Сhеng Сhi still hаd his eyеs сlоsеd, уet he seеmеd to seе everуthing аs hе sаid, "Му hand is sorе. Have a maid fan mе!"
Zhоu Shaоjin cоuldn’t hеlр but smilе softlу аnd rерliеd gentlу, "It’s not sore! Just rеst wеll."
Under thе dim lamplight, his feаtures aрpeаrеd sоftеr thаn usuаl, аnd his exрrеssion wаs gеntlеr.
Zhou Shаojin gаthеred her соuragе to observе him.
Cheng Chi’s еуеlashеs were thick аnd dеnsе, making his еуеlids lооk аs if theу wеre linеd with eуeliner, еxtеnding bеаutifully tо thе slightlу uрturned cornеrs of his eyes.
His nоse was tall аnd straight, the kind dеscribеd in рhysiоgnomy books as a "suspended gall bladder nose."
The bridge of his nose was elegant, and the tip was full.
It was said that men with such noses would enjoy wealth and prosperity, have no worries about money, and could marry virtuous wives and beautiful concubines.
Uncle Chi certainly had no financial worries, but his official career... as for wealth and prosperity, at most he could only become a leisurely nobleman.
As for virtuous wives and beautiful concubines?
Thinking of the two young ladies of the Guo family... Zhou Shaojin skipped over that thought.
After all, Old Madam Guo had said that Uncle Chi promised to marry and have children within the next two years. There were still two years left—perhaps by then, a better young lady than the two from the Guo family would appear!
Uncle Chi’s lips were rosy and glossy, neither too thin nor too thick, with the corners slightly upturned as if he were smiling.
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed hotly, and she quickly lowered her head.
But then her gaze fell on his hand resting by his face.
Cheng Chi’s hand was fair and slender, with no prominent knuckles. His nails were neatly trimmed, pink, and clean, looking as if carved from jade.
Yet she remembered that this hand had warmth.
When it rested on her head, it felt warm, steady, calm, and carried an indescribable tenderness that made her lose herself in it, feeling as though she had become precious.
Zhou Shaojin smiled secretly and continued fanning him slowly.
A cool breeze wafted gently, carrying a faint fragrance that lingered around his nose, while a pair of burning eyes occasionally fell upon him.
Cheng Chi vaguely felt something was amiss.
When Shaojin helped him up, he shouldn’t have indulged in the softness and faint fragrance. Later, he made mistake after mistake, allowing her to stay by his side.
Now, asking her to leave... he felt it wasn’t quite right either!
The little girl would surely think she had done something wrong and might even feel hurt and sad.
Most importantly, the little girl was quite good at serving others. Her fanning was neither rushed nor slow, gentle and soft, just like her, making him feel particularly comfortable.
Better to let it be.
She was fanning him by the bedside—what else was she supposed to look at if not him?
Perhaps he was being too sensitive.
After so much scheming and intrigue, he tended to think the worst of everyone first.
Cheng Chi mocked himself inwardly and soon calmed down, lazily saying, "The summer in Jinling is truly hot."
It was a pity Cheng Jiashan was at Algae Garden; otherwise, he could have taken his mother and the little girl there to escape the heat. But since the little girl was here, it was better to avoid mentioning Cheng Jiashan, lest she feel uncomfortable.
He swallowed those words.
Zhou Shaojin wasn’t used to Jinling’s summer either. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "Are you feeling restless inside? Shall I have someone bring you a bowl of chilled mung bean water?"
In the past, when her brother-in-law drank too much, her sister would prepare cooling tea for him.
Cheng Chi hummed in agreement.
Zhou Shaojin gave the order.
Soon, the mung bean water arrived.
Zhou Shaojin served it to Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi lay back down on the luohan bed.
Zhou Shaojin continued fanning him.Cheng Chi, however, found it difficult to fall asleep. He said, "We should store some ice this winter. Then next summer won’t be so hot."
Zhou Shaojin chuckled. "Last winter, Jinling only had a light snowfall that melted as soon as it touched the ground. How could we store ice?"
Cheng Chi turned to look at her, smiling. "As long as it snows in Jinling this winter—I’ve already arranged for ice to be stored in the capital and transported to Jinling before the start of spring in the first month, so we can use it in the summer."
Under the lamplight, his gaze was clear and bright, like stars in the distant sky, sparkling brilliantly.
She had always known Uncle Chi was handsome, but she hadn’t realized just how handsome he was.
For a moment, Zhou Shaojin stared at him, mesmerized.
Seeing her wide-eyed, dazed expression, Cheng Chi thought she didn’t believe him and laughed. "Do you think it’s impossible?"
"Of course not!" Zhou Shaojin blurted out, snapping back to reality.
Uncle Chi never broke his promises.
"I just think it would require an enormous amount of manpower and resources!"
Zhou Shaojin frowned, her worried expression amusing Cheng Chi.
In a cheerful mood, Cheng Chi said, "It’s fine! We’ll use the canal transport, traveling day and night. It’ll take at most ten days to reach Jinling."
Zhou Shaojin asked, "Have you reconciled with the Canal Gang now? Does that mean Jiying can go out in public again?"
She was unaware of Jiang Qin’s situation.
Cheng Chi had no intention of letting her know and simply sat up with a smile, chatting casually. "The Canal Gang has three leaders, and they all have conflicts among themselves. As long as we handle it properly, they won’t dare make a move."
In reality, his men had crippled Jiao Ziyang, killed Jiang Qin, and cut off the Canal Gang’s assignment to transport military pay this year. There were also hints of supporting the Golden Sand Gang, forcing the Canal Gang to invite several influential figures from the martial world to mediate and ask Cheng Chi for a "tea talk."
Cheng Chi hadn’t yet decided whether to go.
Having the Canal Gang transport the ice would be a way for them to atone for their mistakes.
The Canal Gang would surely jump at the opportunity.
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly, completely trusting Cheng Chi’s words. She instructed a maid to fetch a large bolster and said, "Uncle Chi, why don’t you lean against this while we talk? It’ll be more comfortable."
Cheng Chi complied and leaned against the bolster.
Zhou Shaojin then asked him, "Does your head still hurt? Would you like another bowl of sobering soup?"
Cheng Chi smiled. "What do you think sobering soup is made of?"
Zhou Shaojin truly didn’t know.
In the past, she had always hated it when people drank. Even when her brother-in-law drank, she found it unpleasant and had to force herself not to vomit. But today, when Uncle Chi drank… she had helped him inside with concern, worried he might be uncomfortable, serving him water and fanning him…
Zhou Shaojin’s mind buzzed, suddenly feeling at a loss.
Fortunately, Cheng Chi didn’t notice anything unusual and said with a smile, "Sobering soup is either loaded with sugar or vinegar. Drinking too much of it doesn’t really help…"
"Oh!" Zhou Shaojin replied absentmindedly, unable to resist glancing at Cheng Chi.
Perhaps because he had been drinking, Cheng Chi’s face was slightly flushed, and his expression was relaxed. He seemed like someone who had rested after a long journey or someone who had finally set down a heavy burden after traveling a great distance… Is this how people act when they’ve had too much to drink?
Unpleasant memories from the past resurfaced in her mind.
She quickly shook her head, burying those memories deep in her heart.
She tried to recall how her brother-in-law had looked when he drank too much.
But she had always avoided him… In her memory, she couldn’t recall ever seeing her brother-in-law drunk.Zhou Shaojin wrinkled her nose.
Cheng Chi’s heart stirred, and he hesitated, “I’m covered in the smell of wine—did it bother you?”
“No, not at all.” Only then did she notice the faint scent of wine on Cheng Chi. After a moment’s hesitation, she whispered, “It’s fine. The smell isn’t very strong on Uncle Chi.”
Could it be that Cheng Jiashan had been drinking at the time?
That was highly likely!
Whether someone was plotting against Cheng Jiashan or he needed liquid courage, wine would have been involved!
But back then, even when Zhou Shaojin saw him drinking quite a bit, she hadn’t avoided him.
Cheng Chi’s feelings were somewhat complicated.
The atmosphere suddenly turned chilly.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t like it.
Remembering her purpose for coming here, she quickly said, “Uncle Chi, I saw someone on the street today…” She told Cheng Chi about Shi Kuan and concluded, “If Uncle Chi gets to know him, you could connect with the Fourth Prince through him. Perhaps the Cheng family could avoid the fate of being raided and exterminated!”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Chi shook his head with a smile and sighed, “Shao Jin, do you know who I entertained at Misty Tower today?”
Zhou Shaojin’s heart stirred, and her almond-shaped eyes widened.
Cheng Chi nodded, saying, “It was Shi Kuan.”
No wonder Shi Kuan had appeared near Misty Tower!
Zhou Shaojin nearly jumped up. “Uncle Chi, how do you know Shi Kuan? Then why was the Cheng family raided in the previous life?”
Cheng Chi smiled. “After you mentioned that the Fourth Prince would ascend the throne in the future, I had people keep an eye on the Fourth Prince’s residence. That’s how I learned about Shi Kuan. He’s from Gaochun. As a child, he was castrated by his father and sold into the palace. His mother passed away two months ago. He returned to Jinling this time to pay respects to her. I heard he never puts down his books, so I approached him as an ordinary scholar. Unexpectedly, he found me quite congenial. I invited him to Misty Tower to watch the dragon boat races, and he didn’t refuse. That he would become a favored minister before the new emperor… is rather surprising!”
It took Zhou Shaojin a moment to process this. Puzzled, she said, “Shi Kuan is from Gaochun? Could there be a mistake? I remember Lin Shisheng said he was an orphan and didn’t even remember his ancestral home…”
“Perhaps because his childhood memories are too painful?” Cheng Chi replied casually with a smile, though his thoughts turned to Lin Shisheng.
To know such details, it seemed Lin Shisheng was doing quite well for himself!
“Uncle Chi, you’re amazing!” Zhou Shaojin admired him. “I was worried you’d missed Shi Kuan, but who would have thought you’d already arranged everything.”
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but chuckle. “What’s so difficult about that? The Fourth Prince keeps a low profile now, so it’s easy to investigate his affairs.”
“But gaining Shi Kuan’s favor is no small feat either,” Zhou Shaojin said. “Shi Kuan is a proud man; he doesn’t bother with ordinary people.”
Lin Shisheng had a grandaunt serving as a royal consort in the palace. When Lin Shisheng sought to secure a title for his eldest son born of a concubine, he approached Shi Kuan through Consort Lin, but Shi Kuan didn’t even give him face.
Cheng Chi smiled. “That was Shi Kuan after the Fourth Prince ascended the throne, right? The current Shi Kuan doesn’t have that kind of confidence yet.”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t care about such details.
With Uncle Chi having connected with Shi Kuan, the risks for the Cheng family would be much smaller.
She cheerfully said, “Anyway, Uncle Chi is amazing!”
Who talks like that!
Cheng Chi burst into laughter.
Yet, he couldn’t suppress a feeling of soaring spirits.The atmosphere between the two became somewhat cheerful again.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot the main matter!"
So this wasn’t the main matter after all!
Cheng Chi thought to himself.
This little girl really has a lot going on!
A faint smile flickered in his eyes as he listened attentively.
With a serious expression, Zhou Shaojin told Cheng Chi about her discovery of the secret affair between Cheng Lu and Wu Baozhang.
Cheng Chi was utterly surprised.
His expression turned grave as he carefully inquired about the details of their conversation.
Zhou Shaojin answered each question one by one.
※
Dear readers, here’s today’s update.
Working overtime tonight, so I haven’t had time to correct typos—posting it as is for now…
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel