The man’s eyelid twitched at her words. He followed her gaze to where she was patting the bed, but saw no one else there. Breathing a sigh of relief, he reminded her, "There’s no one here."

Zhi Wan froze, then looked down, only to realize her aunt wasn’t there.

She frowned and looked at the man. "Did you need me for something?"

Hearing the detached tone in her voice, the man paused before asking coolly, "Do I need a reason to see you?"

"Of course," Zhi Wan replied as if it were obvious.

The man laughed in exasperation and raised a hand to pinch her cheek. "Your ability to turn on a dime is truly unparalleled, cousin."

Zhi Wan froze for a moment when she heard him call her ’cousin’. It felt strange.

She had known for a while that this man was her cousin, but they hadn’t known each other’s true identities before.

Now, hearing her cousin’s teasing, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. "Your unscrupulous methods are what’s truly been an eye-opener for me, cousin!"

Lu Zhan paused. He knew she was referring to what he had said to his mother in order to marry her.

"Are you angry?" he asked, stroking her head.

Zhi Wan irritably pushed his hand away. "Would you even care if I were angry?"

"I care," Lu Zhan said earnestly.

Zhi Wan was still pouting.

Lu Zhan leaned down and kissed the corner of her lips, his voice deep. "What will it take for you to not be angry, cousin?"

Zhi Wan’s eyes glinted slyly. She cleared her throat. "I’ve been trying to paint recently, but I have no inspiration."

"Hm? And?" As Lu Zhan asked this, his eyelid twitched. ’I have a bad feeling about this.’

"Since you’re going to marry me, cousin, it’s only right that you do a few things for me, isn’t it?" With that, Zhi Wan suddenly threw her slender arms around Lu Zhan’s neck.

She tilted her face up to look at his, but it was still a blur.

’How strange. We both know who the other is now, yet I still can’t see his face clearly.’

Lu Zhan’s heart leaped, and he pulled her into his arms. This was the first time she had initiated any intimacy since learning his identity.

He knew it was a trap, but he still asked indulgently, "What is it you want me to do?"

"Didn’t you say last time you wanted to be my model, cousin? In that case, please, take off your clothes." Zhi Wan watched him, a grin playing on her lips.

Lu Zhan: "..."

"What, are you unwilling, cousin?" Zhi Wan’s charming eyes narrowed.

A vein throbbed on Lu Zhan’s temple. He slowly placed a hand on his belt, cleared his throat, and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Stop dawdling. The sun will be up soon." Zhi Wan rolled her eyes at him and was about to reach for his belt herself, but he quickly grabbed her hand. "I can be your model, but you have to promise me you won’t sell the painting."

Zhi Wan answered vaguely, "Of course I won’t."

Lu Zhan gave her a long, hard look, then suddenly bent down and captured her lips.

Just as Zhi Wan was about to struggle, she heard the man say unhurriedly, "Being a model is tiring work. Shouldn’t you at least give me a little reward, cousin?"

Zhi Wan: "..."

Before she could react, he had already skillfully parted her lips.

By the time the kiss ended, Zhi Wan was dizzy, having completely forgotten what she was about to do.

She didn’t snap out of it until the man draped her outer robe over her shoulders.

She asked awkwardly, "What are you doing?"

Lu Zhan, seeing her discomfort, squeezed her hand. "I’m taking you somewhere."

"Where?" Zhi Wan asked quickly.

"You’ll know when we get there." Lu Zhan took her hand and led her toward the door.

"I don’t want to go." Zhi Wan stopped in her tracks, trying to pull her hand away.

Lu Zhan halted. "Didn’t you say you wanted me to be your model so you could paint?"

"Then why do we have to go outside?" Zhi Wan’s brow furrowed.

"Perhaps you’ll find your inspiration in a place closer to the starry sky, cousin?" Lu Zhan said, grabbing paper and a brush from the table.

"A place closer to the starry sky?" Zhi Wan asked, surprised. "Where is that?"

The man said no more. He led her by the hand out of the courtyard and went straight to the stables in the back to fetch a horse.

They both mounted the horse and quickly left the posthouse.

Zhi Wan was a little stiff at first, but as their steed galloped faster and faster, she couldn’t help but relax.

The horse carried them onward, galloping through the night. A cool evening breeze brushed against their cheeks.

Zhi Wan lost herself in the joy of the ride.

After galloping for what felt like an eternity, they finally reached a mountaintop.

Gazing at the brilliant, star-studded night sky, Zhi Wan was stunned. "It’s so beautiful."

By the time she came to her senses, Lu Zhan had already led her to a large, flat rock. "You can paint now, cousin."

Zhi Wan nodded. "Then you should take your clothes off, cousin."

Lu Zhan: "..."

Zhi Wan sat down on the large rock and watched her cousin with unhurried amusement.

Lu Zhan hesitated for a moment before his long, slender fingers finally came to rest on his belt.

He slowly undid the belt, placed it on the rock, and then shrugged off his outer robe.

Seeing he had only removed one layer before stopping, Zhi Wan frowned in dissatisfaction. "The inner one, too."

A vein throbbed on Lu Zhan’s temple. "What exactly are you trying to paint, cousin?"

"Your body, of course," Zhi Wan said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lu Zhan: "..."

"Don’t worry, I won’t paint your face. I’ll substitute it with a stranger’s," Zhi Wan added.

The corner of Lu Zhan’s eye twitched. "You can paint it, but you are not allowed to sell it!"

"I know." Zhi Wan’s eyes flickered. After a moment’s thought, she added, "Actually, on second thought, you don’t have to take everything off."

Lu Zhan breathed a sigh of relief at her words, only to see her take the robe he’d set down and spread it out on the rock. "What are you doing?"

Zhi Wan said thoughtfully, "This might take a while. It’ll be more comfortable for you to lie down here."

Lu Zhan gave her a long, searching look.

Seeing him still hesitating, Zhi Wan patted the stone. "Hurry and lie down, cousin. The sun will be up before you know it."

Finally, with a sense of resignation, Lu Zhan lay down on the large rock.

"Don’t be so stiff. Relax a little," Zhi Wan complained.

"Then why don’t you demonstrate for me, cousin?" Lu Zhan challenged, raising an eyebrow. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"You’re so difficult!" Zhi Wan grumbled, but she still put down her paper and brush and lay down beside him. "Like this. You have to lie on your side and prop your head up with your hand..."

A hint of a smile flashed in Lu Zhan’s eyes as he listened to her chatter. Just as she started to get up, he suddenly rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

Zhi Wan was aghast. "What are you doing?"

Lu Zhan’s slender fingers gently stroked her temple. "You just said yourself that painting takes a long time. It’s hard work to lie here without moving, so I’ll be collecting some of my payment in advance." As he spoke, his other hand was already undoing her sash.

"Wan’er, wake up!" Her aunt’s worried voice rang in her ears, and Zhi Wan jolted awake.

She opened her eyes and realized she had been dreaming again.

Meeting her aunt’s worried gaze, she looked away guiltily. "Aunt, is it morning already?"

"Not yet." Lady Wei shook her head, reaching out to touch her niece’s face. "I just woke up for a moment and saw that your face is flushed and hot to the touch. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"