"How are you? Are you doing okay back home? Nothing bad happened on your side, right?" Long Hui asked, his voice laced with the lingering, protective worry he always carried for his beloved Qi Qi.

"Yeah... I am fine. Nothing major has happened at all. Oh... Grandpa Mu came to visit. I brought him to the estate so he could enjoy the hot spring." Yu Qi shared casually, her voice soothing.

She did not plan to tell Long Hui about the recent incident involving Master Chunwei. Since she had not been injured in the encounter, she felt there was absolutely no need to make him worry while he was away on such a dangerous duty. She knew that her contracted beasts would also remain loyal to her wishes and would not mention that particular matter to Long Hui. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Sleep now... You will need to wake up very early tomorrow morning. I am going to return to my own body after you fall asleep." Yu Qi stated softly, her voice as gentle and rhythmic as a lullaby.

"Hmm... Qi Qi... I miss you so much it actually hurts." Long Hui murmured weakly, his consciousness fading.

"Hmm... Me too..." Yu Qi replied quietly, her heart overflowing with a bittersweet mixture of warmth and longing.

After a while, Long Hui’s breathing became steady and normal, signalling that he had drifted off into a deep, restorative sleep once more. She was just preparing to leave Shino’s body and return to her own physical form when she suddenly heard Bo Ya’s voice echoing urgently in her mind.

’Master, come back immediately! Someone is here, standing right outside your bedroom door!’ Bo Ya called out with clear, unmistakable urgency.

’What? Alright. I will come back right now.’ Yu Qi replied at once.

With a sharp, practised pull of her consciousness, she immediately left Shino’s body. In an instant, she was back inside her own physical body once more. Just as Bo Ya had warned, she heard the sound of someone knocking firmly on her bedroom door. She stood up quickly, smoothed her clothes, and went to open it. To her surprise, it was Grandpa Mu who had come knocking, and Grandpa Tang was standing right there beside him.

"What is it, Grandpas? Is something wrong?" Yu Qi asked, blinking in surprise at the late-night visit.

"Oh... Nothing is wrong. We are just going to drink some fine wine. Why don’t you come and join us?" Grandpa Tang invited Yu Qi with a mischievous, youthful glint in his eye.

"Wine?" Yu Qi repeated, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Hmm... I brought out a particularly good wine from the cellar." Grandpa Tang stated proudly.

"Yeah... It is never the wrong hour for good wine and even better company." Grandpa Mu declared cheerfully.

Yu Qi knew that she would not be able to refuse these two stubborn old men. In truth, she had also been planning to drink a little tonight to relax. Besides, she was genuinely curious about the specific wine Grandpa Tang had mentioned with such pride.

"Grandpa, are you taking out Uncle Jang Qin’s private collection?" Yu Qi asked knowingly, a small smile playing on her lips.

Grandpa Tang grinned widely, and Yu Qi immediately knew the answer. Her grandfather had indeed raided a bottle from Tang Jang Qin’s treasured private collection. Tang Jang Qin treated that collection like his own child. He could spend two whole hours just carefully tending to his precious bottles.

"Is that really okay?" Yu Qi asked, thinking of her uncle’s reaction.

"Don’t worry about it. I will compensate him later." Grandpa Tang replied with another mischievous grin.

"Alright... Alright... But please don’t blame me if I cannot finish a full glass." Yu Qi said helplessly, knowing her own limits.

So, Yu Qi agreed to accompany the two old men. She stepped out of her room and gently closed the door behind her, following them downstairs.

A few minutes later, the three of them were settled comfortably around the stone table in Grandpa Tang’s garden. The scent of night-blooming jasmine drifted softly through the air, while the distant and rhythmic bubbling of the hot spring provided a peaceful, natural soundtrack to their gathering. Grandpa Tang uncorked the bottle with a satisfying pop. The rich and complex aroma of aged grapes immediately filled the cool night air.

"Hmm... Indeed good. The scent is remarkably smooth, elegant, and perfectly balanced." Grandpa Mu commented appreciatively, sniffing the air.

Grandpa Tang poured three glasses. The dark liquid shimmered like deep rubies beneath the silver moonlight. He gestured for them to take their glasses.

"Cheers!" Grandpa Tang said, raising his own glass high toward the moon.

The other two followed his lead. They each took a sip. Yu Qi also took one very small, cautious sip. The wine was indeed exquisite, sweet, floral, and deceptively smooth. But the moment the liquid touched the back of her throat, the entire world around her began to tilt on its axis.

The transition was instantaneous. Her eyes turned glazed and unfocused. A bright and rosy flush spread explosively across her cheeks. She set the glass down with a slightly too loud clack and giggled, a sound that was far more high-pitched and bubbly than her usual, composed voice. She looked up and pointed a shaky, uncertain finger toward the sky.

"The moon... The moon is... so round. Like a giant dumpling. Don’t you think so, Grandpas? It is a giant, glowing pork dumpling." Yu Qi said before chuckling heartily at her own words.

Grandpa Tang and Grandpa Mu slowly turned their heads to look at Yu Qi, their expressions shifting to pure shock.

"Oh, heavens! She is telling the truth... Just one single sip and she is gone!" Grandpa Tang exclaimed in genuine surprise.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***