Chapter 104 Hangover Meng Lingyao, still wanting more, drunkenly snuggled into his arms…
On the day the eldest princess returned to the capital in triumph, the emperor personally led civil and military officials out of the city to welcome her. Banners covered the sun, and drums and music filled the air, making it a grand occasion that the people of the capital talked about for a long time.
When the Emperor saw his weary elder sister, he disregarded his imperial dignity and rushed forward. His hands trembled as he helped the princess, who was about to bow, and his eyes glistened with tears. "My elder sister, you have suffered so much... This battle has been arduous, and you have fought alone. I cannot sleep or eat when I think of you." As he spoke, he personally tied a sable cloak that had been prepared for her. This deep sibling affection moved all the civil and military officials present.
With the return of the Eldest Princess, Meng Lingyao naturally couldn't fail to pay her a visit. Counting the days, she figured the Eldest Princess had already met with all the people she was obliged to see before finally sending her visiting card to the Eldest Princess's residence. Knowing the Eldest Princess favored bright colors, she specially chose a pomegranate-red brocade dress, adorned with a red-gold and kingfisher-feather hairpin, her every glance radiant with brilliance.
The Princess's residence has welcomed back its owner after nearly a year's absence, and it has now regained its splendor, with not a speck of dust visible even in the cracks of the bluestone slabs at the entrance.
When Meng Lingyao was led to the warm pavilion by her maid, she saw the Princess sitting alone by the window. Her black hair was loosely tied up with only an ebony hairpin, and she was holding a white jade wine pot, pouring herself a drink. Sunlight shone through the window lattice, gilding her with a layer of gold, but her face was shrouded in shadow, showing a hint of loneliness.
"Your Highness, this humble woman greets you." Meng Lingyao curtsied, her pomegranate-red skirt blooming like a vibrant flower on the ground.
The eldest princess looked up at the sound, her sharp features softening when she saw her. She smiled and waved, "You've come at the right time. Have a drink with me." With that, she picked up the pot herself and filled three white jade cups on the table with amber-colored wine.
Meng Lingyao sat down at the lower seat as instructed. Her gaze swept over the extra wine cup, paused briefly, and then quickly looked away.
The eldest princess picked up one of the cups and slowly poured it onto the ground. The water left dark marks on the blue bricks. She then picked up the second cup and drank it all in one gulp. Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Finally, she pushed the third cup in front of Meng Lingyao, a smile in her eyes.
Meng Lingyao took the wine cup, her expression unchanged, and tilted her head back to drink it all in one gulp.
The princess's smile deepened even further.
After a few rounds of drinks, she looked at Meng Lingyao's bright and beautiful dress, shook her head and sighed, "Yan Xing is being unreasonable, and you just let him have his way? He insists on waiting for me to come back to officiate the wedding, which has delayed us for so long. Aren't you afraid of missing the wedding date?"
Meng Lingyao smiled faintly as she held her cup. "Your Highness has returned at just the right time. Do you know how thick and heavy that wedding dress is? Layer upon layer, and the gold thread is so densely embroidered that it's impossible to breathe. It's only at this time of year that it's neither too hot nor too cold, just right."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess laughed loudly, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. "Exactly! My wedding to my husband was also on a spring day like this..." She suddenly stopped, poured herself a cup and drank it all, her fingertips tracing the rim of the cup. "Look at me, your wedding day is approaching, you shouldn't be saying these things."
“I like listening,” Meng Lingyao said softly, pouring the princess a refill of her cup. She noticed new calluses on the princess’s knuckles as she held the cup, marks left from holding the reins for so long.
The eldest princess gazed at the swirling wine in her glass, her eyes distant. "When I was your age, my archery skills were better than Yan Xing's, even surpassing my own master. There was only one person in the capital who could compare..."
"Never mind, those are all old stories." She then changed the subject.
The two talked about the folk customs of the Southwest and the misty rain of Jiangnan, and before they knew it, they had drunk three jugs of fine wine. Meng Lingyao was already too drunk to hold her liquor and slumped over the table. She laughed at everything the princess said, her pomegranate-red sleeves stained with wine, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, and her eyes filled with spring water.
It was at this time that Pei Xu came to the Princess's residence to take Meng Lingyao home. As dusk fell, he saw the scene in the pavilion, his brows furrowed slightly, and he bowed to the Princess, "Your Highness." But his gaze remained fixed on the drunken Meng Lingyao.
Despite having drunk a lot, the princess's eyes remained clear as ever. "She's so drunk, I can't let you take her away."
Pei Xu looked at him with a detached expression.
The eldest princess said matter-of-factly, "I don't trust you."
Pei Xu: "..."
"I know my limits."
"Sense of propriety?" She finished the two remaining cups of wine on the table, the bottoms of the white jade cups tapping softly on the sandalwood table. She scoffed coldly, "What does a man know about sense of propriety?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Lingyao, who was slumped over the table, heard the familiar voice, swayed as she stood up, stumbled and fell into Pei Xu's arms, her arms softly wrapped around his waist, and she looked up at him with her drunken face, "You... came?"
She shook her head and mumbled, "Don't move, I'm dizzy..."
Pei Xu caught her steadily, supporting her head with his palm to prevent her from swaying. When he looked up at the princess, his tone was slightly serious, "How much did your aunt let her drink?"
"It's not much, she just has a low alcohol tolerance." The princess stood up and tidied Meng Lingyao's slightly disheveled hair. "You'll have to keep a close eye on her from now on."
Pei Xu nodded silently, not mentioning that Meng Lingyao rarely drank alcohol outside. He carefully picked her up horizontally, and Meng Lingyao buried her burning cheeks in his neck.
The eldest princess waved her hand, turned to look at the deepening twilight outside the window, and said, "Alright, hurry up and send her back to rest. If Meng Shaoqing and his wife want to blame you, remember to say it's your fault."
"..."
Pei Xu turned to leave, carrying the person in his arms. The Princess called out sternly from behind, "Remember, you know your limits!"
Pei Xu didn't stop walking and went straight out the door.
The carriage slowly made its way through the streets and alleys. A light fragrance of plum blossoms filled the interior, creating a warm, spring-like atmosphere that separated it from the chill outside, creating two separate worlds. Meng Lingyao squirmed restlessly in Pei Xu's arms, her slender fingers tugging at the hem of his official robe as she mumbled, "Thirsty..."
Pei Xu gave a soft response, put one arm around her, and with the other hand picked up the warm teapot from the small table, poured half a cup of tea, and brought it to her lips. Meng Lingyao took a small sip, immediately turned her face away, and scrunched up her cheeks, "Hot..."
Pei Xu lowered his head to test the temperature, and it was clearly just right. Just as he was about to coax her, a slightly cool hand suddenly touched his cheek, and she smiled with drunken eyes, "Pei Yanxing, you are so handsome..." The fingertips traced his sharp brow bone, and the breath carrying the scent of wine brushed against his tightly pursed lips.
Pei Xu's eyes darkened slightly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked in a low voice, "Are you still thirsty?"
Meng Lingyao nodded slowly.
Pei Xu took a sip of tea from the cup and leaned down to feed it to her.
"Hmm..."
The aroma of tea mingled with the scent of wine on their lips and teeth. Meng Lingyao leaned weakly on his shoulder, her pomegranate-red skirt and scarlet official robe intertwined, indistinguishable from each other, the golden tassels hanging from her hair ornaments swaying gently with her slight trembling.
Only when he noticed the person in his arms breathing rapidly did Pei Xu pull back a few steps with difficulty, wiping the water droplets from her lips with his fingertips, his voice hoarse, "Yaoyao..."
Drunk and out of her mind, Meng Lingyao chased after him with a kiss, her pearly teeth gently nibbling at his lower lip, acting extremely unreasonable.
The collar of his official robe was loosened, revealing his well-defined collarbone. The person in his arms immediately lit up, opened his mouth and bit down, leaving two distinct rows of teeth marks. As if that wasn't enough, he extended his tongue and touched him almost imperceptibly.
Pei Xu's breath hitched, and he gently pressed her back onto the cushion. Meng Lingyao resisted, snuggling drunkenly into his arms, "More..."
"Be good, don't be naughty." His voice was deep and resonant as he restrained himself from holding her restless hand, but she intertwined her fingers with hers. The pomegranate-red sleeves slipped down to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair wrist. He couldn't resist and lowered his head to gently kiss the jade bracelet on her wrist. The jade was cool against her burning skin.
Meng Lingyao mumbled that she was thirsty again, her eyes glistening with an alluring red. Pei Xu had no choice but to feed her tea sip by sip, each time leaving behind a trail of ambiguous silver threads. After the last sip of tea, he lingered, reluctant to leave.
When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Meng residence, Pei Xu's breathing had become steady. He lowered his eyes and carefully straightened the slightly disheveled clothes of the person in his arms, re-pinned the loose hair ornament, and even tucked in the cloak and hood tightly. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he carried the person off the carriage.
Songlan helped the young lady back to her boudoir, settled her down to sleep, and then hurried to the main courtyard to report back.
"Master, Madam, Miss has already rested. It's just... she drank a few too many drinks at the Princess's residence and is still drunk."
Madam Zhong nodded, her expression unchanged. "I understand. Take good care of her, be vigilant at night, and prepare hangover soup and warm water."
"Yes." Songlan responded and withdrew.
Madam Zhong yawned and walked towards the inner room. "Let's go back. It's getting late, and we have a lot to do tomorrow."
Meng Yan stood still, his brows furrowed. "Aren't you going to check on Yao Yao?"
"What are you looking at?" Madam Zhong asked curiously. "Didn't they return safely? Songlan's complexion doesn't look any different, so everything is fine."
Meng Yan stamped his foot and paced anxiously in the corridor. "Didn't Song Lan say that it was that brat Pei Xu who brought her back! Yao Yao can't hold her liquor, and he's the one who brought her back! In the middle of the night..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhong smiled and gently patted him. "They are a legally engaged couple, and their wedding is just around the corner. Instead of worrying about this, you should think more carefully about what other dowry items need to be added or prepared, so as not to wrong your daughter." She paused and added, "Besides, Pei Shaoqing has always been sensible."
“Sense of propriety? What sense of propriety!” Meng Yan’s voice rose a few decibels. “Don’t I know men? Back then I…” He stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of his wife’s ambiguous smile.
Madam Zhong glanced at him sideways, too lazy to pay him any more attention, and turned to go into the inner room. Meng Yan stood there for a moment, then finally sighed and followed her in.
The next day, Meng Lingyao woke up feeling only a slight dryness from a hangover, but otherwise unwell. She had just finished breakfast when she received an invitation from Zhou Xiwen to a small gathering at his villa. Having been away in Jinling for several months, and with Zhou Xiwen himself being very busy, they hadn't seen each other for quite some time.
She immediately changed her clothes and went to the appointment. Zhou Xiwen's usual residence was even more exquisite and unique than before.
The two were naturally delighted to see each other. Zhou Xiwen took her hand and examined her closely, teasingly saying, "Your complexion is so good, even better than before. I wonder if it's the beauty of Jinling's mountains and rivers that nourishes you, or... if it's Pei Shaoqing who nourishes you?"
Meng Lingyao remained calm and composed, saying, "It's the fragrant ointments and cosmetics I apply to my face every day that nourish me."
Zhou Xiwen laughed heartily upon hearing this. They sat down amidst the laughter, and soon a servant came forward to serve tea. Meng Lingyao looked up and saw a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth.
She took the teacup and casually remarked, "This... doesn't seem to be the same as the previous one."
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