Chapter 320: Unexpectedly Seen by Cousin
Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Unexpectedly Seen by Cousin
Beads of sweat dotted Zhi Wan’s forehead, and a droplet clung to the bridge of her elegant nose. The faint sounds escaping her slightly parted red lips made Lu Zhan lose control several times.
It wasn’t until the girl’s slender arms gave out and her body went limp that the man regained a shred of his lost control.
He pulled her limp body firmly into his embrace, his lips pressing against her sweat-dampened temple. "Cousin, are you alright?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Zhi Wan was so exhausted she couldn’t utter a single word.
She panted, burying her burning face in her cousin’s chest.
Lu Zhan sat down in the chair, holding her in his arms.
Startled, Zhi Wan thought he was about to start again. She quickly pushed herself up, panting, "Don’t... I... I can’t go on..."
Lu Zhan froze.
Then he noticed how she was sitting on him. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and desire surged anew in his eyes.
But mindful of his cousin’s exhaustion, he didn’t torment her further.
He found a handkerchief in her robes, cleaned her up, and helped her put her dress and trousers back on.
Zhi Wan still felt boneless, her mind a complete blank.
A long while passed before she regained a sliver of her strength.
Thinking back on what had just happened in here, she found it utterly soul-stirring.
’How could Cousin just... in the study?’
’What happened to all that talk of self-restraint and propriety?’
Zhi Wan bit her lip and rested her head on her cousin’s shoulder. Despite her shyness, her heart was... surging with an indescribable excitement.
She had read her fair share of romance novels, but the experiences her cousin gave her were more stunning each time.
Seeing that she had recovered, Lu Zhan bent down, picked up the shoes she had dropped, and slipped them onto her feet. Then, he set her on the floor and went to light the candles.
The sudden light scattered the darkness in the study.
Zhi Wan kept her head down, still feeling shy about what had just happened.
But just then, her eyes fell upon the mess on the desk, and her face instantly flushed crimson.
Seeing her beautiful eyes widen as she stared at the desk, Lu Zhan felt his own handsome face grow hot.
He walked over, pulled his cousin into his arms, then lowered his head and asked in her ear, "That handkerchief... do you still want it?"
’Zhi Wan knew exactly which handkerchief he meant.’
’It was the one he’d just used to clean her up...’
At the thought, she blushed and shook her head. "N-No, I don’t want it."
"Mm," Lu Zhan grunted in acknowledgment. He took the handkerchief and wiped the desk clean.
Zhi Wan was too embarrassed to look, but from the sounds, she could vaguely tell he was cleaning up.
She lowered her head, wringing her hands.
"It’s getting late. Let’s go back to our room and bathe," Lu Zhan said, draping an arm around her shoulders.
Zhi Wan took a few steps with him before she suddenly remembered something. "This morning, Mother asked us to go to Lan Courtyard for dinner," she said in a panic. "Is it... too late now?"
"It is a bit late," Lu Zhan said. "But it’s alright. Mother will understand."
His words offered her no comfort. Instead, she felt utterly mortified.
When she entered the study, it was only dusk, but now the sky was completely dark.
’She’d been in the study for so long. Anyone would know what she and Cousin had been doing.’
’And they had missed dinner at her mother-in-law’s courtyard...’
The more Zhi Wan thought about it, the more her cheeks burned. She felt too ashamed to face anyone.
When Lu Zhan saw the pained look on her face, he assumed she was afraid his mother would be upset. He reassured her, "Mother won’t blame us. Maybe she just said it in passing. See? It’s gotten so late, and she hasn’t sent anyone to fetch us for dinner, has she?"
Zhi Wan: "..."
"Be good. Let’s get you back to our room for a bath first," Lu Zhan coaxed in a low voice.
The moment they stepped out of the study, Zhi Wan pushed her cousin away, hitched up her skirts, and dashed back to their room.
She saw Shuang’er and Nanny Chen waiting by the door, but she was too ashamed to speak to them and simply ran straight inside.
"What’s wrong with our lady?" Shuang’er asked, confused.
Nanny Chen, however, chuckled. "Our lady is just feeling shy. It’s nothing. The Young Master knows how to coax her."
Shuang’er was utterly confused.
Just then, Lu Zhan came over and gave his orders. "Prepare hot water. The mistress wishes to bathe. Also, prepare a meal and have the kitchen send over a tureen of chicken soup."
Shuang’er took note of each instruction. "This servant will see to it at once."
When Lu Zhan entered the room, he saw his cousin sitting on the daybed, her face still flushed as she twisted her fingers in her lap. The sight made his heart stir with a familiar itch.
’How can my cousin be this adorable?’
He walked over, pulled his cousin onto his lap, and asked in a warm voice, "Are you hungry?"
She hadn’t noticed before, but now that he mentioned it, Zhi Wan did feel a bit hungry.
She looked at him with pleading eyes. "When is dinner?"
"We can eat after you’ve had your bath," Lu Zhan soothed, picking up a cup from the side table. He poured some water and held it to her lips. "Have some water first."
Zhi Wan obediently drank the water.
After finishing the cup, she was still thirsty. "I want more," she said.
"What else do you want?" Lu Zhan asked, a teasing glint in his dark eyes.
"Water," Zhi Wan said, only realizing the insinuation in her cousin’s question after the word was out. Her face flushed red again.
Just then, servants carried in the bathwater. She scrambled off her cousin’s lap and fled into the bathing chamber.
Not wanting anyone to see the marks on her body, Zhi Wan refused the maid’s offer to help her bathe.
After removing her clothes, she stepped into the bathing tub.
The hot water soothed her aching, weary body.
After bathing, when she got up to get dressed, she realized she had forgotten to bring her nightclothes.
After warring with herself for a moment, she cracked open the door to the bathing chamber, intending to ask her cousin to bring her clothes. But the moment she peeked her head out, she saw him leaning against the wall, her nightclothes already in his arms.
She froze on the spot.
Lu Zhan turned his head to look at her.
His gaze paused on her exposed shoulder for a moment before he handed her the nightclothes.
Zhi Wan snapped back to her senses, hastily snatched the nightclothes, and slammed the door shut.
It was only after she had put on the sleeping robe and trousers that she realized her cousin hadn’t brought her any underwear.
The feeling of wearing trousers with nothing underneath made her extremely self-conscious.
She hesitated awkwardly for a moment before stepping out.
The servants had already set out the food, and Lu Zhan was already seated at the table.
Seeing her come out, Lu Zhan stood, came over, and led her to the table.
Zhi Wan sat down in the chair a bit awkwardly.
Lu Zhan dismissed the servants, then personally ladled a bowl of chicken soup and placed it before his cousin. "Weren’t you just saying you were hungry? Go on, eat."
Zhi Wan was indeed hungry. After finishing the chicken soup, she ate two bowls of rice.
After the meal, she rinsed her mouth and quickly escaped to the inner chamber.
When Lu Zhan came in for a change of clothes, he saw her hiding behind the bed curtains. Thinking she might be feeling unwell, he went over and lifted the drape. "Is something..."
The rest of his question died in his throat.
Zhi Wan hadn’t expected him to come in so quickly. She was just about to put on a pair of underpants, but he walked in the very moment she pulled down her trousers. She froze instantly, forgetting to react.
Lu Zhan swallowed hard. It took him a long moment before he could force himself to look away.
With forced composure, he pulled the quilt over his cousin, then grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathing chamber.
The bed-curtain was lowered again, and only then did Zhi Wan come to her senses.
Her face was already burning crimson.
She scrambled to pull her trousers back on, then wrapped herself tightly in the quilt like a cocoon.
’Cousin has seen me completely before,’ she consoled herself. ’This is no big deal.’
’Besides, his reaction was so calm. As if it were nothing out of the ordinary.’