In a moment of impulse, Zhu Xu's mischievous nature flared, "You old fogey, you're spilling your wine!"
"What! My wine!" The Wine Immortal hurriedly lowered his head. Seeing that the wine gourd in his hand was still safely in his grasp, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You rascal, not only do you disgrace my title of 'Wine Immortal,' but you also play tricks on me. Today, I'll make you lose utterly, and then you'll fetch wine for me in the mortal realm for a month!"
Having spoken, the Wine Immortal placed his wine gourd on the table with both hands, looking as if he was determined to teach Zhu Xu a lesson.
"We will win," Zhao Xue leaned in, looking at Zhu Xu's profile, her eyes filled with Zhu Xu's reflection.
By this time, Zhu Xu had already regained her composure, the initial impulse gone.
She stole a glance at Zhao Xue beside her, her face flushing and paling. She was filled with regret; her image of an aloof, ethereal empress had utterly shattered.
"A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding." Zhu Xu tried to laugh it off, wanting to move past her earlier behavior. However, the Wine Immortal, deep in his cups, not only didn't recognize Zhu Xu but also his thoughts were exceptionally chaotic.
"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? I am the Wine Immortal himself, the dignified 'Immortal of Wine.' Don't you accept it? If not, come and fight!"
As he spoke, the Wine Immortal conjured another jar of wine from thin air. With a wave of his hand, he swept away the chessboard and placed the jar of wine before Zhu Xu.
Zhao Xue frowned, about to take the wine jar away, but Zhu Xu was a step ahead. She scooped up the wine jar and gulped it down with a chug.
"What can cure worries? Only Du Kang."
As a mouthful of strong wine went down, Zhu Xu mumbled to herself. However, she soon remembered her earlier impish behavior and couldn't help but continue to guzzle the wine from the jar.
"Xu Xu, let's not drink anymore, okay?"
Zhao Xue, her eyes filled with nothing but Zhu Xu, watched this with concern, worried Zhu Xu would feel unwell later. She placed her hands on Zhu Xu's wine jar, stopping her.
Zhu Xu looked up at Zhao Xue before her and was immediately reminded of her utterly ungraceful behavior in front of Zhao Xue. She felt a surge of embarrassment and discomfort.
Zhu Xu used her other hand to push away Zhao Xue's hand on the wine jar and then, holding the jar, brought it to Zhao Xue's lips. "Zhao Xue, you should drink some wine too."
Perhaps after drinking, Zhao Xue would forget the undignified Empress Zhu Xu.
With this thought, Zhu Xu directly thrust the wine jar to Zhao Xue's mouth, her expression unyielding.
Zhao Xue reluctantly complied and, with Zhu Xu's force, drank.
"Zhao Xue, do you still remember me?"
Zhao Xue nodded hazily.
After being completely refilled with wine by Zhu Xu, the corners of Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes instantly turned red.
"Oh," Zhu Xu said, hugging the empty wine jar with a hint of disappointment, looking rather pathetic.
She herself wasn't truly drunk; she was merely using alcohol as an excuse to act foolish.
"Hey, you're not doing well. Another jar."
Zhu Xu thought, she hadn't yet seen what a drunk Zhao Xue looked like. Perhaps if she saw it, Zhao Xue would forget her earlier impish demeanor.
The Wine Immortal, who was tilting his head back and vigorously pouring wine into his mouth from his gourd, showed an expression of surprise and fighting spirit.
"Continue!" the Wine Immortal declared, producing another pot of wine and placing it before Zhu Xu. Zhu Xu grabbed it and turned, looking expectantly at the already tipsy Zhao Xue.
Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes, clouded with confusion, were now tinged with a layer of mist. "More?"
"More!" Zhu Xu, as if injected with some unknown elixir, was inexplicably energetic.
Hearing this, Zhao Xue showed no displeasure. Instead, with a light smile, he took the pot and began to drink it himself.
After all, this person was standing in the center of his heart. If Xu Xu could be happy, he would gladly drink any amount.
"Zhao Xue, don't drink so quickly."
Although it was Zhu Xu who wanted Zhao Xue to drink, seeing him gulping so fast, she became worried again.
Zhao Xue obediently slowed his pace, allowing the unpleasant spiciness to spread in his mouth.
Before long, the entire pot of wine had entered Zhao Xue's stomach.
"Zhao Xue, are you drunk?"
Zhu Xu took the empty wine jar from Zhao Xue's hand and casually tossed it aside. Then, cupping Zhao Xue's cheeks in her hands, they drew very close to each other.
At this moment, the Wine Immortal, having emptied his gourd, watched this scene and suddenly seemed to grasp the truth.
He remembered a rhyme he had composed in his youth, what was it...
Right, it was "When men and women drink together, one is drunk, one is sober."
...
Zhao Xue nodded extremely slowly, his phoenix eyes blinking twice. Then, at the last moment, he pulled Zhu Xu's hands away and collapsed onto the stone table.
Seeing this, Zhu Xu also fell beside Zhao Xue. Zhu Xu looked at Zhao Xue's lips, red as blood, and the feigned drunkenness in her eyes transformed into urgent desire.
"Zhao Xue, I'm drunk," Zhu Xu whispered secretly in Zhao Xue's ear.
Zhao Xue showed no reaction. Zhu Xu grew bolder, leaned back slightly, and in an even softer voice, whispered, "I'll just have one kiss."
As she spoke, Zhu Xu slowly extended a forefinger, as if to say she would truly only kiss him once.
Zhao Xue's breathing was heavy after getting drunk. As Zhu Xu drew near, his scorching breath made her face flush even redder.
Zhu Xu paused strategically for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on Zhao Xue's face. Just as they were about to embrace intimately, a few deliberate coughs suddenly came from beside Zhu Xu.
"Oh dear."
Startled, Zhu Xu sprang up, intending to move away, but she momentarily forgot about the stone stool beneath her and fell backward.
"Tsk, tsk, look at that, how old are they, and still so unruly."
Hearing the voice, which was usually authoritative but now tinged with a different emotion, the Wine Immortal sobered up a bit. Looking up, he saw the Jade Emperor standing right before him.
In an instant, all his drunkenness vanished. He grabbed his wine gourd and disappeared without a trace.
"Father, why are you here?" Zhu Xu, who wasn't drunk at all, was now completely sober with nervousness.
"What? Can I not come?"
"You know that's not what I meant."
"Come with me." After helping Zhu Xu up, the Jade Emperor turned and walked away.
Zhu Xu cast a deep look at Zhao Xue and had no choice but to follow the Jade Emperor.