1523 Something Was Odd
Beitang You could not help doubting himself as he sat down in his seat.
Was he not even as good-looking as an attendant?
His discontent was slightly a.s.suaged when Yaoyao stopped eyeing the attendant and s.h.i.+fted her gaze away.
Soon, Chu Qi and Ji’er walked, in hand in hand.
!!The moment the banquet began, Yaoyao suddenly started chugging wine like there was no tomorrow.
Ji’er hurriedly stopped her. “You shouldn’t drink so much. You can’t hold your liquor well.”
“I tell you, Ji’er, I’m actually a really good drinker. It’s trueif you don’t believe me, I’ll have a few more cups to prove it to you,” Yaoyao tried to negotiate with her.
If she could be considered a good drinker, there would be no bad drinkers in this world.
How bold of her to claim that she was a good drinker when she would pa.s.s out after having just one cup!
Did she think Ji’er did not know her well?
Seeing how badly she wanted to drink, Ji’er eventually compromised. “You can have half a cup.” If she got drunk later, she could always send her back to her room.
However, the words had just left her lips when Yaoyao downed all the wine in her cup.
Ji’er, “…”
Yaoyao clung to her shoulder and whined somewhat drunkenly, “Just when I thought I’d gotten away from the palace and Father, Mother, and Royal Brother’s control, you start bossing me around. If you keep behaving like a bossy old woman, you’re going to drive Big Bro Lil Qi away.” With a burp, she slumped against her shoulder and fell asleep.
The stench of alcohol made Ji’er grimace, but just when she was about to push Yaoyao away, Yaoyao pa.s.sed out predictably, much to Ji’er’s amus.e.m.e.nt and frustration.
Yaoyao was the worst drinker out of the three siblings. Every time she drank, she would pa.s.s out.
She really had no awareness of her limitations, trying to drink like everyone else when she had such low alcohol tolerance.
Despite her inward grumbling, she helped Yaoyao up diligently and sent her back to her room.
Falling onto the bed, Yaoyao mumbled, “I can still drink Come on, Ji’er, bottoms up”
Then she went silent.
Ji’er shook her head in amus.e.m.e.nt and draped the covers over her sister carefully. It would take a whole night for her to sober up, given how heavily asleep she was. After calling for Yaoyao’s personal handmaid, Qing He, and instructing her to take good care of Yaoyao, Ji’er left.
Qing He would come in and check on Yaoyao once in a while, only leaving when she found her fast asleep, much to her relief.
Once she was gone, the supposedly drunk-and-asleep person’s eyelids flew open to reveal her eyesclear and without any trace of intoxication.
She was indeed a terrible drinker, but she had taken a special sobering pill beforehand, hence she was not drunk at all. She had put on that act just now to deceive Ji’er and Big Bro Lil Qi.
With a quirk of her lips, she got up, took out a small bag that she carried on her, and started fiddling with it.
Before long, a lifelike human skin mask was completed.
She held it in her hands and studied it for a moment, feeling very pleased.
Although she had no understanding of martial arts besides Light Body Skill, nor was she a superb physician like her mother, her knowledge of poison had been directly handed down by her mother. In addition, she had learned the unique skill of making human skin masks from her grandmother.
She got up, wrote a letter, and stuffed it underneath the covers. Then, she packed a few light and portable items and sneaked out of the room.
The next day at first light, Chu Qi personally saw Beitang You and his entourage out of the city gates.
Beitang You stopped in his tracks and offered Chu Qi a fist and palm salute. “I’ll see myself off from here onward, Big Bro Chu Qi. Thank you for your care and hospitality all this time. I wish you and Princess Ji’er eternal happiness together.”
“Thank you!” Chu Qi returned the salute. “Have a safe journey!”
“Take care of yourself too.” With one last look at the West Water Frontier’s majestic city walls, Beitang You mounted his horse and left with his attendants.
After watching them disappear into the distance, Chu Qi rode back to the General Mansion.
It was still early, and Ji’er had yet to rise from her sleep. As Chu Qi had been away from the West Water Frontier for a month, he went off to handle the mountain of military affairs that had piled up during that time.
At daylight, Ji’er dashed into his study with a letter in her grasp.
“Lil Qi, Yaoyao left a letter saying she’s run away.”
Chu Qi immediately approached her from behind the table and took the letter from her.
Ji’er said in vexation, “I knew something was odd about her when she suddenly started chugging wine last night, but I didn’t think she’d run away to the Yan Kingdom.”
After giving the letter a quick scan, Chu Qi calmed down. “It seems that she’d planned this long ago.”
“Now that I think about it, it makes sense. I bet she already made up her mind to run away to the Yan Kingdom when she suddenly offered to come to the West Water Frontier with me,” Ji’er said glumly. How cunning of Yaoyao to pretend that she was drunk to deceive them!