Chapter 44 Drinking Game Cui Ying, her eyes blurry with drunkenness, leaned on him, her arm around his back…

As evening approached, the rain intensified, and the crape myrtle trees at the entrance of Cangjingzhai swayed in the wind, scattering crimson petals all over the ground.

As Jingnu's consciousness gradually cleared, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked around blankly when she sensed her first thoughts.

The sound of rain pattered down, and a damp atmosphere filled the small house.

A beechwood canopy bed is draped with a pale white gauze curtain. A bamboo-ribbed, silk-faced lamp stands beside the bed. An ebony display shelf separates the inner and outer spaces. Through the perforations in the shelf, one can see a flat-topped desk in the outer room, on which sits a celadon brush rest. On the wall behind the desk hangs a scorched-tail guqin, its strings gleaming with a cold light.

Looking at all this unfamiliar surroundings, Jingnu felt a surge of unknown fear and got up to get out of bed.

Just then, with a soft creak, the door was pushed open.

Qingshan walked in carrying a bowl of medicine, and the strong, bitter smell of the medicine instantly filled the air. Seeing that she was awake, Qingshan's face showed genuine joy: "I've been waiting for you to wake up, young lady. You fainted outside our door in the middle of last night. The doctor said you were exhausted and caught a cold. You almost died."

Seeing that Jingnu's gaze was looking down at her clean clothes, Qingshan quickly added, "Miss, please don't misunderstand. I bought these clothes on short notice, and the person who changed your clothes was the laundry lady I hired."

Jingnu's eyes flickered slightly, as if she was somewhat moved. Supporting her weak body, she got off the bed and bent her knees to kneel down before Qingshan.

Qingshan quickly put down the medicine bowl and helped the woman up, saying, "Miss, why bother? It was just a small favor."

"Besides, if you want to thank someone, you should thank my master. He found you when he returned last night and specifically instructed us to help you in and even called a doctor to treat you."

Jingnu's eyes trembled, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face. Her throat, which had not eaten or drunk for a long time, was very dry and hoarse. She said weakly, "It's... Commander Xiao?"

Qingshan nodded: "That's right. Our master specifically instructed that you should stay here and recuperate. You can leave when you are fully recovered."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Jingnu's eyes. Just as she was about to ask tentatively, Qingshan continued, "As for rescuing the Zhao family mother and daughter, don't even think about it, Miss. One thing at a time. My master is kind and considers you loyal and righteous, which is why he thinks highly of you. But that doesn't mean he can grant your request. My master would never do something that violates the law."

The glimmer of hope that had just ignited in his eyes was instantly extinguished.

The quiet girl said no more and stood silently with her head down.

Qingshan sighed and said, "I've left the medicine here. Please remember to take it, young lady. If you need anything, just call for me. You can walk around freely in this courtyard, except for the study where my master usually stays. If you get tired of lying down, you can go downstairs for a walk."

Jingnu responded softly and saw Qingshan out the door.

Once the door was closed, she collapsed to the ground, as if a puppet had been released from its string.

what to do.

what to do.

It seems there's absolutely no hope left.

In the past, the Zhao family mansion was like a dark prison, where dancers schemed against each other, and poisoning and framing were common occurrences. Many times, she almost lost her life, but fortunately, she was saved by the kindness of the lady and young lady, and has survived to this day.

On the eve of the raid, amidst the chaos, Madam Zhao still remembered the dancers. She took out all of their release papers, distributed silver, and urged them to flee to avoid being implicated.

Jingnu gained her freedom, but unlike the others, she did not run away without looking back.

She stayed with the Zhao family mother and daughter, transforming from a dancer into a lowly maid, washing clothes, cooking, and sweeping the courtyard for them. At that time, Zhao Dongsheng had been demoted to a lowly clerk, and his meager monthly salary was barely enough to buy rice. So Jingnu secretly took on some menial jobs like washing and sewing to earn a meager amount of money to supplement the family income.

Although life was poor, it was also peaceful. Being able to stay by the side of the lady and the young lady and see them safe and sound filled Jingnu's heart with gratitude and contentment.

It wasn't until Zhao Dongsheng's instigation of Prince Qi to rebel was exposed that he fled to his hometown with his wife and daughters overnight. Jingnu was left alone in the capital. When she saw the lady and her daughter again, she saw them huddled in a wooden cage used by the Northern Garrison to transport prisoners.

Later, the news I heard about them was that the mother and daughter had been demoted to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution).

The Imperial Music Bureau...

Jingnu felt her heart breaking and was in unbearable pain whenever she thought about what the lady and young lady might have to go through.

She had considered asking others for help, but she knew better than anyone that, apart from Xiao Heng, the commander of the Northern Garrison, no one had the ability to rescue two unprofitable family members of convicted officials from the abyss of the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau).

The rain continued to patter against the eaves, and Jingnu's heart was in turmoil.

She looked up at the bowl of medicine on the table, suppressed all the sorrow and despair in her heart, supported her weak body with her arms, slowly stood up, walked to the table, picked up the bowl of warm medicine, and drank it all in small sips, not leaving a drop.

"Live on," Jingnu thought to herself. "Only by surviving can we see a turning point."

...

In the evening, the drizzle that had been lingering all day finally stopped, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees washed by the rain.

It was still early before bedtime, and Cui Ying had plenty of energy, so she ordered her maid to invite Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan, planning to play a drinking game in the Mandarin Duck Pavilion in the back garden.

When Cui Ying arrived at the pavilion, he lit incense to repel mosquitoes, laid out wine, dishes, and fruits, and prepared a colorful lacquered wine container, waiting for someone to arrive.

Before long, Xiao Wan arrived surrounded by maids, carrying a fluffy little raccoon in her arms. The raccoon was orange all over, with a round head and eyes like two crystal beads.

Cui Ying exclaimed "Oh!" and smiled, her eyes crinkling, "Where did this little guy come from?"

Xiao Wan sat down, and seeing that Cui Ying liked it, she smiled and stuffed the soft little bundle in her arms into her arms: "The big cat in my mother's yard recently gave birth to a litter of kittens, and I thought this one was the most lively and cute, so I asked to keep it for a few days to keep her company."

Cui Ying gently stroked the little life, overjoyed. She picked up a piece of dried meat and teased the little guy, saying, "I had no idea my third aunt kept a cat."

Xiao Wan said, "My sister is already married, and I have to go to school every day. My mother feels that there is too much loneliness around her, so she tends to some flowers, plants, and cats to keep her company, so she won't feel bored."

As the two were talking, Qin Shu arrived, jogged into the pavilion, and laughed loudly, "I'm late, I'm willing to punish myself with three cups."

After saying that, he picked up the pot, poured wine, and drank three cups in a row, displaying a very bold and unrestrained attitude.

Cui Ying chuckled and teased her, "We didn't say you were late. You were just too busy drinking and couldn't wait. Don't use us as an excuse."

Her eyes darted around, and she noticed that behind Xiao Shu was a slender young girl. The girl had bright eyes and fair cheeks, wore a light blue silk dress, and had her hair styled in a drooping bun. She stood there quietly with her head down, like a fragrant orchid in a secluded valley.

Cui Ying knew that this must be Qin Wan, Qin Shi's niece, but she couldn't just invite her to sit down. So she reminded Xiao Shu, "This younger sister next to you looks unfamiliar. It seems like I've never seen her before."

Xiao Shu then remembered and turned around to pull Qin Wan in front of her, saying, "I forgot to mention, this is my cousin Qin Wan. You can call her Shanxian."

After speaking, he introduced her to Qin Wan, facing Cui Ying, and said, "This is my seventh sister-in-law."

Qin Wan stepped forward and curtsied to Cui Ying, her eyelashes lowered, her gaze gentle, her movements as still as a flower reflected in water, and her voice as soft and light as mist emerging from a mountain: "Shanxian greets Seventh Sister-in-law."

Cui Ying stood up and helped her up, smiling, "I only heard from Third Sister-in-law yesterday that you were coming, and it's such a coincidence that I'm here today. It's a pity I didn't bring the gift I prepared for you with me. After we finish drinking, come with me to Qiyun Pavilion and I'll get it for you."

Xiao Shu's eyes widened with jealousy: "What? There's a gift for meeting you? When you married into the family, why didn't you ever think of preparing a gift for me?"

Cui Ying rolled her eyes at her, her tone as lively and natural as if she were talking to an acquaintance: "Did you feed that bowl of belt noodles to the dog?"

Xiao Shu persisted, "That doesn't count! I don't care, you have to make it up to me tomorrow."

Cui Ying repeatedly agreed, and Xiao Shu then stopped, pulling Qin Wan to sit down so that she could recognize Xiao Wan.

Xiao Wan didn't know what year Qin Wan was born, so she didn't know how to address her, and her speech was slightly stiff.

Qin Wan sensitively noticed Xiao Wan's hesitation and gently said, "I was born in the tenth month of the year of the Snake."

Xiao Wan smiled and said, "I was born in November, so it seems I should call you 'elder sister' now."

The two were the same age and both had quiet personalities, so they soon became familiar with each other and addressed each other by their nicknames.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xiao Shu clapped her hands excitedly: "Alright, alright, now that everyone's here, it's time to choose a drinking commander!"

The "wine commander" is the person responsible for shaking the divination tube, drawing lots, and reciting the poems and pronouncements on the lots when playing drinking games.

Seeing that no one was taking the initiative, Cui Ying rolled up her sleeves high, revealing two smooth and delicate arms, and stood up to pull the divination tube in front of her: "I'll do it."

She shook the divination tube twice, drew out the first divination stick, looked at the words on it, and read aloud: "Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar? —Drink with those who come from afar."

Qin Wan rose shyly and drank a cup of wine.

Cui Ying clapped and cheered.

Then, Cui Ying drew the second slip of paper and read: "After much calling and coaxing, she finally appears, still holding a pipa and half-concealing her face—the latecomer shall drink."

Xiao Shu laughed in exasperation: "This round is all about me!"

Cui Ying egged her on and helped her fill the glass.

Despite her complaints, Xiao Shu made no hesitation in her actions. She raised her cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then turned the cup upside down, circling the table to show it to them.

When it came to the third slip of paper, Cui Ying read out: "At the place where names are inscribed under the Ci'en Pagoda, the youngest of the seventeen is the youngest to drink."

Xiao Wan smiled and said, "Now it's my turn."

Because she couldn't hold her liquor, Cui Ying replaced half of her cup with tea, which she then mixed with the wine.

The fourth fortune slip read to Cui Ying: "In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches—those who are destined to be together should drink."

She sighed, pretending not to understand: "There are no pairs on our table, so it seems this one is just wasted."

Xiao Shu immediately shouted, "Husbands and wives are supposed to be a pair. You're the only married person at this table. If you don't drink, who will?" With that, she poured wine and forced it on her.

Seeing that he couldn't escape, Cui Ying had no choice but to accept his fate. He tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp. When he looked down, he saw another full cup in front of him and immediately exclaimed, "Didn't I finish my drink? Why is this happening again?"

Xiao Shu held up the slip of paper with a mischievous grin: "It says 'to be a pair' on this, so naturally it should be drunk by two people. Right now, my seventh brother isn't here, so his cup will naturally fall to you."

Xiao Wan, indulging in her playful nature, joined in the commotion: "That's right, that's right, Seventh Brother's drink counts too, husband and wife are one."

"Alright, alright, I admit defeat." Cui Ying had no choice but to raise her cup and readily drink the second cup.

After a couple of drinks, Cui Ying's cheeks flushed slightly, like a light layer of rouge, making her eyes look moist and her smile as beautiful as a flower.

Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan's eyes were fixed on Cui Ying. Unbeknownst to anyone, Qin Wan's cheeks flushed with embarrassment whenever they mentioned "Seventh Brother," and her gaze became slightly dazed.

Time flew by, and the drizzle outside the pavilion came and went. The rich fragrance of flowers and grass blended with the sultry early autumn night, permeating the laughter of the girls.

Having drunk countless cups of wine, Cui Ying's cheeks were flushed, and her originally snow-white neck was now covered in a rosy blush.

Her eyes were hazy, and she swayed as she reached into the divination tube again, slowly pulling out a stick. Squinting, she tried to decipher the words on it, and read with a thick tongue: "The beauties of the six palaces pale in comparison, a single glance from her is enough to launch a hundred ships—the most beautiful drink. Alright, alright, I'll punish myself with this cup, so don't try to take it from me!"

Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan started making a ruckus, laughing as they tried to snatch the wine from her hand. The three of them were intertwined, pulling and tugging at each other, creating quite a commotion.

A gust of wind blew by, and the shadows of the trees outside the pavilion swayed gently.

The boy's tall and straight figure was like a jade tree standing in the wind. He stood silently in the deep shadow under the tree. His clothes were soaked by the rain, and his long-healed wounds were faintly stinging at this moment.

He stared intently at a certain figure in the pavilion.

With blurry, drunken eyes, Cui Ying leaned against someone's arm, her hand half-empty of wine snatched away, leaving the other to drink the rest. Her collar was slightly open during their playful tussle, her snow-white, soft silhouette pressed freely against the other's arm, a truly intimate moment.

As Xiao Qiyu watched, an overwhelming sense of irritation welled up inside him.

I want to take her away immediately.

-----------------------

Author's Note: This guy is incredibly jealous; he's jealous of everyone. Once he matures, he'll be even more consumed by jealousy.

The drinking games all quoted common ancient poems.