Chapter 290: Hua Zhi's Heart

Hua Zhi suddenly had a thought. “Yanxi, do you have anyone on your team who’s good at forging handwriting?”

“Of course. What’s going on? Do you need someone?”

“My grandparents had a deep affection about each other. If I go to Yingshan Pass, there’s no way Grandmother didn’t leave some kind of message behind.”

The moment Gu Yanxi understood, he didn’t hesitate. “I’ll bring someone over tomorrow.”

“Make sure there are as few people coming and going from the Hua residence as possible. I’ll write one letter, then send another in Grandmother’s handwriting. You can get someone to copy it perfectly and bring it back to me.”

“That’s smart.”

Hua Zhi didn’t waste any time. She turned and headed straight for the study. After a few moments of intense thought, she drafted the letter and finished it in one go. She pulled out a letter from the cabinet, handing it to Gu Yanxi along with the draft she just wrote. “Make sure the imitation is perfect. Don’t let Grandfather catch on.”

“Relax, he’s an expert at forgery.”

Hua Zhi gave him a sly smile. “You really do have some interesting people under your command.”

Gu Yanxi’s gaze lingered on the corner of her mouth, mesmerized by her smile. “When they were recruited into the Seven Stars Bureau, the oldest was no more than seven, and the youngest was only four. Over the years, they picked up a lot of skills. The instructors? They were handpicked from the previous generations of the Seven Stars Bureau. No one knows how to teach this better than they do.”

Hua Zhi gave a sharp nod. She knew exactly what she was doing. Teaching was second nature to her, and it made perfect sense that the Seven Stars Division had lasted this long with her expertise.

“Tomorrow, head to the manor. Shao Yao will keep you company,” she said.

“Got it. I’ll bring Xiao Liu and Bailin along too.”

Gu Yanxi fought the urge to reach out and touch Hua Zhi’s face. He knew he needed to keep his distance. But damn it, every time he stopped himself, the temptation to get closer to her grew stronger. He wanted to be near her all the time, wanted to do something—anything—to make her his, to keep her invisible so he could never let her out of his sight.

Hua Zhi could feel the weight of his gaze, like he was staring right through her. It made her uneasy. She pressed her lips together and brushed a few strands of hair from her temple.

“It’s getting late. You should go,” she said firmly.

“Alright.”

Then why the hell was he still standing there?

Hua Zhi couldn’t help but roll her eyes, watching him linger in front of her like some lovesick fool. She reached out and grabbed his hand, more out of exasperation than anything else. The thought of someone catching them like this—she’d be ruined. They’d drag her through the mud.

Gu Yanxi’s grip tightened, and she couldn’t help but pull slightly away. “Let’s just go back and get some rest,” she suggested, her tone brisk.

“You too,” he answered, his voice low and steady.

Finally, he left, clearly content. Suyun Mama entered with a lantern, looking like she had something to say but hesitant to speak.

Hua Zhi knew exactly what Suyun Mama was concerned about. As she stepped out of the study, her gaze fixed on her own shadow, and she snapped, “What you consider crucial doesn’t mean a thing to me.”

Suyun Mama, caught up in the subject of a woman's reputation, couldn’t help herself. “How can a woman’s reputation not matter? If he's genuine, that’s fine. But if it’s just some fleeting obsession…”

“And what of it?” Hua Zhi cut her off sharply. “If he's sincere, then we'll love each other deeply. If not, it’ll be a short-lived mistake. But nothing lasts forever—love, hate, it all fades away with time. Time is the only thing that truly matters."

Her voice trailed off, but the force behind her words lingered.

Wang Rong, standing quietly beside his leader, held his breath in awe. This was the kind of woman who could make the leader bow to her. Her strength of will was on a level that ordinary women could only dream of.

Gu Yanxi, who had intended to wait for Hua Zhi to return to the backyard before leaving, found himself halted by her words. But strangely, it didn’t surprise him at all.

This was Hua Zhi.

She was a woman who knew the business world inside out but would never treat her emotions like a transaction, calculating gains and losses.

When she liked someone, she did it without hesitation, and when she let go, she let go completely. She wasn’t bound by rules or expectations, and that raw, untamed nature of hers was what drew him in.

He couldn’t let anyone else see it, though. She was his, and he was determined to make sure no one else could claim her.

He had to act fast—bring her family back into the fold and make a formal proposal at Hua’s Mansion. He wouldn’t rest until Hua Zhi was entirely his.

*

The next morning, Hua Zhi headed straight to the Zhu family. It wasn’t a holiday, so the men of the household weren’t around. She sat down with her maternal grandmother to go over her plans, then spent some time with her cousins before heading out.

She made her way to the city gate, where she’d agreed to meet Shao Yao and a few other kids from her family.

When she spotted Yang Sui'an there, she raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you heading to the academy?"

He shrugged, barely glancing at Bailin, and gave a half-truth. "Mr. Tong gave me leave."

Hua Zhi was sharp enough to catch the unspoken part of that answer. He hadn’t just been given a day off; he’d taken a proper break. But she didn’t care enough to press him further. As long as the kids didn’t cross her limits, she’d let things slide.

"Let’s go. We need to get back before the gates close."

It had been almost a year since Hua Zhi last visited, and even before stepping into the courtyard, she could already feel the buzz of life.

Since Xu Jie returned with the goods, he’d been staying here, completely engrossed in monitoring the new variety of crops and their storage. The moment he heard Hua Zhi had arrived, he rushed over, bowing deeply. "I’ve seen the eldest miss."

"Cut the formality. Get up," Hua Zhi said, helping him to his feet and waving off the others who were about to bow as well.

She spotted Liu Jiang in the crowd and said, "Liu Jiang, take half a day off. Go home."

Liu Jiang was grateful. She usually worked alongside her sister Fu Dong, so Hua Zhi’s gesture was thoughtful. Liu Jiang gave her a nod of thanks before her brother, Liu Jiang, practically burst with excitement when he saw her. It had been months since they last met, and now, seeing his sister looking so fresh and neat made him practically run to her. He gave Hua Zhi a big bow before eagerly pulling his sister away to chat.

Hua Zhi watched them, a pleased smile crossing her face. "Alright, you kids go have fun. Come back in about an hour and a half."

Bailin, who’d been here before, threw out an idea. "How about a race?"

Yang Sui'an and Xiao Liu had no problem with that, so the three of them took off, eager for a bit of competition. Shao Yao, on the other hand, had no interest in racing and instead sat back, leisurely enjoying some lychees.

Hua Zhi teased Xu Jie with a sharp grin as they strolled along, "With that tan, think the steward will even recognize you when you get back?"

Xu Jie laughed and shot back, "My father says I’ve only got one white tooth left to show people."

Hua Zhi smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you store them all?"

"Yeah, I’ve been checking daily. The lychees in the ice cellar are holding up just fine. It’s been six days, and they still look fresh, just like when they came off the ship. They’re also holding up better than peaches in the cold—don’t spoil as fast."

"Good to hear," Hua Zhi responded, satisfied.

As they made their way down to the cellar, Hua Zhi pulled a thick cloak around her shoulders. The sight of the neatly stacked lychees gave her a sense of satisfaction. She grabbed a few, popping them in her mouth—the pits were small, the flesh was thick, and they were sweet as hell.

Bao Xia came over, handing her another cloak. "Miss, you can’t stay down here too long."

"I know," Hua Zhi replied with a knowing look. "Xu Jie, grab a basket and take it upstairs."

"Got it."

The workshop was full of seasoned workers, and Hua Zhi wasted no time. She barked out the orders—peel the lychees, use chopsticks to remove the pits, rinse them in saltwater, then toss them into boiling water with rock sugar added.

"Once the lychees float to the top, they’re ready. We don’t have time for the full process today, but normally, they should soak in the saltwater for about 15 minutes before boiling."

Liu Qi, who was running the workshop, nodded and made sure every detail was clear, taking the instructions to heart.

———TN: Chapter 290 is live. Finally!

Now, here’s the question—should I push out more chapters to end 2024 with a bang and flood the timeline with content?

What do you think?

Should we finish the year strong with some more posts, or leave it here for now?