Chapter Seventy-Five: A Loss of Composure After Drinking

"Alright." Wei Jin Yi obediently agreed, then picked up the bowl of soup and drank it all in one go.

He handed the empty bowl to Wei Ruo.

Wei Ruo glanced at the empty bowl, then at Wei Jin Yi.

She sensed, vaguely, that Wei Jin Yi was asking for a reward!

"Um... Second Brother, you’re amazing... You finished it all! So well-behaved!" Wei Ruo tried a few words of praise.

Wei Jin Yi, satisfied, set down the empty bowl.

At that moment, Wei Ruo knew her suspicion was correct—he was indeed showing her the empty bowl to ask for praise!

As Wei Ruo pondered how to handle Wei Jin Yi in this state, he spoke again:

"Ruo Ruo, you look beautiful."

His eyes were fixed on her, sincere, with a touch of childlike innocence.

Wei Ruo didn’t know whether to laugh or be speechless. She muttered, "If you weren’t so good-looking and so earnest about it, I’d have thought you a scoundrel."

The distance between a refined gentleman and a bumbling fool is only a cup of wine—especially a fruit wine of less than twenty degrees alcohol.

"Ruo Ruo, shall I show you my sword dance?" Wei Jin Yi suddenly suggested.

"What?" Wei Ruo was momentarily confused, not immediately grasping his meaning.

Wei Jin Yi stood up and stepped out of the pavilion, answering her question with action.

He was going to perform a sword dance for her!

Could he really do it? With his scholarly, gentle image, what would his swordplay look like?

Would he make a mess? Would he trip? Would it be ridiculous?

A flurry of imagined scenes passed through Wei Ruo’s mind—clumsy dancing, stumbling, or even accidentally hitting himself.

Xiao Bei looked anxious, wondering whether to stop his master.

But if the young master was drunk, even trying to stop him might make things worse—if it came to a struggle, the situation could get more complicated.

After a moment’s hesitation and weighing the possibilities, Xiao Bei decided to hold back.

Wei Jin Yi walked to the patch of pale bamboo nearby. He hooked a branch with his foot, sending it into the air, and caught it steadily with his right hand.

Wei Ruo’s expression turned to surprise—she hadn’t expected Second Brother, though clearly intoxicated, to have such steady movements.

He began to use the bamboo branch as a sword, moving with it. The "sword" followed his body, his movements fluid and forceful, the sword’s momentum like a torrent.

Each move was swift as wind and lightning, with a beauty that balanced strength and grace.

It was the first time Wei Ruo saw Wei Jin Yi perform swordplay. Though she herself didn’t practice martial arts, she had watched Xiu Mei and Xu Zheng Yong train, and she could tell that Wei Jin Yi’s "sword" was far from mere show.

Xiu Mei, herself a practitioner, whispered in Wei Ruo’s ear, "Miss, Second Young Master’s swordsmanship is truly impressive!"

"No wonder his physique is so good—when he said he exercised, he wasn’t bluffing, he really does," Wei Ruo remarked.

Xiao Bei rubbed his forehead, anxious—how would this end? If things went on like this, the young master might reveal all his secrets to the young lady.

Though the young lady had become a close companion in adversity, there were matters that she shouldn’t know.

All Xiao Bei could do was worry silently, hoping his master would regain his senses soon.

After finishing a set of sword techniques, Wei Jin Yi set down the bamboo branch and returned to Wei Ruo, his deep eyes fixed on her.

"Did I do well?" he asked, eyes filled with expectation, like a child awaiting praise after completing a task.

"Yes, very well, you did wonderfully!" Wei Ruo praised him.

Wei Jin Yi’s face blossomed with a radiant smile, unable to hide his satisfaction.

He usually smiled gently, subtly, with warmth and courtesy.

Such a bright smile, Wei Ruo was seeing for the first time.

And not only Wei Ruo—even Xiao Bei, who had served him for more than ten years, had never seen it before.

"Alright, sword dance is done. Let’s go to the room for a nap, shall we?" Wei Ruo coaxed him as if he were a child.

If this state wouldn’t pass soon, it was best to let him rest in his room.

"No," Wei Jin Yi refused firmly.

Alright, Wei Ruo took back her idea that he was well-behaved when drunk.

"Then what do you want to do now, Second Brother?" Wei Ruo asked.

"Eat," he replied.

Wei Ruo: "..."

What a leap of logic!

"Ruo Ruo’s cooking is delicious—the best I’ve ever tasted."

"Well, Second Brother, you never praise Mei Mei’s cooking, but once you’re drunk, you start telling the truth," Wei Ruo muttered.

"Ruo Ruo, let’s eat!" Wei Jin Yi insisted.

"Alright, let’s eat. The dishes are all ready, shouldn’t let them go to waste," Wei Ruo led him back to the table.

Wei Jin Yi sat down and began to eat, picking dishes and savoring them, all with well-behaved gestures. He ate with gusto, each bite full of enjoyment.

Gone were his usual restraint and decorum—his movements were free but not rude, simply more like a normal person.

Wei Ruo had Xiu Mei and Xiao Bei sit down to eat as well; there were plenty of dishes today, and it would be wasteful not to enjoy them.

The more people at a celebration, the better—though the guest of honor was already drunk.

After the meal, Wei Ruo looked at Wei Jin Yi and asked, "Second Brother, how do you feel now?"

"Tasty," Wei Jin Yi replied.

Wonderful, he was still drunk!

"Shall we go to the room and rest for a bit? Leave this place to Xiu Mei and Xiao Bei—they’ll tidy up."

"Alright," Wei Jin Yi agreed very obediently.

He turned and walked toward the house, stopping at the threshold to look back at Wei Ruo.

"Aren’t you going to sleep, Ruo Ruo?" he asked.

"I’ll sleep in my Pine Retreat," Wei Ruo replied quickly.

Wei Jin Yi thought for a moment, then nodded, accepting her answer.

At last, he entered the room, with Xiao Bei hastily following.

Seeing his young master take off his outer robe and lie down obediently, Xiao Bei wiped the sweat from his brow.

Wei Jin Yi awoke, gazing blankly at the room.

What had happened? He had no memory of anything after dining with Wei Ruo the previous evening, nor did he recall how he’d returned to his room.

"Young Master, you’re awake? Have some ginseng tea to clear your head," Xiao Bei offered.

"What happened? When did I return? When did the young lady leave?" Wei Jin Yi inquired.

Xiao Bei looked conflicted.

"Speak."

"Young Master, you got drunk in the afternoon and made quite a fuss. The young lady had a hard time coaxing you back to your room to sleep," Xiao Bei explained cautiously.

...

After answering, Xiao Bei noticed his young master was motionless, and added, "Rest assured, Young Master, other than your sword dance—which let the young lady know you practice martial arts—you didn’t reveal anything else."

"I even danced with a sword?"