Zhou Shaоjin hurriеdly turned hеr head аwау, уеt still fаiled to еvade Cheng Chi’s fingers.
Shе сouldn’t hеlp but сhidе, “Ноw cоuld Unсlе Сhi dо that? It rеally hurts.”
“Reаllу?” Chеng Chi smiled, cuрping her fаce. “Lеt mе sее if it rеаllу hurts!”
His bright eуеs werе сlеar аs watеr, rеflecting hеr imаge сlearly.
Оnly then did Zhou Shаоjin rеalizе how intimate thеir асtions wеrе.
Неr fасe flushеd сrimson likе a sunsеt glow, and shе pushеd Сhеng Chi аwау.
А balancе of tension and relаxation wаs needеd to mаkе the уoung girl feel both secure and aware of the changes between them.
Cheng Chi smiled, gracefully releasing her, and poured tea for both of them again. “Here, taste how this tea is brewed.”
But Zhou Shaojin felt uneasy.
Just now, Uncle Chi had cupped her face—his fingers long and warm, his expression sincere and… tinged with a hint of affection…
She recalled what Cheng Chi had said that day.
“I just couldn’t help myself…”
Couldn’t help what?
Cupping her face like that?
Zhou Shaojin’s face burned, and the warmth lingered where Uncle Chi had touched her…
Feeling as if sitting on pins and needles, she hastily drank her tea and stood up. “It’s getting late, and Uncle Chi has to go out tomorrow. I won’t disturb you any further. Please rest early!”
With that, she fled as if escaping.
Cheng Chi watched her flustered retreating figure and smiled silently.
Change was good!
What he feared was her remaining oblivious and unaware.
He suddenly thought of the term “nibbling away.”
How fitting indeed!
Cheng Chi clasped his hands behind his back and returned to his room, thoroughly satisfied.
※
Zhou Shaojin ran all the way, only remembering when she reached the corridor of the main house that Huaishan was still overseeing the laying of “bricks” in the inner chamber with others.
She secretly regretted it.
She shouldn’t have come to the main house; she should have gone to the rear annex to squeeze in with Chunwan and the others for the night.
As the thought crossed her mind, she inwardly scolded herself.
Since Uncle Chi had given her this residence, it was hers now.
Her own residence. Why run away? Why squeeze in with Chunwan for the night?
If anyone should squeeze in, it should be Uncle Chi!
Then it occurred to her that Cheng Chi was already squeezing in with the servants. The thought made her chuckle, and all her earlier distress vanished.
The curtain of the main house was lifted, and Chunwan stepped out.
She smiled and said, “What’s wrong, Second Miss? You’re back but not coming in? Xiao Tan and I were just discussing whether to go look for you.”
Had those laying the “bricks” left already?
As soon as the thought arose, Zhou Shaojin cursed herself.
Since they were secretly hidden in her room, no one was to be told. Naturally, they had to avoid Chunwan and the others. Wasn’t it normal for her attendants not to know?
Still harboring some doubts, Zhou Shaojin absentmindedly exchanged a few words with Chunwan before entering the inner chamber.
The inner chamber looked exactly as it had when she left—the floor neat, clean, and without a speck of dust. If Zhou Shaojin hadn’t been certain Cheng Chi had placed something there, she might have thought the earlier scene was just a dream.Chunwan was still chattering away: "Nanny Shang said Steward Xiang, thinking of how the young lady grew up in the south, specially found several silk quilts and called Xiao Tan and me to choose. I picked a two-catty one for the young lady—it’s just right for this season. Steward Xiang also bought one-catty and three-catty ones. He originally wanted to buy a few four-catty and five-catty ones, but since it’s already spring, the shops only had leftover stock, so he didn’t get them. He said he’d go take a look again in the autumn..."
Zhou Shaojin nodded absentmindedly, washed up hastily, and got into bed.
Perhaps because it was already April, the bed’s black lacquered frame inlaid with mother-of-pearl was hung with a sheer green gauze canopy patterned with rippling water. The soft candlelight filtering through made the ripples seem to come alive. She felt as if she were lying in the still waters of a lake.
"I simply couldn’t help myself..."
Cheng Chi’s voice, deep and mellow like aged fine wine, echoed in her ears with a hint of laughter... She could still clearly recall the sensation of his warm breath against her neck...
Zhou Shaojin felt half her body go weak and numb, then inexplicably flushed with embarrassment. She buried her head in the large bolster, hugging it tightly as she rolled over in bed.
Uncle Chi said... he couldn’t help himself!
Did that mean... he also liked her a little?
Zhou Shaojin thought of his subtle protection in the Three Branches Pavilion, his quiet smile in the Cold Green Mountain House’s Buddha hall, his silent tolerance on the Qiantang River’s sandy shore... and his indulgence when playing chess with her... the way he had looked at her just now... Her face grew hot.
Uncle Chi definitely liked her too!
But was this liking the same as her kind of liking?
Or... was it just a momentary impulse upon seeing her beauty?
Hadn’t Uncle Chi also told her not to dwell on this matter?
He surely didn’t want to bring it up again.
Zhou Shaojin’s face paled, and she abruptly sat up, hugging the bolster as she stared blankly at the shimmering water ripples on the canopy, her heart in turmoil.
But she liked him too—what should she do?
She didn’t want Uncle Chi to forget this matter... but even if he didn’t forget, what could come of it?
Could she allow Uncle Chi to do such a thing to her again?
Not to mention the generational gap between them—even if they were of the same generation, if Old Madam Guo knew Cheng Xu had once liked her, would she ever permit her to marry Uncle Chi?
Wait, if she and Uncle Chi were of the same generation, then Cheng Xu liking her would be Cheng Xu’s fault, and she could naturally marry Uncle Chi... In her past life, she wouldn’t have been violated by Cheng Xu... She could have joyfully married Uncle Chi... But now Uncle Chi knew everything about her—would he still want her?
The more Zhou Shaojin thought about it, the sadder she felt; the more she thought, the more hopeless it seemed. Tears began to fall in streams.
※
The next morning, when Chunwan lifted the canopy, she saw Zhou Shaojin, who had cried for nearly the entire night, her eyes so swollen she could barely open them.
Startled, Chunwan straightened up and was about to call for Mama Fan.
Zhou Shaojin grabbed her arm and said, "Don’t make a fuss. Be careful not to let others find out. Just go boil an egg for me to soothe my eyes."
Not daring to let anyone else in, Chunwan instructed Jixiang at the door to boil an egg, then fetched a cold cloth to press against Zhou Shaojin’s eyes, saying, "If Second Young Lady has something troubling her, even if you can’t tell me, you could still talk to Mama Fan! Look at you—crying like this. What will we say if Madam asks about it during breakfast?"Fortunately, the lady is a stepmother; if she were the birth mother, all the attendants around them would likely have been scolded.
Zhou Shaojin cried until her head was dizzy and throbbing, not wanting to say a word. She let Chunwan chatter on.
After a while, Jixiang brought in some eggs. Chunwan applied them while they were still warm, but after a long time, there was no noticeable effect. Just then, Madam Li sent someone to ask where breakfast should be served. Chunwan grew anxious, and Zhou Shaojin simply said, "Go and tell the lady that I stayed up late last night and haven’t gotten up yet."
Chunwan couldn’t think of any other solution, so she followed the instructions and relayed the message to Madam Li’s maid.
Madam Li smiled and said, "After all, this is her own place—when she first went to Baoding, she couldn’t sleep well for several nights because she wasn’t used to the bed. Now, on the very first day after moving in, she’s sleeping like a log. I didn’t fall asleep until the early hours of the morning myself!"
Mama Li chuckled, "Fourth Master Fang truly dotes on Second Miss. Look at the furnishings and items in this house—they’re far beyond what Eldest Miss has. I heard from the little maids that there’s even a Western clock in the main hall’s parlor, ticking away. It’s covered with a glass case, and everything inside gleams like gold, as if it were made of the metal. Such a thing wasn’t even taken away. Who knows what else Fourth Master Fang left in the main hall?"
Because of this remark, Madam Li, to avoid any suspicion, warned her people not to enter the main hall without her permission. They were also not allowed to go over there unless Zhou Shaojin’s attendants invited them.
Hearing this, Madam Li shot Mama Li a glare and whispered, "Such words should only be spoken in front of me. If you talk like this in front of others, you might as well return to Baoding first!"
Madam Li had never spoken to Mama Li like this before, and Mama Li was so frightened that she never brought it up again.
After breakfast, Zhou Chujin arrived.
Madam Li was quite surprised and repeatedly instructed the maids, "Hurry and invite Eldest Miss in! She’s only just finished her month of confinement!"
The little maid scurried off, and Madam Li quickly straightened her attire, asking the wet nurse to carry Zhou Youjin as she went to greet her.
Living in the same city, yet her younger sister was staying elsewhere—how could Zhou Chujin feel at ease?
She had waited anxiously for dawn, hastily finished breakfast, and come over. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Madam Li, Madam Li accompanied her to the main hall.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin resting in the main hall, Zhou Chujin was very surprised.
Her sister wasn’t the type to do this...
Madam Li gave her a meaningful look and whispered, "We’ll talk about this later."
Seeing that Madam Li showed no resentment, Zhou Chujin felt relieved and entered the parlor with her.
Zhou Shaojin received the news too late to avoid them and was caught right there by Madam Li and her sister.
"What happened to you?" Zhou Chujin rushed forward in three quick steps, embracing Zhou Shaojin. She barely restrained herself from glancing at Madam Li and said, "Let me see quickly!"
Zhou Shaojin covered her eyes, not letting Zhou Chujin look, and said, "I don’t know what happened either... It was like this when I woke up this morning..."
Madam Li, being older than both of them, suggested, "Could it be that there’s still the smell of fresh lacquer in the room?"
Zhou Shaojin quickly replied, "That might be it! I was fine before I went to sleep!"
Zhou Chujin then instructed Chunwan, "Go and tell Ma Ci to fetch a physician."As in her previous life, Ma Ci ultimately accompanied Zhou Chujin to the Liao family as part of her dowry entourage. However, unlike before, Ma Ci gained Zhou Chujin’s trust even before arriving at the Liao household. Once there, she became Zhou Chujin’s right-hand woman, managing not only her dowry affairs but also the properties gifted by Liao Shaotang’s parents at the time of their marriage.
This kind of talk… how will things be handled when the doctor arrives?
Chunwan felt anxious inwardly but dared not show it on her face. She hurriedly left the hall.
Zhou Shaojin invited Madam Li and Zhou Chujin to take the seats of honor.
Zhou Chujin kept examining the furnishings in the room and even peeked into the inner chamber before finally relaxing. Smiling, she asked, “Who arranged this room? If you plant a magnolia tree by the entrance, it would be seventy to eighty percent similar to your room at Fragrant Garden Residence.”
By the entrance of her own room, pomegranate trees had already budded, some revealing fiery red petals.
Zhou Shaojin replied with a smile, “The magnolias in the north are different from those in the south—they bloom larger but lack fragrance. It’s better to plant pomegranates instead!”
Madam Li chimed in, “Pomegranate trees are a good choice! Magnolia blossoms wither with the wind, but pomegranate flowers grow more vibrant and prosperous.”
They also symbolize fertility and blessings.
However, such words were inappropriate to mention in front of the unmarried Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Chujin understood and glanced at her younger sister with a knowing chuckle.
※
Dear readers, here is today’s bonus update.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: The update is a bit late, probably around midnight. It’s better to read it tomorrow morning!
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel