Soon, Nan Ping hurried over with Qingfeng toward Zhou Shaojin.
“Second Miss.” She said uneasily, “Why have you come? Did you need me for something?”
Zhou Shaojin glanced at Qingfeng.
Qingfeng glared at her indignantly, then turned and left.
Zhou Shaojin grabbed Nan Ping’s sleeve and said in a low voice: “Miss Nan Ping, I need to see Uncle Chi… Don’t tell me he’s not here. If he weren’t here, you couldn’t have relayed a message to me so quickly… Even if he wasn’t here earlier, he should have returned by now. I have something very urgent, truly urgent!” By the end of her words, her tone had unconsciously taken on a pleading quality.
Nan Ping was silent for a moment, then said hesitantly: “Wait here for me a moment.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful.
Nan Ping went to announce her.
Zhou Shaojin stood before the entrance hall, waiting anxiously.
When she had rushed over, she had been full of hot-blooded determination, but standing here waiting, she began to hesitate.
What if Uncle Chi refused to see her?
What if he saw her but ignored her?
How could she possibly move Uncle Chi?
Zhou Shaojin’s fingers twisted together.
Nan Ping hurried over.
“Second Miss.” Her voice carried a note of surprise that Zhou Shaojin couldn’t understand. “Fourth Master says you should go to Pure Sound Pavilion.”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know where Pure Sound Pavilion was.
She followed Nan Ping.
Rounding an old osmanthus tree that had sprouted new branches from half a trunk, she saw a pavilion.
Gray tiles and white walls, only one bay wide, with transparent glass inlaid in the door panels on all four sides. Bowl-sized copper bells hung from the eaves, and a black lacquered gilt plaque hung at the entrance, with the three large characters “Pure Sound Pavilion” written in flowing dragon-phoenix script.
Zhou Shaojin let out a long breath.
Finally arrived.
They had walked for nearly two incense sticks’ worth of time, and her feet were starting to hurt.
This must be the innermost part of Small Mountain Osmanthus Courtyard, right?
Nan Ping pushed open the door panel.
Zhou Shaojin saw Cheng Chi putting away chisels and other implements.
She immediately noticed a qin body that had taken initial shape.
No wonder Uncle Chi wasn’t receiving visitors—he was making a qin.
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved. Her mood inexplicably relaxed.
She stepped forward to salute Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi smiled. “You’re here! It’s rather messy in here—let’s talk outside.”
The pavilion was indeed somewhat chaotic, with wood shavings, sawdust, wood chips, and lumber scattered everywhere. Uncle Chi’s body was also covered in wood shavings and sawdust.
Zhou Shaojin smiled in acknowledgment, but her expression briefly froze.
She had seen Ji Ying.
In the disordered pavilion, her cold, beautiful face was like a bright pearl—even if one didn’t notice her immediately, after a while she would draw attention.
Only now she wore a black ramie vest, drenched in sweat and slumped dejectedly on the dirty, messy floor, looking exhausted with terror in her eyes, as if she had just survived some great ordeal. Zhou Shaojin was very puzzled.
Cheng Chi merely smiled faintly upon seeing this. Without explaining or clarifying anything, he brushed off his lapels and walked straight out.
Zhou Shaojin could only pretend not to have seen and followed him out.
Langxue and Huai Shan appeared from somewhere. One brewed tea while the other brought tables and chairs. Soon there was a place to sit in the corridor outside the pavilion.
Cheng Chi pushed a steaming tea cup toward her and smiled. “Pre-Qingming Biluochun tea. Try it.”
The fragrance was crisp and clear, the tea liquor transparent, the aftertaste refreshing.
It was good tea. But how could she be in the mood to drink tea?
Thinking that even if she had Bi Gan’s seven-chambered heart, it probably wouldn’t be enough in front of Cheng Chi, she simply abandoned all pretense and said directly: “Uncle Chi, this tea is very good, but I’m preoccupied with Duke Chengguo Mansion’s matter… I came to find you also because of this… Why exactly would Zhu Pengju send such valuable gifts to me, my sister, and Cousin Jia? When you had Nan Ping relay those words to me, it was because you knew something, right?”
She stared at him unblinkingly, her eyes like clear springs, her brows like distant mountains. Her expression faintly revealed some anticipation, as if besides him, she had no one else to rely on.
Cheng Chi’s heart skipped a beat.
This silly girl!
When Zhu Pengju suddenly became extremely attentive, he had grown suspicious. But firstly, he didn’t like managing such matters, and secondly, he couldn’t quite figure out what Zhu Pengju’s intentions were, so he waited quietly for the situation to develop. Later he guessed that Zhu Pengju had either taken a fancy to Zhou Shaojin or to Cheng Jia… He didn’t care about Cheng Jia, but if it was Zhou Shaojin—helpless and alone—she had at least spent time in Cold Jade Mountain Studio, so when she went out, in others’ eyes she would be considered someone from their first branch… If she really had some girlish feelings for Cheng Jiashan, he should at least give her a few pointers… to avoid creating some awkward situation that would be difficult to resolve… Even if she did marry into Duke Chengguo Mansion, at least she wouldn’t be completely in the dark, falling into someone else’s trap…
Who knew this child was actually foolish? She didn’t know to investigate based on his hints at all, and brazenly ran to Small Mountain Osmanthus Courtyard to ask him directly…
Thinking of this made his teeth ache.
In all his years, this was the first time he’d misjudged someone.