The opportunity soon presented itself. After their shopping trip, they returned to Xinghua Tower for a meal. Xiao Yun specifically asked the waiter to bring a pot of Xiaoyao Brew.
Xiaoyao Brew was a lesser-known wine from Xinghua Tower. It tasted like fruit wine and had no potency. However, after six cups or more, its effects would kick in. Those who drank it might suddenly start speaking drunkenly, their transitions seamless, without even realizing it. It was the best wine for eliciting information.
Generally, men didn't drink this wine; only ladies and married women would have a little. But even then, most ladies and married women would only take a sip and stop, rarely drinking more than six cups. Even if they did, there wouldn't be someone specifically trying to extract information from them.
Fang Zheng had told him about this wine's use, and Fang Zheng had tricked many people with it. If he didn't drink much himself, Fang Zheng might have even tricked him.
When Wang Qingyao saw Xiao Yun order the wine, her guard immediately went up. Seeing her suspicious gaze, Xiao Yun quickly smiled and explained, "It's fruit wine, not strong. It's just for you to drink and relieve the spiciness."
Xiao Yun was particular about his food. He always made the decisions when ordering dishes. He ate lightly, but this time he ordered a dish of boiled sliced pork and spicy diced rabbit.
Wang Qingyao was half-believing, half-doubting. She took a sip and indeed, it had only a slight alcohol content, tasting even milder than a "rio." Her guard dropped. With these two spicy dishes, she ate half a bowl more rice than usual.
Xiao Yun had ordered Sichuan cuisine with a slight ulterior motive. He hadn't expected it to work so well. "So you like spicy food," he said.
Wang Qingyao's lips were red from the spice. She took a breath and said, "It's okay. I can't eat it too often; it causes acne." She then went back to drinking the Xiaoyao Brew. The cups were small, and one cup was not enough to satisfy her. She drank it like a beverage, consuming nearly ten cups. If she hadn't been trying to maintain her ladylike image in front of the owner, she would have wanted to pour directly from the pot into her mouth.
Xiao Yun raised his hand, "Don't drink so fast..."
"It's fine, this wine isn't strong."
Xiao Yun chuckled.
Wang Qingyao's lips were red, her face was flushed, and a thin layer of sweat had broken out on her back. Her eyes were bright, and she looked thoroughly exhilarated, as if she hadn't had such a good time in a long while.
Xiao Yun engaged her in casual conversation, starting with trivial matters: what she liked to eat, what she liked to play, how Lightning had been doing lately, whether the flowers in the yard had bloomed, if the Bai family had been bothering her, and so on.
Initially, Wang Qingyao had a string taut in her mind, constantly reminding herself not to slip up. However, Xiao Yun's questions were all about trivial matters, and as she spoke, her guard gradually relaxed.
"Did you have a difficult childhood?" Xiao Yun asked.
Wang Qingyao chuckled, "Not difficult. Although my parents divorced and left me with my grandparents, they provided ample child support, and my grandparents doted on me. I basically never suffered any hardship."
Xiao Yun frowned. Didn't the old Mr. Wang and her parents pass away long ago? And did old Mrs. Wang dote on her? He couldn't see it... Did "divorce" mean separation?
Xiao Yun was puzzled. He tentatively asked, "Didn't your parents pass away when you were very young?"
Wang Qingyao shook her head earnestly, "No, they just divorced. They never came to see me. Although it's almost like they're dead, they're not really. And they paid child support on time, so you can't say that about them."
Xiao Yun's scalp tingled, and a chill ran down his spine. He recalled various supernatural novels he had read, about borrowing corpses to return souls, or demonesses with skin like painted paper... But looking at Wang Qingyao's charming smile, and seeing that she hadn't done anything harmful, he thought she might be an immortal who had descended to the mortal world, and her sensitivity was actually her immortal magic.
Thinking this, Xiao Yun became excited. No wonder Feng Fuguó's Imperial Advisor said her fate was noble and that she could break his Xiao family's curse. If she was an immortal, of course, she could break it!
Xiao Yun moved his stool closer to Wang Qingyao, lowered his voice, and asked excitedly, "Are you human?"
Wang Qingyao giggled and tapped his forehead with her slender finger, "Of course, I'm human."
Xiao Yun was disappointed. "Then how do you have this sensitivity?"
Wang Qingyao glanced around, saw no one, and lowered her voice, "I'll tell you secretly, it's a benefit the heavens have given me as compensation."
"What do you mean?"
"The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed."
Wang Qingyao's eyes began to glaze over. The after-effects of the Xiaoyao Brew were kicking in. She propped her head up with her right hand, swaying back and forth with a smile.
Xiao Yun leaned closer, coaxing, "Tell me, I'm your future husband. There shouldn't be any secrets between us..."
Wang Qingyao's gaze fell on his pale red, thin lips. After a moment of apparent deep thought, she suddenly said, "If you let me kiss you, I'll tell you."
Xiao Yun stammered, "Huh?"
Wang Qingyao hadn't eaten pork, but she had seen pigs run. In modern times, she had watched plenty of romance novels and TV dramas, especially Korean dramas that depicted kisses in a warm and romantic way, making her heart flutter. She had long wanted to try it with someone. But in modern times, she hadn't found a suitable person. Xiao Yun was suitable: handsome, rich, younger, and her future husband. Was there anyone more suitable in the world?
Xiao Yun's face quickly turned red, and he stammered, "It... it wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"
"If you don't want to, then forget it," Wang Qingyao said haughtily, turning her head away.
"I want to! I want to!"
How could Xiao Yun refuse? He felt a bit like he was taking advantage of her... But with his future wife... Before he could fully convince himself, Wang Qingyao had already pounced. Her entire upper body pressed down on him, and she kissed him directly.
Xiao Yun thought a kiss would be a mere peck, like a dragonfly touching water. He never imagined that Wang Qingyao, armed with eighteen theoretical knowledge points waiting to be put into practice, would charge forward like a conquering army. In no time, she had taken his territory. Her technique was clumsy; she just closed her eyes and charged forward, sometimes seeming to ponder her next move. Her nimble tongue was like a mischievous little fish, darting around in his mouth.
Xiao Yun was both shocked and shy, his face burning red. He felt he was taking advantage of her, yet he couldn't bring himself to push her away. He tasted the sweetness and gradually began to understand. The private room was filled with the ambiguous sounds of kissing.
Wang Qingyao slumped onto Xiao Yun. For a moment, Xiao Yun forgot where he was. With a loud "bang," he fell backward, and Wang Qingyao fell on top of him. Their lips, tightly pressed together, collided hard, and the taste of blood filled the air. Wang Qingyao let out a low cry and went still.
Yuan Bao, who was guarding the door, heard the commotion. He drew his sword and burst into the room, only to be stunned by the scene within. "Sorry, sorry, please continue," he said, his face bright red. He turned and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Xiao Yun weakly extended his hand, "Listen to me, I can explain..."
When Wang Qingyao woke up, she was in the residence of Duke Zhongyong, in Fang Yuan's boudoir. It was already early the next morning. She had drunk nearly ten cups of Xiaoyao Brew and had slept directly from noon yesterday until this morning. Her head hurt much more this time. Upon waking, she still felt groggy, as if someone was hammering inside her skull. What was worse was that she remembered nothing.
"Damn you, Xiao Yun!" she cursed inwardly. What fruit wine? It was clearly a strong liquor! Who knew what she had said yesterday when she was drunk! Had she said everything she shouldn't have? Xiao Yun had already harbored ill intentions and wanted to trick her... It was over, she thought. Would she lose her job? Wang Qingyao looked utterly dejected.