Shе hаd оnсe so аrrоgаntlу thrеatened him, рluсking the tiger's whiskеrs in his moment оf rаgе. Nо mаttеr how yоu looked at it, Yin Gezhi should hаvе held а grudge. Оnсе thе threаt wаs gоnе, hе ought tо have skinned hеr twiсe оver, possiblу even сhopреd hеr uр tо fееd the dogs—аftеr all, thе dignitу аnd faсe оf thе royаl fаmily wеre of greаt importanсе.
Yеt, the mаn before hеr shоwеd no раrtiсulаr rеаctiоn аnd evеn offеred her winе?
Shaking thе winе flаsk in her hаnd, Fеng Yuе nаrrowed her еyes and smiled. "You wоuldn’t have pоisoned thе wine, wоuld уou?"
With а light snort, First Prince Yin flicked his sleeve and settled onto the soft couch, glancing at her disdainfully. "Life here is so dull. If I poisoned you to death, would I have to endure it alone?"
Her heart stirred slightly. Feng Yue blinked, looking at him in surprise.
He didn’t want to kill her anymore? She had thought, given his earlier furious reaction upon discovering her identity, he would have disposed of her immediately! Could it be that the wolf had turned vegetarian? Was there a day when First Prince Yin could actually show tolerance?
Lowering his gaze, Yin Gezhi took a swig of wine and ignored her.
Feng Yue narrowed her eyes, suddenly struck by a mischievous idea. Hugging the wine flask, she sidled up to him with a grin and asked, "Where did Your Highness get this wine?"
Yin Gezhi replied, "Stole it from the Grand Commandant's Mansion cellar. They’ve hidden quite a few fine wines."
...He even took advantage of the chaos to steal wine! Feng Yue clicked her tongue and flattered, "This little bit isn’t enough to drink, is it? Why don’t we go grab some more?"
Glancing sideways at her, Yin Gezhi said with an air of righteousness, "Stealing is a wicked act!"
Then he stood up, gently opened the door, and beckoned for her to follow him.
Staring dumbfounded at her master’s contradictory words and actions, Feng Yue hitched up her long skirt and tied it around her waist, tiptoeing quietly after him.
The wine from the Grand Commandant's Mansion was strong. Both of them were slightly tipsy. Taking advantage of the chaos in the mansion that night and the lax security, they easily made their way to the backyard and found the wine cellar.
Thus, Yin Gezhi stood tall and elegant outside, keeping watch, while Feng Yue crouched down, pulling out jars of wine one by one from the cellar.
"Know when to stop," First Prince Yin glanced back at her and couldn’t help but remind her. "Too many, and we won’t be able to carry them."
"Aren’t you here?" Feng Yue grinned, pulling out eight jars of wine. She hurried over, tied four jars with a rope, and hung them from Yin Gezhi’s hands. Then she dashed back, picked up the other four jars herself, and, like a farmer rejoicing in a bountiful autumn harvest, happily slung the wine ropes over her shoulders. Freeing her hands, she took hold of the "wife" beside her and cheerfully said, "Let’s go back!"
Yin Gezhi’s face was full of disdain. Really, she was Guan’s daughter after all—how could she be so unrestrained and uninhibited?
Thinking of Guan Canghai, Yin Gezhi pursed his lips, allowing her to interlace her fingers with his, and even tightened his grip slightly.
Feng Yue giggled foolishly, hugging the wine jars as she headed back toward the main gate. Yin Gezhi, quick-eyed and swift-handed, scooped her up along with the wine jars, flew over the courtyard wall, and landed gently on the other side.
"Did you hear any movement?" a guard patrolling past the gate asked curiously, looking around.
Another guard shook his head. "Must be the strong wind. Hey, the weather’s been strange lately, and the air’s odd too—it even smells like wine, as if someone opened the wine cellar."
"Nonsense, there’s no one here. Who would open the wine cellar?"
"True. Let’s go check over there."Her mouth was covered, Feng Yue's eyes darted around. Only after the two guards had left did she reach up to pull Yin Gezhi's hand away. Pouting, she said, "Why are the people here all so foolish?"
"You think everyone in the world is as clever and cunning as you?" As soon as he said it, he felt it sounded like praise, so he quickly added, "Devious and scheming!"
Feng Yue grinned, casually opened a jar of wine and started drinking. Yin Gezhi shook his head repeatedly, then hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her away.
Even while being carried over his shoulder, Feng Yue remained completely at ease. She propped herself up, tilted her head back, and poured the wine into her mouth. Smacking her lips contentedly, she recited, "I have five hu of treasure, to trade for a round of your drunkenness!"
"Recite something more fitting for a young lady."
Something fitting for a young lady? Feng Yue pondered seriously for a moment, then raised a delicate finger, hooked the wine rope, and sang, "Silken robes and jeweled belts I loosen for you, songs of Yan and dances of Zhao I perform for you, ah!"
Half of his face hidden, Yin Gezhi pushed the door open and entered the room. With a backward motion, he set the person on his shoulder down, pressing her against the door as he closed it.
Her body stumbled, leaning against the solid carved door. She looked up, her pearly teeth gleaming as she said, "Your Highness is so rough, so fierce, so lacking in tenderness toward a delicate flower!"
"What kind of delicate flower are you?" Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze to look at her, his tone indifferent. "Clearly, you're a fierce blade on the battlefield."
"Giggle, giggle." She reached out and poked his chest, her voice dripping with charm. "A blade like this servant here can't kill enemies—it only pierces the hearts of sentimental men."
Her poking irritated his chest. Yin Gezhi pursed his lips, his gaze lingering on her half-parted lips. He wanted to bite down, if only to stop her from spouting such bewitching words!
However... just as he lowered his head, the person before him swiftly turned her face away, as if unintentionally, and said, "This wine is so heavy. Shouldn't Your Highness set it down first?"
"..." His hand tightened slightly. He straightened up, watching as she slipped away from him and ran to the table to set down the wine.
Unable to describe the feeling, Yin Gezhi pursed his lips, the line of his jaw tightening slightly. His eyelids half-lowered, he remained silent for a long moment before finally turning and following her to set down the wine.
"Wine is such a wonderful thing!" Greedily inhaling the aroma, Feng Yue said with a smile, "Has Your Highness ever been drunk?"
"No." Yin Gezhi shook his head expressionlessly. "I don't particularly enjoy drinking."
Is it that you don't enjoy it, or that you can't hold your liquor? Her eyes brimming with sly amusement, Feng Yue handed him a jar. "Today, you were the one who suggested drinking, so let's drink our fill. No one should hold back—drink if you can, and it's fine even if you get drunk."
Yin Gezhi frowned, looking somewhat resistant. But the more he resisted, the more enthusiastic Feng Yue became. She clinked her jar against his and said provocatively, "This servant will drink first to show respect."
With that, she truly tilted her head back and gulped down the entire jar of wine as if it were plain water.
Yin Gezhi's expression remained calm, but inwardly he was astonished. He couldn't help but lower his head to sniff the jar of wine in front of him.
Was this really wine?
"Your Highness?" Setting down her jar, Feng Yue looked at him with a challenging glint in her eyes.
Yin Gezhi fell silent, picked up his jar, and also tried to drink it down in one go. However, with the first gulp, he choked.
"Hahaha—" Emboldened by the wine, Feng Yue spoke the truth recklessly. "You, a dignified man, drink wine like a young lady!"Who could bear to listen to such words? The First Prince's face turned ashen. With a cold snort, he lifted the jar and poured it into his mouth. Though much of it spilled, he managed to finish it so quickly that Feng Yue couldn't help but applaud: "Your complexion hasn't even changed?"
Yin Gezhi snorted lightly. "Good tolerance for alcohol."
Feng Yue nodded, wanting to praise him for it. But seeing the slight haze in his eyes, she couldn't resist asking, "Are you really that good with alcohol?"
"Really, truer than gold!" To emphasize his point, the First Prince nodded earnestly as he spoke. His face remained as handsome and chiseled as ever, but... looking at his expression, something seemed off.
Her eyes darting around, Feng Yue grinned, lifted her skirt, stepped onto a stool, and crouched down. Like a ruffian teasing a respectable woman, she hooked his chin and asked, "Who am I?"
"Guan Fengyue." He squinted, replying seriously, "A member of the Guan family."
Was he sober or not? Feng Yue blinked and asked again, "Then who are you?"
"The First Prince of Wei Kingdom, Yin Chenbi." He answered earnestly, "See, I know everything. I'm not drunk."
Feng Yue sighed inwardly, muttering softly, "Answering me so seriously is a sure sign of being drunk. The First Prince's alcohol tolerance really isn't that great. What a waste of all these jars I brought."
"Hmm?"
"Nothing." Turning with a smile, Feng Yue shoved another jar of wine into his hands. "Come on, keep drinking!"
Frowning at the wine jar, Yin Gezhi wanted to push it away, but the person beside him said gently, "Only good children finish their drinks!"
Good children have to drink this? Yin Gezhi scoffed, but his hand, disobedient, still reached out to lift the jar and gulped it down.
"Ah, Chenbi is so obedient!" Feng Yue pinched the corners of her mouth, trying not to let her face split from laughter, and suppressed her amusement as she coaxed him, "How is it? Does it taste good?"
Unable to sit up straight, Yin Gezhi swayed unsteadily and grumbled irritably, "My head hurts!"
"Good boy, do you want your head to stop hurting?" Feng Yue asked with a mischievous grin.
After thinking seriously for a while, Yin Gezhi nodded, looking at her expectantly.
Stroking her chin as if she had a nonexistent beard, Feng Yue spoke with an air of maturity, "The elders have a good remedy for pain. If your head hurts, just chant 'stupid pig hurts' a few times, and it'll naturally stop hurting!"
Probably feeling extremely uncomfortable, Yin Gezhi didn't hesitate. Rubbing his forehead, he chanted, "Stupid pig hurts, stupid pig hurts..."
"Hahahaha—" A piercing laugh echoed throughout the Grand Commandant's Mansion. Yin Gezhi stared at her blankly, still chanting, his eyes utterly innocent.
Feng Yue felt a pang of guilt. After laughing her fill, she reached out, pulled his head into her arms, and ruffled his hair. "I never thought Your Highness would be so easy to bully when drunk! Where's the usual cold, aloof demeanor? So adorable! Aww!"
His hair disheveled from the ruffling, Yin Gezhi was quite displeased but leaned against her chest without moving. His eyes grew misty, and before long, he was drunk and fast asleep.
Feng Yue amused herself for a while longer, then carried him to bed and crouched by the bedside, gazing down at him.
This man... if only he weren't the First Prince of Wei Kingdom. If only he had never been connected to the tragedy of the Guan family, how wonderful that would be...She traced her finger from the bridge of his nose down to his lips. With a soft chuckle, she withdrew her hand and let out a long sigh.
While the Grand Commandant's Mansion was in chaos, this small courtyard remained serene, filled with the fragrance of wine and an air of carefree ease, as if undisturbed by the outside world. It felt as though life could go on like this forever.
Yet, undisturbed peace was impossible. Early in the morning, just as the sun began to rise, Yi Zhangzhu rushed in, weeping uncontrollably, and knelt beside Yin Gezhi’s bed. Her cries were so heart-wrenching that when Feng Yue opened her eyes, she almost thought Yin Gezhi had passed away.
OpenNovel