They left the Food Hall just at dusk. Red clouds filled the sky, and the glow of the sunset painted their faces with a warm blush, softening every feature.

Shao Yao, stomach happily full and round, followed along contentedly on the way home. She looked up at the sky with a smile. “What a beautiful sight.”

Hua Zhi glanced up, then turned to board the carriage — and heard someone call behind her: “Eldest Miss.”

Hua Zhi turned around. “Young Master Jiang, are you here to pick up Master Jiang? He’s already gone ahead.”

Jiang Huanran had not come to collect his father, of course. He had simply heard from the steward that his father had come here for an appointment with the eldest young miss, and had followed without thinking twice. He dared not say that he had been there for quite some time already, and had only come out from where he had been keeping out of sight after watching his father leave.

“Eldest Miss, could I have a word with you in private?”

Hua Zhi assumed he had come because of the business venture, and without much thought agreed, leading him back inside.

In the private room not open to the public, Yingchun served tea and stood to one side, while Shao Yao leaned against the wall with her arms folded. As far as she was concerned, this Jiang Huanran’s feelings for Hua Zhi were as obvious as could be — yet Hua Zhi never seemed to take it seriously.

“I’m not sure what Young Master Jiang wishes to discuss.”

Jiang Huanran glanced at the several people in the room, then — thinking that none of them were outsiders — simply threw caution to the wind. “I have feelings for Eldest Miss. I wonder whether Eldest Miss — whether she could see her way to accepting me.”

Hua Zhi was stunned for a moment. In the sixteen years she had lived in this era, she had never once encountered someone who dared say out loud that he had feelings for someone. The words caught her so off guard that her usual quick reactions lagged behind by half a beat.

On the other side, Shao Yao had already started making a scene. “Hey! How could Hua Zhi possibly look at you — Hua Zhi has long since…”

“Shao Yao.”

Shao Yao pursed her lips, a little aggrieved. She was clearly going to be sister-in-law to Hua Zhi — was she not even allowed to stick up for her?

Suppressing her own person, Hua Zhi chose her words carefully, her manner warm but firm: “I am grateful for Young Master Jiang’s kind regard. However, I cannot accept.”

“Why not? If it’s because of my family, I can separate from the household and live independently. I’ll also work to improve myself. I won’t do anything to cause you heartache. I won’t stop you from doing business. If you want to travel far, I’ll go with you. I’ll work hard to be worthy of you. Eldest Miss, please consider me.”

“I already have someone I care for.”

Shao Yao was pleased now. Whatever small grievance she’d had vanished at once, and she broke into a wide grin on the side.

Jiang Huanran was quiet for a moment. “Is it the man from back in Xiangyang?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Huanran hadn’t truly been surprised, not really. Even then he had seen that the man’s feelings for the eldest young miss were different. Yet he could not resign himself. “What has he promised you? Whatever he can give you, I can too — and I’ll do my utmost to give you even more.”

This was a private matter, and Hua Zhi had no intention of discussing it with anyone else. She simply smiled lightly: “Feelings are not a business transaction. You giving me more is not a reason for me to choose you. Young Master Jiang also ought to think — if a woman truly agreed to you because of what you’ve said, and in doing so caused estrangement between you and your family, wounding the hearts of parents and loved ones, would such a woman still be worth so much sacrifice on your part? Other families aside, the Jiang Family is not one that would sacrifice its children for the family’s gain. I believe Master Jiang has also never forced you in this matter — otherwise, you would not still be drifting about unattached past the age of twenty.”

Hua Zhi rose and offered a light bow. “If Master Jiang knew his son had ambitions to make something of himself, he would be greatly pleased. For anything — as long as one has the will, it is never too late. Farewell.”

The room emptied of everyone. Jiang Huanran slumped forward over the table, feeling hollow inside. He had known his chances were slim — how could a woman as capable as the eldest young miss cast her eye on a man as good-for-nothing as him? He had simply held onto a slim hope, thinking: what if there were that one chance in ten thousand?

But for the eldest young miss, there was no need for any chance in ten thousand. Whatever she wanted, she could obtain through her own abilities. She did not need to sacrifice herself to gain any family’s support. With her talent for turning everything she touched to gold, had not his father come rushing over the very moment he received her name card?

And precisely because of that, he found it even harder to let go. The eldest young miss was like a flame, and he was like a moth that wanted only to throw itself into the fire — even to be burned to death by it would be something he would willingly accept.

Hua Zhi’s carriage had long since departed before Jiang Huanran finally led his horse out of the Food Hall, his face a picture of dejection. He swung into the saddle and rode away.

From a lane alongside, a carriage drew out. Jiang Xin’de lifted the curtain and watched his son ride away into the distance, unable to help letting out a quiet sigh. When he had learned from a servant that Huanran was here, he had almost gone in to bring the boy away — but that son of his had always assumed it was the family trying to stand in the way of his romantic aspirations, and had been moody and difficult for quite some time already. Better to let him go and run headfirst into the wall with Hua Zhi.

Before he had ever truly interacted with Hua Zhi, he had already known she was capable. The Hua Family had, on the surface of things, collapsed since the incident, yet looking more carefully one could see that the Hua Family had never truly withdrawn from the circle of the established families. Part of that was owed to the Zhu Family’s backing behind the scenes, but more of it was because Hua Zhi had not squandered what little remained, and had preserved the Hua Family’s dignity — not once giving anyone an opening for gossip, not even the deaths of Hua Jing or Hua Xian’s divorce doing the slightest damage to the family’s reputation. For every person who had once laughed that the Hua Family was the next Hei Family, there were that many faces now thoroughly slapped.

But today, having truly had contact with her, he now understood how remarkable this young woman was. Her character, her far-sighted vision, her decisiveness — none of it was inferior to the carefully cultivated heirs of the established families. It wasn’t that he looked down on his son — a woman like this simply wasn’t a match that Huanran deserved. Letting him see that clearly was for the best.

“Master, shall I send someone to catch up with him?”

“No need. Let’s go home.”

“Yes.”

Gu Yan Xi entered through the side gate, moving through the place as freely as if it were his own home.

The servants attending in the front courtyard all had a certain tacit understanding of the relationship between the eldest young miss and this man. If there were ever a day when this Mister Lu did not come, they would find that stranger still. Even Lan Qiao, by now, had long since grown accustomed to preparing dinner for one extra person.

If the servants were like this, needless to say Hua Zhi — returning to find the man sitting behind her writing desk looking even more like the master of the place than she did, she said: “I told you not to wait for me — you knew perfectly well I had already eaten out.”

“Food doesn’t taste as good when you’re not here.” Gu Yan Xi smiled. “Is it settled?”

“When the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages, who would refuse? Go and have dinner first. I’ll go check on little Zeng Han.”

Zeng Han had a solitary nature, and Hua Zhi had no intention of trying to change it. She did, however, hope he could be a little more like a child, and so she had not given him any special treatment — she arranged things according to the Hua Family’s usual customs, setting him up in the courtyard of four boys, and specifically asked the other three Hua Family boys to take good care of him.

Not wanting her special regard to have an adverse effect on him, she visited each younger brother’s room in turn, with perfect impartiality, and only went to Zeng Han’s at the end.

He was young, and though he said little, he was well-mannered. Added to the fact that the eldest young miss had specifically asked them to look after him, the children were quite friendly toward him. When Hua Zhi arrived, several of them were in Zeng Han’s room talking to him about what to take note of at the clan school.

Zeng Han listened quietly. When he needed to respond, he gave a nod, keeping his eyes attentively on whoever was speaking — leaving the child talking to him thoroughly satisfied.

Hua Zhi observed this scene and felt somewhat reassured. She had truly been worried that little Zeng Han would develop into himself alone, and had also feared that children, who naturally tend to form groups, would exclude him for not talking much.