The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 64: Zhi Wan: Don’t Tell Me You Really Have a Problem

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Zhi Wan: Don’t Tell Me You Really Have a Problem

Zhi Wan was definitely feeling the alcohol.

At the dinner table, Lady Wei had noticed she could hold her liquor and had poured her several more cups.

She was now walking so unsteadily that she needed Shuang’er to support her.

But she still remembered that her cousin had just rushed back from Qingzhou and must be exhausted. So, upon leaving Lan Courtyard, she said considerately, "Cousin, please go back and rest. You don’t need to wait for me."

Lu Zhan, who was walking ahead, stopped at her words and turned his head slightly to look at her.

Seeing her leaning on her maid, looking unsteady on her feet, his brow furrowed. "Don’t drink so much next time."

"I know," Zhi Wan replied, nodding obediently. But whether she would actually follow that advice was another matter entirely.

She loved grape wine.

And with her aunt being so enthusiastic, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Lu Zhan said no more. He took a lantern from a servant and walked ahead to light the path for them.

When Zhi Wan saw this, she felt a little guilty. "Cousin, you don’t have to worry about me. Yaoguang Pavilion is just a short walk away. We can get back on our own..."

"If it’s just a short walk, what’s the harm in me seeing you back?" Lu Zhan interrupted her coolly.

Zhi Wan fell silent.

The night was deep and utterly still. Aside from the sound of their footsteps, everything was silent. No one spoke again.

Leaning against Shuang’er, Zhi Wan looked up to study the man walking ahead of them.

He carried the lantern in one hand with the other clasped behind his back. His steps were steady and strong, but he wasn’t walking quickly, perhaps to accommodate her.

’My cousin seems cold, but he has a good heart,’ Zhi Wan thought.

Before long, they arrived at Yaoguang Pavilion.

Lu Zhan stopped and turned to Zhi Wan. "Go on in."

"Thank you, Cousin." Zhi Wan curtsied, then entered with her maid.

Lu Zhan watched her unsteady gait and figured the alcohol was really hitting her now.

’Silly girl. Can’t even hold her liquor, yet she tries to act tough.’

Only after the courtyard gate closed did Lu Zhan turn and head back to Qingyun Residence.

The exhaustion on his face grew more pronounced.

He had barely slept while working on the case in Qingzhou.

Now back in his chambers, he washed up and went to bed.

「Yaoguang Pavilion.」

The moment Zhi Wan was inside, she started complaining about being hot and thirsty.

Shuang’er bustled about, wiping her face and helping her drink some water, which made her feel a little better.

But when she lay down, Zhi Wan complained of the heat again and stripped off her nightrobe, leaving her lying on the bed in just her bodice.

Seeing this, Shuang’er simply let her be.

People who are drunk often feel hot and thirsty.

Shuang’er waited until she was asleep before extinguishing the extra lamps, leaving only two lit by the bed.

Zhi Wan drifted off into a groggy sleep.

But it wasn’t long before she woke again. Seeing a man sitting by her bed, she looked at him with half-open eyes, not quite awake. "You’re here..."

"Yes," the man responded in a low voice. He looked her over, then placed a large hand on her forehead. "You don’t have a fever."

Just as he was about to lower his hand, Zhi Wan grabbed it.

She pulled his hand and pressed it against her cheek.

The cool touch felt wonderful against her skin.

"You haven’t come to see me in so long. I’ve actually missed you a little..." Zhi Wan murmured.

The man, who had been about to pull his hand away, froze and stared at her in surprise.

Before he could react, Zhi Wan gave a sudden, hard tug. Caught off guard, the man stumbled and fell onto the bed. Zhi Wan seized the opportunity to straddle him, kissing his lips with clumsy, unpracticed movements.

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His hands slowly settled on her waist, allowing her to work her lips against his.

Unfortunately, Zhi Wan didn’t know what she was doing. She failed to part his lips, and her efforts only served to torture the man, causing beads of sweat to form on his smooth forehead.

Just as she tried once more to push past his lips, the man suddenly flipped her over, pinning her beneath him.

"Have you been drinking?" the man asked, his brow furrowed slightly.

Zhi Wan didn’t answer. She only gave him a dazed look before wrapping her slender arms around his neck, pulling him down, and kissing his lips once more.

Like a kitten, she licked the corner of his mouth before pressing the tip of her tongue against his teeth, just as he had done to her many times before.

The man’s gaze on her grew deeper and more intense.

Suddenly, he turned his head slightly, avoiding her advance.

"Do you even know who I am?" the man asked, his voice deep and husky.

Zhi Wan said impatiently, "Who knows who you are? In any case, you’re no saint."

The man was speechless.

"So, are you going to or not? If not, I’m going to sleep." Zhi Wan grumbled, pushing him away. She pulled the blanket over, wrapped herself in it, and lay with her back to him.

The man’s brow twitched. He raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, then turned Zhi Wan’s body to face him. He looked at her seriously. "Which noble family are you from?"

Hearing this, Zhi Wan sobered up a little and stared at him warily. "What do you want?"

The man paused, his long fingers lightly tracing over her exposed skin. "I have to know which family you belong to, so I can take responsibility."

Zhi Wan stared blankly. "You’re going to take responsibility for me?"

"Shouldn’t I?" the man retorted.

Zhi Wan scoffed, her tone disdainful. "There’s no need. I’m not getting married."

"Not getting married?" The man was surprised.

"Unless you’re willing to marry into my family," Zhi Wan said, her words shocking.

The man was taken aback. "You want a husband who will marry into your family?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Zhi Wan retorted, mimicking his earlier tone.

The man stared at her for a long moment before suddenly pushing her away and sitting up. "My apologies, but I have no intention of marrying into a wife’s family."

"In that case, what’s all this talk about taking responsibility?" Zhi Wan scoffed.

The man said coolly, "I’m sorry. Let’s just end things between us here."

At his words, Zhi Wan grew anxious. She got up and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

Her warm breath tickled the back of his ear as she whispered, "Don’t be so serious. This is just a consensual affair. I never expected you to take responsibility." As she spoke, her hand slipped brazenly inside his robes.

A fire ignited low in the man’s belly, but this time, he controlled himself.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it out, his voice still hoarse with unsated desire. "You’re still a young woman. You’re the one who stands to lose in this situation."

"I don’t care," Zhi Wan said, completely unconcerned. She even boldly straddled his lap.

The man’s breathing hitched, and his eyes darkened. "You won’t regret this?"

"Regret what? Or..." Zhi Wan’s delicate fingertips traced a line across his waist. Leaning close to his ear, her breath like a fragrant orchid, she whispered, "...do you have some... secret affliction?"

The man stared at her intently, but he didn’t fly into a rage out of humiliation and launch an assault as she had expected.

"I don’t need to prove anything to you," the man said coolly. His long fingers suddenly reached behind her back and retied the sash of her bodice that had come undone.

Zhi Wan’s face flushed as she was suddenly reminded of how scantily she was dressed.

The man shot her a glance, moved her off his lap, and then stood up from the bed.

Zhi Wan cleared her throat, her eyes sweeping over him from head to toe. "You don’t... actually have a problem, do you?" she asked doubtfully.