An Xin was taken aback: "Is it your birthday, sir?"
Fu Ruyue sneered, "You've been spreading rumors about your close relationship with the Lord everywhere, yet you don't even know it's his birthday!"
An Xin paused for a moment, then said calmly, "Does Your Excellency have anything you like? I will find it and give it to you."
Jinglan chuckled and said, "I've never been used to these things, Miss An, there's no need for such formalities. However, the lotus flowers in the manor will be in full bloom at that time, so why don't you come and enjoy them with me?"
An Xin remained calm, but nodded and said, "Alright, but what is your birthday, sir?"
Jing Lan smiled and said, "This day next month."
An Xin's face suddenly turned pale.
****
An Xin stared at Yan Zhen for a long time. For the first time, Yan Zhen felt a little uneasy being stared at. His eyes flashed, and his gaze fell on the glass bowl on the side. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did you eat just now?"
An Xin continued staring at him, saying, "The lotus seed soup that Mingyue made."
Yan Zhen casually picked up the glass bowl and said, "Hmm, could there be some kind of poison in this soup?"
An Xin was startled and hurriedly stood up, saying, "What? How come I didn't notice!"
Yan Zhen smiled and said, "Could it be that you released some kind of bewitching poison, which is why Xin'er is staring at me like a wolf?"
An Xin's lips twitched, but she felt that Yan Zhen was unusually pleasing to the eye today. She wanted to say something to him, but she couldn't think of anything at all. She could only say, "You kidnapped me, and you won't even let me look at you. What did you kidnap me for?"
Yan Zhen cupped her face and whispered, "I've been missing you terribly. Today in the palace, you looked at me with such resentment, and I was very unhappy."
An Xin rolled her eyes at him and said, "We agreed to put on a show for others. Hey, you recklessly kidnapped me. What if someone sees us? Wouldn't this whole show be for nothing?"
Yan Zhen kissed her lips and said, "Never mind all that. This play can only fool those fools. Do you really think it can fool those who are truly interested?"
An Xin stared at Yan Zhen. For some reason, he looked exceptionally handsome in her eyes at this moment. His skin was translucent white, his lips were exceptionally vibrant, and his eyes seemed to shimmer with youthful beauty, captivating the soul with every glance.
She... suddenly really wanted to kiss him.
An Xin suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, then looked up and kissed him.
Yan Zhen trembled suddenly. Always the one to take the initiative, this was the first time someone had taken the initiative against her, and she felt every nerve in her body tighten.
She wasn't very good at kissing; she awkwardly nibbled at his lips, feeling a tingling, painful, yet itchy sensation that spread throughout her body.
"Xin'er..." He couldn't help himself and hugged her tightly, his voice low, "You're seducing me."
For the first time, An Xin felt that kissing was so wonderful, which made her mind go blank. She just instinctively wanted to kiss him.
Yan Zhen was originally having a headache about how to deal with her cold and aloof nature, but now seeing her clinging to him like a ball of fire, he couldn't help but feel a headache in his heart, realizing that even his intuition could be wrong!
But the next moment, An Xin withdrew her kiss and lowered her head.
Yan Zhen has a headache. She set him on fire, but she doesn't take responsibility for putting it out. He will be burned to death by the evil fire one day... Or does she simply not know what to do next?
Yan Zhen said softly, "Idiot, is it really over like this?" He then gently hugged her, but in the next moment, his body suddenly stiffened...
****
When An Xin woke up, her mind was blank, as if she had just had a dream. She turned her head slightly to look at the side of the bed, where a strange maid was standing. Seeing that An Xin was awake, the maid hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Miss An, you're awake?"
An Xin looked around, and everything she saw was unfamiliar. She tried to recall something, but her mind went completely blank.
Has she lost her memory?
Hopefully, this melodramatic plot won't repeat itself on her!
An Xin sat up, changed into clean clothes, and then got off the bed, asking, "Where is this?"
The maid said, "Miss An, this is the Left Prime Minister's residence. My name is Bi'er."
An Xin paused, feeling her memories gradually returning. She only remembered being kidnapped by Yan Zhen and taken to the Right Prime Minister's residence, after which she lost consciousness. How did she end up in the Left Prime Minister's residence when she woke up?
Kuang Jinglan… An Xin’s gaze darkened slightly.
“Miss An, the master instructed that if you wake up, he will summon you to the Linshui Pavilion, where the half-lotus is in bloom,” Bi’er said with a smile.
An Xin was taken aback. Jing Lan had invited her to see the half-flower lotus? Wasn't it supposed to be on his birthday?
An Xin felt inexplicably depressed, but she still said calmly, "Okay, let's go."
Before even reaching the waterside pavilion, a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms wafted over. An Xin walked quickly, showing no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery. As soon as she stepped into the pavilion, she saw Jing Lan sitting at a stone table, reading a book. Her relaxed and elegant demeanor was captivating.
"How did I get here?" An Xin took a step forward, her intuition telling her something was wrong. She had gone to the Right Prime Minister's residence last night, but how did she wake up in the Left Prime Minister's residence? Where had her memories of the past come from?
"Sit down and eat something first." Jinglan put down her book and smiled slightly. "You haven't eaten for quite some time, are you hungry?"
An Xin couldn't help but furrow her brow. Was she out of her mind or was he out of his? They had clearly eaten something just yesterday, so why were they saying it had been so long?
“You’ve been unconscious for a long time.” Jing Lan smiled slightly. “Sit down first, and I’ll tell you slowly.”
An Xin's heart skipped a beat, but she still sat down and picked up some pastries from the table to eat. She was indeed a little hungry, but the food didn't taste very good.
“A month ago, you assassinated Yan Zhen, and Ye Qingcheng happened to be there in a hurry. In a fit of rage, she ordered the guards in her mansion to arrest you and imprison you in a water dungeon. I learned of this three days later and secretly sent someone to rescue you. However, you have been in a coma ever since, for more than a month now.”
An Xin took a bite of the pastry and ate it silently. All of this sounded utterly absurd.
She tried to assassinate Yan Zhen? How could she possibly try to assassinate Yan Zhen?!
"Where is Yan Zhen?" An Xin asked calmly, her expression unwavering even if Mount Tai collapsed.