The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 40: He Must Have Well-Proportioned Features

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: He Must Have Well-Proportioned Features

Zhi Wan looked where she was pointing, and her heart skipped a beat.

This mole... it wasn’t something she had added on a whim.

It was something she had seen on the man in her dream.

The scene from her dream last night took place in a bathing chamber.

The man had been bathing, so he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Although she couldn’t make out his face, she had gotten a clear view of his exposed skin.

She had seen the small mole on his collarbone with perfect clarity.

After waking up, she had used the man as inspiration to create several paintings of him.

The one Ouyang Zhenzhu was holding was one of them.

She had considered it a throwaway draft precisely because of the mole she had drawn on the man’s collarbone.

She didn’t know if the man in her dream was a figment of her imagination or a real person.

If he was a real person, this painting would be rather inappropriate.

After all, she sold all her paintings to a bookshop.

The bookshop would most likely compile them into albums or serialized art books to be sold to the public.

If that man actually existed and one day saw this painting, he might figure out that she was the artist.

The possibility was slim, but she didn’t want to cause any trouble for herself.

She and the man had done so many intimate things in the dream. If he was real, she hoped she would never meet him.

Otherwise, her image as a proper lady would be shattered.

Facing Ouyang Zhenzhu’s eyes, which glittered with curiosity and excitement, she forced herself to remain calm. "I just added it on a whim."

"Really?" Ouyang Zhenzhu stared at the mole on the man in the portrait, a grin spreading across her face. "You’re so creative. Adding this mole was a brilliant touch. He looked like such a proper gentleman, but this exposed mole immediately gives him a seductive allure."

Zhi Wan was speechless.

Thankfully, Ouyang Zhenzhu didn’t press the matter of the painting. Instead, she said, "Oh, right. Earlier today, outside the Hundred Flavors Building, you mentioned that Madam Lu plans to find a live-in husband for you. Is that true?"

"It’s true," Zhi Wan confirmed with a nod.

Ouyang Zhenzhu said wistfully, "I’d like to take a live-in husband too, but I’m afraid my parents would never agree."

"Why would you want to do that?" Zhi Wan asked, surprised.

’In her eyes, Ouyang Zhenzhu had a good family background, her parents were both living, and she had an exceptionally capable older brother. She would have plenty of support even after she married, so there was really no need for her to take a live-in husband.’

’Although taking a live-in husband meant you could stay with your family, the men willing to marry into their wife’s family were usually of average ability and from poor households that couldn’t afford to get them a wife. They only chose to do so out of desperation.’

’There were exceptions, of course, but they were few and far between.’

’Ouyang Zhenzhu’s situation was different from her own.’

’She had no family left. Even if she were to marry out, she wouldn’t be able to find a good family. Once she was with her in-laws, they would see she had no maiden family for support and would probably make her life miserable.’

’Other than Aunt Wei, she had no other relatives to rely on. So for her, taking a live-in husband was a better option than marrying out.’

"If you take a live-in husband, you don’t have to worry about pleasing your in-laws. You can do whatever you want, and no one can tell you what to do," Ouyang Zhenzhu said.

"That may be true, but have you considered that, given your status, any man willing to marry into your family might be doing it for your position and your family’s influence? He might not be interested in building a life with you, but in using you as a stepping stone," Zhi Wan said after a moment’s thought.

Ouyang Zhenzhu froze.

"Besides," Zhi Wan added, "with such a mismatch in family status, won’t your husband feel pressured over time? You wouldn’t want to see your husband being meek and subservient toward you, like a servant, would you?"

Hearing this, Ouyang Zhenzhu nodded in agreement. "You’re absolutely right. I can already picture it. So why did you agree to take a live-in husband?"

"My situation is different from yours," Zhi Wan explained. "I don’t have a prominent family background, nor do I have parents or relatives. Any man who marries into my household won’t feel that kind of pressure. Besides, my requirements aren’t that high. As long as he’s an honest man with a good personality, that’s all that matters."

"No, no, you can’t set your standards so low! Even if you don’t care about his family, you have to at least consider his looks! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t mind if he was ugly?" The very thought of it made Ouyang Zhenzhu uncomfortable, and she quickly tried to talk her out of it.

Zhi Wan blinked. "Of course he can’t be too ugly. He has to be at least easy on the eyes, with decent features."

’She could overlook family background, but she still cared about character and appearance.’

Ouyang Zhenzhu breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s more like it. I’ll help you keep an eye out. If I find anyone suitable, I’ll bring him to meet you."

Zhi Wan thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Alright."

"Actually, my brother..."

"Zhenzhu, don’t bring your brother up again," Zhi Wan quickly interrupted. "What is his status, and what is mine?"

Ouyang Zhenzhu said, exasperated, "I was going to say, if you weren’t set on taking a live-in husband, I could ask my brother to marry you. Then you’d be my sister-in-law."

Zhi Wan was just as exasperated. "Your brother is his own person, and you are you. How can you speak for him? Besides, your parents would never agree."

Ouyang Zhenzhu’s eyes darted back and forth. "What if I could convince my parents and my brother? Would you be willing to marry into our Ouyang Family then?"

Zhi Wan’s brow twitched. "Don’t do anything reckless," she warned. "You’ll make us a laughingstock." To stop Ouyang Zhenzhu from actually running off to her elders, she added, "In this life, I only want to take a live-in husband. I have no intention of marrying out."

Ouyang Zhenzhu frowned. "Don’t be so absolute. What if, one day, you meet a man you adore who wants to marry you? You still wouldn’t do it?"

Not wanting to be too categorical herself, Zhi Wan replied, "I guess we’ll see when the time comes."

"Miss, Nanny Fang is here." Just then, Dongxiang walked in with Nanny Fang.

"Greetings, Miss, Miss Ouyang," Nanny Fang said with a kindly expression as she curtsied to Zhi Wan and Ouyang Zhenzhu.

"Please, Nanny Fang, rise." Zhi Wan personally helped her up. "Is my aunt looking for me?"

Nanny Fang smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Fifth Miss Wei has arrived. The madam invites you and Miss Ouyang to join them in Lan Courtyard to liven things up."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan nodded. "Zhenzhu and I will tidy up a bit. We’ll head over directly in a moment."

Having delivered her message, Nanny Fang took her leave.

As soon as she was gone, Ouyang Zhenzhu asked curiously, "Fifth Miss Wei... Isn’t that Madam Lu’s niece, and Brother Lu’s cousin? It’s already evening. What is she doing here?"

Zhi Wan shook her head. "I don’t know."

’Wei Jinyi came to the Lu Family residence occasionally, but the two of them rarely interacted.’

"We don’t have anything else to do, so let’s go and see."

"The guest does as the host wishes," Ouyang Zhenzhu replied, having no objection.

The two of them went to Lan Courtyard together.

When they entered, Lady Xu, Lady Wei’s sister-in-law, was also there, speaking with Lady Wei. Wei Jinyi sat quietly to one side.

"Wan’er, Zhenzhu, you’re here!" Lady Wei said, smiling warmly as she saw them enter.