Xu Lai curled his lips. My wife might say that, but she’ll probably eat more than anyone else in a bit.
He tied on an apron and went into the kitchen to make a late-night snack. Ruan Tang leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Xu Lai stir-fry crayfish, grill lamb chops, and add a dish of steamed sea urchin with eggs. Though she had only been a little hungry, Ruan Tang suddenly felt ravenous. She watched Xu Lai’s bustling figure, her gaze fixed on him until she was lost in a daze.
It’s said that the ideal wife a man dreams of can grace a formal hall and also handle a kitchen, but isn’t the same true for women? From this angle... Xu Lai is actually quite handsome.
Ruan Tang suddenly snapped back to reality. She patted her cheeks and chided herself internally. Ruan Tang, wake up! Get a hold of yourself! What kind of men haven’t you seen? It’s not like there aren’t any more handsome than Xu Lai... Wait. Come to think of it, I really haven’t.
His was a different kind of handsome. Xu Lai wasn’t the type to stand out in a crowd, but once you looked at him, you couldn’t look away. There was a story in his eyes, like a fine wine that had been buried for countless years, meant to be savored on a quiet night.
"Honey, you don’t have to sneak peeks. After we eat, you can hold me and look all night," Xu Lai said without turning his head.
"Hmph, who’s looking at you? I was looking at your apron," Ruan Tang retorted, pouting.
"Alright, then. Keep looking." Xu Lai didn’t call his sassy wife’s bluff. He quickly finished preparing the late-night snack, and the two began to feast.
"Do you want something to drink?" Ruan Tang asked.
"I’ll have some Plum Wine." Xu Lai shook his head, retrieving a jar from his Storage Space. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
This wine had no remarkable origin. It wasn’t like the legendary vintage from the treasury of the Ancient Demon Clan, a brew famous throughout the Universe for being able to leave one lost in a drunken dream. This was just ordinary Plum Wine, which he had brewed himself from plums he had picked.
"Plum Wine?" Ruan Tang, who had been about to get some sodas, paused. Her eyes lit up. "Pour me a cup. I want to try it too."
"I’d advise you not to drink," Xu Lai said seriously. "I’m afraid you’ll make the same mistake again."
"..." Ruan Tang’s face flushed. "It’s just Plum Wine. The alcohol content isn’t high, it’ll be fine. Hurry, hurry."
"Alright." Xu Lai relented and filled a cup for her.
Ruan Tang took a small sip and exclaimed in surprise, "It’s sweet and sour. Delicious!"
Xu Lai chuckled. "To have earned your approval, it seems my skills aren’t too shabby."
"You brewed this?" Ruan Tang was taken aback.
Xu Lai nodded. "Mhm."
Ruan Tang’s expression grew complex. She had thought that after spending so much time together, she had started to understand him. Now she realized just how little she knew. Medicine, magic, Go, cooking, brewing... Xu Lai... how many more surprises do you have in store for me?
"If you’re interested in brewing, I can teach you," Xu Lai offered.
"Okay!" Ruan Tang eagerly agreed. "I want to brew a few jars, too."
Before Xu Lai could feel pleased, his wife continued, "We can brew a few jars of ’Daughter’s Red’ for Yiyi’s wedding."
The smile on Xu Lai’s face instantly froze. Right. His daughter would get married one day.
He downed a large gulp of wine and let out a long, heavy breath. "Brewing is no fun. Let’s just forget it."
Ruan Tang couldn’t help but find this amusing. "Your daughter can’t stay by your side forever. She has to have her own life."
"That’s why I’m upset! Only a man a hundred times more outstanding than me is worthy of my daughter," Xu Lai sighed. "But across the entire Universe, I am the pinnacle."
Great. Now he’s getting narcissistic. Ruan Tang rolled her eyes and ignored him. She went back to her late-night snack and Plum Wine, feeling that the nightlife was infinitely wonderful.
Seeing Xu Lai looking dejected and drinking by himself, Ruan Tang sighed. She peeled a shrimp and held it out to him. "Here, eat something. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for you."
Xu Lai ate the shrimp and muttered, "Another one."
Ruan Tang was speechless but peeled several more for him anyway, deciding it was a reward for making the late-night meal.
But as she offered him the last piece of shrimp... Ruan Tang felt Xu Lai gently nip her finger. The gesture was far too intimate. Blushing, she quickly pulled her hand back and stammered, "You... what do you think you’re doing!"
Men and their lies! Ruan Tang had witnessed Xu Lai’s alcohol tolerance firsthand. The day they met Xu Yaoyao’s boyfriend, Li Shouzhong, Yan Gui, and the others had taken turns toasting him. Xu Lai drank them all under the table, and that was with hard liquor! And Xu Lai himself? He hadn’t shown the slightest sign of being drunk, even though he later pretended to be and used her lap as a pillow in the taxi for a good while...
What they were drinking now was Plum Wine, which had a laughably low alcohol content in comparison. Ruan Tang glared at him, fuming.
Pinned by her gaze, Xu Lai had no choice but to reluctantly hold out his hand. "You can bite me too, then."
Ruan Tang was exasperated. "I’m not a dog! Why would I bite you?" This man... is so infuriating!
Giving up on him, Ruan Tang channeled her indignation into her appetite.
"Ah, that smells so good." Just then, Beibei appeared. She crawled out of her conch shell, hopped onto the dining table, and began happily devouring the de-spined sea urchin.
Ruan Tang poured Beibei a glass of wine. "Plum Wine. It’s really good."
Beibei hugged the glass, which was as tall as she was, took a sip, and sighed with immense satisfaction. "Delicious."
The neglected Xu Lai wasn’t annoyed. He went upstairs to check on the sleeping Yiyi. The little girl was sleeping spread-eagled. Seeing her filled Xu Lai’s eyes with boundless pride. As expected of my daughter. The Princess of the Heavenly Court. The future Empress of the Immortal Domain. Even her sleeping posture is so domineering!
He gently pulled the kicked-off blanket back over Yiyi, watched his daughter for another moment, and then quietly left the room.
When he got back downstairs, he saw that all three dishes had been devoured and the jar of Plum Wine was empty. A drunk Beibei was sprawled spread-eagled on the table.
Xu Lai glanced at her and shook his head. "Not very ladylike."
Then he looked at Ruan Tang. Her face was flushed, and having had quite a bit to drink, she was fast asleep on the dining table. She looked incredibly beautiful under the moonlight.
"Even though it’s Plum Wine and seems low-proof, this stuff can really go to your head," Xu Lai sighed softly. He lifted his wife’s limp body and carried her to the bed in his room. Just as he was about to go sleep on the sofa downstairs, he felt Ruan Tang wrap her arms around him.
"Yiyi, don’t go," Ruan Tang mumbled, her eyes bleary with sleep. "Mommy will hold you while you sleep."
Although his wife’s embrace was warm, considering the very real risk of getting beaten up tomorrow, Xu Lai put a hand to his forehead. "...I’m not Yiyi. I’m Xu Lai."
"Then you hold me while I sleep," Ruan Tang’s voice was soft and gentle.
Why is she using baby talk all of a sudden just from a little wine? I really can’t let Ruan Tang drink! But a drunk Ruan Tang was undeniably cute. The temptation was too much for Xu Lai, who quietly turned on his phone’s video recorder.