Chapter 57 Drunkenness
Fortunately, the floor wasn't dusty, and Jiang Ru quickly picked it up. She gently patted the net and said, "How come you can't even hold something steady?"
They just didn't mention that it was clearly she who touched Pei Wu's hand first, and that Pei Wu was so startled by her action that he dropped the tassel on the ground.
Seeing that Pei Wu still seemed a little unconvinced, Jiang Ru changed her tune: "Okay, okay, it's my fault, I scared you."
Before Pei Wu could say anything, Jiang Ru muttered again, "Like a little white rabbit, it gets scared and hides everywhere if you touch it."
This assessment was somewhat biased, and Pei Wu said softly, "Cousin."
Jiang Ru immediately smiled and said, "What's wrong, cousin?"
She was two-faced, a skill she mastered. Pei Wu stared at her for a while, then fell silent.
Although Pei Wu was a bit slow-witted, he managed to weave one after a few days of learning. It wasn't as good as Jiang Ru's, but it was still passable enough to wear.
Jiang Ru and Pei Wu exchanged hats; Pei Wu wore the yellow tassel she had woven, and Jiang Ru wore the pink tassel Pei Wu had woven.
Perhaps it was because he learned to weave with Jiang Ru for a few days, or perhaps it was because Pei Wu had his own talent; in any case, Pei Wu quickly grasped the balance. He was no longer as unrestrained and unconventional as before. His temperament was gentle yet decisive, a perfect blend of strength and gentleness. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had undergone a complete transformation.
My frail cousin is truly gone forever.
Not only that, he has also gained a lot of weight. If Jiang Ru could support him before, it would be difficult now, and she might be overwhelmed.
Back in the capital, Pei Wu was busy, but he still had his ten-day rest days. Several familiar officials had arranged to host a welcome dinner for him at Qingfeng Tower in Bianjing.
They all knew that Pei Wu had a cousin and warmly invited her to go. Jiang Ru originally didn't want to go, but Pei Wu had a low alcohol tolerance and she was afraid he would get drunk, so she went along with him.
During the banquet, the officials toasted each other, first offering Pei Wu a few drinks to wish him a promotion, and then they started drinking contests. Pei Wu didn't like drinking, so he didn't participate, but they all drank on their own.
Most of these people were from the Hanlin Academy and the Secretariat-Chancellery, and there was also Zheng Qiuhong from the Arsenal. Except for a few people from the Secretariat-Chancellery who were unfamiliar to Jiang Ru, she knew the others, especially the two officials who had previously gossiped about her and Zheng Qiuhong.
They were drinking and eating, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Jiang Ru watched them for a while, then couldn't help but whisper to Pei Wu, "I suspect they're doing this on purpose."
Pei Wu: "What?"
Because he had drunk a few glasses of wine, his cheeks were slightly flushed, and his thinking was a little sluggish, making it difficult for him to process Jiang Ru's words.
Jiang Ru continued in a low voice, "They're not here to welcome you at all; they're just here for a meal."
Especially those two officials from the Hanlin Academy—if Jiang Ru wasn't mistaken, they ate the entire plate of Mandarin Duck Five Delicacies!
Not only that, they ate most of the gourd soup, and then drank a couple of sips of wine, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Pei Wu's gaze fell on the dishes on the table. Jiang Ru thought he hadn't understood, so she decided not to talk to him for the time being.
The next moment, she saw Pei Wu extend his chopsticks. They were using serving chopsticks, so when Pei Wu extended his chopsticks, Jiang Ru casually said, "If you want to eat, I can just pick some for you."
After all, Pei Wu was drunk, so he probably wouldn't be able to pick it up.
She underestimated Pei Wu. Pei Wu was very skillful with chopsticks. He picked up the largest piece of steamed meat from the plate and put it into Jiang Ru's bowl.
Lord Feng, who had been eagerly reaching for the steamed meat, froze, looking at Pei Wu in shock. Pei Wu, with gentle eyes, said softly to his cousin, "This is what you want to eat."
The steamed meat was a mix of lean and fatty meat, which was too greasy for Jiang Ru. She didn't like fatty meat, but in ancient times, it was not easy to eat fatty meat. However, with such a big piece in the bowl, she didn't want to eat it.
Jiang Ru frowned: "So fat."
Pei Wu stared at her for a while, and Jiang Ru thought he would take the meat away, but to her surprise, Pei Wu took the fatty meat and left the lean meat for her.
Then, Pei Wu, as if seeking credit, said, "Eat."
Jiang Ru was certain that Pei Wu was truly drunk; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken food from her bowl. After all, it was her cousin's gesture, so Jiang Ru ate it.
The meat was stewed until very tender and fragrant, and it was very flavorful. Jiang Ru finished eating it with great satisfaction.
As I glanced to the side, Pei Wu was bringing the other half of the fatty meat to his mouth. He swallowed a large piece of fatty meat in one gulp, frowning and looking miserable, his eyes blank, not even knowing what he had just eaten.
He barely managed to finish a large piece of fatty meat, then raised his wine glass and downed it in one gulp.
Jiang Ru watched the whole thing unfold, and had only one thought in mind.
Oh no, I'm even more drunk now.
She didn't have time to think much before another piece of meat was added to her bowl.
If you say Pei Wu is drunk, he eats fatty meat on its own to cleanse his palate while drinking alcohol; if you say he's not drunk, he remembers to use serving chopsticks.
With such a helpful server, Jiang Ru ate her meal to her heart's content. Pei Wu knew her preferences very well and only served her what she liked.
While they were eating, Lord Feng, whose food had been snatched by Pei Wu, couldn't hold back any longer: "Lord Pei, are you deliberately targeting me?"
Pei Wu raised his pure eyes and looked at the other person: "What?"
Lord Feng was momentarily speechless, but for the sake of food, he bravely spoke up: "You're picking up whatever I'm picking up, are you doing this on purpose?"
Pei Wu listened for a while, then said expressionlessly, "That must be a coincidence. Besides, I only picked out the foods my cousin likes. It was clearly you who wanted to come with me."
Lord Feng: "..."
He was so annoying when he was drunk that Jiang Ru quickly covered his mouth and held his hands down.
Pei Wu didn't understand, but he cooperated.
Lord Feng then provocatively took the last piece of duck meat.
Pei Wu said in a low voice, "Naive."
Jiang Ru could only be thankful that Lord Feng hadn't heard. Although none of the people at the table were troublemakers, Pei Wu was indeed likely to get beaten up if he was too arrogant.
However, Jiang Ru was already full, even a little stuffed, so she told Pei Wu not to put any more food on her plate. Pei Wu didn't respond, but upon hearing her words, he lowered his eyes and sat quietly without touching his chopsticks, as if he were in a daze.
The adults were all big eaters, and the table of dishes was devoured in no time. By the time the banquet ended, the moon was high in the sky. The adults were all picked up by their servants, leaving only Zheng Qiuhong, Pei Wu, and Jiang Ru.
Zheng Qiuhong tentatively asked Pei Wu, "Brother Pei, are you drunk?"
Pei Wu shook his head: "No."
Jiang Ru: "I'm drunk."
Zheng Qiuhong looked at the two of them hesitantly, but seeing Pei Wu moving freely, she actually believed him.
He took out an inkstone from his pocket and said, "I am very grateful to Miss Jiang and Brother Pei for helping me deliver the message and for taking care of my family. I am deeply grateful. This is an inkstone that I recently acquired. I am giving it to Miss Jiang."
This inkstone is a fine piece. Zheng Qiuhong was frugal and reluctant to use it, so he gave it to her. He is indeed a sincere person.
Jiang Ru thanked him and accepted the gift without being polite.
After leaving the restaurant, Jiang Ru sent Xiao Fang to see Zheng Qiuhong off. Zheng Qiuhong had also been drinking, and since he didn't have any servants at home, it would be more reassuring to have someone keep an eye on him.
She went home with Pei Wu. Bianjing was still bustling and lively at night, with crowds of people. At first, Jiang Ru was worried that Pei Wu would fall or bump into someone while walking, but she was relieved to find that he was moving freely in the crowd.
Not long after they felt at ease, the two returned to Zhuque Street. The area was less crowded, with only a few lanterns illuminating the long street. Pei Wu walked slowly ahead, with Jiang Ru following behind.
Unsure of where he was, Pei Wu tripped and nearly fell.
Jiang Ru reacted quickly and caught him.
However, he underestimated Pei Wu. Pei Wu was already drunk, and he put all his strength on Jiang Ru. In addition, he had recently gained some weight, and Jiang Ru couldn't support him.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ru couldn't support Pei Wu. Pei Wu regained his senses and tried to stand up, but Jiang Ru had one foot between his two feet, and the two of them tripped and fell to the ground in a sorry state.
Fortunately, Pei Wu braced himself with his hand, preventing his entire weight from falling on Jiang Ru, but it was still quite a heavy load.
Even though she wasn't wearing thick clothes in the summer, Jiang Ru could feel Pei Wu's hard chest and the muscle definition in his arms. She grabbed Pei Wu's arm and took a deep breath: "Pei Wu!"
Alright, there's no need to worry about whether she can support Pei Wu now. She simply can't. The consequence of forcibly supporting him is that the two of them fall awkwardly to the ground in this embarrassing position.
Pei Wu's face had just touched hers; it felt very soft, only a little warmer. With just that one touch, Pei Wu's previously dazed eyes immediately cleared, his cheeks, which were slightly flushed from the alcohol, turned even redder, and his ears and neck also turned red.
He smelled slightly of alcohol, and his breath was very close to Jiang Ru's. Jiang Ru looked up at him and pushed his head. Not to mention Pei Wu, Jiang Ru's face turned red with anger. Her almond-shaped eyes widened: "Why don't you get up right now!"
She tried to push him a few times, but couldn't budge him at all.
Reminded by her, Pei Wu hurriedly stood up. Because his hand slipped, he rolled to the side before standing up. Seeing Jiang Ru still lying on the ground, his face was full of apology: "I'm sorry, it's my fault, cousin."
Jiang Ru sat on the ground, glaring angrily at Pei Wu. Both of them, one standing and one sitting, looked disheveled, with the culprit standing right in front of them.
Jiang Ru kicked Pei Wu lightly, leaving a gray footprint on his robe, which finally calmed her down a little.
Pei Wu reached out his hand to her and continued apologetically, "Cousin, are you alright? Would you like me to help you up?"
Jiang Ru stared at his hand and reached out.
Her hand was almost lightly placed on Pei Wu's palm. Her slender and delicate hand was a few sizes smaller than Pei Wu's. Just as Pei Wu was about to reach up and grasp her hand, Jiang Ru raised her hand and slapped him with a "smack".
Pei Wu felt a sharp pain in his palm. He curled his fingers, knowing that Jiang Ru was still angry and didn't want his help, so he lowered his eyes in disappointment.
Jiang Ru was initially angry, but when she saw Pei Wu lower his eyes, she knew that he was in a bad mood and was probably thinking about other things.
She was perfectly capable of getting up on her own, and Pei Wu had previously told her not to always touch her, but seeing Pei Wu's disappointment, she still generously forgave him.
She raised her hand, which was about to brace herself, a little higher, and grabbed Pei Wu's wrist before he could pull it back.
Pei Wu lowered his head in a daze, almost subconsciously opening his palm. He didn't know what Jiang Ru meant, but it seemed like this was the only reaction he could make.
His reaction was quick, unlike when he fell earlier. Jiang Ru stared at his hand for a while, then opened her hand and clasped his hand together, using Pei Wu's strength to stand up.
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