Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

Wen Zhi: "I was actually here to remind you not to keep feeding, just look at the pond for yourself."

Meng Fan stopped.

She glanced at the fish in the pond, which were all overfed, with one’s belly almost turning over from being too full.

Fish can’t feel fullness in a noticeable way, so if you keep feeding, they’ll keep eating; whatever Meng Fan had fed them, they had eaten.

One after another, they were almost bursting!

"Well... Zhizhi, don’t tell Uncle," Meng Fan said before running off.

Wen Zhi was caught between laughter and tears.

Today, Meng Fan stayed at Qionglou until two in the afternoon before leaving.

Close to three, just minutes after Meng Fan had left, someone else arrived, but this time it wasn’t just anyone.

Wen Zhi hadn’t contacted Mu Yanzhou since returning from Harbor City, not even once, because she knew that no matter where she went, her dad would find out.

It was the same this time.

Though three days late, he still came.

Carrying mixed feelings of anticipation and anxiety, Wen Zhi went out, only to see Gu Rang alone, pushing a suitcase.

"Are you here by yourself?" Wen Zhi asked.

Gu Rang replied with a smile, "Were you hoping to see President Mu?"

Wen Zhi shook her head subconsciously, denying, "No, I was just asking. What brings you here today? And what’s in that suitcase?"

Gu Rang pushed the suitcase in front of Wen Zhi: "Shang Hexing asked someone to contact me, to bring you some luggage, saying you would be staying here for a while."

It was only at that moment Wen Zhi learned that Shang Hexing had asked someone to contact Gu Rang on his behalf; she also understood Shang Hexing wouldn’t mention it in front of her because she would oppose it.

He had taken the liberty of deciding for her, but she ended up accepting it.

That’s how the human psyche works; one doesn’t want to accept something actively, only passively.

She took the luggage from Gu Rang’s hands, saying, "Thank you for the trouble."

Gu Rang shook his head, adding, "The housekeeper packed it while they weren’t at home, including your clothes, shoes, and some accessories, which have all been brought over."

Accessories...

Wen Zhi suddenly remembered her two strings of Buddha Beads. She was just about to ask when Gu Rang, seemingly aware of her question, cut in, "Everything is in the suitcase."

Wen Zhi paused.

Gu Rang’s handsome features were edged with a smile: "It was President Mu’s instruction."

Wen Zhi cast her eyes downward.

"Take good care of yourself during this time; I’ll be going back to report in." Gu Rang didn’t say anything inappropriate or linger too long.

As he turned to leave, Wen Zhi called out, "Gu Rang..."

"Oh right," Gu Rang suddenly turned back: "I’ll come to pick you up in half a month."

Wen Zhi involuntarily gripped the handle of the suitcase: "Pick me up to go where?"

Some things are mentioned in advance as a kind of heads-up, and that was precisely what Gu Rang meant.

He informed her ahead of time without completely clarifying, to give her some mental preparation.

After that, Gu Rang left.

He came in a hurry, left in a hurry, and even his words were hasty.

Wen Zhi watched him leave, then turned to see Chen Jinhai extending his hand: "Miss Wen, let me carry it in for you."

Wen Zhi let go of the handle: "Thank you, Chen Zhu."

Chen Jinhai nodded, pushing the suitcase inside.

_

After dinner, Shang Hexing suggested Wen Zhi go to rest early. Wen Zhi found it a bit odd, because since moving in, Shang Hexing would always find a reason, intentional or not, to keep her around after dinner, creating opportunities for the two of them to be alone together.

But tonight was different.

Wen Zhi asked him, "Are you going out?"

Shang Hexing looked somewhat indifferent: "No, I’m just a bit tired, I want to rest early."

"Is that so?" She was still somewhat skeptical.

Shang Hexing laughed in a muffled voice, "What else?"

"Alright." Wen Zhi believed he was genuinely a bit tired; after all, he had been dealing with official business in the study the whole afternoon, and when Meng Fan left, he still hadn’t come downstairs.

She returned to the bedroom.

After washing up, Wen Zhi took out the clothes and shoes from her suitcase before going to sleep, as well as her jewelry box, and those two strings of Buddha Beads.

She wore the Buddha Beads on her wrist and kissed them affectionately—valuing them greatly. When sleepiness arrived, she took off the Buddha Beads and placed them back in the jewelry box, then went to bed.

Until late at night.

The door to Wen Zhi’s bedroom opened, and a tall figure walked in.

At that time, Wen Zhi was deeply asleep, not hearing any movement—until a string of Buddha Beads appeared on her wrist, and even then, she did not wake.

Consciousness slowly descended into a dream.

After an unknown amount of time, Wen Zhi suddenly opened her eyes.

What came into view were those layer upon layer of bookshelves. The surroundings flickered dimly, not very clear. Wen Zhi looked around and finally realized this was Shang Hexing’s study.

She rubbed her eyes, then closed and reopened them; it was the same environment, only much clearer than before.

At this point, she knew that she was dreaming again.

Not seeing Shang Hexing, she wasn’t sure if she would dream of him this time. She wandered about beneath the bookshelves until she spotted an interesting book in a corner.

She stopped, about to reach for it, when Shang Hexing suddenly approached from behind and took it for her, "This one?"

Wen Zhi jumped, turning around, "Why don’t you make a sound when you walk?"

He had appeared behind her without making a sound, as if materializing out of thin air.

However, she quickly reassured herself that this was a dream.

"There was a sound," he handed the book to her, "you just didn’t hear it."

Wen Zhi took the book, her expression unnatural, "You’re standing too close, I can’t read like this."

Shang Hexing didn’t move.

Wen Zhi looked up at his face, knowing this was clearly a dream, but she felt inexplicably nervous.

"Wen Zhi." Shang Hexing leaned forward slightly.

Wen Zhi’s almond-shaped eyes blinked lightly, and her breathing slowed for a moment.

Flashbacks of the study during daytime crossed her mind, and she felt the present moment was another version of that scene, so she instinctively asked the question, "Have you finished your official business?"

Shang Hexing’s natural response was, "Not yet."

Wen Zhi, "Then you..."

"My mind isn’t on that anymore." Shang Hexing’s very blunt words, closing in an inch closer, "It’s all taken by you, don’t you know that?"

Wen Zhi’s breath hitched.

Her hands tightly clutched the book.

Shang Hexing raised his hand to her slender shoulder, and before Wen Zhi could react, he pushed her backwards with force, pinning her against the bookshelf.

Unlike the daytime when he claimed kisses under the guise of a ’taste’.

This time, his movements were clearly more determined.

"The book in your hands, do you still plan to read it?" Shang Hexing’s hand lingered at her collar, his voice husky.

Wen Zhi’s breathing trembled, "...Yes."

Shang Hexing’s lips curved up, "Then concentrate on reading, remember to hold on tight so it doesn’t fall; later, I will quiz you on the story it tells."

"Quiz, me?" Her tone was one of disbelief.

"If you read and still get it wrong, there will be punishment."

"Punishment..."

"Yes, punishment."

"You..."

Her voice was drowned out.

The study was the most serious and solemn place, yet Shang Hexing drew Wen Zhi into a dream, and then the most indecent things occurred in that place.