Whether the house was tidy or not, that was Rose's call to make.
"Listen to your mother. Girls shouldn't drink too much… but tonight, I'll make an exception. You can have two glasses," Ethan said with a grin.
He raised his glass and clinked it against Aetheris's.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Aetheris raised his glass as well, and Annie, clearly thrilled, stood up quickly to join the toast.
During the meal, Rose repeatedly praised Ethan and spoke glowingly on his behalf. She also drank quite a bit herself.
Aetheris found it both amusing and a little disheartening.
Money really did change people. Someone like Rose, once a proud intellectual was now so eager to please. If he had acted more aloof, more indifferent…
What kind of life would Ethan's family be living now?
It was painfully true: people's treatment of you depended entirely on your status. If he had been some broke scientist friend of Ethan's like Octavius, Rose wouldn't have shown him an ounce of respect, let alone gone out of her way to flatter him.
Still, perhaps this was for the best. Being respected and flattered was better than being mocked or looked down upon.
The four of them managed to finish three bottles of red wine from Ethan's private stash. They weren't particularly expensive, but the gesture mattered more than the label.
After all, when entertaining guests, you always bring out your best.
The evening turned out to be a warm and joyous one for both host and guest. Aetheris had definitely drunk quite a bit, yet he didn't feel even the slightest bit tipsy.
Ethan and Rose, on the other hand, were clearly drunk. Red wine was deceiving, it went down easily but hit you hard later. Sometimes, it was worse than strong liquor.
Thankfully, Annie had only had a little. She remained mostly sober.
That said, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes had a gentle sparkle.
Her fair skin, kissed by the effects of the wine, seemed even more delicate and radiant—soft, dewy, and luminous.
"Uncle, you drank so much. How are you getting home tonight?"
"Too much? I'm not even buzzed."
Aetheris gave her a half-smile, then glanced at Ethan and Rose, who were now slumped over the table, completely unconscious.
"I've got a strong constitution, I don't get drunk. Let's get your parents to bed first. You can't lift them on your own."
"Oh… okay."
Though Annie wasn't drunk, her tolerance wasn't high either. Even a small amount had clearly left her a little foggy.
"Let's do this."
Aetheris easily lifted Ethan onto his shoulder and carried him to the bedroom. Spotting the large bed inside, he simply dropped Ethan onto it.
Returning downstairs, he found Annie still standing dazed at the table, her cheeks flushed, not sure what to do.
"Can you manage your mom?"
Honestly, Aetheris's gaze might have lingered a moment too long, but he still held a line of respect for this sister-in-law.
He firmly believed in one principle: never covet a friend's wife.
Betty was another matter entirely—he and Blake weren't friends, and Betty wasn't married to him. From both a moral and legal standpoint, Aetheris could still justify it.
Annie walked over to help Rose, but the height and weight difference made it impossible. Annie herself was still feeling lightheaded and couldn't lift her mother at all.
She nearly dropped Rose under the table.
"I've got it."
Aetheris sighed and silently reminded himself: Stay cool. Even if the sky falls, don't panic.
He hooked Rose's arm over his shoulder, crouched down, and slid one arm under her knees. Then, with a practiced motion, he scooped her up into a bridal carry.
"Annie, go boil some ginger syrup. Ethan and your mom will probably need it when they wake up."
Annie stood there blankly for a second before responding.
"Oh… okay."
She turned and walked into the kitchen, switched on the gas stove, set a kettle down, and began adding rock sugar and ginger slices.
In that moment, she was like a robot receive a command, execute it without hesitation.
Though Rose had a slender figure, she was still a mature woman in her thirties. She had curves in all the right places, and her tall frame about 1.75 meters—meant she weighed over 72 kgs. But in Aetheris's arms, she felt light, like a pillow.
Still, she was drunk, and her warm, wine-sweet breath brushing against his ear made his skin tingle. His heart pounded whether from the alcohol or the woman in his arms, he wasn't sure.
Drunk Rose had gone utterly soft, like a heap of cotton, completely boneless in his embrace.
It took real effort to get her onto the bed beside Ethan.
She was still dressed in a light yellow jacket, tight-fitting jeans, and tall leather boots. Sleeping like that in winter would be terribly uncomfortable.
Without thinking too much, Aetheris instinctively began removing her boots and coat. There was nothing improper about it—sleeping in heavy clothes in winter could lead to a cold.
And in America, catching a cold hit harder than Thanos snapping his fingers.
He quickly slipped off the boots, revealing long legs clad in thin white socks.
Then, propping her up gently, he removed her wool coat, revealing a snug black turtleneck underneath.
Her collarbones and the curves of her chest were more prominent than Aetheris had expected. He forced himself to look away.
"Uncle, the ginger syrup's ready."
Annie's sweet voice came from the doorway.
Aetheris froze. He quickly stood up and pulled the quilt over Ethan and Rose, covering them somewhat messily. Then he turned to Annie and saw nothing unusual in her expression.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be heading out."
He walked quickly down the stairs, but behind him came the sound of hurried footsteps.
Before he could turn, a soft scent hit him, and something delicate crashed into his chest.
Looking down, he saw Annie trembling in his arms like a frightened bird. Her eyes were half-closed, her lips pressed tightly together in a faint smile.
Her flushed cheeks were the color of azalea petals so red they looked like they might start bleeding.
Aetheris swallowed hard. The desire that had been sparked earlier by Rose now came surging back like lava ready to erupt.
"Uncle… sob sob sob…"
Annie's hands reached up and clasped behind Aetheris's neck.
(End of Chapter)
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