Fu Dong showcased her culinary skills, preparing a full table of dishes primarily consisting of vegetarian fare. Hua Zhi sent someone to fetch Berlin and A Jian.
In formal settings, Hua Zhi always adhered to the rule of not speaking during meals, but in private, she didn’t place much importance on such conventions. Influenced by her, the others followed suit, though none of them spoke with food in their mouths.
Shaoyao ate with lightning speed, yet it didn’t hinder her from talking. With every bite, she disparaged the food in the palace, making uninformed listeners think the imperial court was a place of hardship.
A Jian nodded vigorously beside her, his expression clearly agreeing with Sister Shaoyao—he too found the palace cuisine utterly unpalatable.
Listening to them, Hua Zhi inexplicably felt a sense of pity for the people in the palace. How absurd...
A morsel of food landed in her bowl. Hua Zhi looked up.
Gu Yanxi set down the serving chopsticks and met her gaze. "Eat a little more."
Hua Zhi forced a faint smile and slowly brought the food to her mouth. Even if it tasted like chewing wax, she didn’t want to disregard others’ concern.
Gu Yanxi understood the reason behind her strained smile. She had always been one to think ten steps ahead—likely, the moment she learned of the incident, she had already foreseen the nearly disastrous consequences. Given her protective nature toward her family, he could only imagine how furious she had been and how much mental fortitude it had taken for her to carry on as if nothing were wrong at home.
She wouldn’t share her anger or sorrow with others. She placed her family behind her, positioning herself as their pillar, ready to shoulder the weight of the sky if it fell.
He didn’t know if the Hua family felt any heartache for her, but he truly did.
The meal was lively and boisterous. Shaoyao, burping contentedly, insisted that dinner be delivered as well. Hua Zhi couldn’t withstand her pestering and had no choice but to agree.
Shaoyao beamed with delight. She wasn’t entirely without perception—she knew Yan Ge had brought her out today for a reason. Seeing that Hua Hua had only eaten half a bowl of rice only confirmed her suspicions. Making an excuse to check Little Six’s health, she whisked the two younger ones away.
Hua Zhi stood up and bowed solemnly. "On behalf of the entire Hua family, I thank you, Lu Xiansheng, for your great kindness."
"There’s no need for that. I’m glad I could be of help." Gu Yanxi supported her, helping her sit back down before withdrawing his hand. "It’s over now. Don’t let it trouble you—she’s not worth it."
"I know she’s not worth it, but I can’t help feeling furious." Hua Zhi shook her head, unwilling to say more. She wasn’t accustomed to confiding in others or complaining. She’d rather spend the time figuring out how to resolve the matter.
Gu Yanxi glanced outside. "Song Chenghao came to announce a funeral today."
"I paid him no mind. I have a feeling he’ll set his sights on the Hua family." Whether it was the Hua family’s prestigious reputation or the business she now managed, Song Chenghao wouldn’t lay a finger on any of it.
"Are you not planning to go to the Song family?"
Hua Zhi raised an eyebrow. "I’ll go. Why wouldn’t I? It’s the perfect opportunity to sever ties with the Song family—of course I’ll go."
Gu Yanxi’s gaze sharpened. "You’re going in person?"
"This matter requires my presence."
"Do you realize that once you show your face, you’ll lose your peace?"
"Because of this face?" Hua Zhi laughed. "Lu Xiansheng, you overestimate me. Any young lady from the Hua family is no less striking than I am."Far from it. A person's excellence isn't just about their facial features, but also their demeanor, their words and actions, their temperament. If blessed with good looks on top of that, they could easily overshadow all the self-proclaimed cultured young ladies in the capital who pride themselves on their literary talents. Whatever those young ladies could do, A Zhi could do; whatever they couldn't, A Zhi could do as well. How could they compare?
But Gu Yanxi didn't say this aloud. He wasn't worried about gaining more rivals in the future; he was more concerned that A Zhi, now stepping into the public eye, would face many more troubles.
Those who paid attention to the Hua family knew that the canned goods business belonged to them, and the vibrant Green Moss Alley, now a notable sight in the capital, was also the Hua family's creation. Once A Zhi stepped out and her excellence became known, the fact that she was the actual owner of these ventures would no longer be a secret. By then...
Some people would likely be unable to resist taking action. Whether to seize control of her for their own use or to destroy her so no one could have her, thereby cutting off the Hua family's chance to rise again.
Gu Yanxi gazed intently at A Zhi. "Have you considered the consequences?"
"I have, but I can't refuse to eat for fear of choking. Besides, it was impossible to keep it hidden anyway." Those families, whether friendly or hostile toward the Hua family, all had extensive networks. Her small movements couldn't escape their notice. For now, they might look down on her efforts, but once her ventures expanded and the silver she earned reached a point where they could no longer tolerate it, would they just stand by and watch?
They wouldn't. They would try every means to take it all for themselves. Human nature has always been like this. Rather than being passive, it was better to put herself in the open from the start, making everyone desire a piece but ensuring no one could swallow it whole. Moreover, she had the Zhu family behind her, and with each business venture, she brought in another influential party. With multiple forces in balance, it wasn't certain anyone would dare move against her.
Besides, wasn't there the Seven Constellation Bureau? The profits from the mushroom business wouldn't be small. It had been agreed from the start that it would be used to secure protection, so it couldn't be said she was taking advantage.
Gu Yanxi said no more. He had promised that A Zhi could do as she wished, and he would never stand in her way.
Turning to glance at the sky again, he smiled warmly, his entire demeanor softening. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
Hua Zhi looked surprised, glancing at the already dark sky outside. "Now?"
Gu Yanxi nodded.
After a moment's hesitation, Hua Zhi agreed. She had been feeling stifled all day, and a walk would do her good.
As for the rule about men and women not touching—hah, that held no restraint over her.
After tidying up slightly, Hua Zhi put on her veiled hat and prepared to leave. The maids were frantic, all looking to Su Momo. Going out so late at night—what about her reputation?
Su Momo signaled for the others to stay and stepped forward alone. As she adjusted Hua Zhi's clothes, she said softly, "Miss, please allow this old servant to accompany you."
Before Hua Zhi could respond, Gu Yanxi consented. "Follow along."
Su Momo breathed a sigh of relief and stole a glance at Gu Yanxi. He didn't seem to have any ill intentions.
Outside the side gate, a completely black carriage without any markings was waiting. Chen Qing, suppressing his excitement, stood by holding the horse. When he saw them emerge, his eyes lit up, and he bowed in greeting.
The interior of the carriage was spacious, easily accommodating the master and two servants.
As the carriage rocked, Hua Zhi lifted the curtain to look outside. The Daqing Dynasty had a curfew, but it started late—from the third watch until the fifth watch. At this hour, the streets were still quite crowded."This is actually my first time going out at night." Putting down the curtain, Hua Zhi sighed with emotion, "Probably not many young ladies have had this kind of experience. Thanks to Lu Xiansheng."
"If you like it, I'll take you out often in the future."
Hua Zhi shook her head, "Most of the time I actually prefer living a peaceful life in my own small world—making some delicious food, reading a good book, painting when inspiration strikes. That kind of life is truly comfortable."
Gu Yanxi nodded, "As you wish."
"..." Hua Zhi felt that the way Lu Xiansheng said those words sounded somewhat like he was flirting with her?
PS: Feeling a bit exhausted writing today, my mind is completely blank. Requesting a break for Mother's Day—only one update today. There were two updates yesterday, but they might not have shown up on the bookshelf, so readers might have thought there was only one. If there's only one update, Kongkong will mention it. Also, once I get through this busy period, I'll try updating three times daily. Mainly because recently I've been both writing two novel chapters and working on a script—my brain is just too tired.
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