Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 797 Don't worry about it

Hearing them recount their experiences of being away for several months, He Hongyi was filled with interest, her eyes brimming with envy, regretting that she hadn't been able to travel with them.

The little girls chattered on and on, mostly talking, even though they had already told Guo Qingxue, Xiaomiao and the others several times, they still couldn't help but want to share their experiences and joys along the way.

It's no exaggeration to say that for these young girls, this is something to be proud of for a lifetime. How many people in the world have ever traveled far from home a few times in their lives? Not to mention passing through several countries. Unless they are forced to flee for their lives, more than 90% of people in the world never leave the county they live in until they die!

He Hongyi listened with great interest, earnestly asking for details. The little girl and the others patiently recounted their experiences, as if she wanted to relive every corner Chen Xuan and the others had visited in her mind.

As a listener, He Hongyi was good at setting the mood, subtly pouring and toasting drinks. Before they knew it, Guo Qingxue and Du Juan had drunk quite a bit. Their pretty faces were flushed with the sunset, and without using any internal energy to dispel the alcohol, their eyes were somewhat glazed. Each of them was more beautiful than a flower.

Only the young girl who was too young to drink and the pregnant princess who couldn't drink were still sober.

Chen Xuan was undoubtedly the one who drank the most. As the head of the family, he naturally had to enjoy the meal with everyone on his first day back. Before the banquet was even over, he had already drunk a whole jar of wine.

They were drinking a full-strength, aged liquor brought by He Hongyi, a whole jar weighing twenty jin. This was a family banquet, and he couldn't bear to waste such good stuff. He didn't use his true energy to counteract the alcohol, so even with Grandmaster Chen Xuan's constitution, he felt a little dizzy after drinking so much.

The amazing thing is that even though he drank so much and ate a lot of food, his stomach didn't bloat much, and he didn't even have to go to the toilet once. His stomach was like a bottomless pit. In fact, the food and drink he ate and drank were quickly transformed into the essence needed by his powerful internal organs.

"Ah Xuan, you guys had a really exciting trip these past few months. It's a pity there's no going back, otherwise I would have gone with you no matter what," He Hongyi said with a look of regret.

She was so regretful she wanted to stomp her feet. If she had gone with them, she might already be living happily ever after with Chen Xuan, just like Du Juan and Yun Lan.

Having already drunk several pounds of liquor, she was half-drunk, her eyes glazed and her cheeks flushed. As she spoke, she couldn't help but cover her face with her sleeve and let out a small hiccup. Realizing her rudeness, she picked up her wine glass to hide her embarrassment. Whether she was happy or a little excited from drinking, she looked at Chen Xuan with a slightly provocative tone and said, "Xuan, how's my liquor? It didn't disappoint you, did it? Your face seems a little red. Can you still drink?"

Shaking his head slightly, Chen Xuan gave a thumbs up and said, "Hongyi's wine is unbeatable, one of the best I've ever tasted. I'm not drunk and my face is red, it's just the sunset shining on my face. You actually asked me if I could drink more? Let me tell you, I can drink as much as I want. Hongyi, you just shouldn't push yourself, know when to stop."

Upon hearing this, she paused, glanced at the wine jar, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Since you can still drink, Ah Xuan, and it's already opened, why not finish it? It's a welcome feast after all, so let's drink to our hearts' content."

"Since you in red have such an elegant interest, I will gladly oblige," Chen Xuan said, raising his wine cup slightly to indicate that he would drink it all in one gulp.

Having been a member of the martial arts world for some time, He Hongyi, who had drunk quite a bit, seemed to have been inspired by Chen Xuan's actions. With no outsiders around, she waved her hand, revealing a section of her fair wrist, and raised her chin slightly, saying, "Ah Xuan is so generous. Why don't we just switch to larger bowls?"

"Haha, that's exactly what I was thinking," Chen Xuan put down his wine glass and smiled, then looked at Du Juan beside him and exhaled a breath of wine, saying, "Sister Juan, as you can see, could you please bring two large bowls?"

"Yes, sir, I'll go right away."

Slightly tipsy but still clear-headed, Du Juan nodded, then stood up, slowed her pace, and looked at the little princess with an inquiring gaze.

Her eyes flickered, and the little princess nodded almost imperceptibly with a smile on her lips.

As Dujuan went to get the bowl, the little maid looked at Chen Xuan and then at He Hongyi. Seeing that they looked drunk, she gently tugged at the little princess's sleeve and asked with some concern, "Madam, Master and Sister Hongyi look drunk. They want to switch to bigger bowls to drink. Should we try to persuade them to stop?"

The little princess gently shook her head and whispered, "It's alright, as long as they're happy."

Since she had already said that, the little maid didn't say anything more, otherwise she would be spoiling the mood. She would just prepare some hangover soup later, and besides, the master was highly skilled and rarely had a time when he was happy after drinking.

Soon, Dujuan brought two exquisite tribute porcelain bowls, poured two bowls of slightly amber-colored wine into them, and gently reminded them to drink slowly.

He Hongyi thanked him. Even though she was half-drunk and her eyes were glazed, she still held the wine bowl steadily without spilling a drop. After all, she was a master of innate cultivation, and self-control was second nature to her. She looked at Chen Xuan, raised her chin slightly to reveal her beautiful neck, and said, "Just now, Xuan, you said you could keep drinking. I don't quite believe it. How about we finish this bowl?"

"Red-clothed, you're trying to provoke me, but I'm falling for it. Don't let me underestimate you, bottoms up!" Chen Xuan raised his wine bowl without hesitation and responded boldly, not spilling a drop despite his slightly blurred vision.

The two wine bowls clinked lightly, and under the astonished gazes of the crowd, they tilted their heads back and drank.

"Ah Xuan has a huge capacity for alcohol, I admire him."

"Red-clad lady, you're just as capable as any man! Sister Juan, keep going, fill the cup!"

They finished their drinks, smiled at each other, and even complimented one another.

The little princess next to her twitched her lips and glanced speechlessly at her husband. Was that phrase appropriate to describe drinking?

The young maidservant, while pouring the wine, reminded him with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Master, Sister in red, don't just drink, have some food too!"

"Haha, life is short, so seize the day and enjoy it while you can. Don't let your cup be empty under the moon. As the saying goes, a thousand cups are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend. Drink until you're happy. Red Robe, are you still up for it?" Chen Xuan said, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, clearly a little tipsy.

Her blush deepened, but He Hongyi said without hesitation, "I'm not a delicate girl. Ah Xuan is having a great time, so I should keep him company. Let's play again!"

They started drinking again, seemingly unable to stop, and didn't listen to the little girl's reminders.

Instead, the little princess's eyes lit up, and she looked at her husband in surprise. She thought to herself that he always said he was not well-read and didn't have much knowledge, but after drinking, he just spoke fluently. Those two sentences were not something a person who was not well-read could say.

The little princess has a good eye for quality; she's already hesitating whether or not to replace their goblets with gold ones.

Guo Qingxue looked at Chen Xuan with some concern. With her body clung to Chen Xuan, she was worried that drinking too much would harm her health. She hesitated to speak, not wanting to disturb the two who were having such a good time. However, she felt that something was wrong, but she had also drunk some alcohol earlier and her head was spinning, so she couldn't remember what it was.

The Yunlan and Yunxin sisters exchanged glances. Why did the master and the woman in red suddenly start drinking?

As the saying goes, an outsider's perspective is clear. Xia Mei noticed something amiss and looked at He Hongyi thoughtfully. A meaningful smile appeared on her face. It was clear that He Hongyi had deliberately led the conversation here. It seemed that she had been provoked by Guo Qingxue and was now in a hurry!

The two seemed to be locked in a battle of wits, going back and forth, and gradually everyone else became mere background figures.

Before they knew it, the two large jars of wine that He Hongyi had brought were finished, and most of them ended up in their stomachs. Chen Xuan drank the most, nearly thirty jin if you looked closely. He Hongyi, as a girl, drank five or six jin. The rest was shared by Du Juan and the others.

The reason Chen Xuan drank so much was that He Hongyi subtly plied him with drinks when she was telling him stories. At that time, she would refill Chen Xuan's glass whenever it was empty. He would drink until his glass was empty, while He Hongyi would pretend to listen to their stories and sip her drinks or even just pretend to drink.

Whether Chen Xuan knew or not, only he himself knew the truth.

"Master, we're out of wine, what do you think?" Du Juan poured half a bowl for each of them and then shook the empty wine jar in front of Chen Xuan, asking the question. Hearing this, Chen Xuan shook his head, still wanting more, and said, "Then I'll trouble Sister Juan to go and get two more jars. I remember we have plenty in our cellar."

"Well...," Dujuan turned her gaze toward the little princess.

The little princess shook her head slightly, gently patted Chen Xuan's arm, and said softly as if coaxing a child, "Husband, it's getting late, and you've both drunk so much. Why don't we stop here? Be good, listen to me."

He Hongyi, whose eyes had been glazed over, suddenly regained her composure. She put down her wine bowl and looked at Chen Xuan, who was still drunk, saying, "Ah Xuan, I've seen your drinking capacity. I admit defeat. How about we continue another day?"

Chen Xuan, who clearly wanted to continue, paused after hearing their words, then put down the half-eaten bowl of wine. He glanced at his wife, who looked at him with concern, then at the swaying He Hongyi, and finally looked towards the door. He patted his forehead, exhaled, and laughed, "The moon is already so high without me realizing it. Alright then, that's enough for today. We've already had our fun."

Seeing that he knew when to stop even when he was drunk, Du Juan and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief, fearing they wouldn't be able to persuade him otherwise.

Even when drunk, Chen Xuan remained clear-headed. His drinking etiquette was impeccable; if his wife said she wouldn't drink anymore, then he wouldn't.

He Hongyi forced herself to stand up and said, "I'm sorry, Sister Qianning, for bothering you for so long. I should go back now. You should get some rest, and I'll come back to play with you again later."

The meal lasted from afternoon until the moon rose high in the sky; it was time to come to an end.

Du Juan and the little maid, who were Chen Xuan's personal maids, were about to help Chen Xuan to bathe and rest, but the little princess stopped them with a look.

She looked at He Hongyi and smiled, "Sister Hongyi, what are you talking about disturbing me? I'm just happy you came. You've drunk so much, why don't you stay and rest?"

"I can't accept that. It's just a short walk. I'll take my leave now," He Hongyi said politely, nodding and turning around, her figure slightly swaying.

Under the lamplight, the little princess's stunningly beautiful face became even more captivating. Chen Xuan, slumped in his seat with hazy eyes, reached out to touch her cheek, saying with a look of ecstasy, "Wife, you're so beautiful. Oh? How come there are two of you? Isn't that double happiness?"

She gently patted his hand and said irritably, "Husband, stop fooling around. Sister in red is going back. Aren't you going to see her off?"

As she spoke, she pushed Chen Xuan again.

Upon hearing this, He Hongyi, who was about to turn around and leave, slowed down.

Even the slightly slow-witted Chen Xuan realized what was happening and shakily stood up, saying, "Yes, yes, we really should see you off, otherwise it would be impolite. Hongyi, wait a minute, don't walk so fast. I'll take you home. Just so you know, it's not safe for a girl to be out so late at night."

As he spoke, he strode toward He Hongyi, his body swaying as if he were about to fall at any moment, just like a drunken immortal taking steps. Yet, he managed to reach He Hongyi's side without bumping into anything.

"Come on, I'm here. I'll make sure you get home safely," Chen Xuan said with a smile, gesturing for him to leave. He even stumbled over his words a little.

He Hongyi shook her head and looked at him, saying, "Ah Xuan, you look like you've had too much to drink. You should go and rest. I'm fine."

"Nonsense, I'm not drunk. Let me tell you, not just anyone can be my bodyguard," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

"Ah Xuan, if you put it that way, then I'll have to trouble you with something."

"Haha, you're too kind..."

The two drunkards swayed and staggered away, their figures gradually disappearing from the light.

Turning her gaze away, the little princess smiled and said, "Alright, it is indeed getting late. Let's all get some rest."

The little girl couldn't help but walk towards the door, looking in the direction they left, and asked worriedly, "The master and the others were so drunk, they were even staggering as they walked. Will they be alright?"

"It's just a short distance, what could possibly happen?" the little princess said dismissively. She wasn't worried at all; if anything did happen, it would definitely be something good, a happy one at that.

Supporting the little princess, Yunlan asked thoughtfully, "Your Highness, are the master and the others really drunk?"

"Then don't worry about it," the little princess said with a smile.

Guo Qingxue, still looking outside the door, sensed something was amiss. Her mind was a little foggy due to her low alcohol tolerance, and Xia Mei gently patted her shoulder, interrupting her, saying, "Miss Guo, please come with me, I'll take you to your lodgings."

"Oh, thank you so much, Aunt Mei," Guo Qingxue immediately stopped worrying about it. At least she was finally able to stay at Brother Chen's house.

Aunt Mei shook her head, secretly amused and exasperated; the little girl was a bit slow to react.

On the other side, Chen Xuan and He Hongyi strolled unsteadily under the moonlight, surrounded by swaying tree shadows and the sounds of insects and birds in the darkness. As they walked, their shoulders touched.

A smug smile crept across He Hongyi's lips as she broke the silence with a muffled voice, "Thank you, Ah Xuan. Actually, I could have gone back by myself."

"Don't mention it. Look how drunk you are, you can barely walk. I won't feel at ease if I don't take you home," Chen Xuan said cheerfully.

"Aren't you the same?" He Hongyi thought to herself, amused. Taking advantage of her drunkenness, she took the initiative and said, "Since that's the case, why don't you help me up, Ah Xuan?"

Looking down at her profile, Chen Xuan casually placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "You said it yourself, don't blame me for taking advantage of you."

They put their arms around each other's shoulders. Feeling her arm against his, He Hongyi's eyes were glazed over. She pursed her lips and said, "Ah Xuan, can you still drink?"

"Red Robe, you drank so much just now, haven't you had enough yet?" Chen Xuan asked, his face flushed with surprise.

He Hongyi placed her hand on his waist and said in a muffled voice, "Just tell me if you can still drink or not?"

"I'm not afraid of you..." (End of Chapter)