“How is it?” he asked.
“Acceptable,” Shen Nianyi replied with feigned indifference, though the tips of her ears quietly turned red.
Pei Yanshu didn’t expose her. He handed the second bowl of stew to Xiao Ya, who was sitting quietly to the side. “This bowl is for our most well-behaved Xiao Ya.”
Xiao Ya’s eyes widened in flustered surprise, and he hurriedly waved his hands in refusal.
Pei Yanshu simply placed the bowl in front of him. “Eat more. You’re still growing.”
The third bowl he passed to Da Chun. “You’ve worked hard today, moving so much fabric.”
Da Chun accepted it with a simple, honest smile. “Thank you, Young Master Pei!”
Watching the stew in the earthenware pot dwindle, A Man finally couldn’t sit still any longer. She put down her chopsticks with a huff. “What’s the meaning of this, Young Master Pei? First the manager, then Xiao Ya, then Da Chun, leaving me deliberately for last?”
Pei Yanshu, unhurried, ladled the final bowl of stew. “You misunderstand, Miss A Man,” he said leisurely.
He pushed the filled bowl toward A Man, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “The best is always saved for last. This bowl has the most camel’s hoof. I saved it especially for you.”
A Man looked down and saw that indeed, her bowl was the most generously filled. Her anger instantly turned to delight, though she still deliberately snorted. “Hmph. You know how to talk.”
Shen Nianyi, watching from the side, couldn’t help a light laugh. “General Manager Pei is quite skilled at winning people over.”
“How is this ‘winning over’?” Pei Yanshu set down the stew ladle, the smile in his eyes undiminished, though his tone softened a little. “At most… it’s repaying kindness.”
As he spoke, he very naturally raised his wine cup, his gaze sweeping over each face present. “If Manager Shen hadn’t… taken in this creditor of hers back then, none of us would be sitting here today. So for that—”
His gaze finally settled on Shen Nianyi’s face, carrying the familiar teasing she knew, yet with an added warmth. “A toast to our Manager Shen, with her discerning eye.”
This half-joking, half-serious remark warmed the atmosphere.
A Man was the first to react, immediately raising her cup high. “A toast to the Manager!”
Da Chun also hastily raised his cup, his voice booming. “A toast to the Manager!”
Xiao Ya couldn’t speak, but he expressed himself through action, being the first to drain his cup of juice completely, then giving Shen Nianyi an especially sweet smile.
Shen Nianyi looked at the scene before her—A Man’s liveliness, Da Chun’s simple honesty, Xiao Ya’s obedience, and that fellow Pei Yanshu’s seemingly carefree yet actually meticulous way of holding it all together… A warmth spread in her heart, and the slight embarrassment from being teased melted into a smile.
“Alright,” she said, picking up her cup, a light sparkling in her eyes. “I’ll drink this one. But the next toast,” she pivoted, raising an eyebrow at Pei Yanshu, “must be to General Manager Pei, to thank him for… being so generous with his spending.”
“Pfft—” A Man burst out laughing.
Da Chun was already excitedly making arrangements. “Waiter! Two more plates of grilled lamb! One grilled camel hump! And another lamb tripe stew!”
Xiao Ya anxiously tugged at Da Chun’s sleeve, pointing at the most expensive item on the menu, “Whole Roast Lamb with Stuffing,” and shaking his head vigorously.
“What’s there to fear!” Da Chun’s voice was loud. “Young Master Pei just said he’s treating!”
Pei Yanshu nodded with a beaming smile. “Order, order away. Anyway…” he deliberately drew out his words, “…put it on the Cloud Silk Atelier’s public account.”
The wine Shen Nianyi had just sipped nearly sprayed out. “Pei Yanshu!”
“Just kidding.” Pei Yanshu calmly refilled her wine cup. “This meal is naturally my personal treat. However…”
He suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice. “If Nianyi is willing to call me something sweet, I wouldn’t mind treating you to these delicacies every day from now on.”
“Dream on!” Shen Nianyi pushed his approaching face away. “Settle today’s bill first!”
A Man couldn’t wait and shouted downstairs, “Waiter! Add another serving of the golden minced jade fish to our earlier order!”
“Coming right up!” a loud response echoed from below.
Da Chun counted on his fingers, “Roasted lamb, roasted camel hump, lamb tripe soup, golden minced jade fish… Is that enough?”
Shen Nianyi raised her voice, “Bring another jar of fine Jiannan Shaochun wine!”
…
As night deepened, the clamor in Drunken Immortal Pavilion gradually subsided.
The table was littered with messy dishes and cups, empty wine jars lay toppled, and the charcoal fire retained only a faint warmth.
Da Chun had long since slumped over the table, snoring thunderously, mumbling incoherently, “Good… good meat… another… another plate…”
A Man, meanwhile, clutched an empty wine pot, cheeks flushed and eyes dazed, pointing at the moon outside the window with a silly grin. “The moon… why is the moon swaying? Xiao Ya, hurry and steady it…”
Xiao Ya, who had only drunk some fruit juice, was struggling to pull A Man up but lacked the strength, sweating anxiously.
Shen Nianyi had never been a strong drinker, and with her emotions fluctuating greatly today, she had indulged in a few extra cups. Now, the world seemed to spin around her, and her body felt weak. She barely propped her forehead with her hand, trying to stay awake, but her eyelids grew heavy and kept drooping.
Pei Yanshu looked at the table of defeated souls and shook his head helplessly, though a soft smile curled at the corner of his lips.
He stood up, calmly settled the bill, and gave the waiter an extra tip, asking him to arrange for a reliable carriage to wait at the back door.
First, he patted Da Chun’s cheek. “Da Chun, wake up, time to go back.”
Da Chun mumbled a vague “Hmm” but showed no sign of stirring.
Pei Yanshu sighed, resignedly bent down, slid his arm under Da Chun’s armpit, and with a slight effort, hoisted the sturdy man steadily onto his shoulder.
Da Chun hung limply on him, still muttering, “Carry… carry the fabric… I… I can do it…”
“I know you can, sleep when we get back.” Pei Yanshu steadied Da Chun while signaling to the wide-eyed Xiao Ya. “Xiao Ya, gather our things and stay close.”
Xiao Ya quickly nodded, deftly collecting the cloaks left behind, Shen Nianyi’s small abacus, and other belongings, holding them in his arms.
Supporting Da Chun as he reached the door, Pei Yanshu turned back to look at Shen Nianyi, who was still sitting there, straining to keep her eyes open and stay alert, and A Man beside her, hugging the wine pot with a foolish grin.
“Nianyi, can you walk on your own?” he asked.
Shen Nianyi tried to stand but her legs gave way, and she sank back into her seat. Frowning in frustration, she stubbornly insisted, “Of… of course I can!” As she attempted to rise again, she swayed and nearly toppled over.
Pei Yanshu caught her arm with his free hand, steadying her.
“Enough, no need to force yourself,” he said, his tone tinged with amusement, then turned to A Man. “A Man, let’s go.”
A Man giggled, staggering to her feet but leaning bonelessly against Shen Nianyi. “Shopkeeper… help… help me up…”
Now things were perfect—one hanging on his right, two teetering unsteadily on his left.
Pei Yanshu took a deep breath and adjusted his posture.
His right shoulder firmly supported the slumbering Da Chun, while his left arm had to both prop up the unsteady Shen Nianyi and use his body to block A Man, who might slip and fall at any moment.
Xiao Ya trailed closely behind him like a little tail, arms full of belongings, watching their surroundings warily, afraid someone might bump into this string of “drunks.”
In this extremely awkward and difficult formation, the group slowly shuffled out of the private room, crossed the now-quiet main hall, and headed toward the back door.
The evening breeze blew, and Shen Nianyi sobered up slightly. Feeling herself almost half-carried forward by Pei Yanshu, his scent mixed with a faint aroma of wine lingering at the tip of her nose, making her cheeks burn even hotter.
She wanted to break free but was utterly weak, only able to protest vaguely, “You… let go… I can walk by myself…”
“Don’t move,” Pei Yanshu’s voice came from above, tinged with tension. “Keep moving, and I’ll toss you and Da Chun both onto the street.”
Hearing this, Shen Nianyi indeed dared not move recklessly anymore, though she continued muttering softly under her breath.
A Man, completely unaware of the situation, was still humming a tuneless melody, occasionally stumbling and bumping right into Pei Yanshu.
Finally reaching the back door, the carriage was already waiting there.
Seeing the situation, the coachman hurried down to help.
Pei Yanshu first stuffed Da Chun into the carriage. As soon as Da Chun touched the soft seat, he immediately found a comfortable position and began snoring again.
Next, he carefully helped A Man aboard. Once in the carriage, A Man leaned against the wall and drifted into a hazy sleep.
Finally, he turned to Shen Nianyi.
Shen Nianyi stood by the carriage. The night breeze lifted the stray hairs at her temples. Under the moonlight, her eyes were bleary with drunkenness, her cheeks flushed crimson. The shrewd competence she usually displayed had vanished, replaced by a rare hint of delicate charm.
Pei Yanshu looked at her, his gaze slightly fixed.
“Get in,” his voice lowered a bit.
Shen Nianyi looked up at him, seeming to want to say something, but only blinked. Then, obediently, with his support, she clumsily climbed into the carriage and sat down next to A Man, soon closing her eyes and nodding off into a doze.
Xiao Ya, without needing instruction, nimbly climbed aboard and took up a guard position beside Shen Nianyi.
Pei Yanshu was the last to board, sitting near the carriage door. Looking at the three slumped figures inside, he helplessly rubbed his temples and said to the coachman, “To the West Market, Cloud Silk Atelier.”
The carriage slowly started, moving along the silent streets.
Inside the carriage, only Da Chun’s rhythmic snores and A Man’s occasional sleep-talking could be heard.
Pei Yanshu’s gaze eventually settled on Shen Nianyi’s face as she slept by the window. Moonlight filtered through the carriage window, casting shifting light and shadow across her features.
He watched quietly for a moment, then took off his own outer robe and draped it over her.
As soon as the robe touched her, Shen Nianyi, without even opening her eyes, waved a hand to push it away, mumbling, “Go away… don’t want your shabby robe…”
Pei Yanshu pressed it down firmly, deliberately putting on a stern face and whispering a scare into her ear, “Don’t move! The night patrol guards are right outside. Do you want to summon them all to see Manager Shen’s heroic drunken state?”
This proved remarkably effective.
Shen Nianyi stiffened her movements. Though she still frowned with reluctance, she finally stopped struggling, only continuing to grumble defiantly.
Pei Yanshu was so amused by her that he laughed, pulling the robe up to cover almost half her face. “Be good and keep it on. If you catch a chill, you won’t have the energy to argue with me tomorrow.”
“Who… who wants to argue with you…” Shen Nianyi’s voice was muffled by the fabric, growing softer and softer. After her resistance proved futile, she probably truly felt cold, curling up honestly and settling into a comfortable position to sleep.
Xiao Ya, sitting in the opposite corner, witnessed the entire scene. She secretly pursed her lips into a smile, quickly lowering her head to pretend to tidy the things in her arms.
Pei Yanshu watched as Shen Nianyi finally settled down. Rubbing his arm where she had struck him earlier, he shook his head with a low chuckle. “Still quite strong even when drunk…”
He glanced up and saw Xiao Ya huddled in the opposite corner. The child was about eleven or twelve years old, small and slender, resembling a bean sprout that hadn’t fully grown.
A cool breeze blew through the carriage curtain, and he asked, “Xiao Ya, are you cold?”
Hearing this, Xiao Ya quickly looked up and waved her hands, indicating she wasn’t cold. She patted her thin chest, making a “strong” gesture, her face wearing a shy and obedient smile.
Just then—
“Hahaha! So many gold ingots! They’re all mine!” A Man, beside them, suddenly shouted in her sleep, swinging her arm forcefully and nearly hitting Shen Nianyi’s head.
Pei Yanshu reacted swiftly, reaching out to block the blow and averting an internal conflict.
After shouting, A Man smacked her lips, tilted her head, and fell silent again, a satisfied, silly smile still on her face.
As her shout faded, Da Chun on the other side seemed to have been triggered by some switch, suddenly bursting into sobs without warning.