The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 102: Lu Zhan Jumps into the River to Save Zhi Wan
By the time Zhi Wan awoke, the sun was already high in the sky.
She lay in bed, her expression bewildered as she looked around the familiar cabin.
’Hadn’t I been thrown into the river by those pirates?’
’So I didn’t drown after all...’
Just then, Ouyang Zhenzhu’s joyful voice rang out. "Wanwan, you’re finally awake!"
Zhi Wan had barely turned her head when Ouyang Zhenzhu threw her arms around her.
"I’m so glad you’re okay," Ouyang Zhenzhu sniffled.
A warmth spread through Zhi Wan’s chest. "If you don’t let go, I really *will* be in trouble."
Ouyang Zhenzhu quickly released her. "I’m just so happy."
Zhi Wan coughed and tried to sit up, but Ouyang Zhenzhu stopped her. "Wanwan, don’t get up yet. You’re still injured, so you need to lie down and rest. I’ll go tell Mr. Lu and the others you’re awake. Mr. Lu was so worried about you." With that, she set down the medicine bowl in her hands and dashed out.
Hearing this, Zhi Wan thought of Nanny Fang and Shuang’er. She immediately looked around, but seeing no sign of either of them, she began to worry.
Pushing her weak body up, she anxiously got out of bed and rushed outside.
But she had just stepped out the door when her legs suddenly gave way. As she started to fall, a long, slender hand reached out, catching her by the arm and pulling her upright.
"What are you running for?" a man’s deep voice scolded.
Zhi Wan froze. When she looked up, she saw her cousin standing before her.
He was standing against the light, which made his expression look deep and unreadable. The sight immediately brought back the memory of last night—when she was being held hostage, he had stood in the firelight, his expression cold and merciless.
At the memory of last night, her long, curled lashes trembled. She lowered her head and stammered, "I—I woke up and didn’t see Nanny Fang and Shuang’er. I—I wanted to go find them..."
"They’re fine. You should worry about yourself first," Lu Zhan said in a low voice. But as his gaze fell upon her face, his sharp brows suddenly knitted together.
It had been too dark last night, so he hadn’t noticed her face.
Only now did he notice the faint mark of fingers on her left cheek.
’Could it be that Miss Liu had also struck her last night?’
At the thought, his handsome face darkened.
After a long moment, he reined in his emotions and asked gently, "Can you walk on your own?"
"Y-Yes..." Zhi Wan’s voice was barely a whisper.
"Then go back inside on your own," Lu Zhan said, releasing her and taking two steps back.
Zhi Wan hesitated, then asked, "Nanny Fang and the others... where are they?"
Looking at her still-pale face, Lu Zhan paused, then patiently explained, "Nanny Fang was injured quite badly and hasn’t woken up yet. Shuang’er is looking after her. I was worried they would disturb your rest, so I took the liberty of moving Nanny Fang to another cabin."
Hearing this, Zhi Wan could no longer care about herself. "I want to go see Nanny Fang," she said urgently.
Lu Zhan pursed his thin lips but finally nodded. "Mm."
Seeing Ouyang Zhenzhu walk over just then, he instructed, "Help her go see Nanny Fang."
"But Wanwan hasn’t had her medicine yet," Ouyang Zhenzhu said worriedly.
"Then she can go after she finishes it," Lu Zhan said, glancing at Zhi Wan.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Zhenzhu hurried into the room and brought out the medicine bowl.
Though anxious, Zhi Wan obediently drank all the medicine under her cousin’s watchful gaze.
"Go on," Lu Zhan said, taking the empty bowl from her hands. "Don’t stay for too long. Come back and get some rest."
Zhi Wan was taken aback for a moment, but she was too worried about Nanny Fang to dwell on it. With Ouyang Zhenzhu’s support, she hurried to Nanny Fang’s cabin.
Sure enough, just as Lu Zhan had said, Nanny Fang had not yet woken up, and Shuang’er was at her side, watching over her.
Seeing Zhi Wan, Shuang’er finally let out the breath she’d been holding.
Ouyang Zhenzhu had come by earlier to tell her that the young miss had awakened, but she hadn’t been able to truly relax until seeing her with her own eyes.
"Young Miss..." Thinking of all her mistress had endured, Shuang’er’s eyes turned red.
Remembering the perils of the previous night, Zhi Wan’s own eyes reddened. She reached out to hug Shuang’er and asked with concern, "Are you all right?"
Shuang’er shook her head. "I’m fine. I only fainted."
Only then did Zhi Wan relax. Her gaze shifted to Nanny Fang, who was lying on the bed. "How is she?"
Shuang’er wiped her eyes and replied, "Doctor Wang said she was kicked, injuring her internal organs. She bled a little. He said she’ll need to rest well for two days before she wakes up."
Zhi Wan’s heart clenched at her words. It was her fault Nanny Fang was hurt.
Shuang’er tried to comfort her. "Don’t worry, Young Miss. Doctor Wang already prescribed medicine for her. Nanny Fang will be all right."
"That’s right, Wanwan," Ouyang Zhenzhu added. "That Doctor Wang is a very skilled physician. If he says Nanny Fang will be fine, then she’ll be fine. Don’t worry too much. You haven’t even recovered yet."
She knew Zhi Wan’s condition better than anyone, as she and Xi’er were the ones who had changed her clothes. A large, dark bruise covered Zhi Wan’s fair back, and there were more on her calves.
’Those damn pirates,’ she thought. ’To think they could be so vicious with Wanwan.’
"Wanwan, Nanny Fang needs to rest peacefully. With so many of us crowded in here, it won’t help her recover. Let’s go back for now," Ouyang Zhenzhu urged softly, worried about her friend’s condition.
"Yes, Young Miss. You should hurry back and rest. I’ll be here," Shuang’er chimed in.
Zhi Wan did indeed feel weak and dizzy, so she didn’t insist on staying any longer.
After Ouyang Zhenzhu helped her back to the cabin and into bed, she sat on the edge of the mattress to keep her company, worried she might get bored.
"Oh, by the way, Wanwan, it was Mr. Lu who jumped into the river to save you last night."
Zhi Wan froze. "My cousin?"
"Yes!" Ouyang Zhenzhu nodded and recounted what happened. "Last night, I was hiding in my cabin. Once I realized the danger had passed, Xi’er and I came out. But just as we did, we saw Mr. Lu leap into the river! It scared me half to death. I thought he’d lost all hope and was going to drown himself."
Her expression was animated. She patted her chest as if still shaken by the memory, but then her face broke into a smile. "However, not long after, I saw Mr. Lu climb back onto the boat carrying you. Only then did I realize he’d jumped into the river to save you."
Zhi Wan remembered it now. Last night, as she was sinking into the river, she had indeed seen her cousin swimming toward her right before she lost consciousness.
’So it really was my cousin who saved me. It wasn’t a hallucination.’
A complex mix of emotions stirred within her.
"Who would’ve thought?" Ouyang Zhenzhu mused. "Mr. Lu always seems so cold and unapproachable, but he didn’t hesitate for a second to jump in the river when you were in danger."
Her words reminded Zhi Wan of the night before. When Miss Liu held her hostage, her cousin had coldly declared that her life or death had nothing to do with him.
She knew, deep down, that he had said it on purpose. But in that situation, his words had filled her with shock, fear, and a bone-deep chill.
"But the worst of them all is Chen Jiu!" Ouyang Zhenzhu suddenly said resentfully.
Zhi Wan was pulled from her thoughts, not knowing what to say.
She believed that Chen Jiu hadn’t actually betrayed her cousin, that he must have had his own hidden difficulties.
She just didn’t understand... what exactly was her cousin’s goal?
