"Speaking of which... before the second round of the Nine Pavilions Summit began, Junior Sister hadn't returned for almost half a month. Did she go to search for the Blood Spirit Mushroom on purpose?"
"Yes, I happened to know where it was, so I retrieved it."
"But I've heard that the Blood Spirit Mushroom grows in the blood-red swamp of the Nether Dragon Abyss..."
"Shh—" Chu Hongluan interrupted him, raising her glass to clink with his: "Let's drink."
Seeing that she avoided the question, Liu Jinghong did not ask any more questions. She quietly enjoyed the moment, her eyes becoming increasingly gentle, as if they could be drawn into silk.
They continued drinking and toasting, and the pot of wine was soon emptied.
Chu Hongluan's face was flushed, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she turned the empty wine glass upside down, swirling it around.
A glistening drop of water slowly slid down the side of the cup, hanging precariously on the rim.
The girl's eyes lit up. She carefully brought the rim of the cup to her lips, curled her moist tongue, and greedily drank the last drop of wine before finally putting down the cup and licking her lips with satisfaction.
Liu Jinghong watched quietly, her eyes dark and brooding.
"Junior sister, you're drunk."
"Drunk?" Chu Hongluan raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of arrogance. "A mere pot of this year's newly brewed peach blossom wine is hardly enough to make you drunk!"
"Does Junior Sister still remember who I am?"
"You..." Chu Hongluan suddenly leaned closer, cupping his face in her slender fingers, "Let me take a good look at you..."
Liu Jinghong froze instantly, her heart pounding like thunder. Her long eyelashes drooped in panic, and she dared not meet her gaze.
At this moment, the two were extremely close, so close that he could clearly feel the girl's warm breath.
"Junior Sister." As soon as he opened his mouth, Chu Hongluan suddenly moved closer, her slightly cool nose sniffing his lips: "Young Master, have you had some wine too?"
Liu Jinghong held her breath, her Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.
"Hmm, would you like to try some, junior sister?"
"You're inviting me."
Before he could finish speaking, the girl's soft lips had already covered his.
Liu Jinghong's breath hitched, and her pupils trembled violently.
No! I can't do this while my junior sister is drunk...
He suddenly awoke with a start and abruptly retreated.
But he forgot he was still sitting on the stool, and in an instant, he and the stool fell backward, landing awkwardly on the ground.
A sudden pain in his buttocks finally brought him back to his senses. His chest heaved violently, and he gasped for breath, his face flushed.
The girl stared at him blankly for a while before bursting out with a "pfft," saying, "Such a pathetic thing!"
Liu Jinghong couldn't tell whether she was drunk or not, and was extremely embarrassed.
Chu Hongluan straightened up, stretched, and swayed as she walked into the house. Perhaps her vision was too blurry, for she staggered after only a few steps—
Liu Jinghong was so frightened that she even used the divination method to finally manage to catch the person!
With the soft, warm body of the young woman in his arms, and her fragrance lingering around his nose, Liu Jinghong couldn't help but let his imagination run wild again.
Chu Hongluan tilted her head on his shoulder, revealing her delicate and beautiful neck. Three ferocious claw marks were faintly visible on the back of her collar.
Liu Jinghong sighed, resignedly picked the person up by the waist, and carried them into the room.
This was his first time stepping into Chu Hongluan's boudoir, and he was so nervous that he dared not look around.
He gently laid the person in his arms flat on the bed, and carefully smoothed her long hair, as if she were a fragile treasure.
Chu Hongluan's breathing was even; she had fallen asleep early, but the tickling sensation from having her hair touched made her grumble in dissatisfaction and turn her back. Her long hair slipped down with her movement, revealing a section of her snow-white nape.
Liu Jinghong chuckled and was about to reach out to pull the quilt folded on the inside of the bed when the movement caused a few strands of her hair to slip down, revealing the three diagonal wounds that disappeared into the back of her collar.
Liu Jinghong was completely stunned.
He recognized it... he recognized this kind of injury...
These are claw marks from a Nether Dragon!
His hands trembled as he tried to touch the deep, almost bone-revealing marks, but he ultimately lacked the courage to do so.
Has she been carrying such a serious injury for the past few days?
Damn it! He didn't even notice!
The Nether Dragon Abyss is extremely dangerous; even those at the Tribulation Transcending Realm cannot guarantee a safe escape if they accidentally enter.
But she went alone and brought back the Blood Spirit Mushroom. He should have guessed the dangers involved!
But he was blinded by his own strength, becoming accustomed to her power and believing she was omnipotent!
Liu Jinghong took a deep breath, pulled the blanket over her, and left without looking back.
He is not yet worthy of his junior sister's affection.
But one day, he will deserve it.
The next day, Chu Hongluan slept until the sun was high in the sky.
She stretched and sat up in bed, feeling refreshed. She couldn't help but exclaim: "The peach blossom wine that Liu Jinghong brought last night was really good. I don't feel any pain after the hangover."
Wait, a hangover?
How did she get back to bed yesterday?
Oh no! I have absolutely no recollection of her! She couldn't have done anything stupid, could she?!
Oh no! Drinking has ruined my life!
Chu Hongluan immediately felt uneasy and quickly got up to wash and change her clothes before rushing off to find Liu Jinghong.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the courtyard gate, he ran into Liu Jinghong face to face. He raised his right hand, as if he was about to knock on the door.
"Junior sister?"
Chu Hongluan blinked, grabbed his wrist, pulled him into the courtyard, slammed the door shut and locked it in one swift motion, then abruptly slammed him against the wall and leaned close to him—
Liu Jinghong's eyes widened, and countless romantic thoughts flashed through his mind in that instant. But then he heard Chu Hongluan lean close to his ear and ask nervously, "Did I behave inappropriately while drunk last night?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Jinghong's spine tensed up, and she suddenly recalled the fleeting kiss from the previous night, subconsciously pursing her lips.
Before he could answer, Chu Hongluan's heart skipped a beat again. Could it be? Had she really done something stupid?
"Never."
Liu Jinghong finally responded, "Junior sister drank too much last night and fell asleep on the table, so I took her back to her room."
Chu Hongluan let out a long sigh of relief, only then realizing that their posture was inappropriate. Her face flushed red, and she quickly retreated! However, she retreated too hastily and, not paying attention, tripped over a protruding rock and fell backward—
"Junior Sister!"
Liu Jinghong reacted quickly and scooped her up! But Chu Hongluan couldn't stop the momentum and crashed into his arms again!
Liu Jinghong frowned and let out a muffled groan!
This sound made Chu Hongluan's face flush red again.
This man is like a curse!
Don't do that! She won't be able to handle it!
Liu Jinghong helped her stand up straight and only withdrew his hand after making sure she was steady.
Be careful.
"Cough, senior brother, I didn't mean to."
She only called him "senior brother" when teasing him or when she felt guilty.
Liu Jinghong smiled helplessly, "I know."
He actually hoped she did it on purpose.
"Senior brother, is there something you need from me?"
"Yes, I'd like to ask you to come along and select the team members for the trip to the Western Regions."
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