Lang Bo’s predicament was absolutely a huge joke!

What carrying chamber pots?

What playing nursemaid?

These words indeed sounded like something that would come from Muruo’s mouth.

It was probably because he knew this big oaf wouldn’t understand subtle and nuanced words, so he spoke so “crudely.”

Simple and easy to understand!

Seeing Shi Ziran laughing so hard he nearly lost his breath, Lang Bo shot him a fierce glare.

He rebuked: “Are we brothers or not? Is this any way to mock me? Besides, these weren’t my words—Young Master Mu used that description.”

So innocent.

Shi Ziran coughed a few times and stopped laughing at him. With a serious expression he said: “Actually, Young Master Mu isn’t wrong. Think about it—you can’t keep following the Prince forever, can you? You’re also a man. It’s time you thought about yourself. Do you really want to remain a bachelor your whole life, spending your days serving the Prince? Moreover, your parents in the underworld are counting on you to carry on the family line and produce offspring so they can rest in peace!”

“But…”

“Stop with the ‘buts.’ The Prince has Miss Ji to look after him. Where does he need you?”

Lang Bo let out a heavy sigh.

Shi Ziran continued encouraging him: “Stop agonizing over this. Now this wonderful opportunity is right in front of you. Miss Qin herself has already spoken to you first, yet you, a grown man, are still being coy and hesitant. Are you a man or not? Besides, you have feelings for her too. If you miss this chance and someone else snatches her away, don’t regret it later.”

“Then what should I say?”

“What should you say? Just boldly speak your mind!”

“Why do I feel so awkward about it?”

Shi Ziran really had no way to deal with him, so he placed a jar of wine in front of him and said: “Come, liquid courage for the timid! Drink this wine, then go find your Miss Qin right away. Confess your feelings to her. Be a man.”

As he spoke, he slapped Lang Bo’s chest several times with the back of his hand.

His lungs were nearly knocked out.

Lang Bo gritted his teeth. For the sake of those three words “good man,” he’d go for it!

His resolve was made!

He picked up that wine jar and poured it straight into his mouth.

Drinking ferociously!

They say liquor gives courage to the timid—he’d give it a try.

Shi Ziran drank along with him.

All around was lively—everyone eating meat and drinking wine, and several men even danced around the bonfire.

Thoroughly enjoying themselves.

In the distance, Saihe, who had been sitting and drinking, suddenly stood up and walked toward Wu Lihan.

He had always been at odds with Wu Lihan, but tomorrow he would be leading troops to rendezvous with Mu Zha’er. After thinking it over, he felt he should make peace with Wu Lihan.

Swaying his stout body, he sat down beside Wu Lihan.

With that plop, the earth shook!

His huge belly nearly knocked over the table in front of him. Fortunately Wu Lihan was quick and held it down.

He turned his head to look strangely at the flushed-faced Saihe.

“What do you want?” As he spoke, he scooted to the side.

But Saihe moved closer to him again!

Like a piece of sticky taffy!

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?”

Are you trying to harass me?

Saihe revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth, smiled, and said to him very politely: “Wu Lihan, we usually always disagree. I know you detest me, and actually I detest you too. I’d love nothing more than to beat you a few times to make you behave. But this time we’re deploying to fight Yue Dan, and we’re on the same side. Whatever unpleasantness there was before, let’s wipe the slate clean today. What do you say?”

Pfft—

What a thing!

Wu Lihan snorted: “Are you drunk?”

“I’m not drunk!”

“Then stop talking nonsense.” He was thoroughly disgusted with him and scooted to the side again.

Saihe smiled and moved closer to him again, slamming the wine jar in his hand down heavily on the table.

“Thud!”

One table leg cracked and nearly broke.

Fortunately it was quite sturdy.

But Wu Lihan watched in shock!

Thinking, has this idiot lost his mind?

You said you came to “ask” to wipe the slate clean, but you’re clearly trying to use violence to intimidate me.

Wu Lihan was exasperated.

But looking at this situation, if he didn’t agree to wipe the slate clean, this fool would probably pick a fight with him.

So after thinking it over, he said: “Fine, fine, fine, let’s wipe the slate clean.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

Saihe breathed a sigh of relief, grinned, and his large hand slapped heavily onto Wu Lihan’s shoulder as he said: “As expected, you’re my good brother. When the time comes, we’ll slaughter all those Yue Dan bastards together. Come, drink up, fill it to the brim.”

He picked up the wine jar he’d brought and poured wine into Wu Lihan’s bowl.

Very enthusiastically.

And that night, everyone drank a great deal.

But the Hou Liao people were born as wine barrels—they simply couldn’t get drunk, only stuffed until their bellies were about to burst.

After the gathering dispersed, everyone returned to their respective posts.

And at this time, Lang Bo was thoroughly drunk!

Completely like a puddle of mud.

Letting Shi Ziran drag him away, heading toward the camp tents.

But—

Just as they reached the tent entrance, Lang Bo called out groggily, “Miss Qin.”

Shi Ziran’s footsteps paused.

He asked: “What did you say?”

“Miss Qin…”

“You rascal, liquid courage for the timid indeed!”

“…”

Suddenly, Shi Ziran hatched a plan.

The corners of his mouth curved wickedly.

He turned his head to look at Lang Bo and said: “Brother, you can’t say I’m not helping you! This time, you’ll have to seize the opportunity yourself.”

He calculated in his mind.

Then he helped Lang Bo to the entrance of Qin Xi’s tent.

The lamp was still lit inside.

He called toward the inside: “Miss Qin, are you there?”

Qin Xi was inside tidying things up.

Hearing the call, she responded: “Yes.”

“Then I’m coming in.”

“Come in.”

The curtain was pulled open, and she saw Shi Ziran supporting the thoroughly drunk and swaying Lang Bo as they entered.

When Qin Xi saw the thoroughly intoxicated Lang Bo, she was slightly startled: “Elder Brother Lang?”

She quickly came forward to help Shi Ziran lay him down on the carpet.

Lang Bo rolled around several times on the ground, refusing to settle down.

His mouth was also muttering words no one could understand.

Qin Xi asked: “How did he get so drunk?”

“Heart’s affliction!”

“What?”

Shi Ziran quickly said: “I don’t really know either. Probably he has something on his mind. Anyway, no matter how I tried to persuade him, I couldn’t stop him. And he kept calling ‘Miss Qin’ over and over, insisting he had to come find you. I had no choice but to bring him here.”

As he spoke, he showed a helpless expression.

Qin Xi’s cheeks flushed red.

She lowered her head slightly and asked in a small voice: “Elder Brother Lang… really called my name?”

“Of course. If he hadn’t been calling your name, why would I have brought him here?”

“…”

Lang Bo writhed on the ground a few times, shouting: “Drink, I can still drink, drink…”

As he spoke, he didn’t forget to wave his hand around wildly.

Shi Ziran said to him: “Drink, drink, drink—that’s all you know! You’ll drink yourself to death sooner or later.”

Then he punched him once in the chest.

Lang Bo didn’t even feel the pain!

He continued clamoring for more wine.

But that punch made Qin Xi’s heart ache.