It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

In other words... it's roughly equivalent to Li Cheng and Louise having lunch together.

It's exactly the same as usual.

The familiar atmosphere quickly put Li Cheng at ease.

Before the meal, the three of them washed their hands in turn, using the water in the basin. Hook washed first because Miss Ketone said she didn't want to wash her hands with water that men had used, and Louise was placed second as well.

While waiting in line, Li Cheng's attention was unintentionally drawn to the wall.

There stood a large wooden box, its body a deep black, with gold paint adorning the edges of each side, giving it a heavy and... how to describe it? In short, it gave the impression that it contained something very precious, like a Discoloration Enhancement Stone 9 or something.

He was certain that it wasn't something from his own home, so he asked:

"what is that?"

"A few new styles of women's clothing."

Hook wiped the remaining water droplets from his palms with his own handkerchief and finally said his second serious line since they met: "After this meal, I still have to go to the shop."

Oh, I see.

Li Cheng nodded slightly, feeling a sense of relief—Miss Hook's attitude may be bad, but she was still very serious about fulfilling her promise.

This way, when he's away, there will be reliable people in charge, so he doesn't have to worry about the newly established tailor shop having major problems.

After washing their hands, the three of them sat down in the chairs next to the table.

After settling in, Louise looked around, then jumped off the chair and carefully picked up an already opened green glass bottle of wine from the table. Like a busy little bee, she poured wine for the two people on either side of the table.

“Brother, Louise took this from Dad’s wine cellar.”

Before pouring, Louise nervously offered a brief explanation, and only after noticing Li Cheng's lack of expression did she pour the liquid from the bottle into the glass in front of her.

This is the most crucial step.

With the little girl's determination, the amber-colored, crystal-clear liquor drew a graceful arc in the air, moistening the dry glass and reflecting a slightly dazzling light in the sunlight.

Li Cheng wasn't too surprised and simply picked up his wine glass.

It's normal to have wine at a farewell dinner.

Besides, he occasionally enjoys a drink or two, so a little bit is fine for a proper farewell dinner.

Although he had a history of drunken promiscuity, it was an accident after all.

As the saying goes, "Once the wound heals, the pain is forgotten." As time went by, Li Cheng gradually relaxed his vigilance regarding drinking.

People who get a fishbone stuck in their throat and are taken to the hospital can't possibly never eat fish again for the rest of their lives, right? At most, they'll be afraid to eat fish for a while, then gradually eat a little bit more cautiously, and once there are no accidents, they'll continue to eat fish normally.

After all, fish is really delicious.

And the wine is also good wine.

It has a mellow and sweet taste, and a smooth and silky texture.

But Hook only took a few sips before calmly putting down his glass.

"It tastes good."

Li Cheng, however, took a swig without any precautions, and didn't even need Louise's prepared drinking lines.

[1, 2, 3...]

Seeing this, Hook began to count the numbers in his mind.

Alcohol suppresses the central nervous system, manifesting initially as incessant excitement and chatter, followed by incoherent ramblings, and finally, collapse. This process occurs very rapidly when the alcohol concentration is high.

Although she didn't understand the underlying principles, she didn't mind conducting a small experiment to see how long it would take Li Cheng to get drunk.

You should know that what she prepared was a date rape drug that was very popular in the aristocratic circle. Although it tasted smooth and sweet, its actual alcohol content was as high as 10%, and it also contained many kinds of stimulants, making people more and more excited the more they drank it.

Usually, after drinking about half a bottle, women who cannot hold their liquor will pass out and be carried back to their rooms by those with ill intentions.

【88,89,90......】

Hook silently counted in his mind.

By the time he counted to ninety, Li Cheng was already excitedly rambling on and on.

He boasted that he would take Louise to America to meet alpacas, which are friendly and kind animals, just as lovely as Louise.

After seeing the alpacas, we'll go to Australia to see the kangaroos. Kangaroos carry their joeys in a pouch, which looks very cute at first glance, but the joeys also use the pouch to relieve themselves, so...

After seeing the kangaroos, we'll go to Africa to see the elephants. The elephants have incredibly long trunks, and they can even spray water...

After seeing these animals, we will travel a long route from the Cape of Good Hope and take a ship back to Europe.

"When we have time in the future, your brother will take you to travel around the world and see elephants."

Li Cheng concluded by slamming his fist on the table.

The little girl's eyes sparkled as she listened.

Thinking about her future honeymoon with her brother, which would involve sailing around the world, she felt blissfully intoxicated even though she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.

Then quickly refill the empty glass that his brother had drunk.

Chapter 234 After 1800 Numbers

Li Cheng happily used his knife and fork to dissect the large lobster in front of him, cutting off a small piece of snow-white shrimp meat and chewing it slowly.

Do as the locals do.

Although he grew up using chopsticks, few people in Europe use chopsticks. Moreover, chefs usually cook dishes with the knife, fork, and spoon in mind, making it easier to cut and scoop, but not easy to pick up with chopsticks.

In his excitement, Li Cheng glanced at the other side of the table.

Miss Ketone cut off a small piece of roasted rib meat from the plate, picked up the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside meat with a fork, and put it into her equally pink cherry-colored lips.

Whether it was due to slight anemia or something he was born with, Hook's lips looked rather pale and lacked color—not the pale, dry color of a sick person, but a light, moist pink.

After chewing for a while, her rosy lips furrowed slightly, whether because she didn't like the meat or because she was thinking about some problem.

Li Cheng immediately looked away.

Although I was quite curious about the reason, I figured he would be ignored no matter what he asked, so I just gave up asking.

Moreover, compared to Hooker, who often wears a disgusted and sour face.

This energetic Louise is much cuter, especially... well, I should say she's usually very obedient and sensible, and never gives her brother a sour look.

So Li Cheng continued to boast.

【498, 499, 500.】

Five hundred numbers have passed.

After counting to five hundred, not five hundred seconds, Hook silently put down his knife and fork, elegantly wiped his mouth, pushed back his chair, stood up, and said goodbye:

"Thank you for your hospitality."

While Li Cheng was still excited and relatively clear-headed, she wanted to leave early to create an alibi.

"Leaving so soon? Won't you stay a little longer?"

Li Cheng offered a few casual, polite words of encouragement, then glanced at her barely touched knife and fork, noticing that she hadn't eaten much after cutting some rib meat at the beginning. He then glanced out of the corner of his eye at a certain part of her body that had been categorized as part of the "loli" group, and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Her appetite is as small as a cat's; she doesn't even eat as much as Louise.

No wonder she's so thin and flat-chested.

"..."

Unaware of the malicious speculation behind him, Hook walked to the wall, picked up the handle of the black wooden box, and left towards the courtyard gate.

However, before leaving, he paused briefly beside Louise, bent down, revealed a gentle older sister smile, and uttered the lines they had agreed upon beforehand:

"Be careful while eating, don't choke."

"Ah."

Louise agreed, still holding her cheeks, gazing at Li Cheng with a dazed expression as he continued to boast.

The outside world is too wonderful. As long as the little girl applies Li Cheng's boasting to her own experience with her brother, she will find it hard to resist immersing herself in it.

...?

Looking at the little girl with a lovesick and silly expression, Hook's forehead twitched almost imperceptibly, and he repeated, "Be careful, don't choke."

"Um?!"

Louise shuddered, quickly turned her head, and stammered, "Sister, sister, can't you stay a little longer?"

She then seemed to remember something, realizing that today wasn't a day for happily listening to stories.

"Sorry, but I have to go now."

Hook straightened up and raised his voice slightly so that he could be heard: "Sister, I have to go to the store this afternoon, and then I have to help a friend organize and calculate some experimental data. You can eat slowly."

The two of them had prepared their lines specifically for Li Cheng to hear.

And so, Hook left quietly, just as quietly as she had come, without leaving a trace.

The brother and sister continued chatting idly.

Boasting to Louise is a very satisfying thing.

Every time I see my cute little sister looking at me with such adoration and with such expectant eyes for the vast world, I feel a deep sense of joy.

As a qualified keyboard scholar who knows everything but only a little bit about things, Li Cheng's vanity couldn't help but swell a little bit.

It's really only a tiny bit.

"Phew... Hmm? That's it."

Li Cheng raised his glass to moisten his dry throat, only to find that not a drop could be poured out, realizing that he had drunk a bit too much.

After all, boasting can easily make you thirsty, so he drank one cup after another, forgetting how many he had drunk.

Fortunately, the alcohol content didn't seem to be very high; at least he didn't pass out after just three glasses. In fact, he wasn't dizzy at all; in fact, he was getting more and more excited as he drank.

At this alcohol content, I feel like he could easily drink two more bottles.

When Louise saw that the wine glass was empty, she instinctively wanted to refill Li Cheng's glass, but all three wine bottles on the table were already empty.

"Nothing."

The little girl was a bit at a loss for what to do.