After Pampering Her 5 Beast Husbands, the Villainess Struck It Rich

Before Hu Yan could do anything, Bai Zhi smacked her lips, eagerly eyeing the remaining wine in his hand. "This is pretty good. What kind of fruit is this made from?"

Hu Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared at her, his gaze deep. "Red Dragon Fruit."

When Bai Zhi saw him hesitate, she pushed her glass toward him and urged, "Pour me some more."

Hu Yan poured her another half-glass, reminding her, "Don’t drink too quickly, or you’ll get drunk."

The moment he poured it, Bai Zhi took a sip. The fruit wine’s color resembled that of red wine, but it tasted much better.

Hu Yan poured himself half a glass before sitting down across from Bai Zhi.

Bai Zhi took another couple of sips before a question suddenly occurred to her. ’Hu Yan hasn’t lived here for years. How old is this wine?’

She voiced her thought aloud. "How long has this wine been aging?"

Hu Yan explained, "This fruit wine is brewed using a special technique. The longer it ages, the better it tastes."

Bai Zhi nodded. ’Just like our grain liquors,’ she thought. ’The longer they age, the richer and better they taste.’

At this point, Bai Zhi still had no idea how strong the wine’s kick was. All she knew was that it was delicious, and she took one sip after another. Even though she followed Hu Yan’s advice to take small sips, she just couldn’t stop herself from drinking continuously.

Watching Bai Zhi across from him clutch her glass and take small sips, a radiant smile on her face, Hu Yan said with a hint of resignation, "You should eat something first, or you’ll feel sick later."

’He hadn’t expected Bai Zhi to be such a little tippler,’ Hu Yan thought. ’She’d listened to his advice, sure, but she hadn’t *really* listened.’

Bai Zhi obediently put down her glass, had a few bites of food, and then took another sip of wine.

A bite of food, a sip of wine. Before she knew it, she’d finished the whole glass.

Hu Yan set aside the bottle, now less than half full. "You can’t have any more," he said. "Any more and you’ll be drunk."

Bai Zhi’s expression was animated as she held up her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger close together. "Just a little bit more," she wheedled. "Just a tiny, tiny bit. I promise I won’t drink too much."

Hu Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He deliberately avoided looking at her. "No," he said, his voice deep. "You’ve already had two glasses. Any more and you’ll be properly drunk."

Bai Zhi puffed out her cheeks and grumbled reluctantly, "Oh."

A little while later, a crimson flush had crept onto her cheeks. With no more wine to drink, she propped her head on her hand and stared intently at Hu Yan. ’The Creator is so unfair,’ she thought. ’How can anyone be this handsome?’

’He’s from a good family, and he’s gorgeous. What door could God have possibly closed for him?!’

Under her intense gaze, something seemed to struggle to break free from within his eyes.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Bai Zhi shook her head slightly and asked, "Didn’t you say you had something to tell me?"

Something swirled in Hu Yan’s light-blue eyes as he looked at her. "There is something I need to remind you about," he said. "Although Zelda is trustworthy, you... must keep the fact that you can increase your spiritual power a secret."

She nodded, placed her index finger to her flushed lips, and shushed. "I definitely won’t tell anyone," she whispered. "Not a soul! Only you guys know! Hehe..."

Watching her playful yet alluring expression, Hu Yan reached out and took the hand she had placed on her lips.

Bai Zhi glanced down at his hand holding hers, a flicker of confusion in her clear eyes. ’Why is he holding my hand?’ she wondered.

Then, her eyes suddenly lit up and she squeezed his hand back. "Do you want to dance?"

Hu Yan: "???"

The next second, Bai Zhi pulled Hu Yan to his feet. She peeked around furtively, then leaned in close, rising on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "Do you know how? I’m not very good at it. Will I embarrass you?"

Seeing that Hu Yan didn’t quite understand, Bai Zhi pointed to the other ’people’ in the room. "They’re all looking at us," she said. "Is it because we’re just standing here and not moving?"

Hearing her words, Hu Yan finally understood. He was both exasperated and amused. She was completely drunk.

He recalled how he’d just refused to give her any more wine, but she had seized the opportunity when he went to get a napkin to secretly pour herself another glass.

When she saw him looking, she’d immediately downed it in one gulp, then quickly hidden the glass behind her back and declared with a straight face, "I didn’t sneak a drink. The glass did it all by itself."

He had assumed the fruit wine wasn’t particularly strong, but he never imagined she would get this drunk after little more than a glass.

Bai Zhi spoke again. "You don’t know how either, do you? That’s okay. We can learn in secret."

Her breath, a mix of the fruit wine and her own faint, natural fragrance, ghosted across his ear. Hu Yan couldn’t resist pulling her closer, guiding her to step onto his feet as his hands wrapped around her waist. "I know how," he said, "but you don’t..."

Before Hu Yan could finish, Bai Zhi looked up at him, her eyes startlingly bright. "So you’re letting me step on your feet so you can lead me, right? I get it! I’ve seen it on TV!"

Hu Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the rest of his sentence. He went along with her idea. "So, you have to follow my lead, understand?"

Bai Zhi patted her chest and said with a brilliant smile, "Understood! Don’t worry! I’ll move however you tell me to move!!"

At her words, Hu Yan felt the blood in his veins catch fire, and his gaze on her grew even more intense.

However, the woman in his arms, full of anticipation, was completely oblivious to the approaching danger. She even hurried him along, "Let’s start! They’re almost finished dancing."

Hu Yan stared at her rosy lips, which kept opening and closing. He lowered his head, cupped her face, and kissed her, his muffled reply lost between their lips.

Bai Zhi’s eyes flew wide as the handsome face loomed before her. "Mmmph..."

Hu Yan led her, and as they moved, articles of clothing began to fall to the floor. Ignoring the trail of garments left in their wake, one might have thought they were dancing gracefully.

Finally, Hu Yan placed both hands on her waist and lifted her up, letting her wrap her legs around his middle. Bai Zhi instinctively looped her arms around his neck.

Bai Zhi looked down at Hu Yan, her clear eyes glistening. Her lips, swollen and red from their recent kiss, formed a pout. "Aren’t we supposed to be dancing?"

"Mmm, we are," Hu Yan replied. "I’m teaching you a different kind of dance."

At his words, Bai Zhi’s eyes lit up, and her arms around his neck tightened. "Really?"

The motion pressed them even closer together.

She, however, remained completely oblivious, simply believing that Hu Yan was truly going to teach her a new dance. Her eyes shone with anticipation.

Her movement, however, made Hu Yan let out a muffled grunt, followed by a hoarse "Mmm."

Just then, Bai Zhi’s expression turned curious. "Hu Yan," she asked, "did you bring a stick with you?"