The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night-Chapter 75: I, Too, Was Very Happy

The man paused, then kissed her even more fervently.

Zhi Wan’s hand slid from his shoulder, tracing down his trim waist before coming to a rest on his firm abdomen.

The man’s back went rigid. He tried to stop her, but her hand deftly slipped from his grasp, darting lower before coming to a halt.

The man lowered his gaze, looking at her in astonishment.

Zhi Wan was just as stunned. As if burned, she snatched her hand back.

Her eyes darted around as she stammered, "I-I have to go." With that, she shoved the man aside and turned to open the door.

But before she could even see what was outside, a powerful arm clamped around her waist and yanked her back.

SLAM!

The man slammed the door shut, pinning Zhi Wan against it once more.

"Too late."

The man’s searing lips brushed against her ear, sending shivers through her body. Her mouth suddenly felt parched. She had no idea what he meant by ’too late.’ With her face pressed against the door, she gasped for breath.

Not until the man lifted her skirt.

Only then did she regain a shred of her reason.

"W-what are you doing?" Zhi Wan paled, grabbing his large hand.

"Returning the favor." The man pried his hand free, his words firm.

Zhi Wan was left speechless.

’It’s true she had touched him, but it was through his clothes. There was no real contact.’

"That doesn’t count!" she said, her voice laced with panic.

One of the man’s hands braced the door beside her while the other tightened around her waist. "Then what would count? Or is it one rule for you and another for me, hmm?"

Zhi Wan was at a loss for words.

Just when she was rendered speechless, the man suddenly used his knee to pry her legs apart.

Zhi Wan’s face drained of color. She turned to look at him. "You..."

His features were blurry, but she could just make out the beads of sweat on his forehead.

She tried to look again, but his large hand pressed her face back toward the door.

When Zhi Wan tried to turn her head again, she found she couldn’t.

In the next moment, her eyes widened, and her face flushed crimson with shame.

The creaking of the door continued for a long time before it finally fell silent.

The expression on Zhi Wan’s face was a sight to behold.

It was a mixture of curiosity, shock, and bewilderment.

’So... did they just do it?’

"What family are you from? What’s your name? How old are you?" The man’s slender fingers brushed through her sweat-dampened hair. He pressed his lips to the shell of her ear, his breath unsteady as he spoke. His low voice was still husky with unsated desire.

Zhi Wan came to her senses and forced herself to sound calm. "Why are you asking?"

"I’ll marry you," the man said, looking at her earnestly.

Zhi Wan froze. "You want to marry me?"

"Of course." The man nodded, his tone sincere. "I have no concubines, nor a wife or children. If you marry me, you will be my principal wife. And in the future, there will be no other women to displease you."

Zhi Wan blinked.

’What he was offering was truly tempting.’

Zhi Wan felt a stir of temptation, but she wasn’t about to lose her head over it.

’It was just like in the novels—before a man truly possesses a woman, all his words are sincere. But once he has her, he’ll cast her aside like a worn-out shoe.’

’She didn’t even know who this man was. It would be absurd to trust him.’

’Besides, this could all just be a ploy to find out who she was.’

At this thought, her mind cleared completely.

Her slender fingertip poked his chest. "Seems like you enjoyed that," she teased.

The tips of the man’s ears burned red as he stared at her in astonishment.

"It was just a bit of fun. You don’t have to take it so seriously," Zhi Wan said with a careless shrug. "You would’ve been just as happy with any other woman."

The man’s dark eyes narrowed. "A bit of fun?"

"Of course." Zhi Wan nodded. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned close to his ear, her breath a sweet whisper. "And I had a good time, too."

The man was silent.

He didn’t speak for a long moment, whether out of shame or anger, she couldn’t tell.

Zhi Wan pouted, finding his silence dull. "You don’t have to take responsibility. It was consensual. I’ll look you up next time, okay?"

A vein throbbed at the man’s temple. "You’re quite brazen, aren’t you?"

"If I weren’t, would I have let you kiss and grope me?" Zhi Wan retorted nonchalantly.

The man’s face darkened. "And if it were another man? Would you be just as compliant?"

Zhi Wan paused. She’d never considered the question.

After all, in her entire life, he was the only man she had ever been this intimate with.

His question honestly stumped her.

She tapped her index finger against her nose, genuinely pondering the question.

Seeing her hesitate, the man’s expression softened, and his gaze fell upon her face.

Her face was still indistinct, but her raised index finger was slender and fair. In the webbing between it and her middle finger, he could faintly make out a tiny red mole.

The man grew thoughtful.

"I’ve never thought about it. But if he were handsome and didn’t repulse me, I suppose I wouldn’t mind cooperating—Mmph!"

Before Zhi Wan could finish her sentence, the man’s lips crushed down on hers again.

This time, his kiss was punishing.

Her lips ached from the force of his kiss, and she instinctively bit him.

The man grunted and pulled back, his gaze dark. "You’re too brazen!"

"That’s right, I am brazen. It’s not like this is the first time we’ve met. You know what I’m like, yet you still want to marry me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn your entire household upside down?" Zhi Wan crossed her arms, looking at him with unhurried composure.

Instead of getting angry, the man chuckled. He reached out and cupped her chin, his tone strangely indulgent. "If I’m planning to marry you, then of course I’m not afraid."

Zhi Wan pushed his hand away. "I’m not marrying you," she said resentfully. "But if you’re willing to marry into my family, I’ll consider taking you as my husband."

The man’s brow furrowed. "I can’t do that."

"Why not?"

"I’m an only child," the man said with a sigh of resignation.

Hearing this, Zhi Wan raised an eyebrow. "So you’re saying that if you weren’t an only child, you’d be willing to marry into my family?"

"Yes." His dark eyes gazed deeply at her.

Zhi Wan froze for a second. "I get it. You feel responsible for me, so you’d even marry into my family against your principles. But you’re overthinking things. I don’t need you to be responsible for me. We both just took what we wanted, that’s all." As she spoke, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Want to continue?"

"What?" the man asked, stunned.

Zhi Wan shot him a look as her fingers traveled down from his waist.

A vein throbbed at his temple as he caught her hand. "Don’t mess around!"

"You weren’t saying that a moment ago," Zhi Wan said with a blink.

The man was speechless.

"What, you pull up your pants and pretend you don’t know me?" Zhi Wan’s eyes glinted with mischief.

The man nearly choked, staring at her in shock. "Where did you learn to say things like that?"

"Is that something a person needs to learn?" Zhi Wan retorted.

The man’s expression darkened. "What brothel are you from?"

"What?" Now it was Zhi Wan’s turn to be stunned.