Chapter 60: Mu Zhaozhi is angry.

Zhang Helai's father asked her to sit with Zhang Helai.

Mu Zhaozhi didn't understand why she couldn't sit with her friends.

"Why should I sit over there?" she asked, tilting her head back in a clear, crisp voice.

Zhang Xingyuan then explained, "Because Azhi and our Helai are good friends! Azhi, look, there are so many people at your school today. The tables here are too small to accommodate everyone. Luckily, we still have empty seats here. Among Helai's many classmates, Uncle Zhang remembers that you two are the closest, so naturally it's most suitable for you to sit here!"

How strange, when did she and Zhang Helai become the closest?

Mu Zhaozhi still didn't understand Zhang Xingyuan's meaning. She still wanted to go to the spot she had already chosen, but in the short time that Zhang Xingyuan pulled her back, the spot she had originally chosen had already been taken by other friends.

Mu Zhaozhi had no choice but to agree to Zhang Xingyuan's suggestion and temporarily sat down next to Zhang Helai.

Five-year-old Zhang He looked at Mu Zhaozhi sitting next to him, completely bewildered.

Zhang Xingyuan blinked at him frantically and said, "Son, you and Azhi are close, and she's young, so you'd better take good care of Azhi today, understand?"

When did he become on good terms with Mu Zhaozhi?

Zhang Helai, like Mu Zhaozhi, showed a puzzled expression, but soon he understood.

Because on that day, his father took him to meet that important person, whom Zhang Helai had recently heard was a relative of Mu Zhaozhi's family.

It seems that his father wants him to curry favor with Mu Zhaozhi.

Zhang Helai then very considerately set out the bowls and chopsticks in front of Mu Zhaozhi and said, "Azhi, then you can come with me today. If you want to eat anything, just tell me if you can't reach the food, and I'll help you!"

He seemed incredibly magnanimous.

Mu Zhaozhi could only nod and temporarily accept their kindness.

According to the custom in Hanze Town, if a child's birthday is celebrated in a large setting, adults sit at one table and children at another. Once the table is full, the banquet officially begins at noon.

With Yunzhu absent, this was Mu Zhaozhi's first time attending someone else's birthday banquet alone. She was young and didn't understand many things. Even though her mother had told her a lot before she came, the little girl, who was not yet three years old, had short arms and legs, so it wasn't very convenient for her to do things.

She could only rely more on Zhang Helai.

Every time she asked him to do something for her, she would say "thank you" to him.

By the end of the banquet, Mu Zhaozhi had uttered so many "thank yous" that they could form a whole folk song.

Finally, the banquet came to an end, and Mu Zhaozhi was able to get off the bench and say goodbye to Zhang He.

Zhang Helai then escorted her to her classmates' place so that they could leave together with the rest of the group later.

"By the way, Mu Zhaozhi, what exactly is your family's relationship with that important figure? Your mother said he's your uncle, is that true?"

Standing next to his classmates, Zhang Helai finally had time to ask Mu Zhaozhi a question; he had been curious about this matter for a long time.

Zhang Helai didn't actually know the identity of that important person. His father was unwilling to tell him, only saying that this was a high-ranking official from Nanjing, and that his family must not offend him.

At first, nothing seemed amiss. Zhang Helai thought that this high-ranking official was just buying a horse from them and would never come back. Who knew that he would stay there and even have a connection with his teacher and classmate!

What exactly is their family's relationship with this high-ranking official?

"Which important person?" Mu Zhaozhi tilted her little head and looked at Zhang Helai.

Zhang Helai then said, "That important person! The one who just moved in across the hall from your house! That important person!"

He gestured to indicate Xiao Mingzhang's figure.

Mu Zhaozhi watched his actions with wide eyes. In fact, she knew who he was talking about the moment Zhang Helai opened his mouth, but she pretended not to know and said, "I don't know any important people. My mother never said I had any uncles. I don't know him."

“Didn’t he take you to school today? I saw him!” Zhang Helai said.

"Oh, you mean that person?" Mu Zhaozhi said, as if suddenly realizing something. "If you're saying he's my uncle, then so be it. Anyway, my mother never mentioned him."

Mu Zhaozhi disliked lying, and since Yunzhu had genuinely never told her about her relationship with Xiao Mingzhang, it wasn't wrong for her to say that.

Zhang Helai looked down on Mu Zhaozhi. Undeterred, he slowly coaxed her, "Then, Zhaozhi, you must know who that person is, right? What kind of high-ranking official is he? Your family has a close relationship with him. Are you all high-ranking officials in your family as well?"

"I told you, I don't know him! I have nothing to do with him!"

Every word Zhang Helai spoke was aimed at Xiao Mingzhang. Mu Zhaozhi didn't want to talk to him about this person anymore, and gradually she became irritated.

Zhang Helai looked at Mu Zhaozhi with disdain.

“Azhi,” he said earnestly, “If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t tell me; if you don’t want to say, then don’t say. Why lie? Everyone in this town knows that he is your mother’s brother, isn’t that your uncle?”

"He's not my uncle! My mother never said he was my uncle!"

Mu Zhaozhi insisted on denying this, which Zhang Helai found very difficult to understand.

“Mu Zhaozhi…”

He straightened his face and wanted to say more, but Mu Zhaozhi had already left him and turned to find her other friends.

"..."

Zhang Helai could only stay where he was, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Fine, don’t tell me then…” Zhang Helai muttered after a moment, “Why are you being so stingy…”

—

Mu Zhaozhi left the Zhang family's house that day with a unhappy expression.

She doesn't have to go to school in the afternoon. Even when her friends invite her to play, she doesn't go. Instead, she goes home with Aunt Yan, who comes to pick her up.

On the way, Ayan noticed the little girl's unhappiness and asked Mu Zhaozhi as they walked, "What's wrong, little darling? Were you unhappy at the Zhang family's banquet today?"

Mu Zhaozhi's face was tense, and she did not answer Ayan's question. Ayan then looked at Mu Zhaozhi with interest.

This is truly rare. Mu Zhaozhi has been born for so long, and since she began to speak, her emotions have been very stable, with few moments when she looks distressed.

Ayan pondered what could have made the little princess angry, when Mu Zhaozhi suddenly said, "Aunt Yan, it seems my bracelet has fallen off..."

"What?" Ayan exclaimed in surprise.

Mu Zhaozhi shook her empty wrist. Sure enough, the silver bracelet that she and Yunzhu had personally chosen for her when she was just born was now hanging there, but it was gone.

"Quick, is it left at the Zhang family's? Let's go back and check!" Ayan said, pulling Mu Zhaozhi back to the Zhang family to check.

But Mu Zhaozhi pouted and refused to leave: "Aunt Yan, I don't want to go to the Zhang family anymore."

"Why is that?" Ayan didn't understand what had happened to Mu Zhaozhi at the Zhang family today.

"I just don't want to go!" Mu Zhaozhi was unusually stubborn and unreasonable. Ayan paused for a moment, but ultimately didn't force the child.

But we still have to find the bracelet.

So Ayan said, "How about this, I'll take you home first, and then go back to the Zhang family to look for the bracelet, okay?"

Given the Zhang family's wealth and influence, they wouldn't be the type to covet just one bracelet.

"Mm." Mu Zhaozhi nodded.

Ayan first escorted Mu Zhaozhi home, and then immediately rushed to the Zhang family to look for the bracelet.

Mu Zhaozhi sat in her own courtyard, watching Ayan's departing figure. After the courtyard gate was completely closed, she held her face in her hands, stared at the gate, and counted to ten. Only after hearing no more noise coming from outside did she get up and follow Ayan's steps to open her own courtyard gate.

She looked at the house diagonally opposite, whose gatehouse was a head taller than her own, and without any hesitation, went over and knocked on the back door.

A guard came to open the door, and his eyes lit up when he saw that it was Mu Zhaozhi.

While the people around Hanze Town might not know, those who followed Xiao Mingzhang all knew the identities of Mu Zhaozhi and Yunzhu.

Upon seeing that it was the young mistress, the guard immediately bowed and asked softly, "What are your orders, young mistress?"

Mu Zhaozhi frowned.

"Young Miss?" She didn't like that title.

She looked up and said, "I want to see him!"

"Him?" the guard asked, puzzled.

Mu Zhaozhi pointed towards the main house in the courtyard and confirmed again: "It's him, it's him!"

The guard was completely bewildered. He stared at Mu Zhaozhi in front of him, and it took him a while to realize that "he" most likely referred to Xiao Mingzhang!

The guard immediately stepped aside to let her into the house and then led her to Xiao Mingzhang.

Although he had been living in Hanze Town for several days, Xiao Mingzhang had never stopped keeping abreast of the situation in Liangzhou and the court.

On days when he had no time to see Yunzhu and his daughter, he would handle government affairs in his study.

Hearing a knock on the door, he instinctively thought another secret report had arrived, but when he opened the door, he saw Mu Zhaozhi's small figure, barely reaching his knees.

The weariness between Xiao Mingzhang's brows vanished instantly. This was the first time Mu Zhaozhi had taken the initiative to come and find him since he had lived in the town for so long.

He squatted down, trying to be level with the little girl, and asked in a gentle voice, "Azhi, why did you suddenly come to find... to find me?"

Ever since Mu Zhaozhi refused to acknowledge him as her father, Xiao Mingzhang has always been cautious around her, never daring to mention words like "father" or "dad" in front of her.

He dared not upset the child, nor did he dare upset Yunzhu.

Mu Zhaozhi looked up and stared at Xiao Mingzhang.

She was still wearing her pale yellow dress, looking as if she were going to a banquet. But upon closer inspection, one would notice that this cute and clever child's expression was now quite indifferent, not at all like a child of her age, nor like someone who had just attended a banquet.

Xiao Mingzhang gradually became serious, wondering what his daughter had to do for him today.

If it weren't something important, she probably wouldn't have come to him in person.

He then quietly waited for his daughter to speak.

The wind outside the study was very soft, and Xiao Mingzhang's breathing, as he squatted on the ground, was also very soft.

Incense was slowly burning inside the room, its scent filling their nostrils.

Gradually, Xiao Mingzhang squatted on the ground. After an unknown amount of time, Mu Zhaozhi still did not speak, which made her somewhat suspicious.

"A-Zhi...?"

He had barely opened his mouth when Mu Zhaozhi finally followed suit: "When exactly will you be able to leave this place?"

"...What?" Xiao Mingzhang thought he had misheard and asked again.

But he certainly didn't mishear.

Mu Zhaozhi's face tightened, and she spoke clearly, word by word, asking Xiao Mingzhang the same question again—

When will you finally leave this place?

She was very serious, and her voice even carried a hint of easily detectable anger.

-----------------------

Author's Note: I originally wanted to write a long father-daughter scene, but since Azhi is too young, I felt it wouldn't be appropriate for her to say too much. So I cut and edited, and now it's only this short [melted emoji]. Before I knew it, I'd reached chapter sixty! I'll be giving out red envelopes in the comments section of this chapter!