The tavern was already packed with people, the noise of laughter and chatter overwhelming. The six of them were practically squeezed together around a small round table—those who arrived even later had to drag chairs outside to drink.
Ye Ye glanced around and said, "I don’t know where Lu Li went. I looked for him for a long time but couldn’t find him. What a shame—I wanted to invite him for a drink."
He had taken quite a liking to this man from the Eastern Sea. While the people of the Eastern Sea were open and bold, Lu Li was serious and upright, which suited Ye Ye’s taste. Most importantly, Lu Li seemed to have a close relationship with Ge Lin. Since Ge Lin was always fooling around and prone to trouble, it would be good to ask Lu Li to keep an eye on her.
Baili Gelin, however, got a headache just thinking about him. A whole month had passed, and Lu Li still treated her as if she were invisible. After leaving the Trial Grounds, he had immediately vanished, as if avoiding the plague. No matter how guilty she felt or how sincerely she wanted to apologize, his attitude had thoroughly annoyed her.
"Why invite him? If he came, even the wine would turn sour!" Baili Gelin frowned as she poured six bowls of wine, raising hers and declaring, "Come on, let’s drink! Tomorrow we’ll be parting ways. If all goes well, we’ll reunite in Lu Gongzhen next August. If not, who knows when we’ll sit together drinking again. Tonight, no one’s allowed to refuse—especially you, Li Fei. Don’t let Lei Xiuyuan drink for you. If you get drunk, he can carry you back."
With that, she burst into laughter. The six of them downed their bowls in one go. The past month in the Trial Grounds hadn’t been particularly stressful, and they had often gathered to chat and joke. After five years, they had exhausted all their amusing stories, yet with their parting imminent, there were still things left unsaid.
Li Fei propped her chin on her hand, listening as Ye Ye and Lei Xiuyuan discussed cultivation. She noticed Ji Tongzhou drinking silently by himself. While the others had only finished one bowl, two empty wine jugs already sat in front of him. Sensing her gaze, Ji Tongzhou smiled faintly at her and lightly clinked his bowl against hers. "Bottoms up."
He downed the wine as if it were water. Li Fei couldn’t help but exclaim, "Drinking like that, you’ll be drunk in no time."
Ji Tongzhou murmured, "I don’t think I’ll get drunk tonight."
Li Fei straightened up. "Why not?"
He rested his chin on his hand, studying her with a grin. "You really want to know?"
Just as Li Fei was about to reply, a hand suddenly pinched her chin, turning her face in another direction—straight into Lei Xiuyuan’s expressionless gaze. He wordlessly stuffed a bite of bamboo shoots into her mouth and said flatly, "Eat more, talk less. Your chin is covered in oil."
Covered in oil?! Li Fei hurriedly wiped her chin but felt nothing. When she looked back at Lei Xiuyuan, his eyes were crinkled with amusement. She stomped on his foot and scowled. "You’re the one covered in oil—and your head’s full of rice grains!"
Lei Xiuyuan chuckled and lightly tapped her cheek. "Your face is already burning up so fast."
Li Fei touched her face. She wasn’t handling the alcohol well today. The tavern’s liquor was strong, burning like blades in her mouth and scorching her chest and lungs after swallowing. Two bowls in, she was already slightly tipsy.
Ye Ye poured another round of wine and grinned. "Another toast. Since Lu Li isn’t here, we’ll drink this bowl for him."Li Fei forced a bitter smile as she drained the bowl of wine, only to be overwhelmed by its burning taste, tears and sniffles streaming down her face—a rather pitiful sight. Baili Gelin leaned against her shoulder with a mischievous grin, whispering, "Li Fei, if you really like Lei Xiuyuan, you should stay away from Ji Tongzhou from now on."
Li Fei froze. "...What do you mean?"
"Silly." Baili Gelin pinched her. "Haven't you noticed at all?"
Noticed what? Li Fei stared at her in confusion.
Baili Gelin sighed. "Well, it's understandable. He only started acting strange recently—no one noticed before. Anyway, it's best if you keep your distance. Though, once we return to the sect, you probably won't see him anymore. Just be careful."
Li Fei lowered her head, pondering the hidden meaning behind those words. What was wrong with Ji Tongzhou? In her eyes, he was practically a three-year-old—always causing a fuss, either picking fights or flaunting his princely authority. The only time he'd seemed off was during those days after breaking free from the illusion, but he'd returned to normal afterward.
Truthfully, she'd never paid much attention to Ji Tongzhou. Now that Baili Gelin suddenly brought him up, she had to rack her brain to recall anything unusual about him. Though they'd spent nearly every day together for a month, she'd barely noticed him at all and couldn't think of anything noteworthy.
Seeing how hard Li Fei was thinking—even sneaking glances in Ji Tongzhou's direction—Baili Gelin regretted speaking so carelessly. Li Fei might not have had any particular feelings about him before, but now she'd likely start paying more attention. Quickly, Baili Gelin pulled her close and turned her face back.
"Stop looking, or your dear Xiu Yuan might get jealous," Baili Gelin teased, playfully pinching her cheeks.
Li Fei lightly punched her arm. "You and your glib tongue."
She stopped glancing toward Ji Tongzhou, sipping her wine while turning the matter over in her mind. Yet no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't make sense of the situation.
After four jars of strong liquor, everything before Li Fei's eyes seemed to sway. It was her first time getting this drunk, and the sensation felt like a dream—hazy and unreal. Suddenly, a hand covered her face as Lei Xiuyuan leaned in, studying her with an amused chuckle. "You're really drunk. Want to sleep?"
Li Fei jolted in surprise, looking around. Beaded curtains hung around them, and a red coral sat on a shelf. When had they returned to the inn? She tried to stand, bracing against the table, but her legs gave way. Lei Xiuyuan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, then swept her up in a bridal carry. Li Fei felt weightless as she was settled sideways in his lap.
"How are you feeling?" he murmured, gently stroking her back. "Stop staring. Get some rest."
Strangely, despite being so drunk, she didn't feel sleepy at all. Li Fei shook her head and nestled against him. Lei Xiuyuan noticed her trembling slightly—likely from the alcohol—and tightened his embrace, rhythmically smoothing his hand down her back as if petting a cat.
"Xiu Yuan," she murmured hazily.
"Hm?"
"Xiu Yuan."
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to say your name." Li Fei gave a silly smile.
Lei Xiuyuan chuckled. Cupping her face, he brushed his thumb slowly over her brows and cheeks before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Li Fei tilted her head up to look at him. Emboldened by the alcohol, she grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck.Lei Xiuyuan seemed to freeze for a moment. His hands slowly tightened, pulling her against his chest. The jeweled hair accessories on her head trembled precariously, threatening to fall. He simply removed them for her, letting a lock of her hair slip loose. He wound the strand around his fingers, then brought it to his nose for a gentle sniff. Her intoxicating, otherworldly fragrance enveloped the entire world.
"Li Fei," he murmured softly.
Her starry eyes were hazy with intoxication. Unable to resist, Lei Xiuyuan lowered his head to kiss her eyelids, then let his lips wander downward until they met her slightly parted mouth.
After what felt like an eternity, Lei Xiuyuan suddenly pushed her away urgently, pulling her loose collar tightly together. His voice sounded unusually hoarse: "Go to sleep. I'm leaving."
Her drunken mind was still foggy, and she felt a pang of disappointment. Clutching his sleeve, she mumbled, "Aren't you staying?"
Lei Xiuyuan grabbed her wrist and bit down hard. Li Fei yelped in pain, the sharp sensation jolting her slightly awake. She blinked at him, then glanced around in confusion.
"Go to sleep," he said, pressing a hand to her head before standing up and walking away.
Baili Gelin lifted the tavern's curtain and stepped outside, where the night wind cut through her like icy blades. The chill helped clear some of the haze from her mind.
Ye Ye emerged behind her, carrying the sleeping Chang Yue in his arms. Noticing her reluctant expression, he smiled and patted her head gently. "Ge Lin, you should stop fooling around so much. It's time to be more mature."
With their imminent parting, Baili Gelin didn't feel like bickering. She simply nodded with a smile. Seeing Chang Yue fast asleep, she deliberately put on a stern face. "I'm coming with you to take my sister home. Just to make sure you behave."
Ye Ye chuckled and flicked her forehead. "Such a little schemer. Hurry back now. And stop picking fights with Lu Li. He's steady and reliable—you could learn a lot from him. We'll feel better knowing he's looking after you."
Ugh, not Lu Li again! Baili Gelin sighed inwardly and nodded half-heartedly. "Got it. You should get going—take good care of my sister."
She watched silently as Ye Ye and Chang Yue disappeared into the night. For some reason, a faint loneliness settled over her heart. Once again, she was left alone in the Eastern Sea. In the past, burdened by unresolved grievances, she hadn't minded the solitude of leaving home. But now, with those old wounds finally healed and her family suddenly gone, she tasted the bittersweet pang of separation for the first time.
With a sigh, Baili Gelin turned and walked slowly away from the tavern. The moon cast its silver glow across the land, and lanterns hung beneath every eave, illuminating the town as brightly as day.
She strolled along the narrow streets, lost in memories—sometimes smiling, sometimes pensive. Suddenly, she noticed a group approaching from the opposite direction and instinctively moved aside. Then someone called out, "Junior Sister Bai Li!"
Startled, Baili Gelin looked up to see several senior disciples from the Myriad Immortals Assembly—including Lu Li, whom Ye Ye hadn't been able to find earlier. Just the sight of him annoyed her. She gave a perfunctory nod and a polite smile. Another senior disciple laughed, "You're alone? Had we known, we would've invited you to drink with us! Brother Chen says you're quite the prodigious drinker!"Baili Gelin forced a dry laugh and offered a few perfunctory words. These senior brothers didn’t press her further—after all, they were eight or nine years older than her and didn’t lack propriety like younger disciples in their teens. The group chatted and laughed as they passed her by. Subconsciously, Baili Gelin glanced back at Lu Li, who remained expressionless, still treating her as if she were invisible.
She recalled Ye Ye and Li Fei’s words and suddenly frowned, stopping in her tracks. “Senior Brother Lu,” she called, “could you spare a moment to talk?”
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