Get Drunk

When it was getting dark and there was no sign of them arriving at Wucheng, Zhu Longwei turned to her.

"Miss Tan, it seems we'll need to stay here for the night. Wucheng is still quite far away, and traveling in the dark may bring about many challenges," he suggested, concerned about their safety.

"Alright, Master Zhu. By the way, it's best not to mention my real name in public. It doesn't matter if we're alone. Since I'm in disguise at the moment, just call me Brother Tan."

Zhu Longwei nodded in agreement.

It was a small village with several wooden buildings in front of them. The lanterns had started to light up. The smoke from the houses emitted a fragrant and intoxicating cooking smells spreading throughout the village. Tan Xiuying unwittingly felt her stomach begin to rumble loudly.

After asking some locals for a place to stay for the night, it seemed that their options were very scarce. In fact, there was actually no inns in this village, there was only one pavilion that was rented out by one of the residents who was quite well off. In the end, they decided to rent the pavilion and ordered a dinner to the owner.

"What do you think, Miss Tan? There is no other choice. Usually, the newcomers prefer to spend the night at the inns in the city."

"Why don't we spend the night in the forest?"

"It's not good to take a woman to spend the night in the forest."

"I can sleep anywhere, as long as it's not staying here."

"Miss Tan, what are you worried about? Money? I brought quite a lot of money."

"Master Zhu, let me make my point clear. I ran away from home without a single penny. I only used enough money from selling my clothes for food. Besides, it's not proper for an unmarried man and woman to be alone together," Tan Xiuying said earnestly, emphasizing her concern about propriety and the need for financial prudence.

He was stunned for a moment because he didn't expect her reaction to be so blatant. Young girls were usually gentle, calm, and compliant. However, this girl was very different from most of the other girls he had met.

He gave a loud, silly laugh. "So, do you suspect that I have bad intentions towards you?"

"Master Zhu, it's not that I can't adjust to my situation, but I'm still a good daughter from a respectable family. If you ask me to do as you told me, I won't easily accept it." She thought as if she could read his mind.

He cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

"I can sleep anywhere, as long as it's not sharing the same room with you."

"Miss Tan, I was going to suggest it, but you cut me short. Here's the arrangement, you sleep in that room, while I sleep outside the house. How about it?"

Tan Xiuying's face flushed like a boiled crab. How could she have thought that he would suggest sharing the same room with her? She realized her mistake, forgetting that they were now in an ancient era with strict rules and customs. It wasn't like the modern era where anyone could share a room without any commitment.

That night they enjoyed a bowl of warm rice with Minced Chicken Gong Bao, Mapo Tofu, a plate of pickled cucumbers and stir-fried vegetables that the landlady had prepared. Upon glancing at it, Tan Xiuying realized that each one of those dishes was her favorite!

It was the first time that she had these authentic ancient foods that was overflowing in spices and had the texture of tender chicken. It was the first most delicious dinner in ancient times she had enjoyed.

"Is there any good wine rice?" Tan Xiuying asked the landlady with a smirk.

Zhu Longwei was content to see her so radiant. He didn't mind trying to catch a glimpse of her cute smile. Her presence had changed his mood in an instant.

Finally, the landlady bought over some delicious rice wine that smelled good. "I apologize, we only have this. Please enjoy yourself!"

Then, Zhu Longwei poured the rice wine for her. It had been so long since she last tasted rice wine, and its enchanting aroma instantly mesmerized her.

With one quick gulp, she finished the wine. Its taste still lingered on the tip of her tongue after she gulped it down. Even though it wasn't the best quality one, it seemed that she really liked its stronger taste to the point where she finished several cups.

Zhu Longwei tried to stop her, but she paid him no heed.

Rice wine is a type of alcoholic beverage made using glutinous rice, yeast and water. Unlike original wine, which is made from fermentation of grapes and other fruits, rice wine is produced by fermentation of rice starch which turns into sugar. Over time, the level of carbon dioxide in the wine will decrease so that the taste will be softer and sweeter.

They sat down across the table and began to enjoy their drink refreshingly. Until one priceless time, it was her cheeks that seemed to have caught his attention at this moment. Her usual sparkling eyes now looked a little blank as she was probably drunk. Nevertheless, he found her to be very nice-looking.

After dinner, Tan Xiuying struggled to rise up from her seat. Unfortunately, she started to wobble and ended up falling right into Zhu Longwei's embrace!

For a moment, she leaned helplessly in his arms. She shook her head swiftly before looking up and staring at him.

When their eyes met, he fixed his eyes intently into hers. Almost instantly his heart was enthralled. As they continued to stare into each other's eyes, it was as if they were looking into the depths of their own souls.

At this moment, her breath reeked of the wine they drank together, coupled with the faintly sweet scent on her body. Zhu Longwei could feel the blood rushing to his head, reminding him of the strong urge that causes a man's body to react naturally. In an instant, he felt the urge to quickly carry her onto the bed.