A Tipsy Drink

Qin Fuhua's protective instinct surged as he drew Suyin closer, a move that elicited a blush staining her cheeks. Caught off guard by his sudden proximity, she found herself at a loss, uncertain of how to react to his unexpected closeness.

"Someone is here. Don't move," his voice, barely above a whisper, sent a shiver down her spine, his warm breath caressing her ear in a comforting yet electrifying manner.

The door burst open with a force that startled them both, revealing a figure cloaked in darkness, an arrow poised and ready.

Panic threatened to consume Suyin, her instinct urging her to scream, but before she could utter a sound, Qin Fuhua sprang into action, his swift movements pulling her close and rolling her across the bed, the fabric crumpling beneath them as they dodged the deadly projectile.

With practiced precision, Qin Fuhua unleashed a barrage of daggers toward the assailant, the metallic glint of the blades slicing through the air as one found its mark, leaving a gash along the masked intruder's arm.

As the tension ebbed away and the danger dissipated, Qin Fuhua released his grip on Suyin, his attention now focused on retrieving the arrow and pursuing the mysterious attacker.

Yet, by the time he reached the threshold, the shadowy figure had vanished into the night, leaving behind only an eerie silence.

Their unexpected encounter had left its mark on the tranquility of the night.

As Qin Fuhua emerged from the room, disheveled and determined, the sight greeted by a startled servant only added to the chaos. With robes askew and Suyin sprawled on the rumpled bed, the scene was ripe with misunderstanding.

"Ehehe... I thought something bad had happened. I'll just go back to bed now," the servant stammered, retreating hastily, his laughter a feeble attempt to conceal his unease as he hurried back to the safety of his own quarters.

"N-Nothing happened!" Suyin's protest echoed through the room, her tone defensive as she hastily smoothed down her disheveled hair, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment.

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Qin Fuhua reentered the chamber, a weary expression etched across his features as he massaged his temples with a thumb and forefinger. Suyin shot him a scowl, her lips puckering in a mixture of frustration and confusion as she instinctively pulled the bedsheets up to shield herself, bewildered by his audacious gesture.

"Ahem. How did you know that someone was there?" Suyin attempted to maintain an air of nonchalance, her eyes peering over the blanket that partially obscured her face, fixed on Qin Fuhua.

He settled onto the bed beside her, his silence speaking volumes.

"Upon arriving home, I noticed something was off," Qin Fuhua finally responded, turning his gaze towards Suyin. "Did you do something?"

Suyin let out a nervous chuckle, a sheepish grin tugging at her lips. "Eh heh heh... I kind of... snuck out to explore," she admitted begrudgingly, her tone laced with defiance.

"Come on, you didn't let me out, so of course I'm going to find a way!" she added, her voice tinged with a hint of mischief.

She hesitated, stealing a cautious glance at Qin Fuhua, half-expecting his usual brooding and irritated glare. To her surprise, his countenance still bore the flush of alcohol, his features softened by an unusual vulnerability.

Was Qin Fuhua truly alright? The concern welled up within her, mingling with the remnants of adrenaline from their recent ordeal.

With a sigh, Suyin allowed the bedsheets to slip from her grasp, her gaze lingering on Qin Fuhua as she observed him intently. It was evident that he was suffering from a headache, perhaps the reason behind his uncharacteristic behavior earlier.

Could it be that his instinctive closeness was driven by discomfort rather than mere protective instinct?

Determined to offer some semblance of comfort, Suyin rose from the bed with purpose, retrieving a cup of cold tea that had been left neglected in the room for too long. Turning back to Qin Fuhua, she extended the beverage to him, a silent offering of solace amidst the chaos of the night.

"Here, drink this," Suyin offered gently, extending the cup of tea towards Qin Fuhua.

He accepted it with a nod of gratitude, taking a long gulp and inadvertently spilling some down the side of his lip, a testament to his urgency in seeking relief.

As Suyin turned to replenish their drinks, she felt the firm grip of his hand enclosing around her wrist, halting her movements. Surprised, she turned back to face him, her curiosity piqued by the unexpected touch.

Qin Fuhua remained seated on the bed, his gaze fixed on Suyin, his fingers gently encircling her wrist. Sensing his unspoken need for comfort, she remained by his side, offering silent support.

"Are... you okay?" Suyin inquired softly, concern etched in her voice as she attempted to gauge his condition.

Before she could fully assess his well-being, Qin Fuhua leaned his head against her stomach, his weight pressing against her unexpectedly.

"W-Woah!" Suyin exclaimed, her arms instinctively reaching out to steady him, struggling beneath his weight as she maneuvered him onto the bed with cautious precision.

Just as she was about to withdraw, he wrapped his arms around her, ensnaring her in an unexpected embrace.

"Hey, you!" Suyin protested, attempting to wriggle free from his grasp, but he remained unresponsive to her gentle prodding.

"Wake up. I didn't plan to sleep here with you," she groaned, her attempts to disentangle herself from his embrace proving futile against his unconscious hold.

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As the soft hues of dawn painted the sky in delicate pastels, the tranquil morning was heralded by the cheerful chirping of a small bird perched upon the branches of a nearby tree.

Its melodic song filled the air with a sense of serenity, a stark contrast to the tumultuous events that had unfolded in the darkness of the night.

Qin Fuhua stirred from his restless slumber, his senses gradually awakening to the gentle symphony of nature outside.

With a weary sigh, he rose from the bed, the weight of fatigue lingering in the depths of his eyes as he moved with deliberate steps toward the bath house.

The soothing embrace of warm water enveloped him, washing away the remnants of the previous night's turmoil. Yet, despite the comforting embrace of the bath, his mind remained clouded with the echoes of pain that reverberated through his skull.

Emerging from the bath, clad in a fresh robe that hung loosely around his form, Qin Fuhua attempted to shake off the lingering discomfort that gnawed at his temples. With each step, the dull throb of his headache persisted, a silent companion accompanying him through the quiet stillness of the early morning.

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[The day before]

[Qin Fuhua's POV]

As soon as they arrived in Liaoping, Qin Fuhua wasted no time in escorting Suyin to his manor, ensuring her safety before embarking on his mission to uncover the truth behind the mysterious key.

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"Young sir?....sir?" The waiter's persistent calls finally broke through Qin Fuhua's reverie, drawing him back to the present moment.

"Ah, yes? I apologize," he responded, shaking off the distraction that had momentarily consumed him.

The fleeting glimpse of someone who bore a striking resemblance to Suyin outside the restaurant entrance lingered in his mind.

Pushing aside the nagging thoughts, Qin Fuhua refocused his attention as the waiter awaited his order.

Tonight was supposed to be a crucial dinner meeting with a member of a noble family, a rendezvous that held the promise of unraveling the mystery surrounding the rose-shaped key.

Qin Fuhua's personal soldier had hinted that this individual possessed vital information regarding the key's whereabouts, making him the sole conduit to unlocking the truth.

Suddenly, the air was shattered by a booming laughter that reverberated through the restaurant, drawing the attention of patrons and staff alike.

A man adorned in opulent golden silk robes made a grand entrance, flanked by two women who clung to his arms with feigned adoration.

"AHAHAHA! NO WORRIES, I WILL BUY YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT!" the man's voice echoed with brash confidence, his demeanor exuding arrogance as he strutted into the establishment as if he owned it.

With a round belly and a face adorned with a thick, grey beard, the man exuded an aura of entitlement that left Qin Fuhua distinctly unimpressed.

His companions, bedecked in golden jewelry and adorned with false smiles, oozed a palpable aura of greed and manipulation.

"Ah, there you are!" the man exclaimed, gesturing towards Qin Fuhua with a sense of familiarity as he approached the table, the two women in tow lavishing him with exaggerated affection.

Qin Fuhua's expression remained impassive, his mind already formulating a plan to navigate this encounter with the finesse required to extract the information he sought. If enduring the company of this unsavory character was the price to pay for uncovering the truth behind the key, then he was willing to play along for now.

"My *Huaban1, wait for me okay? Take my money and go buy whatever you do with it," the man declared with an air of indulgence, producing a hefty stack of paper money from his robes and thrusting it into the eager hands of the two women by his side.

Their eyes sparkled with delight at the sight of the money, their gratitude expressed through kisses planted upon his cheeks before they exited the restaurant, their laughter trailing behind them.

"Well then! I have been called in here for something important, isn't that right?" the man exclaimed, finally acknowledging Qin Fuhua's presence with an air of self-importance, oblivious to the latter's lack of enthusiasm for their impending interaction.

"Why don't we start with some rice wine for a toast for getting to know each other like brothers?" Qin Fuhua suggested, a disarming smile playing upon his lips as he sought to mask his true intentions.

Despite their disparate statuses in the city—Tienzheng, a scholar, and Feng Jianhong, a man of considerable wealth—they shared a mutual acquaintance, a bond that could potentially serve as the foundation for their alliance.

Faced with the prospect of securing Jianhong's cooperation in his quest for information about the key, Qin Fuhua resolved to play the part of a friend, however reluctantly.

Were it not for Jianhong's notorious reputation for his insatiable appetite for women, Qin Fuhua would have avoided entangling himself with such a volatile character.

"I, Feng Jianhong, will toast with you as an alliance of a brother," Jianhong declared grandly, thrusting his cup of rice wine towards Qin Fuhua as he raised his own in a gesture of camaraderie. Despite the small spills that escaped the impact, Jianhong wasted no time in downing the rice wine in a single gulp, his demand for more echoing through the air as he eagerly extended his empty cup towards Qin Fuhua, his appetite for revelry insatiable.

Throughout the evening, Qin Fuhua deftly executed his plan to intoxicate Jianhong, knowing full well the man's weaknesses for both alcohol and women.

As the hours ticked by, Jianhong gradually succumbed to the effects of the rice wine, his inhibitions loosening with each passing cup.

True to Qin Fuhua's expectations, Jianhong became increasingly drunk, his words slurring together in a tangled mess as he unwittingly divulged every piece of information that Qin Fuhua sought.

Despite Jianhong's persistent attempts to coax Qin Fuhua into drinking more, the latter remained vigilant, carefully monitoring his own intake while surreptitiously encouraging Jianhong's indulgence.

"Do you possibly know where a key shaped like a rose is located?" Qin Fuhua broached the subject once he was confident that Jianhong's faculties were sufficiently impaired.

With a drunken laugh, Jianhong mumbled incomprehensible words, his head slumping onto the table as he clamored for another drink, his bravado fading with each passing moment.

"I don't remember!" Jianhong exclaimed, his speech slurred as he eagerly gulped down another mouthful of rice wine. "Oh! Haha. There was a *Hua2 that I found so delicate, oooh," he reminisced, a wistful expression crossing his features as he recalled a past encounter.

"Psh. Unfortunately, she had a burn scar on her arm, so that was what made me stop going for her."

Qin Fuhua listened intently, his demeanor composed as he continued to pick at his food with practiced nonchalance, all the while absorbing every word that escaped Jianhong's drunken lips. It was a delicate dance of manipulation, a game of cat and mouse played out beneath the guise of casual conversation.

"Oh! Ahaha! That's right!" Jianhong exclaimed, his laughter echoing through the room as he recalled the encounter with the mysterious 'Hua.'

"That Hua... uhh... I went after her even when I saw that scar, but it seemed as if she had returned from a long journey somewhere because she dropped a flower and looked tired. I picked it up and returned it to her... but that flower she plucked didn't even feel like a flower at all!"

Qin Fuhua's interest was piqued by Jianhong's words, leaning forward with keen attention. "Do you know where you've seen her? That 'Hua' of yours sounds intriguing enough for me to be interested too," he interjected, probing for more details that could potentially lead him closer to his goal.

"Of course! It's at....ahaha... I remember bumping into her at the shopping district near here!" Jianhong declared with a grin, oblivious to the calculating gleam in Qin Fuhua's eyes.

Despite his efforts to moderate his drinking, Qin Fuhua couldn't escape the effects of the rice wine, feeling the telltale buzz of alcohol coursing through his veins.

With a weary sigh, he rubbed his face, his facade of composure slipping momentarily as exhaustion began to set in.

"Ge, I have to go throw up. I will pay for the expenses and need to hurry home. It's not a good sight to have others see me vomit," Qin Fuhua muttered, his head swimming with the effects of the alcohol.

"NONSENSE! Ge will pay for this! I have so much money, this is so little! Ahaha!!" Jianhong insisted, his laughter ringing out as Qin Fuhua excused himself to depart.

As he made his way home through the darkened streets, Qin Fuhua's senses remained sharp despite the haze of alcohol that clouded his mind.

The sound of footsteps echoing across the tiled rooftops near Suyin's room caught his attention, prompting him to maintain his act of drunkenness to avoid alarming her.

In the depths of his inebriation, a surge of jealousy flared within Qin Fuhua's heart, fueled by the memory of the Prince of Long's gestures towards Suyin during their encounter in Jiaoshu.

Though his words may have been slurred and his movements unsteady, the emotions that churned within him were undeniably real.

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"Mmmnn!" Suyin's limbs unfurled from the embrace of sleep, her body settling into a state of comfortable relaxation after a restful night's slumber.

A yawn escaped her lips, only to be stifled as the events of the previous evening flooded her mind with sudden clarity.

"Don't you dare smile at another man!"

With a jolt, Suyin shot upright in bed, her disheveled hair framing her face as she grappled with the memory of Qin Fuhua's stern warning.

The realization dawned on her like a sudden burst of sunlight, casting a new light on the intimacy they had shared in their unexpected proximity.

As she turned her gaze towards the figure seated behind her, Suyin's cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment, her heart hammering in her chest at the memory of Qin Fuhua's closeness.

It was a moment of intimacy unlike any other she had experienced, leaving her both exhilarated and bewildered by the implications of their encounter.

"Are you finally awake?" Qin Fuhua's voice broke through her trance, drawing her attention back to the present moment.

Suyin struggled to meet his gaze, the weight of his proximity still lingering in the air between them. With a flustered murmur, she scrambled to her feet, her movements hurried as she made a hasty retreat from the room.

"I-I'll... fix my hair now!" Suyin stammered, her words tumbling over each other as she fled down the corridors, her disheveled appearance eliciting curious glances from the servants she passed.

It was a race against time to regain her composure, her mind still reeling from the unexpected turn of events that had unfolded between her and Qin Fuhua.

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"Mistress, Young Master is waiting for you outside of the gates," one of the maids announced, her voice carrying a sense of urgency as she hurried into the room.

Suyin's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Qin Fuhua's presence, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

Before she could gather her thoughts to respond, another maid piped up, her tone laced with playful teasing.

"Mistress, if you are here, then why aren't you with the Young Master?" the maid inquired, her words prompting a chorus of giggles from her companions.

Caught off guard by the sudden scrutiny, Suyin struggled to find an explanation, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she searched for words to convey her feelings.

"Don't worry about it. She's reasonably shy because they are still newlyweds!" another maid chimed in, coming to Suyin's defense amidst the laughter that echoed through the room.

"It's... not that! I just..." Suyin faltered, her voice trailing off as she struggled to articulate the whirlwind of emotions that churned within her.

With practiced efficiency, the maid set to work, skillfully combing Suyin's hair into a graceful bun adorned with a delicate jade hairpin.

As Suyin caught sight of her reflection in the small golden mirror, she couldn't help but marvel at the transformation before her.

"Wow! I would never be able to do anything like this. Thank you!" Suyin exclaimed, her gratitude evident in the sincerity of her words as she bowed gratefully to the maids.

The maids waved off her gesture of thanks, their smiles warm and genuine as they ushered her toward the door.

"Off you go before the Young Master gets upset!" one of them teased, a playful glint in her eye.

With a final glance at her reflection, Suyin straightened her posture, a newfound confidence swelling within her as she prepared to face Qin Fuhua once more.

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Qin Fuhua and Suyin embarked on their journey through the bustling streets of the shopping district, the lively atmosphere infusing their excursion with a sense of adventure.

As they strolled past an array of shops adorned with colorful displays, Suyin's eyes sparkled with anticipation, eager to explore the treasures that awaited them.

Their footsteps faltered at the sight of a medicine shop nestled among the bustling storefronts, its shelves adorned with an assortment of herbs, insects, and other curiosities.

Suyin turned to Qin Fuhua with a hopeful expression, silently seeking permission to indulge her curiosity. Oblivious to her unspoken request, Qin Fuhua continued on his path, his attention captured by a woman carrying a brown basket as she navigated through the crowd.

"I'll be back," he announced, though Suyin was already engrossed in the wonders of the medicine shop, her fascination evident in the way she eagerly explored its offerings.

Qin Fuhua discreetly followed the woman, his gaze lingering on her arms in search of the telltale burn mark that had been mentioned by Jianhong.

Though her sleeves obscured his view, he remained vigilant, determined to uncover the truth hidden beneath her facade.

Meanwhile, Suyin marveled at the assortment of remedies and potions that adorned the shelves of the medicine shop, her enthusiasm palpable as she immersed herself in the array of herbal concoctions and dried ingredients.

Unbeknownst to her, her presence drew curious glances from the shop's owner, who regarded her with a mixture of bemusement and intrigue.

"EVERYONE OUTTA THE WAY," a booming voice shattered the tranquility of the shop, sending shockwaves through the crowded aisles as a man burst through the entrance with reckless abandon.