Chapter 210: My Partner Is Quite Good
Gu Yanxi had always known A Zhi wouldn't go just once. He simply asked, "When do you plan to go?"
"Around July." Entering the study, Hua Zhi took her seat. "Why have you come so early today? No morning court session?"
"Court is suspended today. From now on, we'll rest every four days unless there are emergencies. It's a new rule I've established."
Hua Zhi gave the man a profound look. This person would undoubtedly be a prominent figure even in the era she had once lived in. He didn't need a rebirth cheat like she had - he was naturally capable and powerful.
Gu Yanxi met her gaze. "What is it?"
"Just thinking I've found quite a good partner."
"..." Gu Yanxi suddenly felt his face grow warm and inexplicably couldn't bring himself to look at A Zhi, lowering his head to drink tea instead.
He didn't recognize this as shyness, but the faint blush on his face was clearly visible to Hua Zhi sitting opposite him not far away. She was momentarily stunned, then her entire being softened with tenderness. She had never imagined such emotions would appear on this man who seemed so indomitable in every way.
For a moment, neither spoke, yet the atmosphere grew so warm that even Shaoyao, who suddenly burst in, felt thoroughly uncomfortable without understanding why.
Gu Yanxi felt he had made a mistake - he should have thrown Shaoyao back to the palace immediately!
Hua Zhi had always been indulgent with Shaoyao and didn't feel she had ruined anything. Beckoning to her, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Shaoyao sensed something amiss and didn't dare approach, instead retreating to the doorway and clinging to the doorframe. "I want to go to the food studio."
"Craving Fu Dong's cooking?"
Shaoyao nodded repeatedly. She couldn't explain why, but she particularly loved eating what Fu Dong made.
"Remember to wear your hat and go with Bao Xia."
"Okay." Having received Hua Hua's permission, Shaoyao quickly fled - Yan Ge's gaze was terrifying!
While Gu Yanxi could afford to be idle, Hua Zhi could not. She had too many matters to attend to both inside and outside. Gu Yanxi kept her company, eventually asking for the painting supplies Hua Zhi usually used and starting to sketch aimlessly.
He was drawing Hua Zhi, but no matter how many attempts he made, none satisfied him. The figures in his drawings were too stiff, not capturing even half of her vitality. By midday, the wastebasket was filled with crumpled paper balls, while the drawing paper remained blank.
Hua Zhi teased him, "Please don't waste my good paper and ink anymore."
Gu Yanxi simply put down the brush, ceasing this wasteful endeavor. He surveyed the room he knew extremely well. No matter how often he visited, he could still notice changes in the study - the most obvious being the increasing number of books on the shelves.
He walked over and browsed through them - they were remarkably diverse. Unofficial histories, miscellaneous writings, and travel accounts made up half the collection. Seeing a part reveals the whole - from these bookshelves, one could glimpse the vast world contained within A Zhi's heart.
"The Hua family has a world-renowned Book Collection Pavilion, but it's not filled solely with famous historical classics and philosophical works as others might assume." Hua Zhi's voice came from behind. She hadn't risen, but leaned back lazily in her chair."A significant portion of these are miscellaneous books. Grandfather said that when one cannot travel ten thousand miles, these books can broaden one's horizons and mind. No book is without value—existence implies reason. Even **poetry and romantic verses emerge because there is demand for them. It's just a pity that those books in the Hua family mostly gathered dust. Only my fourth uncle and I would read them. Later, I even got Berlin hooked on them. When we left the old residence, we mostly took classical texts, but he secretly brought several travelogues with him."
"Did the family set up another study?"
"Yes, it's located in the clan school. The books we brought out are stored there. The books here are my personal collection." Hua Zhi tilted her head to look at the not-yet-full bookshelf. One day when she had leisure, she would build a Book Collection Pavilion larger than the Hua family's, collecting one copy of every book available in the market. Then she would place a soft couch inside, reading whatever she pleased to her heart's content. The mere thought brought her satisfaction.
Gu Yanxi noticed her fondness for books and made a mental note.
"Young master." Wang Rong called from outside the study. They all understood the rules—unless Hua Zhi permitted, they wouldn't step inside.
Gu Yanxi went out and returned shortly, a smile in his eyes. "Just as you guessed, Yang Qi is telling everyone how vicious you are, claiming you forced him to write divorce papers under duress."
Hua Zhi continued writing without looking up. "He has no evidence. No one will believe him. Let him talk."
"Will you do nothing about it?"
"Nothing. More actions lead to more mistakes. This matter likely has Yang Zheng's approval—he wants to test my reaction." Hua Zhi set down her brush, blew on the ink, and handed it to him. "Ying Chun has the best skills for frying tea, but you'll need to prepare these tools first."
Despite involving immense profits, she presented it as casually as offering a simple pancake to stave off hunger, without a single word about profit-sharing. Gu Yanxi knew this was A Zhi's way of treating him as one of her own. Toward her inner circle, A Zhi was always generous.
The recent commotion in the Zhu family was undoubtedly connected to A Zhi as well.
He had once desperately wished to be sheltered by A Zhi as one of her own. Now that he was, he truly understood what happiness felt like. She never boasted of her contributions, yet she cared for you wholeheartedly in every aspect.
But he couldn't simply accept it as a matter of course.
"This business will be registered under my personal name."
Hua Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Under the identity of Gu Shizi?"
"Yes. Actually, that identity is quite wealthy." Gu Yanxi lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable. "When my mother married, the Lu family nearly emptied their coffers for her lavish dowry. Later, my imperial uncle decreed that it all be transferred to my name, along with additional rewards. Altogether, it's not a small amount."
Hua Zhi began to understand why he treated the Lu family differently. Indeed, it was hard to dislike a family that cherished their married daughter so deeply.
"We'll split the profits equally."
Hua Zhi's eyebrows arched higher. "Equally?"
"If you're willing, I'd give it all to you."
"It's too early for that."
Gu Yanxi adored A Zhi's straightforward attitude even when discussing marriage. "Whenever you feel it's appropriate will be the right time."
Hua Zhi's eyes curved into smiles. These words carried nearly the same meaning as "as you wish"—both equally pleasing to hear.PS: Since everyone seems to be experiencing book shortages, I'd like to recommend works by a few authors: Xi Juan and Yu Qing. Their novels are around 100,000 words long and are considered foundational works in the romance genre. Xi Juan's stories lean more toward pure romance, while Yu Qing's plots have slightly more dramatic twists. Though some tropes in their works may feel dated now, good writing never goes out of style. Lin Jiacheng: Writes in Wei-Jin dynasty style - those who enjoy this will absolutely love it, and his works remain consistently popular. Liu Anhuaming: Known for humorous writing style; her exorcist series is fantastic. She also writes detective stories and suspense novels. Taiwanese readers nicknamed her "Queen of Horror" (hahaha). She's utterly adorable herself and can master any genre - her works have been adapted for screen, and she's also a renowned screenwriter, close friends with Kongkong. That's all for today's recommendations! Hope you ladies find something you'll cherish.
OpenNovel