"This wine is bland and tasteless after being brewed," Xiao Man said, sipping a cup of the heated wine. She looked disgusted but couldn't resist drinking a couple more cups due to the cold.
"Drinking too much cold wine is bad for you, especially as the weather is getting colder. Drink less of it," Nangong Yu said, serving Xiao Man some food.
Just then, a woman stumbled in, followed by two burly men with fierce looks. The woman was frail and timid, pushed along so hard she almost fell.
"Hurry up."
Xiao Man and Nangong Yu continued to eat, ignoring the scene. The woman, seeing so many people in the hall, had an idea. Her eyes scanned the room and finally landed on Nangong Yu's table, as they were the only ones with guards.
"Young master, please save this humble servant! These two are bad men who want to sell me to a brothel. Please, young master, save me. I will be your servant as repayment."
Nangong Yu frowned as his sleeve was grabbed. He disliked being touched. With a slight movement of his wrist, the woman, who refused to let go of his sleeve, was flung away, landing awkwardly on the floor. She still clutched the torn piece of his sleeve, as if he disdained her for soiling his clothes.
"Young master..." The woman clearly hadn't expected this handsome man to be so ruthless, showing no reaction to a weak woman being oppressed by ruffians.
Xiao Man looked up at Nangong Yu and quickly served him a piece of beef. "Second brother, don't be angry. Have some beef to calm down."
"Kid, are you tired of living? How dare you injure our merchandise!"
Xiao Man covered her face with her hand. Why did these people insist on seeking death? Didn't they know this great deity before them was not to be trifled with? Besides, he had only pushed the woman away; he hadn't injured her.
"Gentlemen, please take your person and move away from us," Xiao Man said, drinking as she spoke, not wanting to cause trouble.
"You pretty boy, do you have the right to speak here?"
Xiao Man touched her face. "Second brother, do I look like a pretty boy?"
Nangong Yu looked at Xiao Man and smiled faintly. "You are quite fair."
"But I'm the one who keeps pretty boys. This person has no taste, doesn't he know I'm the wealthy one?" Xiao Man asked indignantly.
The burly men looked at Xiao Man in confusion. They had thought he was the master, but it turned out this seemingly frail pretty boy was the real master.
"You are the master?"
"My surname is Qin, and my name is Er Ye. This is my brother, Qin Da Ye."
"Qin Er Ye, Qin Da Ye?"
"Yes, I am your Qin Er Ye, and this is your Qin Da Ye," Xiao Man said gleefully.
Nangong Yu chuckled. Xiao Man was probably a bit drunk, her face flushed, a hint of allure in her eyes, and her demeanor even more unrestrained than usual.
"Good boy, how dare you play tricks on me! I'll chop you to death!" The man raised his large saber and swung it down. Nangong Yu extended two fingers and caught the blade. No matter how hard the man pushed, the saber couldn't move an inch further.
Xiao Man grinned and kicked the man's knee, forcing him to his knees. Seeing his companion subdued, the other man rushed forward. Xiao Man grabbed a plate and smashed it on his head, sending him to the ground. Xiao Man then stepped on his head.
"Good grandson, call me Grandpa!"
Nangong Yu looked at Xiao Man with a mixture of helplessness and fondness. He had told her to drink less. Had she gotten too drunk? She was a young lady, asking others to call her Grandpa!
"A scholar can be killed, but not insulted... Grandpa... I was wrong..." The man initially tried to struggle, but Xiao Man gave him no chance to show his backbone. A few kicks later, he was on his knees, begging to call her Grandpa.
The two fierce men, who had entered the inn with imposing swagger, left the inn shouting for their parents and calling her Grandpa, much to the amusement of the other patrons. Nangong Yu grabbed Xiao Man and carried her upstairs.
"Send up a bowl of hangover soup."
"Don't go, let's fight another three hundred rounds!" Xiao Man struggled, wanting to fight. Nangong Yu quickly held her, carried her into the room, and closed the door, blocking the curious gazes from outside.
"Kid, get out of the way, or I'll beat you so badly your mother won't recognize you!"
Nangong Yu's face darkened. Wasn't Xiao Man a good drinker? Wasn't she immune to alcohol? She was drunk after only half a pot of wine, shouting orders at everyone, her boldness reaching for the sky!
"Xiao Man, do you still know who I am?"
Xiao Man smiled brightly and reached out to pat Nangong Yu's face. "I know. The little brat from Yusheng who cried so ugly."
Nangong Yu grabbed Xiao Man's wrist, his expression shifting slightly, but his tone remained gentle. "When did I cry?" This is from Su Dan's novel.
"Of course you did. Outside Yangguan, you hid in a pile of dead bodies and cried so sadly." Xiao Man buried her head in Nangong Yu's chest and fell asleep, murmuring, "Your nose was covered in snot and tears, it was so ugly."
Hearing this, Nangong Yu was struck as if by lightning!
Outside Yangguan, hiding in a pile of dead bodies and crying. Only two people knew about this: him, and Dugu Man!
Years ago, on the battlefield, he was stabbed by Dugu Man's sword. Everyone thought he was dead, but he was still alive, hiding among the corpses. He was young then, thought he was going to die, and cried miserably. Then, Dugu Man dug him out of the pile of bodies!
He distinctly remembered that the first thing Dugu Man said when she pulled him out of the pile of dead bodies was, "You cry so ugly!"
"How do you know?" Nangong Yu shook Xiao Man. "Xiao Man, tell me, how do you know?"
However, Xiao Man was asleep and did not answer. A thought flashed through Nangong Yu's mind, which he then dismissed. He looked at Xiao Man, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, his expression changing slightly. He leaned closer to Xiao Man, his fingers gently tracing her face and neck. He was relieved to be sure that Xiao Man had no signs of disguise.
The waiter brought the hangover soup. Nangong Yu fed it to Xiao Man. Xiao Man woke up briefly, opened her eyes, stared at Nangong Yu for a moment, and said, "Your Highness Prince Qin."
Nangong Yu breathed a sigh of relief. At least she still recognized him. "Xiao Man, what is your relationship with Dugu Man?"
Xiao Man tilted her head, thought for a moment, then closed her eyes and went back to sleep. As Nangong Yu was about to ask again, he heard Xiao Man mumble, "Idiot."
Nangong Yu's expression twisted. Xiao Man called him an idiot. Had this woman wanted to curse him for a long time?
Yes, he was an idiot. He had been taken advantage of, but he hadn't found the person. And now that he had finally found her, he didn't dare to say anything!