Zhou Shaojin discovered that apart from Cheng Jia, Miss Gu Shiqi, and Zhuzhu, she actually didn’t know who else to invite.
Fan Liushi helped her brainstorm: “Since you’re inviting Miss Seventeen from the Gu family, you should also send an invitation to Miss Eighteen who lives with Miss Seventeen from the Gu family. And for the several young ladies from the Guo family, it’s best to find someone to inquire which ones are close to your age. Then there’s Great-Aunt Mian’s side—we don’t know whom Old Madam Guo will invite. If Madam Guan is invited, Great-Aunt Mian will definitely be attending on the side. If you don’t send her an invitation, Great-Aunt Mian might feel a bit hurt. But if you send Great-Aunt Mian an invitation and don’t say anything to Cousin Jia’s mother Great-Aunt Lu, that also seems a bit improper…”
Zhou Shaojin’s head spun from all these relationships. She simply took the list to find Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi was sitting at his large writing desk talking with that refined man Zhou Shaojin had seen in Cheng Chi’s study before. Seeing Zhou Shaojin burst in, he introduced the man to her: “This is Huo Dongting. You can call him Second Master Huo.”
Zhou Shaojin hadn’t known there was someone else in Cheng Chi’s room. Her face flushed bright red as she hurriedly curtseyed in greeting.
Huo Dongting was stunned for a moment before reacting, lowering his eyes and stepping back a few paces to return the courtesy with a bow.
Cheng Chi then said to Huo Dongting, “Let’s continue our discussion later. Go to the tea room for a cup of tea and also consult with Qin Zi’an.”
Huo Dongting was extremely shocked.
He couldn’t help glancing at Zhou Shaojin before respectfully responding “Yes” and withdrawing.
Even a fool could see that her intrusion had interrupted Cheng Chi’s business.
Zhou Shaojin was too embarrassed to raise her head, caught in a dilemma.
She wanted to suggest keeping this person called Huo Dongting to continue talking with Cheng Chi. But Huo Dongting was an outside man, and she didn’t know what relationship he had with Cheng Chi. She didn’t know whether she should speak up or not, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Yet if she didn’t keep this person called Huo Dongting, she had disrupted Cheng Chi’s important business, which also made her uneasy.
But in the instant she hesitated, Huo Dongting had already closed the door for them.
Zhou Shaojin’s face burned fiercely. She lowered her head and said, “Uncle Chi, I didn’t know you had someone in your room… I’ll never dare do this again!”
Seeing her head lowered almost to her chest, Cheng Chi sighed helplessly and said, “This matter isn’t your fault. It’s Qingfeng and Langyue’s mistake.”
“No, no!” Zhou Shaojin was terrified, afraid Cheng Chi would punish Qingfeng or Langyue. She quickly raised her head and urgently explained, “I didn’t listen to Qingfeng and Langyue and just barged in…”
Watching her so anxious she was nearly in tears, Cheng Chi found it both amusing and exasperating. He said, “Then tell me, where was the mistake?”
Ah?!
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.
Her originally clear large eyes were now misty with moisture, looking bewildered and confused, like a small beast that had fallen into a trap, desperately calling for rescue.
Cheng Chi’s heart immediately turned soft as cotton.
Yet he still steeled himself and said, “You often move about my courtyard. Those duty nannies and servants naturally won’t stop you. Just now, it was Qingfeng on duty at the door. I sent him to fetch something for Dongting, so he was temporarily away. The study door was also half-open. You must have seen my silhouette sitting by the writing desk through the half-open door. Without thinking much, you pushed the door and came in, isn’t that right?”
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes grew even wider.
Uncle Chi is so amazing!
Just like he saw it with his own eyes.
She couldn’t help leaning toward the writing desk, staring directly at Cheng Chi.
Though Cheng Chi maintained his composure, he was still an unmarried man. Being stared at so directly by her, his ears couldn’t help reddening.
He coughed lightly and said, “What are you looking at?”
Zhou Shaojin said, “How is Uncle Chi like having three eyes? Knowing everything?”
“What nonsense are you talking?” Cheng Chi couldn’t help laughing as he scolded her. “Am I that Erlang Shen?”
Erlang Shen also had a dog following him around.
She should give him Snowball.
Thinking of Snowball coquettishly circling around Cheng Chi’s feet, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help bursting into laughter and said, “Erlang Shen is a handsome man!”
Cheng Chi was greatly embarrassed.
Was this little girl praising him for being good-looking?
Zhou Shaojin wished she could seal her mouth with paper.
How did she lose all sense when talking to Uncle Chi?
How could she discuss his appearance to his face?
Though, Uncle Chi looked better than Erlang Shen.
Erlang Shen had a celestial eye on his forehead, making him look rather fierce. Uncle Chi was refined and gentle, warm toward people—just looking at him made one feel favorably disposed.
Zhou Shaojin bashfully lowered her head.
For a moment, both seemed stunned by this remark and didn’t speak.
The room was utterly quiet, only the rustling sound of wind blowing through tree branches outside could be heard.
An indescribable awkwardness and… subtlety permeated the air.
Just like last time when he had inadvertently felt Zhou Shaojin’s soft body.
Cheng Chi somewhat frantically suppressed all these emotions deep in his heart and quickly said, “What did you come to see me about?”
Zhou Shaojin said “Oh” and hurriedly replied, “I, I came to ask Uncle Chi whom I should invite for Dragon Boat Festival?” She also urgently pushed those stray thoughts deep into her heart and said with difficulty, “I discovered that inviting guests is really complicated!”
“What’s so complicated about it?” Cheng Chi smiled. “Bring the list over and let me see!”
This was just asking her to invite some guests—if she were to manage the household affairs of Jiuru Lane, wouldn’t it become utterly chaotic?
Zhou Shaojin handed over the list with three names written on it to Cheng Chi.