Arrancando flores y sonriendo

Capítulo 15

I was completely oblivious to what was wrong, and just kept yelling, "Hey! Didn't you say you wanted to drink? Hurry up and bring it over, are you having second thoughts again?"

He then seemed to snap out of his daze, glanced at me again, clapped his hands, and as if by magic, two boys appeared out of the woods. They carried a long table laden with wine and snacks. They poured the wine into white jade cups, gestured for me to enter, and then stood quietly to one side—without making a sound, truly like ghosts.

I stared at the two boys with my mouth agape, and couldn't resist walking up to them and pinching one of their cheeks. "They're real people! They have warmth, they're not ghosts," I murmured to myself. "Then why don't they make any noise when they walk?"

The boy glared at me but dared not utter a sound, while the other suppressed a laugh and turned his head away. Liu Wufeng coughed lightly and patted the boy reassuringly, "This is my newly made friend, Ye Qingyang, Young Master Ye." He then turned to me and introduced, "This is Xiao Ji, and that is Xiao Rao."

I picked up the wine cup, but instead of drinking, I carefully examined it—good heavens, this cup alone must be worth several hundred taels of silver. When I read *Dream of the Red Chamber*, I always scoffed at the chapter about Miaoyu discussing tea. Drinking wine is all about the quality of the wine; what's the point of all those fancy decorations on the cup? Today, I realize how ignorant I was—truly, while the rich feast on meat and wine, the poor freeze to death on the streets!

"What? This wine doesn't meet Brother Ye's standards?"

"How could that be? I was just feeling a bit sentimental." I shook my head, chuckling to myself—I really was shedding tears while reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, worrying about the people of the past. I lowered my head, took a small sip, and looked up at him.

"How is it? Can I still drink it?" he asked with an air of confidence.

"This wine has a fragrant aroma, a clear color, a pure taste, and a mellow, sweet flavor that is not cloying. It is indeed a top-quality wine." I added to myself, "It tastes much better than those foreign XO wines."

"This is thirty-year-old Lanling wine," Liu Wufeng said with a smile, speaking casually.

I tilted my head back and downed the wine in one gulp, then poured myself another cup. I reached for a pair of white jade chopsticks on the table, tapped them lightly on the plate, and softly recited, "Lanling wine, fragrant as tulips, served in a jade bowl, shines like amber. If only the host could make the guest drunk, then no place would be a foreign land!"

"Although this wine is sweet and fragrant, it is a 30-year-old vintage. Brother Ye, you should not underestimate it, or you will get drunk!" Liu Wufeng frowned slightly and looked at me with some concern.

"Why are you being so indecisive? Drinking is all about getting drunk, didn't we just agree to drink until we're both drunk?" As he spoke, I had already downed several more glasses, and my head was starting to spin. I glanced at him sideways. "Are you just being stingy with your good wine? Can't bear to part with it?"

"Hey! Xiao Ji, don't glare at me! I just pinched your cheek, what's the big deal?" I reached out and put my arm around Liu Wufeng's shoulder, intending to give him a good pinch—oh no! He dodged it, no fun at all. "Hey Liu, why aren't you drinking?" Seeing him finish his drink, I smiled with satisfaction, then refilled his glass—tch! Those two little guys were staring at me like they'd seen a ghost? Or was it my hand? I glanced at it, my hand was fine, still there. Hmm, where did it go? It seems to have grown onto Liu's shoulder.

"Why are you glaring at me? Can't you put your arm around my shoulder?" I said, quite displeased. "Brother Liu, it seems your two young friends are not very happy with me."

"You're drunk," Liu Wufeng concluded quietly, subtly brushing my hand away.

"I didn't! You're just being stingy!" I protested loudly. "Brother Liu, life is short, so seize the day! Don't let your cup be empty before the moon. Tonight, the moonlight is as clear as water—isn't this the perfect time to drink? What's wrong with getting drunk? What's wrong with getting drunk again?"

"It's late, Brother Ye, please go back. We can continue drinking tomorrow."

"It all boils down to being stingy. Fine, I'll go back then." I stood up from the table. "By the way, do you know where I live?"

"Heh!" It was Xiao Ji who laughed.

I glared at him, then staggered over to Liu Wufeng. "Brother Liu, I'm drunk and want to sleep, you must see me off. I'll bring some wine tomorrow! Will you see me off or not?" Before I finished speaking, I had already thrown myself into his arms—I was drunk! Of course, if not now, when?

Liu Wufeng shook his head helplessly, and resignedly half-helped, half-dragged me along—heh, I'd fallen for his trap! I chuckled to myself smugly. If I didn't do this, who knows how long I'd wandered around here aimlessly?

Strange, why is the ground spinning? Am I really drunk? This wine is clearly sweet, not strong at all. "We're here." Huh? No way? We're here so quickly? I forced my eyes open, and it really is Benlei Pavilion—the lights in Huaiyuan's room are already off; it's so late, of course he's asleep. But why do I feel a little disappointed?

"Then Brother Ye, get some rest. I'm leaving now," Liu Wufeng said to me with a smile.

"Goodbye." I waved casually and stumbled into the room. As I walked further in, I was completely silent—that brat had actually fallen asleep!

"...A dappled horse, a thousand pieces of gold, call the boy to exchange them for fine wine, to dispel with you all the sorrows of ages past!" I shouted loudly, "Bullshit! Who said wine can dispel sorrow? All the sorrows of ages past? It can't even dispel my own sorrows of ages past! Liars, all of them are liars!"

"Have you made enough trouble?" In the darkness, a pair of eyes flashing with anger stared intently at me—haha! It's Huaiyuan!

"Huaiyuan, Huaiyuan, listen to me!" I pounced on him with a beaming smile, but this brat actually dodged me, leaving me sprawled on the ground! ??? This book is originally published on Xiaoxiang Novel Network. Please retain this information when reprinting!

[Volume 1: Encounters - Chapter 15: Everywhere is a Foreign Land]

"Who brought you back just now?" Huaiyuan's cold voice came from behind. "Was it that guy Liu Wufeng?"

"Huh? How did you know? Weren't you asleep?" I was so hot I just lay down on the floor. "How do you know him? I only met him today!"

"You know it's the first day you met? How can a girl drink with a man she just met? And get completely drunk?" Huaiyuan's voice was full of anger.

I chuckled. "Haven't you heard the phrase 'love at first sight'? Huaiyuan, let me tell you, I really hit the jackpot drinking with him!"

"You made a profit? What did you make a profit from?" he sneered repeatedly.

"Hey! Liu Wufeng is the second master of the number one manor in the world! Putting all that aside, he himself is a dashing and elegant man! Didn't you see his sword dance under the moon? It's simply art! Do you even understand art?!" I lay sprawled out, grinning at him.

"That guy can wield a sword? He's crazy!" He seemed quite disdainful.

"Huaiyuan, come here for a second, I feel terrible." My stomach was churning, and I struggled to stand up, trying to support myself with my hands, but I was too weak to do so.

"Now you know how uncomfortable it is, right? Then why did you drink so much?" Despite his reluctance, he obediently came over and reached out to pull me.

"Why are you always moving around?" I cupped his face in my hands, trying to hold it still. "Stop moving! Hey, Huaiyuan, how come you have so many heads? One, two, three, four..."

"Just how much wine did that Liu Wufeng make you drink?" Huaiyuan roared angrily.

"It wasn't much! He's so stingy! He always won't let me drink and even sends me home! But he doesn't even know I'm homeless! Haha, 'If the host can make the guest drunk, he won't know where his hometown is!'" I grabbed Huaiyuan's sleeve and murmured, "Old Li only 'doesn't know where his hometown is,' how can he be as miserable as me? I'm 'home is home everywhere,' okay?!"

"Okay, okay, okay! Don't cry, I'll take you home tomorrow, okay?" Huaiyuan patted my back gently, comforting me softly.

"You're lying! You don't even know where I live, how are you going to take me home?" I pouted, very dissatisfied with him.

"Then tell me where you live first? So I can take you home."

I looked up, wiping away my tears. "Are you serious?" He nodded earnestly. Wait, why is Jona standing in front of me? Where's Huaiyuan? Where did he go?

"Jona, when did you get here? I have a secret to tell you." I waved to her, then whispered in her ear, "You absolutely mustn't tell anyone, okay? It's a very big secret!" I made a big circle with my hands to indicate that it really was a big secret.

Seeing that she nodded, he winked at her with satisfaction, "Jona, I'm telling you, I wore it!"

"Wear it? What did you wear?" Jona looked completely bewildered.

"Shh! Don't be so loud!" I shushed her loudly. "I really wore it!"