Chapter 8: Intoxicating Allure

Xiao Qiang had barely finished speaking before Xiao Yi felt several gazes land upon her.

She pursed her lips, silently set down the piece of meat she had picked up, and kept her head low, waiting for these people to jump out and blame her.

She did not believe for a second that Xiao Qiang had a poor appetite. Compared to two years ago, Xiao Qiang had put on quite a bit of weight; when she first returned, Xiao Yi had barely recognized her. Yet, there were always those who would believe Xiao Qiang’s words.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the Clan Leader’s wife felt her eyes grow moist. She left her seat, sat down beside Xiao Qiang, and took her hand. "Qiang'er, it is Mother’s fault for letting you suffer so."

After comforting Xiao Qiang with tender care, the Clan Leader’s wife turned to Xiao Yi. "Xiao Yi, your sister has suffered greatly because of you. Her stomach is weak, and her constitution is fragile. You must do more to help her."

Although Xiao Yi felt resentful, she compromised and nodded. "Very well, Madam."

The Clan Leader’s wife nodded with satisfaction and proceeded to urge Xiao Qiang to eat more meat. Xiao Qiang forced down a few bites, but beneath the table, her hand was clenched tightly against her dress.

Was her father, mother, and brother really going to let Xiao Yi off so lightly? Had the suffering she endured yesterday been for nothing? How could she swallow this indignation? And what, exactly, did she lack compared to that little vixen?

Before Xiao Yi had returned, she was the center of attention in the clan no matter where she went or what she did. Now, only a day after Xiao Yi’s return, the girl had already ensnared her brother and changed into striking robes, dressing up to intentionally compete with her.

As the banquet began, Xiao Yi had already hooked Shen Lan. The two were exchanging flirtatious glances, not even bothering to hide it. Jealous of Xiao Yi’s charms, she had wanted to seek comfort from her brother, only to find his own eyes fixed squarely on Xiao Yi.

How could this be allowed?

Xiao Qiang lowered her eyes in thought. Just as she formulated a plan and prepared to stand, she saw Shen Lan rise from across the table, his hands clasped.

The two stood up almost simultaneously. Xiao Qiang felt a tremor in her heart when she caught the gaze of Shen Lan’s grey eyes; unable to meet them, she slowly sat back down.

Shen Lan, however, had not noticed these details. He had been so preoccupied with the gluttonous white fox beside him that he had nearly forgotten his true purpose.

"Clan Leader Xiao, my young master has recently taken his position and wishes to form an alliance with the White Fox clan to resolve old grievances. To show our sincerity, I have been ordered to present this rose-gold hairpin as a token of the betrothal." With that, Shen Lan took the hairpin from his robes and held it in his palm.

"Young Master Shen is certainly full of sincerity, and I, too, hope for our two families to move forward hand in hand. However, I have two daughters; I neglected to clarify this earlier. Should you perhaps report this to Young Master Shen?"

"There is no need. My young master has long heard of Miss Xiao Qiang’s beauty and will marry no one else. The rose-gold hairpin was custom-made specifically for her."

At these words, everyone wore different expressions. Xiao Yi felt nothing; the black wolf had said these words to her face just yesterday. She remained puzzled—the Clan Leader, his wife, and Xiao Ru regarded Xiao Qiang as the apple of their eye; how could they bear to marry her off to the Wolf Clan?

The mountains were high and the roads long; it would take a long time for Xiao Qiang to return in the future. But what did that have to do with her? Xiao Yi pushed the stray thoughts from her mind and, noticing no one was paying attention, ate another slice of meat.

Xiao Ru, meanwhile, frowned. His sister Qiang’s suffering in her early years had stemmed from the Wolf Clan. This was a debt the Fox clan would eventually have to collect. His parents' actions were no different than pushing her into a pit of fire. Yet, though he opposed the union, his parents' word was law, and he could not defy them.

Xiao Qiang, however, was stunned. When she first met Shen Lan, she had been terrified, and when her mother mentioned yesterday that the Black Wolf clan’s young master wanted to marry her, she had panicked. She looked hesitantly at her mother, who nodded at her. She then looked at her father, who also gave a slight nod.

Reassured, Xiao Qiang figured her parents would never abandon her, so she walked over to Shen Lan to accept the rose-gold hairpin.

Unexpectedly, just as she reached out, Shen Lan stepped back. "I must trouble Miss Xiao to remove your veil before accepting the hairpin, so that I may report back properly."

Xiao Qiang hesitated; she had worn the veil today specifically to avoid showing her face. "Envoy Shen, I am pale and haggard from illness; perhaps I should not uncover it."

She reached out tentatively, but Shen Lan stepped back again, unwilling to compromise. The Fox clan had initially refused the marriage proposal, only to suddenly relent; how could he not be on his guard?

"What does it matter if she doesn't remove it?" Xiao Ru, already resentful, saw Shen Lan’s persistence and could not help but step forward to shield his sister.

Shen Lan did not retreat an inch, standing his ground. "Forgive me, Young Master Xiao. My master is pained that he could not see your sister in person to present this hairpin himself. That is why he sent me. Upon my return, the young master will need to rely on what I have seen to ease his longing."

Hearing the reasoning, the Clan Leader and his wife agreed it made sense. Since they had already planned out the subsequent steps, they could not afford a mishap now and urged her. "Qiang'er?"

With everyone’s eyes fixed on her, Xiao Qiang knew she had no choice. She tugged at Xiao Ru’s sleeve. "Brother, I am fine."

She took a deep breath and slowly lifted her veil. Seeing that Shen Lan’s expression remained unchanged, the stone in her heart fell into place. Shen Lan silently noted her true face; although she looked vaguely familiar, he could not recall where he had seen her before.

*It must be my imagination,* he thought.

After a brief pause, he presented the hairpin as promised. Once Xiao Qiang accepted it, the union between the Black Wolf and White Fox clans was officially confirmed. With the urgent business concluded, the banquet drew to a close.

As the Clan Leader and his wife invited Shen Lan away for further conversation, Xiao Qiang, having escaped a crisis, found her thoughts turning elsewhere. Do not think she hadn't noticed: while she was suffering, Xiao Yi had been hiding in a corner, eating to her heart's content.

Why should a mere adopted daughter live so comfortably and carefree? She deserved to suffer a little.

Xiao Qiang signaled quietly, and Xiao Qiu leaned in to listen. "Go and... remember..."

After Xiao Qiang finished speaking, Xiao Qiu slipped silently out of the Listening Wind Pavilion. Before long, a pot of wine was served at every table.

Seeing the wine, Xiao Yi’s eyes lit up. During festivals and family gatherings in her childhood, there was always a pot of clear, fine wine. Ever since she had tasted it once with her chopsticks, she had grown fond of the flavor.

Once the wine was on the table, she didn't think twice and drank eagerly. Cup after cup followed. Perhaps it was because she had learned Xiao Qiang was to be married far away, or perhaps it was the wine drowning her sorrows, but Xiao Yi’s cheeks were soon flushed, her lips like cinnabar, her face like a spring blossom.

She slumped over the table, her posture so alluring that passing servants couldn't help but pause and steal glances.

Xiao Ru noticed the commotion at Xiao Yi’s side. He dismissed the lingering foxes and pulled Xiao Yi up, annoyed. "Have you ever lacked food or drink? Gorging yourself like this—what kind of decorum is this?"

"Who are you? *Hiccup*..." Xiao Yi pressed her fingertips against Xiao Ru’s chest, stumbled past him, and headed out of the pavilion.

She had eaten plenty of venison today, and after the wine, her mind was hazy and her body felt scorching hot. The cold wind outside the pavilion offered relief from the heat of the wine. Xiao Yi walked under the corridor with unsteady steps until, losing her footing, she slipped and fell to the ground.

The icy stone floor felt wonderful. Xiao Yi exhaled hot air, pressing her hands against the ground to cool down. But before long, the stone warmed up, losing its appeal.

She managed to roll over and loosened her clothes; the sudden release of her burning skin felt refreshing. Just then, she heard a man’s voice above her.

Xiao Yi reached out and touched someone’s ankle.

"Xiao Yi? What’s wrong with you?" Shen Lan had just parted ways with the Clan Leader and his wife, only to run into Xiao Yi here.

Xiao Yi murmured something unintelligible. Shen Lan leaned down slightly to listen, never expecting the fox on the ground to be so intoxicated that she had lost all inhibitions.

In a moment of distraction, Xiao Yi’s bare arms looped around his neck, her head buried against his shoulder, and her red lips pecked at his Adam's apple.