Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C322. Three Rules.

Chapter 322: Three Rules

Gu Yanxi was gone, and Shao Yao couldn’t have been more thrilled. The field was clear—Hua Zhi was hers now, no question about it.

Pure-heartedness is truly rare, and the Hua family thought highly of this girl. Not only was she skilled in medicine, but she also protected Hua Zhi with care.

Happy as she was, Shao Yao was not naive. Grinning, she grabbed the medicinal broth and turned to Hua Zhi. “I’m heading to the pharmacy for herbs. You, do not move a damn inch from that bed, got it?”

“Yes, little mother,” Hua Zhi replied, cheeky as ever.

“Yeah, yeah, if you’re calling me ‘little mother,’ guess I’ve got to keep an eye on you.” Tossing her hair like she owned the place, Shao Yao strutted out the door, leaving Hua Zhi chuckling.

Hua Zhi smiled to herself, genuinely Shao Yao was impossible not to like.  They would certainly never be lonely in their old age together.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Hua Zhi turned to the two men in the room—her father and Fourth Uncle. She raised a brow. “So, what is it? What do you need to discuss with me?”

Hua Pingyang shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “You were unconscious before. There’s something we need to discuss. I’ll go get your grandfather.” Without waiting, he left, leaving an awkward silence behind.

And there they were—father and daughter, alone and unsure. Hua Pingyu, usually all business, fumbled for words. He glanced at her injuries, guilt flashing in his eyes. But before he could even open his mouth, Hua Zhi beat him to it.

“How’s your injury, Father?” she asked, her voice calm but sharp.

“It’s… much better,” he answered with a forced smile. "That girl Shao Yao is skilled in medicine. After she treated me, I felt much better."

Feeling uneasy, Hua Zhi unsure how to handle her stiff, all-business father. So, played it safe and brought up the dullest, least offensive topic she could think of. Watching his shoulders relax a fraction made her smirk with a cocktail of amusement and sorrow. Fathers and daughters—they didn’t hug it out or share heart-to-hearts anymore, but the undercurrent of unspoken feelings stayed the same.

"Shao Yao's master is a great physician, I remember his surname is Yu."

The sound of footsteps cut through the air as Hua Yizheng strode in, catching the tail end of her words. “Physician Yu? Oh, I know him. Word on the street had him curing half the town. Even the Emperor tried to rope him into the Imperial Hospital. But the man’s a recluse—spends most of his time hiding from the world, ignoring imperial summons. They eventually gave up. And Shao Yao’s apprenticed to him? Well, that explains a lot.”

Hua Pingyang silently helped his father to a seat and shut the door with a quiet finality.

Hua Zhi shifted to sit up, only for her grandfather’s voice to cut through her like a blade. “Stay put. You don’t need to move just to talk.”

"Yes."

Hua Yizheng’s gaze lingered on her, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. The sweet, docile girl before him was a far cry from the fire-eyed spitfire he’d seen that night. It threw him, sure, but he couldn’t help a grudging respect. His granddaughter had layers, and he didn’t hate it.

They say a person’s writing bares their soul. When he saw her calligraphy—bold strokes slashing across the paper—he knew she wasn’t the meek, obedient flower she pretended to be. Sure, she could dress it up neat and tidy, play the role of the docile granddaughter. But that was just her mask, obedience painted on to hide her true self beneath.