Chapter 319: Lu Zhan: The Door Is Already Closed
Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Lu Zhan: The Door Is Already Closed
Zhi Wan was swinging happily, right at the peak of her enjoyment, when the swing suddenly stopped, catching her off guard.
It wasn’t until she heard what her cousin said that she understood, and her face instantly flushed crimson.
Meeting the man’s deep, dark eyes, she even stammered a little. "I... I didn’t mean it like that..."
Scenes from their wedding night flashed through her mind, and the calves of her legs began to tremble inexplicably.
’It’s actually Princess Chang Le’s fault.’
Her cousin had been so proper and considerate of her feelings at first. But after looking at the picture album Yuanbao delivered, his techniques had multiplied, leaving her unable to defend herself.
Thinking about what happened last night, Zhi Wan’s face grew so red it looked like it might start bleeding.
Seeing his cousin’s face grow redder and redder, Lu Zhan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. In a low, husky voice, he asked, "Then what did you mean?"
"Nothing! I... I just wanted to swing a little higher." Zhi Wan’s gaze darted away, not daring to meet his eyes.
Lu Zhan took in her shy appearance, grunted in acknowledgment, and began to push the swing again.
As the swing rose, a cool breeze brushed against Zhi Wan’s face, instantly cooling her burning cheeks.
She banished all distracting thoughts and swung contentedly.
Perhaps feeling "scorned" by his cousin, Lu Zhan pushed with more force this time.
Zhi Wan swung higher and higher. At the very peak of the arc, she suddenly saw that the courtyard next door was filled with chrysanthemums.
There were all sorts of colors.
She thought she had seen it wrong.
But when the swing rose again, she saw them once more.
"Cousin, I saw lots and lots of chrysanthemums planted in the next courtyard."
"Chrysanthemums?"
"Mhm, in all sorts of colors," Zhi Wan said.
’No wonder Mother-in-law told me to use the swing. So she had prepared this surprise for me.’
Hearing this, Lu Zhan stopped the swing and lifted her off. "Let’s go take a look."
"Mhm." Zhi Wan nodded immediately.
The two of them went to the courtyard next door and, just as she’d said, found it filled with chrysanthemums.
They grew in clumps and clusters, in every color imaginable. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Zhi Wan was overjoyed. She crouched in front of the flowers, gently sniffing their fragrance.
"Mother-in-law is so thoughtful and creative," Zhi Wan exclaimed, stroking a petal.
At her words, Lu Zhan understood.
’The swing’s location in our courtyard wasn’t chosen randomly. Mother must have selected it specifically because it’s the only spot from which you can see the flowers blooming in this courtyard when you swing high enough.’
A servant in charge of tending the plants and flowers nearby stepped forward and said respectfully, "The Mistress said this courtyard is exclusively for the Heir’s wife to grow flowers. There are to be different flowers planted here for all four seasons."
Zhi Wan was deeply moved when she heard this.
’Mother-in-law has really gone to great lengths for me.’
’Not only did she have my cousin’s courtyard renovated to my liking, but she also planted a whole garden of flowers in this adjacent courtyard, all so I could see them when I swing.’
She could hardly imagine how beautiful it would be when the flowers, changing with the four seasons, were in full bloom.
"Mother-in-law is so considerate," Zhi Wan said gratefully.
"As long as it’s something you like, Mother is happy to go to the trouble," Lu Zhan said.
After admiring the flowers, the couple returned to Qingyun Residence.
After lunch, they took an afternoon nap together.
Zhi Wan had been exhausted from the previous night and hadn’t slept much. Even though she’d woken up late that morning, the moment her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.
Seeing how tired she was, Lu Zhan didn’t have the heart to bother her. He just held her and slept as well.
Zhi Wan slept all the way until evening.
When she got up, Lu Zhan was no longer in the room.
When Shuang’er came in to help her wash up, she asked, "Have you seen my cousin?"
"The Young Master only rested for half an hour before getting up. He’s been in the study ever since," Shuang’er replied.
Hearing that, Zhi Wan didn’t ask any more questions.
’Even though the Emperor granted him special leave these past few days, my cousin’s mind is always on the Court’s affairs. He can’t stay idle for a moment. He’s probably handling official business in the study right now.’
After washing up, Zhi Wan drank a cup of water, ate a couple of pastries and some fruit, then had Shuang’er fetch some fish food so she could go feed the fish in the pavilion.
She sat on the lounging bench in the pavilion, sprinkling the fish food in her hand into the pond bit by bit.
Fish immediately swarmed over, scrambling to get the food.
Watching the beautiful koi in the water, Zhi Wan felt a sense of peace. After scattering the rest of the food into the pond, she watched the fish for a little while longer before getting up and heading to the study to find her cousin.
When she entered, she saw that her cousin was indeed looking over some scrolls.
She decided not to disturb him and instead took a look around the study.
’It’s exactly the same as the scene I dreamed of before.’
Against the wall was a very large, tall bookshelf, completely filled with books.
’But every time I dreamed I was in my cousin’s study, I never got the chance to take a book from the shelf to read.’
Now, in reality, she was suddenly struck by an impulse to pull a book from the shelf and have a look. But just as her hand was about to touch a volume, her waist was suddenly pulled tight.
By the time she realized what was happening, she had already been lifted onto the desk.
The man’s scorching kiss descended upon her.
Zhi Wan’s eyelashes fluttered. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, accepting her cousin’s kiss.
Just as she was about to lose herself in his kiss, she suddenly came to her senses.
’Why does this scene feel so familiar?’
Realizing that this scene had also happened in a dream, she quickly grabbed the lapels of her cousin’s robe, her breath unsteady, and asked, "Are we... in a dream right now, too?"
Lu Zhan paused his kissing and looked at her in surprise. "Why do you ask that?"
"Don’t you remember, Cousin? We’ve... done this in the study before, too," Zhi Wan said, biting her lip.
Hearing that, Lu Zhan remembered too.
The corners of his lips curved up slightly. He lowered his head, peppering the corner of her mouth with small kisses, and said in a hoarse voice, "You’re mistaken. It’s not the same..."
The kisses made Zhi Wan’s body go soft. She had to prop herself up with her hands on the desk behind her just to stay steady. Her voice trembled uncontrollably. "How is it... not the same?"
Lu Zhan didn’t speak. He lowered his head and continued to kiss his cousin, one hand already skillfully untying her sash.
A sudden coolness brought some of Zhi Wan’s lost reason back. Looking down, she saw that the front of her dress was already open.
Her face burned. She hurriedly pulled her lapels closed and said shyly, "There are people outside." With that, she pushed her cousin away and jumped off the desk.
"The door is already closed." Lu Zhan clamped a hand around her waist and lifted her back onto the desk.
Hearing this, Zhi Wan turned to look and only then discovered that, at some point, the study door had been closed.
She froze. ’When did my cousin close the door?’
’Was it while I was standing by the bookshelf, thinking about those dreams?’
She was just about to say something when she felt the lapels she had just closed being opened once more.
Her cousin’s long, warm hand had already slipped inside...
Zhi Wan’s eyelashes trembled, and she closed her eyes.
By now, the sky had grown dark. No lamps had been lit in the study, making it even dimmer.
The only light in the gloom was the girl’s fair, slender back.
Her dress was bunched around her waist, further accentuating her round yet slender shoulders.