Sharing Dreams with My Bestie's Cousin

The page he opened was densely packed with writing.

At first glance, it wasn’t very clear.

Shang Hexing was about to bend down and pick up the diary, but Wen Zhi was quicker. She snatched it up, closed it, and hugged it to her chest.

Shang Hexing straightened up, his gaze falling on the diary in her arms, "Afraid I’ll glimpse your secrets?"

"What secrets could I possibly have?" Wen Zhi denied vehemently.

When Wen Zhi denied it this time, her gaze did not waver in the slightest. Either she had nothing to feel guilty about, or this diary did not contain any of her weaknesses.

"Then why are you holding it so tightly?" He had caught the flicker of panic in her eyes.

Wen Zhi’s grip loosened, and she let the diary dangle at her side, "A diary is everyone’s privacy, my reaction is normal."

Shang Hexing expressed understanding, "Then you better keep it secure."

Having said that, Shang Hexing turned around, pretending to leave.

Wen Zhi became anxious and quickly called out to him, "Aren’t you going to ask more about it?"

With his back to her, in a corner Wen Zhi couldn’t see, the corners of Shang Hexing’s mouth tilted up slightly.

Then he turned around and asked her, "Why?"

Their eyes met, and Shang Hexing’s piercing gaze caused Wen Zhi’s heartbeat to skip a beat.

She patted the weathered cover of the diary in her arms, "This."

Shang Hexing understood her meaning, but didn’t follow her lead, merely saying, "Diaries are personal privacy, I will not read it."

At this moment, Shang Hexing clearly had no intention of delving deeper.

Yet, Wen Zhi said, "What if I voluntarily show it to you?"

Shang Hexing replied, "Still not looking."

"..." She didn’t know what to say for a moment.

She was too lazy to beat around the bush any longer and handed the diary over to him, "The twenty-fifth page, you better look carefully. If you don’t, be careful you might regret it."

Shang Hexing took the diary from Wen Zhi’s hands but didn’t rush to open it.

His dry fingertips caressed the weathered cover, as if to confirm once more, "You’re really letting me see?"

"Mhm." She nodded.

However, she had no intention of watching with him. After all, it was a diary she had written herself. It would be too embarrassing to read it together with him.

She turned around and went to busy herself with the flowers in a vase, "Anyway, I’ve already given it to you, read it or not, it’s up to you."

Having said that, she continued to arrange the flowers.

Before long, the rustling sound of pages turning came from behind her. Wen Zhi sneakily glanced back. Noticing her gaze, the man looked up, and Wen Zhi quickly turned her head back.

The atmosphere that followed was eerily quiet.

Wen Zhi wasn’t sure whether Shang Hexing had read that page, but she was certain she felt panicky now, although she didn’t know why she felt this way!

Knock knock knock-

A sudden knocking sound came.

This abrupt knock allowed Wen Zhi to take a deep breath. Without looking at Shang Hexing’s expression, she quickly moved toward the door.

Fang Rong stood outside with a smile as big as a Chihuahua, "Young mistress, lunch is ready."

Wen Zhi was surprised, "Is it already twelve o’clock?"

Fang Rong nodded, "Just twelve o’clock. I timed it to come up and call you and the new master."

Ever since the marriage arrangement between Wen Zhi and Shang Hexing had been confirmed, Fang Rong had switched from calling him ’Mr. Shang’ to ’new master,’ a term that had become increasingly natural for her.

Wen Zhi said, "Wait a bit, I have some unfinished business. I’ll come down to eat once I’m done."

Fang Rong was about to agree when Shang Hexing closed the diary and walked over, "Since the meal is ready, let’s go down together, shall we?"

Fang Rong immediately looked at Wen Zhi.

Wen Zhi’s expression was a bit strange, but not very noticeable. She nodded at Fang Rong, who then turned and went downstairs first. Wen Zhi turned back to look at Shang Hexing.

The diary was left on the cabinet.

He walked toward her, his pace slow but steady, as his tall and imposing figure loomed larger in her view until he was right in front of her.

"You saw it, didn’t you?" Wen Zhi asked him.

But Shang Hexing played dumb: "Saw what?"

Wen Zhi turned away, annoyed: "Forget it, as if I never showed you."

She had only taken one step when Shang Hexing pulled her back. Facing his smiling countenance, she knew she had been teased: "You clearly saw it already."

"Hmm." The sound spilled out from his throat.

Wen Zhi huffed, "Heaven knows, the first person one likes always remains the most unforgettable presence in one’s heart, and those are your own words."

From the first stirrings of young love, the girl who blossomed in spring, the very first person Wen Zhi truly liked was Shang Hexing, not Liang Yin.

She later had a brief liking for Liang Yin, but that was because she knew she and Shang Hexing could never be possible, that she couldn’t even begin to forge a connection with him.

"Why aren’t you speaking? Is it because I’ve turned the tables and you’re so shocked that you don’t know what to say?" Wen Zhi’s eyes were full of smugness.

Shang Hexing’s smile was even wider than before: "Young, but quite bold."

Wen Zhi’s spread grin tightened.

Shang Hexing: "I’m speaking on stage, and you, sitting below, are lost in thought about undressing me. At such a solemn occasion, you certainly have bold imaginings."

Wen Zhi turned her face away and blinked as she said, "But that’s just it—limited to imagination."

Shang Hexing: "That’s it?"

Wen Zhi’s cheeks grew hot.

Shang Hexing took a couple of steps forward until his towering figure stood before Wen Zhi. He looked down on her, nervous: "Why did you entertain the thought only to abandon it?"

Wen Zhi looked up, her words deliberate: "I knew it would lead nowhere."

Her statement was met with his objection: "How can you be so sure it would have no future without asking me?"

Indeed, without trying, one can’t just knock it down with a single stroke.

But Wen Zhi was just too timid, afraid to take that step, after all, they were not from the same class.

However...

At this moment, Wen Zhi still wanted to ask him that question: "Shang Hexing, if I had pursued you back then, would you have agreed?"

"No."

That was Shang Hexing’s very clear answer.

Wen Zhi hung her head in dejection: "I knew it."

Shang Hexing couldn’t help but chuckle: "I was wondering whether or not to remind you that you’re not of age this year."

Wen Zhi: "..."!

Ah, she wasn’t of age!

What was she thinking!

Wen Zhi wished she could bury herself right there and then.

"I’m hungry, I’m going down to eat." Unable to save face, she turned and slipped away but didn’t notice Shang Hexing clasping her wrist.

"Together," he said.

Wen Zhi’s expression couldn’t be more awkward.

But luckily, this matter was now out in the open, and from now on, Shang Hexing couldn’t tease her about it or eat jealousy without cause.

After lunch, Wen Zhi dragged Shang Hexing to meet Meng Fan with her.

They arranged to meet at the Red River Bank, where Rong Huaishen also showed up.

The four of them sat down for a chat, but Wen Zhi and Meng Fan initially had difficulty starting a conversation until Rong Huaishen and Shang Hexing went to the sports field. That’s when Meng Fan hurriedly got up and moved over, plopping down next to Wen Zhi.

"Finally, it’s just the two of us. I was about to burst." Meng Fan spoke and reached for the coffee on the table.

Wen Zhi reminded her, "Pregnant women should avoid coffee."

Meng Fan brushed it off upon hearing it: "One sip will be fine."

Wen Zhi said with a smile, "Being able to drink coffee means you probably won’t suffer too much during your pregnancy."