The Sun residence prepared a high-quality wing room with all facilities included. Upon opening the door, one could smell the faint scent of flowers, and there were several pots of orchids in the room.

As soon as Zhao Yelan entered the room, he was embraced from behind, and Yan Mingting nuzzled his neck and kissed it delicately. There were people from the Sun residence outside. Zhao Yelan pushed him, but didn’t propel him away. He simply turned around, raised his head, and claimed the other’s lips.

After a while, Yan Mingting picked him up, walked to the table by the window, and set him down.

Zhao Yelan put his hands on the table, gasping for breath, and asked: “Magistrate Sun prepared one room?”

“Otherwise?” Yan Mingting gripped the edge of the table and kissed his cheek, then his neck. “We are husband and wife, of course we’ll share the same room. Magistrate Sun is a man who knows how to do things.”

Zhao Yelan chuckled, feeling a bit ticklish. He raised his chin unconsciously, and his Adam’s apple was gently caressed. He groaned, and the other party held him in his arms again, rubbing his hands over his back.

A thought occurred to him, and he quivered. Opening his eyes suddenly, he accidentally knocked over the flower pot next to him in a fluster.

With a?bang, porcelain fragments and soil shattered to the ground, the orchids all mixed in.

“General Yan, Zhao-daren, are you all right?” The worried voices of the Sun mansion’s residence sounded outside the door.

“It’s fine.” After speaking, Yan Mingting suppressed the agitation in his heart and grabbed his hand to check it. “It’s not hurt?”

“No.” Zhao Yelan shook his head and stood up to open the door, ordering, “I accidentally knocked over a flower pot, please come and clean it up.”

Two servants rushed to clear it away, and asked if they needed some refreshments. Zhao Yelan said: “We do.”

“These ones will go to the kitchen and bring them here. Do my lords want to enjoy them here or in the pavilion?”

“The pavilion.”

The servant asked someone to bring them to the pavilion to wait, then turned and went to the kitchen.

Yan Mingting eagerly followed him to the pavilion. He guessed that the other had been frightened by his actions just now, and blamed himself for being too impatient. This sort of thing didn’t happen overnight. The other party might not be ready for it yet, and it was already very good to be able to kiss.

He became happy again at this thought, and said: “The Sun mansion’s landscaping is very nice.”

“Yes,?ah, I didn’t take a good look around during the day, but it looks really good now.”

The two sat down in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. The small lake below was surrounded by rockery and other pavilions and decks, and the style of the garden was more graceful and refined than in the capital.

Sitting there at night, enjoying the cool breeze while eating cakes and drinking good wine, was truly a great blessing.

“This is much better than those strong wines. It tastes sweet and it’s not easy to get drunk.” Yan Mingting poured two cups.

“Yes, this wine is the most popular lotus brew in the area, and it is best to drink it in this season. I heard that Miss....oh, Concubine Xian, said in her letter that she wanted to drink this lotus wine. There are also many foreigners who come to our Zhizhou to buy it.” The servant spared no effort in espousing the merits of this brew.

“Is it really that good?” Zhao Yelan was moved when he heard this, and dismissed all the servants. Then he picked up the wine cup and was about to taste it, when Yan Mingting stopped him.

“Isn’t your body incapable of tolerating alcohol?”

“Who said such a thing?”

“You,?ah.”

Zhao Yelan turned a deaf ear and only said: “I just won’t get drunk, didn’t you say it was difficult to get drunk off this wine? I’ll only take a sip.”

Yan Mingting didn’t say anything more. It was okay if he just had a sip....right?

“This is your third cup,” Yan Mingting said.

“It tastes really good, and it seems that it’s really not intoxicating.” Zhao Yelan smiled, toyed with the wine cup, and put it down. “All right, I won’t drink any more.”

No more than three cups of wine was his rule. Otherwise....it would be embarrassing.

Yan Mingting drank the wine on his own, but kept feeling like the taste was lacking, so he took a closer look and saw that Zhao Yelan’s face was flushed. He said with a smile: “It turns out your face is like this when you drink,?ah.?Don’t you feel hot?”

“Of course it’s hot.” Zhao Yelan accelerated the speed of his fan.

“Would you like to have a couple more? Maybe it can drive out the cold in you? Then you won’t be afraid of catching a chill when winter comes,” Yan Mingting said.

Zhao Yelan ignored this, waiting to see what else he would come up with.

Yan Mingting raised his head and drank a few gulps, then picked up the jug and his sword and jumped onto the rockery opposite, dancing with his sword under the moonlight.

This attracted a lot of people to stop and watch from a distance. Zhao Yelan heard the praises of others and raised his chin with honor, proudly picking up another jug of wine. He poured himself a cup, then stared at the figure that was as light as a swallow but as strong as bamboo, and unknowingly drank most of the pot of wine.

Yan Mingting raised his head and happily drained the last drops of wine. He put away his sword and returned to the pavilion to find that the other party had drunk a lot.

Zhao Yelan cast him a sideways glance, picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the wine left on his neck, and said, “Let’s go back.”

“All right.” Yan Mingting took his hand and led him back to the room.

After taking a bath, Zhao Yelan fell onto the bed, a little dizzy. He propped himself up with his arms to sit, feeling weak: “Give me water.”

Yan Mingting poured him a cup of water and looked at his blushing face, like peach blossoms in full bloom. He wanted to say something beautiful, but when he saw his frown, he couldn’t help worrying: “Are you drunk? Or are you feeling cold? Do I need to call a doctor?”

“No, I’m only a little drunk.” Zhao Yelan hurriedly grabbed his wrist. “Don’t call the doctor.”

“Okay.” Yan Mingting poured him another cup of water before lying down. Seeing him retreating vigilantly to the wall, he quickly explained in a low voice: “Magistrate Sun didn’t put spare bedding in the room. I didn’t climb up intentionally.”

Zhao Yelan glanced at him, his vision a little blurred, then reached out and touched his face, flushing as he warned him: “When I’m drunk....I will be a little strange. You had best go and find an inn.”

“It’s so late, and the inns close early. If I left you alone like this, how could I rest assured?” Yan Mingting said, “Besides, what kind of strange things could you come up with?”

Zhao Yelan shook his head and closed his eyes to ease the dizziness. He didn’t know if he would exhibit any strange behavior. After all, he hadn’t been drunk for many years, let alone showed his drunk face in front of outsiders.

He had been self-restrained since he was a child, and even when facing his parents, he never acted too intimately. But at the end of a certain year, he drank a large bowl of wine by mistake and actually crawled into the arms of his parents in the middle of the night to act like a baby, hugging them without letting go. He asked his parents why they were always so strict with him, and even whined in an aggrieved manner.

The torment caused his parents to be unable to sleep all night, and they teased him for a while afterwards. Later, they coaxed him with wine from time to time, wanting to make him clingy.

How could he fall for this again?

But that was many years ago, and he wasn’t sure what would happen now....

Yan Mingting saw that his eyes were closed and that he hadn’t responded for a long time. He must have fallen asleep. It was a little funny, and he observed his face patiently and meticulously by candlelight.

This was his first time seeing him blush, and although it was because of drunkenness, it was a scene of its own. He raised his hand, and his fingertips slowly moved down the bridge of his nose to land on his lips. He smiled, then spread his five fingers, measuring the length and width, thinking to himself that this face was actually smaller than his hand.

At this time, Zhao Yelan groaned softly.

He subconsciously withdrew his hand and leaned closer to listen, but the other party remained silent once more. Lowering his eyes, he stared at the mole under the other’s eye for a moment and reached out a hand to touch it, then quickly withdrew his hand as if afraid of being discovered, smiling to himself.

Yan Mingting lay down again and his eyes fell on that fair neck. He became distracted again and approached him quietly, sniffing the fragrance of his body. The scent of lotus wine still lingered, which was a bit addictive.

In fact, this wine still had a bit of stamina. When he first tasted it, he only felt that it was sweet and delicious, but after that, the alcohol began to pick up. He only seemed to be okay because of his bulk.

Just as he was contemplating, there was pressure around his waist as Zhao Yelan turned sideways and hugged him.

Yan Mingting froze all over and looked at the other party in surprise. He saw that his eyes were closed and guessed that he was still not sober.

Not long after the other party hugged him, he seemed to feel hot and began to tug at his clothes. Yan Mingting watched helplessly as he exposed his fair shoulders and chest, and then fell dead asleep again.

“....” Yan Mingting raised his eyes to stare at the mosquito net, forcibly diverting his attention to avoid getting agitated.

A short while later, Zhao Yelan changed his hugging position again, grabbing his arm and throwing a leg over his own. At this time, he opened his eyes.

Eye to eye, Zhao Yelan looked at him motionlessly. After a long time, Yan Mingting spoke weakly: “Do you still know who I am?”

“Yan Mingting.”

“Yes.” Yan Mingting heaved a sigh of relief.

“Why are you so fierce to me?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“You say such a thing with no conscience, when have I ever been fierce to you?” Yan Mingting cried out for injustice.

“Then why did you bully me?”

“At what time?”

“You took a chicken, and mocked me as a sick chicken.”

Yan Mingting had to think for a long time before he remembered the scene when they had first met. Also, when he had just returned to Beijing, he sent a chicken to the Zhao residence, not knowing that his moment of kindness back then had been misunderstood by the other party as mockery. No wonder he was in a foul temper when he first walked in the door.

“I wasn’t mocking you, I just wanted to let you replenish your body, you’re too thin,” Yan Mingting patiently explained.

“You still say I’m ugly,” Zhao Yelan said expressionlessly.

“When did I say you were ugly?!”

“Last time, and now. When you say fatness is the only way to look good, isn’t it just beating around the bush and calling me ugly?”

“Save me, you really know how to talk nonsense with your eyes wide open! You go out and see, is there anyone in the world who is better looking than you?”

Zhao Yelan’s expression turned dark for a moment, then sunny, and then he stared at him blankly and didn’t say anything else.

Yan Mingting waved his hand in front of him. Seeing that his expression and reaction were a bit sluggish, he knew that he was truly drunk. Could this be revealing something hidden in his heart? He thought about it, and asked while the iron was hot: “Then do you like Yan Mingting?”

“Yan Mingting?”

“En, Yan Mingting.”

Zhao Yelan blinked slowly. Suddenly there was a trace of sadness in his eyes, and he reached out to hug him, nuzzling against his neck: “Yan Mingting.”

Yan Mingting put his arms around the other’s back and said with a smile: “Alright, alright, I know the answer.”

“Hug me.”

Yan Mingting was exceedingly satisfied and hugged him tightly, thinking that after this guy was drunk, he became so forward and clingy, revealing his heart without any scheming. He couldn’t let anyone else see him like this.

Of course, it would be great if he could see it hundreds or thousands of times.

Just as he was planning their next time drinking, the other party kicked him away and fanned himself with his hands.

Yan Mingting went to get a fan for him, but as soon as Zhao Yelan was cool, he wanted to hug him to sleep, so he acted as a blanket again and was held in Zhao Yelan’s arms. Just when he hugged back, the other party trembled and said: “Don’t touch my back.”

When Yan Mingting took back his hand, Zhao Yelan said again: “Hug me.”

“....” So difficult to serve. Yan Mingting interlocked his fingers at last and coaxed, “Okay, look how good it is to hold you like this.”

In this way, Yan Mingting was tormented repeatedly between hugging him and being kicked away, which drove up the fire in him until he couldn’t bring it down. After midnight, it was finally not so hot, and Zhao Yelan peacefully fell asleep while holding him. But Yan Mingting couldn’t sleep, the fire growing stronger and stronger.

Early the next morning, Zhao Yelan heard the voices of servants outside. Opening his eyes sleepily, he sat up and rubbed his temples. It took him a long while to regain his senses, and when he got out of bed and looked around, Yan Mingting was no longer in the room.

He opened the door, and Xiao Gao came in to change his clothes and tie up his hair. He was quiet for a long time before asking, “Where is Yan Mingting?”

“The General got up early in the morning and took a cold bath. Now he has been practicing with his sword for an hour.” Xiao Gao said worshipfully, “As expected of the General, he doesn’t forget his morning exercises even at this time!”

“....” Zhao Yelan rubbed his temples again.

After his hair was finished, some of Sun mansion’s servant girls came to the door to ask for instructions: “Zhao-daren, breakfast is ready. General Yan has already gone in advance, will you be all right?”

“Lead the way.” Zhao Yelan silently followed them all the way to the front hall for breakfast.

As soon as he walked to the door, he met Yan Mingting, who was sitting at the table. The other party was conversing with Magistrate Sun, but his eyes kept landing on him, looking at him leisurely.

He walked over without a change in expression, exchanged a few words with Magistrate Sun, and sat down to eat.

Yan Mingting secretly observed for a long while, and found that his expression was normal, as if he didn’t remember what happened last night at all.

After the meal, Magistrate Yin wanted to invite them to stroll around the neighborhood, but Zhao Yelan proposed to take their leave.

Zhizhou still had Magistrate Sun in command, but Huaizhou had no leader. Their affairs here had been taken care of, so there was no reason to delay.

Magistrate Sun saw that there was no hope of persuading them to stay, so he went to arrange a carriage.

Yan Mingting approached Zhao Yelan from behind and whispered: “Are you sober?”

“I drank too much last night and got a little dizzy, so I fell asleep. I didn’t do anything strange, did I?” Zhao Yelan asked.

Yan Mingting looked at his innocent face, raised his eyebrows, and said with a smile: “No.”

The two got in the carriage, and Magistrate Sun and his wife came to see them off in person. Madam Sun took out a bundle and asked eagerly: “I don’t know if the two lords can help bring something back for Muyun. They are all local specialties, and we prepared some for the two of you as well. If you don’t mind, please accept it.”

The two agreed after seeing their sincere parental love.

“Wait, there are still a few jars of lotus wine here.” Magistrate Sun quickly moved another seven jars of wine to the carriage and said with a smile, “I heard that the two of you had a lot of fun drinking lotus wine last night, so the other five jars were prepared specially for you.”

Zhao Yelan’s expression froze. He was about to refuse, but Yan Mingting took the initiative to accept it with a smile.

After waving them goodbye, Yan Mingting put down the curtain, turned to look at the silent Zhao Yelan, and nudged his shoulder with a smile, saying: “Come on, stop pretending, you actually remember it all, right?”

“Remember what?” Zhao Yelan insisted.

“Remember what happened when you got drunk last night.” Yan Mingting kneaded his neck and shoulders with purpose. “So sore, you really tormented me all night.”

“....” Zhao Yelan turned his face away stiffly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Fine, you heartless man, turn your face and be callous.” Yan Mingting pretended to be wronged and began to complain, “When you called out for hugs last night, you weren’t so heartless.”

“You shut up!” Zhao Yelan turned his head to glare at him.

However, Yan Mingting intended to continue talking, and when it came to his appearance last night, he couldn’t stop.

Zhao Yelan couldn’t bear to recall it anymore, so he gave him a profound look: “Why did you take a cold bath so early in the morning? Come on, tell me why?”

Yan Mingting choked suddenly: “....That is, because of the wine.”