The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night

The man grunted and stopped kissing Zhi Wan. He paused, raising a hand to touch the corner of his mouth. Seeing a trace of blood on his fingertip, he didn’t seem angry.

His gaze swept over the girl’s vividly red and slightly swollen lips. In a husky voice, he asked, "Still angry?"

Zhi Wan was in the middle of feeling vexed and ashamed at herself for getting so lost in the moment. When she heard him, she froze and looked up at the man.

Only to see a cut on the corner of the man’s mouth, with a smear of blood still on it.

She clenched her fingers, her head drooping guiltily.

’It seems I... bit a little too hard just now.’

Seeing her silent, Lu Zhan reached out and lifted her chin. "What’s wrong?"

Zhi Wan snapped back to her senses and hastily pushed him away, putting a safe distance between them. With a stern face, she asked, "Are you still planning to keep me locked up?"

Seeing how intent she was on dissociating from him, Lu Zhan paused before saying coolly, "No. Starting today, you can move about the ship freely."

At that, Zhi Wan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

’He’s not restricting my movements anymore... Does that mean I still have a chance to leave the Capital City?’

’No, that’s not right. Just now, my cousin said I could move about freely *on the ship*. Doesn’t that mean that while he won’t lock me up anymore, I can only stay on the ship?’

Realizing this, Zhi Wan said angrily, "You said you wouldn’t lock me up, but you’re making me stay on the ship! What’s the difference between that and being locked in my cabin? I’m not a criminal!"

"I’ve told you, you are connected to a major case and your assistance is needed for the investigation. During this time, it is only natural that I protect you," Lu Zhan said in a slow, deliberate tone.

Zhi Wan scoffed. "Don’t try to fool me. I’m just a young woman; how could I possibly be involved in a major case? This is obviously just an excuse to imprison me!"

Lu Zhan’s handsome brows furrowed slightly. "You’re overthinking things. Why would I imprison you? Besides, if you don’t stay on the ship, how will you get to Yangzhou?"

Zhi Wan’s eyes flickered, and she stammered, "How did you know... I was going to Yangzhou?"

"You took your maid, snuck away from the Lu Family estate, and ran to the docks. Weren’t you planning to take a boat to Yangzhou? Besides Yangzhou, where else could you possibly go?" Lu Zhan’s voice was low, his eyes betraying a hint of anger.

’This girl. To think she’d try to leave without a word.’

’If he hadn’t noticed, she would have already left.’

Zhi Wan could hear the displeasure in her cousin’s voice. He was clearly unhappy about her leaving without a word, and she couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.

’Setting aside the fact that he’s the man from my dreams, my cousin is so good to me in the real world, yet I tried to sneak away.’

’And my aunt...’

’When my aunt finds out I left without a word, will she be terribly disappointed in me?’

Zhi Wan suppressed her vexation and said defiantly, "The world is a big place; it’s not as if Yangzhou is the only destination. Can’t I go somewhere else?"

Lu Zhan nodded. "Yes, the world is a big place, and Yangzhou isn’t the only destination. But you’ve grown up in Yangzhou. Other than Yangzhou and the Capital City, you’ve never been anywhere else.

Two young women like you and Shuang’er leaving the Capital City... where else could you go besides Yangzhou? Allow me to guess—you were going to Yangzhou this time to find Nanny Chen in Red Leaf Village?"

Zhi Wan froze.

Meeting her cousin’s all-knowing gaze, she panicked.

’Her cousin was so smart. He’d guessed her plan with ease. Even if she succeeded in getting to Yangzhou, he would surely find her.’

"I... I’m not going anymore," she finally said after a long pause, lowering her head sullenly.

Lu Zhan glanced down at her. "Truly?"

"Of course," Zhi Wan nodded.

’Going to Yangzhou is no longer an option, but she could go somewhere else.’

’Even though she had never been to those other places and wasn’t familiar with them, it was still better than staying in the Capital City.’

’She could no longer face her cousin with composure. More importantly, she didn’t want her aunt to find out what was going on between them.’

’She was terrified of facing that awkward predicament.’

Lu Zhan’s sharp, dark eyes studied her for a long moment before his tone finally softened. "You should still go. The ship has already set sail."

"What?" Zhi Wan cried out in astonishment. A thought struck her, and she scrambled to the window, throwing it open only to find the ship was already sailing down the river.

She turned back, looking at the man in bewilderment. "Cousin... what are you doing?"

"I haven’t finished my official business in Jiangnan. Since you’re so intent on going to Yangzhou, cousin, it’s perfectly on the way," Lu Zhan said nonchalantly.

Zhi Wan was no fool. She understood at once that her cousin intended to keep her by his side so he could watch over her.

Her heart ached with distress.

’It seemed her cousin hadn’t given up on marrying into her family.’

’But her cousin was her aunt and uncle’s only son. How could he marry into her family?’

’Her aunt and uncle would never agree.’

’If her aunt and uncle found out about what was happening between her and her cousin, how could she possibly go on? How could she ever show her face to the two of them again?’

’Her aunt treated her so well, and this was how she repaid her...’

The more Zhi Wan thought about it, the more anxious she grew. Casting aside her embarrassment, she said bluntly, "Cousin, about what happened in the dreams... let’s just pretend it never happened."

"How can we pretend something that has already happened never occurred?" Lu Zhan’s voice was grave.

Zhi Wan choked on her words, stammering, "Well, anyway... it’s not like you lost anything."

A vein pulsed at Lu Zhan’s temple, and his dark eyes narrowed. "I didn’t lose anything? I’m afraid you’ve forgotten, cousin. You flirted with me relentlessly and... ran your hands all over my entire body."

Zhi Wan: "..."

Her face was flushed and burning, so embarrassed she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

’She hadn’t known the man sharing her dreams was her cousin! If she had, she wouldn’t have been caught dead doing such frivolous, outrageous things.’

Afraid he would demand she take responsibility, she swallowed her shame, squeezed her eyes shut, and shouted, "But you... you seemed to be enjoying it, too! And-and you ran your hands all over me, too! You even..."

"Even what?" The man’s low voice suddenly sounded from right above her. Zhi Wan froze. Her eyes flew open, and she realized he had approached without her noticing and was now cornering her against the window.

Zhi Wan’s heart leaped, and she hurriedly put her hands on his chest to push him away. "D-don’t stand so close! It wouldn’t be good if someone saw."

"We’ve both had our hands all over each other. So what if someone sees?" Lu Zhan caught her hands, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Zhi Wan: "..."

Choked speechless, her face flushed crimson. She said irritably, "What happened in the dream was consensual! No one forced anyone! And you can rest assured, I will absolutely never tell a soul about it!"

Seeing how desperate the girl was to distance herself from him, Lu Zhan’s dark eyes narrowed. He reminded her, "But what happened just now wasn’t a dream. We’ve been intimate in reality, too."

Zhi Wan’s face burned as she stared at him, dumbfounded.

’So he kissed her on purpose just now? Just to make it impossible for her to sever ties with him?’

’Her cousin was so devious.’

’And to think she had actually been enjoying it...’

She said, annoyed, "Cousin, as the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, you’ve always been a stickler for the law. How can you knowingly break it today? You went against my wishes, which means you’ve broken the law! You’re no better than a common lecher!"