Alcohol + Confiding = ?

Alcohol + confiding = emptiness.

That night, Liu Erlong said a great deal.

At that moment, her mind was a complete Chaos, leaving only her most instinctive reactions.

She said nothing, only suddenly reached out and grabbed Xiao Yin's hand where it rested on her shoulder!

She gripped it so hard that her nails nearly dug into Xiao Yin's skin.

It was as if she had seized a lifeline, or perhaps she was seeking reassurance.

"Xiao Yin..."

Her voice was thick with drunkenness, her gaze unfocused yet burning as she stared straight at him.

"You... tell me... am I... such a failure? Am I... really so unlikeable?"

"No." Xiao Yin let her hold his hand and calmly met her gaze, his tone resolute.

"You're strong, and you're real. A hundred times better than those hypocrites."

Those simple words of affirmation, striking straight at her heart, were like a warm current that instantly shattered Liu Erlong's final defenses.

Tears surged from her eyes once more, but they were no longer purely sorrowful. They seemed mixed with the grievance of being understood, and a sense of release.

In an instant, she seemed to lose all strength and limply leaned against Xiao Yin's shoulder.

Her scorching breath, scented with alcohol, washed over Xiao Yin's neck in waves, bringing a tingling itch.

Xiao Yin's body stiffened slightly.

He could clearly feel the astonishing softness and warmth of the delicate body in his arms. Her unique scent, mixed with alcohol and a faint natural fragrance, domineeringly overwhelmed his senses.

That fleetingly intimate touch in the forest during the day was magnified without end at this moment.

Liu Erlong seemed to have found a comfortable harbor. She rubbed against his shoulder and murmured indistinctly:

"So tired... really tired..."

The surrounding clamor seemed to be shut out, leaving only their hurried breaths and heartbeats.

The tavern's dim yellow light cast an ambiguous glow over them, outlining their intertwined silhouettes.

Xiao Yin lowered his head and looked at Liu Erlong leaning against his shoulder.

Tears still clung to her long lashes. Her cheeks were flushed, her red lips slightly parted. With all her thorns stripped away, she possessed a breathtaking softness and vulnerability.

He sat quietly for a while, feeling the weight on his shoulder and the warmth at his waist.

In the end, he let out a soft sigh. One arm went around her back and the other beneath her knees, and with a standard princess carry, he lifted Liu Erlong into his arms.

Liu Erlong instinctively buried her head deeper in the hollow of Xiao Yin's neck. Her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, her warm breath spilling over his skin.

Xiao Yin stiffened again, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Carrying that soft, fragrant, voluptuous body, he left the noisy Furnace Tavern and disappeared into the hazy night of Heaven Dou City.

The night breeze was faintly cool as it brushed over them.

Xiao Yin lowered his head to glance at the sleeping woman in his arms. Her sleeping face looked especially peaceful and gentle beneath the moonlight, utterly unlike her fierce and domineering appearance during the day.

He tightened his arms and walked steadily toward Blue Tyrant Academy.

Yu Xiaogang, just wait. Sooner or later, I'll hang you up and beat you senseless!

Morning sunlight filtered through the carved window lattice, warmly falling across Liu Erlong's face.

The heaviness brought on by her hangover felt like lead filling her head. Frowning, she groggily opened her eyes.

Huh? This didn't feel right.

Beneath her was her familiar soft bed, and she was covered by the goose-down quilt she always used. But her clothes... Liu Erlong instinctively touched herself.

Silky to the touch... It was her silk camisole nightgown!

And it was the lace-trimmed set she hardly ever wore!

"Boom!"

A rush of heat shot straight to her head, and Liu Erlong abruptly sat up!

She threw back the blanket and looked down—sure enough!

She was wearing only the nightgown!

Underneath... there was nothing at all!

Fragments of last night's memories flashed through her mind: the tavern's clamor, the throat-burning liquor, the uncontrollable confessions, the torrent of tears...

And... a sturdy, broad shoulder? A warm embrace?

"Xiao! Yin!"

Liu Erlong ground out his name through clenched teeth. Her face alternated between red and white as embarrassment and fury churned within her.

She threw back the blanket, rushed barefoot from the bedroom, and charged toward the downstairs living room like an enraged female tyrannosaur, brimming with murderous intent.

Just as she reached the stairs, an enticing aroma of food drifted into her nose.

It wasn't the greasy smell of tavern fare, but the fresh fragrance of rice mixed with the sweet scent of some vegetable.

She halted, then poked her head out curiously toward the kitchen.

There, in the kitchen, stood the culprit—Xiao Yin—with his back to her at the stove.

A spatula rested in one hand as he skillfully stir-fried the greens in the wok, while his other hand casually leaned against the counter. Morning light outlined his tall, straight back, lending him an oddly...

Homey air?

But that cozy scene did absolutely nothing to soothe Liu Erlong's rage.

She looked down at the "indecent" nightgown she was wearing, and her fury burned even hotter!

"Xiao! Yin!"

Liu Erlong let out a lioness's roar that made the kitchen windows hum.

She charged into the kitchen and aggressively blocked Xiao Yin's path, hands on her hips. Her chest rose and fell violently, and one strap of her nightgown had slipped from her shoulder in her agitation, exposing her smooth shoulder and delicate collarbone.

"Explain yourself to me!"

She pointed at her nightgown, her finger trembling, her voice shrill and sharp.

"What! Is! This! Supposed! To! Mean!?

Where are my clothes?!

You... what did you do to me?!"

Xiao Yin's hand jolted from the sudden "attack," and he nearly flung away the spatula.

He turned and took in the sight before him:

Liu Erlong wore a sexy, alluring silk nightgown and stood barefoot, her face still flushed from her hangover. Yet her beautiful eyes spat fire as she stood there with her hands on her hips, demanding answers... The contrast was rather... ridiculous.

He fought back the urge to curl his lips upward, doing his best to maintain a solemn expression as he pointed to the laundry basket beside him, filled with clothes reeking strongly of alcohol and... some indescribably sour stench.

"Calm down." Xiao Yin's voice was perfectly level.

"You were... rather emotional at the tavern last night. On the way back, you threw up." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"You threw up... quite thoroughly. Neither you nor I escaped unscathed."

Liu Erlong looked in the direction he pointed and saw the pile of clothes exuding the aura of a "biological weapon." Her face instantly turned green.

A few fragmented scenes from her missing memories seemed to flash back...

It seemed... that really had happened?

She instinctively covered her mouth and took a step back.

Xiao Yin continued expressionlessly, "Given your condition at the time, in order to keep you from sleeping in... uh, contaminated clothes..."

He paused, openly meeting Liu Erlong's nearly fire-spitting eyes.

"I had no choice but to close my eyes and feel my way through changing you into this... relatively clean nightgown.

I guarantee that throughout the entire process, I observed absolute propriety and finished as quickly as possible.

Your dirty clothes have already been soaked. I suggest you deal with them yourself later. The smell is truly... memorable."

Liu Erlong: ...