Ning Wanwan was curious and asked, “Weren’t you taking me for Qi She? Why are you taking me out on the streets at night?”
“Didn’t you lose your memory? I’m taking you to reminisce,” Pei Jinxu replied.
“What am I supposed to reminisce about on the main street?”
“It seems you’ve truly forgotten everything.” Pei Jinxu sighed helplessly.
Feeling like he was being deliberately mysterious, Ning Wanwan pressed on relentlessly, “So what can I reminisce about on the main street?” She wasn’t the original owner of this body, after all.
“You’ve forgotten? Shili Jing Street was your favorite place. You used to sneak out to have fun all the time, then drag me and your brother to the taverns to flirt with women.”
Ning Wanwan was speechless and a little incredulous. The original owner of this body must have been quite a character, though their personalities did seem rather similar.
“Remember anything now?” Pei Jinxu’s dark pupils reflected Ning Wanwan’s lovely face. The corners of his mouth turned up, and he seemed to be in a very good mood.
“No,” Ning Wanwan answered truthfully. Even if she were given a billion years, she wouldn’t be able to remember. The owner of this body had been replaced long ago.
If Pei Jinxu truly loved the original owner, would he weep bitterly if he knew the truth?
But what Ning Wanwan didn’t know was that men do not have true love, much less would they weep bitterly for her.
“If you still can’t remember, then I’ll keep helping you look until you do,” Pei Jinxu said with determination.
Ning Wanwan gave a strained smile. “You don’t have to be so persistent. Maybe it’s a good thing that I can’t remember. Let the past be the past. Starting over is quite nice too.”
As she said this, a strange feeling arose in Ning Wanwan’s heart. It was an indescribable sensation, as if she were deceiving and hypnotizing herself.
But what was she deceiving and hypnotizing herself about? Could it be that she was really developing feelings for Pei Jinxu, hoping he would see beyond the past and look at her, the new soul? Or was it because she felt ashamed for taking over everything that belonged to the original owner?
How strange. Ning Wanwan couldn’t help but think that there was probably no one in the world more conflicted than her. She felt she was overthinking things, both about Pei Jinxu and about herself.
To help Ning Wanwan recall some things from the past, Pei Jinxu even took her to a tavern they used to frequent.
The people here seemed to have known Pei Jinxu for a long time. The Shopkeeper approached with a fawning smile the moment he saw him. Upon seeing Ning Wanwan, he said, “This Niangzi is truly a nation-toppling beauty, as lovely as a celestial fairy. It’s just that you look somewhat familiar.”
Pei Jinxu put his arm intimately around Ning Wanwan and explained, “This is my wife.”
“Ah, so it is the Young Master’s wife. My apologies, my apologies.”
Inside the private room, Pei Jinxu poured her some wine.
Ning Wanwan couldn’t hold her liquor, so she only dared to bring the cup she accepted to her lips.
“It smells so good,” Ning Wanwan couldn’t help but exclaim. The fragrance of the wine was mixed with the unique scent of osmanthus; one sniff was enough to go to your head.
Pei Jinxu chuckled softly, elegantly raised his cup, and drained it in one go.
Ning Wanwan looked at him, then at the wine in her own hand, and boldly took a sip.
“Ugh, it’s a little bitter, and a little spicy.” Ning Wanwan’s small face scrunched up as she put down the cup with some disgust.
Pei Jinxu gazed at her, his eyes as bright as torches, shining intently.
Ning Wanwan felt a little embarrassed under his stare, mainly because Pei Jinxu was just too handsome, like a demonically charming creature.
“What are you looking at?” Ning Wanwan touched her own face and looked at Pei Jinxu strangely.
Pei Jinxu shook his head and said no more, simply drinking one cup after another as if something was troubling him.
For some reason, at that moment, Ning Wanwan also wanted to drink with him until they were both completely drunk. So she raised her cup, closed her eyes, and, mimicking Pei Jinxu, drained it in one gulp.
The wine smelled extremely fragrant, but it tasted bitter and harsh going down, with a sweet aftertaste.
Ning Wanwan slammed the cup down. She felt her eyes grow hot, and her face began to burn.
“Wow, that’s strong,” Ning Wanwan mumbled, not quite feeling the effects yet. She reached out and poured herself another cup, intending to savor it this time.
By the time she realized it, three or four cups of wine were already in her stomach. Ning Wanwan’s head felt dizzy, and afterimages of Pei Jinxu even began to appear before her eyes.
Ning Wanwan reached out a small hand and waved it in front of Pei Jinxu’s face.
At some point, Pei Jinxu had stopped drinking. Seeing Ning Wanwan’s comical gesture, he couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.
“What are you laughing at, little bro? Laughing at your Amu?” Ning Wanwan felt she was drunk, and her courage had grown.
Pei Jinxu didn’t understand what she was saying. The woman who usually wouldn’t let him get too close had, of her own accord, sat down next to him today.
Pei Jinxu pulled her onto his lap. Looking at her flushed face, his deep eyes turned dark and unreadable.
“You asked for this.” Pei Jinxu swept her up into his arms and then gently placed her on the soft couch.
Ning Wanwan suddenly felt a coolness on her chest, and someone’s hands began to roam over her body.
On the soft couch, the person’s face was flushed. The two of them moved from the couch to the bed, and the room filled with the vibrant air of spring.