Zhi Wan was at a loss for words.

She hadn’t expected her cousin to reject her so bluntly.

Seeing the unfeeling expression on his cold, handsome face, she secretly pouted. ’Her cousin certainly wasn’t like this in her cabin yesterday.’

’He changes his tune so quickly.’

Zhi Wan grumbled inwardly.

She wrung the handkerchief in her hands and finally offered a compromise. "Then please let him go, cousin."

"This man’s origins are unknown. He snuck aboard suddenly. What if he’s an assassin?" Lu Zhan said flatly.

Zhi Wan quickly explained, "Guo Yong is not an assassin. Zhao Dong hired him to protect me."

"Protect you? With his skills?" Lu Zhan scoffed.

Zhi Wan: "..."

’Why did I hear a hint of contempt in my cousin’s tone?’

While Guo Yong couldn’t compare to Chen Jiu, he was still a decent and honest man. ’He must have snuck aboard for my sake.’

"Guo Yong is very strong," Zhi Wan couldn’t help but say in his defense.

"Very strong?" Lu Zhan’s dark eyes narrowed slightly.

Meeting her cousin’s deep, dark eyes, Zhi Wan grew inexplicably nervous. She nodded under the pressure. "Yes, that’s what Zhao Dong said."

Lu Zhan said nothing. He strode over and stomped on Guo Yong’s back.

The sound of grinding bones followed, and in the next instant, Guo Yong let out a pained cry.

Zhi Wan jumped in fright, clutching her handkerchief tightly. ’What is my cousin doing?’

She swallowed hard as she watched Guo Yong’s face twist in pain.

’My cousin’s strength is terrifying.’

’It didn’t even look like he used any force. How could Guo Yong be in so much pain?’

"Is this the ’very strong’ man you spoke of?" Lu Zhan retracted his foot and turned his head to look at Zhi Wan.

Zhi Wan: "..."

"Take this man below and interrogate him thoroughly!" Lu Zhan ordered Chen Jiu.

"Yes, sir." Chen Jiu responded respectfully, then hauled Guo Yong up and headed to the lower deck.

Seeing this, Zhi Wan said anxiously, "Cousin, Guo Yong really isn’t an assassin! He came aboard probably... probably to find me..."

Lu Zhan nodded. "Then tell me, cousin, what would he want with you? Are you close with him? Or could it be that you... have taken a liking to him?"

Zhi Wan was stunned and quickly denied it. "Of course not!"

"Not what?" Lu Zhan waved his hand, and all the guards on deck withdrew. He took two steps toward his cousin.

Zhi Wan’s heart leaped. Clutching her handkerchief, she took two steps back and said hurriedly, "I don’t know Guo Yong well, and I haven’t taken a liking to him! I’ve only met him once!"

Hearing this, the frosty look in Lu Zhan’s eyes dissipated. He said lightly, "I thought that seeing as he was an honest and decent man, you had taken a liking to him *again* and wanted to take him as a live-in husband."

Zhi Wan’s scalp tingled at his words.

’What does he mean, *again*?’

’And just because someone is honest and decent, why must I take a liking to them?’

But she soon remembered Shen Longjin, Bai Yi, and Chen Junyu.

She was rendered speechless.

"Don’t tell me I was right. Have you really taken a liking to Guo Yong?" Lu Zhan’s voice deepened when she remained silent and didn’t refute him.

"Nonsense, of course I haven’t!" Zhi Wan retorted.

Lu Zhan’s lips curved up. He reached out and patted her head. "Good. Behave."

Zhi Wan: "..."

When she came to her senses, she quickly tried to pull his large hand away, only for him to grasp her hand instead.

Just as she was about to struggle free, the man applied a little pressure and pulled her into his arms.

As his handsome face grew larger before her, Zhi Wan snapped back to reality and quickly turned her head away, crying out, "I haven’t rinsed my mouth yet!"

Lu Zhan froze, then looked at her with a half-smile. "You haven’t? What did you think I was going to do, cousin?"

Zhi Wan: "..."

"Does that mean you’d allow it if you *had* rinsed your mouth?" Lu Zhan’s lips curled in amusement.

"Of course not!" Annoyed at her slip of the tongue, Zhi Wan shoved him away and hurried into the cabin.

"Miss, the green salt for rinsing your mouth is ready," Shuang’er said, walking over just then.

Zhi Wan: "..."

"What is it, Miss?" Shuang’er couldn’t help but ask, seeing her conflicted expression.

"It’s nothing." Zhi Wan shook her head.

After breakfast, Zhi Wan thought of Guo Yong being held in the lower deck. Feeling uneasy, she decided to take Shuang’er and sneak down to check on him.

However, just as the two of them reached the stairs leading to the lower deck, they ran into Lu Zhan coming up.

Zhi Wan froze. She wanted to turn and run, but it was too late. Steeling herself, she greeted him, "Cousin."

"Are you heading to the lower deck, cousin?" Lu Zhan asked unhurriedly.

"It was getting a bit stuffy in the cabin, so I’m just taking a walk," Zhi Wan said, forcing herself to remain calm. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"So you were feeling stuffy." Lu Zhan nodded. "But the lower deck is no place for you. Go back."

"...Yes." Zhi Wan followed him back onto the main deck.

Watching the man walking ahead of her, she thought for a moment and couldn’t resist asking, "Cousin, how is Guo Yong now?"

"The man is tight-lipped and stubborn. He wouldn’t reveal why he snuck aboard, even after being severely tortured," Lu Zhan said, stopping in his tracks.

Hearing this, Zhi Wan broke into a cold sweat for Guo Yong. She stammered, "He’s not some terrible villain. Isn’t severe torture... a bit much?"

"Are you worried about him, cousin?" Lu Zhan’s tone cooled.

Zhi Wan frowned. "In the end, he only came onto this boat because of me."

Seeing that she didn’t deny it, Lu Zhan’s handsome face turned cold. "You’re so certain, cousin? Then tell me, what would he want with you on this boat?"

Worried that Guo Yong would suffer more torture if he didn’t confess, Zhi Wan explained her theory. "Guo Yong was hired by me and was supposed to follow me to Yangzhou. But... but that day, an accident happened, and I was brought onto this boat by you, cousin. He must have seen it and thought I’d been captured by you, so... so he snuck aboard, hoping to find a chance to rescue me."

After listening, Lu Zhan commented flatly, "You’re quite thorough in your planning, cousin. To even think of hiring protection."

At his words, Zhi Wan lowered her head in embarrassment.

Lu Zhan’s gaze fell on the top of her head.

’This girl looks delicate and obedient, but she’s actually full of ideas and has a mind of her own. The moment she discovered I was the one sharing her dreams, she immediately planned to run far away and even hired someone to protect her along the way.’

’If I don’t keep a close eye on her, she’ll find a way to disappear from my boat, won’t she?’

"I’ll have my men release Guo Yong at the next port. But you had best give up any thoughts of escaping," Lu Zhan said. His tone was light, but it left no room for doubt.

Zhi Wan’s fingers, hidden in her sleeves, quietly clenched into fists.

When she saw Guo Yong, the idea of escaping had indeed been rekindled.

Now that her cousin had seen right through her, she instantly felt deflated.

Finally, she nodded and looked at Lu Zhan with a sincere expression. "I understand. But I wasn’t thinking of escaping. You’re overthinking things, cousin."

"Let’s hope I am." Lu Zhan raised a hand and patted her head. "Otherwise, no matter where you run, cousin, I will find you. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to try."

Meeting the man’s unsmiling eyes, Zhi Wan’s heart trembled. She knew her cousin wasn’t joking, and he certainly had the power to back up his words.