Qu Xiaojue didn’t move, silently touching her forehead, maintaining her sleeping position. Then, a knock at the door: “Master, are you well?”
“It’s nothing. Wait for them to calm down, then you can rest too. If Miss Zhou comes looking, tell her not to worry.”
“Yes.” Qu Yao responded and fell silent.
Xu Wanzhi slept quite peacefully, feeling he wasn’t afraid of death, not caring if someone outside wanted to kill him. However, he couldn’t sleep!
After tossing about for a moment, he suddenly sat up, just in time to see the room suddenly brighten. At the same time, Qu Yao and Qu Shan burst through the door.
“Who are you?”
“Qu Yao drew her sword, coldly asking the leisurely woman. The woman slowly sipped her tea, slightly frowning as the tea was cold.
“Yan Zixian from Guangnan. I’ve just arrived and found this room the most peaceful, so I took the liberty of sitting here.” Miss Yan’s tone was natural. From Xu Wanzhi’s perspective, she was beautiful, with a delicate face and elegant features.
Clearly, the Qu family members hadn’t heard of her. Qu Yao coldly said: “If Miss is looking for trouble, please settle it outside. If you’ve simply lost your way, please leave immediately.”
Miss Yan was displeased, looking up and speaking with a grievance: “I’ve traveled for days to get here, the downstairs is closed, and I finally managed to sit down. You want to drive me away?”
“…Then Miss can sit in my room.” Qu Yao’s eyebrow twitched: “My room is also—peaceful.”
“Oh?” Yan Zixian looked at the couple on the bed, then turned to Qu Yao: “Fine, but you must give me the bed.”
Qu Yao’s hand gripping the sword tightened, finally nodding: “Okay, please don’t disturb the master’s rest.”
“How boring,” Miss Yan slowly stood up and commented.
Sure enough, Yan Ziyan’s gaze swept across the vehicles and walked towards Qu Yao, smiling: “It seems my master cannot tolerate me, so I’ll follow you instead.”
Qu Yao wanted to pretend not to see her, and coldly asked: “Your horse?”
“Released,” she answered matter-of-factly while climbing into the car. Seeing Qu Yao’s cold expression, she added: “It accompanied me for several days, and I thought it was truly exhausted, so I set it free.”
“
Ignoring her further, Qu Yao yanked the reins hard, and the horse suddenly reared, causing the not-yet-seated Miss Yan to uncontrollably tumble inside, crying out, “Ouch.”
They set off again. Xu Wanzhi and Qu Xiaojue maintained their previous interaction pattern, and the Zhou Xian couple never caused any trouble. Only Yan Ziyan seemed prone to stirring things up. However, Qu Yao consistently paid her little attention, and she focused all her energy on trying to make her talk or show an expression. Thus, this journey was relatively smooth, except for Qu Yao being even more taciturn.
At lunchtime, they had not yet reached a restaurant. They naturally had dry provisions. But after lunch and getting back in the car, Miss Yan became carsick and vomited, creating quite a commotion that stopped all the vehicles.
Zhou Xian looked at her pale face, seemingly smiling yet not: “Could you be pregnant?”
Yan Ziyan, weak and leaning against a tree root, raised her head to glare at him: “Nonsense, I’m not even married!”
Could her expression be interpreted as slightly embarrassed? Zhou Xian looked more curious, exclaiming: “Could you actually be a—virgin?”
“You!” Glaring forcefully, Yan Ziyan turned her gaze aside, unwilling to speak further. From the side, her delicate white earlobe visibly blushed.
“
Zhou Xian could no longer contain her laughter, chuckling until the other’s cheek puffed up, then laughing heartily as she went to chat with her husband.
She was merely a stranger who had entered the wrong door; everyone could have ignored her. However, since she was brought by the Qu family, and being a woman of such appearance who turned pale and teary-eyed when vomiting, even other women would feel sympathetic.
Xu Wanzhi herself was prone to motion sickness but was fine this time. Seeing her in such a state, she clearly understood that pain and, after thinking, brought over the small sour fruits she had prepared: “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Yan Ziyan said, seeing the offered item, “Do you think I’m a delicate man?”
This time, Xu Wanzhi was speechless, speaking softly: “One, try eating and see if it helps; two, continue being your non-delicate self.”
Qu Yao brought her water: “Rinse your mouth, but drink very little.” People prone to motion sickness would vomit even from drinking water.
He turned and walked away without purpose, simply looking at leaves or walking randomly. Qu Xiaojue, seeing his usual behavior of exploring new places, walked over and said: “I remember a rare flower growing here. Want to see?”
“What rare flower?”
” He wasn’t a botanist, but when arriving at an unfamiliar place with nothing to do, discovering something new seemed appealing.
“A tall flower stem, yellow and round, seemingly growing only towards the sun.” He immediately understood: “Sunflower?”
“Husband knows?” Looking at him scrutinizingly, Qu Xiaojue counter-questioned: “What does it mean?”
Xu Wanzhi smiled: “Sunflower, a flower that only grows facing the sun. It can indeed be called rare.” He glanced towards the resting area: “Since we have some time, seeing it would be good.” Qu Xiaojue nodded, and they walked in the direction she mentioned.
Yan Ziyan finally felt better and, looking at their retreating figures, asked Qu Yao: “Is he your master?”
“Mm.”
“He’s quite interesting,” she smiled to herself. Qu Yao coldly glanced at her, his water-offering motion becoming stiff, warning: “Miss Yan, just mind yourself.”
Yan Ziyan took the water to rinse, sneering: “What a blindly loyal wooden block!”
When they returned, rest assured, they hadn’t picked or damaged any plants. Everyone had rested and resumed traveling. Yan Ziyan held the sour fruit plate, tentatively putting one in her mouth. Though Qu Yao was cold, he wasn’t heartless, and she could feel his softened movements. Thinking, she picked up a fruit to offer to his side: “It’s quite tasty.”
Qu Yao turned away: “Please sit properly, no need.”
“Rarely was good intention rejected; Yan Ziyan abruptly withdrew her hand, crunching the sour fruit loudly.
Xu Wanzhi was carving a vermilion seal today, which was more laborious than white seals, and he lowered his head, forgetting to look up. Qu Xiaojue took this time to review Environment City’s account books and then various external business matters.
She suddenly asked: “Husband, how should an aging meritorious official who has lost his integrity be handled?”
He raised his head: “Do you have such a problem?”
Directly exposed, Qu Xiaojue simply nodded, quietly looking at him. Xu Wanzhi raised an eyebrow: “You already have a decision, so why ask?”
She leaned back, sighing: “I’ve made too many decisions. I’m afraid of being wrong.
Such heartfelt words made Xu Wanzhi feel blocked inside, wanting to ignore her, but even he thought that would be too much. Thinking deeper, in this household where a woman was in charge, she alone shouldered such a massive family business, and the hardship behind it, perhaps only she truly understood…
“Do you really want to hear an outsider’s advice?” After thinking, he asked again. Qu Xiaojue raised her head and smiled: “Please, husband, guide me.”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead: “I only know two general methods, I’m not sure if they’re right.” Putting down the carving knife, he spoke of what he had seen before: “For stability, ask her to retire. For nurturing new talent, make an example of someone.”
How to choose depends on which stage you’re currently in…”
Qu Xiaojue looked at him directly: “I’m asking you, what would you do?”
