The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 120: Lu Zhan Touched Zhi Wan’s Hand

"Mr. Lu, Junior Minister Duan, please, come in!" Liang Qixian said with effusive courtesy.

"Not so fast." Lu Zhan stood his ground, his gaze shifting to the carriage behind them.

Everyone froze for a moment, then followed his gaze. From the carriage behind, two young women alighted, one after the other.

When they saw the first young woman, with a face as enchanting and radiant as a peach blossom, everyone’s breath caught, their eyes flashing with awe.

’What a beautiful woman!’

The one who followed was also quite attractive, but she seemed plain in comparison to the first.

"Cousin." Zhi Wan walked straight toward Lu Zhan.

"Cousin?" Liang Qixian looked at her in surprise. "Aren’t you from the Lu Family...?"

Zhi Wan’s gaze shifted to him. "Mr. Liang has misunderstood," she said lightly. "My surname is Zhi. I have been living with the Lu Family since I was young. It is only due to my cousin’s kindness that he calls me his cousin."

"Your surname is Zhi?" A flicker of surprise crossed Liang Qixian’s eyes.

"Indeed." Zhi Wan’s eyes remained fixed on him. "You seem very surprised, Mr. Liang."

Liang Qixian collected himself and smiled. "The surname Zhi is uncommon. My own world is small, so I’ve made a fool of myself in front of Miss Zhi."

"Back then..." Zhi Wan had just spoken two words when she suddenly felt a touch on her hand.

She thought she had imagined it, but when she looked down, her sleeve was still swaying. Her cousin’s sleeve, next to her, had also moved.

She paused, stunned, and lifted her eyes to her cousin.

Her cousin was standing right beside her, the closest person to her. There was no doubt that he was the one who had touched her.

But the man’s profile was stern, his expression as cool and distant as ever, showing no sign that anything was amiss.

Noticing her gaze, he finally turned to look at her.

"Cousin, didn’t you say the food at this Hongyun Restaurant was famous far and wide, and that you’ve long wanted to try it?" the man said unhurriedly. "Now that we’re here, you must be sure to eat your fill."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan lowered her eyes and sighed in relief internally.

’His touch just now... was he warning me?’

’He must have been afraid I would act on impulse and say something foolish.’

"Mm," she nodded obediently.

"So Miss Zhi is a fan of the food here at Hongyun Restaurant! It seems I chose the right place, then. Mr. Lu, Junior Minister Duan, and you two young ladies, please, come in!" Liang Qixian said hurriedly.

In the center of the restaurant’s main hall, on a raised circular stage, a dancing girl was twirling gracefully to the music.

Her movements were elegant and enchanting, utterly captivating.

"Mr. Lu, that is Miss Fang Fei, the Oiran of Haitang Pavilion. I have specially invited her to dance for everyone’s entertainment," Liang Qixian said with a broad smile as soon as they entered the hall. "Once she is finished, I will certainly have her come and drink with you." He was clearly treating Lu Zhan like some profligate young master.

Lu Zhan didn’t glance at the circular stage, but he didn’t refuse either, saying only, "You’ve gone to too much trouble, Mr. Liang."

Seeing that he didn’t refuse, Liang Qixian became even more certain of his suspicions.

’This Lord Imperial Envoy is nothing but a lecher after all.’

’But being a lecher is a good thing. As long as he’s a lecher, he won’t be hard to handle.’

Zhi Wan, following behind Lu Zhan, had been straining her ears to hear what Liang Qixian was saying, only to overhear this exchange.

’The Oiran of Haitang Pavilion?’

She couldn’t help but glance toward the circular stage.

On the stage, a Dancing Girl with a graceful figure and stunning looks was performing.

’So this is the type my cousin likes,’ Zhi Wan mused to herself.

Men and women did not dine together, so once upstairs, Lu Zhan and Zhi Wan were shown into separate private rooms.

After entering the private room, Zhi Wan and Ouyang Zhenzhu were invited by Madam Liang to take the seats of honor.

"Miss Zhi, Miss Ouyang, please have some tea." Madam Liang poured tea for them both in a very friendly manner.

Even though there was nothing to fault in her hostess’s attitude, Zhi Wan could still feel a subtle shift in how the other ladies present were treating her ever since she had clarified that she was not a Miss Lu.

"Thank you, Madam Liang." Zhi Wan collected her thoughts, gave a small smile, and raised her cup to take a small sip.

"Jiayi, you’re of a similar age to these two young ladies, so you’ll surely have plenty to talk about. Come over and keep them company," Madam Liang said, turning to a young woman seated at the far end of the table and beckoning her over.

Zeng Jiayi’s mind was still on Mr. Lu, and she hadn’t yet come back to her senses.

She had seen many handsome men in her life, but none could compare to Mr. Lu.

He was extraordinarily handsome, with such a noble air. So young, and already a Lord Imperial Envoy, he even possessed the dignified authority of a superior.

Normally, the Lord Prefect was already quite intimidating, but she never expected a young man to be even more imposing and authoritative than he was. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

’If only I could marry him...’ Zeng Jiayi was lost in a daydream.

She was startled by a sudden nudge from the person beside her.

"Jiajia, the Prefect’s Wife is calling you over to talk with the two young ladies," her mother, Lady Qiao, reminded her.

Only then did Zeng Jiayi snap back to reality and look toward Zhi Wan and Ouyang Zhenzhu.

Both of them were very pretty, but her gaze fell squarely on Miss Zhi, whom she found inexplicably displeasing to the eye.

’A girl who looks like a little vixen. Even the way she looks at people seems like she’s trying to seduce them,’ Zeng Jiayi scoffed internally.

’And here they all thought she was a genuine Miss Lu, but it turns out she’s just a penniless dependent living off the Lu Family.’

’How dare a nobody like that expect to be received and entertained by the families of officials like them?’

’On what grounds?’

The more Zeng Jiayi thought about it, the more resentful she became. She picked up the teapot from the table and walked over.

"Miss Zhi, Miss Ouyang, let Jiayi pour you some tea." Zeng Jiayi wore a smile, but as she poured, her hand "trembled," and tea from the spout spilled toward Zhi Wan.

Although Zhi Wan reacted quickly and dodged to the side, the sleeve of her left arm was still soaked by the tea.

Moreover, the tea was scalding hot. It instantly soaked through the thin fabric of her clothes, and Zhi Wan cried out from the burn, "Ah!"

"What do you think you’re doing?" Ouyang Zhenzhu roared, raising her hand and slapping Zeng Jiayi across the face.

Zeng Jiayi clutched her cheek in disbelief.

She had been doted on by her parents her entire life. They had never even spoken a harsh word to her, let alone struck her.

But now, she had been slapped by some nobody who’d come out of nowhere.

Zeng Jiayi was so furious she saw red. With a shriek, she lunged at Ouyang Zhenzhu. "You bitch!"

Zhi Wan’s expression darkened. She stuck out her foot and tripped Zeng Jiayi, who fell to the ground with a THUD.

Ouyang Zhenzhu clapped her hands in delight. "The bitch fell flat on her face!"

Zeng Jiayi was seeing stars from the fall. Hearing the taunt, she instantly burst into tears of rage.

"You-you-you! What do you think you are, daring to strike my precious daughter? Someone, seize them at once!" Lady Qiao shrieked, utterly incensed.

In an instant, maidservants and nannies rushed forward.

Nanny Fang and her two companions, not to be outdone, rolled up their sleeves, grabbed their opponents by the hair, and began to slam them to the ground.

But they were outnumbered and no match for their opponents. Fortunately, the chaos had attracted the attention of Chen Jiu, who was standing guard outside the door.

Realizing something was wrong, he hurried into the private room where Lu Zhan was. "Princely Heir, there’s trouble with the Miss!"