Zhоu Shаоjin hаd initiаlly not wаntеd tо mееt Cheng Lu, but upоn sеcond thоught, she remеmbеrеd thе mаttеr of the оld beggar and changed hеr mind, dеciding tо seе him.
Тhе rеcерtiоn hаll оf the fоurth branch was аdоrned with рainted cоlored glаss. When all thе fоlding dооrs wеrе оpen, thе оld loсust trее outsidе prоvidеd shade, filling thе hаll with lush greеnery and а cool, rеfrеshing аtmosрhere.
Zhou Shаоjin sаt by thе squаrе tаblе in frоnt of thе сentrаl hall, smiling аs she loоked аt Сhеng Lu and аskеd, "Whаt brings уou to seе me, Cousin Lu?" Her tоne remainеd as gentlе and submissivе аs befоre.
In truth, this was the first time she had met Cheng Lu so formally since her rebirth.
Just as she remembered, Cheng Lu always favored sapphire-blue clothing. This time, he wore a Hangzhou silk robe with a swastika pattern, dark blue Hangzhou satin shoes adorned with the character for fortune, and a flawless mutton-fat jade pendant hanging from his waist. His hair was tied with a green bamboo hairpin, presenting a simple yet dignified and proper appearance.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a somewhat shy smile. He glanced at Shi Xiang, who stood behind Zhou Shaojin, and hesitated before saying, "There's something I'd like to discuss with you alone, Cousin..."
In the past, Zhou Shaojin would have considered whether this was proper etiquette, but now she merely smiled faintly and said, "Shi Xiang is my personal maid. Is there anything that cannot be said in front of her? Cousin Lu need not worry—she knows all my affairs."
Cheng Lu was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but scrutinize Zhou Shaojin more closely.
Her skin was fairer than snow, her eyes curved gently, and she still appeared gentle and submissive.
He began to feel that he might be overthinking things.
Based on his understanding of Zhou Shaojin, she was not only timid and sentimental but also grew up reading Admonitions for Women and Biographies of Exemplary Women, making her rule-abiding and strictly adherent to propriety, never daring to take a single misstep. Although he had entrusted Cheng Yi to deliver something to her, strictly speaking, it was somewhat improper. With so many maids and matrons around her, and the shrewd and formidable Zhou Chujin, it was likely that his act of sending gifts had already caught Zhou Chujin's attention and was now riddled with faults. It was only natural that Zhou Shaojin would ignore him.
Thinking this, Cheng Lu felt it had been unwise to ask her to dismiss her attendants as soon as he saw her. No wonder she had politely refused. He then smiled and said, "It seems I was overthinking. Since you say so, Cousin, Shi Xiang must be trustworthy." After a moment of hesitation, he continued, "Cousin, are you aware that I have reclaimed all the properties registered under the fourth branch?"
This was his opening.
Since she wanted to know Cheng Lu's intentions, she naturally had to follow his lead.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and replied, "I've heard about it. Uncle Bai passed away early. Now that you have earned scholarly honors, Cousin Lu, it's only natural that you would want to bring glory to your ancestors and support the family. Reclaiming the properties registered under the fourth branch is only right. But why do you mention this?"
Cheng Lu was quite surprised.
He hadn't expected Zhou Shaojin to view the matter this way.
Perhaps the other branches of the Cheng family thought the same...
Previously, fearing that the news would leak, he had kept his mouth tightly shut, worried that others would suspect his dealings with the fourth branch—that they would accuse him of becoming arrogant upon sudden success, turning his back on them and cutting ties with the fourth branch...
Suddenly, Cheng Lu felt as though he had made yet another mistake.A flicker of unease stirred within him—he had originally thought that by catching Zhou Shaojin off guard and bringing up this matter as soon as they met, he could lead her by the nose. Yet after exchanging just a single sentence with Zhou Shaojin, he realized that what he had previously considered a well-laid plan was now riddled with holes.
Cheng Lu’s gaze toward Zhou Shaojin grew cautious, and he remarked with a mix of emotion and jest, “It seems my cousin knows my heart well.”
Zhou Shaojin sneered inwardly.
In her past life, he had spoken many such ambiguous words.
In this life, he wanted to deceive her again. But it wouldn’t be so easy!
To deal with Cheng Lu, she had to be even more formidable than him.
Although Zhou Shaojin didn’t know exactly what it meant to be more formidable than Cheng Lu, she knew at the very least she couldn’t let him see through her at a glance or let him know what she was thinking.
Zhou Shaojin forced a smile, just like she used to. She remained silent, meeting Cheng Lu’s moves with her own.
Cheng Lu didn’t suspect a thing.
Zhou Shaojin was not skilled with words; most of the time, she was quiet and reserved… and smiled shyly.
He said with a smile, “You know about my family situation… Although my mother is a virtuous woman who handles the household affairs without troubling me, everything outside the home falls entirely on my shoulders. Before I passed the imperial examination, I always thought that once I earned an official title, things would be better. At least then I could make decisions about my family’s affairs…”
In the past, Zhou Shaojin had loved hearing such words.
So she lowered her eyelids.
She was afraid Cheng Lu would see the disdain in her heart.
Cheng Lu didn’t think much of it and continued leisurely, “I bought the house on Guan Street, which was part of your great-grandmother’s dowry, from your uncle of the Zhuang family. I planned to give it to you when the time was right…”
Like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
Zhou Shaojin stared at Cheng Lu in shock, unable to react for a long moment.
She had never dreamed that Cheng Lu would admit so directly that he had bought the house on Guan Street, and even more astonishingly, that he would claim he had bought it to give to her.
What did Cheng Lu mean by this?
In her past life, he had never mentioned the house on Guan Street.
Did he know that she was already aware of the feud between the Cheng and Zhuang families back then?
If so, why did he only mention the house on Guan Street and not the old beggar?
Perhaps he was just testing her?
To see how she would react!
Zhou Shaojin’s thoughts were in turmoil. Unable to guess Cheng Lu’s intentions, she couldn’t help but glance at him.
Cheng Lu had large, clear eyes, and at this moment, they were gazing at her with a lingering tenderness, filled with warmth.
Zhou Shaojin shuddered, her mind suddenly clearing, and her thoughts began to race.
Cheng Lu didn’t know she had been reborn, so he had no idea she had already seen through his true nature. He was still judging her based on her past self. As long as she acted as she used to, he would continue speaking…
She put on a flustered expression and murmured, “Cousin Lu, you… you…”Cheng Lu smiled faintly and said, "I never imagined you also wanted to buy that house. Yesterday afternoon, I heard from Dahai that a broker wanted to purchase it, and only then did I learn of this matter... Since you knew I bought the house, why didn’t you tell me directly? It makes us cousins seem so distant... Are you perhaps resentful toward me? Before, I was merely a child scholar, with nothing to my name—how could I have spoken of such things? But now it’s different. If you wish to buy back the house as your private property, just have Ma Fushan tell Zhao Dahai. Money is no concern—I’ll have the authorities transfer it directly to your name... That house was originally intended for you anyway. Whether given sooner or later, it’s all the same..."
But it’s likely not the same at all!
If he had told her before she learned of this, she would have believed he had unintentionally bought the Zhuang family’s house on Official Street.
Now that he told her at this moment, she believed he had done it deliberately.
Zhou Shaojin took several deep breaths before her emotions settled.
Cheng Lu, what skillful tactics!
He must have learned she was investigating the house on Official Street, so he preemptively claimed he had bought it intending to gift it to her.
But did he know about the old beggar?
Zhou Shaojin said, "Cousin Lu, thank you! I originally only thought of the house as my mother’s former home and wanted to buy it back as a keepsake. Later, when I learned you had purchased it, I thought it wasn’t in someone else’s hands and gave up the idea. As for Cousin Lu gifting it to me, I think it’s unnecessary—it’s too small. I may not have much use for it in the future, and it happens to be right next to your ancestral home. Now that you’ve become a scholar, you’ll surely have many social engagements. Expanding the house would make things more dignified. I think it’s best for Cousin Lu to keep it. I appreciate your kindness."
"But after all, it was your Zhuang family’s property..." Cheng Lu hesitated.
"All things in this world belong to those with virtue," Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. "If Cousin Lu speaks this way, what about the gold, stone, and antique treasures the Cheng family has collected?"
Cheng Lu laughed heartily and said, "Second Cousin speaks wisely. I was being vulgar."
Zhou Shaojin laughed along with him.
Cheng Lu then asked her, "I never realized our two families used to live next door. If not for your wanting to buy that house this time, I might never have known in this lifetime."
Zhou Shaojin played along, smiling, "I also discovered it by chance when I returned to the ancestral home during the Dragon Boat Festival. I heard from Ma Fushan that when my mother was alive, her relationship with Uncle Zhuang wasn’t good, which is why Father had me live with my elder sister in the Cheng family. I thought, since Father serves as an official outside and has seen much of the world, if he didn’t want me to associate with Uncle Zhuang, there must be some grudge he didn’t want me to know about. It’s better I remain unaware."
But Cheng Lu’s eyes flickered as he said, "Still, it’s a matter of your maternal family. Don’t you want to see the house on Official Street?"
"The kindness of birth is not as great as the kindness of upbringing," Zhou Shaojin said tactfully. "When my mother passed away, I was still in swaddling clothes and don’t remember her at all. Everything about my mother was told to me by my elder sister. Now, I have my grandmother, my eldest aunt, and my sister, so I don’t often think of my mother’s affairs."Cheng Lu sighed and said, "After all, she is the one who gave birth to you. You carry half of her blood in your veins..."
Zhou Shaojin remained silent for a long while before murmuring softly, "How can a woman in the inner chambers move about freely? Even if I wanted to visit, I would have to wait until after I'm married and can manage my own affairs before going to take a look. In any case, my mother has been gone for so many years now. Anything she left behind would have long since disappeared. There's no rush for this moment."
This was Zhou Shaojin.
Always putting things off for the future, unaware that some opportunities are fleeting.
Cheng Lu nodded with a smile and said, "In that case, I'll keep the house on Official Street for you for now. Perhaps... in the future, you can decide what to do with it as you wish... As you said, there's no rush for this moment... There are still two or three years until your coming-of-age ceremony..." His voice gradually trailed off toward the end, filled with longing, as if speaking to himself or perhaps encouraging himself.
Zhou Shaojin barely restrained herself from hurling the teacup beside her at him all at once.
She had seen despicable and shameless villains before, but never one as vile and shameless as Cheng Lu!
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Sisters, tomorrow's extra update is still scheduled for around 3 p.m. ... o(n_n)o~ ... I can write during my lunch break, so there's less pressure.
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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