Тhе Сhеng family will bе ехtеrminаted?
What kind of jоkе is this?
The Сheng familу hаs аlwауs kеpt to thеmselves, and my elder brоthеr is esрeсiаllу сautiоus, nеvеr gеtting invоlved in mаtters betweеn thе prinсes and impеrial grandsоns. How соuld thе Сhеng fаmilу possiblу invitе such а disаstеr?
Chеng Chi hаd аlways bееn somеone who сould remain саlm еven if Мount Tai соllаpsеd bеfоrе him, but uроn heаring this, hе cоuldn’t helр but look uttеrly аstоnishеd.
Who dаrеs tо sрeak so bоldly?
A prophеcy?
Divinatiоn?
But evеn the hеаd of thе Dragon-Tiger Sect wouldn’t dare to pat his chest and claim to know who would ascend the throne. Otherwise, why would the head of the Dragon-Tiger Sect come to the capital every few years to pay homage to the emperor, trying every way to leave a good impression?
Did Zhou Shaojin hear this from someone, or was she told to say it?
What is the other party’s intention?
No one acts without a motive.
But whether it’s the former or the latter, Cheng Chi couldn’t guess the other party’s intention, which left him, who was used to controlling everything and capable of doing so, momentarily confused.
Meanwhile, Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
The words that had been stuck in her throat were finally spoken.
Although this wasn’t part of her plan, nor was it the best timing, she had finally said it.
As for what would happen next, whether Uncle Chi would scorn her from now on… she would leave it to fate to decide!
But no matter what, she would likely never be able to visit Cold Green Mountain House again, nor would she be able to see Old Madam Guo, who was stern on the outside but warm-hearted and kind to her…
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes grew slightly moist, and she turned and ran outside.
Cheng Chi snapped back to his senses, furious. He stood up and shouted, "You come back here!"
Zhou Shaojin paused slightly but still mustered the courage to pull the door bolt with a loud "clang."
"Zhou Shaojin!" Cheng Chi said through gritted teeth, his tone filled with a strong warning.
Zhou Shaojin’s hand trembled in fright.
Nanny Shang appeared out of nowhere.
She was holding a tray with several plates of pastries on it and smiled warmly at her, saying, "Second Young Miss, how did you know I was about to serve you pastries? You should go back and sit down! Such trivial matters are not for you to handle." As she spoke, a gentle but firm gust of wind rushed toward her.
Zhou Shaojin had no idea what was happening. She stumbled backward several steps, then steadied herself as if pulled by something.
It’s over! It’s over!
Deep down, she vaguely knew she couldn’t escape.
Zhou Shaojin instinctively let out a soft cry and hid beside the floor screen draped with parrot-green Hangzhou silk curtains. She widened her eyes, holding her breath as she stared at Cheng Chi, her clear black-and-white eyes filled with terror.
Cheng Chi’s face turned ashen.
Nanny Shang’s mouth fell open.
When had Fourth Master Cheng ever been treated like this?
This was practically… like a scene after a tyrant forcibly abducted a virtuous woman…
Fourth Master must be furious, right?
But he must also feel deeply humiliated, right?
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Nanny Shang quickly lowered her head. Not daring to let her eyes wander, she set down the tray and fled the study like the wind, thoughtfully closing the study door behind her as she left.
Zhou Shaojin flinched again at the sound of the door closing.
Now she was truly finished!
Uncle Chi would surely dig to the root of the matter and question her thoroughly about what happened.
What should she do?
Zhou Shaojin stared at Cheng Chi, not daring to move a muscle.
Cheng Chi was so angry that his heart ached faintly.
Does this little girl even know what she’s doing?
Is he a tiger?
Is she really that afraid of him?He paced back and forth in the room several times in anger before his temper finally subsided somewhat. Pointing to the armchair beside him, he said calmly, "Sit."
Zhou Shaojin was like a kitten backed into a corner, eyeing Cheng Chi with a hint of wariness.
Cheng Chi’s lips twisted. For a long moment, he couldn’t speak!
What kind of expression was that?
But he also knew that the more someone like Zhou Shaojin, who seemed soft and weak, made up their mind, the less likely they were to speak.
He turned away and drank several mouthfuls of tea before his expression softened. He walked over and sat down in the armchair closest to Shaojin, asking gently, "Do you trust me?"
Zhou Shaojin did not answer.
Did she trust him?
Should she trust him?
She looked at Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi’s expression was gentle as he sat there quietly, with infinite patience, as if he could wait until the end of time.
Zhou Shaojin thought of the first time she had seen him. He was sitting in the pavilion of Three Branches Pavilion, asking nothing, calmly instructing her to make tea. She thought of when she was copying scriptures in the Hanbi Mountain Records, and he stood silently behind her, smiling as he praised her calligraphy. She thought of that day when the fire broke out, and amid the clamor from across the shore, he had dismissed Qin Zi’an without asking any questions…
Why shouldn’t she trust him?
And what reason did she have not to trust him?
At the very least, when she had said that the Cheng family would be executed to the last member, he hadn’t treated her as a madwoman or someone possessed by ghosts. Instead, he had tried to find out the reason behind her words.
Zhou Shaojin slowly nodded.
Cheng Chi breathed a sigh of relief.
So it wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but rather that what she had experienced was too shocking or unbelievable, and she was afraid he wouldn’t believe her.
Cheng Chi’s expression grew even gentler. He smiled warmly and said, "Shaoji, don’t be afraid. This is the Listening Oriole Pavilion, and all the servants here are loyal to me. Not only are we speaking privately behind closed doors, but even if you were to shout your words loudly in the Listening Oriole Pavilion, not a single word would leave without my permission. Do you believe that?"
Of course she believed it.
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
A flicker of satisfaction passed through Cheng Chi’s eyes as he said, "You just said that in the year Bingwu, eleven years from now, the Emperor will pass away, and the Fourth Prince will succeed him. On the first day of the first lunar month in the year Dingwei, the following year, the reign title will be changed to 'Tianshun.' In the year Wushen, the second year of Tianshun, the Cheng family will inexplicably be executed to the last member… Did you 'think' of this yourself? Or did someone tell you? Or did you hear it somewhere?"
None of these three answers were ones Zhou Shaojin could choose.
If she answered that she had "thought" of it herself, Uncle Chi would surely ask her how she had "thought" of it. To verify the truth, he might even ask her to help Old Madam Guo find the southern pearl earrings that had gone missing the other day…
If she answered that someone had told her or that she had heard it from someone, Uncle Chi would undoubtedly demand that she hand over that person… She had no one to hand over, nor could she falsely accuse anyone.
Zhou Shaojin lowered her head and remained silent.
Cheng Chi thought for a moment and said softly, "Shaoji, let me ask you in a different way. If you think I’m right, nod. If you think I’m wrong, shake your head. Alright?"
Zhou Shaojin felt uneasy.
What if Uncle Chi guessed correctly?
She glanced up at Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi looked at her earnestly, his expression sincere.Zhou Shaojin inwardly groaned in distress.
Cheng Chi, however, felt that his approach was working.
Otherwise, why would Zhou Shaojin look so worried? Clearly, she was afraid he had guessed correctly.
He reassured her, "No matter who it is, I won’t be angry, alright?"
Zhou Shaojin felt as if she had been punched in the chest, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
In her life, she had always feared others being angry with her.
And Uncle Chi had hit the nail on the head.
Seeing this, Cheng Chi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This child. She must be terrified.
He asked softly, "Does this matter have something to do with the Old Ancestor of the Second Branch?"
Zhou Shaojin instinctively shook her head.
Cheng Chi asked, "Is it related to Cheng Shi?"
Zhou Shaojin shook her head.
Cheng Chi continued, "Then is it related to Cheng Zheng?"
Zhou Shaojin shook her head again.
Cheng Chi chuckled, "Could it be Cheng Gao? Among the brothers, I’ve noticed you get along best with Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi."
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed.
She thought of what had happened between her and Cheng Yi... and how she had even asked Uncle Chi for help.
"It’s not him!" she murmured.
Cheng Chi felt a bit more at ease.
It was good that she was willing to speak.
What he feared most was her stubbornness, her determination to stay silent.
He tried to make his tone sound even lighter, saying, "I don’t think it could be your Uncle Mian either. He’s honest and dutiful. Even if he were wise but pretended otherwise, he couldn’t possibly hide something this deep." He put on a thoughtful expression. "As for the Fifth Branch, that’s even less likely. Could it be your father? But why would he tell you such a significant matter... Unless he favors you over your sister, so he tells you everything in detail, hoping you can use these things to control your husband after you marry..."
Cheng Chi appeared to be pondering, but in reality, he was watching Zhou Shaojin out of the corner of his eye.
Zhou Shaojin was bewildered.
She hadn’t expected the seemingly serious and composed Uncle Chi to let his imagination run so wild.
Zhou Shaojin’s expression softened, and she was about to shake her head when Cheng Chi suddenly leaned closer, his gaze intense as he stared into her eyes and said in a low voice, "Is it Cheng Xu! Does this matter involve Cheng Xu!"
His tone was so certain, as if he had already guessed the whole story, and the name Cheng Xu was so sensitive that Zhou Shaojin was caught off guard. Her composure shattered, and she couldn’t help but retort loudly, "No, it’s not him! It has nothing to do with him!"
But before her voice faded, Zhou Shaojin froze.
Her voice was high-pitched and sharp, filled with a flustered attempt to cover up the truth, making it obvious she was deceiving herself.
Cheng Chi’s voice was even louder than hers as he demanded sharply, "Then why are you so afraid of Cheng Xu? What exactly did he do? Girls your age all dream of marrying a young man like Cheng Xu. Why do you alone avoid him like a snake? Can you honestly say nothing has ever happened between you two?"
"No, nothing!" Cheng Chi’s questioning was so piercing, echoing the voice she had long suppressed in her heart. Zhou Shaojin felt as if she were back in the Cheng family ancestral hall, facing the gazes of the Cheng family members—some avoiding her, some disdainful, some disappointed, some gloating. "I didn’t, I didn’t!" she protested loudly, her face pale and tears streaming uncontrollably.
Cheng Chi was taken aback.
He had only been testing Zhou Shaojin, never expecting her reaction to be so intense!In other words, Cheng Xu truly had done something to her...
Cheng Chi gazed at Zhou Shaojin, who was leaning unsteadily against the floor-length screen as if on the verge of collapse in the next moment. Heartache rippled through him like stones dropped into a still lake, spreading in widening circles.
He stepped forward and grasped Zhou Shaojin's arm, as if by supporting her, he could prevent her from falling.
Yet unexpectedly, Zhou Shaojin let out a heart-wrenching scream, crying out while slapping his hand away: "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"
※
Dear friends, I sincerely apologize. Unexpected circumstances arose beyond my control, preventing me from updating on time.
This extra update is dedicated to Tianwai Xianxian's spirit beast egg.
Tonight's update will be posted around midnight.
Please forgive me, everyone!
PS: There are typos, which can only be corrected around ** o'clock tonight. Please bear with it for now.
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to...)
OpenNovel