The sharp smell of vinegar exuding from the red wrinkled fruits made Li Meirong stare in astonishment at Zhu Qingyue as she watched him stuff a third piece into his mouth. She had intentionally served him a batch of preserved hawthorn berries that she had only kept as a herbal remedy.

The bitter, sour berries were by no means made to be a delicious treat. The hawthorn berries had become so sour that even dipping them into a jar of honey wouldn't have made them edible. Yet, there he was, eating one tart bite at a time, until not even a trace of red remained on the plate

Li Meirong's amusement shortly shifted into a perplexing, uncomfortable feeling. She quietly wondered at his words as she poured Zhu Qingyue a cup of water to clear the lingering taste.

"Here, drink this. It's just plain water this time," said Li Meirong with a pang of guilt in her tone, handing him the cup.

He quickly chugged the water down.

She didn't know if her wicked intentions were partly influenced by her intoxicated condition, but she had wanted to see Zhu Qingyue become disoriented, had wanted to see him unsettled. However, he caused her to become flustered instead.

As Zhu Qingyue drank the water, Li Meirong fiddled with her own cup of tea, trying to concentrate on the tiny ripples forming from the greenish liquid as she shook the cup. "I want you to be honest with me," she said, her breath tinged with the fragrance of rice wine. "The man from before, was he your lover?"

The crash of porcelain slamming against the wooden surface of the table pierced through Li Meirong's ears, the remaining water in the cup splashed all over Zhu Qingyue's hand. She was somewhat surprised to find out that the fragile cup had miraculously endured the collision. It almost seemed as if Zhu Qingyue knew the exact measure of his strength, and ensured he wouldn't break the porcelain despite his evident outrage. Her eyes met his own pair of liquid amber.

"He is not my lover." Zhu Qingyue lost his calm and seethed through gritted teeth, his eyes darkening. "What kind of absurd opinion have you formed about me?"

Almost instinctively, Li Meirong scooted backwards, flinching under his piercing glare. His mood changes so quickly!

She covered her scarred cheeks with the back of her hand, casting her gaze downwards. "Did I imagine what I saw with my own eyes when you bent over that other person in my own bed?!"