After Qin Huaiqiu had a mung bean cake, his stomach seemed to be awakened by a glutton. He really couldn't bear it anymore. He was too lazy to change his seat. After all, the food in front of Sikong Ting was all top - notch. Since Sikong Ting didn't mind, why should he make himself suffer?
Thinking of this, Qin Huaiqiu got bold. He reached out and grabbed a crab - roe bun and swallowed it in one bite.
Sikong Ting found it funny and said, "No one is going to fight you for it."
Qin Huaiqiu made a "whining" sound with the bun in his mouth as a response, then reached out and grabbed a red - bean crisp.
Sikong Ting was amused by his appearance. He put one arm around Qin Huaiqiu's waist and laughed, lying on his back. He rested his chin on Qin Huaiqiu's shoulder. Because of their close contact, Qin Huaiqiu felt that Sikong Ting's laughter was especially deep, with the magnetism and charm of a mature man. It made his chest feel stuffy.
Qin Huaiqiu only felt a hot current rushing straight to his head. He stood up suddenly like a conditioned reflex.
Sikong Ting had no idea that he would do this suddenly. His chin on Qin Huaiqiu's shoulder was hit hard: "Ouch!"
All the ministers only heard the emperor's pained cry. Then they saw that Concubine De had returned to her own seat, leaving the emperor sitting there alone, covering his mouth with his hand, his face as black as if it had been smeared with ink.
"I... didn't do it on purpose," Qin Huaiqiu said, knowing that he had caused trouble and lowering his head guiltily.
"Qin..." Sikong Ting was so angry that he wanted to speak, but he had bitten his own tongue just now and couldn't make a sound for a while due to the pain.
Qin Huaiqiu lowered his head even more. Sikong Ting saw his aggrieved look, sighed in his heart, and his anger subsided a little. Just as he was about to comfort him, he saw Qin Huaiqiu's hand suddenly move. He quickly stuffed the red - bean crisp into his mouth, then lowered his head and chewed it slightly.
This action was so fast that others, being far away, didn't see clearly.
But Sikong Ting saw it.
All the ministers suddenly felt that the air pressure in the tent became lower. If the hostility radiating from around the emperor could be visualized, it would probably fill the whole tent.
Sikong Ting slammed his fist on the table with a "bang". With a black face, he said in a voice almost like a devil's whisper, "Let the banquet begin!"
The whole banquet followed the process set by the Ministry of Rites. By the end, Qin Huaiqiu felt that his stomach was about to burst. He burped and leaned back contentedly to rest.
At night, the banquet was coming to an end. Sikong Ting had drunk some wine. He stood up and prepared to go back to his tent to rest.
He took a few steps and suddenly turned to look at Qin Huaiqiu, frowning and saying, "Aren't you coming?"
Qin Huaiqiu was confused. He pointed to himself and said, "Why should I go?" He had just finished eating and hadn't rested enough.
Sikong Ting gritted his teeth and said, "If you don't go back with me, where else do you want to go?"
Hearing this, Qin Huaiqiu thought to himself that this guy was really like someone who had been bitten by a snake and was now afraid of a well - rope. He was so afraid that he would run away that he must want him to always be under his nose.
"Come on!"
Qin Huaiqiu stood up resignedly and walked over in small steps.
He originally wanted to stand behind Sikong Ting, but unexpectedly, Sikong Ting became domineering again. He grabbed Qin Huaiqiu and put his arm around his shoulder, walking forward.
All the ministers in the tent thought: The emperor really dotes on Concubine De...
All the old ministers thought: The late emperor, aaah, waaaah!
Prince San, Sikong Chen, thought: I'm full. Time to sleep.
Only Qin Huaiqiu knew that Sikong Ting was drunk. Because the hand that Sikong Ting put on his shoulder was almost bearing the full weight of his body. If it weren't for the fact that Qin Huaiqiu had practiced martial arts, if it were really Qin Huailian here, she probably wouldn't be able to bear Sikong Ting at all.
"Hey! You're so heavy!" Qin Huaiqiu scolded. He pushed Sikong Ting, but unexpectedly, Sikong Ting staggered and almost fell. He quickly grabbed Sikong Ting and let him lean on his neck with a long sigh.
How much on earth had this guy drunk?
"Back to the tent..."
"Got it!" Qin Huaiqiu gritted his teeth.
When they got to the tent, half of Qin Huaiqiu's shoulder was almost numb. He carried Sikong Ting to the bed and laid him down. By now, Sikong Ting was so drunk that he had fallen asleep. Qin Huaiqiu was too lazy to take off his clothes. He grabbed a quilt and covered him, then was about to leave.
But unexpectedly, Sikong Ting woke up suddenly. He grabbed Qin Huaiqiu's wrist and said, "Where are you going?"
Qin Huaiqiu felt pain from the grip. He slapped his hand away and said, "I'm going to wash up. How can I sleep without washing?"
After saying this, he was stunned.
Sleep? Was he going to sleep with this drunk Sikong Ting?
Qin Huaiqiu shivered all over. He didn't want to.
But now he couldn't go to other tents to borrow a place to stay. He looked at Sikong Ting, whose eyelids were starting to droop again. It seemed that he could only sleep on the floor.
"I want to wash too."
"What do you need to wash for? Just go to sleep," Qin Huaiqiu said as he stuffed his hand into the quilt.
Sikong Ting was lying in bed, looking at him with his eyes: "You're going to wash up?"
"Yeah."
"Come back after washing up?"
Qin Huaiqiu was a bit annoyed: "Yes." Where else could he go?
"I don't believe it."
Qin Huaiqiu didn't quite hear clearly: "Huh?"
"I don't believe it," Sikong Ting repeated. As he spoke, he grabbed Qin Huaiqiu's hand again and threw him onto the bed. Then he leaned over and pressed on top of him.
"You're going to run away again!" Sikong Ting remembered the empty carriage he saw last night. At that time, he only felt boundless emptiness and helplessness. He knew that only by keeping this person in his own hands could he feel at ease.
"Where can I run to?" Qin Huaiqiu scolded. In this deep mountain forest, he couldn't run away by himself at all. "Get up! You're crushing me!"
Sikong Ting turned a deaf ear. He wrapped his hands around Qin Huaiqiu's back and hugged him tightly. His legs also got in between Qin Huaiqiu's legs. Like an octopus, he entangled Qin Huaiqiu.
Qin Huaiqiu: "..." What's wrong with you, Sikong Ting, after you're drunk?
"Get up!!!" Qin Huaiqiu pushed away the head that was resting on his neck. This guy was too heavy. He was being crushed and could hardly breathe.
"Go to sleep," Sikong Ting said out of the blue. Then he rolled to one side and, still holding Qin Huaiqiu tightly, lay on his side.
Qin Huaiqiu: "???"
"You... let me go!" Qin Huaiqiu struggled, but Sikong Ting was still very strong even when drunk. He couldn't break free at all.
The strong smell of alcohol emanated from Sikong Ting, assailing Qin Huaiqiu's senses. His face was against Sikong Ting's chest, and he could hear Sikong Ting's strong, rhythmic heartbeat.
"Hey... you... you're not asleep, are you?"
Sikong Ting didn't respond, but there came a steady breathing sound from above Qin Huaiqiu's head.
He pushed Sikong Ting a few times, but this guy was sleeping like a pig and didn't respond at all.
He's really asleep! Damn it!
Poor Qin Huaiqiu didn't know that his current mood was almost the same as Sikong Ting's when he was lying in Qin Huaiqiu's palace half a month ago.
He wanted to struggle to get up but was firmly restricted, which made him almost cry.
The smell of alcohol slowly lingered around the two of them. As the night grew deeper, accompanied by the slightly intoxicating smell of alcohol, Qin Huaiqiu's eyelids also began to droop. He looked up at Sikong Ting's side face, gave his chest a retaliatory pat, sighed, and resignedly lay in his arms in this position and fell asleep.
After all, it was quite cold outside.