As the two women alighted from their sedan chairs, a wet nurse led them into the backyard.
"Esteemed ladies," the wet nurse said, "this is your bridal chamber. General Huo is hosting a banquet for his subordinates and has instructed that you be provided with the finest food and drink."
With that, the wet nurse had maids bring forth a spread of delicacies.
Seeing this, Gu Qingcheng said to the wet nurse,
"We prefer peace and quiet and do not require your service. You may withdraw for now."
The wet nurse hesitated for a moment, but then thought that waiting outside would be no different. As long as the two women did not escape, it would be fine.
In any case, the two had already been married into the Huo family and would soon be the matriarchs. She couldn't outright defy Gu Qingcheng and so, she obediently withdrew.
Gu Qingcheng looked at the table laden with fine wine and exquisite dishes with disdain. She then retrieved the food she had packed from the restaurant earlier, including rice, fish, and pan-fried steak, and said to Du Lanyue,
"Sister Lanyue, let's eat our own food. We need to be full to have the strength to escape."
Du Lanyue looked at Gu Qingcheng with some confusion. Where had these delicacies come from?
It seemed... as if they had materialized?
However, she didn't ask. She trusted that Gu Qingcheng, who had risked her own safety to save her, was someone she could believe in.
Even if Gu Qingcheng wanted to take her life, she would gladly give it to her!
Thus, Du Lanyue picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily.
Truth be told, she was also hungry.
She had been held captive on the island all day. While she hadn't been physically abused, her fear had kept her from eating.
As a young woman in a bandit's den, how could she dare to eat what they offered?
What if it was drugged? Wouldn't she be in a terrible predicament?
Therefore, her stomach had been rumbling with hunger for a long time. Now that Gu Qingcheng told her to eat, she felt at ease.
Seeing Du Lanyue eat with such gusto, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but smile.
Earlier, in the sedan chair, she had mixed a silencing draught into the tea Du Lanyue drank. While she didn't distrust Du Lanyue, the matter was of great importance, and with the added effect of the silencing draught, she could act more freely and utilize her golden finger.
Even if Du Lanyue now saw Gu Qingcheng produce delicacies, she couldn't voice her questions. This was precisely why.
Moreover, those doubts would soon dissipate, as if everything Gu Qingcheng did were perfectly normal.
The two women ate and drank, filling their bellies. Gu Qingcheng touched her mouth and said,
"I'm feeling quite sleepy after eating so much. If it weren't for waiting to deal with Huo Yu, I'd really love to lie down and sleep."
Du Lanyue was both amused and speechless.
This was the bridal chamber, and she dared to sleep? What a daring individual!
The two then chatted about the circumstances that led them here.
Gu Qingcheng learned that Huo Yu's men had been tracking Du Lanyue after she went to her house to find her. They had drugged and abducted her in a narrow alley.
Du Lanyue, in turn, discovered that Gu Qingcheng had returned because she had remembered the box of gold she hadn't given her yet, and had unexpectedly stumbled upon her abduction.
Du Lanyue felt that this must be fate.
If Gu Qingcheng hadn't returned because she forgot about the gold, she would have been almost home by now and wouldn't have been able to save her.
They chatted for quite some time. As night deepened, they finally heard Huo Yu's footsteps outside.
Judging by his gait, he had drunk a considerable amount, as his steps were unsteady. As he entered the room, a strong smell of alcohol assailed them.
Huo Yu looked at the two beautiful women before him, his eyes gleaming. He seemed to sober up considerably, and with a triumphant laugh, he boomed,
"Qingcheng, I've longed for you for years, and today, my wish is finally granted.
No wonder they always said that one of a man's greatest joys is to lose a wife in middle age, hahahaha!"
Huo Yu must have been drunk to speak so incoherently.
Gu Qingcheng looked at this heartless man and thought how he had found a new love and forgotten the old, only caring about the new joys and ignoring the old sorrows.
She wasn't angered. With a smile, she said,
"If that's the case, General Huo, why don't you join us for a drink? We've been waiting in the backyard, feeling quite bored."
"Oh, drink? A beauty inviting me for a drink? That's a must!"
Huo Yu's eyes lit up at the prospect. He immediately ordered his servants to bring another table of hot dishes and two more pots of good wine.
Huo Yu was already in high spirits. When people reached this state of intoxication, they felt incredibly excited and wanted to drink even more.
Furthermore, under the stimulation of alcohol, they felt invincible, believing themselves to be superior to everyone else in the world.
Especially today, his wish had been granted, not only marrying Gu Qingcheng but also acquiring the stunningly beautiful Du Lanyue. Huo Yu's mood was beyond ecstatic.
Under the influence of alcohol, he felt as if not just Water Star Island, but the entire Great Huo Dynasty would follow his lead.
How often in a man's life did he experience such a glorious moment? Wouldn't he want to drink a few more cups?
The servants quickly cleared away the old dishes and set up a new table of hot food.
With a drunken gaze, Huo Yu looked at the two peerless beauties seated on either side, his heart fluttering.
Gu Qingcheng, with her cool elegance, usually exuded an aura of an unattainable bloom, while Du Lanyue's beauty was unparalleled. Each possessed a different kind of allure.
The thought of these two unparalleled beauties belonging to him from now on made Huo Yu beam with joy.
Gu Qingcheng, lowering her pretense, poured him wine.
Although Gu Qingcheng used the wine provided by the servants, she had secretly tampered with the wine pot, mixing in half of Maotai.
The winemaking technology at the time was not advanced, and the alcohol content was roughly equivalent to that of the "newly baked green ant wine," not exceeding six degrees.
At such a low temperature, it was no wonder Li Bai could drink endlessly.
However, adding 56-degree Maotai made a significant difference. After three cups, Huo Yu felt a rush.
But under Gu Qingcheng's constant encouragement to drink, he put on a brave face, unwilling to let Gu Qingcheng think he had a poor tolerance, and thus, he drank glass after glass.
Since the Maotai was only half-mixed and Huo Yu had already consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, he didn't detect anything amiss. He just smacked his lips and said,
"What is this new wine? I wonder where you got it. This is the first time I've tasted it. It's pure and strong. It seems they've been deceiving me all along, not bringing me truly good wine."
Gu Qingcheng had been worried that he might detect something unusual, but to her surprise, he was so befuddled that her heart finally settled.
Gu Qingcheng then employed various tactics to persuade him to drink. Sometimes she would coax him into sharing a cross-cupped toast, other times she would urge him to call her by her nickname, employing a multitude of tricks that left Du Lanyue dumbfounded.
After such an onslaught, it was Du Lanyue's turn to offer a toast.
Du Lanyue hadn't expected Gu Qingcheng to be so resourceful, but the more she watched Huo Yu, the more annoyed she became.
How could this scoundrel make Qingcheng drink so much wine with him?
Fortunately, after Gu Qingcheng's tenth invitation to drink, Huo Yu's eyes suddenly glazed over, and he slumped onto the table, falling asleep.