Zhou Shaojin was so frightened by these words that her hands and feet turned ice cold.

In her previous life, she had heard of people who invested in maritime trade. When their ships capsized, they lost everything and were completely ruined.

Without thinking, Zhou Shaojin crawled out from under the quilt and said urgently, “There, there won’t be any trouble, will there?”

She looked at him nervously, her large eyes filled with worry.

Cheng Chi felt warmth in his heart. He gently stroked her hair and smiled, saying, “I didn’t invest much money. It’s not enough to prevent me from being able to support you.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin put on a stern face.

Since he still had the leisure to tease her, clearly the matter wasn’t very serious.

She had worried about him for nothing, and was nearly tricked into forgiving him.

She let out a soft “hmph” and sat far away in the corner of the bed. She even piled the quilt between herself and Cheng Chi, as if building a fortress, presenting an appearance of refusing all interaction until death.

Cheng Chi couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Zhou Shaojin pressed her lips together and glared at him with wide eyes.

Cheng Chi quickly stopped laughing and said gently, “I really have been very busy these past few days. If you don’t believe me, you’ll know once you get to Elm Money Alley. I haven’t even had time to help you tidy up the room. Everything there is still as it was. I was actually counting on you to come over and help me rearrange the entire residence!”

She wouldn’t dare help him!

Zhou Shaojin lowered her head without speaking, twisting the corner of the quilt.

Cheng Chi said, “…Right now it’s spring, when all things grow. It’s the perfect season for planting flowers and grass. The flower farmers in Fengtai have all brought out new varieties. Once you go over, you can go to Fengtai to look around and plant several flowering trees in front of and behind the buildings at Elm Money Alley. By the Mid-Autumn Festival, Elm Money Alley will definitely have a fresh new appearance.”

Why wait until the Mid-Autumn Festival? Flowers like jade hairpin flowers, morning glories, periwinkles—if planted at this time of year, they would bloom by summer. If he dared let her plant freely, she would fill every corner and crevice of Elm Money Alley with these flowers.

Zhou Shaojin thought of the solemn vastness of Cold Jade Mountain Lodge, then imagined Elm Money Alley after planting the most ordinary flowers and plants like periwinkles, snapdragons, and golden money lotuses—the entire courtyard blooming in brilliant purples and reds like a common alleyway… Uncle Chi, who used Such-Is-What-I-Heard incense, would surely have a face as black as the bottom of a pot… Just thinking about it, she almost couldn’t help laughing out loud.

But that smile still couldn’t help but touch the corners of her eyes and brows.

He knew it—even when Shaojin was angry with him, she would quickly forgive him.

Watching her, Cheng Chi’s heart felt soft, like a pond filled with water, so full it seemed about to overflow.

His voice became even lower, softer, and gentler: “By then, you can hang your oriole cage under the eaves, and Snowball will have a place to play—small dogs all love running around everywhere in gardens.

“Look at now—with a small child in the house, you had no choice but to leave Snowball in Baoding Prefecture!

“Some day, have Nanny Shang accompany you to Goldfish Alley to look around and buy a few goldfish to raise in a large jar.

“When you’re practicing calligraphy in the study and push open the window, you’ll be able to see the scenery of the entire courtyard. How wonderful that would be! In autumn when the osmanthus flowers bloom, you can brew osmanthus wine and even give it to relatives and friends to taste…”

Zhou Shaojin was so tempted!

What should she do?

She bit her lip.

Watching her, Cheng Chi’s smile rippled from the depths of his eyes. Even his voice became lighter and more cheerful: “Ji Ying has already returned to Cangzhou. I’m planning to seek her hand in marriage for Qin Ziping. By then she might also come to the capital and should also live in this area. If you get tired of staying at home, you can still visit her to play…”

This was truly a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

Zhou Shaojin could no longer sit still. She hurriedly said, “Uncle Chi, how could Ji Ying marry Qin Ziping?”

The Qin family were servants, and Ji Ying was a daughter of a good family. This, this simply wouldn’t work!

Her mind was in chaos. She couldn’t help but scoot a bit in Cheng Chi’s direction.

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “What’s wrong with it! Although the Qin family helps the Cheng family with matters, they’ve never signed indenture contracts. When they call themselves ‘humble ones,’ that’s out of respect for how my ancestors once saved the lives of the entire Qin clan. How could she not be a match for Qin Ziping?”

Zhou Shaojin’s mind was in complete disorder. She said, “But Ji Ying seems very indifferent toward Qin Ziping… She doesn’t look like she likes Qin Ziping…”

“Whether or not she likes Qin Ziping, you can just ask her yourself and find out, can’t you?” As Cheng Chi spoke, he stood up and walked a few steps, stopping at a distance from Zhou Shaojin that was neither too far nor too near. He said, “In a couple of days, she’ll return to the capital. Once she’s settled, she’ll definitely come to visit you.”

“Really!” Zhou Shaojin’s eyes lit up. Since Cheng Chi was maintaining a certain distance from her, this relaxed her constantly tense mood considerably.

Still just a child after all!

When dealing with children, one must use children’s methods.

Cheng Chi smiled faintly and stood there waiting for Zhou Shaojin to get out of bed.

But Zhou Shaojin twisted her fingers and hesitated there for quite a while.

Cheng Chi smiled patiently and said, “What’s the matter now?”

Zhou Shaojin felt it was better to make some things clear.

Her face flushed as red as if it could drip blood. She lowered her eyelids and murmured, “You, you must promise me not to treat me like you did that day…”

Watching her delicate and shy appearance, so soft she seemed as if she could melt at the touch, Cheng Chi’s heart stirred. He wanted to tease her a bit, but in a flash of thought, remembering how her body had gone rigid when he held her, he forcibly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and pretended to look uncomfortable as he said, “Shaojin, I couldn’t control myself for a moment due to overwhelming emotion… I’ve been trying my best not to bring it up. Can you just pretend it didn’t happen? We can continue being the same as before…”

“Ah?!” Zhou Shaojin felt her face burning hot. She wished she could just disappear from Cheng Chi’s sight.

She really was… so lacking in perception… No wonder in her previous life, Sister often told her “When water is too clear, there are no fish; when people are too upright, they have no friends.” Some things require timely confusion… Like when the women working in the kitchen take a few cuts of meat home out of petty greed, sometimes one must turn a blind eye… Uncle Chi had been so good to her. He had only done this one thing wrong, and was already too embarrassed to mention it, yet she insisted on clinging to this matter…

“I, I, I…” Zhou Shaojin stammered, unable to speak.

Cheng Chi tentatively walked up to her.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t avoid him. Instead, with embarrassment all over her face, she looked at him pitifully, like a cat eager to please him.

Watching her, Cheng Chi’s heart ached. He really wanted to hold this little thing in his arms and cherish her intimately, temples pressed together. But his hands clasped behind his back clenched and released, released and clenched. In the end, he only gently patted her head and said, “All right, all right, don’t be upset anymore. Quickly go change your clothes. Everyone is still waiting for you!”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly, her expression shy and embarrassed.

Standing close and looking down, Cheng Chi noticed that not only was her face red, but her ears were also red. The redness continued downward, and even her neck had turned pink… He couldn’t help but think of that day when his hand reached into her clothing and touched that delicate, smooth skin…

He wondered if it had also turned pink?

His fingertips seemed to still retain the memory from that day, burning like fire…

Cheng Chi couldn’t help but lean forward.

He smelled the faint fragrance from Zhou Shaojin’s body.

Warm, a maiden’s fragrance.

His heart shuddered. With great difficulty, he managed not to continue moving closer to her. Instead, he said by her ear, “Shaojin, during the Buddha Bathing Festival, let me accompany you to visit the Great Xiangguo Temple, all right?”

Zhou Shaojin’s mind was a tangled mess. Still immersed in guilt toward Cheng Chi, naturally whatever Cheng Chi said was fine with her.

Cheng Chi breathed a long sigh of relief.

He had originally planned to accompany her for the Ghost Festival.

Three months’ time should be enough for Shaojin to let down her guard against him.

Just now, he had been possessed by some demon and hadn’t been able to hold back.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a bit regretful, afraid of ruining the situation he had worked so hard to turn around, causing things to become difficult again.

Fortunately, Shaojin liked him more than he had imagined.

Realizing this, Cheng Chi’s heart filled with joy.

He became even less willing to have any unpleasantness with Zhou Shaojin.

Cheng Chi stood up and walked back to the distance that made Zhou Shaojin feel at ease. As usual, he gently scolded her, “Hurry up and get up. I have a lunch appointment with people from the Thirteen Hongs.”

“Oh!” Zhou Shaojin hurriedly climbed out of bed, clumsily arranging her dress, like a child just learning to dress and walk. Particularly childlike.

Cheng Chi didn’t dare look too long. He turned and left the inner chamber.

※※※

Zhou Chujin stretched her neck, standing guard at the main gate. Seeing Cheng Chi walk out in high spirits, her heart settled. She secretly recited “Amitabha” and went forward to meet him.

Cheng Chi didn’t waste words with her. He said, “Once Shaojin is ready, you can set off.”

Zhou Chujin gratefully curtsied to Cheng Chi and led the maids serving Zhou Shaojin quickly into the inner chamber.

Zhou Shaojin’s face was still flushed, but the previous stubbornness was no longer visible.

Zhou Chujin smiled with pursed lips and said, “Uncle Chi still has the best methods!”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t dare look at her sister. She quietly asked Chun Wan to help her change clothes.

Zhou Chujin was extremely curious and asked her, “What did Uncle Chi say to you?”

Zhou Shaojin naturally didn’t dare tell her sister the truth. In a voice like a mosquito’s, she said, “He just, he just gave me a scolding.”

“As you deserved!” Zhou Chujin tapped her forehead and said, “Let’s see if you dare be so willful in the future.”

“I won’t dare, I won’t dare!” Zhou Shaojin repeatedly promised.

Zhou Chujin personally helped adjust her hairpin. While adjusting it, she kept giving instructions: “When you get to Uncle Chi’s place, you must be careful yourself. Listen to Uncle Chi and don’t make him angry. Don’t think that without anyone to restrain you, you can run around everywhere. If anything happens, immediately send someone to tell Sister—I deliberately walked back from Elm Money Alley that day. Uncle Chi’s house is only two incense sticks’ time from here, very close. When you sleep at night, be careful about fire and candles. It’s best to have Nanny Fan on night duty in your room. She’s older and sleeps lightly, so she wakes easily if there’s any disturbance…”

Zhou Shaojin nodded absentmindedly, but in her heart she was thinking about what Cheng Chi had just said.

Marrying Ji Ying to Qin Ziping… she felt this was so strange!

Qin Zi’an was the older brother. If Ji Ying were to marry into the Qin family, shouldn’t she marry Qin Zi’an?

When Ji Ying arrived, she definitely had to ask Ji Ying properly.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel fortunate that Cheng Chi had her move to Elm Money Alley. Otherwise, with Ji Ying’s bold and unrestrained manner, Sister definitely wouldn’t let her frequently associate with Ji Ying. But with Ji Ying’s temperament, she would surely drag her around everywhere, just like that New Year’s Eve when they went to North River Bridge to see the boats.

And she wouldn’t have discovered Uncle Chi’s secret either.

She wondered how Xiao Zhenhai was doing?

Uncle Chi said that the reason he treated her that way that day was because his emotions overwhelmed him… Uncle Chi, did this, did this mean he liked her?

Zhou Shaojin’s mouth hung open, her mind completely blank.