Chapter 114: Why Is Cousin So Indiscreet?

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Why Is Cousin So Indiscreet?

Seeing that he didn’t blame her, Zhi Wan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.

At his words, she glanced down and saw a golden token lying on the ground.

’How strange,’ she thought. ’Why doesn’t Cousin pick it up himself?’

She suppressed her doubts, walked over, and bent down to pick up the token.

She glanced at it quickly and saw the character for "command" inscribed on it. This must be a token.

’But how could Cousin have dropped something so important on the ground?’

She didn’t dare inspect it further and quickly handed the token to her cousin. "You should keep this somewhere safe, Cousin. It’s too important."

"Mm," Lu Zhan grunted. He didn’t look at the token she offered, but at the hand holding it.

After a moment, he took it with deliberate slowness and said flatly, "It seems you’re right-handed, Cousin."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan looked down at her right hand. "I’ve always been right-handed," she said, confused. "Are you left-handed, Cousin?"

"Miss, the Princely Heir is equally skilled with both his left and right hands. He can write and wield a sword with either," Chen Jiu, who had just walked over, couldn’t help but interject.

Zhi Wan looked at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Of course," Chen Jiu affirmed with a nod.

"You’re amazing, Cousin!" Zhi Wan said, looking at Lu Zhan with admiration.

Meeting the young woman’s admiring gaze, Lu Zhan paused. He tucked the token into his sleeve. "It’s nothing remarkable." After a moment, he added in a low voice, "If you have a moment, Cousin, would you care to take a walk with me?"

Zhi Wan had been about to make an excuse to leave, but at his invitation, she could only agree. "Alright."

Nanny Chen’s home was at the edge of the village. Though her family was the only one living there, a small path leading up the mountain was right beside it, which villagers often used.

Zhi Wan trailed slowly behind Lu Zhan as they headed up the mountain.

"Chen Jiu, you don’t need to follow us," Lu Zhan, walking ahead, suddenly said in a low voice.

At his words, Zhi Wan froze for a second and glanced back at Chen Jiu.

Chen Jiu was clearly surprised as well, but he answered respectfully, "Yes, sir," and retreated to the foot of the mountain.

Seeing this, Zhi Wan furrowed her brow slightly.

’If Chen Jiu isn’t coming, then it’ll just be me and Cousin.’

’Isn’t that a little... improper?’

’Why isn’t he concerned about propriety?’

Just as she was hesitating, she heard her cousin’s low voice command, "Keep up."

With a heavy heart, Zhi Wan followed him up the mountain path.

It had rained for several days, and though the sun was out today, the mountain path was still muddy. Before long, Zhi Wan’s shoes were caked in yellow mud, making her slip as she walked. The hem of her skirt was splattered with dirt.

Seeing her own disheveled state, Zhi Wan stopped on a grassy patch by the path, refusing to go on.

Leaning forward with a hand on her waist, she panted and called out to the man ahead of her, "Cousin, you go on without me. I can’t walk anymore. I’m going back."

Lu Zhan had excellent hearing and had heard her panting for some time. Now that his cousin was ready to give up, he had no choice but to stop. He looked back and saw her sorry state, then said gently after a pause, "You won’t be able to get back down like this."

"Why not?" Zhi Wan asked, looking down at herself in confusion.

"Have you ever heard the saying? ’Going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is hard.’ With your soles caked in so much wet mud, you won’t be able to make it down," Lu Zhan said flatly, suddenly turning back to her side.

Seeing how effortless it was for him, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but glance at his boots. They were still perfectly clean.

"How did you manage that?" she asked the man before her, curious.

Lu Zhan pointed to the grassy verges on either side of the path. "If you walk on the grass, you won’t get muddy."

Zhi Wan’s eyes widened in realization. ’How did I not think of that?’

Lu Zhan scanned the area, then plucked two palm-sized leaves from a nearby tree. He placed them on the grass. "Take off your shoes and stand on these."

Zhi Wan’s lovely, almond-shaped eyes blinked. She looked at him, puzzled. "What are you doing, Cousin?"

Lu Zhan’s handsome brows arched slightly as he countered with a faint, teasing smile, "What do you *think* I’m going to do, Cousin?"

Meeting the man’s jet-black eyes, Zhi Wan’s heart gave a strange leap. She avoided his gaze and lowered her head.

After a moment’s thought, she did as her cousin said, taking off her shoes and standing on the leaves.

She was wearing socks, so she wasn’t afraid of anyone seeing her feet.

’Besides, this is a man I respect as an older brother.’

’There’s no need to be so reserved.’

The young woman’s sock-clad feet were delicate and small, not even as large as the leaves they stood upon.

Lu Zhan paused for a moment before coolly averting his gaze. He bent down, pulled a dagger from his boot, and cut a small branch from the tree. Then, he picked up Zhi Wan’s shoes and began scraping the mud from the soles.

Zhi Wan watched his actions, stunned.

’So that’s why Cousin told me to take off my shoes.’

But seeing her shoes being held in his hands, she felt a knot of awkwardness in her heart.

’This is far too improper.’

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she quickly reached out her hand. "Cousin, give them to me. I’ll do it myself."

Lu Zhan glanced up at her but didn’t hand over the shoes. He simply said flatly, "It’s no trouble. There’s no need to be so polite, Cousin."

’Is this really about being polite?’

Zhi Wan’s pink lips parted, and she wanted to remind him of the impropriety. But seeing the frank and righteous look on his face, she swallowed her words.

’He’s being perfectly straightforward. I’m the one with the wild thoughts.’

’Cousin just sees me as a sister...’

Zhi Wan twisted the handkerchief in her hands, still feeling incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

Even though he was her cousin, he was still a man. And even if he was only trying to help, she felt it wasn’t right for him to be touching her shoes so directly.

Besides, her cousin was the esteemed Minister of the Ministry of Justice and the Princely Heir of Duke Dingguo Mansion. His status was so lofty; for him to be doing this for her made her feel deeply uneasy.

Thinking of this, she finally spoke up. "Cousin, you shouldn’t be doing something like this. It isn’t appropriate."

Lu Zhan lifted his gaze slightly. "Why not?"

Zhi Wan: "..."

’I was being direct enough. Why is he still asking me?’

’Cousin has always been so self-disciplined and proper. But his behavior today is completely overturning my perception of him.’

’Taking me up the mountain alone, and now cleaning my shoes.’

’His actions today make him seem like a completely different person from the cousin I know.’

Zhi Wan’s brow furrowed.

Watching him, head lowered and focused on cleaning her shoes, she felt a sliver of panic.

’What’s gotten into him?’

’He’s been... a little too good to me lately.’

’Even her own brother wouldn’t necessarily go this far.’

At this thought, she couldn’t help but say, "Cousin, you are of high standing. Doing something like this is unbecoming of your status, and I... I am unnerved."

Lu Zhan’s movements paused, and he lifted his eyes to look at her.

He saw that the young woman had already lowered her head. Her curled eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings, and her small hands twisted her handkerchief anxiously.

Lu Zhan’s gaze rested on her hands.

But her fingers were clasped together, hiding whatever he was trying to see.

He suddenly felt a surge of irritation and said flatly, "What do you call me, Cousin?"

Zhi Wan froze, looking up at him. "Cousin, of course."

Lu Zhan nodded. "In that case, what is there to worry about?"

Zhi Wan was taken aback.

"Besides, only outsiders care about my status. Are you treating me like an outsider, Cousin?" As he finished speaking, he suddenly took two steps closer.

Zhi Wan jumped in fright and instinctively tried to step back, forgetting she was barefoot. By the time she realized, her foot was about to land in the mud.

At the critical moment, a hand shot out and wrapped firmly around her waist, steadying her.

"Careful," the man’s deep voice murmured by her ear. Zhi Wan’s mind went completely blank.