After soaking in the hot spring in the afternoon, Kathy and Lin Fei forcibly took Xueyin away, saying they were going to show her the Celestial Pool. Xueyin didn't want to hang out with Kathy and Lin Fei at all and struggled like a little pig waiting to be slaughtered, but unfortunately, she couldn't resist. Li Xin and the others finally got rid of the little demon that disrupted everything and could play cards normally.

They were playing Zodiac cards, the Twelve Zodiacs, with a bit of divination involved. The loser had to either answer a question or complete a challenging task. They never played it while in the Celestial Capital, but upon arriving in the Dragon Capital, their relationships became closer. Moreover, after Lu Shuai found out that Huerta had a crush on Fei Ruolin, he started teasing them endlessly, filling the afternoon with laughter. Even Fei Ruolin, who had become a bit reserved since arriving at the Dragon Capital, opened up a lot.

When you're playing, time always flies by. As night fell, everyone returned to their rooms to change clothes in preparation for dinner. Kathy was also there during dinner, so everyone couldn't be too casual.

Li Xin changed his clothes and went to the restaurant, which was empty. Was he too early?

He changed clothes quickly, but Huerta should be even faster, so how could there be no one here?

There weren't any other places to eat either. Li Xin looked out the window and felt like something was missing—oh, it was snow. It hadn't snowed yet this year, which was why it felt lacking in atmosphere. Actually, he didn't like the cold very much, maybe because the day he first arrived in the Celestial Capital, it was very cold. But of course, he loved snow.

Suddenly, the lights in the restaurant went out, and the room was pitch dark. Li Xin instinctively frowned. Just then, the lights came on, and Xueyin appeared holding a birthday cake, with Lin Fei, Kathy, Lu Shuai, and others behind her, and the birthday song began to play.

Li Xin stood up and remembered that November 1st was the day he met Aunt Fei. It later became his birthday, but he always forgot.

"I knew you'd forget," Lin Fei said.

"Whatever Aunt Fei says is right," Li Xin replied.

Everyone joined in singing the birthday song, which was a simple and lively way that Governor Luthor introduced for celebrating birthdays. Although Lu Shuai and Huerta couldn't carry a tune, they made up for it by being loud and enthusiastic.

"Ah Xin, make a wish," Xueyin said, putting the cake in front of Li Xin like a cute little elf.

Li Xin clasped his hands together and blew out the candles. Amidst the cheering, the Hex Lamp lit up, and the inn's chefs began preparing the dishes.

"Tonight, I'm in charge. Let's all drink up; no one goes home sober!" Kathy announced.

"Listen to Madam Secretary; anyone who backs out is a coward's son!" Lu Shuai eagerly chimed in.

"Alright, let's drink!" Luo Xue and Fei Ruolin both beamed.

"Count me in, count me in!" Xueyin was happy too. She had always wanted to experience getting drunk but only dared to sneak a small sip at home, afraid her mother would catch her.

"There's a fruit brew here with very little alcohol. You're allowed one cup, after all, you're about to become an apprentice too. Our Xueyin is growing up," Kathy said.

"Hooray, Sister Kathy is the best!"

Before long, the cold dishes were served, and the waiter poured the wine. It was Warm Spring Inn's specialty Beijing brew, with a rich aroma and a spicy grainy taste. Xueyin's drink was osmanthus rice wine, and although she was somewhat dissatisfied, it was quite a step up for her.

Kathy held the highest status among those present. The elegant Secretary Cathy raised her glass, "To Justice."

"To Family," Lin Fei raised her glass.

"To Ideals," Luo Xue raised her glass.

"To Science," Fei Ruolin raised her glass.

"To Brotherhood," Huerta raised his glass.

"To Love," Lu Shuai raised his glass.

"To Freedom," Xueyin raised her glass.

Everyone looked at Li Xin, who raised his glass, "To Encounters."

Cheers~~~

Everyone let loose and drank without restraint that night. Before long, the Secretary's authority and the girls' reserve vanished. Glasses clinked, and Xueyin secretly poured herself several more glasses. Even though millet wine was not very potent, it was at least a good start.

The biggest surprise was Sister Fei Ruolin, who turned out to be the fiercest drinker once she got going. Aside from her excellent drinking skills, her competitive spirit was unmatched. It turns out that girls who wear glasses are true hidden gems.

No one tried to suppress themselves; it was a pure test of real drinking capability. Lu Shuai's superiority stood out, as the first to fall were Kathy and Luo Xue, followed shortly by Fei Ruolin and Huerta. One rushed to drink too much, while the other refused none who offered. Xueyin, at some point unknown, had curled up on Lin Fei's lap and fallen asleep, occasionally mumbling that she hadn't drunk enough. Eventually, Li Xin also fell; he had drunk the most, being the birthday star, and was hazily carried back to his room.

It was cold outside, but very warm inside the room.

As he slept, Li Xin felt hot and thirsty, groggily opened his eyes, and licked his lips, feeling his head pounding. As he tried to get up to drink some water, a cup was handed to him, "With such poor tolerance, you still dared to drink with me. I told you, you can't handle it, little brother."

The cup became blurry, but the person slowly came into focus. Li Xin stared dumbfounded at Christie, with her smiling face radiating a bit of triumph.

"You're back…"

"I didn't go anywhere. You must be confused from sleep," Christie smiled, "You're all sweaty, have some water."

Li Xin took the cup, his eyes still fixed on Christie. "Am I dreaming?"

"Just drink up. With such a tiny tolerance, don't push yourself next time," Christie laughed, "Tell me, if we were ever apart, would you miss me?"

"Why would we be apart?"

"Silly brother, I mean if, hypothetically. Life is unpredictable; some things are beyond our control," Christie said.

"I don't want hypotheticals. I want to take you to meet my family," Li Xin said, holding Christie's hand.

"Family? You've never mentioned them before," Christie seemed surprised, but joy was evident in her gaze.

"I have an aunt and a younger sister in the Dragon Capital, and they're the dearest to me. I'm sure they would love you," Li Xin said.

Christie's face reddened, her hand slipped away from Li Xin's. "Who wants to meet your family? Are you hungry? I'll go make you some noodles."

"Don't go," Li Xin reached out, but found himself too weak.

Christie turned back, "What's wrong?"

"Hug me," Li Xin said, opening his arms.

"Alright, alright, I promise, I'll go meet your family," Christie nodded shyly, blushing as she gently caressed Li Xin like coaxing a child. "Just lie down a little while, I'll cook noodles."

"Could you stay just a little longer, please, just for a while?" Li Xin pleaded reluctantly.

"Why are you so clingy today?" Christie's smile was indulgent.

"I'm waking up soon…"

Outside, with the howling wind, the first big snow of winter arrived.