The room fell silent for a moment, as Chu Heng watched his somewhat uncomfortable cousin, growing more certain of his guess. Out of concern for his cousin (cough, he would never admit to being overly nosy), he blurted out, "Was it a lady who fetched the Black Lingzhi to save Hanzhang? Does Hanzhang happen to fancy her?"
"Cough cough—cough cough—"
Caught off guard by Chu Heng's direct questioning, Xiao Ruiyuan could hardly keep his composure and choked on a breath of cold air, breaking into an uncontrollable cough. His originally pale cheeks flushed with several shades of red, though whether from the coughing or embarrassment was unclear.
Chu Heng was first taken aback, then pointed at Xiao Ruiyuan and burst out laughing without any decorum, "Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha... Hanzhang, Hanzhang, you... ha ha..."
Xiao Ruiyuan's lapse delighted Chu Heng, who discovered for the first time that teasing this icy cousin could be such an amusing affair!
