Old Маdam Guo's еyes lit uр аs shе listеnеd.
Shе silently сounted the prayеr bеads in hеr hand оnе bу оne, rеmаining silеnt fоr а long whilе.
At Yuqian Lanе, Zhоu Shaоjin had just finished washing uр and was аbout to gо tо bеd whеn Nаnnу Shаng walked in smiling, саrrying а сuр of wаrm watеr. Shе said, "Seсоnd Miss, еveryonе is tired todaу. Shаll I tаke thе night shift?"
Zhou Shaojin рrеfеrred bеing аlоnе, аnd thе maid оn dutу merеly slеpt on а makеshift bеd оutside. Withоut giving it muсh thоught, shе replied, "Тhen go and let Jixiаng, who's on duty, knоw."
Nanny Shаng smiled аnd аcknоwledged the instruction. After Zhou Shaojin drank the water and got into bed, she extinguished the other candles in the room. Placing the only remaining light—a melon-shaped palace lantern—on the small table beside the bed, she closed the door and withdrew.
Zhou Shaojin leaned against the headboard reading a book, but her mind was occupied with the conversation she had with Old Madam Guo earlier that day.
Was the old madam worried that she wouldn't be able to endure the gossip from outsiders?
Moreover, if she were to leave Uncle Chi because she couldn't bear it, all of Uncle Chi's current efforts would become a joke in others' eyes.
As a mother, how could Old Madam Guo bear to see her son suffer such humiliation?
But how could she make the old madam understand that she wasn't acting on a whim, nor had she spoken those words—that as long as Uncle Chi didn't let go, she wouldn't either—without knowing the difficulties ahead?
Zhou Shaojin felt troubled.
She wanted to go straight to Cheng Chi and ask him.
But the thought flashed through her mind and was quickly dismissed.
She couldn't tell Uncle Chi about this.
He was a man and wouldn't understand a woman's heart.
If she were a mother, she would probably do the same as Old Madam Guo. Given her temperament, she might not even handle things as thoroughly as the old madam!
Thinking this, she grew a bit anxious, wanting to quickly familiarize herself with household affairs. If she were to marry Uncle Chi in the future, Old Madam Guo would surely live with Cheng Jing and his family. Judging by Uncle Chi's preparations to buy a house in Chaoyang Gate and considering her own situation, the Cheng family would likely let them live separately. Although Second Madam Wei seemed gentle and kind, her demeanor in dealing with people showed she came from a prominent family and was capable of managing a household. She couldn't let herself be the worst, unable to even take care of Uncle Chi, or the Cheng family would only feel even more that Uncle Chi deserved better...
Zhou Shaojin flushed with embarrassment.
Uncle Chi hadn't even said when he would marry her, yet here she was, daydreaming and worrying needlessly.
She buried her face in the quilt.
A soft cough from a man echoed in the room.
Zhou Shaojin pulled the quilt away from her face and called out, "Uncle Chi!" with a mix of surprise and delight.
Cheng Chi walked out from behind the screen, smiling.
He wore an indigo-blue fine cloth robe and held a large bunch of jade hairpin flowers.
A faint fragrance filled the entire inner chamber.
Zhou Shaojin's small face glowed like jade. She threw off the quilt, about to rush forward, but suddenly remembered she was only wearing undergarments. Hastily wrapping herself in the thin quilt, she retreated to the corner of the bed, her face flushed, and murmured, "Uncle Chi."
Cheng Chi smiled at her, gentle and composed. He said, "When I entered, I saw the jade hairpin flowers blooming beautifully, so I picked a few branches. Where is the flower vase? I'll arrange them for you. It would be best to find a celadon Ru ware vase or a Longquan ice-crack glaze one."
Zhou Shaojin was at a complete loss for words.She murmured instinctively, "The flower vase... should be in the trunk... but that's too troublesome..." Mainly because it would disturb the person on duty.
Zhou Shaojin widened her eyes.
No wonder Nanny Shang had volunteered for night duty—she must have known in advance that Uncle Chi was coming...
That scoundrel!
Zhou Shaojin's cheeks flushed like fire. Boldly, she directed Cheng Chi, "Just take an ornamental vase from the curio cabinet for now, and we can switch it tomorrow."
The curio cabinet was in the sitting room of the western chamber.
Cheng Chi crossed the hall and went to the western chamber.
Zhou Shaojin watched his brisk retreating figure and smiled, pursing her lips.
After a while, Cheng Chi returned with a sacrificial red porcelain ornamental vase, filled it with water, arranged the flowers inside, and placed it on a nearby side table.
Didn’t he say he would help her display it properly?
Why not place it on the small table by the bed?
Zhou Shaojin blinked.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "You’ve always had a weak constitution. Flowers placed by the bed are too fragrant and might make you uncomfortable."
Zhou Shaojin murmured her thanks, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Cheng Chi, however, unceremoniously sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing at her with a smile but saying nothing.
His gaze was quite different from usual.
It held a touch of excitement, a hint of relief, a bit of joy, and a trace of emotion... complex and hard to decipher, making Zhou Shaojin’s heart pound nervously. Unsure of what he intended, she stammered, "You... you came to see me so late... is there something?" As she spoke, she instinctively tightened the quilt wrapped around her.
Cheng Chi chuckled softly and beckoned to her, saying, "Come here!"
Zhou Shaojin instinctively wanted to refuse, but then she thought of the look in Cheng Chi’s eyes—it contained everything except the lewdness that would have frightened her.
She bit her lip and shuffled over, still wrapped in the quilt.
Cheng Chi reached out with his long arm and pulled her into his embrace.
Zhou Shaojin was too startled to move.
Cheng Chi laughed softly in her ear, gently kissing the top of her head, and said, "Shaoji, how can you be so adorable? What am I to do with you?"
The tone of helpless affection made Zhou Shaojin’s heart tremble, leaving her feeling both unfamiliar and fearful. She evasively asked, "What are you doing?"
Her tone was stiff and even a bit fierce, but spoken in her sweet, soft voice, it sounded like a child throwing a tantrum, utterly lacking in intimidation.
Cheng Chi burst into laughter and gently kissed her forehead.
His little girl... always brought him joy in unexpected moments!
While she was a guest in the inner residence, his people had been watching over her.
When his mother suddenly asked her to accompany her to the washroom, he sensed something amiss.
He rushed over immediately.
But his mother had already acted before he arrived.
By the time he got there, his little girl was kneeling, pleading with his mother for approval, even saying, "As long as Uncle Chi doesn’t let go, I will never let go either."
Cheng Chi cupped Zhou Shaojin’s face and kissed her forehead fiercely once more.
All this time, hadn’t his hesitation, doubt, and indecision stemmed entirely from her timid nature and gentle temperament?
He feared she didn’t like him enough, and if he confessed his feelings, she might change her mind due to her sister’s dissuasion, her father’s authority, or the gossip of others.
Then he would have no chance to salvage the situation.
He, too, felt fear.
He wasn’t entirely confident either.
Cheng Chi held Zhou Shaojin tightly, nibbling her earlobe and whispering, "Darling."
Now that he understood his own feelings, he naturally had to marry the woman he loved.But the struggle of one person and the efforts of two are so different!
It’s like having someone gently accompany you on the qin while you play the xiao, rather than just standing by to watch... having a companion, someone by your side... He kissed Zhou Shaojin’s cheek again.
Zhou Shaojin pushed him away at once, glaring at him with wide, angry almond eyes.
He chuckled softly and said, “Shaoji, do you have anything to say to me?”
Zhou Shaojin’s heart skipped a beat.
Could he have found out about Old Madam Guo speaking with her?
But then she thought it impossible.
Even if Old Madam Guo had planned to speak with her that day, the timing of the conversation had been decided on the spot. Uncle Chi couldn’t have known in advance.
But what did he mean by this?
Zhou Shaojin was somewhat bewildered and said, “I have nothing to say to you. Has something happened? Please speak plainly.”
A smile slowly spread from his eyes.
His little girl—he was afraid she might have suffered grievances. Yet for the sake of those she cared about, she had never felt wronged.
“Shaoji!” Cheng Chi called her gently, stroking her hair.
Zhou Shaojin quickly moved away from Cheng Chi, shifting backward until she leaned against the bed frame. Her face flushed like morning clouds as she said, “What is it? If you have something to say, say it quickly. I need to rest!”
Cheng Chi looked at her as if she were facing a great enemy and laughed again.
Zhou Shaojin nudged him with her foot, urging him to speak quickly.
“I just wanted to see you!” Cheng Chi said with a smile, unfazed by her actions.
“Well, you’ve seen me now. Shouldn’t you hurry back and rest?” Zhou Shaojin said, her face reddening. “Be careful not to run into the curfew if you return too late.”
Cheng Chi nodded and said, “I’ll leave once I see you fall asleep.”
Zhou Shaojin had never been able to out-stubborn Cheng Chi.
She haphazardly wrapped herself in the blanket and lay down, saying, “No need, no need. I can’t sleep with you here!”
Surprisingly, Cheng Chi simply agreed with a “good,” helped tuck her blanket in again, kissed her forehead, and then stood up to leave the inner chamber.
Zhou Shaojin was left dumbfounded.
Uncle Chi was acting so strangely today!
How could he leave so easily?
He was usually such an overbearing person.
Zhou Shaojin gritted her teeth, slipped on her shoes, and peered out the window.
Cheng Chi left through the side gate.
He truly had left Elm Coin Alley just like that.
Zhou Shaojin was puzzled, unable to understand why Cheng Chi would come to see her so mysteriously in the middle of the night.
She sent Chunwan to Chaoyang Gate to inquire.
Chunwan returned in a panic, having taken it upon herself to dismiss the servants attending to Zhou Shaojin. She was on the verge of tears as she said anxiously, “Second Miss, something terrible has happened! When I went to Chaoyang Gate, I heard that Nine Prosperities Lane is going to divide the family. The second branch will remain in Jinling, while the eldest branch will move to the capital. All the shared family assets will be left to the second branch, and the eldest branch will also have to compensate them with a large sum of silver. Because of this, all the eldest branch’s properties in Jinling have been sold, including even Madam Yuan’s dowry. Now, many servants who once worked for the eldest branch are unwilling to stay in Nine Prosperities Lane and are asking Old Madam to bring them to the capital. When I arrived, Sister Biyu had just received letters from her two sisters, asking her to plead with Old Madam to bring their two families to the capital as well. Everyone is feeling very anxious, unsure of how Old Madam and the eldest master will decide!”
It seemed the matter of Nine Prosperities Lane dividing the family had finally surfaced!Zhou Shaojin said to Chunwan, "There's no need for you to worry about this matter. Since they are hereditary servants of the eldest branch, if any wish to follow us to the capital, they will certainly be brought along. Abandoning those people in Jinling City would mean no one would serve the eldest branch in the future. Even I understand this logic, so there’s no reason for the Old Madam and the Eldest Master not to know it. When you go again, just tell them this to reassure them!"
Chunwan nodded repeatedly.
Madam Li rushed in, her face slightly pale, and asked Zhou Shaojin, "I heard from my elder brother that rumors are spreading outside about Nine Prosperities Lane splitting from the clan. Is it true?"
※
Dear readers, this is an extra update for Xiao Xixi!
Today's update will be around midnight, so there's no need to wait. You can read it tomorrow morning!
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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