The abstinent and powerful minister is cold and aloof during the day, but he adores her in his dream

Chapter 225 My Cousin is Here
Chen Jiu was startled by her words. "Don't talk nonsense! How could that be?"

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

Because he had the same thought just now.

“But they all have the surname Zhi, and they look alike…” Liu Niang frowned.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Chen Jiu said righteously, "But didn't you say that his wife died a long time ago? How could he possibly have such a grown daughter?"

“That makes sense. His wife died in childbirth and didn’t give birth to any children. He doesn’t even want me, so other women have even less chance of having children for him.” Liu Niang breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Jiu changed the subject, saying, "Your elder brother is a bandit leader with so many men under him, yet he usually lives in such a shabby place?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Niang said with some bitterness, "This is where he and his late wife used to live. Whenever he is in Yangzhou, my elder brother will return here."

"So, in Yangzhou, this is the only place your elder brother has to stay?" Chen Jiu asked casually.

“Of course not…” Liu Niang said, then suddenly realized, “Chen Jiu, are you trying to trick me into saying this?”

"Why would I try to trick you into telling me anything? I was just asking casually. Besides, given our relationship, would you hide anything from me?" Chen Jiu cleverly retorted.

“That makes sense. You’ve given up everything to come with me.” Liu Niang’s doubts were dispelled.

Chen Jiu secretly rejoiced.

I've heard that a woman's brain slows down when she's pregnant, and it seems that's true.

He coughed lightly and asked, "So what are your plans next? Are you still going to look for your older brother?"

Liu Niang smiled bitterly, "Why would I look for him? He wants to kill me and my child."

“That makes sense. What’s the point of having men? You have money anyway,” Chen Jiu nodded in agreement.

“I can do without other men, but Chen Jiu, I’ve realized I can’t live without you.” Liu Niang looked at him earnestly and said, “No man has ever been this good to me.”

He personally cooked chicken soup for her, and even betrayed his master for her sake. Just now, he was injured by his elder brother while trying to save her.

Chen Jiu: "..."

He avoided eye contact and said, "I'm going out to buy some food. You wait here for me to come back."

Liu Niang was hungry at the time, and upon hearing this, she didn't suspect anything and nodded, "Then go quickly."

……

Zhiwan and Lady Wei have already boarded the boat and are preparing to return to the capital.

After the luggage was settled, Zhiwan took Shuang'er out of the cabin to talk to Madam Wei.

The Wei family had already settled in, and when they saw Zhiwan coming over, they went to the deck together for some fresh air.

As soon as they stepped onto the deck, they saw a commotion on the dock, with a group of constables and guards in tight-fitting clothes searching for people from ship to ship.

Before long, the group of men dressed as guards arrived at the ship.

Wei Shi and Zhi Wan recognized the group of guards as belonging to the manor and hurriedly summoned Jiang Shi to inquire about the situation.

Soon, Jiang Shi brought back the news.

“Madam, Miss, they say there are wanted criminals on board that may have boarded this ship. They are here on the orders of the Crown Prince to arrest them.”

Upon hearing that a wanted criminal might be hiding on the ship, both Lady Wei and Zhiwan were startled. "What wanted criminal?"

“My subordinates don’t know the details, but they said the Crown Prince has also come, so he must be a very important criminal wanted by the court,” Jiang Shi replied.

"Ah Zhan has also come to Yangzhou?" Madam Wei was taken aback.

The son said he had official business to attend to and wouldn't have time to accompany them to Yangzhou, but just one day later, he actually came to Yangzhou on his own.

However, this also shows that the wanted criminal is indeed of great importance.

"What should we do? Is the boat still going to sail? We need to get back to the capital today." Madam Wei was a little anxious. They were on someone else's boat, and if they were scared like this, the boat owner might have to change the departure time.

"If the search reveals no wanted criminals, the ship should set sail. I will then negotiate with the ship owner," Jiang Shi said.

Wei nodded and said nothing more.

When the ship owner learned that a wanted criminal might be hiding on the ship, and seeing that the other ship owners were already cooperating with the officials in the search, he naturally dared not obstruct them.

Before long, the guards began searching the cabins one by one. They searched both the ship and the water, but found nothing. The guards had no choice but to disembark and search other ships.

“It’s alright, Madam and Miss, please go back to your cabins to rest. I asked the ship owner, and he said we’ll be setting sail soon,” Jiang Shi said.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wei and Zhiwan returned to their respective cabins.

Jiang Shi and his guards stood watch outside the two men's cabin.

After entering the cabin, Zhiwan sat by the window in a daze.

After a while, she felt a bit stuffy and decided to open the window to let some fresh air in.

Just as she opened the window, a figure darted in.

Just as she was about to scream, someone grabbed her by the throat.

"Don't scream, or I'll kill you!" The newcomer's voice was icy cold and filled with murderous intent.

Zhiwan was terrified, and Shuang'er, who was standing next to her, also panicked.

But when they saw the person's face clearly, the master and servant both exclaimed at the same time, "Father!"

"master!"

The newcomer paused, glancing at the two of them.

Upon seeing Zhiwan's face, the visitor exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!" and involuntarily loosened his grip slightly.

Meeting the girl's adoring gaze, he paused for a moment before saying, "I'm not your father."

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan snapped out of her daze and looked closely at the middle-aged man in front of her.

This person looked exactly like her father, but his eyes were cold and his tone of voice was harsh and world-weary. Her father, on the other hand, was a very gentle man who always spoke in a gentle manner. Apart from their identical appearances, their demeanor was completely different.

"Who are you?" Zhiwan murmured.

The newcomer didn't speak, but the hand that had been gripping her throat was released.

Zhiwan suppressed her panic and, noticing his pale complexion, said, "Please sit down and rest for a while."

"Aren't you afraid of me?" the newcomer asked, startled.

“If you hadn’t saved me at the restaurant yesterday, I wouldn’t be standing here safely. Anyway, I know you wouldn’t harm me,” Zhiwan said confidently.

Upon hearing this, the visitor said nothing more and sat down in the chair.

He seemed to want to take off his outer robe, but he held back because of the two little girls.

Zhiwan poured him a cup of tea, saying, "Please have some, sir."

The visitor glanced at her, picked up the cup, and took a few sips.

"You are my father's brother, right?" Zhiwan asked tentatively.

Only in this way can we explain why this person looks just like her father.

This person is probably a twin to his father.

Just as the visitor was about to speak, there was a sudden knock on the cabin door.

Zhiwan's heart leaped into her throat. "Who is it?"

"It's me." A deep, familiar male voice sounded from outside the door.

It's my cousin!
Zhiwan was astonished.

Just as she was wondering what to do, the man had already darted out of the window and disappeared in no time.

Zhiwan breathed a sigh of relief, gathered her thoughts, and then went to open the door herself.

Lu Zhan was indeed standing outside the door.

The moment she saw her cousin, Zhiwan felt a sudden tightness in her chest. She clenched her fingers and whispered, "Cousin."

"Why did it take you so long to open the door, cousin? What have you been busy with?" Lu Zhan's gaze fell on the girl's face, with a hint of scrutiny.

(End of this chapter)