Chapter 129: Tao Ming's Drunkenness (Part Two)

Su Nanxing stepped into the courtyard and saw the Seventh Prince sitting in the pavilion waiting for him. He took a few strides over and sat in the spot where Tao Ming had previously been seated.

The Seventh Prince lifted the beer before him and took a sip. "By seniority, you should call me uncle."

Su Nanxing sneered, "I don’t know where this bastard came from, and yet he dares demand I call him uncle!"

"Whether you acknowledge it or not, you have to say it in front of your mother," the Seventh Prince said, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Su Nanxing let out a cold laugh. "You can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool me."

The Seventh Prince toyed with the glass in his hands. "Say whatever you want."

"Stay away from my wife from now on."

The Seventh Prince smirked ambiguously. "You can’t stop me. If you’ve got the guts, try killing me."

Su Nanxing clenched his fists, itching to punch the Seventh Prince in the face, but thinking of Tao Ming, he held himself back. "What exactly do you want?"

"Rebellion. Didn’t Ming tell you?" The Seventh Prince glanced at the side room, a smirk curling his lips. "She means a lot to me."

Rage flared in Su Nanxing’s chest, and his voice rose slightly. "Stay away from her."

"Don’t joke around. If it were you, would you just give up?" The Seventh Prince looked at Su Nanxing as if he were a fool, finding the whole thing amusing.

Su Nanxing ground his teeth and growled, "Why her?"

"You tell me." The Seventh Prince thought to himself, I came here for her all along; I just only realized it now.

Su Nanxing provoked, "She’s already had Ruǎnruǎn with me."

The Seventh Prince thought, I know, I like Ruǎnruǎn too, but he said aloud, undeterred, "It doesn’t matter, I love her soul."

"Every night she falls asleep in my arms; just now we were—" Su Nanxing deliberately left the sentence hanging.

The Seventh Prince watched him with playful interest; this fool still doesn’t know who I am. "It’s alright; there’s plenty of time."

"Ming hates being lied to more than anything. Don’t you have any shame after all the lies you’ve told her?"

"Funny, have you never lied?" The Seventh Prince raised an eyebrow, thinking, when Tao Ming remembers who you are, you better prepare your coffin.

Su Nanxing took a deep breath and spoke each word clearly, "In a few days, we’ll formalize the marriage contract. You won’t have a chance."

"Let’s see if the contract goes smoothly," the Seventh Prince said, standing to look at the night sky. "It’s late; I’m going to sleep."

"Which room will you sleep in?"

The Seventh Prince had already stepped out of the pavilion. "Next door."

"I’ll make sure you hear something interesting tonight," Su Nanxing said, determined to annoy him.

The Seventh Prince thought to himself, I’ve heard enough in the past, and without turning his head, he dropped two words: "Childish."

He walked a few steps, then turned back to Su Nanxing. "When I act, you’ll have to cooperate so she doesn’t get suspicious."

"Just stay away from her," Su Nanxing snorted coldly and stood up to head to the main house.

---

Tao Sisi was in the bedroom playing with the two little ones when she heard Su Nanxing calling Ruǎnruǎn outside. She said, "Come in."

When Su Nanxing entered, Tao Sisi saw he was neatly dressed and had no injuries on his face, so she asked, "No fight, then?"

Su Nanxing was full of frustration with nowhere to vent. "Mother, Qiao Kongqing is Ming’s cousin. They’re not suitable."

"Marrying cousins is common around Weishui," Tao Sisi said casually.

"Mother, what don’t you like about me? I can change."

Tao Sisi studied him for a moment. "You’re not as handsome as Kongqing."

Ruǎnruǎn was unhappy. "Daddy is the most handsome daddy in the whole world."

Su Nanxing smiled brightly. "Ruǎnruǎn, you’re daddy’s little sweetheart. Come sleep with daddy, okay?"

"I just woke up. I’m not sleepy at all." Ruǎnruǎn fiddled with her toy, unwilling to sleep.

Tao Sisi waved her hand. "Go keep Ming company."

Su Nanxing glanced at Nuònuò, who made an "OK" sign toward him. He nodded slightly. "Mother, I’ll go then."

Su Nanxing returned to the side room and set up a sound transmission array on the shared wall with the Seventh Prince, then got into bed to tease Tao Ming.

Unfortunately, Tao Ming was too drunk to wake up no matter what. Su Nanxing regretted it deeply—rarely had Tao Ming taken the initiative like this, and if only he hadn’t been so pretentious before.

The Seventh Prince lay in bed, the scene from the pavilion replaying vividly in his mind, especially the red mark on Tao Ming’s forehead.

He took out a mirror and looked at the person reflected, focusing on the red mark on her forehead, murmuring, "Fate plays tricks; to think I found you by his side!"

No wonder you always felt so familiar.

Yet you married him.

When you remember, will you regret it?

The question he had asked her then echoed beside him:

"Ming, if one day you find out I lied to you, what would you do?"

"Lie to me? That depends on the situation. Different circumstances require different responses."

"What if it was Su Nanxing lying to you?"

"I’d kill him."

...

Tao Ming woke in the middle of the night with a splitting headache. Su Nanxing fed her medicine and rubbed her temples, scolding, "Why drink so much? You don’t cherish yourself at all."

"Why are you here?" Tao Ming leaned against Su Nanxing, feeling dazed.

Su Nanxing, thinking of the Seventh Prince nearby, teased, "Wife, you can’t just deny everything once you pull up your pants! You were riding me, shaking and calling out!"

Tao Ming glanced at her lower half. "I didn’t even take off my pants. How can I deny it if they’re still on?"

"Wife..."

Tao Ming’s headache eased. She pushed Su Nanxing’s hand away, got up, washed up, and seeing Su Nanxing still in bed, turned to leave the bedroom.

Su Nanxing chased after her, grabbing her hand. "Wife, are you still mad at me?"

"I don’t understand what you’re saying," Tao Ming said, mood sour. The reason she drank so much was that the last couple of days had been filled with too much trouble; she was just overwhelmed.

Su Nanxing forcibly pulled Tao Ming back onto the bed, wrapping her in his arms. "Wife, I was just bragging."

"I understand. Go back. Let me be alone," Tao Ming struggled to break free.

"Where would I go?"

"Back to the Su residence."

A sense of foreboding washed over Su Nanxing. Tao Ming was clearly not herself. "I’ll go back at dawn and bring the betrothal gifts."

"If you want to send them, go ahead." Tao Ming had no mood to argue.

"Wife, what does that mean?"

Tao Ming pleaded, "Please, just let me be alone."

"Wife, can’t we stop this fight?"

Su Nanxing’s heart raced; he absolutely could not let Tao Ming be alone—who knew what wild thoughts would cross her mind.

Tao Ming gave up struggling. "I’m not fighting. I just want to be alone for a while."

An idea struck Su Nanxing. He quietly pulled out a bottle of Relaxing Heart Pills—once ignited, these pills release a smoke that lowers the inhaler’s defenses and relaxes the mind.

Su Nanxing opened the bottle where Tao Ming couldn’t see, took out a pill, quickly lit it, and soon Tao Ming’s expression softened.

"Wife, wife."

"Go away. Let me be alone." Tao Ming’s tone was no longer as firm as before.

Su Nanxing held her hand tighter. "Wife, whatever it is, let’s face it together, okay?"

"I’m tired. You should go."

Seeing Tao Ming still unwilling to talk, Su Nanxing lit another Relaxing Heart Pill.

"Wife, what’s wrong with you?"

Tao Ming looked at Su Nanxing silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Su Nanxing panicked. "Wife?"

"Su Nanxing, you’re nothing but a big liar!"