His sudden, forceful tug startled Chenxing, causing her to stiffen as she tried to break free. But his strength won out, pulling her to lie by his side. Chenxing turned her head slightly to look at him, the air thick with the scent of red wine.
"Hua Hua, I'm not Shaocheng. I'm Chenxing now. You've really had too much to drink—you can't even tell who's who."
Her entire body was rigid, too stiff to so much as flinch.
Luckily, the seat was spacious enough. Even lying shoulder to shoulder, they didn't feel cramped. The fox-fur blanket beneath them was soft and comfortable, but as Chenxing lay there, he clung tightly to her hand. Her frustration mounted, causing her to stop struggling.
As they lay there staring at the sky, the sound of birds singing in the lush tree outside the courtyard could be heard.
For a moment, neither spoke.
