The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Exhilaration

Huangfu Jingchen snorted. Though his father was straightforward, and his mother even more so, they usually acted without paying much attention to etiquette.

However, as the Imperial Grandson, in order not to be criticized, he and his younger siblings had all hired specialized tutors to learn etiquette, leaving no room for sloppiness. Doing this every day had already become a habit.

Now, asking him to break this habit was indeed somewhat difficult to accept.

Xia Wenjin didn’t care about him and started eating on his own.

Her movements carried a rough and hearty vibe. Every move fell into Huangfu Jingchen’s eyes almost warranting a label of rudeness. However, within that rudeness, there was a carefree and unrestrained charm, a naturalness of doing as one pleases, which felt much more comfortable than those refined young ladies he knew.

Wait!

Xia Wenjin was clearly a man, so why was he comparing her to those young ladies?

Men’s actions should naturally be more unpretentious than women’s. He must have lost his mind to compare him with women.

To cover up his sudden thoughts, Huangfu Jingchen picked up the wine bowl on the table and drank it in one go.

With a gulp, as he swallowed the wine, Huangfu Jingchen felt what he swallowed was not wine but a sense of liberating exhilaration.

So, drinking in big gulps could be so enjoyable?

No wonder they drank wine with bowls here, not cups. The wine wasn’t stored in a pot but in a jar.

Xia Wenjin grabbed a wine jar, filled Huangfu Jingchen’s bowl to the brim, and encouraged him, ”Doesn’t it feel great? Try it again!”

Huangfu Jingchen gave her a sidelong glance, ”Are you trying to drug me again?”

Xia Wenjin rolled her eyes, picked up his wine bowl, brought it to her lips, drank it all in one gulp, then turned the bowl upside down and sneered at him with disdain.

Huangfu Jingchen felt his face heat up, knowing he was misjudging a gentleman’s integrity. However, given her track record, and her blatant reluctance to return the jade pendant, his suspicion was understandable. It just made him look less gentlemanly at the moment.

He picked up the wine jar, poured a cup for Xia Wenjin, then filled his own, and as he prepared to drink from his bowl, he remembered Xia Wenjin had just drunk from it, and it still seemed to have her lingering warmth on the rim.

His heart was in a slight panic, and he quickly downed the wine in the bowl with one gulp.

It was still the same exhilarating feeling, relaxed, comfortable, unrestrained, and free...

He glanced at Xia Wenjin, who wasn’t looking at him but was frowning, seemingly listening intently.

In the midst of the noisy commotion, Huangfu Jingchen heard a crying and shouting voice. The sound came from outside the building, a woman screaming hoarsely: ”Liu’er, Liu’er, come home soon... Mother misses you... When will you come back...”

The sound came from across the street corner into another street. As it passed the tavern door, they could see a disheveled woman, crying hysterically as she walked.

At this moment, a waiter bringing dishes shook his head and sighed lightly.

Xia Wenjin asked, ”Who is that person, waiter?”

The waiter turned back and saw two young men with bright eyes and white teeth in front of him, looking especially handsome. The one asking had eyes like stars, looking at him with a full smile. Encountering such good-looking guests, he couldn’t help but feel a fondness, and seeing Xia Wenjin asking him, he immediately said, ”You two aren’t locals, are you? Speaking of that Aunt Wang, she’s quite pitiful. Aunt Wang lost her husband early, relying on her daughter for companionship. She struggled to raise her daughter until she was fifteen, ready to bring a son-in-law into the family to support them. But who would have thought, two months ago, her daughter disappeared. Aunt Wang couldn’t handle the shock and went mad. She looks for her daughter every night. Around here, we’re all used to it already!”

Huangfu Jingchen said, ”A healthy living person, how could they disappear?”

The waiter said, ”Isn’t it strange? Aunt Wang’s Xiao Liu’er is quite charming. But Aunt Wang announced she was looking for a son-in-law to join their family; otherwise, her doorstep would be trampled over by suitors. She couldn’t even bear to let her marry out, and suddenly she disappeared. Aunt Wang couldn’t take it.”

Xia Wenjin said, ”Did her daughter disappear on the street?”

The waiter shook his head, ”That’s not it. Aunt Wang’s family is from River Mouth Village, seven or eight miles from here. That day, Aunt Wang asked Liu’er to go to her uncle’s house to bring back some rice, but she never showed up. Aunt Wang went to her family’s house and said Liu’er never went there, and the villagers testified. Aunt Wang didn’t even know where to search, and in her anxiety, she went insane. She often goes to River Mouth Village looking for her daughter, sometimes making it there, sometimes fainting in the middle of the night, sleeping in the wild. When townspeople see her, they bring her back. It’s happened many times.”

Xia Wenjin and Huangfu Jingchen exchanged a glance.

The waiter looked around, then whispered mysteriously, ”You may not know this, but it’s said River Mouth Village is haunted. Many suspect that Xiao Liu’er and those girls were taken by the River God to be his brides.”

Xia Wenjin caught the information from the waiter and asked, ”Do you mean to say Xiao Liu’er isn’t the only one missing?” ℴ

The waiter said, ”Exactly. Since Xiao Liu’er, several other young women have gone missing near River Mouth Village. The government office is overwhelmed. The magistrate sent people to investigate, but found nothing, so they finally invited monks to the riverbank of River Mouth Village to perform a ritual, which calmed things down a bit. Who knows how long this peace will last!”

Someone on the side banged the table and shouted, ”Waiter, where’s our food!”

The waiter gave a hasty bow to Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin, saying, ”Please enjoy, gentlemen!”

Xia Wenjin grabbed him, ”Waiter, is there really a River God in River Mouth Village? Where is that village?”

The waiter’s expression changed slightly, ”Sir, don’t inquire. If the monks invited by the magistrate say it’s there, then it’s certainly there. We common folks better not offend the ghosts and gods!”

After that, he quickly went to attend to other guests.

Aunt Wang’s piercing voice had faded into the distance, but the night lingered where her mournful cries had pierced it, somber and forlorn.

Xia Wenjin called out, ”Waiter, the bill!”

Huangfu Jingchen placed a piece of broken silver on the table, pulled Xia Wenjin along, and said, ”Let’s go! If we take any longer, we won’t catch up.”

Xia Wenjin was a bit surprised. Huangfu Jingchen had the same idea as her?

The two walked out of the tavern and followed in the direction where Aunt Wang had gone.

They didn’t even return to the inn to get their horses. Fortunately, there were no city walls here, and no curfew at night. Walking quickly, they soon vaguely heard the cries for Liu’er again.

That direction must be River Mouth Village.

The waiter mentioned seven or eight miles; it’s not far, but they likely won’t be able to return by tonight.

Aunt Wang staggered forward with uneven steps, calling her daughter’s name with every step, her voice heart-wrenching. Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin followed behind her.