Red Date Wine

Dugu Yan gave a disgruntled "Oh," and turned to go back to her room.

Xiao Wu followed Lin Chen back to his room.

The room was simply furnished but clean and tidy, with a small pot of dried flowers on the windowsill, showing that it had been carefully arranged.

A large wooden bed, a gauze curtain, and two people standing in the room, a subtle atmosphere permeating the air.

Lin Chen glanced at the bed. "Luckily, the bed is big enough; it's more than enough for the two of us."

Xiao Wu's eyes crinkled into a smile as she quickly walked to the bedside, lay down, and swung her legs. "Then I won't be polite!"

When have you ever been polite to me?

"Hey-hey."

Lin Chen walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and glanced at the street below. Being in an unfamiliar environment for the first time, he remained vigilant.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Sir, your dinner has been served."

Lin Chen got up and opened the door. The waiter stood at the door with a smile on his face, holding a wooden tray. "Sir, this is your dinner: a plate of braised beef, a plate of peanuts, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of hot mutton soup, and a pot of local jujube wine. This wine is the hotel's finest; it's delicious."

"Red date wine?"

Xiao Wu jumped off the bed and ran to the door in a few strides, her eyes shining as she stared at the slender-necked earthenware pot in the shopkeeper's hand. "Is this the jujube wine we were talking about on the way? The one from Silves?"

The waiter was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm, then smiled and said, "Young lady, you have a good eye! This jujube wine is brewed by a long-established brand in this town. It's made with local jujubes and sorghum yeast, and it's sealed in jars for three months before being opened. It's sweet, smooth, and doesn't give you a headache. Customers from all over love it."

"However, our premium jujube wine contains Soul Power and is a special wine for Soul Master, so it's easy to get drunk. If this is your first time drinking it, it's best to drink less."

Lin Chen took the tray and handed over a few Silver Soul Coin: "Thank you, I appreciate your help."

"Oh, thank you, sir! Please enjoy your meal, and let me know if you need anything!" The waiter replied cheerfully and quietly closed the door.

As soon as Lin Chen placed the tray on the table, Xiao Wu pulled out a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her hands, staring longingly at the wine jug, her legs swinging back and forth, looking like she was waiting for dinner to be served.

Seeing her greedy look, Lin Chen shook his head, uncorked the pot, and a sweet aroma of red dates wafted out, carrying a faint fragrance of yeast, making one's mouth water just by smelling it.

Xiao Wu swallowed hard, then obediently handed over the cup. "Fill it up, thank you, Brother Lin Chen."

Lin Chen poured her a cup, then poured one for himself. He then laid out the food one by one. The hot mutton soup was still steaming, with a layer of oil floating on the surface, and it smelled delicious.

Xiao Wu picked up the wine glass, first brought it to her nose to smell it, squinted her eyes and said, "It smells so good," and then took a small sip.

Red date wine has a bright color, a sweet and smooth taste, and a faint date aroma on the aftertaste. It slides down the throat and a warm feeling spreads all the way to the stomach.

"Wow—" she drawled, her eyes crinkling into crescents, "It's so delicious! Sisi!"

She took another big gulp, tasted two pieces of braised beef, her face flushed under the warm yellow light, and she squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

"Slow down, no one's going to take it from you. You should drink less of this wine." Lin Chen also took a sip of wine.

After the pot of wine was emptied and the dishes on the table were almost finished, Xiao Wu put down her empty bowl, patted her stomach contentedly, her cheeks flushed with the aftertaste of the wine, leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh, "I'm full and have had my fill... I feel a little sleepy."

Lin Chen looked at Xiao Wu's flushed face. Goodness, he had only drunk one cup of the whole pot of wine; Xiao Wu had finished the rest.

Xiao Wu stood up hesitantly, took a couple of unsteady steps, then turned back, reached out to Lin Chen, and said in a slightly cheeky, coquettish tone, "Brother Lin Chen, I'm full, can you help me up?"

Lin Chen reached out and held her wrist. Xiao Wu leaned against his shoulder, her voice already tinged with sleepiness. "This jujube wine has quite a strong aftereffect... I'm a little dizzy."

"You've drunk way too much."

"I didn't drink much... just three cups."

"It's clearly a pot."

"Hehe, who told you to drink so slowly?"

She mumbled incoherently, already half-hanging on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen sighed helplessly, bent down and picked her up in his arms. She hummed softly but didn't struggle. Instead, she snuggled closer to him, found a comfortable position, and hummed with her eyes closed, "Brother Lin Chen... can you buy more on the way tomorrow?"

"We'll see."

"What do you mean 'we'll talk about it later'... You said 'we'll talk about it later' last time, but then nothing happened..." she muttered, her voice growing softer and softer until it faded away.

Lin Chen put her on the bed, tucked her in, and watched her blushing sleeping face for a moment in the warm yellow light.

He stood up, blew out the lamp, sat down on the edge of the bed, looked at the moonlight streaming in through the window, and listened to her steady breathing.

As dawn broke, the Silves City was still shrouded in a thin morning mist.

Lin Chen was awakened by the sound of banging on the door. He opened his eyes, and before he could even sit up, Dugu Bo's deep and uncompromising voice came from outside. "Get up! What's wrong with you all? The sun's already high in the sky and you're still sleeping!"

"Knew..."

From the next room came Dugu Yan's drowsy voice, nasal as if she had just woken up.

After a while, there was no sound again, then Dugu Bo knocked on the door again, this time with a bit more force.

The door creaked open, Dugu Yan stood there sleepily, her clothes still wrinkled, looking like she hadn't woken up yet.

"Grandpa! What are you doing so early! The sun has only just risen!"

"Come out here! Get ready and come downstairs for dinner. It'll only take a short while, or I won't wait for you!"

The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving the stairs creaking underfoot.

"Oh..."

Dugu Yan pouted, not daring to argue back, rubbed her eyes, turned around and went back into the house, secretly making a face at the door as she closed it.

She fears nothing and no one, except for the old man's potential change of heart.

Lin Chen rubbed his temples, turned his head, and saw Xiao Wu curled up in the blankets by the bed, only half of her head showing. The morning chill made her wrap the blankets tightly around herself. Hearing the noise, she only mumbled a "hmm" and turned over, showing no intention of waking up.

"Xiao Wu, get up."

No response.

"Xiao Wu."

She shrank further under the covers, a muffled voice coming from beneath. "Brother Lin Chen... let me sleep a little longer..."

Lin Chen stared at the ball of flesh under the covers for two seconds, then reached out and gently patted the back of her head that was sticking out of the covers.

Xiao Wu grunted, closed her eyes, rubbed against the pillow, and then shrank back into the blankets with a displeased look.

"... Alright, you go to sleep then. I'm leaving with my master."