The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 70: Zhi Wan: Cousin, You’re So Nice

Zhi Wan was taken aback and looked up.

"Since you’ve eaten your fill, let’s go," Lu Zhan said, already rising to his feet.

Zhi Wan immediately understood and followed suit. "I’m full."

"Mm," Lu Zhan grunted in acknowledgment. He looked at Old Madam Lu. "Grandmother, please take your time. I’ll take my cousin back now." With that, he turned and strode out.

Zhi Wan curtsied to everyone and then hurried out after him.

Leaving everyone behind, each lost in their own thoughts.

Outside Fushou Hall, Zhi Wan saw Lu Zhan standing by the door, giving some instructions to Chen Jiu. Chen Jiu glanced in her direction, then walked away quickly.

Zhi Wan paused for a moment, then walked over and curtsied to Lu Zhan. "Thank you for helping me out of that situation tonight, Cousin."

Lu Zhan glanced at her and asked, "Are you full?"

Zhi Wan was startled. ’Didn’t he just ask that?’

Just as she was about to nod, Lu Zhan said, "I’m not full. Let’s go."

Zhi Wan: "..."

"What are you spacing out for?" Lu Zhan tilted his head and glanced at her.

Zhi Wan suppressed the questions in her heart and had no choice but to follow him.

It wasn’t until they had walked all the way out of the Duke Dingguo Mansion that she belatedly realized her cousin was leaving the estate.

Sure enough, a short while later, a carriage driver from the mansion drove a carriage up and stopped in front of the main gate, placing a mounting stool beside it.

Lu Zhan said to Shuang’er, who was following them, "Help your lady into the carriage."

Shuang’er was also very confused, but she still stepped forward and helped Zhi Wan into the carriage.

Zhi Wan had just settled into her seat in the carriage when she saw Lu Zhan duck down and enter.

A moment later, the carriage began to move.

Zhi Wan wrung her handkerchief, looked at the man’s cold and severe face, and finally couldn’t help but ask, "Cousin, where are we going?"

"What, are you afraid I’m going to sell you?" Lu Zhan raised his eyes and looked at her coolly.

Zhi Wan was stunned. "I wasn’t thinking that." After a pause, she added, "Cousin would never sell me."

"You trust me that much?" Lu Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Cousin wouldn’t harm me," Zhi Wan said with certainty.

’If Cousin wanted to harm me, he wouldn’t have helped me out of jams time and time again.’

’Cousin looks cold, but he has a good heart.’

Hearing the young lady’s certain tone, the corner of Lu Zhan’s lips curved up slightly. "To the Hundred Flavors Building."

Zhi Wan froze.

She quickly recalled what her cousin had said outside Fushou Hall—that he wasn’t full.

’So he’s going to the Hundred Flavors Building to eat.’

"I’m already full," she said quickly.

"Mm, I’m the one who isn’t full," Lu Zhan said.

Zhi Wan’s lips parted. She wanted to say that she didn’t need to go, but her cousin had already taken a book from a hidden compartment and started reading.

She could only close her mouth.

She had never been out at night before. Hearing the lively sounds outside, she couldn’t resist pushing open the window to look out.

She saw that the Capital City at night was no less bustling and clamorous than during the day. The streets were filled with pedestrians, shoulder to shoulder, creating a tremendously lively scene.

She couldn’t help but be completely captivated by the lively scene before her.

When they arrived at the Hundred Flavors Building, Lu Zhan got out of the carriage first, and Zhi Wan followed behind.

Just as she stepped down from the carriage, a familiar voice called out, "Wanwan!"

Zhi Wan had just looked up when she saw Ouyang Zhenzhu running over.

"Zhenzhu!" Seeing her, Zhi Wan was also overjoyed. "What are you doing here?"

Ouyang Zhenzhu linked her arm with Zhi Wan’s and said with a grin, "Mr. Lu sent Chen Jiu to my house to say that he was treating us to dinner tonight, so I came with my brother."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan finally noticed Ouyang Lei following behind her.

’So, back outside Fushou Hall, when Cousin was giving Chen Jiu orders, he was sending him to the Ouyang Family to invite the two siblings?’

"Cousin Zhi Wan," Ouyang Lei greeted her.

"Junior Minister Ouyang," Zhi Wan curtsied.

Ouyang Lei glanced at Lu Zhan and teased, "I was wondering why you were so kind today, treating my sister and me to dinner. Turns out we have Cousin Zhi Wan to thank for it." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Zhi Wan was stunned. "Junior Minister Ouyang, you misunderstand. My cousin invited you to dinner, it’s not because..."

"It’s getting late. Let’s go inside," Lu Zhan said coolly.

Junior Minister Ouyang immediately slung an arm around his shoulder. "It’s rare for you to treat us to a meal. Tonight, I’m definitely going to have a few extra drinks."

"Mm, it’d be best if you get dead drunk, show up to morning court tomorrow reeking of alcohol, and get reprimanded by the Emperor," Lu Zhan said unhurriedly.

Ouyang Lei choked for a moment, then said sullenly, "If I can’t drink, then I’ll order the most expensive and best dishes."

"Mm." Lu Zhan had no objection.

Junior Minister Ouyang looked at him in surprise.

’Why is Old Lu so agreeable today?’

’Don’t tell me he’s prepared another trap for me to fall into?’

"Old Lu, why do I get the feeling this dinner tonight is a treacherous feast?" he said with a wary expression.

"Then don’t eat." Lu Zhan brushed the hand off his shoulder and led the way into the private room.

"It’s just a meal, you’re always so suspicious. Maybe you should just stand and watch us eat instead." Ouyang Zhenzhu pushed Ouyang Lei out of the way and pulled Zhi Wan inside with her.

Ouyang Lei: "..."

Lu Zhan had already made arrangements, so as soon as they sat down, a waiter from the Hundred Flavors Building led staff in to serve all the dishes.

Looking at the table full of dishes, Zhi Wan glanced at Lu Zhan in surprise.

’There are only four of us, why would we need so many dishes?’

"Are these dishes not to your liking?" Lu Zhan asked in a low voice when he saw she hadn’t touched her chopsticks for a while.

"No, that’s not it." Zhi Wan snapped out of her daze and said quickly. After a pause, she whispered, "Thank you for going to so much trouble tonight, Cousin."

No matter how slow she was, she understood now. Her cousin saying he wasn’t full was just an excuse to bring her out to eat.

To make her feel more at ease, he had even specially sent Chen Jiu to fetch the siblings, Ouyang Lei and Ouyang Zhenzhu.

She had indeed barely eaten a few bites at Fushou Hall earlier that evening, but she never expected her cousin to notice, let alone go to the trouble of arranging this dinner.

A warmth spread through her heart, and the embarrassment she had felt at Fushou Hall dissipated with it.

Seeing the slight redness in the young lady’s eyes and nose, Lu Zhan said coolly, "I had to eat too. Don’t overthink it."

"Cousin, you’re so good to me," Zhi Wan said from the bottom of her heart.

’I don’t actually need to worry about what others think. My aunt, uncle, and cousin all dote on me. Whenever someone tries to embarrass me, they always speak up for me and protect me.’

Meeting the young lady’s look of adoration, Lu Zhan: "..."

He cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "Eat."

"Yes." Zhi Wan picked up her chopsticks, lowered her head, and began to eat, feeling that the food at the Hundred Flavors Building was truly delicious.

After the meal, Zhi Wan raised her teacup and said, "I’ll use tea in place of wine to toast you, Cousin."

"Using tea instead of wine shows no sincerity! You have to drink wine," Ouyang Lei heckled.

Ouyang Zhenzhu chimed in, "Exactly! You have to drink wine."

Looking at the two siblings, who were clueless about the reason for the toast but were heckling anyway, Zhi Wan was at a loss.

Lu Zhan shot the siblings a cool glance. "If you two want to drink, feel free!" With that, he picked up his own teacup, drained it in one gulp, and then looked at Zhi Wan. "We’re going back."

Seeing this, Zhi Wan also quickly drained her tea and rose to her feet.

The Ouyang siblings: "..."