“Dinner’s ready! Longjiu is back, so we can have our feast!”
Lü Erlu stood by a table laden with delicacies.
As the last person finally walked through the door, he shouted toward the floor above.
“Coming, coming! Roast lamb, roast lamb — delicious roast lamb! And also… soft, fluffy… cake!”
Ziya rushed downstairs, chanting the names of the foods she had been craving.
Out of the corner of her eye, however, she spotted a quiet red glass bottle sitting on the table.
‘Isn’t this that fruit-flavored red wine that’s been so popular among the Demon Race lately? Why is it here?’
Ziya thought in surprise.
After a moment of reflection, her suspicious gaze immediately locked onto the sound of footsteps coming from behind her.
“Coming, Dad — !”
Baining walked slowly down the stairs, meeting Ziya’s look of utter suspicion.
“Sister, you’re so mean. You actually brought that wine for Father to drink.”
“Oh? Little Ziya, you’re quite the expert. You even know the origin of this wine?”
“Don’t treat me like an idiot, Sister! This is the famous Soft Dream Red Wine of the Demon Race. The sweet, juicy fruit flavor completely masks the smell of alcohol. People drink it without realizing how much they’ve had, and they end up falling into a dizzy, deep sleep!”
“Uh-huh, so you found me out. Don’t worry, I just want Dad to get a good night’s rest — “
“That’s not it! You’re not like me. Every time you do something mysterious like this, it’s never anything good! You definitely have a plan. You want to do something to Father!”
“I really can’t hide anything from you, you little rascal. But, well, the time hasn’t come yet. You’ll find out when it does — “
“Longjiu and Baining, both of you are being Riddlers! Next time, I’m going to be one too!”
“What a pity. With your abilities, you won’t be able to do that for a while, Little Ziya — “
“!!!”
Ziya froze on the spot.
She never expected Baining to speak to her like that.
In the past, her sister had never been so blunt or discouraging!
“Sister Baining…! Waaaah, Father — !”
Ziya’s nose stung with tears.
Frustrated and upset, she wiped her eyes and charged downstairs.
“What… what’s wrong, Little Ziya? Didn’t you say you wanted cake? Look, the roast lamb and the cake are both on the table just waiting for you!”
Seeing Ziya suddenly dive into his arms and wail, Lü Erlu was instantly thrown into a panic.
“Sister Baining is bullying me! Waaaah!”
Ziya buried her small face in Lü Erlu’s apron, rubbing back and forth until her tears and snot were smeared all over it.
Lü Erlu didn’t mind at all; he simply patted her back gently.
“Baining, how many times have I told you? Ziya is still young. Don’t keep teasing her until she cries.”
Lü Erlu turned to look at Baining with a sigh, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.
“I know, Dad. Ziya, I spoke too sharply just now. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry.”
Baining realized her words had been unintentional but hurtful.
She quickly softened her tone and offered a sincere apology.
“…”
Ziya sniffled and gave a small, quiet response.
However, Baining’s casual remark felt like a tiny thorn stuck in her heart.
She secretly clenched her small fists, engraving this scene into her memory.
Hmph.
She was definitely going to do something big to make Baining and Longjiu look at her in a new light! She had to prove that she could also handle things they would never expect!
“Alright, alright, let’s just act like that never happened. Everyone, sit down and let’s eat. Don’t make things difficult for Longjiu. Look at her waiting there by the table, staring and unable to eat. She’s practically drooling.”
“Mm… Okay, Father.”
Ziya sniffled one last time, finally calming down.
“Got it, Dad.”
—
At the dining table, Lü Erlu and his family sat together, enjoying the sumptuous dinner in a harmonious atmosphere.
“The fruit flavor is just right. Baining, this wine is incredible!”
Lü Erlu picked up his wine glass and brought it to his nose to catch the scent.
Then, he drained it in one go, looking thoroughly satisfied.
“I’m glad Father likes it. I have another bottle hidden away. Would you like some more?”
An enigmatic smile curled the corners of Baining’s lips.
As if prepared, she pulled out another bottle of wine and refilled Lü Erlu’s glass.
“Um… Father… drinking too much alcohol doesn’t seem very good…”
Ziya’s spoon paused in her cake.
She watched the red wine fill Lü Erlu’s glass again and whispered her concerns.
” — “
She had just plucked up the courage to speak when Baining sent a sharp glare her way, forcing her to swallow her words.
“Oh, come on, Dad — this wine is hard to find even for a thousand gold coins. It’s a rare chance to taste it. If you don’t drink it now, you might not get another opportunity. Have a few more glasses!”
“Oh? Is that so? Then your old man won’t be modest! Daughter, this wine really is top-quality. It’s delicious and goes down smooth!”
Lü Erlu laughed heartily, picked up the glass, and drained it once more.
Longjiu and Ziya exchanged a glance.
Simultaneously, they sighed, their faces filled with helplessness.
Both of them knew the secret of the Soft Dream Red Wine, and at this moment, they shared the same puzzling question.
What kind of scheme did Baining have in mind, going through all this trouble to get Father drunk?
*Gulp, gulp, gulp — *
After three rounds of drinks, the alcohol began to take effect.
Lü Erlu felt a warm wave of lethargy slowly crawl up from his feet.
His eyelids grew heavy, drooping downward.
He shook his head, trying to chase away the relentless drowsiness, but the scent of fruit lingering at the tip of his nose seemed to carry a hypnotic magic, making him yawn several times in a row.
“Dad, are you alright?”
Baining, with her sharp eyes, immediately leaned closer.
A faint, imperceptible smile was hidden at the corner of her mouth.
Lü Erlu rubbed his temples and waved her off, his voice thick with exhaustion.
“I’m fine, I’m fine… My head just feels a bit heavy all of a sudden. I might have stood too long waiting for you all to come home today.”
He pushed against the table to stand up, his footsteps already somewhat unsteady and floating.
“This wine goes down easy, but the kick is quite something… I’m going back to my room to lie down for a bit. You girls take your time eating. Don’t mind me.”
“Father!” Ziya put down her spoon and stood up in worry. “Do you want me to help you up?”
“No need, Little Ziya — ” Lü Erlu smiled and patted her head. “Your Dad isn’t so old that he needs you to help him walk…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he let out another yawn.
Baining quickly stepped forward and supported his arm.
“Dad, I’ll walk you to your room. I’ll grab a thin blanket for you while I’m at it so you don’t catch a cold.”
Lü Erlu didn’t think much of it and followed her toward the stairs, his mind filled only with the desire to sleep.
As the silhouettes of the father and daughter disappeared around the corner of the stairs, Ziya frowned.
She poked at the remaining cake on her plate, the doubts in her heart intensifying.
Longjiu leaned over and nudged her gently with her elbow.
They looked at each other, their eyes filled with uneasy curiosity.
“Sister Ziya, what is Baining doing? Why did she get Father drunk like that?”
Longjiu asked, holding a lamb rack in her right hand.
“I don’t know. She’s being so mysterious… She won’t say anything when I ask. She’s learned your ‘Riddler’ tricks — “
Ziya pouted, frustratedly stabbing a piece of cake and stuffing it into her mouth.
Cream smeared onto the corner of her lips, making her look like a grumpy little kitten.
“Oh my, my dear sisters, stop overthinking things — “
The sound of light footsteps came from the stairs.
Baining walked down while leaning against the railing, a triumphant smile on her face.
“Dad is sleeping soundly now. Thunder wouldn’t even wake him up — “
She met the two suspicious gazes — one tall and one short — from Ziya and Longjiu, but she didn’t care.
Regardless, her sisters would eventually find out her little secret.
Baining turned around, her crimson eyes flashing with a cunning and dangerous light.
She ran the tip of her tongue over her sharp, translucent fangs.
The cold, crisp aura unique to Vampires flashed through the air for an instant, and the curve of her lips rose higher and higher.
“After tonight…”
“Dad will belong only to me.”