Chapter 157: Hangover Tea

When Baili Xian loosened most of the restraints on Liu Ling’er, his face turned green on the spot. He hadn't even begun yet—how could there be blood on the bed? Was he seeing things?

Suddenly, a realization dawned on him: could it be her monthly cycle? Such an occurrence only happened a few days a month, with a probability of about one in ten. How could he have been so unlucky as to run into this? What rotten luck!

Watching Liu Ling’er continue to ignite flames within him, oblivious to the danger, the veins on Baili Xian’s forehead throbbed. He barely resisted the urge to engage in a "battle amidst the blood." The mere thought that doing so would make him no better than a beast allowed him to extinguish the fire in his heart with great effort.

Yet, despite his internal struggle, the "little Baili Xian" below was raising a protest. Baili Xian rolled his eyes, silently cursing, "You brat, stop making trouble at a time like this!"

Damn it. Baili Xian wanted to vent, but in the end, he helplessly extended a finger and tapped Liu Ling’er’s sleep acupoint. Liu Ling’er went blank for a moment before collapsing weakly against him.

Baili Xian stood up and called out toward the door. A few seconds later, Yin Wula swayed in with a flirtatious gait. "Master, why call me in so late? Surely it’s not because you’ve noticed how diligent I’ve been lately and decided to reward me..."

Yin Wula was, as always, full of nonsense and completely lacked a sense of the mood. He was so caught up in his own chatter that he failed to notice Baili Xian’s expression had turned abysmal. If he were allowed to continue, he would likely go on until dawn.

Baili Xian let out a cold huff, cutting off the chatter instantly. "Are you done? Would you like me to seal your mute point again? Perhaps I should forbid you from speaking for a year this time?"

With those three questions, Yin Wula clamped his mouth shut. He had already experienced the agony of a week without speech, a torment he had no desire to repeat. For a chatterbox like him, being unable to speak was like losing half his life.

"Get out of here. Call the maid from Ling’er’s quarters, and tell the kitchen to boil water. Have bathwater brought to my room." Although Yin Wula was talkative, he was capable; otherwise, given Baili Xian’s temperament, he would have been tossed a hundred thousand miles away long ago.

Yin Wula nodded like a chick pecking at grain. "Master, I shall go at once! I will make sure the kitchen heats the water to perfection, and I will definitely bring the Princess’s maid, absolutely—"

He started to ramble again, but Baili Xian glared and raised a hand as if to strike his mute point. Yin Wula, sharp-eyed as ever, twisted his body and used his lightness skill to bolt out the door.

Soon, Xiao Tao was brought by Yin Wula. She had been worried that her young mistress hadn't returned, and after enduring Yin Wula’s incessant prattle, she finally gathered that her mistress was with Prince Xian, who had requested her presence to serve the lady.

Though she didn't know why her mistress hadn't returned, knowing she was safe with the Prince eased her mind. As for Yin Wula’s babbling, she simply tuned it out.

Out of sight, out of mind; if you don't listen, you won't be annoyed! By the time they reached the Prince’s quarters, Yin Wula was still muttering, but one glare from Baili Xian sent him scampering like a rabbit, vanishing into thin air.

Xiao Tao greeted the Prince respectfully. "This servant, Xiao Tao, pays respects to Prince Xian. May I ask why you summoned me at such a late hour?"

"Rise. Ling’er drank too much wine today. Help her clean herself, and then help her change into... er..." Baili Xian faltered. As a man, he found it difficult to articulate such matters.

Xiao Tao understood the first part but was confused by the rest. She dared not ask, but Baili Xian was certain that once she saw Liu Ling’er’s condition, she would understand exactly what was going on.

Before long, the kitchen delivered warm water. Xiao Tao pulled back the quilt to find Liu Ling’er wearing only a bodice, with certain stains on her undergarments. Her face flushed instantly. No wonder the Prince had looked like that! "My lady, how could you be like this? I’m so embarrassed for you!"

She summoned the other maids, and together they cleaned Liu Ling’er and changed her into fresh, private attire.

The next morning, sunlight filtered into the room. Liu Ling’er opened her heavy eyes, gazing at an unfamiliar bed—or rather, a bed she had no memory of being in.

At that moment, Xiao Tao said with delight, "My lady, you’re awake! Does your head still hurt? Would you like to drink this hangover tea?"

If only Xiao Tao hadn't spoken; at her words, the memories in Liu Ling’er’s mind rushed back like a rewinding tape. Every scene from the previous night flooded in. Liu Ling’er’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the bowl of tea.

Can someone tell me why I was so greedy for wine last night? Why, when drunk, did I keep acting like a hooligan toward Baili Xian? Why did I force him onto the bed? Ahhh! What is going on?

She hurriedly pulled back the covers and saw the spot of blood on the bed. Liu Ling’er froze in place. Had she really gone from a maiden to a woman overnight? Don't let it happen in such a muddled way! How could she have no recollection of her first time?!

Xiao Tao seemed to read her expression and quickly said, "My lady, don’t let your imagination run wild. The Prince didn't touch you last night!"

What? In the face of a passionate woman throwing herself at him, he had the restraint to hold back? Was he a reincarnated saint, or was there something wrong with him?

Seeing her mistress’s mind wandering in the wrong direction, Xiao Tao laughed. "My lady, you have no shame! You didn't even realize your monthly cycle had started. You should have seen the Prince’s awkwardness yesterday; just thinking about it is hilarious!"

If only she hadn't said that. Once she realized why Baili Xian hadn't touched her, Liu Ling’er wanted to dig a hole and bury herself. Heavens! She had made such a fool of herself in front of him. It was unbearable!

As if to vent her frustration, Liu Ling’er drained the hangover tea in one gulp. It wasn't just Baili Xian who made a fool of himself when drunk; she was no better. Alcohol was truly a wretched thing. From now on, if she touched the stuff again, she’d take its surname!

After breakfast, Liu Ling’er fled to the Flowing Water Pavilion as if escaping a disaster. She didn't want to see Baili Xian; the embarrassment of meeting him today after her shameful behavior last night was too much to bear.

Upon arriving at the pavilion, she saw that the room was filled with people, all tied up in bundles. Most striking were the six men near the door—weren't these the six "invincible" playboys of the imperial capital? They had been behaving themselves yesterday; how had they ended up like this today?