Chapter 152: Bewitched, Soul Snatched Away
A knot tightened low in Lu Zhan’s stomach, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. But when he remembered what she had said just a moment ago, all the heat in his body abruptly subsided. He restrained himself, his voice low and hoarse as he asked, "What do you mean, ’the last time’?"
Instead of answering, the girl lowered her head to kiss his lips.
To her surprise, he turned his head, avoiding her.
The girl raised an eyebrow, unwilling to be denied. She reached out to cup his face and lowered her head to try again. But just as her lips were about to touch his, the man’s hand shot out and gripped her cheeks.
The girl: "..."
"What did you mean? Hmm?" Lu Zhan asked again, forcing himself to be patient.
The girl gave a bored pout, slapped his hand away, and climbed off him, lying down on the bed to his right.
However, her body pressed down on his left arm.
The girl didn’t think much of it at first, but the man suddenly let out a muffled grunt of pain.
She paused. Realizing something, she quickly moved away. "Your arm is injured?" she asked in surprise.
Seeing her gaze fixed on his left arm, Lu Zhan said impassively, "It’s just a minor wound. It’s nothing."
A strange look crossed the girl’s face as she stared at his left arm. "Your left arm is injured, too? How did that happen?"
Lu Zhan paused, then asked, "’Too?’ Is there someone else whose left arm is also injured?"
The girl frowned. "My cousin’s left arm was stabbed the other day."
"What a... coincidence," Lu Zhan said, his gaze dropping.
"It is," the girl agreed, watching him with suspicion. "But if you’re injured, why would you drink so much?"
"This injury isn’t a problem," Lu Zhan said.
"You sound just like my cousin when you say that," the girl said, looking at him pensively.
Lu Zhan’s brow twitched. He quickly changed the subject. "You still haven’t told me what you meant by ’the last time.’"
Her train of thought broken, the girl’s gaze shifted from his left arm. She confessed, "I’m going to be taking a husband soon. I want to end things with you."
Lu Zhan’s expression darkened. "End things? You want to cut all ties with me?"
"You can think of it that way, if you like," she said nonchalantly.
Lu Zhan let out an incredulous, angry laugh. "You really know how to move on, don’t you!"
"You flatter me," the girl replied, looking pleased with herself.
Lu Zhan’s dark eyes narrowed. He suddenly reached out with his right hand and pulled her on top of him.
The girl let out a small gasp. Before she could react, his large hand pressed her head down, and his scorching lips crashed against hers.
As passion muddled her senses, she suddenly heard the man’s low, hoarse voice in her ear, "Whether we end this, and when we end this, isn’t for you to decide alone!"
"What?" Her thoughts had just started to clear when the man flipped her over, pressing her face-down into the bedding.
She froze, and just as she tried to push herself up, the man’s weight settled back on top of her, pinning her in place.
Between gasps for air, she felt the man lift her dress.
The girl: "..."
Realizing what he was about to do, an uncontrollable blush finally crept up her face.
The swaying sachet ball hanging from the bed canopy and the sound of the man’s breathing growing heavier behind her made the girl’s face burn, her slender fingers clutching the quilt.
...
Zhi Wan was woken by a scalding heat.
She opened her eyes to find herself in her own bed. A sigh of relief escaped her, yet at the same time, she felt an inexplicable sense of loss.
’In the dream, I made things clear with him. We probably won’t see each other again, will we? Although, it’s not like I can control what I dream about.’
’Still, I’ve always felt that I only have those dreams because... I have certain needs.’
’Once I take a husband, once I have a man of my own, I definitely won’t have such ridiculous dreams anymore.’
The thought of what the man had done to her in the dream made her quickly throw back the covers. She hurried to the washroom to inspect her body.
Her legs were fair and smooth, without a single mark.
Seeing this, she relaxed. It only strengthened her resolve: once she returned to the Capital City, she had to take a husband as soon as possible.
By the time she had cleaned up and emerged, the sky outside was already growing light, so she decided not to go back to sleep.
She had just finished packing the last of her things for the trip back to the Capital City when Nanny Fang and Shuang’er got up as well.
After breakfast, just as Zhi Wan was about to go and bid farewell to Lu Zhan, she saw Chen Jiu enter the courtyard, a bundle slung over his shoulder.
"Miss, the Princely Heir sent me to ask if you’ve finished packing. If you have, it’s time to head to the docks."
"I’m all packed," Zhi Wan nodded. "Has my cousin gone to the Government Office?"
"The Princely Heir didn’t go to the Government Office. He’s already waiting for you outside the gates. He’s going to personally escort you to the docks," Chen Jiu replied.
At this, Zhi Wan wasted no more time and led her attendants out of the courtyard.
The sky was not yet fully bright, but rather a hazy gray. A tall, elegant figure stood beside the carriage. The man’s bamboo-green robes made him seem even taller and more upright, and his profile was devastatingly handsome.
Zhi Wan stopped in her tracks. Her eyes suddenly landed on the Jade Pendant hanging from her cousin’s waist.
The blue tassel swung lightly in the breeze.
’It seems my cousin really likes the Jade Pendant I gave him. I’ve seen him wearing it every day for the past few days.’
Perhaps hearing her footsteps, the man turned to look at her.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, they both froze.
"Cousin," Lu Zhan said, the first to recover his composure. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Cou...sin," Zhi Wan stammered, momentarily dazed by his smile.
’My cousin is always so cold; I’ve almost never seen him smile.’
’Seeing it now, I suddenly understand why he doesn’t smile often.’
’He’s already so handsome. If he smiled more, he’d completely captivate people, stealing their very souls.’
She quickly looked down, avoiding her cousin’s gaze.
Seeing her avoid his eyes, Lu Zhan paused for a moment before saying, "Get in the carriage. It’s time to go."
"Alright," Zhi Wan nodded and walked toward the carriage. But as she passed her cousin, she suddenly stopped and turned to him. "Cousin, were you drinking last night?"
Lu Zhan: "..."
When he didn’t answer, Zhi Wan frowned, her expression turning serious. "Cousin, why won’t you listen to reason? Your arm is still injured, how can you be drinking?"
"I just had a couple of drinks," Lu Zhan explained.
Chen Jiu, who was standing nearby, overheard and couldn’t help but scoff internally. ’A couple of drinks? The Princely Heir chugged an entire jug of the strongest liquor we have!’
"That’s still not acceptable. Your arm hasn’t healed," Zhi Wan retorted. She was sure her cousin was lying. If he’d only had a couple of drinks, the strong smell of alcohol wouldn’t still be clinging to him after a whole night.
"I know," Lu Zhan said with a slight cough. "Get in the carriage. We don’t want to be late."
At his words, Zhi Wan said no more and boarded the carriage.
As the carriage began to move, Ouyang Zhenzhu lifted the curtain and glanced out. Seeing Lu Zhan riding alongside them on his horse, she was reminded of something. "I didn’t see Lu Jinglan just now," she said to Zhi Wan. "We’re leaving, and she didn’t even come to see us off."
"It’s still early. Perhaps she isn’t awake yet," Zhi Wan said.
"I doubt that. She knew we were leaving; she was probably too excited to sleep," Ouyang Zhenzhu said scornfully.
"That’s true. She’s probably been dying for us to leave," Zhi Wan agreed.
"Exactly. With us gone, there’ll be no one to get in the way of her and Mr. Lu," Ouyang Zhenzhu said.
Shuang’er, who was sitting nearby, nodded. "When I went to the kitchen to get breakfast this morning, I ran into Miss Jinglan’s maid. I overheard her telling the courtyard staff that once we leave, Miss Jinglan and Miss Lu Lan are going to move into our rooms."