As it was getting late, the two of them had a meal first before returning to the study to continue their previous discussion.
"If the silver was truly earned by them, why would they need to smelt it? It's not like they have to see it in a certain form to use it. Wouldn't that be unnecessary?"
"For the Chao Li Tribe, silver that isn't smelted into their official currency isn't considered their silver. It's like how the wolf totem would expose their identity, yet they still find ways to keep it with them. In this regard, they have a strange persistence—you could call it faith, to put it nicely." Gu Yanxi suddenly frowned. "Their source of income must be quite lucrative, with substantial profits."
"I think it's unlikely they would smelt all of it into official currency. If the silver is to be spent immediately, there's no need to convert it into the Chao Li Tribe's official silver."
The two exchanged a glance, and Gu Yanxi nodded. "I'll have someone follow this lead and dig deeper."
Hua Zhi rested her chin in her hand and looked at him. "Can you make the decision to let me handle the business in Yuzhou?"
"I can. The Emperor has given me full authority over this matter."
"I can't handle it alone. A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake—sooner or later, we'll have to share the profits with the local elites."
Gu Yanxi leaned closer to her. "You don't need to justify your business decisions to anyone. Just do what needs to be done. I believe no one understands this matter better than you."
"Of course." Hua Zhi was soothed by his words, and a smile crept onto her face. She coughed lightly and said, "I need to think about what kind of business to set up in Yuzhou."
"Couldn't you just expand your current businesses to Yuzhou?"
"I only have one Fu Dong, and she can only manage one dining establishment. The mushroom trade was always meant to expand to the surrounding areas, so we can start with Yuzhou. The seafood trade needs further consideration, but canned goods are a possibility. However, I plan to only act as a supplier for that business and leave the sales to Uncle Bai. As for the food shops in Green Moss Alley and Oriole Cloud Alley..."
Hua Zhi was actually most interested in these small food businesses. Though they seemed affordable, the profits were astonishing. However, "Yuzhou probably doesn't have two such alleys for me to take advantage of."
"I'll have someone look for suitable locations. We can decide once we find them."
That would be ideal. Hua Zhi nodded. "But this kind of business is a bit low-end and might not achieve your goal. To catch their fox tail, we'll need to find a more respectable business."
"I'll follow your arrangements." Gu Yanxi's expression softened, his joy seeming to radiate from the depths of his heart. Though the corners of his mouth were only slightly upturned, his entire demeanor exuded happiness, a stark contrast to the cold authority he displayed toward others.
Seeing Yanxi like this, Hua Zhi felt a tenderness in her heart. She thought, if she and Yanxi were to face a problem like Hua Qin's, it wouldn't even become an issue. She trusted Yanxi, and Yanxi would never let her feel uneasy over such matters.
Taking a sip of tea, Hua Zhi looked up. "Does Yanxi have anyone attending to him?"
A radiant smile spread across Gu Yanxi's lips. Hua Zhi was taken aback for a moment before suddenly understanding—Yanxi had been waiting for her to understand him, waiting for her to ask about everything she wanted to know."I'm sorry..." Hua Zhi murmured her apology. Sorry that she had been too busy, too occupied to spare much thought, too swamped to truly understand him, and even too pressed for time to deepen their relationship. She had simply stood there waiting for him to approach, passively accepting, then reflecting back just a fraction. It wasn't as if he was the only one invested, yet she had behaved so... so indifferent.
But she had clearly fallen for him.
That was why she felt awkward upon reuniting after a brief separation, why the slightest thing could stir longing when he wasn't around, and why she projected others' relationship troubles onto her own.
This affection had never been one-sided on Yan Xi's part.
Gu Yanxi immediately understood the sudden apology. He wanted to laugh, but his chest swelled with bittersweet emotion. This person, at last, was beginning to face him squarely, to face the feelings between them.
"You never need to say 'thank you' or 'sorry' to me, A Zhi. You've done nothing to apologize for." Gu Yanxi took her hand, gently uncurling her clenched fingers one by one.
Hua Zhi felt as though her heart was being unfolded in the same way, then filled with him, and slowly closed back up.
"I don't need you to declare your love for me to know you care. You've always shown more through actions than words. If you didn't care for me, you wouldn't allow me this close. With your temperament, you wouldn't even grant me the chance to meet you. But I'm still immensely happy now, happier than ever before."
Their gazes locked, Gu Yanxi sighed softly, "Your heart holds the entire Hua family, one business venture after another. I'm squeezed into a tiny corner, occupying just a small space. Sometimes I wish I could cover your eyes and ears so you wouldn't see all those distractions. But rather than such self-deception, I'd rather believe that one day you'd notice me waiting for you."
Gu Yanxi smiled, "And now, I've waited."
"You don't just occupy a small corner." Though unbearably flustered, her face inexplicably flushed and burning as if steaming, Hua Zhi stubbornly maintained eye contact. "The businesses will stabilize over time and won't require my constant attention. The Hua family will return someday, and gradually they'll become less central in my heart. When that happens, most of the space will be yours."
Gu Yanxi had never known sweet nothings could sound so enchanting. His lips curved uncontrollably into a broad smile. He pressed A Zhi's hand against his chest, saying, "What should I do? I want to cut out my heart and give it to you—only then would it be fair."
"Cut it out to see if it's red or black, then put it back?" Hua Zhi withdrew her hand, lowering her head under the pretense of smoothing her hair to avoid his gaze. She wanted to return to their previous topic to escape this unbearably awkward moment, but couldn't recall where they'd left off.
Ah, yes. "The business in Yuzhou..."
"I have no concubines." Interrupted, Hua Zhi instinctively looked up, finding the man's grin resembling a cat that got the cream.
Gu Yanxi brought a teacup to her lips, watching as she took two sips before continuing, "Ling Wang and several adult princes tried to force women into my household, but I threw them all out. Whether as The Heir or as head of the Seven Constellation Bureau, it's inappropriate for me to have attendants by my side."As if she had anticipated this outcome, Hua Zhi wasn't surprised, though she did feel somewhat puzzled. "Didn't your imperial uncle dote on you? Didn't he make any arrangements for you?"
"He is first and foremost the Emperor, and only then my uncle." That was why, despite talking about arranging a marriage for him over the past two years, the Emperor never insisted when he refused. The Emperor was the one who least wanted anyone by his side—a solitary leader of the Seven Constellation Bureau was most advantageous to the imperial family.
Hua Zhi hooked her finger with his, her heart aching for him. Having experienced the loss of familial bonds herself, she understood what it felt like to live a life that, while not that of an orphan, was no different from one.
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