Xian Lin'er was still chattering away, and she was practically making Yan Shaozhe out to be an irredeemable Evil Soul Master.
Only after her mouth had gone dry did she pick up the liquor and down it in one gulp.
Looking at the empty plates on the table, Xian Lin'er let out a burp and said sweetly, "Hic~ Gui Yun, do you have anything else to eat?"
"Huh? Oh!"
Mu Guiyun nodded absentmindedly and took a few bags of food from the Soul Tool on his wrist.
Because of the Art of Metal Control, Mu Guiyun carried twelve Storage Soul Tools in total. The one on his wrist was the only one he used day to day; every other one was, without exception, packed full of rare metals.
"What's this stuff?"
Xian Lin'er picked up a piece of something black and gave it a sniff.
"It smells so familiar..."
The liquor had gone to her head, and she didn't give it another thought. She popped it into her mouth. "Mmm... a little fishy! Munch munch munch~"
Perhaps because she was so happy, Xian Lin'er took advantage of the liquor to ask a question that made every man's scalp tingle: "Gui Yun, who do you think is prettier, Cai Mei'er or me?"
Who was prettier?
At Xian Lin'er's question, Mu Guiyun, who had been close to blacking out, instantly perked up. Even his mind grew clearer.
Seeing the eager look in Xian Lin'er's eyes, Mu Guiyun answered without hesitation, his expression sincere. "Dean Cai is undoubtedly a great beauty, but in my heart, of course you're the prettiest, Senior Sister!"
"Pah, what a smooth talker."
When Mu Guiyun chose her, the corners of Xian Lin'er's mouth shot upward.
There wasn't a woman alive who didn't like being told she was beautiful.
She downed another cup of liquor, and a trace of self-mockery crossed Xian Lin'er's pretty face. "I know you're only saying that because you don't want to hurt me. If I really were prettier than Cai Mei'er, Yan Shaozhe wouldn't have cheated on me back then."
Hurt you? I'm worried you'll hurt me!
Mu Guiyun's mouth twitched. Looking at Xian Lin'er's persistent innocence, he could only shake his head in silent resignation.
Given a choice between Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er, the vast majority of men would choose the latter. Mu Guiyun was no exception.
Xian Lin'er's personality was simply too domineering.
But Mu Guiyun wouldn't dare say that outright. He could only offer a quiet consolation. "Senior Sister, let the past stay in the past. Anyway, in my heart, you'll always be prettier than Dean Cai!"
At that, Xian Lin'er's beautiful eyes curved into crescents. She lightly tapped Mu Guiyun's forehead with a jade finger and laughed. "No wonder Xiaotao is so devoted to you. You really know how to sweet-talk people!"
"Heh heh heh!"
Mu Guiyun chuckled foolishly.
His silver tongue had certainly played a big part in how close Ma Xiaotao was to him, but it wasn't simply because he knew how to say nice things...
As time passed, Xian Lin'er suddenly felt an inexplicable heat rising inside her. An unusual flush spread across her cheeks.
"Phew, why is it so hot?"
Xian Lin'er breathed out a puff of warm air, then carelessly tossed aside her clothes, revealing every curve of her graceful figure.
She had to admit, they were just the right size—not too big, not too small.
After a casual glance, Mu Guiyun suddenly noticed Xian Lin'er picking up a familiar-looking black piece from the table and putting it into her mouth.
What was she eating?
Mu Guiyun blinked, then looked at the table...
He would have been better off not looking. The sight nearly scared him to death!
Whale Rubber?!
When had he taken that out?
Seeing the unmistakably unusual flush on Xian Lin'er's pretty face, Mu Guiyun's Adam's apple bobbed. A foreboding feeling welled up inside him.
Good grief. Whale Rubber with strong liquor—no wonder the more you drank, the more it went to your head!
"Senior Sister, you can't drink any more!"
With that thought, Mu Guiyun hurried to snatch the cup from Xian Lin'er's hand.
He was genuinely scared now. At Xian Lin'er's age, one thunderous sit-down could suck the marrow straight out of his bones.
And if she dragged him up and made him walk a couple of laps, he might end up resorting to the desperate act of abandoning his tail to escape.
"I want more!"
Perhaps because the liquor had gone to her head, combined with the Whale Rubber, Xian Lin'er could sense an intoxicating scent coming from Mu Guiyun.
Without thinking, she leaned against him and sniffed. A dreamy smile spread across her face. "Wow, Junior Brother, you smell so good!"
Mu Guiyun's eye twitched. He was just about to help Xian Lin'er back to her room to rest when he suddenly felt an intensely heated gaze fall on him.
He looked up and saw Xian Lin'er staring straight at him. It made his scalp prickle.
The next morning, a shaft of glaring sunlight spilled into the room and fell right across Xian Lin'er's face.
The moment she opened her eyes, a sharp pain struck deep inside her head, making her frown instinctively.
"Ugh... my head hurts!"
She rubbed her throbbing head and sat up. At that very moment, her hand seemed to brush against something.
She turned to look beside her, and her pupils immediately shrank at the sight. The madness of the previous night flashed through her mind like scenes from a lantern show.
What had I done?!
The clear bite marks on Mu Guiyun's body and the tearing pain below made her break down inside.
For a moment, Xian Lin'er sat frozen on the bed, unsure what to do.
"No. I absolutely can't let anyone else find out!"
Before long, Xian Lin'er made up her mind. She took a fresh set of clothes from her Storage Soul Tool and changed, then carefully tidied up the room, which had been left in complete disarray.
When she was done, Xian Lin'er stood silently by the bed, looking at Mu Guiyun, who was still fast asleep. No one knew what was going through her mind.
Remembering the madness of the night before, Xian Lin'er's lips twisted into a bitter smile. Then she limped out of the room.
It was afternoon before Mu Guiyun finally woke. Sensing that his cultivation was on the verge of a breakthrough, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
After carefully putting away the manual beneath his pillow, Mu Guiyun instinctively rubbed his still-sore lower back.
Thanks to Mu En's lifetime of knowledge, Mu Guiyun had been able to learn and apply it on the spot last night, barely avoiding the need to flee by abandoning his tail.
He glanced around the already-cleaned room, then leisurely headed to the bathroom.
Looking at the dark circles beneath his eyes in the mirror, Mu Guiyun sighed. "I've been ruined by wine and women. Look at me—what a wreck!"
"Starting today..."
"I'm giving up drinking!"
After leaving the villa, Mu Guiyun went straight to the Spirit Tool Department's laboratory.
Seeing Qian Duoduo bent over, engraving a Soul Guidance Array, Mu Guiyun greeted him. "Senior Brother, have you seen Senior Sister Lin'er?"
"Oh? Gui Yun!"
Hearing someone call him, Qian Duoduo instinctively looked up. When he saw Mu Guiyun, he gave a hearty smile. "Lin'er's in Laboratory No. 4."