This was the second time Xie Lan had seen Xie Tao disappear in front of him. He was still stunned, not calm enough.
When Xie Tao appeared in Wei Yun’s bedroom, he timely supported her shoulders.
It was then that he smelled the scent of alcohol on her, so he slightly frowned, pinched her chin, and made her lift her head.
A face that was originally fair and clear was now like it had been dusted with rouge, a bright red.
“Have you been drinking?” he asked, helping her to sit down at the table, holding her face.
“Mhm…”
Xie Tao, with her eyes half-open, resting her chin in his palm, could only smile at him.
“How much did you drink?”
He asked her.
“Two cups…”
Xie Tao blinked her eyes, as if thinking for a while before slowly answering.
“With Xie Lan?”
As he said this, Wei Yun’s expression didn’t change, and his voice was as cold and emotionless as usual.
This time, Xie Tao just looked at him, tilting her head for a long time without speaking.
“Speak.”
Wei Yun pinched her cheek.
Xie Tao suddenly grabbed his hand, then tilted her head so that her right cheek rested in his palm, like a clingy little animal, rubbing against it.
Her voice was drunk and even softer than usual:
“And Uncle Xi…”
Her cheeks were flushed and slightly warm to the touch, her delicate and soft skin pressing against his palm made the warmth seem even more scorching.
He wanted to withdraw his hand but found it clasped by her wrist.
Wei Yun could not deny that at this moment, his heartbeat had already become erratic, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
Then, she suddenly yawned, and a faint layer of moisture appeared in her eyes.
“I’m sleepy…” she suddenly said.
Before Wei Yun could react, she had already stood up, wobbled over to Wei Yun’s bed, kicked off her slippers, and climbed directly onto it.
“Xie Tao!”
Wei Yun got up and hurried to the side of the bed, but she had already climbed onto it and tucked herself under the covers.
He seemed to want to say something, but upon seeing her lying on the bed, looking up at him with her eyes misty with moisture, he found himself unable to speak.
After thinking for a moment, Xie Tao then lifted the covers slightly and patted the soft bed, “Wei Yun, come…”
By then, Wei Yun’s ears were already flushed red.
“You…”
He had something to say but paused, realizing that at this moment, she was just a little drunkard, and he lost the urge to admonish her.
After a while, he managed to say, “Have you… washed up?”
Xie Tao took a moment to respond, then shook her head.
Wei Yun frowned; she was a woman, and since there were no female servants in his house, it was not appropriate to call someone to attend to her.
He stood by the bed for a long while, until Xie Tao yawned again, looking like she was about to close her eyes and fall asleep, he then seemed to make an especially important decision.
Bending down, he lifted the covers and picked her up.
Xie Tao instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into his chest, blankly staring at his jawline, even touching his Adam’s apple when Wei Yun, having wrapped a thick cloak around her, was walking out of the inner room and about to open the door to the outer room.
Wei Yun promptly restrained her hand, his ears growing hotter.
He whispered, “Don’t move recklessly.”
Xie Tao, however, only knew to smile foolishly at him when he looked down at her.
Wei Jing, who was eating a banana in a tree, happened to see this scene and was so startled that he dropped the banana he had just bitten into.
This lady really was a creature of the night…
Seeing Wei Yun carrying Xie Tao towards the direction of the backyard bathhouse, he felt even more that he should not be in the courtyard at this moment.
What, what is the master doing???
Wei Jing covered his face, suddenly feeling that the image of the master as a pristine, emotionless figure in his heart had crumbled a bit.
When Wei Yun brought Xie Tao to the bathhouse, he placed her by the bath, leaned down to pinch her chin, and instructed, “Clean yourself up, understand?”
Xie Tao looked at him, nodding after a long moment.
Seeing her nod, Wei Yun let go and turned to leave but was stopped by Xie Tao grabbing his sleeve.
“Where are you going?”
Xie Tao leaned into his embrace.
Wei Yun found that she, having drunk alcohol, was even clingier than usual.
“I’ll be in the outer room.”
Wei Yun had no choice but to compromise.
After finally persuading the girl in his arms to let go of his sleeve, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk towards the outer room.
But just as he was about to lift the curtain, he suddenly heard a “plop” sound from behind.
He instinctively turned around, only to see Xie Tao jumping into the bath without even taking off her clothes.
Wei Yun felt a faint headache starting at his brow. He turned back, walked to the edge of the bath, and reached out his hand, saying, “Tao Tao, come up.”
Xie Tao struggled in the water for a while before finally reaching out to grab his hand.
For reasons unknown, as she leaned against the edge of the bath and grasped Wei Yun’s hand, she exerted force and pulled him into the bath, causing a large splash of water.
Wei Yun’s entire body, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, was completely soaked, not sparing the black robe he wore underneath.
Water trickled down his brow bone, gathering into droplets at his Adam’s apple and falling, adding an indescribable charm to his cold, pale, jade-like face at that moment.
“Xie Tao.”
Wei Yun wiped the water from his face, unaware that she could be so troublesome even when drunk.
Xie Tao was laughing until she saw him looking at her, at which point she turned and tried to run out of the bath.
Wei Yun grabbed her by the clothes and pulled her back.
It took a lot of determination for him to remove her outer garment, which had become even heavier after absorbing water, and throw it beside the bath.
He pinched her face, his tone becoming harsh, “Wash up quietly, don’t cause trouble, understood?”
Xie Tao blinked and suddenly hugged his waist.
Both of their hair were soaked, standing in the bath, water dripping from their bodies.
Wei Yun had never been so patient in coaxing a girl.
“Then, may I kiss you?”
It was only when he heard her suddenly ask this question.
Wei Yun’s back stiffened, his lashes trembled, his eyes widened, and even his breathing paused.
He almost ran away in panic.
Dressed in completely wet clothes, Wei Yun stood in the courtyard and called out, “Wei Jing!”
When Wei Jing heard Wei Yun’s voice from the other side of the roof, he hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to go or not. By the time he leaped to the courtyard outside the bathhouse, he saw Wei Yun in his drenched clothes, still dripping water, his hair crown slightly askew.
“…” Wei Jing was stunned.
He felt as if something tremendous had happened, something unimaginable for a teenager who had only lived for more than a decade.
“Call Shao Liyin over.” Wei Yun said coldly, looking at him.
A chill ran down Wei Jing’s back, and he quickly obeyed the order to call Shao Liyin.
When Shao Liyin arrived, Wei Yun was still standing there in his soaked clothes, while a soft female voice could be heard from the bathhouse behind him, seemingly singing an out-of-tune song.
“…?” Shao Liyin was also confused.
“Go in and help her clean up.”
Wei Yun glanced at Shao Liyin with a cold voice.
Shao Liyin was still dazed but obeyed the order, bowed, and holding her sword, carefully pushed the door open and entered the bathhouse.
Upon entering, she lifted the curtain of the inner room and saw Xie Tao in strange clothes, soaking in the bath and sneezing.
The always cold and expressionless Shao Liyin was finding it hard to maintain her composure.
Shao Liyin had received many orders to kill before, but this was the first time she had been called upon to help her master bathe…
After much difficulty, Shao Liyin had finished washing and dressing her drunken master in clean clothes. Just as she wiped the sweat beads from her forehead, she heard Xie Tao sigh.
“I’m a bit unhappy…”
Xie Tao said, leaning on Shao Liyin’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong, Master?”
Shao Liyin’s voice was a bit stiff.
Xie Tao suddenly pouted, “He just wouldn’t kiss me…”
???
Shao Liyin was petrified.
Had she heard something outrageous?!
After changing clothes, Wei Yun came to the courtyard specially prepared for Xie Tao by Wei Bo.
As he entered her room, the dim light of the lamp shone as Shao Liyin was leaving. Her expression cracked for a moment as she quickly lowered her head and bowed before taking her leave.
Entering the inner chamber, Wei Yun saw Xie Tao already lying on the bed.
His expression softened for a moment as he sat down at the edge of the bed.
Xie Tao was very sleepy but still tried to keep her eyes half-open to look at him.
“Xie Tao,”
Wei Yun suddenly called her, pondering for a moment before saying, “In the future, don’t drink carelessly, and don’t let people enter your room easily.”
Xie Tao yawned, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Did you hear me?”
He pinched her cheek, his voice becoming more serious, “Especially that Xie Lan.”
By then, she had slowly closed her eyes, seemingly responding unconsciously, but her breathing gradually became more stable.
Outside, it was silent.
The windows, covered with gauze, showed tree shadows swaying in the wind, and slivers of moonlight filtered through the branches, casting scattered light.
Inside, the lamp flickered as the young nobleman looked down at the girl who had fallen into a deep sleep on the bed. His usually cold and frosty eyes finally warmed, as if the light of the lamp had cast a warm glow into his eyes, imbuing them with the reflection of gentle spring waters.
Perhaps it was the quietness of the moment that made him think of nothing else.
Suddenly, he reached out, his fingers clearly defined as they gently brushed her cheek.
Gently, with caution.
In that moment, his fingers paused at her ear, gazing at her quietly for a long while.
Suddenly,
He leaned down.
His lips lightly touched the corner of hers.
A touch so light and brief, yet it was enough to make his eyes redden and his ears burn with heat.
Suddenly standing up, his flawless face was tinted with a light blush, his fingers under his wide sleeves curled.
The girl in her sleep continued to sleep deeply.
Outside of her dreams, the young man stood before her bed, his face flushed red.
