Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

Nian Xun countered, "What do you think?"

Wen Zhi understood Nian Xun’s stance, she didn’t make a fuss or struggle, instead she calmly reasoned with him, "I’m just leaving for a while, I’ve said I would come back and I will never go back on my word."

Nian Xun: "No, your treatment isn’t finished yet, I can’t rest easy with you leaving, especially since your father entrusted you to my care."

Wen Zhi was slightly startled: "My father?"

In the past few months, Nian Xun had never mentioned her parents in front of Wen Zhi.

"If you want to know more, then you have to listen to me and not leave on a whim," Nian Xun said, bending down to pick up a jacket that had fallen on the floor and threw it back on the bed.

This wasn’t his first visit to Wen Zhi’s bedroom.

Previously, after Wen Zhi’s first treatment, every time he came to see her, it was in this very bedroom.

Wen Zhi, who used to rely so much on Nian Xun, now felt he was being extremely overbearing and unreasonable, but she still wanted to argue her point. However, just when she was about to speak, Nian Xun cut her off with a remark that made her choke back her words—

"If you don’t want to know about your background, then go on and leave."

Wen Zhi fell silent for two seconds before suddenly picking up her bag from the ground and throwing it at Nian Xun.

The bag hit Nian Xun accurately, or perhaps he didn’t expect her to suddenly throw it; he didn’t move, and the impact made a dull thud.

Wen Zhi felt guilty; she was too angry and had not controlled her behavior. Only after hurling the bag did she realize her mistake: "I’m sorry, I was wrong."

Nian Xun: "..."

She thought that Nian Xun would explode in anger next, looking menacing, since the Nian Xun she knew was a man whose temper was unpredictable and often bad.

But this time she seemed to have thought too much; Nian Xun wasn’t angry at all.

"Feeling better now?" he asked, glaring at her.

Wen Zhi pursed her lips.

Nian Xun took a step toward her, and Wen Zhi instinctively stepped back. Nian Xun didn’t stop, instead he pressed on even closer: "What are you afraid of, that I’ll eat you?"

Wen Zhi took a deep breath: "You won’t."

Nian Xun furrowed his brow and said, "Wen Zhi, why are you so stubborn?"

"How am I stubborn? I just have a strong sense of self-determination; once I decide on something, I won’t change my mind," Wen Zhi refused to accept his view of her.

Nian Xun sighed softly: "You were doing fine in Haishi, so why insist on leaving with him? Do you trust him that much? I’ve looked after you for months and I don’t compare to a man you’ve only met once? What exactly are you thinking!"

"Thinking? I was a patient with a flawed mind to begin with, if it weren’t for this damaged brain, I wouldn’t be living like this," Wen Zhi retorted without hesitation.

Nian Xun laughed despite his irritation: "You’re harsh enough to insult yourself, impressive."

Wen Zhi bit her lip.

After a moment of letting off steam, Nian Xun asked again: "So you hate the way you are now too?"

Wen Zhi didn’t nod nor shake her head, but the stubborn look on her face made it clear, that was precisely what she meant.

"Wen Zhi, let me tell you, you didn’t become like this by choice, you’ve just been through some bad experiences and need time to recuperate and transition past those experiences. After one more round of treatment, you will completely recover," he explained to Wen Zhi with patience and coaxing for the first time.

Wen Zhi, however, said: "I know all that."

Nian Xun, with hands on his waist, looked expressively at her: "If you know all that and still resent me, if it weren’t for your dad asking me to look after you, I wouldn’t bother reasoning with you."

Wen Zhi pointed to the door: "Alright, now get out."

Nian Xun was stunned: "You’re telling me to leave?"

Wen Zhi nodded.

Nian Xun: "And you’re nodding?"

Wen Zhi pointed to the door again and repeated, "Please leave, let me cool down."

Nian Xun could only feel an immense headache coming on. He even had a surreal impression that Wen Zhi was like a daughter he had raised himself, and now the daughter was in her rebellious period, taking everyone else’s word for it and refusing to listen to him, her guardian.

Stop!

She couldn’t harbor such illusions.

Nian Xun no longer lingered in Wen Zhi’s bedroom. He turned and left, only to stop at the doorway and look back to say, "Starting today, I’ll be staying at Fenghui Garden until your treatment is over."

Wen Zhi: "..."

The bedroom door closed.

Disheartened, Wen Zhi slumped onto the edge of the bed. "Asshole!"

...

True to his word, Nian Xun moved into Fenghui Garden that very day.

At lunch and dinner, Wen Zhi used to sit next to Nian Xun of her own volition, but starting today, she planned to treat him as if he were invisible.

At the dinner table, Nian Xun didn’t mind in the least that Wen Zhi ignored him. Normally never one to personally take care of others, he unexpectedly picked up some food with the serving chopsticks and placed it onto Wen Zhi’s plate.

Wen Zhi looked at him.

Nian Xun smiled, "Eat."

Wen Zhi ignored him but didn’t throw a childish tantrum. She ate whatever he served her.

After dinner, she dashed upstairs.

At night, she hugged her phone, waiting for a reply from Chen Jinhai, because she had sent a message: [May I ask if Mr. Shang has arrived in Licheng?]

The time of the message showed it was sent at two in the afternoon.

Wen Zhi had waited all afternoon, then through the evening, and now until one in the morning without receiving a response.

Come the next morning, Wen Zhi descended the stairs with dark circles under her eyes.

Nian Xun was sitting on the sofa, browsing the real-time stock market on his tablet.

When he saw Wen Zhi coming downstairs, he glanced sideways at her, his gaze not lingering before he returned to his tablet. He still asked, "Did you not sleep well last night?"

Wen Zhi had seen Nian Xun from the moment she started downstairs. She slowed her pace and didn’t respond to him. Upon reaching the bottom, she headed straight for the courtyard.

Upon seeing this, Aunt Xu hastened to follow. "Miss Wen, where are you going?"

Nian Xun set down his tablet and stood up, signaling to Aunt Xu not to follow, and asked, "Is breakfast ready?"

Aunt Xu nodded, "Yes, sir."

Nian Xun hummed in acknowledgment and walked outside.

In the courtyard, Wen Zhi stood under the sunlight, playing with her hair. Her fingers weaved through her thick, curly locks, and the morning light, like tiny specks of gold dust, cast a halo over her, hazy and captivating.

Wen Zhi turned to see Nian Xun watching her. She said, "You’re in such a hurry to follow me, are you afraid I’ll leave?"

Nian Xun leaned slightly against a Roman column near the entrance: "You can’t leave." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Wen Zhi knew.

Yesterday, Fenghui Garden had placed bodyguards.

But now she was more curious about something else: "In the past, I longed for you to visit me, but you always took a long time to come see me, never staying to keep me company. Eventually, I realized you were just fulfilling a responsibility, and I convinced myself not to depend on you."

As she spoke, Nian Xun, appearing nonchalant on the other side, felt a tightness in his chest.

He asked, "What do you want to ask?"

Wen Zhi spoke slowly: "Now I know who my support is, and I want to go find him. I want to be with him. Why won’t you let me, yet you’re willing to stay and keep me company?"

Nian Xun’s voice was indifferent: "It’s just a matter of responsibility. I made a promise to your father, and I must deliver on that trust. Reputation is very important when you’re out in the world."

Wen Zhi nodded, "I understand now."

She was now certain of Nian Xun’s attitude, and even more determined about how to find Shang Hexing.

She had to find her best friend, Meng Fan.

Meng Fan would definitely take her to Licheng.

But the problem now was, she didn’t have Meng Fan’s contact information. How could she seek Meng Fan’s help?