Hua Zhi averted her gaze from his expression that seemed caught between tears and laughter. This wasn’t a child of the Hua family—it wasn’t her place to feel sorry for him.
No matter which position he ultimately occupied, these pains were inevitable on his path to growth because he bore the surname Gu.
Gu Yanxi, also a member of the Gu family, pretended not to notice and continued, “If you wish to return, I…”
“I won’t go back,” the Sixth Prince interrupted him, emphasizing once more, “I won’t go back.”
Gu Yanxi nodded slightly. “Is there anything you’d like me to bring you?”
“Please, Brother Yanxi, bring me the things by the head of my bed. They were made for me by my mother when she was still here.” The Sixth Prince bit his lip. “And please apologize to the Empress Dowager on my behalf. I’m afraid I won’t be able to visit her for a while. I hope she takes good care of her health.”
Gu Yanxi observed this prince, whose temperament differed somewhat from the others. “I will convey your message.”
The Sixth Prince repeatedly clutched and released the front of his robe, his expression downcast. “Could I stay here a few more days before moving to your residence, Brother Yanxi?”
Gu Yanxi and Hua Zhi exchanged a glance, faint smiles in their eyes. “Could it be that you don’t want to stay here and would rather come back with me?”
The Sixth Prince, clever as he was, immediately grasped the implication. His lowered head snapped up, joy written all over his face. It had been a long time since Gu Yanxi had seen such vivid expressions in the palace.
“The Hua family must avoid drawing attention. Given your status, frequent comings and goings will inevitably attract notice. Unless you’re with me or my attendants, you cannot leave the residence. Can you abide by that?”
“Yes!” the Sixth Prince answered resolutely.
“From now on, you will be called Sun Jian. While in the Hua family, you must follow A Zhi’s arrangements in all matters.”
The Sixth Prince suddenly felt his eyes stinging. He blinked several times to suppress the tears and nodded repeatedly.
Hua Zhi finally spoke. “You no longer need to confine yourself to the front courtyard. In the Hua family, several brothers share one courtyard. If you don’t mind, you can stay with Berlin.”
The Sixth Prince shook his head vigorously. He didn’t mind—not at all. He was so ecstatic he felt as if his scalp might burst with joy.
“Would you like to attend the Hua family’s clan school?”
“Yes!” the Sixth Prince nodded eagerly. He had been longing for this for a long time.
“Enough with all the shaking and nodding—your head might fall off,” Hua Zhi laughed. When she wasn’t smiling, she seemed somewhat unapproachable, but when she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, making her appear most amiable.
“There aren’t many strict rules in this household. For minor matters, you can ask Berlin.”
“Understood.”
“Go find Berlin. He’ll be thrilled to know you can go out now.”
“Understood.”
The Sixth Prince’s responses grew increasingly spirited, and he dashed off with the energy and emotions befitting a youth his age. Gu Yanxi could tell that Little Six’s obedience in front of A Zhi was genuine, as were his joy and excitement. He was striving to become the person A Zhi would approve of, and he delighted in the effort.
Watching A Zhi, whose smile had yet to fade, Gu Yanxi asked softly, “Might he disturb the ladies of the Hua family?”
“He’s just a child—how much trouble could he cause?” Even if she didn’t trust A Jian, she trusted Berlin. If he couldn’t handle such matters, her years of teaching him would have been in vain.Raising an eyebrow to glance at Gu Yanxi, who had long shed the aloof demeanor he first arrived with, Hua Zhi lowered her head to add water and brew tea. "Lu Xiansheng comes and goes freely in the front courtyard of the Hua family, yet you never worried about offending the Hua family’s female relatives."
"Because you are here."
Because you are here, I come. Because you are here, even if my timing is inappropriate, I won’t offend anyone. And because it’s you, the rules that never bound you cannot bind me either.
Hua Zhi’s hands paused mid-action—she couldn’t pretend anymore even if she tried. She had never been the type to dangle hope before someone without giving them an answer.
"If the Emperor finds out you’re entangled with the daughter of a criminal, I wonder what consequences the Hua family will face." Refilling both their teacups, Hua Zhi gazed at the pale green tea and smiled mockingly. "He won’t care whether I was active or passive in this. In his eyes, merely being associated with you would be my crime. Even if it’s you who took a liking to me, I should immediately hang myself with a white silk ribbon—that would be the right thing to do."
Gu Yanxi smiled helplessly. A Zhi had always seen things so clearly. "He trusts me and won’t send anyone to track my movements. Besides, Grandmother knows—and she hasn’t stopped me."
Hua Zhi looked surprised. "The Empress Dowager knows?"
"She’s known for some time."
Rubbing the rim of her teacup, Hua Zhi frowned. Was the Empress Dowager not intervening out of consideration for her grandmother? Or out of affection for her grandson?
The Empress Dowager had shown great kindness to the Hua family. Once she was involved, Hua Zhi couldn’t help but overthink. Still, it was unlikely the Empress Dowager would arrange a marriage for her grandson—after all, the Emperor stood between them. Such an act would be a slap in the Emperor’s face.
Once she reasoned this through, Hua Zhi relaxed, her confidence returning. "Lu Xiansheng, you have feelings for me."
"Yes, I have feelings for you." Gu Yanxi’s gaze, filled with tender affection, clung to Hua Zhi as if trying to ensnare her. If all the misfortune he had endured was meant to lead him to this person, he accepted it—he no longer held any resentment.
In this life, he sought only to share life and death with this one person.
Hua Zhi was not unfeeling. In fact, she was more perceptive than most. She believed the owner of these eyes truly cared for her. She wasn’t made of stone; her heart raced now. But...
She was Hua Zhi, the head of the Hua family.
Using the motion of discarding tea leaves to steady herself, Hua Zhi said softly, "In this world, there are those who love each other but cannot be together, and those who do not love but are forced together. Naturally, there’s no shortage of people like us. Lu Xiansheng, I do not have feelings for you."
Though he had expected the rejection, Gu Yanxi’s heart still plummeted, sinking endlessly, making it hard for him to breathe. "The Hua family..."
"This has nothing to do with the Hua family. It’s that I do not wish to marry."
"You were once engaged."
"Why not? It was a suitable match, our families well-matched. The Hua family couldn’t have an unmarried daughter—I had to marry eventually." Hua Zhi smiled. "But the Hua family now, and the Hua family in the future—who can force me to marry?"
Not only could no one force her, but anyone with a shred of conscience would have to treat her with respect. But conscience was a fickle thing—it existed when people chose to have it, and vanished when they didn’t.
"Even if such a day ever comes, I can simply move out, live separately, and shut my doors to lead my own life. Who would dare tear off all pretenses to force me?"Gu Yanxi had long heard from Shaoyao that A Zhi had no intention of marrying. He had always assumed it was because of the burden of the Hua family, but at this moment, he realized it wasn't the case—A Zhi simply had no desire to marry at all.
PS: Many thanks to Miss Wang for the reminder. Upon careful reflection, I realized there were indeed some issues with the male lead's setting. Kongkong spent the entire day revising the text today! I'm not sure if the changes have synced yet. If you have time later, could you please take another look, especially at Chapter 155? I've added the identity of the Heir, meaning the Heir and the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau are now separate characters in the eyes of others. The Heir is no longer an invisible figure. Only a few people know Gu Yanxi's identity as the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau: the Emperor, Lai Fu, the Empress Dowager, Yu Xiang, and Hua Zhi—that should be all. Others, such as the Duke of An and the imperial consorts and princes, are unaware. I've made these changes because if they knew, the entire court would know—it was a slip of the mind on Kongkong's part not to consider this earlier. I'll do a more detailed revision tomorrow. My apologies, Kongkong didn't write this well.
This chapter was written yesterday. Now, I'm off to write the next one.
OpenNovel