The next morning.
Sunlight streamed through the open window, filling the room.
The dining table was already set with steaming porridge and simple bread.
Qin Luo was nearby, brewing a pot of stomach-warming tea.
Outside the house.
Zhu Lan, with dark circles under her eyes, yawned.
She was always on duty.
But her gaze was a bit dazed. What exactly happened last night?
Inside, at the dining table.
Su Muwan, Yan Qiuyue, and Su Bailian looked listless and worn out.
Su Muwan stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling strange. She was sure something had happened last night, but why couldn’t she remember?
Yan Qiuyue looked down at the table in confusion. How odd, what was she even here for?
Su Bailian sneezed, looking utterly drained. How strange, why wasn’t she sleeping in her velvet-covered bed? And... it felt like she had forgotten something important.
After the noisy night, all that remained was a splitting headache from the hangover.
Tap.
"Stop overthinking it. Come and have some tea to warm your stomach," Qin Luo said.
He was wearing a shark-themed apron, carrying a teapot and a few cups, which he placed on the table.
Hearing Qin Luo's voice, Su Muwan’s dazed state eased slightly.
Her hair was a mess, and she looked like she was questioning her life. "Qin Luo... how much did we drink last night? I feel like I got hit by a truck..."
"Don’t worry, Miss. Getting hit by a truck to go to another world isn’t in style anymore."
"What other world?"
"Never mind. As for how much you drank last night..."
Qin Luo poured tea for Su Muwan while gesturing toward a towering pyramid of empty bottles. "Take a look. This is your handiwork from last night."
The group glanced over and immediately winced.
This was clearly not a normal amount of wine for anyone to consume.
Did we... really drink that much?
We blacked out!
Did we do something we shouldn’t have?!
They all thought of this at the same time and instinctively turned to Qin Luo.
Qin Luo shook his head helplessly and shrugged. "I know what you’re thinking."
"But sorry to disappoint, nothing like that happened."
"The game only got halfway through before Miss Yan and Su Bailian passed out."
Oh, that’s a relief.
Yan Qiuyue and Su Bailian let out a sigh of relief.
They vaguely remembered Su Muwan getting drunk and calling them over to join her.
After a few drinks, they lost consciousness.
So they just fell asleep... that’s good.
Su Muwan nodded as well. So that’s what happened.
Wait.
She frowned, sipping her tea while giving Qin Luo a strange look. "Hold on, Qin Luo. What about me?"
"You said they passed out, but what about me?"
Hearing this.
"You..."
Qin Luo glanced at Su Muwan, his eyes lingering on her full, red lips for a moment.
He quickly looked away and coughed. "You... fell asleep too."
Su Muwan: ?? What’s with that reaction?
She shot up from her seat, pointing at Qin Luo in shock. "No! That reaction is off!"
"There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?!"
"Qin Luo! What did I do last night?!"
Su Muwan’s heart raced. They say drunk words are sober thoughts.
Originally, she had planned to get Qin Luo to spill some truths, but something must have gone wrong along the way.
She ended up getting drunk instead.
And then... there was nothing after that.
Now, seeing Qin Luo’s evasive attitude...
No way! Did something really happen?!
"Really, Miss, there’s nothing. Just eat your breakfast."
"Qin Luo!"
Meanwhile.
At the Su residence.
"Woof!"
Boqi trotted over to his food bowl.
He was carrying a scarf in his mouth, something he always needed to wear around his neck before eating.
But this time...
Boqi glanced at his empty bowl.
His eyes went blank.
"Woof??"
...
...
Breakfast was over.
Splash, splash~!
In the bathroom.
Su Muwan leaned against the sink, her eyes closed as she tried to recall the events of last night.
Though her memory was hazy, she was, after all, a powerhouse who had surpassed the peak of the Ascension Realm.
Fragments of memories flickered in her mind.
Huh?
Why did I get drunk even after reaching the state of returning to simplicity?
Su Muwan frowned. Never mind, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
She vaguely remembered saying some bold things under the influence of alcohol.
Bold things...
Su Muwan reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled little card.
On it was written:
[Kiss any player of your choice.]
Hmm...
Why was this card in her pocket...
Su Muwan stared at the card in her hand, her mind racing.
Buzz!
Her face flushed, and her pupils shook.
Did I... kiss Qin Luo?!
Thinking back to Qin Luo’s earlier behavior, no way!
Could it be?!
Su Muwan covered her face, shocked. Did I really do something like that?!
Come to think of it, Qin Luo kept glancing at my lips during breakfast.
Ah!
Oh my god!
But the next second, she noticed something off.
Wait, there’s no way we kissed!
Su Muwan shook her head.
Su Muwan’s little lecture began.
From past experiences, even simple contact with Qin Luo could boost her cultivation speed.
Sharing an item with him—essentially an indirect kiss—boosted it even more!
So, if they had actually kissed... wouldn’t her cultivation speed have skyrocketed?!
But...
Su Muwan checked her dantian.
Her cultivation speed hadn’t increased at all...
Therefore!
Su Muwan clenched the card and nodded firmly.
Qin Luo and I! Absolutely did not do anything last night!
"Haha, that’s so like you, Su Muwan!"
Su Muwan had figured it out, but for some reason...
She felt a little disappointed. Why was that?
Suddenly.
A figure flashed past the bathroom door—it was Qin Luo.
Su Muwan instinctively poked her head out to look.
She saw Qin Luo pushing a small laundry basket toward the laundry room.
Su Muwan blinked, then tiptoed over and tapped Qin Luo on the shoulder. "Qin Luo, wait a second."
Qin Luo paused, stopping what he was doing. He turned to look at Su Muwan, who was already crouching down and rummaging through the basket.
His mouth twitched. "Miss, what are you doing?"
"Asking me what I’m doing..."
Su Muwan casually picked up a white shirt—clearly Qin Luo’s.
She frowned at the stains on it.
This would need to be blurred out for broadcast!
"How did this happen?"
Su Muwan looked up at Qin Luo, puzzled.
"Weren’t it just the few of us last night?"
"Did you throw up on yourself?"
Qin Luo grabbed the shirt back. He looked at Su Muwan, thought for a moment, and then coughed lightly. "It wasn’t me."
With that, he pushed the basket toward the laundry room.
As for Su Muwan, she frowned.
Su Bailian, Yan Qiuyue, and Zhu Lan had all passed out.
And it wasn’t Qin Luo.
So who was it?
Ugh, thinking about it made her head hurt.
Forget it, she’d stop overthinking.
Su Muwan stood up, about to head off and change her clothes.
But then she blinked.
And suddenly turned her head to look in the direction Qin Luo had gone.
Huh?
Wait a minute...