Qinghe drank another cup: "The name is quite unique, is there any story behind it?"
"There's no particular reason for it," Qi Rong said. "It's just named because its taste is similar to that of kapok."
Qinghe became somewhat addicted to the wine. Although the aroma of this cotton wine was not as strong as other wines, its unique fresh and mellow fragrance had a special flavor.
Yuan Xiu across from them was also attracted by the fine wine, and even Miao'er, who always scoffed at wine, drank a couple more cups, her cheeks flushing.
When they left the restaurant, they were all slightly tipsy. Night had fallen and a cool breeze was blowing. Qinghe slipped and fell backward, landing on a broad and warm chest.
She looked up and met a pair of red eyes that were looking at her mockingly. In the darkness, those eyes shone like jewels, and reflected in Qinghe's pupils as brightly as fire.
The moonlight is hazy, the city streets are bustling, and talented men and beautiful women gather.
The enchanting atmosphere became even more ambiguous with Qinghe's exclamation of "beauty."
With two fingers lifting Qi Rong's chin, she spoke like a lecherous man harassing a respectable woman, her tone becoming slick and oily: "Beautiful lady, you're really pretty. Tell me, what's your name?"
Qi Rong looked straight at her, her smile unwavering. "Don't pretend to be drunk."
Qing rarely smiles; most of the time, he has a serene expression, and now he only shows a smile when he is slightly drunk.
Qi Rong's heart stirred slightly, and she raised her hand to move it toward her temple.
Qinghe suddenly turned her head to avoid his movement and stood at a safe and comfortable distance.
Although her eyes were glazed over, her mind was still clear. Qinghe touched the mask on her face and found no flaws.
"You have overstepped your bounds."
Qi Rong smiled and waved her fan at her, "And what about you?"
Qinghe paused for a moment, then said, "I've overstepped my bounds too." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "It seems I should drink less alcohol in the future."
After saying that, he stopped looking at Qi Rong and turned to follow Miao'er and Yuan Xiu.
Even after walking quite a distance, she could still feel the intense gaze behind her, but she didn't turn back.
Back at Yujing Manor, Qing and Huali got lost on their way to the courtyard.
Although the Kapok wine is mellow, it has a strong aftereffect. In addition, the cool breeze and the strangely similar layout of the villa's main hall and paths led me to a completely unfamiliar place.
After wandering around for a while without finding the original path, I simply sat down in a nearby pavilion to sober up.
Looking up at the sky, the stars and clouds were sparse. Just as Qinghe was about to fall asleep with her eyes closed, she suddenly heard a few strange noises. Qinghe looked at the room not far away, where a faint candlelight was still on. Qinghe held her breath and moved closer. Through the silhouette on the window, she saw that the person inside seemed to be forging iron. The "ping-pong" sound was particularly loud in the darkness.
Qinghe thought of the manor's world-renowned weapon-forging techniques. Could it be that they were forging iron here?
Lost in his own thoughts, the person inside the room stopped moving, and in the next instant, a silver needle pierced through the window and stabbed straight toward Qinghe's temple.
Qinghe was startled and quickly dodged. The silver needle flew past her ear and pierced into the tree trunk behind her, disappearing completely.
The man inside continued forging, ignoring Qinghe.
After wandering around for about half an hour, Qinghe finally returned to the courtyard house. The moment he opened the door, a voice whispered in his ear, "You're back."
Qinghe frowned: "Why do you always appear so quietly?"
On a dark and windy night, a lone man and woman alone in a room might cause gossip.
Mo Junqian: "I've been waiting for you. Where have you been?"
He noticed the smell of alcohol on Qinghe, mixed with another scent that didn't belong to her.
Qinghe lit the lamp, poured himself a cup of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and instead of answering, asked, "Is there something you need?"
Mo Junqian pursed his lips: "It's nothing, I just haven't seen you in a long time and wanted to come and see you."
Qinghe: "We just met last night."
Mo Junqian looked at her: "It's different."
Qinghe said calmly, "Nothing's different." She looked outside and said, "It's getting late, let's go back and rest."
Mo Junqian didn't move, but instead sat down with her, saying, "Don't drink anymore, drinking is bad for your health."
Qinghe swirled his teacup but didn't drink: "Wine can relieve worries."
Mo Junqian: "What's troubling you, Senior Sister?"
Qinghe seemed not to hear him, her eyes fixed on the tea in her cup, lost in thought.
As night fell and the moonlight grew brighter, it shone on Qinghe's profile. Mo Junqian's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his thin lips moved as if he was about to say something. Just then, there was a 'thud' as Qinghe collapsed onto the table.
Listening to his gradually calming breathing, Mo Junqian sighed after a long while in the darkness.
He moved Qinghe to the bed, covered her with a blanket, and quietly closed the door.
...
Because of her hangover, Qinghe slept in late, and even the annoying rooster didn't wake her up. She didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Shen Xun sitting by the bed looking at her, his eyes full of amusement.
"Tell me, what did you do last night?"
Qinghe sat up, still feeling a little dizzy. "I didn't go anywhere."
Shen Xun took a glass of water from the side and handed it to her: "I don't believe it. You smell of alcohol. I've rarely seen you drunk."
After drinking a glass of water, Qinghe said, "Even an old horse can stumble."
Shen Xun said quietly, "Was it the wine that bewitched you, or the person who bewitched you?"
He glanced at Qing and Bai, then turned and got out of bed.
The sun was shining brightly outside. Qinghe stretched and walked towards Miao'er's residence.
Miao'er drank even more than her last night and is now sleeping soundly. As soon as Qinghe entered the room, she saw Yuanxiu sitting on the edge of the bed washing a towel.
Miao'er still had a mark on her forehead. When Qinghe walked over to look, her face was flushed, she was muttering something, and she was holding Yuan Xiu's arm tightly with both hands.
Yuan Xiu looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, probably from taking care of people all night.
Noticing Qinghe's gaze, he said, "I want to leave too, but I can't."
Qinghe looked at Miao'er's delicate body gradually leaning towards Yuanxiu and felt deep sympathy for her.
Qinghe: "Her cultivation level is inferior to yours; she can't stop you if you want to leave."
Yuan Xiu pursed his lips and remained silent.
Qinghe: "Actually, you like her, don't you?"
Looking at Miao'er's sleeping face, Yuan Xiu finally spoke after a long while: "I am not good enough for her."
Qinghe: "There's no such thing as being a good match or not, it's just a matter of whether you're willing or not."
Yuan Xiu glanced at her: "You're thinking too simply."
Ever since being told she didn't understand love, Qinghe has been traumatized and doesn't want to comment on this topic anymore.
However, there was something she wanted to ask Yuan Xiu: "When you competed with Ding Mengchao, the difference in skill was obvious, so why did you lose to him before?"
Upon hearing Ding Mengchao's name, Yuan Xiu frowned slightly: "Ding Mengchao is a cunning and treacherous man who is also greedy for fame and fortune. He used some underhanded methods that day."
Just as he was about to hear him continue, Miao'er on the bed let out a soft groan and slowly woke up.
She rubbed her eyes and the first thing she saw was the person by the bed: "Yuan Xiu~"
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