Naturally, Chen Kuang wasn't drunk.
In fact, it was impossible for him to get drunk.
Whether it was the residual effect of fully activating the Carefree Wine back then or some hidden change to his constitution, his alcohol tolerance had drastically improved.
Despite downing dozens of cups just now, he remained completely unaffected, unlike their host, Lin Eryou, who had clearly gotten tipsy.
"Even though nothing new popped up in the status bar, I must've just manually unlocked a passive called 'Thousand Cups Without Drunkenness'," Chen Kuang mused to himself.
But sometimes, it's not the wine that intoxicated, it's the atmosphere.
"Are you drunk yet?" Shen Meinan's pair of eyes, strikingly similar yet utterly different from Shen Xingzhu's, stared intently from up close.
"A little." Chen Kuang nodded solemnly, playing along.
Shen Meinan scrutinized his face, tracing every line and contour with her gaze.
Honestly, anyone who wasn't blind could see that he wasn't the least bit intoxicated.
His fair and refined face remained composed, calm, and utterly steady when he stood up, showing no signs of inebriation whatsoever.
But after studying him for a while, the girl made a firm declaration:
"You look terribly drunk. I'll take you to your room. Wouldn't want you to trip on the way."
Chen Kuang smiled.
"Much obliged, Daoist Shen."
Shen Meinan hesitated briefly before reaching out her left hand to gently grab his and lead him forward. Her ears turned faintly red.
She muttered under her breath:
"Um... you can just call me Meinan. With so many people surnamed Shen in the world, how would I know if you're talking to me or someone else?"
"Alright, Miss Meinan."
Chen Kuang nodded obediently, lowering his head just in time to catch the girl stumbling slightly, matching her left hand with her left foot like an awkward toddler. His mouth twitched with amusement.
Honestly, who's the real drunk here?
Lin Eryou had arranged a guest room for Chen Kuang just one level below. It wasn't far, just a flight of stairs and a turn away.
But Shen Meinan insisted he tread carefully. She repeated herself multiple times, urging him to be careful with every single step.
If she could've, she would've reported the height of each stair down to the millimeter.
What should've been a short walk ended up taking a full quarter of an hour.
Chen Kuang even felt like his palm was starting to sweat.
Though in reality, it was just a false sensation from how tightly the girl was holding his hand, something she herself likely hadn't noticed.
The whole way, Shen Meinan chattered like a songbird, likely trying to mask her nerves.
It made things easier for Chen Kuang, who used the opportunity to gather information.
"You said you came to Jishao Prefecture to visit relatives?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "So, are you from here?"
Chen Kuang nodded.
"More or less. I grew up in Jishao Prefecture but left when I was young."
Then he turned the question around:
"What about you, Miss Meinan?"
"Me?"
Shen Meinan blinked.
"There's not much to say... I came to Jishao Prefecture to broaden my horizons through travel and cultivation..."
Her voice trailed off.
"Alright."
She paused, then lowered her gaze and whispered:
"I usually tell people that. But honestly, I ran away from home to have some fun. Don't tell anyone, okay?"
So it was a runaway case...
Given her age, it wasn't exactly surprising.
Still, it was hard not to wonder, what kind of upbringing produces both a Shen Xingzhu and a Shen Meinan?
Chen Kuang shook his head and smiled.
"That's not what I meant."
"I was asking, where are you originally from, and what's your family like?"
Shen Meinan stumbled over her words and glanced back at him.
"My... my family?"
Chen Kuang nodded.
"Mm. To be honest, I got separated from my family when I was young. Saying I'm here to visit relatives is just an excuse, I'm actually searching for them. So I'm a little nervous."
He continued, "If you could share some insights or examples of what family relationships are like, that would help me a lot."
Shen Meinan opened her mouth slightly in surprise.
So he had such a tragic past?
And he's blind on top of that... Who knows how much hardship he endured just to become a cultivator?
Though he spoke calmly and lightly, she could tell he was feigning strength.
Worried for him, she felt it her solemn duty to offer some helpful advice.
But try as she might, she couldn't think of any warm, fuzzy family moments to share.
She needed up pouting in frustration and said dejectedly:
"You've really asked the wrong person! I have an older twin sister. We were born from the same womb, but she's the sky and I'm the dirt."
So they were sisters after all!
Chen Kuang had suspected as much, but he couldn't help teasing:
"Let me guess, you're the sky?"
Shen Meinan's twin pigtails swayed cheerfully, the bells tied to them jingling:
"Of course I'm the sky! But... other people don't think so."
Her hair drooped again like the ears of a sad rabbit.
"My sister is cold and peerless, unmatched in all the land. She's a destined, invincible fairy. I've heard people praise her so much my ears are about to fall off."
"Later on, when she got older, they didn't even dare praise her anymore. They just bowed and scraped."
"And me?"
She twirled her pigtails around her finger, muttering resentfully:
"I was born ten years after her. Average talent, average looks, drop me in a crowd and I instantly disappear. No one's ever said anything nice to me like they do my sister. It's always 'why can't you be more like your sister,' or 'look how much better your sister is at this or that...'"
That's not true... you're not "average" at all.
In fact, you're quite the opposite.
Chen Kuang held back a chuckle.
Of course, such honest thoughts weren't safe to say aloud, not unless he wanted to be thrown into the lake.
Still, it was obvious she was being far too self-deprecating.
Those eyes, identical to Shen Xingzhu's, spoke volumes. As twins, there was no way their appearances were miles apart.
She had a dainty oval face, bright and spirited, with a touch of baby fat. Just the right amount, any more would've been silly, any less too sharp. To borrow from classical poetry, she was like "fire-tipped cherries against snowy pear blossoms."
Still young, perhaps, but clearly a budding beauty of the highest order.
"Wait a minute."
Chen Kuang suddenly paused, sensing something was off:
"Ten years? You're twins, but you were born ten years apart?"
This question made Shen Meinan even angrier.
Her brows shot up, face puffed in frustration.
"You have no idea, it's all that evil woman's fault!"
"We were supposed to be born at the same time, but she kept punching and kicking me in the womb. I was so weak and tiny that my mother thought the second baby had died. She stopped the delivery!"
"So I got stuck inside for ten more years until I regained a little vitality and was finally born."
"When I came out, my whole body was bruised. It was awful!"
Her face turned serious as she described the.. dire circumstances of her birth.
"..."
Chen Kuang's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Stopped mid-birth... and then stayed in the womb for ten more years before being born?
Pardon me for asking, but are you sure your mother didn't just forget to remove the placenta and end up birthing it ten years later?