Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

It was Shang Hexing; he was still outside her door, not having left.

He seemed to know she would open the door again, his expression devoid of surprise, and his lips held a faint, almost nonexistent smile, "What do you want to ask?"

His words were like a pebble dropped into the calm lake of Wen Zhi’s heart, rippling the surface.

"Did you figure out early on that I had something I wanted to ask you?" she asked.

"You’re not good at hiding your concerns," Shang Hexing told her, "If you want to ask something, you can just ask me."

Wen Zhi pursed her lips and then shook her head: "I don’t have anything to ask." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Wen Zhi," Shang Hexing called out her name.

Wen Zhi shook her head, "I really don’t have anything to ask, Mr. Shang."

The final "Mr. Shang" was a representation of creating distance.

Shang Hexing watched her quietly for a moment, and in the end, he didn’t say anything else, only cautioning her, "Get some rest early."

Wen Zhi nodded.

He paused, then added another line, "Have sweet dreams."

Sweet dreams...

She had thought she would truly dream of Shang Hexing that night.

But she didn’t.

She slept exceptionally deeply; no one entered her dreams.

When dawn broke the next day, Wen Zhi washed up and timed her visit to knock on the door of room 8010; it was Chen Jinhai who answered.

"Miss Wen," Chen Jinhai nodded.

Wen Zhi was puzzled, "Chen Zhu, why is it you? Where’s Mr. Shang?"

Chen Jinhai stepped aside, allowing Wen Zhi to see the tall figure on the balcony, and said, "I just brought Mr. Shang some clothes over, including a set for Miss Wen. I was about to deliver them to you."

Wen Zhi withdrew her gaze, looked down at the cheongsam she was wearing, and realized it was time to change. However, lacking spare clothes, she had no choice but to make do with what she had.

She took the clothes from Chen Jinhai with a word of thanks, then went back to change before returning.

The outfit she changed into was not casual; it was beautiful with a sense of design, a discreet luxury brand, slightly expensive.

Wen Zhi, having changed, came back to knock on the door. This time, it wasn’t Chen Jinhai who opened the door but Secretary Xun An.

Xun An complimented her, "The clothes Mr. Shang picked out suit Miss Wen very well."

The corners of Wen Zhi’s mouth lifted into a smile, but upon hearing that Shang Hexing had chosen them, her smile faded a bit, and she asked, "Has Mr. Shang finished his phone call?"

Xun An gestured for her to come in, "Mr. Shang is still on the phone. Miss Wen, please have a seat inside."

Wen Zhi nodded and stepped inside.

The business suite’s balcony was large, and with the distance being so far, Wen Zhi couldn’t clearly see his face, but she had a vague feeling his complexion wasn’t very good.

She turned to ask Xun An, "Is it Bai City pressing Mr. Shang to return?"

Xun An poured Wen Zhi a cup of morning tea. Upon hearing her question, he replied without a change in expression, "Is that Miss Wen’s guess?"

Wen Zhi: "Mhm."

Xun An set down the teapot, gestured for her to enjoy, and then said four words: "Han Family of Bai City."

Wen Zhi didn’t respond.

Seeing no reaction from Wen Zhi, Xun An continued, "The old man has heard some rumors and is concerned about Mr. Shang, so he called to ask. Probably because they haven’t been in contact for a while, the old man is quite worried and is now chatting with Mr. Shang about family matters."

"Mr. Shang’s trip back to Bai City will likely involve taking some time to stay with the Han Family."

Every word Xun An spoke was measured.

Wen Zhi could read between the lines, hence her choice not to respond.

Put simply, the Han Family knew that Shang Hexing had been seeing her lately and had also learned of her identity. They would probably prevent Shang Hexing from interacting with her moving forward.

Every sentence about the Han Family, every sentence pressing on her with the weight of identity.

Wen Zhi stood up, looking at Xun An, "Please tell Mr. Shang when you have a moment, that I’ve returned to the temple."

Xun An called out to her, "Miss Wen."

Wen Zhi turned her gaze back.

Xun An suggested, "Miss Wen might as well return to the Wen Family. After all, the Shang Family can only offer you a temporary respite. The old man said, if Miss Wen needs any help, just ask. But the condition is..."

Wen Zhi: "The condition is to stay aware from Shang Hexing, right?"

Xun An nodded.

Wen Zhi said, "I understand."