Chapter 15#

The revelry lasted until the end, when even the stars in the sky had sunk. The midnight wind and dew were heavy, and gradually people began to take their leave. When leaving, they all took a cup of fine wine, stood in front of Hua Jinian, said a word of blessing, and drank it all in one gulp. According to the rules, the young man had to return the toast, so he smiled and also finished a cup, saying a word of thanks in return. One person came, he drank a cup with them, and sent one away. Countless people came, he drank countless cups, and sent countless people away.

Finally, the night turned completely black. Even the brilliant dragon and phoenix wedding candles were full of wax tears, leaving only scattered firefly-like lights. He was still standing in the center of the wedding hall, standing straight. The last guest slowly stood up from the chair, reeking of alcohol. Hua Jinian looked at him and smiled, calling out, “Uncle Wu.” Wu Qiuping glanced at him, then handed the small wine jar he was holding in his arms to him, turned around, and left the empty wedding hall. At this moment, the tall candles filling the hall finally burned out. The flames surged upward a little, suddenly illuminating the miserable large red ‘Double Happiness’, and then quickly extinguished with a hiss.

Hua Jinian stood alone in the darkness, staying in the empty wedding hall, smiling, quietly watching the wisps of clear smoke rising from all around. Holding the jar of wine given by Wu Qiuping, he stood for a while longer before slowly walking out. He walked down the thousand stone steps, the alcohol slowly rushing up. Seeming drunk but not drunk, he climbed up the tallest and largest tree, then broke the clay seal of the wine jar and began to drink heavily. The wine had a strange bitter taste, pouring into his throat like pouring in a mouthful of fire. His clothes were soaked from drinking. He held the wine jar high, his eyebrows and eyes gradually becoming vivid, drunkenness dyeing his cheeks. He giggled, breaking the deathly silence of the night, seeing someone under the tree looking at him, so he smiled and shouted at that person: “What are you staring at? Drink! Come and drink! Tonight, we won’t return until we’re drunk!”

The man looked at him coldly and said somewhat displeasedly, “You’re drunk.”

Hua Jinian tilted his head and looked at him, remained silent for a long time, then suddenly closed his eyes on the tree and whispered, “It’s very late, I’m going to sleep.”

The man snorted coldly with displeasure and asked, “Where is the maid who takes care of you? Why isn’t she watching you?”

Hua Jinian smiled dazedly and replied, “She married you.”

Hua Qianjue looked at him coldly for a while, and in the next instant, he easily leaped onto the branch where he was sitting, reached out and took the wine jar from his hand, smelled it under his nose, and suddenly smiled wickedly: “This has quite a lot of ingredients. Who gave it to you?”

Hua Jinian was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, “It seems to be Uncle Wu. Is there anything special about the wine?”

Hua Qianjue stuffed the wine jar back into his arms casually and sat down on the branch next to him. The young man felt the wind brought by the man’s sleeves brushing across his face, so he looked over obliquely, his smile containing a bit of melancholy and comfort. The man looked at him, the corners of his mouth also holding a teasing arc. He chuckled low: “What else could it be? Tiger bone, tiger penis, soft-shelled turtle, cordyceps, fleeceflower root… all great tonics.”

Hua Jinian was stunned there. After a good while, he reached out to touch his nose and chuckled lightly: “He mentioned before that he wanted to give me a tonic. I thought he had already forgotten about it.”

Hua Qianjue laughed loudly, his chiseled features even more charming at this moment. He reached out and tapped Hua Jinian’s chest, laughing: “What, can’t do it so soon?” The young man laughed and avoided his finger, replying in a low voice: “How is that possible.”

Hua Qianjue looked at him, casually touching three inches below his dantian, teasing: “Then, after drinking so much spiked good wine, do you feel anything?” The young man was slightly stunned, but his smile became even sweeter. Seeing a flurry of red sleeves, he stood up from where he was sitting in an instant, spun his steps on the branch, turned his waist, and avoided Hua Qianjue’s hand.

The man watched his red sleeves flutter in the air in a graceful arc, standing on a slender branch a few steps away, like a huge flower cup that had just bloomed on the tree. He couldn’t help but smile and say: “Your lightness skill is finally somewhat interesting.” He watched the young man walk over slowly, smilingly playing with the white jade hairpin taken down in that instant just now.

Hua Jinian was also smiling. A red rope knot was tied on his right hand. Meeting the man’s gaze, he slowly took off the gold and jade crown that lacked the hairpin to fix it from his head. His full head of black hair scattered over his still thin shoulders. In this dark and ambiguous night, his fingers were like colorful butterflies flying through flowers, untying the red rope knot on his wrist and tying up his long hair. In this series of movements, he deliberately slowed down the rhythm, bringing a kind of specious gentleness and charm. The young man looked at the man with moist and bright eyes, smiling and asking: “Still want to compete?”

Hua Qianjue looked at him and suddenly smiled: “Alright.” The young man only felt the wind blowing briskly against his eyes. His water-red lips curved into a somewhat mischievous arc. His left hand still holding that jar of wine, his steps shifted, and shifted again. Looking from under the tree, one could only see two figures in bright red robes chasing and separating on every branch of the towering ancient tree that still shimmered with oily green light in the blackness. The branches remained motionless, only the rustling sound of leaves shaking gently, making one’s soul melt.

The red rope knot was pulled off again by the man not long after. Hua Jinian stayed for a while, even tentatively reaching out to touch, only touching hair scattered like flowing water. He laughed low, sat back on the branch, and drank the spiked wine in one gulp. Hua Qianjue stood not far from him and chuckled low: “How old are you? Drinking water like drinking wine. I originally thought you were drunk.”

Hua Jinian smiled. His originally submissive eyes were now moist with bright mist, the corners of his eyes having a touch of charming red. It was unknown whether it was the fine wine that was intoxicating, or the night. He smiled and answered: “Before… I got drunk drinking wine and caused big trouble. Later, these past few months, I practiced every day, hiding from people to practice. Later… I became able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.”

The man said nothing, casually helping him tie up his long hair again. He turned as if to leave, but Hua Jinian reached out and grabbed his sleeve, whispering: “Father… when you truly practice until you can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, will you also miss the taste of being drunk?”

The man chuckled low: “I was born able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Why don’t you tell me the taste of being drunk?” Hua Jinian spoke no more. Closing his eyes, it was that night overflowing with the fragrance of wine. Perhaps the wine Wu Qiuping prepared was really effective. As thin in desire as he was, he finally felt the heat surging up from his abdomen.

Never having been drunk, one doesn’t know that drunkenness forgets a thousand sorrows. Never having been in love, one doesn’t know that love twists the intestines a hundred times. Among the myriad flowers and grasses in this world, is there really one that can make a man’s soul melt? Hua Jinian looked at him, silent for a long time before chuckling low again: “I’m really silly. A moment of the wedding night is worth a thousand gold… Maybe I was too happy to see Father, I actually forgot to ask… why are you here?”

The man snorted coldly, slightly displeased: “She’s drunk… If you have time to mind your father, why not solve your own problems first.”

Hua Jinian tilted his head and smiled, finally leaping down from the tree, waving his hand, and walking somewhat staggeringly towards Zhaohua Pavilion. That heat rolled and crashed in his abdomen, almost having the flavor of an arrow on the string that had to be released, making the young man’s breathing gradually rapid, his eyes also having a bit of turbid desire. Hua Qianjue asked coldly behind him: “Do you want me to call a few maids to your pavilion?” The young man shook his head, not knowing if the man saw it, but his steps became more rapid and skewed.

Returning to the pavilion in a few steps, Hua Jinian hurriedly closed the door and the window, leaning against the wall to pant for a while. Gritting his silver teeth, he reached out and pulled off the red hair-tying rope again. His delicate face was distorted by desire in the dark room. This heat came suddenly, becoming a prairie fire in an instant. Sweat accumulated on his brow and tightly pursed red lips, carrying a bit of green sexiness. Black hair lingered around the young man’s slender body. Hua Jinian hummed lightly, slowly moved to the bed, and began to forcefully pull open the collar crossed in front of his chest, exposing his round shoulders. Then he tremblingly reached out to untie his belt, untied it for a while, then suddenly stopped hesitantly. His slender fingers trembled convulsively due to the onset of the drug’s effect. His eyes struggled violently, then he whimpered and buried himself in the bedding.

Darkness can often bring a kind of concealment, covering up all dirty and ugly behaviors. Hua Jinian reached out and pulled over the quilt with the mandarin ducks satin cover, covering his waist. His hand finally tremblingly reached into his pants, tremblingly grasped his erect member, and began to stroke slowly. He tried hard to shrink himself. Those blurred wine fragrances began to bloom like flowers in his chaotic mind. This burning illusion precisely diluted the guilt of masturbation. The young man’s body almost squeezed entirely into that brocade quilt. He closed his eyes tightly, breathing rapidly, his face flushed, shoulders trembling slightly and incessantly, sweat flowing down uncontrollably. The sinful and shameful movement of that hand still manifested its existence in an obscure way through the trembling of the quilt surface.

Hua Jinian dazedly felt his need was like a pitch-black gaping mouth. The anxiety of being unable to be completely satisfied made him unexpectedly crazy. His other hand clutched the quilt tightly, and his waist also began to rub unconsciously seeking pleasure. He frowned painfully. That anxiety of not being satisfied finally made him slowly probe his other hand into his chest, rubbing his nipples masochistically. In this masturbation mixed with drugs, the young man turned his head painfully, gritting his teeth and refusing to let out a moan. Even so, he inevitably thought of another even crazier night: the man’s burning breath, strong and sturdy body, and even that bright red scar slanting up the corner of his eyebrow. So immoral and incestuous—

These nights were enough to completely destroy a mentally immature young man, enough to make all scenes of fatherly kindness and filial piety unilaterally take on a peach color in the young man’s eyes. The bitter wine drunk alone was enough to make a person who claimed to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk show a hundred states of drunkenness—the young man rubbed his lower body vigorously and with large movements. A few hoarse moans finally flowed from his lips, covering the madness and trembling of that hand under the brocade quilt that blocked the view, as well as the half-opened chest lapel, and the wrist moving slowly, ambiguously and obscurely, blocked by the arc of the young man’s unconsciously puffed-up chest.