"What's so funny?" Speak of the devil, Shaoyao peeked in through the doorway and laughed upon seeing Little Six sniffing, "Oh, has Little Six turned three today?"
Hua Zhi glared at her irritably, "Behave yourself."
Shaoyao snorted, ran over and hugged Hua Zhi while acting spoiled, "You always take Little Six's side, always take Little Six's side. Hua Hua, you're not good to me anymore."
Hua Zhi poked her head and said to the child who had finally stopped crying and showed a slight smile, "Go rest for a while. Later, you and Shopkeeper Wu will borrow Chen Er and have him take you to buy some less common but portable seafood. We'll bring some back with us."
The Sixth Prince smiled sheepishly in agreement, then ran off under Sister Shaoyao's mocking gaze.
After the Sixth Prince left, Shaoyao actually quieted down. She said softly, "Hua Hua, don't be too good to people from the imperial family. Most of them are greedy."
"Who isn't greedy? It depends on how they're greedy." Hua Zhi sighed lightly, "Berlin is about the same age as him. Let's not talk about the past - aside from not crossing bottom lines, he lived quite freely. Even after the Hua family's incident, I shielded him from the front. All the younger siblings in the family trust and respect him. He's never been alone. But what about Little Six? Besides an empty title, what does he have? Along with this identity comes life-threatening dangers. He doesn't even have anyone to listen to him talk."
Hua Zhi shook her head, "No matter how he was in the palace, or how he appears before others, he has always been well-behaved around me. I'll just give him the appropriate response that this appearance deserves. As for the rest, I can't control it, nor do I want to bother. If one day he becomes someone I can't accept, then he won't be the Little Six I'm willing to take care of anymore."
Shaoyao listened quietly, then smiled. Her Hua Hua was so clever - why would she need to worry about her?
"What about that Xiao Shuang? Are you really not giving him to me?"
"I've given him to Little Six."
Shaoyao immediately bristled, "I asked for him first! Hua Hua, you actually gave him to Little Six instead of me? You're so biased!"
"The eunuch who served him for many years died protecting him. After that, the palace never sent anyone else to serve him. Yan Xi doesn't allow his guards to enter my place, so he's always been coming and going alone. This isn't sustainable."
Shaoyao understood Hua Hua's implied meaning. For masters, eunuchs weren't just servants - they were closer than family, some even more trusted than relatives. Just like Chen Qing to Yan Ge, the only difference being Chen Qing wasn't castrated.
"Are you going to have Xiao Shuang castrated?"
"No, the palace will naturally send eunuchs later. I won't create that kind of karma. Let him follow as a regular servant. From now on, it's up to them to decide. I won't interfere."
Shaoyao snorted twice, still somewhat unhappy.
Hua Zhi stroked her head to soothe her, "That Da Shuang..."
"I definitely don't want that one!" Shaoyao, who had just been somewhat soothed, bristled again.
"Who said I was giving her to you?" Hua Zhi was torn between laughter and exasperation, rapping her on the head, "Why so impatient? I was asking if there's something wrong with Wu Dashuang. Your dislike of her probably isn't just because she's timid."
Only then did Shaoyao become obedient again, "I noticed when I was treating their wounds. Compared to Xiao Shuang's body full of old and new injuries, her injuries aren't much. She's just unlucky - she lost her virginity just the day before we dealt with Cao Dahai."Hua Zhi couldn't conceal her surprise. "From what Chen Er said, they've been captured for nearly a year. To think..."
"It shows how much effort Xiao Shuang has spent protecting that useless girl. As an older sister, doesn't she feel heartache seeing all those injuries on her younger brother? Yet she so comfortably accepts his protection, hiding behind Xiao Shuang every time I visit and putting on a pitiful expression when I glance at her. It makes my blood boil! Why look at me like that? It's not as if I've done anything to her. Hua Hua, you shouldn't keep her. Just drop her off somewhere with some silver—that would already be treating her more than fairly."
No wonder she disliked her so much. Hua Zhi frowned slightly, finding herself growing displeased as well. Some things couldn't be excused by mere timidity.
"Xiao Shuang wouldn't agree. After spending so much effort protecting her, it makes no sense to abandon her now that she's finally free from suffering. Let's take her to the capital first and keep her where we can watch her. Timidity has its advantages too—at least she won't cause trouble."
"Her problem isn't timidity—it's selfishness." Shaoyao remained thoroughly unconvinced.
Hua Zhi smiled. "Still, I can't be the one to discard her. It has to be Xiao Shuang. What I need is someone useful, not an enemy."
Alright then. Shaoyao pursed her lips, admitting Hua Hua made sense. Human nature was indeed peculiar—some things you could discard yourself, but wouldn't tolerate others touching even a finger.
Early the next morning, when the horizon was just beginning to brighten, Hua Zhi and her party emerged from the inn. Seeing Wu Zheng waiting outside didn't surprise them—she knew how profitable this deal was, and it made sense for Wu Zheng to be attentive.
"Master Wu is always so full of energy."
"Hahaha, all thanks to the young mistress." Wu Zheng clasped his hands, glancing at the twin siblings who kept their heads lowered, their faces obscured. "The young mistress's kindness will be rewarded. I wish you smooth sailing on your return journey."
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Master Wu."
Wu Zheng accompanied them all the way to the ship. Hua Zhi gave a slight bow at the prow before entering the cabin.
The journey was uneventful, and they reached Zhenyang just past noon.
Hua Zhi glanced at the dock, which appeared no different from usual, and felt somewhat reassured. It seemed things weren't as bad as she'd feared.
"Xu Ying, go inquire whether the northbound passenger ship scheduled for tomorrow has changed its departure time. We'll..."
"Young mistress!" A familiar voice called from behind. Hua Zhi turned with slight resignation to meet Jiang Huanran's delighted face.
"Fancy meeting you here again! This is truly fate. Where are you headed, young mistress? My carriage is parked just outside the dock. If you don't mind, why not let me give you a ride?"
"You..." Hua Zhi stopped Shaoyao, who was about to utter something harsh. "I appreciate your kindness, Young Master Jiang, but we must part ways here."
Jiang Huanran wouldn't miss this chance to get closer. This was the Hua family's eldest daughter—the very one he could hardly catch a glimpse of in the capital! Yet here he'd encountered her thousands of miles away. This was like manna from heaven—he'd be a fool not to seize this opportunity!
Pretending not to notice the young mistress's refusal, Jiang Huanran grinned widely and followed. "I happen to be heading in the same direction anyway."
What could Hua Zhi say? She could only let him tag along while distractedly observing their surroundings. A faint unease lingered in her heart. From what she'd learned, that Zheng Bei wasn't someone easy to deal with.After renting two carriages, Hua Zhi went to find an inn near the passenger ferry terminal to settle in. As for Jiang Huanran, who clung to her like sticky malt candy, she paid him no mind—a warm face pressed against a cold backside wouldn’t last long.
PS: These two chapters haven’t advanced the plot much, and some lines may seem like filler, but that’s Kongkong’s pacing. Kongkong is from the planet “Can’t Live Without Emotions,” always lingering on emotional nuances in small details. In this world, nothing is more beautiful than feelings.
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