Jingliu gnashed her teeth, glaring fiercely at Dan Feng.
The other side revealed a not-so-obvious smile, signaling her to rest assured.
Jingliu, "..."
'Dan Feng! What are you doing, Dan Feng!'
Does he think she drank wine just to use the chance to spend time with Zero?
Jingliu almost laughed out of anger, simply turning her head away so her eyes wouldn't see, heart wouldn't ache.
Zero never expected that the task of sending Jingliu home would fall onto him.
Everyone present had a better relationship with Jingliu than him. Whoever it landed on, it shouldn't have been him, right?
Dan Feng continued, "Baiheng has terrible alcohol tolerance. With fewer people, you can't hold her down."
Zero began recalling what Baiheng looked like drunk.
Baiheng couldn't drink as well as Jingliu, the type who the weaker she was the more she loved to drink. Every time it was Jingliu who held out to the end and dragged her home.
As for whether her drinking manners were bad, Zero honestly didn't know.
But now, even the highest combat power, the one who could easily subdue a drunk, Jingliu, was also drunk…
Zero looked around. There was Dan Feng, head of the Vidyadhara, and the Smith, super good at forging iron, arm strength not to be underestimated; and Cloud Knight Guard Jing Yuan. Immediately he felt solemn respect toward Baiheng.
'Baiheng, you're incredible! Even drunk you require Luofu's top combat force to suppress! Are you sure you're not some Aeon's messenger? Awesome!'
He bit down on the mint candy until it cracked, swallowed it, then finally spoke, "Fine. But, I don't know her address."
At this moment Dan Feng displayed unprecedented initiative. He quickly pulled out his jade terminal, exchanged contact info, sent over Jingliu's address. It wasn't far, just a few minutes' walk.
Then, the Dragon Lord dragged the "shocking my whole family"–faced Jing Yuan, manifested a turquoise dragon tail, and through drunk Baiheng, lashed it hard across Yingxing's back.
"Dan Feng, why did you hit me?!"
With Yingxing's scream, in the blink of an eye, they vanished from sight.
Zero, "..."
He was deeply shocked.
"…This is the Vidyadhara's secret art, called Panyue."
For some reason, Jingliu's tone had a hint of clenched teeth.
Zero dryly said, "Remarkable."
Jingliu paused for a moment, then said, "I am not drunk."
Zero turned his head, slightly leaned down, carefully examining Jingliu.
Close up, he could clearly hear the woman's gradually quickening breaths.
Her eyes were dazed, looking blank.
Her face, smooth as jade, flushed red, even her ear tips weren't spared.
Zero felt helpless, her gaze already wasn't right, and still she insisted.
He said, "Every drunkard says they're not drunk. Forget it, I'll send you home."
Jingliu's tone turned cold.
She said, "I can go home myself."
'Could it be Jingliu was like other women, worried about her own safety?'
Zero thought a bit, then added, "Relax, I'll only walk you to the door. With my combat power, rest assured, if you punched me, you'd have to kneel on the ground begging me not to die."
Jingliu's expression melted like snow and ice, becoming livelier. She said a little awkwardly, "I won't hit you."
Seeing this, Zero lost the mood to joke, and said seriously, "Just kidding, Swordmaster, "
He didn't know why Jingliu resisted so much, so he could only try his own way to dispel her concern.
He laid their combat power out plainly, stressing he wouldn't do anything to her.
But, it didn't seem to work.
He thought and thought, then said, "We just happen to be on the same way. I'll trouble the Swordmaster to accompany me a bit."
Hearing this, Jingliu stepped forward, walking side by side with Zero.
She asked, "Why, when I was on leave before, did I never see you?"
Zero lied without changing expression, "Other than work, I basically never go out. Speaking of which, is there any food around here worth trying?"
Jingliu thought for a moment, then began recommending the food near her residence.
Zero, from time to time, turned his head to look at her.
When others spoke, he had a habit of staring into their eyes.
Before long, he noticed a problem.
The redness on Jingliu's face had spread down to her neck.
He froze, then avoided her exposed skin. Through her clothing, he cautiously lifted a hand to support her back.
The back beneath his palm instantly stiffened.
Seeing this, Zero withdrew his hand, didn't continue touching her. His palm hovered a finger's width away, supporting in the air, as he asked, "Still dizzy? Can you stand steady?"
Jingliu bit her lip lightly, shook her head with a cold face, then nodded.
"Sorry. I overstepped." Zero sighed, apologizing as he leaned in, lifted the woman's bangs with his hand, brushed his knuckle against her forehead. He frowned, saying, "Your face is burning hot."
Jingliu and Zero locked eyes for a while. She was the first to yield, moving her gaze away like admitting defeat, softly saying, "My head feels a bit dizzy."
Zero understood.
For someone like Jingliu, who cut down monsters like chopping vegetables, to say she felt dizzy, things had to be serious.
He quickly took off his own jacket, draped it over her shoulders.
Zero's fitted jacket looked loose and baggy on Jingliu, its hem hanging down to her knees.
"Wait a moment."
He guided her to sit on a bench by the roadside, glanced around, found a vending machine, and while speaking jogged over.
Jingliu stared at his departing figure, subconsciously tightening the coat around her. When he returned, he was holding a bottle of hot milk.
Zero handed it to her.
In the vending machine, there had only been soda and vegetable-fruit juice.
And the hot fuyoung milk that belonged to the child next to it.
Calcium, vitamins, and water could all help with sobering up.
But he didn't know which would work best for Jingliu. After thinking, he traded snacks for the kid's hot milk.
"Have a hot drink."
Jingliu froze. "This milk… where did you buy it from?"
This type of milk turned bitter once cooled. It wasn't sold in vending machines.
And now it was late at night, who would still be selling hot milk on the street?
"Just happened to meet a kid, I traded him for it with vending machine snacks."
Jingliu lowered her head, softly thanked him.
Zero casually replied "don't mention it," while recalling the overbearing brat who had taken all his mints and made him buy up the vending machine's snacks.
Regret. Deep regret.
If he'd known, he should've beaten that brat before leaving.
As he imagined pummeling the brat in his heart, he kept his eyes on Jingliu. Seeing she had drunk most of it, he spoke, "Excuse me."
Without giving her the chance to refuse, Zero drew her into his arms, swiftly slid his arm under her knees through the coat, and after ensuring her skirt wouldn't ride up, lifted her in a princess carry.
Considering the difference between men and women, he deliberately chose the way with the least body contact among carrying, back-riding, and over-shoulder. Their distance closed, close enough to feel each other's breath.
Zero only felt like the woman in his arms was nearly holding her breath.
Her body was tense, maybe suppressing her combat instincts?
"We're almost there."
Zero quickened his pace. Soon he reached her residence, slowly set her down.
"Well then, I'll head off."
"Wait."
Jingliu suddenly spoke.
Zero turned back, puzzled. After a pause, she said, "Your clothes…"
"Oh, almost forgot."
He reached out instinctively to take them, but Jingliu had no intention of taking them off. She clutched the wide sleeve, then said, "I'll return it after I wash it."
Zero was puzzled, "No need for such trouble."
Jingliu said nothing, but her gaze refused him.
"…Alright then. Sorry to trouble you. I'll leave now."
"What I mailed to you before, " Jingliu's words cut off. For a moment, she didn't know what word to use.
She wanted to know, whether he liked that gift.
But in outsiders' eyes, the two of them didn't seem close enough to be exchanging gifts.
She felt, it shouldn't be called a gift.
Jingliu said, "That thing I mailed to you… what do you think of it?"
'Did you like it?'
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