BEs are where my heart lies…I hope this BE will turn out just as good as
Proofreader: Cofefe
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Lin Qi arrived at an exquisite wine room, which contained samples of various kinds of fine wines, basic liquor ingredients and some utensils for making wine.
Although Lin Qi did not have the original's excellent brewing talent, he had good mixing skills because he had held a job as a senior bartender for some time.
As long as raw materials were available, it was a piece of cake for him to mix up a different and confusing wine.
Lin Qi didn't spend much time so when he came out, the amount of people in the restaurant had only increased.
Behind him, a servant held a wine-jar similar to that of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, with a slender body, wide opening and narrow bottom. He put it in front of Mei Xiao.
Mei Xiao glanced at it. The liquor was pure and transparent. It was slightly yellowish and fragrant. He crooked his head and laughed with disappointment. “Young man, do you think pouring different wines together will make me unable to distinguish it? This will only spoil the taste of the whole wine.” His slender fingers clasped the jar and slowly lifted it to the tip of his nose.
The servant that had placed the jar down stood to the side and stared nervously at Mei Xiao. At this time, the onlookers dared not speak. Only Lin Qi waited with an arrogant smile on his lips.
A moment later, Mei Xiao spoke with some amazement, “This wine has an elegant and delicate flavor, mellow and rich, lasting aftertaste and lingering fragrance. Unexpectedly, mixing together, not only did not destroy the original flavor, but also made it more fragrant after blending…”*
*T/N: this reminds me so much of a fair-trade coffee event we attended where there were so many descriptors and we had to try to predict the ratings professional coffee connoisseurs gave it #we_were_weirdly_exact
Mei Xiao looked up at Lin Qi, who was calm and complacent.
“It seems that you really have not studied carefully… Oh well, you only have to do one thing for me! Don't renege!” His eyes hooked upwards in mirth.
Lin Qi's eyebrows raised slightly and his mouth curved into a sneer.
"What this Young Master said, he will never regret! You only have to remember what you said."
Mei Xiao smiled, his thin lips slightly opened, and his voice was clear and melodious. “This liquor is an aromatic type of Daqu liquor, brewed traditionally with selected high-quality husked rice, which has a lasting fragrance, mellow and rich taste, easily swallowed. You added a little honey to it to make the flavors harmonious and just right.”*
*T/N: for more on Daqu liquor,
At this time, Mei Xiao's eyes looked straight at Lin Qi and the people around him also turned their eyes to him. At this time, the teenager was neither tense nor slow to take a seat.
Mei Xiao said with a light smile,
“Of course, this is just on the surface, which hides the most special “brewing process”. It is made from high-temperature fermentation of high-quality liquor materials, supplemented by the well-known “Belle Spring” water-refined brewing; it is returned to sand in the middle, distilled by slow fire, stored in different grades, carefully blended, forming a unique taste of 'sweet, mellow, pure and fragrant”. … Little Young Master, is that right?"
Mei Xiao's smile was so brilliant as he stared at Lin Qi with bright eyes. He didn't realize that the other party could do so much at such a young age.
The surrounding crowd sent out an exclamation of amazement, not only for Mei Xiao who could know everything just by sniffing, but also for Lin Qi, who could make this wine so confusing at such a young age.
Mei Xiao sighed satisfactorily,
“Now, the little young master not only wants to give me the secret recipe of the Hundred Li Fragrances, but also – what can the young master do?” He spoke of this tiny affair easily as if it were just the hardship of spraining one's ankle.
The bartender of the restaurant was sweating and the crowd turned to Lin Qi again.
Seeming calm, the young master did not hurry to look at Mei Xiao, his elegant lips raised in an arc of ridicule proudly: “You do not have to worry, because – you will not win.”
The onlookers were stunned by what the teenager said. Mei Xiao also asked interested, “Oh? Is there anything else I haven't tasted?"
“How can the so-called tasting of wine be called tasting without tasting it?” Lin Qi raised his eyebrows.
“Cunning…” Mei Xiao watched him, shaking his head and chucking the wine into his thin lips. “The first taste is rich and mellow, while the aftertaste is pure and refreshing… It's true that… Er… ” Mei Xiao did not finish what he said because his face turned a little white, then red, and then he closed his eyes tightly. There was a sudden uproar in the surroundings to see if he would fail.
It took Mei Xiao a long time to recover. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the wine in his hand. His eyes were misty, full of amazement and fanaticism.
“What kind of wine is this?”
“I haven't thought of the name yet, but now – I've decided to call it “Biluo Huangquan”*. Lin Qi spoke proudly.
*T/N: means Jade falls behind, Gold springs
“At the beginning of the first taste, the fragrance is sweet, such as jade falling out of the blue sky, strolling in the clouds; once in the stomach, raging flames burn, such as falling in the yellow spring, being in purgatory…” Mei Xiao muttered to himself, and then his eyes filled with ecstasy. He grabbed Lin Qi's hand and asked, “How on earth did you do that?”
Lin Qi had a proud look and opened his lips. “You – have no right to know!” How arrogant that expression was!
Mei Xiao was shocked for a moment. He was very close to him. At that moment, the young man's black eyes were unusually bright and his face was covered with childish triumph. He had a provocative smile and a loud voice… yet at that time, his heart seemed to miss a beat.
The crowd of onlookers had been invited to leave as it was only watching someone hold another's hand in a slightly stunned position. Lin Qi lowered his eyelashes to block the flash of light passing through his eyes…
“Ah Qi!” Li Liheng's voice containing some unknown emotions sounded at the door. When Lin Qi was stunned, he subconsciously wanted to pull his hand back. However, the other side grabbed too tightly, leaving several traces of red marks on the back of his hand.
Several red marks on the back of the white hand were very obvious. "Hiss." Lin Qi took a breath. Li Liheng quickly stepped forward, grabbed his hand gently and blew on it. “Ah Qi, does it hurt?”
Lin Qi fiercely pulled back his hand and looked at him coldly. “I heard that Master Li's home has someone to warm his arms, how can there be time to deal with such trifles as mine?”
Li Liheng said doubtfully, “Ah Qi?” The gentle tone of voice seemed to frighten the other party.
Lin Qi wiped his lips and said, “Well, you'd better go back and care about your concubine!”
Li Liheng probably understood the reason why he was so awkward. He couldn't help laughing at the kitten's awkward jealousy. “You know, it's all my mother,” he said gently. "If you don't like it, I won't touch them."
Seeing the other was obviously not as cold as before, he took a step forward. He lowered his voice slightly and said, “I only like Ah Qi……"
“Ah” For a while, someone's ears were red, before letting out an exaggerated roar: “Hey! Who's going to listen to you? This Young Master still has business to attend to, hurry and leave!” Although the attitude was bad, Li Liheng still felt that the red face that seemed it would burst if pinched was quite cute.
Mei Xiao, who has always been in the background, was staring at him. He hadn't realized that the young man that gave him such a big surprise could be so cute, unbearably cute!
Lin Qi seemed to have just remembered there was another person, he gave Li Liheng a fierce stare before he turned around to face Mei Xiao and proudly said, “Now, you owe me a condition, you better not run away!”
Mei Xiao quickly calmed down and spread his hand and laughed,
“Young Master, I am a kind and good commoner and I can't do anything that violates the law.” Looking at Li Liheng after saying that, the meaning of laughter was profound.
Li Liheng watched Lin Qi's tender countenance become cold when he turned to Mei Xiao.
Lin Qi snorted coldly, raised his head slightly and said, “Come and work in our Lin Family's Restaurant. The monthly salary is one hundred taels.”
Mei Xiao had not yet answered when the other side added a bold sentence, “Tomorrow come to Lin residence to report to me, cannot refuse!”
After Lin Qi said this, he left the restaurant, leaving only Li Liheng and Mei Xiao.
Mei Xiao walked slowly to Li Liheng and whispered, “I only promised you a try when I heard you say that Hundred Li Fragrances is so magical. Nevertheless, I didn't realize that this young man was really interesting…”
“You'd better not think too much of him.” Li Liheng's thin lip opens and closes in a cold manner.
Mei Xiao drawled, covering his thin lips with his hand. “Why, is he in your heart?”
Li Liheng laughed softly after listening. “Just a little useful now.”
“Oh? Is it for a secret recipe?" Mei Xiao raised his eyebrows.
“He can also be used to attack Lin Family.” Li Liheng said this sentence lightly before hurrying out.
Only Mei Xiao, who laughed with unknown meaning, remained.
Li Liheng took a few steps to catch up with Lin Qi.
Lin Qi didn't know what he was thinking that made him so absent-minded.
Li Liheng did not speak so they walked quietly side by side.
Pedestrians were bustling up and down the street, occasionally accompanied by the voice of hawkers*. They walked quietly through the crowds.
*T/N: person who sells good and advertises them by yelling
Li Liheng looked at him from the side with a meaningful look, delicate eyebrows and pink lips… Suddenly he felt that it was good to continue on like this. No family, no burden, no hatred…
No, impossible! The pain of his nail piercing the palm sobered him up. He was just to be exploited, just to be exploited!
Passing a remote alley, Li Liheng suddenly grabbed Lin Qi's hand and pushed him into the alley.
It all happened a little too fast and before Lin Qi could respond, he was in a kabe-don* and his slightly dry lips were covered with sweet cold ones.
*T/N: means wall slam, the ultimate pose for seducing
This kiss was totally inconsistent with Li Liheng's usual gentle image. He held Lin Qi's tender pink lips and stroked them like a painting.
After Lin Qi responded and tried to push the other side aside, Li Liheng tightened his hold even more, slipping his tongue in between his lips, trying to break through the teeth but was firmly resisted and could not enter; he had to settle for sucking and nibbling until they had to breathe…
Lin Qi squinted at the handsome face close at hand. Li Liheng's sudden madness was probably due to finding himself behaving more sincerely.
However, the kiss was really uncomfortable – Lin Qi curled up a leg and put it firmly on Li Liheng's abdomen, which stopped the other party's movements.
"Hey! What is with this sudden madness?" Lin Qi's pale pink lips have turned bright red, a little red and swollen but particularly attractive.
Li Liheng stopped and coughed twice. Then he straightened up and looked at Lin Qi. He laughed bitterly for a long time and said,
“Ah Qi, have you ever liked me?”
Lin Qi was stunned, his lips opened and closed several times, before he eventually turned away. In the air hung his faint voice, “You already have a woman; and I, the son of the Lin family, am the only heir of the Lin family.”
“Ah Qi…”
Lin Qi straightened his back feeling justified, before leaving and walking forwards. When all was said and done, he had won this battle of the heart.