer cicadas, it made one’s heart grow irritated. After listening a bit longer, one wanted to rush forward and shout loudly to make the sound stop.

Huai Shan’s brow furrowed tightly, his expression growing increasingly stern. Just when he was about to lose his patience, the pavilion suddenly fell quiet.

He couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.

Cheng Chi was holding the qin body, looking left and right. After a good while, he frowned with some chagrin, set down the qin body, murmured “failed again,” then tossed the chisel onto the long table nearby.

His gaze inevitably swept over the letter on the long table.

The envelope was made of gold-flecked paper from Small Mountain Osmanthus Courtyard.

Recalling what Nan Ping had said earlier, he tore open the envelope.

Astonishment, surprise, doubt… He widened his eyes and read the letter again from beginning to end.

Still those same words, still the same content… Yet Cheng Chi couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

She had actually told him so nakedly and directly that she didn’t understand!

How many years had it been since anyone spoke to him like this?

How many years had it been since anyone was so straightforward with him?

He laughed heartily.

Huai Shan poked his head in, saw that Cheng Chi was only holding the letter Nan Ping had delivered and laughing, then withdrew expressionlessly.

Cheng Chi placed the letter on the long table.

Wind blew in, making the letter rustle as if it would fly away.

Cheng Chi casually used a piece of wood to weigh it down and called Nan Ping in. “Go to Mallow Fragrance Residence again. Tell Second Miss Zhou that she might as well send someone to personally deliver the return gift to Miss Ah Zhu. Then also tell her that Zhu Pengju married five years ago, but in the second year of marriage his wife miscarried and injured her body. Since then, despite all medical treatments, she has remained bedridden. Because of this, she has yet to receive an imperial title. This past March, a court physician from the capital stated clearly that she won’t live past this winter. Duke Chengguo Mansion has already prepared her coffin and mourning clothes.”

Nan Ping was greatly shocked.

Hadn’t Fourth Master always avoided getting involved in such household matters?

How…

She looked up but saw Cheng Chi’s clear, bright eyes.

Nan Ping quickly lowered her head, respectfully answered “yes,” and withdrew.

Just as she was about to reach the pavilion door, Cheng Chi called her back.

She waited quietly, holding her breath, for Cheng Chi’s instructions.

Cheng Chi smiled. “Call Ji Ying in for me! I need to make a qin and need someone to serve tea and water.”

“Fourth Master!” Nan Ping looked at Cheng Chi, her eyes glistening with moisture.

Cheng Chi’s voice suddenly softened as he said quietly: “You may withdraw!”

“Yes!” Nan Ping responded in a low voice and left the pavilion.

Cheng Chi suddenly felt restless and irritable. Hands behind his back, he walked out of the pavilion.

Huai Shan lowered his head.

Cheng Chi let out a long breath. “Keep me company for a walk nearby.”

Huai Shan made no sound, silently following behind Cheng Chi as they headed south along a nearby path.

Ji Ying appeared beside the pavilion.

She looked around, not seeing Cheng Chi or Huai Shan. A relieved smile appeared on her face as she tiptoed into the pavilion.

The letter was like a butterfly pinned to the long table, fluttering its wings with a rustling sound.

She quickly scanned the pavilion, confirmed again that no one was there, then carefully picked up the letter.

Disbelieving, she read the letter through again…

Ji Ying couldn’t help smiling, saying with both satisfaction and schadenfreude: “Cheng Zichuan, oh Cheng Zichuan, you have this day too! Let you speak in riddles, let you scheme sneakily against people. Now someone has told you straight out they don’t understand… If word of this got out, I’d like to see where Fourth Master Cheng puts his face…”

As she spoke, her expression suddenly tightened and she turned around.

Cheng Chi and Huai Shan, who had been nowhere in sight, were somehow already standing at the pavilion entrance.

“F-Fourth Master!” Ji Ying’s expression revealed some fear as she stammered: “I, I…” Her gaze fell on the letter still in her hands… She immediately set it down on the long table as if handling a hot potato, even using a piece of wood to weigh it down, restoring the scene to exactly as it had been. “I saw it flying away, so I helped pick it up…”

She told this lie without even blinking.

“Thank you!” Cheng Chi nodded with a smile, as if completely believing her words. “I failed again just now and was in a bad mood, so I went for a walk, planning to come back and continue making the qin… I think this will work—since you’re already here, don’t rush off. Watch me make the qin. Perhaps you’ll discover where I’m going wrong… If nothing else, help me serve tea and water… I just discovered that making a qin is also physical labor…”

“No!” Ji Ying’s face instantly paled, her eyes darting about, looking ready to bolt at the first opportunity.

Cheng Chi smiled. “What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly!”

Ji Ying’s lips twitched, but she didn’t even dare repeat that “no.” Looking at Cheng Chi with a gaze that faintly revealed pleading, she was completely different from when facing Nan Ping earlier. Where was any trace of her cold beauty? If someone met her for the first time now, they would think she was a wronged young wife.

But Cheng Chi seemed not to notice. Smiling, he walked in and stood before the lumber, beginning to select wood.

Ji Ying looked pleadingly toward Huai Shan.

A trace of sympathy flickered through Huai Shan’s eyes, but he said nothing, lowering his head and walking away.

Ji Ying glared resentfully at Huai Shan’s retreating back. After a long while, she murmured to Cheng Chi: “Fourth Master, I… this servant will wait outside. Whatever you need, just call for this servant…”

“You can stay right here.” Cheng Chi continued selecting lumber, saying rather carelessly: “The wind is strong outside. What if you catch a chill…” As he spoke, his thoughts inexplicably turned to that little girl from the Zhou family.

Eyes clear and bright like a pool of spring water, yet her face full of nervousness as she tried to appear calm… “Ah Zhu says Liu Yong is very formidable now… Uncle Chi, you must be careful”… Her voice soft and sweet like the wine-filled rice balls eaten at New Year’s… When she wrote to tell him she didn’t understand what he was saying, was she perhaps as nervous yet forcing herself to appear composed as well? His expression softened, his smile becoming warmer. “It just so happens I have a piece of pine wood here that was ruined. Take it and brew me a pot of tea right here…”

Ji Ying watched in trepidation.

The gentler Cheng Zichuan’s smile, the angrier he was inside… She had merely sneaked in to read one unimportant letter of his—surely she wasn’t so unlucky as to have just walked into his crosshairs?

The sound of chiseling began again, stroke by stroke.

Ji Ying wished she could just die!

At Mallow Fragrance Residence, Zhou Shaojin stared at Nan Ping dumbstruck, unable to recover her wits for a long while.

Whether Zhu Pengju was married or not—what did it have to do with her?

What did Uncle Chi mean by this?

Zhu Pengju’s wife hadn’t received an imperial title… When she had been in the capital in her previous life, such situations weren’t unheard of, but she’d never heard of someone not being titled because of illness from miscarriage!

Was Uncle Chi trying to tell her that Duke Chengguo Mansion wasn’t as glorious and honored as it appeared, or was he simply informing her that Zhu Pengju’s wife hadn’t received a title?

But this meant that if Zhu Pengju’s first wife died, his second wife could immediately petition the Ministry of Rites for an imperial mandate…

At this thought, Zhou Shaojin jumped up.

Could Uncle Chi be telling her… that Zhu Pengju had taken a fancy to her?

It was like a huge wave crashing over her, making her dizzy and unable to tell north from south.

How could this be?

She must have misunderstood!

On Ghost Festival, she hadn’t even seen Zhu Pengju… No, wait—the first time she saw Zhu Pengju was when Uncle Chi was drinking tea with her at Three Branch Pavilion… If he had his eye on her, why would he wait until today to send her gifts? And her sister was already betrothed… Could it be Cheng Jia… Then what about Li Jing?

She shivered.

She wanted to ask Nan Ping carefully what exactly was going on, but seeing Nan Ping’s serene expression with a smile in her eyes, she felt that Uncle Chi had already said this much—if she still had to ask… that would be too stupid.

Zhou Shaojin could only thank Nan Ping and had a maid see her out.

But as soon as Nan Ping left, she immediately grabbed a pair of pouches and sent Fan Liushi to deliver them to Ah Zhu at Duke Chengguo Mansion, repeatedly instructing her: “Don’t say anything if others ask you. Only give the items to Ah Zhu herself when you see her in person.”

Fan Liushi, assuming it was some secret between the young misses, smiled and agreed, taking the pouches to Duke Chengguo Mansion.

Zhou Shaojin waited restlessly. With great difficulty she endured until evening, when Fan Liushi returned.

She said somewhat puzzled: “I delivered the items personally to Miss Ah Zhu. Miss Ah Zhu was very surprised and even asked me why I was giving her two pouches. I said this was Miss’s instruction, so Miss Ah Zhu happily accepted them. She also had me bring back two baskets of newly available pears, saying someone had presented them to Duke Chengguo Mansion, and to bring them back for you, First Miss, Miss Jia, and the senior relatives at home to try.”

In other words, the gifts weren’t from Ah Zhu.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart turned ice cold.

Without thinking, she ran toward Small Mountain Osmanthus Courtyard.

Qingfeng was the one who stopped her again.

Zhou Shaojin said: “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me… I need to see Miss Nan Ping.”

If she went looking for Cheng Chi like this, they would definitely say he wasn’t there.

An angry expression appeared on Qingfeng’s face. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Shaojin glared at him fiercely and said menacingly: “If you don’t go announce me, I’ll stand right here and shout loudly… I don’t believe you can gag my mouth!”

Nominally, she was a guest and Qingfeng was a servant.

Qingfeng was so angry his mouth trembled. He flung his sleeve and left.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help wiping the sweat from her forehead.

If Qingfeng really didn’t announce her… even if someone gave her another dose of courage, she wouldn’t dare make a scene shouting and yelling!

That, that would be too mortifying.

How could she face Uncle Chi after that…