Hua Zhi remembered him—he was the first to step into the courtyard on the day her vegetarian restaurant opened.
Later, when Yan Xi spoke to her about these people, he had mentioned his name: Jiang Huran of the Jiang family, a typical spoiled young noble who seemed to live only to prove his prowess between women's thighs.
She didn’t dislike such people—after all, he was born into privilege. He had the means to play his way through life.
With a slight curtsy, Hua Zhi greeted him clearly, "I didn’t expect to run into Young Master Jiang. What a coincidence."
Jiang Huran’s eyes lit up. "The young lady knows me?"
"My restaurant thanks you for your patronage, Young Master Jiang."
Jiang Huran unconsciously puffed out his chest. He had thought: if he couldn’t wait for her at the Hua residence, he’d go to the restaurant, book a table every day—sooner or later, his name would reach the young lady. And here it was!
But the food at the restaurant was truly delicious. He’d never known one ingredient could be prepared in so many ways. Even without trying to curry favor, he’d gladly host his meals there.
Jiang Huran grinned, showing a full set of teeth. "Where is the young lady headed?"
"Visiting relatives."
"Oh." Jiang Huran drew out the syllable. "I’m going to Zhenyang in Jingzhou. I wonder if fate might allow us to travel together."
Hua Zhi was somewhat surprised—they really were going the same way. Since it couldn’t be hidden anyway, she nodded. "What a coincidence. I’m also headed to Zhenyang."
"One coincidence is chance; two coincidences are fate." Jiang Huran laughed heartily, his eyes sparkling with what seemed like mischief. Shaoyao’s fingers twitched, ready to make a move, but Hua Zhi shot her a glance, and she reluctantly relaxed.
"I won’t disturb you further, Young Master Jiang. I’ll take my leave."
Jiang Huran sidestepped to block her path. "Such a beautiful sunset—what a pity to miss it. Why hurry back inside? If my presence offends, I’ll keep my distance."
Hua Zhi glanced at the crimson horizon and turned back. "No matter how beautiful the scenery, it depends on who stands beside you."
If Yan Xi were here, she would be admiring the view. But the person before her now was inconsequential—the loveliest scene was merely a natural phenomenon.
As she brushed past him, Jiang Huran raised an eyebrow. Was she implying that because he was the one standing there, the scenery wasn’t worth seeing?
Heh. Interesting.
Hua Zhi waited until Little Six had returned to the cabin before heading back herself. She wasn’t worried about Little Six’s safety—not only were there several guards watching over him openly and discreetly, but even if someone tried anything on this ship, escape was impossible. Long-distance vessels stayed mid-river until docking; no one, no matter how skilled a swimmer, would attempt anything under such conditions.
"Hua Hua, stay away from that man. He’s no good."
The moment the door closed, Shaoyao stuck to Hua Zhi’s side like a shadow, chattering incessantly. This was her sister-in-law—if anyone dared harbor ill intentions, she’d strip them of a layer of skin!
"Whether he’s good or bad has nothing to do with us." Hua Zhi patted away the hand tugging at her sleeve and sat down, picking up a Go piece to rub between her fingers. "Is Yan Xi safe on this trip?"
"The Seven Constellation Bureau received word that a Seven Stars Sect has suddenly emerged in Yuzhou. They say its leader treads the seven stars, can raise the dead and heal the mortally ill, with immense power. In just a short time, its followers have grown to two thousand. Yan Ge wasn’t at ease, so he decided to go personally."Hua Zhi understood perfectly well. Throughout history, any suddenly emerging religious groups never appeared just to join the fun. Yan Xi had a strong sense of crisis—he probably sensed something amiss, which explained why he left in such a hurry.
"Is His Majesty better now?"
"Not completely recovered. He needs gradual nurturing, but full recovery is impossible." Speaking of the Emperor, Shaoyao's spirits dampened. She and her master had exhausted all means, and this was the best they could achieve.
Hua Zhi wanted to know how much longer he could live, but she wasn't impulsive by nature. She knew such questions were inappropriate to ask either Yan Xi or Shaoyao, so she patted Shaoyao's head and changed the subject.
Life on the ship was monotonous and dull. Hua Zhi and the Sixth Prince could sit still for long periods, whiling away hours with several rounds of chess. Shaoyao, however, couldn't stay put—she kept running around inside and out. It wasn't until Hua Zhi stuffed Mr. Siqing's military strategy books into her arms that she finally settled down.
Bao Xia entered with a tray of food, quickly closed the door behind her, and approached to report in a low voice, "That Young Master Jiang is waiting outside the door again."
"Let him wait then. I don't necessarily have to go out. Pass the order that none of our people should pay him any attention."
"Yes."
After pondering for a long while without finding a solution, the Sixth Prince simply surrendered by placing his piece down. Looking up, he said, "Sister Hua, let me go send him away."
"In what capacity? Without revealing your princely status, you can't stop him. Just ignore him."
The Sixth Prince felt somewhat displeased. Sister Hua had the habit of taking walks after meals—how he wished he could watch the sunset with her again. Stealing a glance at Sister Shaoyao and seeing she didn't even look his way, he could only give up.
Jiang Huanran waited for nine full days. As they were about to reach Jingzhou tomorrow, he hadn't managed to encounter the young lady since that day. The more he failed to see her, the more determined he became to wait, lingering longer each day. After several days, he had visibly tanned under the sun.
He finally understood why the Hua family's eldest young lady had remained unknown in the capital all these years. He couldn't help but admire her forbearance—to avoid him, she hadn't stepped out for nine days.
Then it occurred to Jiang Huanran that he deserved some admiration too. She hadn't gone out for nine days, and he had waited nine days—how many people could do that?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the perpetually closed door opened from within. Expecting to see the pretty maid again, he casually lifted his eyelids, but the moment he saw the person emerging, he jolted upright!
He had finally waited for her!
Overcome with excitement, he waved and greeted, "Young Lady!"
There was wind today, and fortunately it was a tailwind, making the ship travel faster than on the first day. Hua Zhi tucked her stray hair behind her ear and gave a slight bow as Jiang Huanran approached. "Young Master Jiang is quite persistent."
"Without persistence, I wouldn't have been able to wait for you, Young Lady. You truly have remarkable patience."
"It's a habit." Hua Zhi walked past him to the ship's railing. The temperature in the south was considerably higher than in the north, and the wind carried the distinctive humidity of southern regions. The sensation felt intensely familiar, even after years without experiencing it.
Jiang Huanran showed no displeasure at being ignored or avoided. Smiling, he stood beside Hua Zhi. His innate nature made his words and movements exude a charming and unrestrained elegance—open and frank, not at all disagreeable.
"Have you been here before, Young Lady?"
"Never."Seeing that the young lady was responding to him, Jiang Huanran immediately perked up. "The south is quite different from the north. Rain is rare up north, but down here, there are probably more rainy days than sunny ones throughout the year. Though it’s a bit inconvenient for travel, some of the scenery can only be found in the south. You’d do well to keep an umbrella with you, young lady."
"Thank you for the reminder." Hua Zhi turned her head to look at him. "Do you often come to the south, Young Master Jiang?"
"My ancestral home is in Zhenyang. I come here every year or two, so I’m quite familiar with the place. Once we arrive, I could show you around."
Hua Zhi politely declined, "I’m only going as far as Zhenyang city. There’s no need to trouble you, Young Master Jiang."
OpenNovel