She wasn’t allowed to wander around outside, and staying cooped up in the room was driving Taohua out of her mind with boredom. She had Xiaozhu fetch her a book so she could at least kill some time.
She hadn’t expected Xiaozhu to bring back a medical text of all things. Taohua had absolutely no background in medicine and couldn’t understand a single thing it was talking about. After two pages, she was already yawning nonstop.
She flipped through a few more pages. Her eyes were burning by then, and she finally couldn’t help laying her head down on the table to rest for a bit.
She hadn’t expected that “bit” of sleep to last all the way until nightfall. Taohua slowly opened her eyes. Outside the window, it was pitch-black. Her voice came out hoarse as she asked,
“What time is it now?”
Only when she woke did Xiaozhu light the oil lamp. Holding back a laugh, she said,
“Young miss, it’s already about the hour of Xu.”
Taohua covered her mouth and yawned. Her head was still fuzzy and slow.
“It’s that late already…”
“Yes. Protector Guan has been waiting for you in the pavilion in the middle of the lake.”
Taohua froze, then jumped to her feet.
“Then let’s go quickly. We mustn’t keep her waiting.”
Xiaozhu chuckled softly, opened the door, and walked ahead to lead the way.
Only after stepping out of the room did Taohua realize what she’d seen from the window was just a tiny corner. The entire Furong Courtyard was planted full of all kinds of strange and exotic flowers, dazzling to the eyes. Along the way were man-made hills and pavilions, crafted with exquisite detail—truly works of art.
The Cui family was wealthy, but their residence couldn’t compare to this Furong Courtyard at all. Following behind Xiaozhu, Taohua was almost dumbstruck. She hadn’t expected this place to look like something out of a fairyland. Winding paths crisscrossed everywhere, intricate and confusing; no wonder Xiaozhu hadn’t let her wander about on her own earlier.
“Young miss, we’re here.”
“Here?”
Taohua looked around. The lake was ringed with water on all sides and not a single bridge in sight. How were they supposed to get to the pavilion in the middle?
“We are,” Xiaozhu said.
“Um… are we going to take a boat to the pavilion?” Taohua asked, puzzled.
“No. We can go over directly.” Xiaozhu kept that gentle smile on her face.
“Go… directly?”
Taohua was still trying to parse what that meant when, over in the lakeside pavilion, Guan Fusha drew in a breath, pushed off with her toes, and skimmed over the lake. Her embroidered shoes only tapped the surface of the water a few times before she landed lightly on the shore—without so much as a drop wetting them.
“Miss Taohua.”
Guan Fusha smiled at her, eyes crinkling.
Taohua was utterly floored by Guan Fusha’s “godlike” lightness skill. This—this was real qinggong, walking on water!
Guan Fusha let her stare, eyes wide and unblinking, and suddenly a mischievous idea popped into her mind.
“Miss Taohua, why don’t I take you to the lakeside pavilion?”
“Eh? Wha—”
Before Taohua could react, Guan Fusha stepped forward, slipped an arm around her slender waist, and with a light tap of her toes, they “flew” out toward the lake. Taohua was so frightened she almost screamed, but then she heard Guan Fusha’s low murmur by her ear,
“Hold on to me, or you’ll fall in.”
Instinct for survival moved faster than her brain. Taohua immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Guan Fusha, terrified of tumbling into the lake.
In just a few seconds, Guan Fusha was already carrying Taohua into the pavilion at the heart of the lake. The moment she let go, Taohua’s knees went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground.
Mother of mine, that was terrifying. I am never again saying I want someone to “take me flying like a badass,” ever again… qaq
Guan Fusha caught her by the arm, suppressing the laughter bubbling in her chest. The corners of her lips still couldn’t help curving up.
“Miss Taohua, are you all right?”
“I–I’m fine.”
Taohua pretended to be calm, but her frightened little heart was still pounding and far from settled.
Guan Fusha guided her to sit and handed her a small, delicately crafted wine cup filled with a pale red liquid.
“Here, have a drink to steady your nerves.”
Taohua took the cup and, without looking closely, tipped it back. A faint grape fragrance blossomed in her mouth—elegant and refined, lingering on her tongue and cheeks.
“Mmm~ What is this? It’s so good.”
Guan Fusha took the seat opposite her, picked up a wine pot with matching patterns, and poured her another cup. She smiled lightly.
“This is called Thousand-Day Drunk. It’s one of the famous wines of the northern kingdom.”
“Thousand-Day Drunk?”
Taohua raised the cup and gave it a light sniff. The rich aroma rushed straight to her nose and made her mouth water.
The name didn’t sound all that impressive. Thousand-Day Drunk—didn’t that mean you had to drink it for a thousand days to get drunk? The alcohol content probably wasn’t very high. Besides, it hadn’t even tasted like wine just now, more like grape juice.
Seeing Taohua’s cup empty again, Guan Fusha smiled and refilled it.
“Yes. Thousand-Day Drunk—meaning, ‘one cup is enough to leave you drunk for a thousand days.’”
Taohua almost sprayed the sip she’d just taken all over the table.
One cup enough to leave you drunk for a thousand days? Wasn’t this wine called Thousand-Day Drunk? Shouldn’t that translate to “you only get drunk after drinking for a thousand days”? Was Guan Fusha taking advantage of her lack of schooling to mess with her?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She rubbed her temples, feeling her energy leach away.
Guan Fusha watched her with smiling eyes.
“Oh, I seem to have forgotten to mention—if you drink this wine on an empty stomach, you get drunk very quickly.”
The alcohol surged up. Taohua’s eyes grew hazy, her cheeks flushed crimson. The world spun around her, and there seemed to be several Guan Fushas sitting across from her.
She reached out toward Guan Fusha, half sprawled over the stone table, lips puckering in drunken complaint.
“Don’t… don’t sway… You’re making my eyes go all blurry…”
Guan Fusha couldn’t help it; her drunken babbling was too adorable. She finally burst out laughing.
She hadn’t expected this little girl named Taohua to be this cute.
Taohua blinked. In the soft blur of intoxication, a line she’d once memorized from “Luoshen Fu” suddenly surfaced in her mind.
“Her shifting glance shone bright, her jade-like face gleamed with light.
Words yet unspoken, her breath was like hidden orchids.
Her graceful beauty, so enchanting,
It made me forget to eat.”
Back then, she’d thought the description was surely exaggerated—there couldn’t possibly be such a peerless beauty in this world. Until today.
Only now did she realize there really was a woman in this world whose single smile could rob people of their souls.
Guan Fusha took the cup from Taohua’s hand. That brief, casual touch sent a shiver of tingling numbness through Taohua, like a current of electricity running down her nerves. Her brain felt like it had stopped working; she just stared blankly at Guan Fusha.
“Miss Taohua, are you drunk?”
Guan Fusha crouched down in front of her, lifting a hand to gently cup Taohua’s cheek. Her movements were so gentle it was as if she was afraid of startling her. The smile on her face was like a blooming poppy, luring Taohua into a helpless, inescapable fall.
Taohua rubbed her face against Guan Fusha’s soft hand, like a clingy cat begging for affection. She clutched Guan Fusha’s hand tightly.
“Hug me… give me a hug…”
