"My love …" Qiu Ling cooed and slid onto the seat next to Jing He, waving a bottle of wine. "How about sharing a cup with your future husband?"

Jing He gazed at the bottle and slowly raised his gaze to Qiu Ling’s eyes. "I don’t know if that is such a good idea."

"Just one cup, my love." Qiu Ling smiled and raised his brows.

Jing He gazed at him, his heart fluttering. How could he reject what the man he loved wanted? If it was this important to Qiu Ling … He nodded. "Alright. One cup shouldn’t be too much. It isn’t a strong wine, is it?"

A guilty expression flashed through Qiu Ling’s eyes. Uh … Considering that it hadn’t been too long that his beloved returned from his trial and that his body hadn’t aged at all for the duration of his trial … He remained the same young man not long past his coming-of-age ceremony. That kind of person shouldn’t drink any strong wine. Wasn’t that why Xiang Yong and An Bai had made him gift the Heavenly Emperor a light flower wine at his birthday banquet? Ah, but he couldn’t resist his curiosity! He still remembered how Jing Yi had been when he got drunk that one time. He really … really wanted to know just how his beloved’s immortal self would behave after having just a bit too much wine.

He cleared his throat and poured the drinks, pushing the cup into his beloved’s hand. "No, it’s … it’s not very strong. But maybe you should drink slowly to make sure it won’t be too much for you."

Jing He nodded and smiled lightly, raising the cup to his lips. He had never touched a single sip of wine before. His father would be appalled if he knew that he did today. He couldn’t help but look back up at Qiu Ling when he thought of that. "Qiu Ling …"

"Mn?" Qiu Ling who had already taken the first sip glanced over. His beloved hadn’t drunk yet. He would have seen! So … What was it?

"If … If I can’t tolerate the wine and … behave abnormally, you would make sure that nothing happens, right?"

Qiu Ling put down his cup and reached over, covering Jing He’s free hand with his. "Of course, I will. I will always be there to protect you from all harm. Nothing will ever happen to you. You can be at ease."

"Mn. Then my father …"

"Don’t worry. He doesn’t need to know."

Jing He nodded but his heart still fluttered with an unknown feeling. This was just like in the night before his trial when he had allowed Qiu Ling to stay in his palace. It was … the temptation of doing something he knew was forbidden.

Jing He lowered his gaze to the wine in the cup and slowly brought it back up to his lips. The aroma wafted up into his nose, the smell making him dizzy already.

Qiu Ling watched as Jing He’s cheeks flushed red from just smelling the wine and he gulped. After this cup … would his beloved even be conscious anymore? Maybe this kind of wine was too much after all …

His doubt came too late though. Jing He tilted his head, exposing his slender neck, and a few drops of liquor ran over his lips, touched his tongue and finally reached his throat. He gulped them down and took a trembling breath before exhaling lightly.

Opposite him, Qiu Ling also gulped and licked his lips. Why … did his throat suddenly feel so dry? He picked up his own cup and downed the rest of the wine. Unfortunately, the liquid didn’t calm him down. It rather felt as if it burned its way through his body, igniting a fire everywhere it touched. Uh … Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea.

Jing He lowered the cup that remained almost full. Even though he had followed Qiu Ling’s advice and only taken a small sip, his eyes turned misty. He put the cup on the table and raised his hand to cover his mouth, lightly licking his lips. So this was how wine tasted. He glanced across his sleeve to Qiu Ling and met with his lover’s burning gaze. He tensed but an exquisite warmth spread through his limbs and made his cheeks flush even further.

"Qiu Ling …" Jing He gulped and pressed his hand against his chest. His voice didn’t sound as usual. Maybe it was the wine or maybe the mood around them but there was something to it he couldn’t understand, much less explain.

Qiu Ling understood much better. He reached over, his fingers brushing Jing He’s sleeve before settling on his elbow, pressing gently against his arm. "How do you feel?"

"I am not sure. A little … lightheaded maybe."

"Mn." Qiu Ling poured himself another cup and raised it toward Jing He, his previous worry of having committed a mistake forgotten. This sight … it was much too enticing to stop now. "My love, let’s drink some more."

Jing He nodded as if bewitched and raised his cup in response. Once again, the wine ran down his throat and the flush across his cheeks deepened. He took a shallow breath and put the cup down before he could spill the wine over his robe. His head seemed to spin and he helplessly reached out to the hand at his arm, clasping it carefully.

Qiu Ling leaned forward and grabbed Jing He’s waist. "Are you alright?"

"Ngh." Jing He couldn’t say more than that. He felt … too hot, too dizzy, but at the same time, he felt comfortable being close to Qiu Ling. He reached out with his other hand and Qiu Ling met him halfway, taking his hand and steadying him yet again. "Qiu … Qiu Ling."

"I’m here." And I’m having a bad conscience again … Qiu Ling watched his beloved sway lightly and couldn’t take it any longer. He put his empty cup to the side and wanted to get up to help him back to his palace but Jing He suddenly reached over with both hands, almost making him lose balance. "Careful!" Qiu Ling caught him and ended up with Jing He in his arms. His own cheeks also flushed red.

This idea … as much as he loved being close to his beloved, this wasn’t the moment to take this further with him being drunk. Just what had gotten into him to want to make Jing He drink?!

Jing He didn’t seem to mind. He let Qiu Ling help him up and very naturally slid onto his lap instead of returning to his seat. He snuggled up against his lover’s chest and put his head onto his shoulder, making Qiu Ling freeze. Jing He’s fingers lightly trailed the seam of his robe down from the base of his neck to his belt.

Qiu Ling congratulated himself to the wise decision of choosing a high-fitting belt today that spanned his entire waist. That way —

Jing He’s fingers trailed down further, following the intricate embroidery on the belt to the lower rim.

Qiu Ling gulped. His beloved wouldn’t … Certainly not. Not Jing He …

That hand searched around and finally grabbed onto the robe again. It seemed that Jing He wasn’t trying to put his fingers anywhere else though. Instead, he tried to sit up straight again.

Ah! Could it be his beloved was slowly sobering up again? Well, he was a trueborn god now. His body should be able to handle half a cup of liquor, shouldn’t it? Qiu Ling looked up and met with Jing He’s glistening eyes. They seemed dazed and Jing He didn’t seem to know what he wanted to do.

He looked at Qiu Ling’s face, then down at his robe and finally at the table next to them. He reached over but he couldn’t reach far enough from where he was and his hand remained elegantly yet somehow awkwardly lifted in the air.

"What is it, my love?"

"We … Didn’t we want to drink?"

"Mn. But I think we drank enough for one night."

"The cup … I promised you one cup. I didn’t drink it yet."

"No, you did." Qiu Ling held onto Jing He’s waist, trying to pull him back into his embrace.

"Ah." Jing He gave a surprised sigh and his whole face flushed red. His body couldn’t help but squirm under Qiu Ling’s hands. This touch … He hurriedly leaned over to the table, picking up his cup and downing the rest of the wine with one delicate gulp. Maybe … maybe the cool liquid could calm him down. Maybe …

In his already tipsy state, the wine didn’t need long to achieve the opposite. Jing He moaned lightly and turned back to Qiu Ling, his gaze trying to focus on his face but finally being unable to do so. Still, even in this state, he was able to discern who this person was.

"Long … Longjun …"

Qiu Ling gulped. "My love, we … we’re past calling me by my title, aren’t we?" Although he couldn’t deny that this had a special type of thrill to it. He wouldn’t mind hearing it every now and then. Well, he would prefer it if that happened after they were married and had done this and that. Otherwise … he wasn’t sure if his mind could take it.