45 The Young Miss' Man Troubles.

At a certain prideful jade beauty's courtyard.

It was a depressing sight.

Mu Lin was sprawled on her luxurious, silk-draped bed, surrounded by an intricate low canopy.

Two maids patiently presented a untouched meal, which had been sitting there for nearly two hours, but Mu Lin paid no heed.

One of the maids, desperately trying to break through Mu Lin's reverie, implored, "Young Miss, please, you really need to eat."

Mu Lin, uninterested in the maid's plea, coughed and reached for a small ceramic cup and a jug. She poured a colorless liquid into the cup until it overflowed, then downed the entire concoction. It wasn't a Qi-strengthening elixir; it was pure alcohol, a means of drowning her sorrows.

Panting heavily, Mu Lin's alcohol-laden breath made the maids uncomfortable.

They could smell it even from where they stood.

Even so, they persisted.