Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

Wen Zhi looked at Meng Fan with a series of expressions, ranging from frowning to being visibly upset, all rich and colorful.

She silently took the bread that was on the table and brought it to Meng Fan’s mouth, whispering, "Why don’t you eat something to fill your stomach, and then I’ll help you think it through."

"I have no appetite, I can’t eat," Meng Fan turned her head away, resisting the food brought to her lips.

Wen Zhi coaxed her, "It’s bread."

Meng Fan couldn’t help but laugh, "I know it’s bread."

Wen Zhi added, "It’s tasty, very filling."

Meng Fan was amused by Wen Zhi’s earnestness in coaxing her.

She had no choice but to take the bread, which was twice the size of her face, bite into the edge, and said, "It’s been a long time since I had such authentic bread."

"Right?"

Seeing Meng Fan finally eating, Wen Zhi felt much more at ease.

From the bread, Meng Fan only ate a quarter before feeling nauseous and stopped eating.

Wen Zhi fetched a cup of water for her, thinking it would make Meng Fan feel better. But not long after she drank it, Meng Fan rushed to the bathroom to vomit.

Hearing the vomiting sounds, Wen Zhi’s heart clenched with guilt, "I shouldn’t have insisted on her eating."

She realized she meant well but did wrong.

Minutes later, Meng Fan came out of the bathroom with a face slightly pale, "I still ate too much; I should have just taken a bite."

Wen Zhi frowned deeply, "Meng Fan, you look really unwell."

"Don’t worry, I’m quite healthy." Meng Fan realized that her immediate reaction to eating and vomiting might have frightened Wen Zhi.

Even though she felt miserable, she still thought to reassure Wen Zhi, "I just haven’t been to Licheng in a long time, I’m not used to the climate and water here; a night’s rest should fix it. Just you wait and see, I’ll be jumping around tomorrow."

Her words were meant to comfort Wen Zhi.

But the more Wen Zhi listened, the deeper her frown became.

After chatting for a bit longer and once Meng Fan had settled down to sleep again, Wen Zhi left to find Shang Hexing.

Still unfamiliar with Red Mansion and afraid to roam around, she couldn’t find Shang Hexing and had to go outside.

The dusk in Licheng settled slowly, arriving fully around ten at night. Now, not yet six, the daylight looked just like a typical afternoon.

Wen Zhi wrapped her headscarf around her head, covering half her face, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes visible outside.

"Cousin-in-law."

A voice called from behind her.

With that casual tone, Wen Zhi guessed it was Han Yu.

She turned around, thinking, "Sure enough: ’I’m wrapped up like this and you still recognize me. It must be the sheepherding incident that left a deep impression on you.’"

Han Yu was smiling as he approached, but hearing the mention of sheepherding, he was pricked and could no longer smile.

He walked up beside Wen Zhi, "Mainly because you, cousin-in-law, have an elegance that outshines others; it’s hard not to recognize you."

Wen Zhi: "Flatterer."

"Where? It’s all true," Han Yu said with a smile, showing off his white teeth.

Wen Zhi’s lips under the veil turned up high.

At this moment, Han Yu asked, "How’s Meng Fan doing?"

"Not so good," Wen Zhi’s smile fell.

Han Yu clucked his tongue, shaking his head, "Is the climate adjustment that severe? I heard she visited Licheng many times before—how did she manage those times?"

Wen Zhi didn’t know; her mood was low, and she didn’t continue with Han Yu’s conversation.

"Cousin-in-law?"

"Cousin-in-law why aren’t you talking to me anymore?" Han Yu was genuinely bored.

But Wen Zhi still ignored him.

Han Yu pouted, and without thinking, blurted out, "Cousin-in-law, I’m really curious about how uncle fell for you since his experience wouldn’t suggest it... Honestly, aside from being somewhat pretty, you fall short in many areas compared to Sister Weiyue—"

Wen Zhi sharply turned to look at Han Yu.

Mid-sentence, Han Yu suddenly realized he had said something he shouldn’t have. His survival instincts kicking in, he swallowed the rest of his words.

But... whether he swallowed them back or not no longer mattered.

Because Wen Zhi had already caught the most crucial name in that sentence.

"Sister Weiyue?" Wen Zhi moved half a step closer to Han Yu, smilingly asked, "Who is she?"

Han Yu thought Wen Zhi would be angry but instead she asked who Xie Weiyue was!

Jeez, there’s no way Wen Zhi wouldn’t know Xie Weiyue.

She must be testing him.

"Actually, I’m not very close to Sister Weiyue," Han Yu declared his position, "You are the only aunt-in-law I acknowledge."

Wen Zhi snorted, "Not close, yet you call her Sister Weiyue. Which word am I supposed to believe?"

Han Yu cursed his own fool mouth that again wasn’t controlled. This woman was crafty, and if he made her angry again, he might lose even the last sheepdog.

When it’s time to cower, you cower. Han Yu immediately put on a goofy smile for Wen Zhi, "Though Xie Weiyue admires uncle, love has to be mutual, so unrequited love is destined to go nowhere. You are better—uncle likes you so much, I’m truly envious."

Wen Zhi looked at Han Yu, "Envious of what?"

Han Yu: "Uh..."

Look at his mouth—how could he say he’s envious?

Forget it, better to make tracks than curry favor. This place isn’t good to stick around, never know when you might see uncle!

Just as Han Yu turned to leave, he completely froze.

Indeed, one must not always assume various scenarios, for thinking about them too much can make them come true.

And there, uncle indeed came.

The expression on Han Yu’s face looked worse than if he had eaten something distasteful.

Wen Zhi had not yet resolved her confusion and didn’t plan on letting Han Yu go, especially after the topic Han Yu had broached, "Wait a minute, you just said I’m not as good as Xie Weiyue, is that Xie Weiyue chasing Shang Hexing?"

With that, the atmosphere plunged into deadly silence.

After asking that question, Wen Zhi saw Shang Hexing approaching, but she stayed calm because the only person who felt guilty enough to die was Han Yu.

Han Yu: "Uncle, listen to my explanation..."

Wen Zhi: "He started it, he said there was a girl named Xie Weiyue chasing you, and he also said that girl is very outstanding." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Both spoke almost at the same time, but Han Yu’s voice was drowned out by Wen Zhi’s words, making him feel as if his throat was clogged, unable to make a sound anymore.

He knew he was done for.

Shang Hexing’s cold gaze swept over Han Yu, "Quite idle, aren’t you?"

"Not at all, actually I’m very busy," Han Yu, despite feeling a tingling scalp, didn’t forget to smile, "I was just passing by and stopped to chat with Auntie for a bit."

Shang Hexing: "Chat about what?"

"Chat about..." Han Yu grimaced, "life."

Shang Hexing then asked, "Whose life?"

This kind of atmosphere, lacking visible anger yet filled with oppressive force, gave Han Yu a very direct feeling of what it meant to be at the end of his rope.

He was exactly there now!

"Mr. Shang, he probably didn’t talk nonsense, right?" Wen Zhi suddenly spoke up, but changed her term of address.

It switched to the distant Mr. Shang.

Shang Hexing didn’t respond, but his look at Han Yu grew colder. Han Yu’s heart skipped a beat and, understanding the hint, he immediately turned around, "I’ll go see which direction the sheep are in."

Having said that, he slipped away.

Shang Hexing turned to face Wen Zhi, his expression unchanged: "How is Meng Fan?"

Wen Zhi: "You haven’t answered my question yet."

Shang Hexing continued to change the subject: "The bread you took for Meng Fan, has she eaten it?"

Wen Zhi stubbornly refused to be swayed by his topic: "Mr. Shang, you still haven’t answered my question."

She just wanted an explanation from him in person.

She needed to clarify what kind of role Xie Weiyue played between her and Shang Hexing.

"She is not important." That was the answer given by Shang Hexing, very brief, without further explanation.

Wen Zhi asked directly, "Were you ever together?"

"No." That was his explanation, very concise.

Wen Zhi pursed her lips and turned her body toward him.

That meant she didn’t believe it and didn’t plan to deal with him.

Because his explanation was too concise, lacking persuasiveness, not enough to convince her.

Seeing her sulking, Shang Hexing sighed and said, "I have no kind of relationship with Xie Weiyue, nor have we ever been together. If others mention her and me, it is just the elders thinking we’re a good match, but I have never had any interactions with her beyond friendship."

This time, his explanation was extremely earnest and no longer as brief as before.

Wen Zhi turned back to him, "How come you’re explaining so clearly now?"

Shang Hexing: "Because this person has no relationship or contact with me, there’s not much to say."

Wen Zhi’s face remained calm, but her heart was delighted, "I understand now."

Listening to how Han Yu spoke earlier, she had thought Ms. Xie might have been another ex of Shang Hexing’s.

Moreover, from Han Yu’s tone, that Ms. Xie appeared very outstanding, recognized by everyone.

What about her then?

Was her relationship with Shang Hexing accepted by everyone?

Suddenly, Wen Zhi recalled what Han Yu had said in the morning, thinking she was just as others had said, very skilled to have climbed up to Shang Hexing.

Probably meaning she was good for nothing, merely using her beauty and schemes to lure Shang Hexing and successfully ascend socially as a mere trophy.

Schemes, tactics?

Wen Zhi shook her head and sighed, unable to judge her past self too clearly before regaining her memory.

After all, she had long ago been the person who made unconventional advances toward Shang Hexing in her diary!

"There is one thing," Shang Hexing’s voice came.

The wind on the prairie blew over, blowing off the headscarf from Wen Zhi’s head, causing her dense, curly hair to flutter in the wind.

Wen Zhi snapped back to reality, raised her hand to brush the strands of hair from her face, and looked at him: "What is it?"

Shang Hexing said, "My grandfather will come tomorrow morning."

Wen Zhi paused for a few seconds, during which she recalled some stories she had learned from Meng Fan.

The story of Shang Hexing’s grandparents, who lived apart in their later years.

It was said that his grandfather wouldn’t come because his grandmother had never forgiven him and didn’t want to see him even in death.

From such a distant Licheng, at such an advanced age, he simply couldn’t withstand the rigors of a long flight and the road from the airport to the Red Mansion was full of hardships.

She hadn’t expected the old man would still make the trip.

Shang Hexing said, "If grandfather manages to arrive smoothly this time, he probably won’t return to Bai City in the future."

Wen Zhi understood Shang Hexing’s meaning—the old man was too advanced in years to endure the back and forth.

"Wen Zhi," he called softly.

Wen Zhi responded to him, then asked, "What do you want to say?"

Shang Hexing was silent for a moment, then stretched out his hand to pull Wen Zhi into his embrace, the wind causing the headscarf behind her neck to billow up, wrapping around his arm, a bright red that contrasted with his black clothes.

"Perhaps this is fated, we are too," he said.

Wen Zhi looked doubtful, seemingly not understanding the meaning of his words.