Bottom lines are meant to be crossed

"What heinous thing has my confidant done to you? Did he take advantage of you and then abandon you? Or did he flirt with other people while he had you?"

Wuma Xiu lowered his head, looking at the pitifully crying Love God in his arms, a mischievous smile hidden in his eyes, and teased.

However, although he spoke eloquently, he knew very well what kind of person his confidant was; he understood him better than anyone else.

Even if he did something like that, they'd probably part ways amicably in the end. Of course, his confidante wouldn't do something as despicable as "taking advantage of someone and then shirking responsibility," would she?

I guess he confessed his feelings, but his confidant rejected him with a reason that he considered extremely unreasonable.

After hearing his words, Love God stopped crying.

He released Wuma Xiu's waist, took a half step back, wiped the tears from his face, and muttered:

"I wish it were like that."

Wuma Xiu raised an eyebrow.

Would that be better?

Does this mean... your own confidant didn't even give you the chance to "take advantage of me and then leave without taking responsibility"?

Love God sniffed, as if he had finally found someone to confide in.

Those pent-up grievances could no longer be contained.

The story begins seven years ago.

Initially, he was reciting Mind-Cleansing Mantra over his Red Thread.

Over and over again.

But he proved one thing with his own experience.

The Mind-Cleansing Mantra is completely ineffective.

It should be eliminated by the times and thrown into the dustbin of history, leaving not even a trace.

The chanting of the Mind-Cleansing Mantra made him feel like he was burning with lust.

Every word, though clearly meant "purity of mind," "few desires," and "letting go," felt like a spark hitting a pile of dry tinder, burning him and making his heart pound.

By the end, instead of calming down, he became even more convinced of one thing.

He was fond of the Goddess of Beauty.

Later, he finally figured it out.

If you can't let go, then don't.

Since I can't forget it, then I won't forget it.

Instead of torturing yourself with some Mind-Cleansing Mantra, why not confess your feelings openly and honestly?

He's Love God.

Why are you being so hesitant?

And so, Love God departed.

He stood before the Goddess of Beauty, mustered the greatest courage of his life, and offered his heart to her.

The Goddess of Beauty didn't hesitate for a second.

I rejected him.

Without a single second of hesitation.

At that moment, Love God felt his heart break.

It shattered completely, shattered cleanly, shattered like a mirror that had been smashed on the ground, beyond repair.

But he is, after all, the Love God.

Love God may shatter, but love will never die.

He rallied, picked up his broken heart, and went a second time.

Fail.

The third time. Failure.

Fourth attempt. Failure.

The fifth time. The sixth time.

The seventh time.

This is the seventh time. That's right, he has been rejected by the Goddess of Beauty seven times in a row.

Seven years, once a year, each time it shatters, then it's pieced back together, then it goes back, and then it shatters again.

Love God's voice grew softer and softer, his eyes growing redder and redder.

His bottom line has been lowered again and again.

At first, he hoped for mutual affection, then he thought it would be good to be gently rejected, then he thought it would be okay to be coldly rejected, and then... and then, when he heard Wuma Xiu say "take advantage and then leave without taking responsibility," his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

That would be absolutely wonderful.

If they take advantage of each other and then leave without taking responsibility, at least it shows that there was a beginning between them.

But what about the Goddess of Beauty?

They won't even give him this.

Love God lowered his eyes, and tears streamed down his face.

Wuma Xiu handed over a jar of wine at the opportune moment.

The wine jar wasn't big, just enough for one person to hug and drink heartily.

A thin layer of coolness lingered on the jar. As soon as the seal was lifted, the aroma of the wine eagerly wafted out, rich and mellow, with a subtle hint of fruity sweetness.

It was the kind he specially brewed; it wasn't strong, but it was very easy to get drunk on it.

The kind specifically designed to keep people company while they drink and listen to them cry.

Love God looked at the jar of wine, and without much hesitation, reached out, took it, and tilted his head back to drink it.

"Ton-ton--"

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the wine spilled from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his chin, and flowing down his fair neck into his collar, all without him noticing.

He downed the entire jar of wine in just a few gulps.

After drinking it, a blush suddenly rose to Love God's cheeks, burning from his cheeks all the way to his ears, and even the corners of his eyes were tinged with a thin layer of vibrant color.

His gaze wavered for a moment, then he lunged forward again.

"Alcohol, he really went too far." Love God's voice was muffled by Wuma Xiu's clothes, sounding extremely aggrieved.

Wuma Xiu didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand and patted his back, lightly and gently, one pat at a time.

"What did he say... I'm not his type?"

"Later, I secretly followed him for a while and discovered that the Goddess of Beauty's 'likes' would change every now and then. Today he liked gentle and considerate girls, tomorrow he liked aloof and aloof girls, and the day after he liked lively and cheerful girls... Honestly, how could I possibly let him always like my type!"

In the end, Love God's words almost amounted to an accusation.

Wuma Xiu's lips curved slightly, but he didn't laugh out loud.

His hand, which was patting Love God's back, didn't stop.

God of Wine is most adept at comforting those who are heartbroken.

The reason for this is that he had far too many suitors, including his soulmate, the Goddess of Beauty.

He had too many friends, from all walks of life, from all sorts of Gods, and everyone who had something on their mind would come to him for a drink.

These two circles overlap significantly.

Those gods who pursued the Goddess of Beauty but were rejected turned to God of Wine for wine and tears.

In addition, he himself is the God of Wine.

What is alcohol?

It is a remedy for forgetting worries, a soup to dispel sorrow.

Therefore, gods often came to him to drink, to console his heartbreak.

Wuma Xiu has seen people crying, silent, crazy... completely drunk.

Love God is not the first, nor will he be the last.

Wuma Xiu looked down at the trembling head in his arms and said, "Yes, he went too far."

"He's awful!" Love God's voice rose a half-octave.

"Yes, he's despicable," Wuma Xiu added without changing his expression.

"He's bad!"

"Yes, yes, he's bad."

And so it went, one sentence after another, like coaxing a child.

Under Wuma Xiu's skillful comforting techniques, Love God gradually returned to normal.

He wiped away his tears again, and finally managed to lift his head from Wuma Xiu's shoulder.

Then, he froze.

This place is not only home to God of Wine.

There are two other people, a cat, and a cloud.

One of them was holding a round, chubby orange cat in his arms.

The orange cat stared wide-eyed, seemingly engrossed in the spectacle.

There's also a cloud.

Soft, fluffy clouds are lying at the feet of God of Wine.

Her two beady eyes were wide open, and a few "tears" still clung to Yun's body.