After cleaning out the ashes, Su Mu excitedly stuffed in some firewood and lit the fire.
While tending the fire, she even ‘enthusiastically’ helped Chen Qing wash and pick the vegetables.
Once dinner was ready, she could confidently carry out her grand plan: get Chen Qing drunk and exact her revenge.
Seeing this Traitorous Shizun working so diligently, a playful glint flashed in Chen Qing’s eyes.
She figured she could use this method in the future to keep this silly Shizun dangling.
When this Traitorous Shizun diligently executed her little scheme, trying to use the ploy in her head to harm her.
She would easily resolve it and bully her right back.
Her expression then would surely be quite amusing.
Su Mu, who was working hard, suddenly felt a pang of unease.
She had the nagging feeling that something sinister had targeted her, plotting to harm her.
But after looking left and right, Su Mu could only chalk it up to her own guilty conscience.
After all, she was single-mindedly plotting how to screw over Chen Qing.
The two of them carried the fragrant dishes out from the kitchen and set them on the stone table that had been cleaned in the courtyard.
Once the food was arranged, Su Mu eagerly hauled the jar of liquor from the room and gently placed it on the table.
While carrying the jar, Su Mu let out a massive sneeze, nearly smashing it straight onto the ground.
Fortunately, her quick eyes and hands steadied it just in time. Otherwise, her scheme to harm Chen Qing would have died before it even began.
She pulled out the wine bowl she’d prepared in advance and handed it to Chen Qing.
“Aren’t you going to drink?”
Seeing Su Mu’s empty hand, Chen Qing deliberately asked.
“My alcohol tolerance is terrible, so I won’t drink.”
Su Mu hurriedly waved her hands. She’d dipped a finger in earlier and her tongue had been scorched; a whole bowl would leave her dead drunk for sure.
“Drinking alone isn’t any fun. Since you’re not drinking, I won’t either.”
Seeing Chen Qing set the bowl down again, Su Mu ground her teeth in frustration.
This woman was so damn picky about drinking. Later, when she got her revenge, she’d spank her ass a couple extra times.
Spotting the flash of impatience in Su Mu’s eyes, Chen Qing had already guessed her little scheme.
It seemed this airheaded Shizun wanted to get her drunk, then retaliate for all the usual bullying.
“Ah Qiu!”
Su Mu, racking her brains on how to get Chen Qing to drink, sneezed again.
“Why are you sneezing nonstop? Are you sick?”
Seeing Su Mu’s thin clothes, Chen Qing frowned slightly.
She brushed aside the hair on Su Mu’s forehead and pressed the back of her hand against it.
The temperature on her forehead was normal—still nice and cool.
“I’m not sick. I’m perfectly healthy.”
Su Mu’s bright eyes stared confidently at Chen Qing.
With her current strength as a Second-Rate Warrior, she wouldn’t fall ill easily.
Seeing how spirited she was, Chen Qing tucked away the worry she was loath to admit.
“But it’s pretty chilly now. Have a bowl of wine to warm up.”
Seizing on Chen Qing’s words, Su Mu poured her a bowl of liquor.
Seeing the ‘diligent’ display from this Traitorous Shizun, several black lines appeared on Chen Qing’s forehead.
This Traitorous Shizun’s determination to screw her over was truly unshakeable—she’d seize any chance to foist a bowl on her.
Under Su Mu’s expectant gaze, Chen Qing took the bowl from her hand.
But she didn’t drink. Instead, she teasingly set it back on the table.
“W-Why aren’t you drinking?”
Right now, Su Mu desperately wanted to slam the table, stand up, and demand furiously.
“Damn it, drink! Why the hell not!”
But she only dared think it. Acting cocky in front of Chen Qing? She wouldn’t dare even with ten tiger’s gall bladders.
“We haven’t touched the veggies yet. Let’s eat something to line the stomach first.”
A faint smile curved Chen Qing’s lips as she picked up her chopsticks and started serving herself some food.
Chen Qing’s actions drew Su Mu’s gaze to the glossy, appetizing dishes.
After slaving away cleaning all day, Su Mu’s stomach was utterly famished.
She’d accompany this loathsome Villain for a bit of food first—to lower her guard and fill her own empty belly.
With that in mind, Su Mu picked up her chopsticks and shoved some food into her mouth.
Say what you will—though this loathsome Villain had a moody, nasty personality and bullied her every day.
Her cooking was actually pretty damn good. After one bite, Su Mu started eating a bit faster.
But as tempting as the delicious food was to Su Mu’s stomach, it couldn’t sway her from her goal.
As she ate, Su Mu kept her peripheral vision locked on Chen Qing’s wine bowl, silently praying she’d drink it.
Perhaps Su Mu’s prayers worked—Chen Qing picked up the bowl and took a sip.
But to Su Mu’s surprise, Chen Qing’s expression stayed perfectly calm, without even a hint of drunken flush.
Seeing how at ease Chen Qing looked, Su Mu even suspected that this loathsome Villain had swapped out the Strong Liquor when she wasn’t paying attention.
After all, she’d tasted how potent it was herself. How could one sip leave no effect at all?
Catching Su Mu’s puzzled look, Chen Qing slid the remaining half bowl over to her.
“You drink some too. Warm yourself up.”
Su Mu hadn’t expected the trick words she’d used on Chen Qing to boomerang right back at her.
Before, Su Mu definitely wouldn’t have touched it. But seeing Chen Qing drink it without a hitch made her doubt herself.
Was there something wrong with the liquor, or did Chen Qing just have an iron liver?
Chen Qing didn’t look like someone good with booze at all. Maybe when she’d dipped her finger earlier, she’d tasted it too hastily and gotten burned for nothing.
Doubting but curious, Su Mu lifted the bowl. Normally, the overpowering fumes would have made her recoil.
But now Su Mu’s nose was stuffed up, dulling her sensitivity to the smell.
So though she detected the alcohol scent, it wasn’t overwhelmingly strong.
She touched her moist lips to the rim, letting a small sip flow into her mouth.
“Cough cough cough!”
The searing spiciness choked tears right out of Su Mu’s eyes.
Chen Qing hadn’t expected this airheaded Shizun to be so reckless. She’d offered her such fierce liquor, and she’d actually drunk it.
The booze barely affected her, with her deep Internal Energy. But for the Traitorous Shizun—who sucked at drinking and lacked powerful Internal Energy—it was top-shelf Strong Liquor.
Su Mu, a total booze newbie, had chugged fiery Strong Liquor on her first go.
She’d coughed some out, but a bit still slid down her throat.
In under three minutes, pretty flecks of red bloomed across Su Mu’s delicate face.
Her clear, sly eyes turned hazy and unfocused.
Su Mu snatched up the bowl and tilted the rest of the Strong Liquor into her mouth.
If Chen Qing hadn’t moved fast, Su Mu would’ve choked again.
Gazing at Chen Qing in front of her, her mind already fragmenting into pieces, Su Mu slumped right onto her.
