Uроn hеаring Zhоu Shaojin's wоrds, Сhеng Сhi сlosed his eуеs and pоndered fоr а mоmеnt bеfоre saуing, "Don't worry about this mattеr аnymоre. I аlrеаdу know аbоut it!"
Нuh?!
Zhоu Shаojin widеned her eуеs.
Cоuld such an impоrtant mattеr be resоlvеd sо simрlу bу Unсle Chi?
Shе wаs eхtrеmеly сurious.
Тugging аt Cheng Сhi's slеevе, she whisperеd, "Uncle Chi, whаt dо уou рlan to do?"
Тhе wаy shе stаrеd аt him with сlеar, саutious еyеs amused him grеatlу, stirring а misсhievоus imрulsе within. Нe chucklеd, "I haven't figured it out yеt. If it were yоu, what would уou dо?"
Unсle Сhi actually hadn't figured it out!
Then why did he tell her to "not worry about it" and that he "already knew"?
Zhou Shaojin's almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise.
Then she grew uneasy.
Who would have thought that Wu Baozhang and Cheng Lu were secretly involved, and she had inadvertently learned that someone in the Cheng family intended to strip Cheng Lu of his scholarly title, then informed him of it... Depriving someone of their scholarly title was akin to cutting off their future prospects. For someone like Cheng Lu, this would be more unbearable than death.
It was no wonder he would fight back desperately!
If the matter were exposed, regardless of whether it could be traced back to who in the Cheng family wanted to strip him of his title, as long as it was confirmed to be the Cheng family's doing, they would inevitably be accused of bullying the weak. Cheng Lu might even use this incident to elevate his own reputation, becoming a figure the Cheng family would hesitate to provoke.
Not only would they fail to suppress Cheng Lu, but they might also implicate her uncle, whom she had entrusted with the matter!
If she had known this earlier, she wouldn't have told Uncle Chi.
Zhou Shaojin lowered her head dejectedly.
Uncle Chi must be feeling quite troubled now, right?
But because he had promised her earlier, he could only try to navigate the situation carefully, right?
If only she could offer Uncle Chi some ideas!
As the saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang.
Zhou Shaojin racked her brains, deep in thought.
Cheng Chi watched as her little face scrunched up into a frown. For some reason, his mood inexplicably brightened. It reminded him of his childhood, when his father forced him to practice calligraphy, but he would sneak out to climb roofs and play wildly. Upon returning, his father never noticed he had been gone, leaving him with a secret joy only he knew.
He remained silent, watching her bite her lip as she gradually stopped fanning and began thoughtfully twirling the bright red tassels hanging from the round fan.
A faint breeze drifted through the hallway.
The bright red tassels entwined around her pale fingertips, unexpectedly adding a touch of vivid beauty.
The air seemed to crackle with heat as if on fire.
This little girl. Just moments ago, she seemed quite adept at serving others, but now she had revealed her true colors.
Which young maid would dare to daydream while fanning someone, neglecting her duties?
Cheng Chi calmly took the fan from her hand and began gently fanning Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin truly wasn't accustomed to serving others. Having the fan taken from her, she simply assumed it was like when the maids took over, and she pouted, lost in her own thoughts.
Nanny Shang, who had brought in a plate of watermelon, nearly stumbled at the sight.
Just who was serving whom here?
Having served this Fourth Master for so many years, this was the first time she had ever seen him fanning someone...
Nanny Shang steadied herself, held her breath, and only then dared to tiptoe over, placing the watermelon on the small side table before quietly retreating.Zhou Shaojin snapped back to attention and whispered to Cheng Chi, "Uncle Chi. Maybe we should just leave Cheng Lu alone? After all, evil people get their just deserts—he’s done so many bad things, he’ll surely face retribution!"
Cheng Chi nearly choked. He thought to himself, Good thing I wasn’t drinking tea, or I might have sprayed it right into the middle of the hall.
He couldn’t help but shoot her a cold sidelong glance and said, "Is this the solution you came up with? You might as well not have thought at all!"
Zhou Shaojin also knew her idea wasn’t appropriate.
Her face flushed red as she said, "I think he definitely won’t let it go. If he makes a fuss and the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor catches even a hint of something, and traces it back to you, Uncle Chi, what would we do? Let’s just forget it, okay?"
Cheng Chi was taken aback and fell silent for a moment before saying, "Are you afraid I’ll give the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor a handle against me?"
His voice was somewhat hoarse.
Zhou Shaojin wore an apologetic expression and nodded repeatedly, saying, "The Second Branch’s Old Ancestor holds the advantage in status. If he wants to harm you, you’ll definitely be at a disadvantage."
In her view, the First Branch and Second Branch had been feuding for so many years, and the First Branch still held some apprehension toward the Second Branch, so the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor must not be someone to be trifled with. But she couldn’t say this to Cheng Chi—if she did, wouldn’t it imply that Cheng Chi was useless?
How hurt Uncle Chi would be!
Cheng Chi stared at her without blinking, his expression somewhat strange.
Zhou Shaojin immediately felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
Uncle Chi was so clever—could he have caught the underlying meaning in her words?
She hurriedly said, "Uncle Chi, I think we don’t need to confront Cheng Lu head-on right now. Cheng Lu isn’t a good person. If he really does pass the provincial exam, I’ll discuss it with my father and see if we can reveal what his father did. By then, Cheng Lu’s future will still be hindered." She added, "The official records have the testimonies of Lanting and Lanxin, and we managed to copy them. That should be enough to keep Cheng Lu in check."
But what about Madam Zhuang’s reputation?
Cheng Chi really wanted to ask Zhou Shaojin.
But he was somewhat afraid to ask.
He was afraid Zhou Shaojin would naively say, "Oh, I didn’t think of that," and even more afraid she’d say with simple sincerity, "Uncle Chi is more important..."
Cheng Chi took a deep breath, and only then did his voice return to normal. He chuckled lightly and said, "Silly girl, what kind of solution is that? Have some watermelon!"
Only then did Zhou Shaojin notice two bowls of watermelon on the side table.
At this time of year, watermelon had just come into season.
It wasn’t easy to get.
She smiled and said, "Shall we send some to the Old Madam as well?"
Cheng Chi laughed and said, "Just eat yours. What time is it already? I’ll have someone send some to my mother first thing tomorrow morning."
This watermelon was so sweet.
Zhou Shaojin said with a pleading look, "Then, Uncle Chi, could you give me a few as well? They’re really delicious."
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but laugh and said, "Come up with a way to deal with Cheng Lu, and I’ll give you a few. Otherwise, no watermelon for you."
Zhou Shaojin’s little face scrunched up again.
This matter really was too difficult for her.
If she had children like this, it would surely drive people to despair!
Cheng Chi’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt somewhat uneasy. He coughed lightly twice, picked up his bowl, and began to eat.
The watermelon had been chilled with ice, and it felt cool and very refreshing in the mouth.
Cheng Chi instructed Nanny Shang to bring another bowl for Zhou Shaojin, saying, "Serve one without ice. Second Young Miss has a weak constitution—too cold will hurt her stomach."Zhou Shaojin blushed and said, "I'll just eat this one bowl."
Cheng Chi ignored her and continued speaking to Nanny Shang, "Have the remaining watermelon taken back by the maidservant who accompanied Second Cousin, and reward those serving in Second Cousin's quarters."
Since the young lady hadn't returned, those attending to her surely hadn't retired for the night.
Bringing back a watermelon would let them know that as long as they served the young lady well, she wouldn't treat them poorly.
Nanny Shang swiftly glanced at Zhou Shaojin, smiled, and replied, "I'll have Chunwan take it back right away."
Judging by the situation, Fourth Master likely had much more to discuss with Second Cousin. It would be good to let those serving in her quarters stay alert.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said, "Chunwan came with me—just reward her with a bowl. You have attendants here too..."
"It's fine," Cheng Chi said. "They'll have some as well."
Only then did Zhou Shaojin say nothing more and eat her watermelon. Qing Feng fetched water for her to wash her hands.
After resting for a while and eating watermelon, Cheng Chi felt refreshed and in better spirits.
He dismissed the attendants in the room and said softly, "Shaoji, don't tell anyone about Wu Baozhang and Cheng Lu. At this point, it's too late to call off the engagement between Wu Baozhang and Cheng Nuo. The only option is to let things proceed as they are and have Cheng Nuo marry Wu Baozhang. If Wu Baozhang lives honestly with Cheng Nuo, that will be fine. In terms of talent, Cheng Nuo is indeed inferior to Cheng Lu. Wu Baozhang is young and vibrant—it's understandable if she developed feelings for Cheng Lu. If she harbors any other intentions, we can deal with her later. It all depends on what she does.
"As for Cheng Lu,
"don't think of him as too important. Even if the Second Branch's patriarch knew I was plotting against him, would he really turn against me over Cheng Lu?
"After all, I'm a scholar who passed both the provincial and palace examinations. For the Cheng family, producing a xiucai is easy, a juren is decent, but producing someone who passes both exams requires luck.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have stubbornly taken the exams back then.
"So don't worry about me."
Zhou Shaojin thought it over and realized he was right.
She couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, revealing a reassured smile.
Cheng Chi couldn't help but smile along with her.
Shaoji was like a flower in a greenhouse—if she were to withstand storms, it would have to be a gradual process.
Some things didn't need to be fully explained to her.
The hardest thing to sever is emotional attachment.
From the conversation between Wu Baozhang and Cheng Lu, it seemed Wu Baozhang had long been deeply infatuated with Cheng Lu.
Given the right opportunity, those feelings would likely sprout and grow wildly.
Even without a suitable opportunity, creating one could still make those feelings surface.
Once that happened, they would no longer be in control.
If he hadn't already promised the young lady to strip Cheng Lu of his scholarly title, he would have preferred to stage a scene of "catching them in the act"!
Cheng Chi sneered inwardly but showed no trace of it on his face. He asked Zhou Shaojin gently, "Now can you sleep peacefully?"
Zhou Shaojin flushed with embarrassment and hesitated, "But I feel like Wu Baozhang and Cheng Lu... still have lingering ties... Could she do something improper?"
Back when she was engaged to Cheng Xu, Cheng Lu had hypocritically asked for her forgiveness.
If she hadn't seen his shoes under the flowering tree, she might have entrusted him to deliver a letter to her sister—and her life would have been truly ruined!
Zhou Shaojin felt that Cheng Lu was like a dog that couldn't stop eating filth—he would surely seek out Wu Baozhang again!Cheng Chi couldn't help but secretly marvel at Zhou Shaojin's sensitivity.
He smiled and said, "What does that have to do with us? Haven't we already given them a way out? They met secretly behind the Light Mist Pavilion, and we kept their secret for them. Do we also need to guarantee their marital harmony? Nuoge is her husband. If a husband can't even keep his wife's heart, why should we worry about it for them?"
Zhou Shaojin lowered her head in embarrassment, her jade-like ears flushing crimson.
Cheng Chi barely managed to restrain himself from patting her head.
※
(>_<)
Fortunately, I sensed something was off last night and wrote half a chapter, or I'd have nothing to post today.
Life without a backlog of drafts is truly unbearable!
Posting a rough draft for now, will correct typos later.
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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