"Man'er, come, have a sip of hot tea," Wen Mohan helped Xiao Man, offering her tea. He felt confused. The last time Xiao Man accompanied him for drinks, she had consumed quite a lot, and he had ended up drunk while she seemed unaffected. Why was she so intoxicated so quickly today?
Xiao Man's eyes were blurry with intoxication, but she was obedient. She took a sip from the tea cup in Wen Mohan's hand and then refused to drink any more. Wen Mohan held Xiao Man with one hand and the tea with the other, gently coaxing her to drink more.
Xiao Man refused and buried her head in Wen Mohan's embrace. Wen Mohan felt a jolt of nervousness. He quickly put down the tea cup and lowered his gaze to the person in his arms, thinking, *So her tolerance for alcohol is this low. So, when she's drunk, she becomes this clingy.*
At that moment, Xiao Man naturally wrapped her arms around his waist, burying herself completely in Wen Mohan's embrace. Finding a comfortable position, she slept soundly.
Wen Mohan's heart pounded. He stealthily glanced at the person snuggled in his arms, then quickly averted his gaze, as if afraid of being discovered. The corners of his lips couldn't stop curving upwards, his eyes filled with unconcealable joy and tenderness.
The door of the wind-sheltering pavilion was pushed open, letting in a gust of cold wind that jolted one awake.
Wen Mohan instinctively tightened his hold, suppressing the smile on his face. He became like an aloof leopard, warily watching the uninvited guest.
Nangong Yu's gaze fell on the person in Wen Mohan's arms, then shifted to the table where an empty wine pot lay tilted. It wasn't difficult to imagine that Xiao Man was likely in a drunken daze, unaware of her actions. A hint of anger began to simmer within him.
*She knows she can't hold her liquor, yet she comes out for drinks with another man. Does she think everyone is as virtuous as I am, incapable of harming her? Or does she simply trust Wen Mohan so much that she believes he wouldn't hurt her?*
The cold wind kept blowing in. Xiao Man, unable to bear the chill, snuggled deeper into Wen Mohan's embrace, seeking the warmth emanating from him as if only this could ward off the biting cold.
Wen Mohan's face turned a faint shade of red. His expression was a mixture of torment and delight. He looked down at the sleeping Xiao Man, adjusted his posture, and draped his cloak over her, shielding her from the wind and making her sleep more comfortably.
Seeing this, Nangong Yu's jealousy flared. He strode towards them. Wen Mohan frowned, "Your Highness Prince Qin, what are you doing here?"
However, Nangong Yu ignored Wen Mohan and walked directly to his side, roughly pulling Xiao Man from Wen Mohan's arms. The sudden loss of warmth made Xiao Man frown in displeasure. She finally opened her eyes, only to see the cold and breathtakingly beautiful face of Prince Qin. The fury in his eyes seemed ready to erupt and consume her.
"Your Highness Prince Qin, what are you doing?" Wen Mohan quickly stood up, grabbing Xiao Man's other arm and confronting Prince Qin. *Is he no longer concealing himself? He's actually snatching her from my embrace!*
Xiao Man met Prince Qin's seemingly enraged face and seriously pondered, *Why am I dreaming of Prince Qin again? And he seems so angry. Why would Prince Qin be angry?* Xiao Man reached out and pinched Nangong Yu's face. It was warm. It was the real Prince Qin, not a dream!
A thought suddenly flashed through Xiao Man's mind, sending a shiver down her spine. *Did I get drunk with Wen Mohan again? And after getting drunk, did I hit Prince Qin again, or did I tease him again, forcing him to sleep with me?*
Xiao Man felt that while the first time might be forgivable, a second offense would surely lead to Prince Qin chopping her to pieces. Whether she had done anything or not, the key was to deny everything!
So, Xiao Man clutched Nangong Yu's clothes and argued, "Your Highness, I didn't drink, I didn't hit anyone, and I didn't tease anyone!"
Hearing this, Nangong Yu's darkened expression almost cracked: "You didn't drink?"
"No!" Xiao Man's earnest lie amused Nangong Yu.
"You truly didn't drink?" Nangong Yu's voice softened slightly.
"Just a little..." Xiao Man held up a small section of her finger.
Nangong Yu raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
Xiao Man held up a bit more. "Only this much!"
"You know you have a low tolerance for alcohol, yet you drank so much. Are you aware of your mistake?" Nangong Yu asked gently, his eyes full of amusement.
Xiao Man tilted her head, thinking. *Where did I go wrong? It seems I did nothing wrong. Is having a low tolerance for alcohol also a mistake?*
"Your Highness Prince Qin, Man'er is drunk. Why do you trouble her? If you have something to say, say it to me. Let her go." Wen Mohan pulled Xiao Man's arm with a slight force, confronting Nangong Yu. "Man'er, come here."
Nangong Yu's expression was frigid. If looks could kill, Wen Mohan would have been riddled with holes by now. If it were anyone else, they would have long since fled in fear under Prince Qin's gaze. But this was Wen Mohan, who was unfazed by Prince Qin's threats.
"Let go," Nangong Yu grabbed Wen Mohan's hand, applying a little force. Wen Mohan winced in pain but endured it, refusing to release his grip.
"You're the one who should let go!" Wen Mohan's face turned ashen. He felt that Prince Qin only brought harm to Xiao Man and could not give her what she desired, yet this man persisted in bothering her.
"I will not say it a second time!" Nangong Yu increased the pressure, and Wen Mohan's face instantly turned pale, looking as if he was in extreme pain.
Suddenly, Xiao Man grabbed Nangong Yu's hand and pulled him away, shielding Wen Mohan behind her. "You're not allowed to bully people!"
Nangong Yu gritted his teeth, displeased by Xiao Man's stance of protecting Wen Mohan. "Come here!"
Xiao Man instinctively took a step back. "Don't come any closer! Don't think that just because you're a prince, I won't dare to hit you. I'm very good at hitting people!"
Nangong Yu's face darkened completely. "I'll say it again, come here!"
Xiao Man, not knowing what possessed her, grabbed Wen Mohan and turned to run. However, she was no match for Prince Qin. After running only a few steps, she bumped directly into Nangong Yu's embrace, her head spinning. "How... how are there two Prince Qins?"
Nangong Yu was both angry and amused. He waved away Wen Mohan, scooped Xiao Man into his arms, and leaped away. Wen Mohan wanted to pursue them but understood that he could do nothing if he did.
Dugu Mingyu and Dugu Luo exchanged glances. *Why are these two fighting again?* Fortunately, Dugu Luo's thoughts were simple: *Where Xiao Man goes, I go. I don't care about anyone else.* She immediately followed. Dugu Mingyu felt awkward. *Should I comfort Wen Mohan?*
In the end, Dugu Mingyu simply nodded in greeting and followed, leaving Wen Mohan alone in the wind-sheltering pavilion, his expression growing increasingly somber.