Chu Dingjiang never expected that after stepping off the political stage, he'd find himself moonlighting as a matchmaker! But since it was An Jiu's request, he couldn't refuse.
The matter of sweet talk was left unresolved, and Chu Dingjiang didn't mind much—there would be plenty of opportunities later. Right now, he had another question to ask, "Can you explain what 'jerking off' means?"
"It's..."
Chu Dingjiang quickly covered her mouth. "Never mind. I should've known you'd say it outright."
Even the fun of teasing her was gone. How depressing.
An Jiu finally learned to read his mood and tentatively asked, "Are you unhappy?"
For someone as thick-skinned as her to actually care about his feelings—what more could he ask for?
Chu Dingjiang reached out and gently touched her face. "No. A Jiu, no matter what happens, remember that I'll always be by your side."
"Mhm." A faint, soft smile appeared on An Jiu's face.
Bang bang bang!
"A Jiu!" Mo Sigui's voice boomed from outside the door.
"Come in," Chu Dingjiang said.
The door wasn't latched.
Mo Sigui pushed it open, carrying a large jug of wine. "Today's a good day—let's drink to celebrate!"
He winked at Chu Dingjiang, grinned, then left, carefully closing the door behind him.
"Did you ask him to prepare this?" An Jiu had obviously noticed Mo Sigui's little gesture.
"No." Chu Dingjiang watched as An Jiu unsealed the jug. "Unsolicited kindness—either a trick or a scheme."
The aroma of wine wafted out, carrying a delicate floral scent—like plum blossoms, like orchids—with a faint hint of cream. It didn’t smell much like alcohol but rather like an intoxicating dessert.
"Then don’t drink it. I’ll drink it! If anything happens, you can avenge me!" An Jiu declared righteously before lifting the jug and taking a big gulp.
The intoxicating fragrance lingered on her lips and tongue—first the rich creaminess, then the wine’s warmth, and finally the lingering whisper of plum and orchid. An Jiu narrowed her eyes, looking like a fox that had just stolen a treat.
Chu Dingjiang couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Try some." An Jiu handed him the jug.
Chu Dingjiang had a rough idea of what Mo Sigui was up to, so he only took a small sip. "Not bad. You drink more."
Mo Sigui might seem unreliable, but when it came to The Way of Medicine, he was meticulous. He wouldn’t harm An Jiu—he just wanted her drunk.
An Jiu usually caused chaos whenever she got drunk, but last time, she had been oddly quiet. Mo Sigui had been itching to figure out whether the stability of her mental condition was related to his efforts.
Chu Dingjiang wanted to know too.
The delicious taste tempted her to take sip after sip, and before long, the jug was empty. A flush spread across her cheeks as she frowned at Chu Dingjiang and complained, "This jug’s too small. Let’s go ask him for another one."
"A Jiu." Knowing she was drunk, Chu Dingjiang pulled her into his arms.
An Jiu found a comfortable position and nestled against him without moving.
After a long silence, Chu Dingjiang heard the soft sound of snoring by his ear.
Mo Sigui peeked in mischievously and whispered, "She drunk?"
Chu Dingjiang nodded. "She’s asleep."
She actually fell asleep quietly after getting drunk?
"Then I’ll head back first." Mo Sigui couldn’t wait to go get Wei Yuzhi drunk next.The wine was personally blended by Mo Sigui, possessing the unique effect of nourishing the spirit after intoxication. However, Wei Yuzhi's constitution was too frail to indulge much. Fortunately, Mo Sigui had extracted reliable information from Sheng Changying—Wei Yuzhi was a "two-cup lightweight," so getting him drunk wouldn’t require much effort.
Mo Sigui carried the wine jar, humming a tune as he made his way to the library.
The island’s library had once been Second Madam’s private study. Though Second Madam had no real love for books, she enjoyed the pretense of refinement, and so the collection was vast. Yet the true rarity of this small building was not its books, but its structure.
From the outside, the building appeared to have two stories. But upon entering, one would find only a single floor. A veranda encircled the perimeter, accessible from inside, offering a sweeping view of the misty lake. Where the interior connected to the veranda, crystal windows had been inlaid, refracting light so brilliantly that rainbows often appeared within. Sitting here, one might believe they had stepped into a celestial realm.
When Mo Sigui entered, he saw Wei Yuzhi standing in the center of the room, gazing up at the crystal windows.
Moonlight spilled over him, casting a hazy glow around his silhouette. Dressed in loose blue robes, his snow-white hair shimmered with faint iridescence, giving him an ethereal, almost immortal air—yet one tinged with an inescapable loneliness.
Mo Sigui paused, reluctant to disturb the quiet.
Wei Yuzhi turned and nodded slightly. "Miracle Doctor."
Only then did Mo Sigui step forward, raising the wine bowl in his hand. "Care for a drink?"
"Am I allowed to drink?" Wei Yuzhi asked.
Mo Sigui sat cross-legged on the floor, setting out the wine bowls. "You are. This is a special blend of mine—plenty of benefits."
Wei Yuzhi sat as well, his white hair cascading onto the dark wooden floor.
"Rough earthenware bowls—make do," Mo Sigui said.
The milky wine poured into the brown bowls was enticing enough to stir desire.
Mo Sigui watched as Wei Yuzhi’s pale, slender fingers lifted the bowl—simple yet elegant.
"Cheers," Mo Sigui said.
"Cheers." Wei Yuzhi lowered his head and took a sip. Unlike the sharp, burning taste he remembered, this was mellow and fragrant, hardly resembling wine at all. "I hadn’t expected the Miracle Doctor’s blending skills to be so masterful."
Mo Sigui took a sip and grinned. "Naturally. You don’t drink often, do you?"
"Only twice in my life," Wei Yuzhi replied.
Mo Sigui was puzzled. Despite Wei Yuzhi’s supposed low tolerance, he hadn’t hesitated to drink. Curious, he asked, "Never been drunk?"
"I have." But whether drunk or sober, it made little difference to him.
"The beauty of drinking lies in that tipsy state. What’s the point if you don’t get drunk? Come on, bottoms up!" Mo Sigui raised his bowl.
Wei Yuzhi smiled and drained his in one go.
The wine went down like sweet broth, yet it was far more potent than strong liquor—because Mo Sigui had added herbs to accelerate its effects. These had little impact on him, so he drank without concern.
Wei Yuzhi’s pale cheeks had already taken on a faint flush, softening his demeanor.
Seeing his gaze still clear, Mo Sigui urged him to drink another bowl.
After two bowls, Wei Yuzhi’s face grew redder, beads of sweat forming at his temples and the tip of his nose. Mo Sigui thought to himself, Wasn’t he supposed to have a weak tolerance? Why isn’t he showing any signs? Did Sheng Changying give me the wrong information?
"I’m drunk," Wei Yuzhi said with a faint smile. "Do you believe me?"Before Mo Sigui could answer, An Jiu thudded to the floor with a heavy sound. The wine bowl slipped from his wide sleeve, landing with a muffled thump against the thick fabric without breaking.
"Eh?" Mo Sigui was speechless—had he really passed out just like that?! He'd seemed perfectly fine moments ago!
"Wei Yuzhi?"
Mo Sigui poked him, unaware of Chu Dingjiang standing behind him.
His drunken state resembled An Jiu's—so quiet, so abrupt.
Chu Dingjiang's brows furrowed. So the heart's blood had already affected An Jiu this deeply... (To be continued...)
OpenNovel