Chapter 296: I Want To Marry Hua Zhi

In the end, Mu Qing couldn’t get a word out and had no choice but to leave, looking guilty.

Zheng Zhi, though, wasn’t bothered by any of that. He ignored Gu Yanxi as usual and focused directly on Hua Zhi.

“I heard you’re heading north?” he asked.

Hua Zhi simply nodded.

“When are you leaving?” Zheng Zhi pressed on.

“Day after tomorrow,” she answered.

He nodded, then got straight to the point. “Can you bring something for an old acquaintance of mine?”

Hua Zhi raised an eyebrow. She knew this wasn’t some random, deserted land; it was an exile’s domain, where not just anyone got sent. She also remembered that Mr. Zheng didn’t come from some prestigious family. But he didn’t explain, just turned and walked off, clearly heading off to prepare.

She glanced at Gu Yanxi, who shook her head. “Not surprising. In this city, everyone’s got a web of connections, twisted and tangled. The guy Zheng’s talking about, he’s probably not close to him, just knows you’re going and asked you to take something for him.”

It sounded like some sort of parting gift, but Hua Zhi wasn’t interested in digging deeper. Zheng didn’t say much, and she didn’t feel the need to question it. People have their own secrets.

“You’re leaving day after tomorrow?” Gu Yanxi asked.

“Yeah. Got a problem?” Hua Zhi replied, her tone sharp.

Gu Yanxi thought about her own things for a moment before nodding. “No, no problem. How many people are you taking with you?”

“I’ll have two bodyguards with me. We’ve got a lot of stuff to carry, so I asked Xu Jie to contact a trading company and arrange a team to travel with us. The caravan is headed for Bianzhou, and when they get there, they’ll continue their journey on their own.”

Gu Yanxi raised an eyebrow, a little concerned. “Is there an issue with that?”

“No,” Hua Zhi replied coolly. “It’s not far from Yingshan Pass. My bodyguards have been on top of things this year. Even if a few small-time bandits try something, they’ll handle it. I’ve checked the route, and there are no major threats. They’ll be fine.”

Gu Yanxi saw how thoroughly she had thought everything through and fell silent. Without another word, he pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Hua Zhi. "I’ve written this for you. You should read it."

Hua Zhi’s fingers brushed over the familiar inscription, ‘Heng Zhi Shou’ on the envelope. A sharp pang hit her chest. There were so few left who still called her grandfather by that name. Another piece of her past, gone without her even realizing it.

Then, without a sound, a gentle weight settled on her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. No words were needed. The quiet comfort of his touch said more than anything he could’ve spoken.

Hua Zhi leaned in, letting herself be vulnerable for a rare moment, resting her head on his shoulder. The world outside didn’t matter now.

Ying Chun, standing just outside the door, caught a glimpse of the two in their embrace. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, afraid anyone might see.

Inside, the quiet returned. Hua Zhi unfolded the letter and read the words again, her heart heavy with memories. “It feels just like... if my grandmother were still here, I’d swear she wrote this,” she said softly, folding the letter back and slipping it into the envelope. She raised her eyes to meet his, a smile on her lips that didn’t reach her eyes. “I can’t even begin to imagine how grandfather would react when he finds out grandmother’s gone.”

Gu Yanxi’s hand gently cupped her cheek, brushing away the sorrow that clouded her features. “He’ll be devastated, yes. But he’ll keep going. He’ll do it for you.”

He looked at her with quiet understanding, his words striking a chord. “He never blamed you. You’ve worked so damn hard for the family—for the Hua family. For the business. No one could’ve done it better.”

Hua Zhi lowered her gaze, lips tight as she forced a weak smile. “As long as he doesn’t hate me.”

“If he ever did, you wouldn’t have done all this for him,” Gu Yanxi responded, his voice calm and knowing.

Her heart eased just a little, the darkness inside her receding with his words. She finally let herself smile, though the sadness lingered faintly.

With the family business taken care of, on the final day, Hua Zhi went over everything with her aunt. She made sure to focus on expanding through the branch and organizing the exchange of personnel at the canned food workshop—a task that would be handled by Wu Shi and Ying Chun together.

*

A dusty, creaking carriage stormed into the city, dragging its load through the streets. The moment it came to a stop, the curtain was yanked back, and there stood Jiang Huanran, looking absolutely wrecked. His face, covered in exhaustion, screamed of the hell he’d just been through. He couldn’t believe how brutal that ride had been—his bones felt like they were cracking, and he swore to never set foot in another carriage as long as he lived. Even if his legs were broken, he wasn’t going near one again.

The carriage screeched into the Jiang family’s front courtyard, and the servants who were supposed to be helping froze, staring at their young master’s sorry state. They didn’t waste a second before rushing off to notify the back courtyard.

Jiang Xinde, the patriarch, had just finished visiting a friend when he caught sight of his son’s disheveled appearance. He let out an exasperated sigh, tugging at his beard. “What the hell happened? Were you out there playing the hero and getting your ass kicked?”

Jiang Huanran shot him a glare, rolling his eyes. “I was saving a lady, not robbing a bank! Hero, not thief!” he snapped.

Jiang Xinde knew exactly what kind of person his son was—blunt, straightforward, and a damn sight too naive to be a criminal. After the initial shock, a wave of sympathy hit him, and he signaled the servants to leave. He walked over and helped his son inside himself. “After all that, you’re gonna have to explain this mess to your grandmother.”

“Just tell her I was rescuing a damsel,” Jiang Huanran grumbled, still leaning on his father. His body ached from the ride, but the injuries were fading fast. Still, he liked being pampered in front of his father, so he let himself be dragged along. Just as they reached the door, Jiang Xinde noticed something off, patted his head, and stopped.

"Forget grandma for now," Jiang Huanran said. "I need to talk to you about something in the study."

Jiang Xinde wasn’t having it. “It’s late. Go see your grandmother first. She’ll be waiting by the second door.”

The thought of his grandmother’s disappointed tears made Jiang Huanran hesitate. But his father’s hand was firm as he steered him forward. They hadn’t even reached the second door when the elder of the Jiang family hobbled out with a cane, calling to them in a joyful, heavily accented voice that made the whole scene oddly comical.

Jiang Huanran snapped back to life, his energy surging as he casually displayed his agility, showing off in front of his grandmother, who couldn’t hide her delight. After making her happy, he didn’t waste a second, personally escorting her back before heading straight to the study to find his father, who was lost in some pretentious poetry performance, draped in his colorful robes.

Without a moment’s pause, Jiang Huanran crashed into a chair, downed a cup of tea in one shot, and finally started feeling like himself again.

"Dad, you won’t believe who I ran into on my way south," he shot out with a grin, eager to drop the bomb.

Jiang Xinde barely even looked up, completely uninterested.

But Jiang Huanran wasn’t phased. He grinned wider and just laid it out: "I was on the same ship as the eldest daughter of the Hua family!"

Jiang Xinde’s head snapped up. "The Hua family? Hua Yizheng’s family?"

"That’s the one. She was heading south for some business deal."

"You saved her?" Jiang Xinde raised an eyebrow, now actually paying attention. "Tell me everything."

Jiang Huanran went on, outlining the whole mess at Zhengyang Wharf. Just as his father was still processing how the Hua family’s daughter could hold her own in a fight, Jiang Huanran dropped another bomb.

"I’ve always thought I was average compared to others our age, but after traveling with her, I realized—none of us come close. Dad, I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Jiang Huanran sat up straight, all business now. "I want to marry Hua Zhi."