“Even so, are you still unwilling to try, to give yourself a chance?” Cheng Chi asked quietly.

Zhou Shaojin lowered her eyelids, silently refusing his suggestion.

Cheng Chi let out a long sigh and stood up: “I understand.”

He prepared to take his leave.

Zhou Shaojin frantically grabbed Cheng Chi’s sleeve.

When Uncle Chi said he “understood,” it never meant agreement—it meant he’d made up his mind about something.

“I, I won’t marry.” She looked at him, her eyes showing a pleading expression. “You promised to let me be a lay Buddhist at home. I’ll be obedient. If I can’t keep up the practice, I won’t be a lay Buddhist anymore.”

Before becoming a nun, one had to spend several years as a lay Buddhist at home, strictly observing precepts like someone preparing for marriage. Only after having no regrets could one shave one’s head and take vows.

At that point, there would be no turning back.

She understood Uncle Chi’s meaning.

He feared she didn’t know the austerity of monastic life and couldn’t persevere.

How could Cheng Chi bear to truly let her become a nun!

He looked at her smooth, lustrous black hair. After hesitating for a moment, he gently patted her head and said softly: “I understand. First be a lay Buddhist at home.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled.

Like the sun emerging after clouds disperse, her smile was bright and radiant, as if the entire room had brightened by several degrees.

Cheng Chi’s heart grew cheerful as well.

Forget it, forget it.

It wasn’t as if he couldn’t support her.

If she wanted to be a lay Buddhist at home, then let her be one—as long as she was happy.

When the day came that she wanted to marry, it wouldn’t be too late to arrange a good match for her.

Though young provincial examination top scholars weren’t common, young imperial examination graduates existed too.

Failing that, marrying a provincial graduate and having him study hard for a few years under his supervision to pass the imperial examination would work.

Cheng Chi sighed and smiled, shaking his head: “Don’t take the medicine anymore, and stop pretending to be sick. Look how frightened your stepmother is. You can’t treat yourself so carelessly anymore, understand?”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded.

She felt as if the rain had passed and the sky had cleared—everything was wonderful.

It showed that for such matters, she really had to find Uncle Chi!

She happily saw Cheng Chi out.

But Cheng Chi stopped at the doorway and smiled: “Don’t see me off. That Nanny Li from your stepmother’s side is still in the courtyard waiting to brew medicine for you!”

Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed red.

Cheng Chi smiled, then walked out of the hall with light steps.

The evening glow filled the sky, painting the small courtyard red. The air carried the fresh scent of plants and those cheerfully blooming canna lilies, suddenly giving him a feeling of quiet peace and tranquility.

Cheng Chi couldn’t help but turn back.

Zhou Shaojin was standing in the doorway seeing him off.

She leaned against the doorframe, tears glistening as she looked at him, her expression desperate and anguished, like an orchid on the verge of death—delicate and mournful. But the instant she saw him, she immediately straightened up and showed a bright smile, as if telling him: I’m fine, you go ahead. Don’t worry…

Cheng Chi’s heart suddenly clenched tight.

He remembered her panic and unease when he first met her at Three Branches Studio, remembered her carefulness when she put down her brush upon seeing him again, remembered her shy smile at the ship’s railing, remembered that small bird-like cheerful figure on the Qiantang riverbank, remembered her brazen shamelessness when taking back a chess move… He seemed to see a flower quietly blooming in his palm, about to wither away.

Was this the result he wanted?

Was this the protection he was giving her?

Cheng Chi turned around and strode toward Zhou Shaojin with large steps.

The wind blew past his ears, his blood pounding like drumbeats.

“Shaojin!” He grabbed that compliant girl and pressed her against the door panel.

The setting sun filtered through the Korean paper covering the hexagonal lattice patterns, making the gold ornaments in her hair sparkle inch by inch.

He suddenly captured her lips, his hand sliding along her still youthful yet already gracefully curved body.

Zhou Shaojin was stunned.

How had Uncle Chi become like this?

How could he treat her this way?

Like Cheng Xu…

Tears fell like broken beads.

But it was still different from Cheng Xu.

When it was Cheng Xu, she had struggled desperately, kicking and hitting wildly.

With Uncle Chi holding her, she didn’t even dare move.

Even when he pried open her lips, she didn’t dare bite him… And his hands were about to reach inside her clothing… His palms were burning hot, as if on fire—even through her clothes she could feel it… She was so embarrassed she wished she could faint…

How could Uncle Chi treat her this way?

She began sobbing and crying.

Pink lips, delicate and fragrant as petals, soft and tender. Her slender body, rising and falling like mountain ranges.

What had begun as merely a probing action made Cheng Chi sink helplessly into it, unable to extricate himself, wanting more.

The mingling of lips and teeth, the tender skin, made his blood bubble and boil like magma… Until he heard Zhou Shaojin’s small, fragmented sobs like a young animal, only then did he come to his senses.

He really had fallen in!

Cheng Chi smiled bitterly and slowly released Zhou Shaojin.

Her dark eyes, washed with tears, were moist as black obsidian. Her kissed lips were slightly swollen and red, like blooming flowers.

His body began clamoring again.

Cheng Chi smiled self-mockingly and asked her gently: “Are you afraid?”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.

She didn’t want Uncle Chi to become like this. She wanted Uncle Chi to be like before—seemingly impatient yet tolerant in teasing her, apparently angry yet forbearing in mocking her, listening to her speak, joking with her… She didn’t want things to change this way with Uncle Chi.

“But what if I like it?” Cheng Chi asked her quietly, his gaze as scorching as summer sunlight as he looked at her.

She didn’t know what to do.

She certainly couldn’t treat him the way she’d treated Cheng Xu.

But she also didn’t want him to treat her this way.

What should she do?

Zhou Shaojin struggled internally, her hands nervously wringing together.

“Silly girl.” Cheng Chi smiled, cupping her face before bending down to capture her lips again.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.

Hadn’t she already said she was afraid? Why was Uncle Chi still treating her this way?

Zhou Shaojin’s tears fell again.

“Don’t cry!” Cheng Chi’s voice was gentle yet held an unyielding firmness that brooked no defiance.

Zhou Shaojin was so frightened she quickly stopped crying.

She feared angering Cheng Chi—at least now he was only cupping her face. If he got angry and acted recklessly, like just now when his hand had reached inside her clothing… she would die of shame!

Cheng Chi could only sigh.

This silly girl—shouldn’t she be kicking him hard or beating him desperately at this moment? He told her not to cry, and she truly held back her tears!

Cheng Chi helplessly pressed his forehead against hers and said warmly: “Am I really that good?”

So good that she wouldn’t give Song Mu even a chance!

So good that she liked neither her childhood friend Cheng Yi nor the talented young gentleman Song Mu!

So good that she would rather endure his advances than dare push him away!

“What?” Zhou Shaojin murmured, not understanding his words.

The corners of Cheng Chi’s mouth slowly curved upward. He held Zhou Shaojin in his arms, tightly, so tightly in his embrace, as if trying to clamp her into his very body. He whispered in her ear: “Am I really that good?”

※※※

Dusk was gradually falling.

Cheng Chi sat in the hall speaking with Zhou Chujin: “…Guan Ge’er’s hundred-day celebration should be on the twenty-second of the fifth month, right? When will the Grand Madam Liao arrive in the capital? Once she comes, Liao family relatives will certainly come to visit. At that time, having Madam and Shaojin staying here might be somewhat inconvenient. I think it would be better to have them move to my place. I also have a residence near Chaoyang Gate—I’ll move to Chaoyang Gate. When the Liao family people come, it will look better. If Madam wants to care for you, she can just take the sedan chair back and forth every day. You’re a married daughter—you must bring honor to your natal family while at your marital home, and bring honor to your marital home while at your natal family!”

The implication was that the Zhou family wasn’t some poor, obscure household. Even if Madam and her sister came to care for her, they would be living in their own residence, eating their own food, not touching a single bit of the Liao family’s resources.

These words struck Zhou Chujin’s heart.

Having Madam Li and Zhou Shaojin travel so far to care for her during her confinement—anyone else would be extremely grateful. It was only proper that Madam Li and Zhou Shaojin stay at Elm Tree Lane. But if it were the Liao family, people would certainly mock the Zhou family for having shallow foundations, saying they came to the capital ostensibly to care for her during confinement but were eating the Liao family’s food and living in the Liao family’s house, ordering servants about when all they contributed was their mouths.

Her face turned red as she said embarrassedly: “Uncle Chi, I’ve made you laugh at us.”

Cheng Chi’s expression remained calm: “Your marriage was arranged through my elder brother as matchmaker. If there’s anything to laugh at, it’s my elder brother’s fault. Don’t say such things. I think in the next few days you should choose a date for Madam and Shaojin to move over. I’m thinking the Grand Madam Liao will rush to reach the capital to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Since we’ve already decided on the move, let’s avoid running into the Grand Madam Liao.”

Zhou Chujin also felt her mother-in-law would arrive in the capital before the Dragon Boat Festival. These past days she’d been thinking about clearing out the west wing room being used as a storeroom for her mother-in-law to stay in.

“Then I’ll trouble Uncle Chi!” She was a decisive woman who acted on her decisions. She immediately called for a maid to bring the almanac and selected the eighth day of the fourth month to move.

But Cheng Chi said: “The eighth day of the fourth month is Buddha’s Birthday—Shaojin will most likely go offer incense to the Buddha. It would be better to choose an earlier date.”

Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but laugh: “No wonder Shaojin likes Uncle Chi the most!”

Even someone as experienced as Cheng Chi felt his ears grow hot at hearing such words.

The two settled on the sixth day of the fourth month for the move.

Madam Li was outside wanting to see Cheng Chi.

The timing really couldn’t have been more coincidental.

The two invited Madam Li to the hall to talk.

Madam Li was still clutching Physician Cao’s prescription, saying worriedly: “Why is it now being said there’s no need to brew the medicine? Has there been some change? Should we send word to the master?”

Both Zhou Chujin and Cheng Chi reacted uneasily—one stood up, the other cleared his throat quietly. Zhou Chujin unhesitatingly pushed this matter onto Cheng Chi: “It’s Uncle Chi’s idea. He wants you to move over in the next few days…”

She explained Cheng Chi’s intentions to Madam Li.

Although Madam Li felt taking a sedan chair back and forth every day was somewhat inconvenient, being able to live separately from her in-law the Grand Madam Liao was excellent. She agreed with a smile.

But Cheng Chi was concerned about the prescription in Madam Li’s hand: “I forgot to tell you just now—Imperial Physician Cao feels Shaojin just has excessive liver fire, nothing serious. I think that medicine is one-third poison—if we can avoid taking it, that’s best. So the Elder Madam and I discussed stopping Shaojin’s medicine for a few days to see how things go.”

Madam Li thought that since Cheng Chi, a double examination graduate, said this and Zhou Chujin agreed, it must be correct. She said nothing more, only instructing Nanny Li to keep the prescription safe so it wouldn’t be lost when needed. She began discussing with Zhou Chujin the matter of moving to Yuqian Lane.