Xiong Sanniang pointed to his stomach and said, "Look, I only had one bottle of bellyband, and now you've drunk it all, so of course you can leave."
Cen Ji's forehead was covered in cold sweat: "The undergarment is poison?"
Xiong Sanniang rolled her eyes: "Tsk tsk, can something that doesn't kill you be called poison?"
Cen Ji narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "May I ask, Third Sister, what exactly is that 'bellyband'?"
Xiong Sanniang smoothed her hair and said, "Nine Yang Returning to Origin Soup."
*******
As soon as we stepped outside, Banlan said, "Why did you take the middle cup without any hesitation?"
Without a second thought, Cen Ji said that Xiong San Niang had no intention of killing him at all.
"Oh..." Ban Lan suddenly realized, "But how do you know he didn't intend to kill you?"
Cen Ji stopped, took out his newly bought handkerchief for the tenth time to wipe the blood from his nose, and said, "Based on my experience in the martial world." His impatience was undisguised.
The disdain made Ban Lan narrow her eyes. "Then do you know why Xiong San Niang finds me more pleasing to the eye?"
Cen Ji frowned and remained silent.
"Because you deserve to be rubbed!" Ban Lan snorted coldly and swaggered forward.
A young woman with her child happened to be by the roadside. Seeing Ban Lan walking so proudly, she looked down at her child and said, "Ayu, did you see that? You must never walk like that woman in the future, or you'll never get married."
Ban Lan's ears twitched, and she turned around to glare at the young woman.
The young woman felt quite embarrassed when she realized that her words had been overheard. She picked up her child and ran away, disappearing from sight.
Cen Ji wanted to laugh, but pretended not to see anything and walked straight past Ban Lan, his back view dignified yet dashing.
Ban Lan chased after her and asked, "Do you think I'll really never get married?"
Cen Ji said, "How would I know if you really want to get married?"
Ban Lan did not respond.
Cen Ji then asked, "Why did you drink that poison for me just now?"
Ban Lan thought for a moment and said, "Because I like the taste of Xuepeilu (a type of sweet fermented rice drink)."
Cen Ji asked, "What is Snow Dew?"
Ban Lan said, "It's wine. My master's favorite wine, which he always likes to hide in places I can't find."
Cen Ji asked again, "But what does this have to do with that undergarment?"
Ban Lan wanted to say that the connection wasn't the poison, but rather your surname, Cen. But instead of saying anything, she said, "Your hairstyle is bad; you should change it."
*******
Zhai Huan took a sip from the teapot spout without looking up, "Where's the undergarment?"
Cen Ji said, "I drank it."
"Oh." Zhai Huan put down the teapot. "Then how come you didn't die?"
Cen Ji said, "Xiong San Niang said she's tired of making poison and has switched to making tonics." That one cup of tea had caused him to have a nosebleed all the way, and now, looking at the teapot in Zhai Huan's hand, he felt even hotter.
“First,” Zhai Huan cleared his throat, “I told you to steal it, but you openly asked for it back. Second, even if you asked for it, you kept it for yourself and then gave it to me. How am I supposed to take it?”
Cen Ji was speechless. Ban Lan leaned forward, getting closer to Zhai Huan, and said, "Hey, you didn't say you weren't allowed to drink it back then, so what are you yelling about now? At worst, I'll have Cen Ji drip a bowl of blood on you to drink, enough to make you feel like your three flowers have gathered at the top of your head and your seven orifices are smoking. Are you satisfied then?"
Zhai Huan's forehead wrinkles furrowed. "Were you picked up from a garbage dump?"
Ban Lan asked, puzzled, "It's almost done. How did you know?"
Cen Ji felt extremely frustrated; this girl couldn't distinguish between what was meant and what wasn't. However, he felt a strange pity for her background without even realizing it.
Zhai Huan rubbed her eyes and then picked at her ears. "My eyes hurt whenever I see you, and now I can't even keep my ears quiet."
Ban Lan was furious, "You..."
Zhai Huan snorted, stood up, and walked into the house.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm tired."
Restaurant
Zhai Huan's words made Ban Lan very unhappy.
Whether Ban Lan was happy or not was none of Cen Ji's business. Or rather, Cen Ji simply couldn't see Ban Lan.
Cen Ji patted his empty stomach and decided to go eat first.
Although he was very anxious, perhaps due to his usual composure, he still analyzed the reasons for Crane Feather Palace's abduction in a very methodical way. After all, Kongshan Ridge was an important place in the martial arts world, and there were quite a few sects that wanted to use Wen Moyin to threaten Master Kongshan. However, Wen Moyin was, after all, the young lady of Kongshan Ridge. If he injured her before achieving his goal, no one would gain any benefit.
Ban Lan followed behind Cen Ji, as if he had been completely ignored by him.
After ordering two small dishes, Cen Ji realized that Ban Lan hadn't spoken for a while.
Cen Ji could only say, "Girls are so petty; they hold onto just a few words."