When Xin Yunmao saw her startled expression, he tilted his head nonchalantly, as if not understanding her reaction.
Chu Zhishui's mind went blank, her hand trembling as she held the cup. "What do you mean you fermented it yourself?"
Xin Yunmao pointed at the bamboo container holding the wine, saying casually, "It's similar to this process."
She panicked, "But last time you said the bamboo container wasn't you..."
"Wide bamboo tubes aren't used for fermenting wine; this type is suitable as a container, only for storing wine," Xin Yunmao raised his eyebrows, "Why are you so surprised?"
"No, it's not that... you fermented wine using yourself, and you're questioning my surprise?"
"But isn't it the same as making rice balls?" he asked puzzledly, "You ate those the other day."
"..."
Chu Zhishui was stunned by his words. She wasn't sure if she was being overly dramatic or if he was too calm and collected. In his eyes, was fermenting wine really the same concept as making sushi?
Thinking about it that way, it seemed to make some sense - hand-rolled sushi used his exterior, while bamboo-fermented wine used his interior...
No, it still felt strange. The thought processes between different species were too different.
Chu Zhishui stared at the rich, clear wine in her cup, feeling conflicted and unsure how to respond.
Seeing her frozen with the raised cup, Xin Yunmao extended his own glass and clinked it against hers in mid-air, producing a crisp sound.
Chu Zhishui said numbly, "I wasn't holding it up to toast with you."
Xin Yunmao took a small sip and continued preparing the hot pot ingredients, reminding her, "These are ready to eat now."
Seeing him drink so naturally, Chu Zhishui began to relax and reconsidered her thought process. Perhaps humans overthink things, leading to strange associations that make things hard to swallow.
In reality, if one didn't know the production process, the bamboo-fermented wine was flawless - without any of the burning sensation of strong liquor, its refreshing taste paired perfectly with the hot pot, making it an ideal palate cleanser. If chilled beforehand, the taste might be even better.
Outside, the rain formed a misty curtain. They had left the window slightly open for ventilation, allowing the humid wind to sneak in, but the boiling hot pot drove away the autumn chill. Though rainy days were typically cold, the rich, warm fresh ingredients made even the cold rain seem pleasant, tempering the spiciness.
Xin Yunmao stole a glance at Chu Zhishui, seeing her cheeks flushed as she ate earnestly, occasionally taking sips of the bamboo wine, no longer mentioning their previous conversation. Only then did he slightly relax.
They were using hammered glass wine cups, elegant but limited in capacity, appearing crystalline under the light.
Chu Zhishui occasionally raised the bamboo container to refill her glass, treating it like coconut water.
Xin Yunmao couldn't help but ask curiously, "How's your alcohol tolerance?"
"It's okay. To be honest, this barely tastes like alcohol," Chu Zhishui replied, "It's even milder than the cocktails I drink with Wang Yiwen."
Since bamboo doesn't contain alcohol, she wondered how fermentation was possible - was the raw material just water?
Her mind started to wander into analysis, but she quickly suppressed these troublesome thoughts.
Halfway through lunch, the hot pot still bubbled with ingredients. Chu Zhishui picked up her controller to continue gaming, occasionally picking at more food, appearing quite sober as she entered the post-meal digestion phase.
When the pot finally stopped bubbling, Xin Yunmao asked if she was finished eating. After her confirmation, he snapped his fingers and picked up his own controller.
In an instant, the table cleared of leftover food, the room becoming spotless except for the lingering aroma in the air.
The human and spirit sat on the carpet, intently focused on the screen, continuing their farming and building game.
At first, Chu Zhishui's controls were smooth, but gradually drowsiness crept in. It felt partly like post-meal sleepiness and partly like mental stimulation, causing her consciousness to split. She felt divided in two, hazy and dreamy.
"Open the window a bit more," she said, her voice soft and drowsy as she leaned against the sofa, having abandoned her previous straight posture on the carpet. "The spicy pot made me feel hot."
Xin Yunmao didn't get up but simply raised a finger, making the window open wider to let in the moist rain air.
Unfortunately, the chilly rain didn't cool her warmth; instead, the sound of rain entered her heart, creating a dense, anxious rhythm.
She alternated between wanting to doze off and feeling completely awake, her thoughts sticky like autumn rain, as if floating on warm seawater, rising and falling with a warmth stuck in her chest.
Xin Yunmao, watching the screen, noticed her game character standing still. He turned back puzzled to find her arms drooping, body slumped into the soft sofa, watching his movements with unfocused eyes.
In the dim room lit by a small lamp on this cloudy day, her eyes sparkled with flowing light, misty like gentle rain, showing signs of intoxication. Her fair face was flushed, clearly not from the hot pot but from the wine.
"Sleepy?"
"Mm."
After drinking, her mouth retained a fragrant sweetness, her voice as gentle as honey.
"Get some rest," Xin Yunmao put down his controller. Seeing her dazed state, he reached out to pat her, his voice turning gentle, "Go to your room."
Chu Zhishui mumbled in response but found the carpet incredibly soft, unwilling to stand up, remaining curled in the corner of the sofa.
The window closed slightly to block the cool breeze. Worried she might catch cold, Xin Yunmao stood to help her up, coaxing patiently, "Go sleep in bed."
"Mm."
But she still didn't move, accepting his words but refusing to act.
Xin Yunmao bent down to carry her but stopped abruptly when he caught the clear, sweet scent and felt her skin's warmth. He realized drinking today wasn't a good idea - their scents had completely merged, intertwining with each other.
She seemed soaked in wine, soft as a moist cloud, making him fear he might break her with a careless touch.
She noticed his hesitation and looked up at him, her eyes gleaming as if carefully examining him.
His handsome features were close enough to touch - scattered bangs, tightly pressed lips, frozen in his bent position, his Adam's apple bobbing as he suddenly avoided her gaze, revealing pink-tinged ears.
As he turned his head slightly, revealing the smooth lines of his profile, she noticed his loose neckline and the subtle visibility of his collarbones.
His familiar scent matched the taste in her mouth perfectly, making her completely unguarded against his proximity.
His perfectly shaped lips, slightly pressed together, made her wonder if they tasted like the bamboo wine.
As if caught in a wet dream, she slowly raised her arms and, taking advantage of his position, wrapped them around his neck.
Xin Yunmao felt her rise and steeled himself to embrace her, planning to quickly get her to her room, but was shocked by the moist touch of her lips.
Hot breath, mingling fragrances, lingering kisses, overlapping shadows - she tasted him insatiably, instinctively holding his neck, as if demanding more wine to quench her burning thirst. Her body felt warm, like hot springs flowing through her, creating rising steam.
After the long drink, Xin Yunmao pulled her tightly into his embrace, his obsidian eyes flickering with waves of emotion, overcome with unstoppable passion, his voice becoming deep and hoarse, stirring her heartstrings.
"No wonder you wouldn't go to bed, all along you wanted to..."
Sleep with him.
At some point, the room's small lamp went out and the curtains were drawn.
It was a game of mutual seduction, intimate and urgent, dizzyingly chaotic. The wine surged through both their bodies, making them clutch at each other's clothes, sharing breaths and heartbeats in their deep embrace.
Chu Zhishui's clothes were pulled up, her waist feeling the coolness, and she retaliated. Her fingers explored his neckline, then the taut yet supple lines of his back. Even without seeing it fully, she could imagine the beautiful masculine strength from the touch of her fingertips.
Skin smooth as silk, muscle lines both soft and firm, gradually rising passionate intentions.
Xin Yunmao's gentle caresses played an intimate elegy, letting her be enveloped by the dense mist, completely lost in the rainy bamboo forest.
In the hazy warmth of wine, their lips and teeth intertwined, their burning skin pressed together. They sighed almost simultaneously, unable to suppress their gentle pants, like an endless drizzle of fine rain. In the swirling mists, they lost themselves, finally relieving the restless urgency within their bodies.
Suitable for fragrance, rain, and wind; water brushes past the hidden village and through the pines. Moss breaks through the steps as spring buds burst forth, while summer shadows deepen along the winding path.
After the shower of rain, fine beads of sweat glistened, unable to conceal the abundant spring passion.
Her toes curled as she leaned against him affectionately, able to hear the burning heartbeat within his chest, smell the fresh fragrance of grass and trees spreading everywhere, like tender leaves being crushed, completely enveloping her.
Like bamboo leaves saturated with sweet coolness, his scent remained imprinted.
In the darkness, Xin Yunmao's long hair was already loose, his handsome features tinged with desire, even his ink-black eyes became bewitching as he touched her intermittently.
"Tired?" He lifted her into his arms, letting her sit on top of him, and shamelessly asked, "How is this for pollination?"
"Haven't we already..."
"I told you before it's not easy, once isn't enough."
His fingertips wandered and lingered.
Chu Zhishui felt something, momentarily filled with both embarrassment and anger, she bit him in frustration, wishing she could bite through his thick skin.
Xin Yunmao groaned softly but didn't stop; instead, he became even more unrestrained.
The sky was covered with thick clouds, rain drumming against the windows, masking the subtle sounds of water within the room.
After the lingering rain veil, a deluge descended, pouring down fierce and heavy, splashing up waves of white mist, like drifting clouds and fog in an ethereal realm. The drumming rain drowned out his deep, alluring voice and concealed her soft, melodious moans.
After the loss of control, the rain cleared and the thick fog dispersed.
Chu Zhishui curled up lazily, cherishing the warmth of the blanket, her body completely spent. Feeling his gentle nuzzling, she said listlessly, "I want to make a wish."
Xin Yunmao's voice was slightly hazy, but he still asked good-naturedly, "What wish?"
"I want to take a bath."
"What bath? You're not dirty," Xin Yunmao pulled her finger to his nose, sniffing it seriously, "You smell wonderful."
She had drunk bamboo wine, and now having drunk him in, it was as if his essence had soaked into her entire being, completely becoming one.
Chu Zhishui pulled her hand back, arguing, "How am I fragrant—"
"Everywhere," he glanced at her rosy lips, then at her rounded shoulders, suggesting meaningfully, "From the inside out, from head to toe."
"..."
