"Very well, do as you please. It's not as though I'd force you to do anything. I'll stop talking." Seeing Zhou Yao press her lips shut again, her expression darkening slightly, the mysterious voice knew she might truly become angry if the teasing continued and quit while she was ahead.
After the gatekeeper informed Ye Buhui, she came to welcome Zhou Yao herself. When they reached the main courtyard's reception hall, they happened to see that Su Ziji had arrived before them.
Su Ziji was in his own home, and the hall's underfloor heating made it as warm as spring. He wore a moon-white, long-sleeved robe, a blackwood crown, and high-toothed wooden clogs that left his cotton socks visible. His bearing was composed, his every glance radiant.
Even Zhou Yao's eyes brightened involuntarily. Remembering what the mysterious voice had just said, she immediately felt a little awkward. But then she recalled why she had come and quickly suppressed that unease.
After they exchanged a few pleasantries, Zhou Yao suddenly asked, "Duke of Dai, I heard you intend to refine elixirs?"
Su Ziji paused in surprise. "I only began refining elixirs yesterday. How did you hear about it, Miss Zhou?"
Zhou Yao shifted slightly and settled into a formal kneeling posture, her expression solemn.
"Countless eyes follow your every move now, Duke of Dai. You must have made this decision yesterday morning? Before I came here, many people had already heard about it. My father specifically called me into his study to discuss this."
"I don't understand any grand principles, but I do know that a person's energy is limited. I devote myself to the Music Path, so my poetry, calligraphy, chess, and painting are all mediocre. I don't put much effort into managing the household either and barely manage to