"8...82%.?!"
Upon hearing this, March 7th took another look at the glass in her hand, her beautiful eyes widening in shock. Oh my god, are these two monsters? Such a high-proof liquor, and yet Yun Fan and Mr. Yang were drinking it without even batting an eye—how ridiculously strong were they?!
"Is it really that impressive?" Perhaps curious about March 7th's reaction, Stelle, who was sitting on Yun Fan's other side, grew interested as well. So, just like March 7th, she reached for the glass in front of Yun Fan.
However...
Stelle tilted her head slightly, staring at her own hand, now caught by Yun Fan, and blinked her pale yellow eyes cutely, a silent question mark floating above her.
"Kids aren't allowed to drink, and no amount of acting cute will change that." Ignoring Stelle's resentful gaze, Yun Fan firmly pushed her back into her seat.
Once Stelle was settled, Yun Fan prepared to sit back down. But before he could even get comfortable, a dark shadow suddenly swayed in front of him—something was falling toward him. Instinctively, he raised his arms, and in the next moment, a fragrant breeze brushed past him as a soft, warm weight collapsed into his embrace.
Looking down, he saw March 7th, who had just been cheerfully chatting with everyone, now lying limply in his arms. Her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, her pink lips slightly parted as she mumbled something incoherent in her dazed state.
"Sigh..." Witnessing this, Welt adjusted his glasses and let out a helpless sigh.
"March... isn't really good with alcohol. We've only ever seen her drink low-proof cocktails before. This time, it seems she's completely knocked out."
"Himeko, could you take March back to her room?" Welt shook his head and turned to Himeko, who had been quietly observing the scene.
"Of course. Mr. Yun Fan, please hand little March over to me. I'll take her back." Himeko walked up to Yun Fan with a smile, extending her arms.
"Mm." Yun Fan nodded and was about to pass the unconscious March 7th to Himeko. He had quite enjoyed the liquor Welt brought out—though it might not be considered top-tier in the world of Star Rail, compared to Earth in his previous life or the technologically backward world of Teyvat, it was still excellent. Having gone so long without a drink, he had been looking forward to indulging in a few glasses.
However, things didn't go as planned. The moment Himeko touched March 7th, the pink-haired girl suddenly shrank further into Yun Fan's embrace, her delicate hands clutching tightly at his sleeves.
"Uh..." Yun Fan blinked in confusion, and Himeko shot him a similarly puzzled look. But Himeko was Himeko—after only a brief moment of surprise, she reached out again, gently patting March 7th's shoulder.
"March, March, it's time to go back to your room."
"Mmm..." Himeko's gentle coaxing didn't loosen March's grip. On the contrary, the sleeping girl tightened her hold even further, the high-quality fabric of Yun Fan's clothes faintly creaking under the strain.
Two sober people and one utterly drunk one—the three of them remained locked in this stalemate for a while. Finally, Yun Fan let out a regretful sigh. Looks like I won't be drinking tonight after all.
"Himeko, Dan Heng, Welt—is it alright if I call you that?" The three of them nodded in unison.
"Good." Yun Fan smiled. "Then you can all just call me Fan or Yun Fan. 'Mr. Yun Fan' feels a bit too formal. After all, I've boarded the Astral Express now—we're companions, aren't we?"
"Hey, what about me?!" Stelle, unhappy at being left out, waved her fist at Yun Fan as if to say, If you forget me, I'll punch you!
"Ah, right, and Stelle." Yun Fan chuckled.
"Mm, Yun Fan, Stelle." Himeko smiled warmly and extended her hand to them. "On behalf of the Express crew, welcome aboard once again."
——————————
"Sigh... Little March finally let go. That was way harder than it should've been."
Inside March 7th's room, Yun Fan carefully removed her shoes and gently laid the adorable pink-haired girl on her pink princess bed, tucking her in under the covers.
Gazing at her peaceful sleeping face, Yun Fan rubbed his temples with a slight headache. This girl really is a handful.
Two whole hours had passed since March 7th had drunkenly collapsed into his arms. For some reason, during those two hours, she had clung to his clothes like they were some kind of treasure, refusing to let go no matter who tried to intervene.
This, of course, had put Yun Fan in quite the predicament. Not only had he been forced to leave the party early, but he'd also been "stuck" taking care of March for two hours, helplessly watching as Welt and Dan Heng shared the fine liquor between themselves.
"Tsk, after causing me so much trouble, maybe I should take a little compensation now?" Yun Fan stroked his chin, his gaze subtly drifting over the sleeping girl's face.
"Mm, I should. Otherwise, this is just too unfair." With that, he sat down lightly on the edge of March's bed. "My little March..." His fingertips gently traced her cheek, brushing aside a few stray strands of her slightly messy bangs.
The moment Yun Fan's fingers made contact, he could feel a faint tremble run through March's body. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
At the same time, her face began to flush at a visibly rapid pace. It wasn't as red as an apple, but the change was definitely noticeable.
So... not actually asleep, huh?
"Then I won't hold back..." Yun Fan murmured softly, leaning in closer. His warm breath fanned over March's face, sending her heart into chaos.
'What do I do, what do I do?! Yun Fan's about to kiss me—how should I react?!' The "sleeping" March 7th felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest. When had Miss Intertwined Fate ever experienced something like this? She was just an innocent young girl! Faced with Yun Fan's "taking advantage of the situation," she was utterly at a loss.
Truthfully, she had woken up the moment Yun Fan took off her shoes. But at the time, she'd been too embarrassed to open her eyes, hoping to avoid an awkward situation once he left.
Who knew he'd try to "seize the opportunity" and take liberties with her?!
March 7th, March 7th! What are you going to do now?!