It was one thing for the shelves that suddenly appeared along the wall to be filled with various potted plants in a tiered fashion, but the tables, the floor, the doorways... all were neatly arranged with a hundred flowers blooming in competition—what, did Bai Momo use her room as a flower room?
Frustrated, she went to Bai Mo to get some answers. As soon as she entered his study, she saw him weighing two potted plants. Seeing her, he smiled faintly and said, "You've come at the right time. These two are ones I just had someone collect. They were just about to be delivered to your room. This 'Eighteen Scholars' pot will fit perfectly on the flower hall table, and this one is a green peony, which can be placed in the bedroom..."
"Wait, wait... the Eighteen Scholars and the Green Peony?" She had felt from the beginning that the flowers in her room looked very delicate, and even though she didn't know much about flowers, she had heard of how precious these two plants were.
With graceful and elegant steps, she dances slowly while listening to a drunken song. Green leaves and branches are all the same color as flowers, adding to her rich and noble appearance as she treads on the rippling waves... It seems to be this green peony, right?
"Yes, I sent people to various flower markets to find many precious varieties, all of them top-notch flowers, especially this green peony and the Eighteen Scholars... You don't need to worry too much about the other flowers. The servants will move them out to get some sunlight every day. When you're here, just make sure to water them occasionally so they don't dry out too much. It's just that these two are really difficult to care for. They need to be placed by the window, but not in direct sunlight for too long. When it gets windy, move them indoors immediately. Fertilize them every three days. Don't water them too much, but don't let them dry out either. Pay special attention to preventing insect infestation..."
—So, you're not just using my room as a greenhouse, you're using me like a free gardener?
"Ugh, so frustrating..." Kinnara sighed to the heavens. "Why can't this stone in the latrine understand? How come he does such a simple thing so differently from everyone else?" Kinnara angrily dragged Bai Mo to Bai Yan's room—to avoid being noticed for their close contact, Bai Yan's place had become a haven for pursuing women; after all, Bai Mo and he always had perfectly valid reasons for coming there. Having sighed enough, he said with exasperation, "I'll teach you one more trick, but this time you're not allowed to improvise. Do exactly what I say! Don't keep doing this 'flower-in-the-pot' thing!"
However, Yue Ji had already been sent away by him. (Even if she hadn't been sent away, do you think using Yue Ji as a moral example is immoral? Isn't that immoral? Are you even human??) Who should he find to be a role model? After searching around, the only person here was... Bai Yan, who was kept awake by their noise and frowned in his dream.
"Second Young Master, Second Young Master? Bai Xiao'er?"
Bai Yan's entire body felt as heavy as if it were sinking into sand. He struggled to open his eyes and saw Kinnara smiling very solicitously. He couldn't help but refuse and helped him up.
"Is there something you need?" "I've prepared some snacks, would you like to try them, Second Young Master?" Kinnara brought out a plate of exquisitely crafted pastries with a wide variety of designs, all of which looked incredibly sweet at first glance—flowers and delicacies. Among these foods, women tend to prefer sweet things, which is also beneficial for enhancing feelings.
"..." Bai Yan broke out in a cold sweat, looking at this overly attentive man with a puzzled expression. They weren't that close enough for him to personally feed him snacks, were they? He turned his gaze to Bai Mo, who had been standing to the side in the room. Bai Mo quickly turned his head away, avoiding his gaze and not responding. "What are you looking at, Brother Bai? Come on, open your mouth and try it—"
Seeing the pastry being offered to his mouth, Bai Yan felt a chill run down his spine, wanting nothing more than to shove the man aside, but he lacked the strength. Fortunately, Bai Mo coughed lightly, finally offering a brotherly interruption to Kinnara's "feeding." "Um, Kinnara King, my second brother has been poisoned and has been lying here for so long. Wouldn't it be bad for him to eat something too sweet?" "It's just a little sweet, it's fine." Although he said this, Kinnara still let Bai Yan go, putting the pastry back on the plate and straightening up—he, Kinnara King, wasn't about to serve a man food. "Well, do you know what to do now? Should we practice first?" Due to his previous experience, Kinnara had complete distrust of Bai Mo and was prepared to make way for Bai Mo to "practice" by the bedside.
Bai Mo smiled awkwardly, "No need." — Just thinking about the scene from just now was enough to send chills down one's spine.
Bai Yan's eyes darted around, finally understanding what he meant. However, he couldn't do anything except pretend to be crippled and lie in bed. He just gave a weak "humph," not believing that his older brother could do anything. Now that he was lying in bed, he couldn't cause any trouble. Did he expect his older brother to support him? He simply closed his eyes and went to sleep.
"Hey, here's some snacks. Just use this plate. Don't prepare anything weird yourself. Just take it to Ning Xian like this. It's okay if you can't be attentive, just smile more—I've already taught you this far, you won't have any more problems, right?"
Bai Mo smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying. Although he understood that Kinnara meant well—although whether it was truly well-intentioned and the real reason remained to be investigated—it was indeed a bit too much trouble. After all, although he hadn't refused and had gone along with Kinnara's wishes, he knew the truth about his relationship with Ning Xian. "Give it to me, I'll go."
He took the tray from Kinnara's hand and stepped out of the room.
At this time, Ning Xian would usually be looking after Feng, although others always felt that Feng didn't actually need care. However, no one knew what had happened between Feng and Ning Xian; she wasn't going, and Feng wasn't showing up either. So Bai Mo easily found her in the room and gently knocked on the door.
"May I come inside?"
"Come in." Ning Xian was fiddling with the flowerpots that were in the way by the window in the room, responding naturally without having time to greet him.
"I've brought you some snacks."
"Oh, just leave it there. Why did you bring it over yourself? You could have just asked a maid to bring it." She wiped her hands and turned around. Seeing the sweet and delicate pastries, she sat down with great interest. However, looking at her hands, she thought it would be too much trouble to wash them again. Bai Mo, on the other hand, remembered Nara's instructions and picked up a piece and handed it over.
Ning Xian paused slightly, quite surprised by his action, but still opened her mouth and took a bite. Sweet and smooth, so sweet and delicious~~ Ning Xian swallowed the remaining half piece in Bai Mo's hand in one bite, still looking at the pastries on the plate with unsatisfied expression, gesturing for Bai Mo to get her another piece.
"That's right!" Outside the window, Kinnara secretly hid in the shadows, watching the two of them—"That's it, Brother Bai, keep the atmosphere going!" Bai Mo cooperatively picked up another piece, but hesitated slightly before putting it into Ning Xian's mouth. Seeing her enjoying it, he couldn't help but say, "You should eat less of these sweet snacks, or you'll get a toothache. Besides, eating too much is a burden on your body, although..."
Chapter Fifty-Four: Chaos After Drinking
The desserts Bai Mo sent ended up in Feng's stomach, and the potted plants Bai Mo sent ended up in Feng's house. However, Kinnara didn't have time to find out about this yet.
Normally, he would probably dislike Bai Yan's skill in dealing with women, but when it came to educating Bai Mo, the two were surprisingly in sync. It wasn't Bai Yan's intention to have Bai Mo pursue Ning Xian, but seeing Kinnara's exasperated expression, he seemed to be infected by her frustration, unable to bear the absurd actions Bai Mo, this blockhead, was taking. "Why make it so complicated? We're husband and wife anyway. Just get him drunk, and any problems can be solved in bed!"
Bai Yan's words were like a wake-up call. Kinnara patted him hard on the shoulder: "You're good! That's a good idea!" He immediately started working out a detailed plan with Bai Yan. To carry out their scheme under Mu Yuan's nose without him noticing, they really needed to make good arrangements.
Bai Mo, who had initially let them fool around, stopped listening calmly and said, "Alright, stop fooling around. This matter ends here." Although he knew he shouldn't have done those useless things according to Kinnara's wishes from the beginning, he hadn't been able to resist refusing. However, this time, he had really gone too far. After saying that, he got up and left. Kinnara and Bai Yan were obviously not surprised by his objection. They simply watched him leave the room, and once he was gone, they ignored his objection and continued their discussion— "It seems that Bai Mo also needs to be included in the plan." "He's a tough nut to crack. Do you have a way to deal with him?"
"Your brother is so rigid—whether it's alcohol or drugs—how much can he drink? What's his behavior like when he's drunk?"
“He just goes to sleep when he’s drunk, so there’s no issue of ‘drunken misconduct’ at all.”
Kinnara shrugged. "Then we'll have to use drugs."
"—And how much alcohol does Ning Xian have?"
"Hmm? You should call her sister-in-law, shouldn't you? But speaking of her drinking capacity, no one has ever seen her drunk. Long Jue, her brother is a bit too strict about her drinking. No one has ever seen her drunk. She must not be very good at it. If we drug her, she might notice. Getting her drunk is something a man can do on his own."
Bai Yan looked up at the sky. Is this the "fraternal love" of the Demonic Sect?
"How do we do it?"
"I need to think about this carefully..."
If there's no way to get around Mu Yuan, then let's just get him drunk too.
Bai Yan was no help. Kinnara took a few deep breaths. It seemed he'd have to get both of them drunk by himself? Good, he'd be throwing up tonight. If he remembered correctly, Mu Yuan was a walking wine vat. As the moon rose high, he prepared several jars of strong liquor and sent someone to invite Mu Yuan and Ning Xian. Sure enough, Mu Yuan came along too. As arrogant as he was, he had no suspicions. Mu Zuo Shi probably wouldn't believe Kinnara would dare to do anything to him. He arrived gracefully, smiling, and asked, "Kinnara, why did you suddenly decide to invite us for a drink today?" "We haven't gotten together since we came out. It's rare that we don't have anything important to do, so what's wrong with having a drink together? Why do you make it sound so strange?"
“That’s true.” Mu Yuan sat down, and Ning Xian came with him. Looking at the fine wine and snacks on the table, they were puzzled.
"You're all drinking, what do you want with me?"
"Hey, I've never seen you drink before. You can't possibly be a lightweight?"
"I think I drank it twice at home, but I don't remember much. My older brother always forbade me to drink it, you know that."
“Long Jue isn’t here, so just have a couple of drinks with us. You won’t get drunk at all. Besides, Bai Dutang has offended you quite a bit these past two days. Let’s have a drink to calm down.” “Tch, you dare to say that? Do you think I can’t guess? Why would that blockhead Bai suddenly offer such unfounded hospitality? Who’s been egging me on? Do you think I can’t see through it?” Kinnara wasn’t embarrassed at all and laughed, “Then consider it my apology. I’ll have to have another drink.”
Mu Yuan didn't object and cooperated, saying, "It's indeed a bit boring to drink with just two grown men. You can have a drink with me, just be careful not to drink too much."
Ning Xian didn't refuse again. She took the wine poured by Kinnara, weighed it in her hand, and watched as the two people at the table started drinking one cup after another. She was quite relaxed as the companion. Mu Yuan was afraid that she couldn't hold her liquor, so he naturally didn't urge her to drink. As for Kinnara, dealing with Mu Yuan, who was more difficult than he expected, was already quite a challenge, so he could only spare the energy to entertain him occasionally.
Ignoring the two people who drank like it was nothing, Ning Xian ate a couple of bites of snacks and took a sip of wine. At first, he was quite hesitant, but after a few sips, he felt no difference and realized that his alcohol tolerance wasn't that bad. So he simply tilted his head back and drank the rest of the wine in his glass.
She slammed her wine glass down on the table, feeling her blood boil. She confronted Kinnara, demanding, "Tell me, did you send Bai Mo to deliver desserts to make me fat?! What do you mean?" Kinnara, utterly aggrieved, explained, "I never wanted you to get fat!"
"So that bastard Bai Momo wants me to get fat?"
"This isn't Fatty's problem!"
Mu Yuan chuckled lightly, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally interrupting them before Kinnara could continue explaining. "Why talk about outsiders? Come on, let's drink." He refilled Kinnara's cup and poured one for Ning Xian as well. "How can he be considered an outsider? He's our Netherworld's son-in-law, no less than that assassin from Blissful Heaven... um..." Mu Yuan directly forced the wine down his throat and then refilled his cup.
"Mu Yuan, you're full... um..." After downing another cup, Mu Yuan replied, "Drinking is all about enjoying yourself—ah, please bring us two bowls." He said to the servants standing not far away waiting to serve him. Kinnara's face turned slightly pale. After drinking for so long, how come this person doesn't seem drunk at all? And they're even changing to bigger bowls... who's getting whom drunk here?
"Duanxian'er, don't drink too fast." He whispered to her with a seductive and alluring tone, his gentle manner sending chills down her spine and making her think of the word "deep affection." Kinnara quickly lowered her head, pretending to drink, but couldn't help shivering. Were these adulterers really going to play along? If Ning Xian's real lover was Mu Yuan, he wouldn't dare to actually steal her away—but Mu Yuan was clearly never serious; he was just a decoy. Was Feng Cai the real adulterer?
Ugh... my head is spinning...
Kinnara had taken some hangover medicine beforehand, so how come he couldn't even get Mu Yuan drunk? By now, the "medicine" should have already been mixed into Bai Mo's tea and sent to his room, right? He needed to hurry—gathering his energy, he called out, "Come on, let's have another drink, and let's drink together, Duan Xian'er."
Without a word or even waiting for them, Ning Xian raised her wine glass, downed it in one gulp, and refilled it herself—it seemed she could get herself drunk without Kinnara even having to lift a finger. Mu Yuan glanced at her, said nothing, and continued drinking with Kinnara.
—No wonder Long Jue keeps her from drinking; she has no sense of proportion when it comes to drinking.
The moon was half-hidden, and the servants who had been attending to him had long been dismissed by Mu Yuan. Ning Xian lay motionless on the table, having drunk himself into oblivion. Kinnara, heavily intoxicated, gritted his teeth, refusing to pass out. Staring at the elegant figure in white robes before him, who was waving a folding fan and smiling with a smug and alluring air, he finally realized with a start that perhaps the man had already noticed something.
"Kinnara, it seems you've had too much to drink. I'll take you back to your room."
"No need, I haven't had much yet..." If I give up now, wouldn't I have drunk it for nothing?
Mu Yuan smiled casually, her face "kind," and said, "Don't force yourself, it's no use. I've already switched the medicine you sent to Bai Mo's room. Even if Duan Xian'er is unconscious, I'm afraid what you're thinking of is unlikely to be accomplished, hmm?"
—He found out after all!
Kinnara, who had stubbornly refused to fall, finally turned pale and collapsed with a thud.
Mu Yuan smiled smugly, glanced at the drunken Ning Xian, and decided to first throw Kinnara back into his room before returning to sober her up. Although she had no sense of propriety when drinking, it seemed her drinking manners weren't bad; she just fell asleep as soon as she was drunk. Why was Long Jue so anxiously protecting her?
He carried Kinnara to his room, kicked the door open and threw her inside, then turned and went back to the courtyard. However, to his surprise, when he returned to the table in just a short while, Ning Xian was nowhere to be found.
He looked around, but there was no one there—where did everyone go?! That guy was so drunk he was completely unconscious, how could he have suddenly disappeared?!
……
"A dark and windy night, with wolves howling"—this phrase sounds familiar.
This familiar word often signifies various things. For example, at this moment, look at the door of Lord Feng. A shadow comes from behind the moon and kicks open the door. Just as Feng is about to sit up from the bed, he is pounced on again by the figure that pounces like a wolf in the moonlight. Even though he is poisoned, Lord Feng is not so weak that he can't even kill a chicken. Just as he is about to make a move, he finally recognizes the familiar fragrance hidden under the faint smell of alcohol and quickly stops halfway.
"Ning Xian?"
"What kind of 'Ning Xian' is this?! Call me Your Majesty!"
Feng frowned. Had this woman's head been squeezed in a door? Her old "ailment" had relapsed... He looked up and saw the figure pressing down on him. Although he couldn't see the face clearly in the darkness, a pair of eyes gleamed like a wild beast, full of savagery and completely devoid of any clarity.
...Could it be that he has encountered the legendary "broken string" again?
But this time, why is the situation completely different from last time?
"Get down here first..." Feng was about to reach out and push her down when a cracking sound of a whip rang out. Ning Xian drew the whip from her waist and lashed it hard against the headboard. "Move again and I'll make you lick Her Majesty the Queen's toes!"
With a tearing sound, Feng's collar was open, revealing her warm shoulders and alluring chest under the moonlight...
—My friend, Long Jue, who always has a reason for everything, strictly controls Ning Xian like a housekeeper and doesn't allow him to drink. Is there really no reason for that?
Chapter Fifty-Five: Eating the Phoenix
With a tearing sound, Feng's collar was open, revealing her warm shoulders and alluring chest under the moonlight...
The moment my skin touched the cool night air, I felt a shiver run through me—it was simply unbearable!
"Get down here!" Feng propped himself up and reached out to pull him down, but Ning Xian didn't dodge. Instead, he leaned down and bit his collarbone hard.
Feng frowned, took a slight breath, and held back her words.
Ouch! But amidst the pain, his keen sense of touch couldn't ignore the greedy, tingling sensation between the lips and teeth, like a dog licking a bone, spreading across his shoulder in a sticky, soft, itchy itch. His skin, more sensitive than most, made him instinctively push it away in pain, but inexplicably, he restrained himself from striking.
Ning Xian finally released his grip, straightened up slightly, and licked his lips like a puppy, savoring the pleasant taste, but clearly not satisfied. So, following his desires, he moved his lips down to his shoulder again—
As if he had tasted the sweetness, his bite became even more vicious than before, and Feng let out a muffled groan—what an exciting and arousing sound! He would soon understand what the consequences would be of such a sound, containing both pain and temptation, in front of a beast, no, a king of beasts…
Ning Xian pinned him down completely with her claws, the whip long since fallen to the ground. Her eyes gleamed, practically drooling—such a beauty, such a delicacy. Strip him naked, and go for it!
When Feng realized her clothes were in danger, she did hesitate for a moment. Should she take advantage of the situation before it got out of control and fight this beast—which was either human or not, but mentally unstable and in a state of madness, making it quite difficult to deal with—or... just go with the flow?
In the brief moment of his hesitation, he had no choice—his shirt was completely removed, revealing a clear, bloody tooth mark next to the pink spot on his chest. Then, the tooth mark began to invade and engulf the pink spot that should not have been bitten, or perhaps should have been bitten at all—Feng couldn't help but groan, a sound mixed with pain and something else... His whole body seemed to have been instantly incinerated by an invisible fire.