His sudden advance made Zhi Wan’s heart leap. The alcohol’s haze lifted a little, and she stared at him blankly. "Cousin, you’re... drunk?"

Lu Zhan paused and took two steps back. "Perhaps," he said in a low voice.

Zhi Wan balled her fists. ’Tonight, my cousin seems particularly dangerous.’

She said in a rush, "Cousin, it’s getting late. I-I should head back." With that, she turned and ran without waiting for Lu Zhan’s reply.

Watching the girl flee in a panic, Lu Zhan pressed his long fingers to his brow, a hint of resignation in his expression.

’It seems the "potion" I administered tonight was a bit too potent.’

’But if I don’t do this, she’ll end up falling for someone else.’

His business in Jiangnan wasn’t finished, so he couldn’t stay close and watch over her.

’The best way is to make her accept me. That’s the only way to get her to abandon the idea of choosing someone else as a husband.’

Lu Zhan thought casually, his slender fingers stroking the Jade Pendant at his waist. An idea was already forming in his mind.

Clutching the wine jug, Zhi Wan ran all the way back to Yaoguang Pavilion without stopping.

"Miss, why did you run back?" Shuang’er asked, surprised to see her return so out of breath.

"It’s nothing," Zhi Wan said as she uncorked the jug, tilted her head back, and took a large swig of wine.

Shuang’er was startled by her actions. "Miss, why have you started drinking?" And so recklessly!

’At this rate, she’ll be drunk in no time.’

Zhi Wan paid her no mind. After downing half the jug, she was already starting to feel dizzy. "Quick, help me prepare a bath."

"Yes, Miss." Shuang’er hurried away.

By the time Zhi Wan finished her bath, the alcohol had fully taken effect, and she was thoroughly drunk.

Shuang’er helped her onto the bed. Seeing her flushed cheeks and tightly shut eyes, she grew anxious. "Miss, are you all right?"

"I’m fine. I just need to sleep. You may go..." Zhi Wan forced herself to stay lucid for a moment longer.

Still worried, Shuang’er kept watch by the bedside for a long time. She only left the inner chamber once Zhi Wan had fallen into a deep sleep.

As she sank into a deep sleep, Zhi Wan found herself in a study.

This study was no stranger to her. It was his—that man’s study.

’It’s been a long time since I was last here.’

Her gaze swept around the room before finally settling on the man reading behind the desk.

Her brow twitched when she saw the man’s moon-white robes.

’During dinner in my aunt’s courtyard this evening, my cousin was wearing robes of this very color.’

’My cousin’s robes were usually dark; he rarely wore such light, bright colors. In fact, this moon-white robe he wore tonight was the one my aunt and I picked out for him during the flower-viewing banquet.’

’So, she recognized it at once. The robe this man was wearing was identical to the one her cousin had worn tonight.’

Zhi Wan balled her fists and slowly walked toward the man.

Hearing her footsteps, the man looked up. He showed no surprise at her appearance.

His dark, profound eyes watched the girl approach, step by step, a faint glimmer of anticipation within them.

"You’re here."

He spoke in the same light tone he used during all their trysts.

This time, Zhi Wan paid him no mind.

Once she was close, her eyes went straight to his left hip.

But he was sitting, and with the desk in the way, she couldn’t see it.

"What are you looking for?" the man asked, one eyebrow raised.

A tremor went through Zhi Wan’s heart.

She nonchalantly shook her head. "I’m not looking for anything."

The man paused for a moment before suddenly reaching out and pulling her onto his lap.

Zhi Wan froze. Before she could react, the cool, distinct scent of cedarwood filled her senses. The next instant, his lips were on hers.

Zhi Wan’s mind went completely blank.

’If this person before me is really my cousin...’

Zhi Wan’s heart quaked, and she awkwardly pushed the man away.

Deep down, she prayed this man wasn’t her cousin. After all, every time they were together, she had been so uninhibited, so wantonly unrestrained...

At that thought, she squeezed her eyes shut. She could only hope she was wrong. Otherwise, how could she ever face her cousin again?

The man wasn’t annoyed at being pushed away. He pinched her chin and asked in a low voice, "How much did you have to drink? You reek of wine."

Suppressing her anxiety, Zhi Wan said with forced patience, "It’s none of your business." Then she looked down toward his waist again.

But the man’s hand suddenly clamped around her waist, lifting her up and setting her down on the desk.

Exasperated, Zhi Wan yelled at him, "What do you think you’re doing?"

The man flinched slightly, his thin lips pressing into a line as he stood up. "You’ve got quite a temper."

Zhi Wan had no time to deal with him. She scrambled to get a look at his hip.

But the man suddenly turned to the side and began untying his sash.

Zhi Wan’s heart skipped a beat. She leaped off the desk and threw her arms around his waist from behind.

The man froze and turned his head to look at her.

Zhi Wan ignored him, pressing down the frantic pounding of her heart as she looked down.

There, hanging from the man’s left hip, was a green Cloud Jade Pendant. And at the bottom of the pendant hung a blue tassel...

「Yaoguang Pavilion.」

Zhi Wan jolted awake, terrified.

The memory of what she had seen in the dream sent a hot flush across her entire face, and the last vestiges of her drunkenness vanished completely.

A bomb went off in her head.

’That man really is my cousin...’

Zhi Wan’s toes curled in on themselves. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die.

’Oh god, the man I teased and seduced in my dreams in every way imaginable... was actually my cousin, Lu Zhan!’

AHHHH—

Zhi Wan screamed internally.

She began to pace frantically around the room.

Shuang’er, who was sleeping in the outer room, heard the commotion from the inner chamber and quickly got up to investigate.

She found her miss pacing erratically around the room, hair in disarray, muttering something under her breath.

The sight frightened Shuang’er. She scrambled to light all the lamps and candles in the room, then asked in a trembling voice, "Miss, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

The sudden light and her maid’s questioning voice finally pulled Zhi Wan back from her frantic state.

She collected herself and turned to Shuang’er. "Yes... I had a nightmare."

’How I wish this was all just a dream,’ she thought. ’That once I woke up, everything would vanish like smoke.’

Hearing this, Shuang’er let out a sigh of relief. She hugged her and said comfortingly, "Don’t be afraid, Miss. It was only a dream."

Zhi Wan felt like crying but couldn’t shed a tear.

It was a dream, but not just any dream.

The man in her dreams was real, and he was the cousin she had always respected.

Her scalp went numb at the thought of all the improper things she had done with her cousin.

She made a decision. Gripping Shuang’er’s hand, she said, "Shuang’er, let’s leave the Capital City."

She couldn’t bear the shame of staying here and facing her cousin.

Shuang’er looked at her, astonished. "Leave the Capital City? Where would we go?"

"To Yangzhou," Zhi Wan said. "We’ll go back to Jurong and find my nanny."

Shuang’er was bewildered. "But Miss, why would we leave the Capital City all of a sudden? You just had a matchmaking meeting with Mr. Chen today. Weren’t you satisfied with him?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Zhi Wan’s suffering was a secret she could not share.

The things that happened in her dreams were far too mortifying to speak of.

"I... I just don’t want to stay here anymore."