When Churi Huaizhu returned to her room, Wangquan Baye had already tidied up his appearance. One couldn't tell that he had just spat out blood, and Churi Huaizhu was completely unaware of this incident.
She noticed that Wangquan Baye looked somewhat listless. She walked up to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. Wangquan Baye patted her hand in return.
"Where did you go just now? Why didn't I see you?" Churi Huaizhu asked Wangquan Baye, pretending to be oblivious.
Wangquan Baye looked at her confused face, hiding the bitterness in his heart. He smiled but said nothing. Churi Huaizhu also showed a smile and accompanied Wangquan Baye to sit beside the desk, reading military books and miscellaneous records.
Days passed like this. The two of them always accompanied each other. However, no matter how much Churi Huaizhu comforted Wangquan Baye, he just couldn't get over the deaths of the members of the Masked Group.
She watched as Wangquan Baye became more and more decadent day by day. Nothing could make him break free from the numbness of alcohol.
"Stop drinking. Drinking too much is harmful to your health. Moreover, drinking day and night will do even more damage to your body." One night, Churi Huaizhu snatched the wine from Wangquan Baye's hand. Looking at his blood - shot eyes, she was a bit puzzled.
"Give... give the wine back to me. I must drink it." Wangquan Baye stammered, but still didn't forget about the wine in Churi Huaizhu's hand. He tried to grab it, but Churi Huaizhu dodged.
Wangquan Baye covered his eyes with his hand. He knew he shouldn't drink, but without alcohol, his heart ached. He would always remember what had happened that day, and he couldn't forgive himself for being the only one alive. Alcohol could make him stop thinking so much.
Churi Huaizhu felt heart - ache. The indomitable man and the drunken mess in front of her gradually overlapped in her mind. She didn't want to accept that the man she loved had become so degenerate, but she had no way to lift him out of this state.
"Since you want to drink, I'll accompany you today. This wine shouldn't be enjoyed by you alone!" Churi Huaizhu divided the wine into two portions, handing one to Wangquan Baye and keeping the other for herself.
Wangquan Baye was stunned for a moment when he saw Churi Huaizhu's serious expression. Then he showed a big smile and clinked glasses with her. The two of them sat in the room, drinking glass after glass. Time gradually passed in the night and the smell of alcohol.
"Huaizhu, do you know? My heart aches. They were all my brothers, but none of them survived in the end!" Wangquan Baye hugged Churi Huaizhu and cried bitterly.
It is said that a real man never sheds tears easily, but the separation and death of his brothers made Wangquan Baye forget about such notions.
Churi Huaizhu was a bit dazed. She was also drunk. She hugged Wangquan Baye, and in front of her eyes appeared the face of her father and Dongfang Qinlan. She hadn't seen Qinlan for a long time.
The two of them hugged each other and drunkenly lay on the bed. There were countless wine flasks on the ground. When the maid came in the next day, the strong smell of alcohol in the room made her want to back out.
She pinched her nose and looked at the two of them hugging each other. There was a bit of jealousy in her heart. She looked at Churi Huaizhu and smiled strangely. The two sleeping people had no idea that someone had come in while they were sleeping. The alcohol had made them completely drunk.
When the two of them woke up, it was already late in the morning. Looking at each other's decadent faces due to the hangover, they both laughed. Just as they were about to tidy themselves up, the voice of the maid came from outside the door.
"Young master, please gather in the hall after you've tidied up. Today is a family banquet, and the whole family has been waiting for a long time."
Wangquan Baye had completely forgotten about the family gathering. He and Churi Huaizhu quickly cleaned themselves up, put on new clothes, and opened the window to let out some of the smell of alcohol in the room.
The family elders there already knew about the two of them getting drunk the previous night. Their impression of Churi Huaizhu worsened a bit. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were late for the family gathering, Churi Huaizhu had already become a seductive woman in the eyes of the family elders.
"Today is a family banquet. Firstly, it's to celebrate the young master's marriage. Secondly, it's about the concubine beside the young master." An elder who was in charge looked at Churi Huaizhu with a bad look in his eyes.
Churi Huaizhu was a bit confused. Even if she was late, there was no need to look at her like this. It made her feel uncomfortable.
Wangquan Baye beside her didn't notice at all. He was just a bit dissatisfied with the elder's way of referring to Huaizhu.
"Today, why are you two so late? Did something delay you?" The elder sitting on the upper seat asked casually.
The two of them looked at each other but said nothing. The elder didn't seem to mind. He continued to ask,
"I heard that the woman beside you got drunk with you last night, making you have no mood to practice swordsmanship?" This really made Wangquan Baye unable to sit still, but before he could say anything, Churi Huaizhu stopped him.
After all, these were elders. If Wangquan Baye tried to explain, it would only give the elders a bad impression of him.
"Uncle, last night my husband and I had some troubles in our hearts, so we drank a little. But we weren't really drunk. After all, for a martial artist, drinking a little isn't a big deal."
The elder on the stage heard this and looked up at Churi Huaizhu. Seeing her gentle smile, he frowned, feeling confused about her vague explanation and having an even worse impression of her.
After the banquet, the two of them returned to their room. Churi Huaizhu accompanied Wangquan Baye to clean his sword. She seemed not to care about the elders' impressions at all.
"Young master, it's bad. The old master is sick. I'm afraid he doesn't have much time left!" A servant rushed in, interrupting their time together.
Wangquan Baye quickly took Churi Huaizhu to the old master's room. Looking at his father lying on the bed, breathing weakly, Wangquan Baye couldn't believe it.
But it was all true. His father's illness came suddenly. In just three or five days, he completely lost his breath and passed away.
"Husband..." Churi Huaizhu accompanied Wangquan Baye, not knowing what to say. She just stayed quietly, giving him strength.
The people of the Wangquan family were preparing for the old master's funeral. They hung white cloths all over the mansion. At the same time, they sent people to spread the news, telling the martial arts community that the old master had passed away and that the funeral would be held soon.
Wangquan Baye watched them bustling around. He felt lost. He didn't know what he should do or what he could do. At the funeral, Wangquan Baye was like a soulless walking corpse. Just looking at him made people feel depressed.
"Please, young master, accept my condolences. Don't be too sad." An elder comforted Wangquan Baye.