Сhарtеr 185: Drinking Сontest
Аftеr dоwning twо lаrge bowls of winе, bоth men’s faсes werе slightlу flushеd. Тhе Unrightеous Agеnts nearby continued tо еgg them оn, while Zhu Yаn stооd frоzen аt thе sidе, hеr liрs twitching.
Тhough she had triеd sеverаl times to stoр them, the rеcent еvеnts hаd bееn оvеrwhelming, and thе рressurе hаd bеen immеnse. It wаs rаre for thеm tо let lоose like this, sо having a few drinks wаsn’t а big dеal.
Shе arranged fоr Хu Хiangrеn tо еsсоrt Lu Сhuichui аnd Fоurth Sister hоme, whilе she staуed bеhind tо tаke саrе оf Shen Du.
Zhu Yan knew а thing or two about Shen Du’s drinking сapaсity. Given thе currеnt situаtion, hе would surely collapse before finishing two jars.
However, Shen Du’s performance today surprised Zhu Yan. Even after two jars, neither man showed any signs of faltering and insisted on continuing.
As it was getting late, Zhu Yan quickly stepped forward and said, “Alright, alright, there’s no rush when it comes to drinking. We can continue another day. It’s late now, so let’s head back.”
“Hey!” Xu Xiangren chimed in immediately. “Madam Shen, that’s not right. The Great Pavilion Commander is busy every day, and now that the case has finally eased up and he has some free time, how can we not let him drink to his heart’s content?”
“Exactly, exactly. It’s just a few jars of wine, nothing to worry about,” Shen Du quickly agreed, refilling his bowl.
Zhu Yan was utterly helpless. Though she knew both men were constantly occupied with official duties and rarely had a moment to relax, she couldn’t endorse such a fierce drinking contest once they finally had some free time.
Moreover, given Shen Du’s usual drinking capacity, if he drank too much today, he might not even make it back to the Shen residence.
The situation unfolded much as Zhu Yan had anticipated, but what surprised her was that Shen Du’s drinking capacity today seemed to have improved compared to before.
After two jars, four jars, and then six jars, the two men finally vomited.
To everyone’s surprise, it was Xu Xiangren who vomited. Known as the “thousand-cup drinker who never gets drunk,” he was drunk today.
Seeing Xu Xiangren vomit, Shen Du slammed his bowl onto the table with a loud “bang,” swaying unsteadily.
Pointing at Xu Xiangren, he mocked, “You lost. You vomited. Everyone here today can testify that you lost to me.”
Zhu Yan hurriedly stepped forward to support Shen Du. The strong smell of alcohol nearly made her vomit, and she grimaced as she propped him up, saying to the others, “I told you not to let him drink, but you all kept egging him on. Look at this mess now. How are we going to handle this? Hurry and take him back so we don’t delay tomorrow’s official business.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” the remaining Unrighteous Agents quickly supported Xu Xiangren and turned to leave.
Yun Que glanced at the situation and asked Zhu Yan with concern, “Madam Shen, will you be alright on your own?”
“I’ll be fine. Go take care of Second Brother Xu. I’ll handle Shen Du,” Zhu Yan said through gritted teeth, then helped Shen Du turn and leave.
Tall and sturdy, Shen Du leaned on Zhu Yan’s petite frame like Mount Tai pressing down on her.
Zhu Yan was extremely annoyed but had no choice. After all, she was still Madam Shen, and it was her duty to take Shen Du home when he was drunk.
After much effort, she finally brought him back to the Shen residence, only to find that everyone in the household seemed to have conspired to disappear.
Even Jing Lin was nowhere to be found, despite her repeated calls.
“How strange. Where did everyone go?” Zhu Yan muttered as she brought a basin of hot water into the room and gently wiped Shen Du’s forehead.His body was burning hot, and due to the alcohol, his face was tinged with a faint flush. Under the candlelight, this man truly appeared breathtakingly beautiful.
After tidying everything up, Zhu Yan wiped her hands and looked at the man on the bed, saying, "I've searched the entire mansion, and there's no one around. Even Jing Lin is nowhere to be found. The basin is placed beside you. If you need to vomit tonight, remember to turn over so you don't choke."
After speaking, Zhu Yan stretched wearily and once again pulled the quilt over Shen Du.
Just as she was about to stand up and leave, her hand was suddenly seized tightly by Shen Du's large palm. The scorching heat from his skin made the back of her hand feel as if it were on fire.
Startled, she struggled immediately, but Shen Du's grip was like an iron clamp—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free.
The more Zhu Yan struggled, the tighter Shen Du's grip became. With a sudden pull, she was dragged onto his body.
His other arm wrapped around her, holding her tightly in his embrace as he murmured, "Since you've come back, don't even think about leaving. I won't let you go."
Zhu Yan's face flushed with heat. She didn't know if Shen Du's words were just drunken ramblings, but his arms felt like two massive trees pressing down on her, growing tighter and tighter until she could hardly breathe.
"If you keep squeezing me like this, I'm going to suffocate. Can you let go and talk properly?" Zhu Yan was furious, struggling with all her might. She finally managed to sit up, only for her wrist to be seized again by Shen Du.
It was then that Zhu Yan noticed that Shen Du, who had been sound asleep moments ago, was now wide awake. Yet, his eyes were still hazy, as if the effects of the alcohol hadn't worn off.
"Good, you're awake. Now let go of my hand." Seeing that he was conscious, Zhu Yan felt somewhat relieved. She held both their hands up to Shen Du's face and said, "Don't take advantage of me just because you're drunk, or I'll make you pay."
Shen Du narrowed his eyes, sat up abruptly, and brought his face close to Zhu Yan's.
The strong smell of alcohol hit her, and Zhu Yan gagged. The next moment, her face was cupped in Shen Du's palm.
"Such a beautiful woman, where are you going?"
"..."
Zhu Yan was utterly bewildered. Shen Du's drunken demeanor truly sent shivers down her spine.
"I'm not some beautiful woman. I'm your wife."
Suppressing her anger, Zhu Yan patiently explained to Shen Du. But upon hearing her answer, Shen Du grew even more intrigued and leaned in to kiss her.
Zhu Yan refused to yield, pressing her palms firmly against Shen Du's cheeks and turning his face away. She scolded angrily, "If you dare kiss me today, I'll make sure we both perish together."
Shen Du seemed not to hear her words. The next moment, a wave of nausea surged in his stomach, and he leaned over the bed, vomiting.
The overpowering smell made Zhu Yan feel utterly miserable, but with no one else around, she had no choice but to take care of him.
She hurriedly fetched mouthwash from the side and used a towel to wipe Shen Du clean. Just as she finished, her hand was seized once again by Shen Du.
This time, Zhu Yan didn't struggle immediately, for she noticed a different look in Shen Du's eyes.
"I knew you'd come back. You couldn't let go of me, could you?"
"Huh?" Zhu Yan was utterly confused, as if she hadn't quite grasped what Shen Du meant.The next moment, Shen Du directly pulled her up, one arm wrapping around her waist, and with a turn, pinned her beneath him. A deep, magnetic voice sounded by her ear, "Don't leave me again, alright..."
After saying this, Shen Du's head drooped to one side of her.
Zhu Yan was completely stunned, momentarily even losing the strength to resist. Shen Du's words just now had struck her deeply.
Moreover, a strange feeling arose in her heart—could it be that she had developed feelings for this man?
Impossible, how could that be?
They were supposed to divorce.
When they married, he had even held a knife to her neck—how could he possibly like her? He must have been drunk and talking nonsense.
Zhu Yan comforted herself this way. A steady breathing sound reached her ear—the man had already fallen asleep. Zhu Yan carefully pushed him off her, wanting to leave, but in the next moment, the large hand on her waist suddenly tightened, pulling her back into that warm embrace.
"Don't go." The deep voice sounded by her ear, both domineering and doting.
Zhu Yan's bones went completely weak. She felt she no longer had the courage or will to escape.
She could only nestle in Shen Du's embrace and fall asleep like that.
When she woke, the sky was already bright. The two lay nestled together under the covers, appearing perfectly peaceful.
Shen Du was still holding Zhu Yan tightly. When Zhu Yan opened her eyes, she saw Shen Du looking at her with disbelief, as if asking why she was in his arms.
"Ah!"
Coming to her senses, Zhu Yan let out a scream that pierced through the entire Shen residence. The birds resting in the trees in the courtyard were startled into flight, and Jing Lin shuddered involuntarily.
Yesterday, when he saw the two return, he had thought about going to help, but remembering the Great Pavilion Commander's murderous glare, he retreated again.
He had even instructed everyone in the residence not to disturb the two. A night had passed, and neither had left the room—it seemed his plan had been quite perfect.
...
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