Seeing that he was unmoved, I dipped my finger in some and quickly applied it to his lips.
He was stunned and looked at me. Perhaps he tasted the sour and sweet taste and smelled the fragrance. He couldn’t resist the temptation and slowly pursed his lips, his adam apple rolling. I took the opportunity to put the bottle in his hand: “Try it. I brewed it for you. One sip, just one sip, it won’t make you drunk.”
He picked it up hesitantly and took a sip.
I couldn’t help but stare at his lips, holding the place where I had drunk the wine. I felt itchy, and after he finished taking a sip, I snatched it away and couldn’t wait to hold the bottle mouth that was touched by his lips.
I don’t know if it’s my illusion, but the wine he drank seemed sweeter.
After drinking it, I passed it to Nalin’s lips again and coaxed him, “Isn’t it delicious? Have some more? You see, I’m fine after drinking it. It doesn’t make me drunk.”
He stared at me, as if he had really been fooled by me, and took the bottle obediently and took another sip. After just two sips, his cheeks were already flushed, and his earlobes were even more beautiful.
“Aiya, you can’t drink anymore. If you drink again, your mother will punish you.”
I snatched the bottle away and deliberately provoked him. His face darkened: “Give it to me!” He snatched the bottle away, tilted his head back, and took a sip, but I snatched it away again.
In this way, we drank the whole bottle of green plum wine, one sip each. In the past, my mother only allowed me to drink one or two sips, and it was the first time for me to drink so much. I felt dizzy, my brain was like paste, and my whole body was burning. Looking at Nalin again, his eyelashes were drooping, and he was leaning against the tree trunk. His neck and cheeks were all red — obviously, he was also very drunk.
When he closed his eyes, I called him twice: “Nalin, Nalin?”
He didn’t move, not even his long eyelashes trembled.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom…”
My heart was beating like a rabbit out of a cage. I swallowed and slowly climbed on top of him.
The eyebrows, eyes, lips, and nose that I had drawn every day and dreamed about at midnight were so close to me. I raised my hand and traced the long arc at the end of his eyes, the peaks of his nose, and finally his lips from his high eyebrows. The touch of his lips was softer than I had imagined, like a flower stamen. There was a lip bead in the center of his upper lip, which felt round and full, just like the glutinous rice dumplings made by my mother.
It must be delicious.
I held my breath, moved closer to his lips, and carefully held the bead of his lips.
Soft, really soft, softer than flower petals and glutinous rice balls. The sweet and sour taste of green plum wine spreads from the lips, and the blood in the body rushes to the heart, exploding with a bang, exploding into a ball of brilliant and magnificent fireworks.
It turns out that kissing the one you love is so thrilling that you want to die at that moment.
I felt that his breathing and mine were getting a little faster and faster, as if he was about to wake up. I jumped up and hid behind a tree. I heard no movement behind me, and my heart, which had been running wildly, gradually fell back into my chest.
I found myself having another shameful reaction in my stomach, so I got up in a hurry and wanted to leave. But then I thought that if he woke up and found that I was gone, he would be angry again. Moreover, I got him drunk this time. If I ran away, what if he was so angry that he didn’t want to be friends with me anymore?
Thinking of this, I squatted down again.
I don’t know if it’s because of the alcohol, but my lower body is extremely dry, unlike the mornings when I could just endure it and it would go away. I looked back at Nalin, who was still leaning against the tree trunk with his eyes closed, and he didn’t seem to be waking up. I hid behind the tree, bit my lips, and put my hand into my pants.
There was a gentle breeze in the afternoon, and the only sounds around me were the swaying of grass leaves, the chirping of cicadas, and the singing of birds. I didn’t dare to call his name while playing with it like I did at home. I covered my mouth and dared not make a sound.
As soon as I thought that he was just one step behind me, I reached the climate in just a few steps.
My body was limp, and my palms were wet. I fastened my pants and wanted to get up and go to the river to wash, but I had no strength left. The alcohol and sleepiness swept over me, and I soon became confused.
When I woke up and opened my eyes, I saw the twilight was already crimson between the shadows of the trees above my head.
I sat up and looked behind the tree, but I couldn’t see Nalin anymore. I panicked for a moment. I shouted his name and looked around, only to find that he was facing away from me, immersed in the water. He was shirtless, with black hair covering his snow-white shoulders. He really looked like a mermaid emerging from the water.
Thinking of my drunken behavior just now, I covered my burning face and stared at his back. I didn’t dare to call him out loud, but I found that his shoulders exposed above the water were slightly shaking, as if he was crying.
Did he think of something sad?
My heart tightened, and I shouted, “Nalin!”
His shoulders stiffened, but he did not look back. Instead, his body sank into the water, leaving only his head above the water.
“What’s wrong with you?” I got up worriedly and walked towards him. I hadn’t taken two steps when I heard him shout, “Stop. I’m fine. I just want to try to see how deep the river is and whether I can swim across or not.”
“Oh…” So he was swimming! I breathed a sigh of relief, “You’d better get up quickly. The current is so fast in the middle. Be careful not to get washed away.”
“Turn around.”
Ah? Don’t you want me to see him getting dressed? He’s not even a girl…
I complained in my heart but still did as I was told and turned my back.
After a long while, I heard the sound of water splashing and him rising from the water. I couldn’t help but look back and take a peek, but I was dazzled by his snow-white body stained by the twilight.
Although he looked thin, he had a physique close to that of an adult man, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and two deep mermaid lines extending from both sides of his lower abdomen into his wet and loose trouser waistband. He was wearing white trousers, which were almost transparent in the twilight, so even the outline of that part was clearly visible.
I stared at that place, my heart pounding, and I couldn’t help swallowing my saliva.
As he raised his eyes, he saw me peeping at his privacy. His hands froze, and his blue eyes stared at me. I turned around in a hurry, wishing I could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
When I heard his footsteps on the water coming behind me, my heart almost jumped out of my throat.
“You said that the wine is not intoxicating, you lied to me again.”
I turned around guiltily and saw that he was dressed neatly, but his long hair and face were wet with water dripping down, and his blue eyes were also damp and dark.
“I remembered that I have to go home for dinner tonight, so I’ll go back first!”
Before he came closer, I ran away guiltily.
For several days afterwards, I didn’t feel like looking for Nalin. After finishing my private academy, I went to collect mineral pigment. In early autumn, I collected all the pigments, but I didn’t find red agate.
Seeing that I was looking sad at home, my sister kept asking me what was wrong, and I told her secretly.
As a result, when I was halfway to the royal city, I found a red agate bracelet in my pocket with a note attached. When I opened it, it was my mother’s beautiful handwriting. She said that the bracelet had a defect and was of average quality. She didn’t wear it on weekdays and asked me to take it to pay the tuition for my painting master.
I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes, and I almost cried.
Although my father didn’t dote on me much, but I had the best mother in the world.
When I arrived near the royal city, I didn’t go to my master’s shop first but went to Nalin’s residence as usual. If I were to formally acknowledge my master today, it would likely take a lot of time, and I didn’t want to make him wait even a moment.
Climbing over the eaves, I saw him waiting for me in the courtyard as always, with pastries prepared, like a newlywed bride eagerly awaiting my return. My heart melted like honey, and I couldn’t wait to jump down and appear before him.
“You’re finally here.” He gazed at me as I approached, his eyes holding a hint of annoyance.
I knew he must be upset that I hadn’t come to see him these past few days. But after being caught peeking at him that day, I truly didn’t know how to face him, though perhaps he hadn’t thought much of it at all, and it was just my own guilty conscience. Carefully, I approached him and murmured, “I was just out collecting pigments. The deadline my master gave me is the end of this month. You know… I really want to become his apprentice and learn painting.”
He lowered his lashes, his gaze dark and unreadable, and said moodily, “After you eat today, there will be none tomorrow.”
—The mirabilis was already fading.
I sat down in front of him, grabbed a flower cake, and took a big bite, grinning at him with crumbs all over my mouth. “It’s enough. You’ve been feeding me these for a whole month, I’ve even gained weight! Even my mother already noticed.”
“You have gained weight,” he remarked, studying me with a serious tone. “Before, you were too thin. What do you usually eat at home?”
I was taken aback. “Just… regular meals.”
“Do you often not get enough to eat?” He asked.
“Not at all.” I smiled. “So, what do you usually eat? You’ve grown so tall, you must eat a lot, right? Every time I come, you just watch me eat, and I never know what you like. If I knew, next time I’d ask my mother to teach me and make something to bring for you. Would you tell me?”
“I…” He murmured, “I only eat one meal every seven days. My mother has the servants bring it to me. The rest of the time, I fast and don’t feel hungry. I don’t even know what I like to eat.”
I was shocked and angrily said, “Isn’t this abuse? Only one meal every seven days? The rest of the time, you’re just drinking air and dew? Starting tomorrow, I’ll bring you braised chicken legs from home to eat.”
He looked at me, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His gaze dropped to my cheek, and he pointed at it.
I stared dumbly at his smile, forgetting to wipe the crumbs from the corner of my mouth. It wasn’t until I felt a warmth near my cheek that I snapped back to reality, only to see his long finger gently brush past my lips. His fingertip was warm, the red jade of his ring dazzling like a flame, igniting something in my heart, making my blood race and my head spin.
“Nalin, will you get married in the future?” I was distracted and asked the question in my mind out loud.
Nalin was startled, then shook his head.
Can a royal family member decide on his own marriage?
I didn’t dare to ask, but when I thought that he would get married in the future, and that one day he would have a princess consort and a woman to accompany him, and that we would never be able to live like this again, my heart ached.
“What about you?”
When he asked me this, I was stunned and shook my head: “I won’t get married. I am an illegitimate child, so marriage is hard to say. I can stay at home and serve my mother and father for the rest of my life. But you… if you don’t get married, won’t your mother and king father arrange a marriage for you or object?”
“My status does not allow me to marry like an ordinary prince.” He stared at me and spoke faster than usual. “Why are you asking this?”
My heart skipped a beat.
Somewhat at a loss, I stood up and said, “I should go now. I have to go and learn from my master today.”
