Entangled Love GL - Chapter 27
Mu Ye learned from Lady Yun that Duan Min had a very good tolerance for alcohol, so in the middle of the night, she brought over a wine jar half her height, a bamboo wine scoop, and two wine bowls.
Duan Min couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at them: “What’s the point of drinking like a brute?”
“So, we first set the rules,” Mu Ye placed the large bowl in front of Duan Min with a pa, and then filled her own small bowl with a level scoop, “Drink one bowl, ask one question. We’ll take turns like this until someone passes out!”
“I’ll go first!” Mu Ye drained her bowl with great bravado and asked bluntly, “I’ve been thinking about what you said to Shui Yanghua these past two days. I can tell you’re truly tired enough. What exactly are your ‘ancestors’ last wishes’? Maybe I can help.”
Since knowing that Mu Ye had overheard her words, Duan Min knew she would ask sooner or later. At this moment, she merely looked casually at her wine bowl and Mu Ye’s. The two bowls were not too different in size, but roughly, one of hers was equal to four of hers.
Mu Ye’s face was slightly red: “I can’t drink much. I just wanted to test your tolerance—don’t try to get out of it. Answering my question is what’s important!”
“I didn’t even have time to agree to the rules you set. How can I be trying to get out of it?” Duan Min said this, but her hand had already picked up the wine scoop and filled her bowl. After a pause, she said, “My father didn’t ask me to do anything before he passed away. What I call a ‘last wish’ is actually just my own wishful thinking. He was always worried about a few people, and now I worry about them for him, that’s all.”
Mu Ye was completely surprised by this answer and couldn’t help but ask, “Who are these people?” She quickly followed up with another question, “Your father’s identity is mysterious. Who exactly was he?”
Duan Min picked up her wine bowl and drank it in sips. She smiled and said, “It’s my turn to ask…”
“Hey!” Mu Ye interrupted, “You must want to ask about Yang Mei’s reaction to your words, right?”
Duan Min looked at her, smiled, conceding, and nodded.
“The little girl is quite composed. She had a straight face, and I don’t know what she was thinking. It felt like I wasted my trip.” Mu Ye immediately drank another bowl and asked, “I heard your father was a divine doctor. He came to the capital years ago, and his fame for resurrecting the dead and healing the most grievous wounds was immense, but no one knew his background. You surely know his true identity, don’t you?”
Mu Ye stared at Duan Min without blinking, as if this could force her to tell the truth.
Duan Min looked back at her very frankly, and her answer was sincere: “He practiced medicine his entire life. ‘Divine Doctor’ is his best and truest identity.”
Duan Min drank a bowl of wine. Seeing Mu Ye look dejected with no intention of interrupting, she thought for a moment and asked, “Who is your master?”
“My mother.” Mu Ye answered curtly, in a huff. She drank, then asked, “So, who are the people you worry about? Never mind whether I recognize them or not, you must give me names.”
Duan Min did not hesitate. She said, “One is named Xiao Nian, one is Lin Moxuan, one is Lin Jingting, and there are two others whose names I can’t say.” Duan Min believed Mu Ye would not have heard of these three people. Without waiting for her reaction, she drank a bowl of wine and slowly asked, “Shui Yanghua said you have a senior sister?”
Mu Ye looked displeased, nodded, “Yes, I have a senior sister named Shu Hongxiu, who is the owner of the famous Pear Blossom Sword in the jianghu and established the Red Sleeve Mountain Villa two years ago.” Mu Ye filled her wine bowl, looked at it, and quickly drank it down. She said, “I’m starting to feel dizzy. I can only drink one more bowl at most. Don’t try to deceive me anymore. Tell me straight, what are your plans for the future?”
“I don’t have any plans.” Duan Min quickly added an explanation to soothe her, “I’ve never had any plans. I just act according to whatever opportunities arise. When I first met Yang Mei, I was afraid of danger, so I sent Xiao Nian away. Later, I happened to meet Lin Moxuan, and I persuaded him to go to the place my father had prepared for him. The other three are doing well right now…”
Duan Min drank the wine and then asked Mu Ye, “I remember you mentioned Shu Hongxiu before, but you didn’t say you had this kind of relationship. Why?”
“Just looking at her makes me tired. We haven’t been in touch for a long time!” Mu Ye sounded irritable. She rubbed her forehead, added wine, and muttered, “I basically didn’t find out anything…”
Duan Min reached out and pressed her hand, saying softly, “Some of the things you asked about, I’m not clear on myself. You don’t need to ask these things. You saved me, and I don’t want to owe you any more.”
Mu Ye tilted her head to look at Duan Min: “I only do things for my own pleasure. There’s no such thing as owing me!” She raised her hand and poured down another bowl, “You definitely know the answer to this question, and it has nothing to do with me. Just tell me directly! Do you truly not like Yang Mei at all?”
Duan Min was slightly taken aback by the question. She frowned and said, “I don’t have any feelings of ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ for her. We didn’t have much of a friendship before, and we won’t have any connection in our future separate lives. It’s truly unwise for her to like me.”
Mu Ye originally didn’t care how she answered, but after hearing her response, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud and sigh, “Min-jie, it’s very wise of you to think that way.”
Duan Min drank another bowl of wine. Without dwelling on the true meaning of her lament or continuing to ask about her past, she simply asked, “How long do you plan to stay in the capital?”
Mu Ye was already slumped on the table at this point, supporting her forehead with her eyes closed. After a while, she answered, “It doesn’t matter. I missed the last Bright Moon Clear Song Assembly. I’ll leave after I see it.” After answering, she laughed heartily, “I lose. I get sleepy when I drink too much. Is this your room or mine?”
Duan Min saw her groggy state and said, “I’ll lend you my bed for the night. Just sleep here.”
“How can that be,” Mu Ye suddenly stood up and walked outside, “My room is next door to yours. I’ll just stumble back…”
Mu Ye refused to be helped. Duan Min had to open the door for her and watched her sway out, stagger into the room next door, and then hold onto the door frame without moving.
Duan Min thought she was too drunk to walk. Just as she was about to go forward to assist her, she saw Mu Ye turn her head back, her expression peculiar: “If you meet my Senior Sister, drink a round of wine with her. She’s also… no one can stay with her until the end…”
Mu Ye stumbled into the room and didn’t forget to close the door. Duan Min stood in the empty corridor for a while. She heard someone approaching behind her. Turning around, she saw that it was indeed Lady Yun.
Duan Min smiled: “Are you all taking turns to ply me with alcohol? Although I’m not drunk, I’m uncomfortably full.”
Lady Yun did not smile, looking very uneasy: “Come inside and talk.”
“Prince Xuan came today and said that Rao Lu will serve you closely from now on. He said Rao Lu requested it herself, and the matter is settled.” Lady Yun looked at Duan Min, her eyebrows tightly furrowed.
“Rao Lu is going to follow me?” Duan Min was slightly surprised, then realized, “That makes sense. After all, I was the one who got her back from Shui Yanghua. She probably doesn’t know that Shui Yanghua wouldn’t easily kill anyone anyway.” She then smiled at Lady Yun, “This is nothing. Why are you so reluctant?”
“You don’t know the inside story. Everyone who works for me here was brought in by Prince Xuan, but only Nao Hong and Rao Lu came from the Prince Xuan’s residence. To put it plainly, everyone is Prince Xuan’s eyes and ears, and those two are the heads of the eyes and ears. Giving Rao Lu to you now means Prince Xuan holds you in high regard.”
Lady Yun whispered, full of worry. She hesitated for a moment and added, “He also reprimanded me for not telling him about your relationship with Miss Yang sooner. I’m afraid he won’t let you stay here peacefully in the future.”
Duan Min was slightly stunned by this. After a long while, she suddenly asked, “Has Prince Xuan ever seen me?”
Lady Yun didn’t know what she was thinking. She said, “He has. About half a month ago, the day before Mu Ye asked Miss Yang to meet at the Floating Fish Platform, you were in the garden learning to dance with Yun Jian. He watched you from my window for a long time.”
“You weren’t jealous?” Duan Min smiled at Lady Yun. Lady Yun blushed and scolded, “You really are drunk!” After a pause, she continued, “I’ve been here for three years and am used to frivolous behavior. I could tell at a glance that he didn’t feel that way about you. It was more like… like he was formulating a plan.”
“Don’t worry too much. Nothing will happen.” Duan Min seemed completely unconcerned. She asked, “When will Rao Lu come to me?”
“Prince Xuan allowed her to go to De’en Temple to offer incense. She will come when she returns in a couple of days.” Lady Yun felt even more worried seeing Duan Min’s reaction. Her heart skipped a beat, and she gripped Duan Min’s hand, asking urgently, “Are you hiding something from me?”