Xisi led his little maid around the town a few times and quickly realized a despairing fact.
For some reason, all the inns in this town today were completely full.
It looked like if they didn’t want to sleep on the street tonight, they’d have to go back to the room they’d reserved earlier at the barbecue restaurant.
“No way…”
Xisi put a hand to his forehead and looked at Ni Wei, who had been silent most of the way with her head down.
He let out a long sigh from the bottom of his heart.
‘This girl probably won’t agree to sharing a room.’
Was the young master of the Blackstone Duke Mansion really going to end up sleeping on the street tonight?!
If only he’d brought the coachman along for the meal.
Then at least he could have followed him to the coachman’s rest area near the town and squeezed in for the night.
This time, he’d really overreached!
“Um… Ni Wei…”
Xisi organized his words.
“Since it’s getting late and we still need to travel tomorrow, let me take you back to the barbecue restaurant to rest first.”
The girl, who had been silent the whole way, finally raised her head.
“What about you?”
“I… I’ll wander around. I don’t believe there isn’t a single inn in this whole town where I can sleep.”
Xisi put his hands on his hips, putting on a lofty pose.
“How about…”
Ni Wei hesitated, then spoke reluctantly.
“How about… we sleep together tonight?”
“Great… huh?!”
The girl’s words completely caught Xisi off guard.
Hey, hey, hey.
This… this isn’t right, is it?
She actually volunteered to sleep in the same room as me?
Who are you?
You can’t be Rafina in disguise, can you?!
Thinking that, Xisi’s gaze unconsciously swept over the girl’s upper body.
He silently recited:
‘The big one is big, the small one is small…’
Well…
Judging by what he saw, it was the small one.
So there wasn’t any mistake, was there?!
Seeming to sense Xisi’s gaze, Ni Wei’s face flushed.
She quickly crossed her arms and snorted at him:
“You! You’re not thinking something weird, are you?!
Pervert!
Lecher!”
“No… no, listen to me.”
Xisi realized his gaze had lingered too long and quickly waved his hands.
“I was just wondering why you’d agree to share a room with me. That’s not like you.”
After hearing his explanation, although the girl’s eyes still held a hint of wariness, her body relaxed.
“At least I’m a maid of the Blackstone family. When we’re out, I can’t let my master sleep on the street.”
Ni Wei lowered her head, put her hands behind her back, and lightly kicked the ground with her foot.
Seeing the girl’s somewhat shy demeanor, alarm bells went off in Xisi’s mind.
Something’s wrong!
Very, very wrong!
That Ni Wei agreed to this kind of request?
Did she eat too much steak?
Wait, steak?
Xisi suddenly remembered that during their meal, the landlady had brought them a pot of fruit wine.
Of course he’d only had one glass.
So the rest…
“Um…”
“Enough! I’m fine with it, so why are you still hesitating?!”
With that, Ni Wei grabbed Xisi’s arm and pulled him forward.
“Miss Ni Wei?”
Xisi asked cautiously.
“What now?!”
“The barbecue restaurant is that way…”
Xisi pointed in the opposite direction.
The girl’s face grew redder—whether from the wine or something else, he couldn’t tell.
***
Inside the room at the barbecue restaurant.
Xisi was lying straight as an arrow on the only single bed in the room, arms pressed tightly against his thighs.
Why?
Because right now, a man and a woman were alone in the same room, and his little maid was taking a bath in the bathroom!
Wait.
This scene… why does it feel so familiar?
Xisi turned on his side and shook his head vigorously, trying to expel from his mind the plots he’d seen in certain stories in his past life.
She’s just had a bit too much to drink, that’s all.
Nothing serious.
Just as his mind was in turmoil, a pair of shapely, fair, straight legs appeared right in front of him.
“Whoa!”
Xisi was so startled he jumped off the bed.
Looking at Ni Wei, who was wrapped in nothing but a towel, Xisi could feel his heart pounding in his throat.
“Wh… what are you doing?”
“Young Master Xisi…”
The girl’s soft body suddenly pressed against him.
Only then did Xisi confirm that Ni Wei was definitely drunk.
Because waves of warm, alcoholic breath were gently brushing against his ear.
“Young Master Xisi, about what happened before, I…”
Her voice was slurred but carried a hint of coaxing.
Xisi patted Ni Wei’s back, softening his voice as he tried to guide her to sleep properly:
“Didn’t I tell you not to take it to heart? I won’t blame you. Now be good…”
No kidding.
He had to admit Ni Wei looked incredibly tempting right now, but if Rafina found out he’d taken advantage…
Xisi didn’t think he could handle the consequences.
But instead of letting go, Ni Wei hugged him even tighter.
“No… no, I have to… I have to repay Young Master Xisi, or else my sister… she won’t rest easy…”
The girl nuzzled her nose against Xisi’s chest, acting like a kitten craving its owner’s scent.
“Young Master Xisi, when we do it… could you… be gentle? I’m afraid of pain…”
Hey, hey, this is no good!
Xisi hurriedly “peeled” Ni Wei off himself and carried her onto the bed.
The girl was still mumbling:
“I… I know you like my sister more. I… I brought her clothes! They’re in my suitcase. Wait, let me go get them…”
“Enough! Wake up already!”
Xisi was blushing furiously at the girl’s antics.
He quickly reached out and lightly slapped her face.
“Mmm… Young Master Xisi… you like this? You can use a little more force…”
“You’re too much! Think about your family—would your sister want you to do this?”
Faced with this kind of Ni Wei, Xisi didn’t know what else to do.
He could only try to gradually bring back her rationality.
“Get some rest. We’ve got a full day of travel tomorrow, and I have to meet Father in the Royal Capital the day after.”
Unfortunately, alcohol had completely muddled Ni Wei’s senses.
She seemed to hear what Xisi said, and yet not.
Finally, she propped herself up, leaned close to Xisi’s ear, and called out sweetly:
“Daddy~”
What?
After that, Ni Wei pressed her burning cheek against Xisi’s neck and murmured, “Young Master Xisi—tell me to say anything you want…”
Unable to take it any longer, Xisi shoved the girl away and left the room.
***
“Landlady, was that wine you gave us earlier the real deal?!”
“Young man, it was just an ordinary fruit wine. Maybe your girlfriend just has a really low tolerance…”
Faced with Xisi’s furious questioning, the landlady blinked innocently.
“Sigh!”
Xisi let out a heavy sigh.
“Forget it. Do you have a hangover remedy?”
“Yes, yes!”
Not daring to dawdle, the landlady quickly pulled out a packet of powder from behind the counter, dissolved it in water, and handed the cup to Xisi.
Back in the room, he saw Ni Wei still lying on the bed, flailing her arms and babbling nonsense.
Xisi’s anger flared.
In three quick steps he reached the bedside, pulled the girl up.
“Hmm? Young Master Xisi, did you just go take a shower?”
Xisi was too annoyed to bother with chitchat.
He grabbed her cheek, squeezed lightly to pry open her mouth.
“Guh… Young Master Xisi… don’t… don’t be so rough~”
Her voice was still syrupy, giving Xisi goosebumps all over.
Without a second thought, he poured the water from the cup straight into Ni Wei’s mouth.
“Glug… cough… it’s… it’s going in… cough…”
“Just shut up for a minute!”
***
The next morning.
Ni Wei woke up in a haze from a splitting headache.
She frowned, feeling her throat dry as if it were on fire.
Instinctively she looked for water, only to find a hand already holding a cup in front of her.
“Here.”
“Cough… thanks.”
Ni Wei sat up in bed, took the cup, and took a sip.
The cool water soothed her throat, and she felt much better.
Wait!
A few seconds later, her mind suddenly clicked.
The hangover headache couldn’t stop her brain from clearing.
Wasn’t she supposed to be back at the Duke’s mansion with her sister?
Where was this?!
And more than that…
Why was Xisi handing her water first thing in the morning?!
She threw off the blanket, trying to recall what happened last night, but only broken, disjointed fragments remained.
Barbecue… fruit wine…
She seemed to have said a lot of nonsense, even called someone “Daddy”?!
As her memories slowly came back, Ni Wei’s face turned the color of a roasted duck.
“Oh, looks like you remember now?”
Xisi looked at the girl and gave a knowing smile.
“Last night…”
Ni Wei trailed off as she suddenly looked down at herself.
She was wearing a coarse cotton nightgown.
Thank goodness…
In her last memory, she had been wrapped only in a towel…
No!
The room only had her and Xisi, so the one who changed her clothes… couldn’t it be!
“Don’t overthink it. I borrowed the nightgown from the landlady last night, and of course, she changed you.”
As if reading her mind, Xisi explained.
“You, you can’t hold your liquor, so why did you have to indulge last night?”
“I… I didn’t think it would taste so good…”
Thinking of all the things she’d done, Ni Wei lowered her head in shame, unable to meet Xisi’s eyes.
She’d been pretty clearheaded while bathing, so why had she blacked out all of a sudden…
“Don’t let it happen again. You made me lose sleep.”
Xisi rubbed his eyes.
After taking the hangover remedy last night, Ni Wei had fallen asleep quickly.
Once he was sure she was out, he moved her to the inside of the single bed and squeezed himself into the remaining space on the edge.
But to prevent any mishaps in the middle of the night, Xisi had slept restlessly the whole night.
“S… sorry…”
“Alright. I’m going to wash my face. You get ready too. The coachman should be waiting.”
“Mm…”