The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 105: Lu Zhan: What Are We?

Upon hearing this, the waiter’s face fell. He apologized to Zhi Wan and the others. "I’m terribly sorry, ladies. Would you mind sitting in the main hall? Or perhaps you could try another restaurant?"

He was clearly intimidated by the other party’s status.

Ouyang Zhenzhu had never been so humiliated. ’How dare the mere daughter of an Assistant Magistrate bully us?’

She was about to explode with rage, but Zhi Wan pulled her back.

She whispered, "Let it go. We’re far from home; it’s better to avoid trouble. Let’s just sit in the main hall. It’s not so bad."

Seeing this, Jiang Shi, who had started to step forward, retreated.

The waiter nodded at them gratefully and lowered his voice. "Please, have a seat over there for now. I’ll have the kitchen prioritize your orders."

"Thank you," Zhi Wan said, pulling a reluctant Ouyang Zhenzhu to an empty table in the main hall.

They had just sat down when they saw the maid from before leading a young lady through the door. Behind her followed an entourage of five or six maids and matrons—quite a display.

Ouyang Zhenzhu’s expression was foul. "A dragon stranded in the shallows is mocked by shrimp!"

Amused, Zhi Wan poured her a cup of tea. "Miss Long, please have some tea."

Ouyang Zhenzhu shot her a glare. "Even you’re making fun of me!" Still, she took the cup.

"How would I dare?" Zhi Wan said with a smile. Seeing her down the tea in one gulp, she poured another cup.

"All right, all right, no more for me," Ouyang Zhenzhu said. "I want to save room for the delicious food."

The waiter kept his word. A short while later, their table was served first, and he even brought them an extra plate of pastries.

Gazing at the feast before her, Ouyang Zhenzhu’s earlier humiliation completely vanished.

There was more than enough food for just Zhi Wan and Ouyang Zhenzhu, so they had Shuang’er and the other maids sit down and eat with them. Only Jiang Shi, his face stern, refused to take a seat.

Zhi Wan didn’t want to force him, so she let him be.

As they were finishing their meal, the maid from before happened to be descending the stairs, surrounding her young mistress.

But then, disaster struck. The daughter of the Assistant Magistrate, who was surrounded by her servants, somehow lost her footing and tumbled down the stairs.

The maid at the very front took the brunt of it. She was dragged down the stairs and ended up as a human cushion, crushed beneath her mistress.

Instantly, screams erupted, and the main hall descended into chaos.

Ouyang Zhenzhu watched, feeling vindicated. "Serves them right! Let’s see them act so high and mighty now."

Zhi Wan couldn’t muster any sympathy for them either. After watching the spectacle for a moment, she was about to ask Shuang’er to settle the bill when she saw Jiang Shi walking back from the counter.

"Did you already settle the bill?" Zhi Wan asked in surprise.

"Yes," Jiang Shi grunted. He glanced at the chaos ahead and said, "You’re all finished, so let’s go." With that, he walked straight outside.

Zhi Wan didn’t even have a chance to offer him the silver for the meal.

By the time they left the restaurant, Jiang Shi had already brought the carriage around.

They were all feeling rather full and didn’t want to walk, so they climbed into the carriage.

Back at their residence, Zhi Wan took the money pouch from Shuang’er, pulled out an ingot of silver, and offered it to Jiang Shi. "For the meal."

Jiang Shi didn’t take it. "That’s not necessary."

"Of course it is. Here, take it," Zhi Wan insisted.

Jiang Shi frowned. "I didn’t pay for it out of my own pocket. The Princely Heir provided the silver."

Zhi Wan froze. "My cousin?"

"Yes. Before we departed, the Princely Heir gave me a sum of silver. He said that whatever the Miss wishes to eat or buy, you need only give the order," Jiang Shi explained.

Hearing this, Zhi Wan had no choice but to drop the matter.

Before entering the residence, she suddenly turned to look at him. "Jiang Shi, the Assistant Magistrate’s daughter falling down the stairs just now... that wasn’t an accident, was it?"

Jiang Shi gave her a surprised glance but said nothing before turning and walking away.

His reaction confirmed her suspicion.

’So it was Jiang Shi who made the Assistant Magistrate’s daughter fall down the stairs.’

Ouyang Zhenzhu, who had overheard, quickly grabbed her hand. "Jiang Shi did that?"

"It seems so," Zhi Wan nodded.

Ouyang Zhenzhu was both thrilled and excited. "That Jiang Shi! He seems so quiet, but he’s ruthless! Still, that was so satisfying! That Assistant Magistrate’s daughter and her snobbish maid will probably be laid up in bed for a good ten days to half a month now."

"Mm," Zhi Wan nodded, but her thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

’Jiang Shi said my cousin would be back in three days at the latest. Today is the second day... he should be back tomorrow, right?’

’I wonder how things are going for him?’

...

"Wanwan, what are you thinking about?"

A nudge on her arm brought Zhi Wan back to her senses. She saw Ouyang Zhenzhu sitting across from her, a puzzled look on her face.

"Nothing," Zhi Wan said, lifting her teacup for a sip as she gazed out at the curtain of rain.

It was the third day, but her cousin had not returned.

She and Ouyang Zhenzhu had planned to go into town again today, but the sudden downpour had ruined their plans.

The two of them sat under the eaves of the porch, brewing tea and watching the rain, which had a certain charm of its own.

"Are you worried about Mr. Lu?" Ouyang Zhenzhu asked suddenly.

"No," Zhi Wan said, pulling her gaze away from the rain and shaking her head.

"Well, I’m a little worried," Ouyang Zhenzhu said.

"About what?" Zhi Wan asked.

"That night, when Mr. Lu and the others suddenly sent us away, I knew they must have had something important to do. It might have even been dangerous. I’m just so afraid they might not—MMMPH!" Before Ouyang Zhenzhu could finish, Zhi Wan clapped a hand over her mouth.

Ouyang Zhenzhu protested with a muffled "MMPH, MMPH!", but Zhi Wan didn’t let go.

Her eyes were wide and round as she said sternly, "Don’t say such things!"

Ouyang Zhenzhu stared at her, stunned, before nodding obediently.

Only then did Zhi Wan release her hand.

As soon as she was free, Ouyang Zhenzhu complained, "Why are you acting like a fussy old woman?"

Zhi Wan ignored her, her gaze returning to the curtain of rain, her expression filled with worry.

’My cousin and the others... they should be all right, shouldn’t they?’

Worried sick about Lu Zhan’s safety, Zhi Wan hadn’t slept soundly for several nights.

Tonight was no different.

She had just managed to drift off when she suddenly felt a warm chest press against her back.

She woke with a start. Turning her head, she saw him—the man who had not appeared in so long was now in her bed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting up in astonishment.

The man propped his head on one hand, a trace of bewilderment on his handsome face. "I don’t know either."

Zhi Wan pursed her lips and lay back down, her slender fingers beginning to twist a lock of his dark hair.

"You haven’t shown up in so long. I thought you wouldn’t be back."

A hint of exhaustion creased his brow. Hearing her, he lowered his gaze to meet hers. "Were you disappointed?"

"What?" Zhi Wan’s hand stilled, and she looked up, confused.

"Aren’t you dead set on finding a live-in husband? If so, what does that make us?" the man asked coolly.