In trade and in commerce, there were many businesses one could pursue — yet Hua Zhi was careful in her choices. The first thing she considered was whether a business would take root, and the second was whether it would disturb the order of the era. She had never wanted to be the one who stood out furthest, nor to be the one who drove change.

If not for the Emperor pressing her so relentlessly, she would never have touched the larger businesses at all. Small, quiet commerce earned enough to live on.

But at the end of it, she still preferred the safer kind of business — something like soap. The cost was low, it could go the high-end route and appeal to the wealthy and powerful, or it could be made simply and sold to the broader populace. The profits would be enough to make eyes red with envy.

The way her little uncle and his family were running it now seemed to Hua Zhi like squandering the opportunity entirely. A market that large right in front of them — there was no reason to let it pass, and the business did not encroach on anyone else’s interests.

She acted on the thought at once, setting aside for the moment the matters that could not be rushed, and put her head down to draft a plan for the soap business.

Gu Yanxi returned on the third day. Seeing the weariness all over him, Hua Zhi could only shake her head, and quickly called for water to be heated and a meal to be prepared. Her intention had been for him to find a reason to leave for just one day — to simply avoid that particular moment. Instead, this man had gone off and genuinely dealt with matters. His straightforwardness left her not knowing what to say.

Hot water washed away the dust of the road. A warm meal drove the chill from his limbs. Gu Yanxi felt so at ease he nearly sighed aloud. Since his mother’s passing, this was the first time he had felt this — a care and concern so clear it needed no words.

“Just come from the palace?”

“Yes.” Gu Yanxi lowered his head and gave a quiet smile. His uncle had never mentioned a word of his hardships — had only blamed him for leaving at the wrong time and thereby bearing the brunt of the court’s pressure himself.

Hua Zhi did not ask where he had gone or what he had done. She simply rose, took him by the hand, and said: “I had the room in the front courtyard — the one Xiao Liu uses — tidied up. The day is still early. Go sleep for a while.”

This was Gu Yanxi’s first time spending the night at the Hua Family. Perhaps it was because he felt settled in his heart from the very depths of himself — he slept extraordinarily well. And he slept long, from midday straight through until dark, without feeling he had turned over even once.

The courtyard outside was very quiet. Even the footsteps, when they came, were light as breath. He could almost picture A’Zhi telling the maids to move carefully.

Savoring this rare ease, Gu Yanxi thought to himself that he could gladly let time stretch on this way until the world’s end.

He exhaled, got up, dressed, and followed the light to the study — where he found someone bent over the desk, writing.

Liu Xiang, attending inside the room, quickly paid her respects. “Mr. Lu, you’re awake.”

Hua Zhi looked up at the sound. “You look like you slept well.”

“I did. Very well.” Gu Yanxi’s expression was soft. He walked to her side and lifted the brush from her hand. “Don’t strain your eyes at night. It does damage.”

Hua Zhi did not resist. She rose, rinsed her hands, and took the cloth Yanxi handed her to dry them. “Go ask Lan Qiao to set out the meal.”

Liu Xiang accepted the order and left.

Outside, the two walked side by side. The night breeze carried a chill. Hua Zhi raised her head to look at a sky without a single star. “It feels like the weather is about to turn. This year the cold has come later than usual.”

“When it comes late, it usually turns out colder than usual. Best to stock up on extra firewood this year.”

“I’ll mention it to Fourth Aunt.” Stepping into the main hall, Hua Zhi smiled. “I used to worry about this and fret about that — but looking now, they’ve all been doing quite well.”

“The people you’ve trained — of course they’d be capable.” Gu Yanxi looked at her. “You’re not worried someone might try to poach them?”

“Trust, and money — who could offer them more than I do? A servant who betrays their household can never be trusted again anywhere. They know this perfectly well. And besides—” Hua Zhi blinked. “Who could treat them better than I do?”

Gu Yanxi laughed despite himself. True as it was, hearing A’Zhi say it so plainly was still…

The dishes came one by one. The two ate a little to take the edge off first, and once they had eaten enough, conversation resumed. “Tomorrow is the Wei Family’s literary gathering.”

“Mm. How many people do you think will come — many or few?”

Gu Yanxi served her half a bowl of soup. “Depends on how many people know you’ll be there.”

Hua Zhi had no interest in the soup and looked the other way. “My cousin spread the news of the Wei Family sending the Hua Family an invitation — and this past year, the image I’ve shown the world hasn’t been particularly gentle. Most people will probably guess I can’t let this lie.”

“Then the Wei Family needn’t worry about tomorrow being a thin crowd. Drink your soup.”

“I’m full already…”

“Be good. Half a bowl — it’s good for you.”

With the soup practically placed at her lips, Hua Zhi could not outmaneuver him, and could only accept it, drinking in small sips. Even the best things, taken day after day, wore out their welcome — she had been made to drink broth and soups constantly these days, and even someone who loved food as much as she did had developed resistance to them.

Gu Yanxi knew she was tired of it. He picked up a chopstick-full of tangy pickled vegetables and brought them to her lips, ready to place them in her mouth the moment she set down the bowl.

Hua Zhi opened her mouth out of instinct and took the bite. By the time she registered how intimate the gesture was, she had already swallowed. She let it go and continued where they had left off. “What do you think he’s hoping to get out of this? Does he truly want the Wei Family to replace the Hua Family?”

“I think this is more of a test on his part. He wants to see how the scholars respond. If they accept the Wei Family without reservation, it means the Hua Family’s importance isn’t nearly as great as he’d thought. If the scholars resist the Wei Family, that tells him the Hua Family’s roots run too deep — he can’t move too aggressively, but his wariness will grow all the more.”

“So by your reasoning, it would actually be better for me not to go tomorrow — if I humiliate the Wei Family too thoroughly, he won’t be able to save face either.”

Gu Yanxi smiled. “Would you not go?”

“Of course I’ll go. If I don’t, he’d probably think I was harboring resentment.” Hua Zhi set down her chopsticks and rose, walking to the doorway. “Sitting where I sit, I have no choice but to go. An army is only as capable as its general — if the general is timid, the whole army follows. I am the Hua Family’s general now, and my younger brothers are all watching me. How I conduct myself today will shape how they conduct themselves tomorrow. No amount of talk is worth as much as leading by example — letting them see with their own eyes that facing difficulty head-on is not as frightening as it sounds.”

Gu Yanxi came to her side and draped a shawl over her shoulders. “Will you bring them with you tomorrow?”

“No. They’re still young — why let them see something so unpleasant? They’ll come to know it eventually.” Hua Zhi’s lips curved lightly. By the time the story had passed through enough mouths and been embellished along the way, the rumors would far exceed whatever actually happened. Whether they painted her as a shrew or described her as ugly — she didn’t mind. As long as the outcome remained unchanged.

She tilted her head and smiled. “Go back. He’s probably watching you closely. We should show some respect for our elders and not make him too cross.”

The words were perfectly well-meaning in their surface, yet coming from A’Zhi’s mouth, somehow they didn’t quite sit right. Gu Yanxi gave a helpless smile, pressed his hand over her eyes and said, “Go inside and rest — let your eyes and your mind both have a break.”

“As you command.”