The Princess’ Shadow Guard Cannot Be Too Clever

Teahouse Chronicles (2)

You, can only have me (drunk)

When it comes to drinking capacity, if we were to rank several members of the Houshengtang Teahouse, Murong Yan, who can handle a thousand cups without getting drunk, stands tall at the top, unshakeable in her position, with no one capable of surpassing her.
The people in the teahouse have never seen her intoxicated.

Following closely behind is Zi Yan, who has been polished by the Chunfeng Tower.
Even if she drinks three or four pots of fine wine, this graceful lady only blushes slightly, maintaining her usual demeanor.

Next is Song Shu Qing.
Although her alcohol tolerance is not remarkable, she possesses great ambitions.
Even if her expression remains unchanged after drinking, in reality, after surpassing three pots, her personality undergoes a drastic transformation (or perhaps it just reverts to her true nature?), occasionally accompanied by moments of blackouts.

As for the last two individuals, Cao Yun and Ming Qin, their drinking capacities are on par.

Sigh…

Equally terrible.

Terrible enough to reach the Earth’s core.

As 『former』 pillars of the elite Shadow Guard Camp, Cao Yun and Ming Qin, their skills unmatched, are as vulnerable as if they have encountered an arch-nemesis, an ultimate foe, even with just a mere sip of alcohol.
They can’t even dodge the punches of a child.

The usually quiet and composed Cao Yun turns completely red, like a boiled shrimp, foolishly laughing before falling into a deep slumber.

As for the naturally obedient Ming Qin, she opens up even more, forgetting about the boundaries of adulthood, 『pouring out』 her heart and soul as if she were a child, revealing every last secret without reservation.

Are these pieces of information important?

Very important.

At least for Zi Yan, she deeply regrets not knowing beforehand that these three『former』elite members of the Shadow Guard, whom she regarded as almost invincible, would be so weak against alcohol, losing their composure in an instant.

Now, she is on the first floor of the teahouse, together with Murong Yan, facing the three 『masters』 who are drunk, exchanging glances.

Today, Zi Yan is commanding Ming Qin and Cao Yun, who won’t set the kitchen on fire, to work together and prepare a table of dishes, while Song Shu Qing has gone to the neighboring town to find several large barrels of plum wine and cured meat.
The five of them are preparing to celebrate New Year’s Eve together for the first time in the teahouse.

(You asked about what Murong Yan did? She was in charge of funding! Such a sacred, important, and indispensable task naturally falls to the esteemed Princess Chongwen!)

Unaware of everyone’s alcohol tolerance, Zi Yan thoughtfully poured a glass for each person before arranging the dishes, and then…

And then, there was no “and then.”

Engrossed in devouring the delicious feast before them, Ming Qin and Cao Yun, blissfully enjoying the sweet taste of plum wine, continued to drink without hesitation.
Song Shu Qing, who had a big appetite for both food and alcohol and was in a cheerful mood, kept refilling her own glass without any sense of moderation.

And so, before midnight even arrived, the three experienced 『former』members of the Shadow Guard were already in a hazy, abnormal state of mind.

As the only two individuals who remained fully conscious, Murong Yan and Zi Yan could only helplessly rub their foreheads.

“Princess… I’m sorry,” Zi Yan apologized with guilt to the woman beside her.
As she reached out, intending to discreetly take away the wine glass in front of Song Shu Qing, she said, “It seems we won’t be able to stay up and celebrate the New Year together tonight.”

“Don’t blame yourself.
It’s alright,” Murong Yan stood, allowing Ming Qin, who was sitting in the chair, to tightly embrace her, burying her face in her abdomen.
The warm breath against her waist made her feel weak.
“It’s just that this feeling seems familiar, as if we’ve experienced it before.”

Listening to Ming Qin muttering incomprehensibly, Zi Yan couldn’t help but retort.

“What are you doing, Zi Yan?”

Suddenly speaking up, Song Shu Qing, who had her head resting against the wall, opened her eyes and grabbed Zi Yan’s wrist as she reached out.
Her complexion was normal, and her speech clear.
If one were to ignore the scattered wine jars on the ground, others would assume she was unharmed.

“You rascal, stealing my heart wasn’t enough for you, now you want to steal my cup too? Huh?” Song Shu Qing said, her grip loosely holding Zi Yan’s wrist.

“Miss Song… I wasn’t trying to steal your cup, it’s just that you have already had too much to drink and shouldn’t indulge anymore,” Zi Yan helplessly explained, disregarding the first half of her statement.
“Give me the alcohol, please?”

“…Kiss, kiss, Zi Yan, you’re so cold-hearted.
How could you call me Miss Song? Don’t you love me anymore?” Song Shu Qing pulled the woman into her embrace, making her sit on her lap.
Her mouth drooped, looking extremely aggrieved.
“How could you be so fickle?”

Slightly startled by the sudden weightlessness, Zi Yan suppressed a gasp and patiently explained, “Miss Song, please don’t jest.
It’s just that you’ve had too much to drink.”

After a brief pause, her voice softened.
“…How could I not love you?”

“But…” Song Shu Qing opened her squinted eyes, holding onto the woman’s waist.
As if on purpose, her tone suddenly changed, and she spoke clearly, word by word, “Last night, you were calling me Shu Qing and whispering that you wanted me in my ear.
How come now… sobs.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Zi Yan lost her composure and hastily covered the shadow guard’s mouth.
“Please stop talking!” Her ears slightly reddened, and she rarely raised her voice.
“Quickly let go of me.”

“I refuse,” Song Shu Qing firmly rejected.

Breaking free from the hand covering her mouth, Song Shu Qing held onto the person in her arms, gripping their wrist, tilting her head with a smirk.
She chuckled lightly, saying, “If Yao calls me, then I’ll let go.”

“Sobs…” Watching her mischievous lover behave rarely in front of others, Zi Yan’s heart trembled, feeling extremely embarrassed.
However, faced with Song Shu Qing’s persistent attitude, the woman relented and said, “…Shu Qing, please let go of me, alright?”

“Not enough,” the smile on her face grew even wider.
The intoxicated person leaned closer, their head nearing.
“Yao in the night isn’t like this.”

The sweet scent of alcohol wafted to Zi Yan’s nose, leaving her helpless.
She took a breath, trying hard to ignore the princess who remained sober beside them.

“Shu Qing, my dear Shu Qing.”

Pressing her cheek against the shadow guard’s profile, the composed woman slowly exhaled a seductive and tender voice, momentarily resembling a true nine-tailed fox.
“Let Yao go, Shu Qing, release Yao, alright?”

Raising her head, staring straight into the person’s face in her embrace, it took a while before Song Shu Qing finally let go.
“Alright.”

Seemingly satisfied, but the shadow guard remained calm and gently whispered into the woman’s earlobe, “But Yao must return when night falls.
Don’t keep me waiting for too long.”

Not daring to react further, Zi Yan blushed and stood up, accidentally making eye contact with Murong Yan.

“Mmm, thank you for your hard work.” With no extra expression or comment, Princess Chongwen simply spoke in a faint tone.

“She, she rarely acts like this.” Feeling the heat spreading even to her neck, Zi Yan spoke up to defend Song Shu Qing.
“Even if she rarely misbehaves, she usually stops at a certain point and never goes as far as today…”

As dominantly as this.

But she, herself, didn’t dislike it.

Murong Yan bowed her head silently, showing her thoughtfulness, with no intention of adding fuel to the fire on Zi Yan’s already flushed face.
She gently patted Ming Qin’s head, her movements incredibly gentle, and spoke softly, “Ah Qin, are you tired?”

With rosy cheeks, Ming Qin looked up, as if she had discovered a treasure, and gazed at her beloved with a pleasantly surprised tone, “It’s Yan Yan! The best and most wonderful Yan Yan! Peony, you’re my peony.”

Revealing a mixture of helplessness and doting in her smile, Murong Yan remarked, “You’re also drunk.” As she looked at the endearing shadow guard beneath her, she sighed softly, “Zi Yan, can we borrow a room upstairs?”

She turned her head and asked the woman beside her who was trying to wake Cao Yun.

“Of course, Your Highness, please don’t hesitate.” Zi Yan replied, then pondered on how to handle the tall man currently sleeping soundly on the table.

Nodding, Murong Yan looked at Cao Yun and then at Ming Qin, calling out, “Ah Qin, Ah Qin, do you still have the strength?”

Amidst the haze, all Ming Qin’s mind could grasp was the voice of her beloved woman, flowing like a cold spring.
“I have strength, I have strength.
How can I protect Yan Yan without strength?”

Staggering, she stood up and swung her fist aimlessly in the air, speaking in a dazed manner.

“In that case, could Ah Qin help me move Cao Yun back to his bed and then take me to a room on the second floor?” Murong Yan’s tone was gentle, displaying a thoughtful demeanor.

“Good!” Even with a clouded mind, the loyal shadow guard obeyed her beloved woman to the extreme.
After nodding, she effortlessly lifted the taller man over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed straight for Cao Yun’s room.

Casually throwing her unconscious senior brother onto the bed, she was rough in her actions, paying no attention to whether his head hit the bed frame.
Ming Qin then emerged from the room and stood before Murong Yan, proudly announcing, “All done!”

“Good girl.” Like soothing a young child, the woman gently caressed Ming Qin’s lowered head.
“Now, Ah Qin, take me upstairs, alright?”

“Of course.” With contentment in her eyes, Ming Qin skillfully lifted Murong Yan into her arms.

Even though she had performed the same action a thousand times before and her head felt heavy, she maintained an inexplicable gentleness, steadily carrying the woman’s hips up the stairs.

It wasn’t until she heard the sound of the upstairs door being pushed open that Zi Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked down at the hand tightly gripping hers under the table.

“Shu Qing…” In the intimate space with just the two of them, Zi Yan’s shyness in her tone slightly diminished.
“Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a while too? Please?”

With a mysterious smile on her lips, Song Shu Qing propped up her head and looked at her beloved lover, raising an eyebrow as she asked, “Why? I’m not sleepy.”

Raising her hand, she gently kissed the soft fingertips of the woman.

“Shu Qing.” Feeling a tingling sensation and the warmth in her chest from having a few drinks, Zi Yan softly spoke as she looked at the shadow guard who was staring straight at her.
“Please don’t be like this…”

“Like this?” She tilted her head, raising the corner of her mouth, as Song Shu Qing asked, her other hand tightly holding onto the woman’s fingers.

“Like this… looking at me like this.”

It was a rare sight, an unabashed and open gaze that seemed to devour everything and claim it as her own.
Yet Zi Yan couldn’t avoid Song Shu Qing’s gaze either.

Because she liked it.

“If I don’t look at you, then whom should I look at?” Leaning in, she embraced the woman in her arms, bringing her face even closer.
Her nostrils filled with the familiar scent of Zi Yan’s favorite perfume, along with a hint of the lingering charcoal aroma from the stove where she had been cooking earlier.

Clutching onto the front of the shadow guard’s garment tightly, Zi Yan’s throat felt dry.
She swallowed and turned her head, struggling to speak, “Miss Song… Shu Qing… Look at whoever you want.”

“Mhm.”

A perplexed hum escaped her throat, “So, Ah Yao allows me to look at other people?” Song Shu Qing’s tone was light, but her eyes held no hint of amusement.
“So, if I were to seek out someone else, would Ah Yao be happy?”

“No… That’s not it.” Biting her lower lip, Zi Yan looked at the hand resting on her waist.
Her eyelashes trembled lightly.
“Being happy or not… It’s not…”

“Stop biting.” She lifted her hand to support her chin, gently caressing her lips with her thumb.
Song Shu Qing spoke softly, “Since it’s like this, Ah Yao must express her true feelings clearly.
Whatever Ah Yao desires or doesn’t desire, you must tell me everything.”

Forced to meet the gaze of the person she admired, Zi Yan felt the warmth on her cheeks.
She slowly spoke, “I don’t want Shu Qing to seek out someone else.
It would make me unhappy.” She reached out, encircling the shadow guard’s neck.

“I… I won’t allow it.”

“Good girl.
I don’t like it either when Ah Yao seeks someone else.” Song Shu Qing smiled, unaffected by the vulnerable position she was in.
She nodded encouragingly, “And?”

“I want Shu Qing’s eyes to only look at me, and her thoughts to be solely filled with me.” Zi Yan whispered in the woman’s ear, revealing her suppressed possessiveness and longing.
“You can only belong to me.”

Lifting her head, her eyes became reddened, as she abandoned her previous hardness and softly pleaded.

“Shu Qing, is that okay?”

With a tender touch on Zi Yan’s head, Song Shu Qing reassured her, “Okay.” Supporting her by the neck, she leaned down slightly and said, “I promise.”

“Only look at you, only think of you.”

“I only want you.”

In the next moment, their distance became nonexistent.

Song Shu Qing, who always claimed to be delicate, lifted the woman in her arms, allowing her to passionately fumble with her collar.
Steadily, they made their way towards the room on the third floor.