A bowl of warm hangover soup sat on the bedside table, steam still rising from the rim of the porcelain bowl.
Su Yu picked up the bowl and gently stirred it with a spoon. "Get up and drink some hangover soup, or your head will start hurting later."
Ning Rongrong slowly sat up, her hair a tousled mess, her eyes carrying a hint of ingratiation.
"Older brother, you're not angry, are you?"
"What do you think?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow and scooped up a spoonful of soup, holding it to her lips. "You're so young, yet you dared to sneak so much wine, and you even led Xiao Wu and the others astray. I'll have to let Uncle Ning give you a good talking-to later."
The soup had been simmered with honey dates and dried orange peel. It was sweet with a slight bitterness, and once it slid down her throat, the sluggish discomfort brought on by the hangover eased considerably.
Ning Rongrong drank obediently and defended herself in a small voice. "That fruit wine was sweet, just like a beverage..."
"No matter how much it resembles a beverage, it's still wine." Su Yu tapped her on the nose. "If you dare fool around like that again, just see how I punish you."
Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue and, only after finishing the last sip of soup, tugged at his sleeve and shook it.
"I know I was wrong, older brother. I won't dare do it again."
She looked up at Su Yu, her eyes sparkling with a hint of coquettishness. "Then... Sister Xiao Wu and the others are all right, aren't they?"
"They haven't woken up yet. I have no idea how much wine you all drank."
Su Yu set down the empty bowl and tidied her