Huo Shengnan sat at the table with her chin cupped in both hands, looking weighed down by worries. Hu Xiaotian had the ship's kitchen send over a few dishes and a pot of fine wine. They tasted nothing special, but the price was steep-that was how things went when traveling. Hu Xiaotian called to her, "Come have a drink. Get drunk, and by the time you wake up, we'll be in Wuxing Commandery."
Huo Shengnan glanced at the wine pot in his hand. "That little pot won't get me drunk!"
"Wine needn't intoxicate you when you can intoxicate yourself," Hu Xiaotian said. "With such a handsome, dashing, charming young fellow beside you, you'd be drunk without drinking a drop."
Huo Shengnan couldn't help smiling. "You, honestly," she scoffed. "When will you stop blowing your own trumpet?"
Hu Xiaotian poured two servings of wine into the little black bowls. Before they could drink, the ship began to pitch, spilling quite a bit of wine from the bowls. He and Huo Shengnan shared a toast, and the ship rocked even harder. Thunder and lightning raged outside as a violent downpour arrived right on cue.
Huo Shengnan's face actually grew a little pale, and fear showed in her beautiful eyes.
Noticing the change, Hu Xiaotian asked quietly, "Are you afraid of thunder?"
Huo Shengnan shook her head. "I'm not a good swimmer!"
"Don't worry," Hu Xiaotian said with a smile. "With me here, you'll be fine even if the ship capsizes."
"Pah! Good fortune and blessings!" Huo Shengnan spat. "Don't say things like that."
Hu Xiaotian drank straight from the pot, then handed it to her. "Don't think about anything. Eat your fill, drink your fill, and get to sleep early. By the time you wake up, the wind and rain will have