Chapter Six: Sharing Wine and Words at the Inn

"Do you have any silver on you?"
Finally, he stopped and asked this question.
"Silver?" I looked at him in confusion. I had just arrived in the mortal realm and was unfamiliar with silver; I shook my head and replied, "No."
"You're lying."
He smiled, walked over, and snatched the small stone from my hand. Weighing it in his palm, he looked up at me, his lips curling into a smile. "Come, treat me to something delicious as an apology."
He didn’t give me any time to ponder what was happening, but simply grabbed my sleeve and led me toward an inn.
It was the height of summer, the air heavy and hot, and the teahouse was bustling with voices and activity.
The handsome scholar walked ahead, and I followed closely behind. We entered the inn, ascending to the second floor, and settled at a table by the wall in a private room.
"Please, have a seat."
He gestured invitingly, and after I sat down, he lifted his robe and seated himself across from me.

"Waiter, bring us a pot of the finest huadiao wine, a pound of beef, two plates of snacks, and a bowl of white rice."
After placing the order, he turned his head to gaze out the window, lips slightly upturned as if amused by something unseen.
Curious, I too turned to look.
Below, the inn’s backyard sprawled out, with a pond at its center. In the pond bloomed several red lotuses, their hues vivid as if aflame, dazzlingly bright.
Seeing these lotuses, I couldn’t help but think of the purple lotus. Here I lingered, unsure where he might be.
"Young master, you are so handsome! Come over and have some fun!"
A woman’s voice drifted over, alluring and melodious. Intrigued, I searched for its source and spotted, in the flower hall opposite, a woman dressed in sheer violet gauze, waving a silk handkerchief and gazing this way with tender affection.
Her gaze was both coy and plaintive, making me shudder involuntarily. Clearly, her affectionate glances were meant not for me, but for the scholar seated across from me.
I had thought he was admiring some rare sight, but I hadn't expected him to be peering through the window at the girls in the opposite pavilion. This—this was truly lacking in refinement.
"Don’t be shy, young master, I’m waiting here for you!"

The woman in violet seemed unable to contain herself, waving her silk handkerchief in urging.
I frowned slightly, listening. It seemed that women in the mortal world were even more bold and passionate than those in the demon realm; their attire was daring, baring arms and legs, with crimson undergarments nearly exposed. This… even as a woman myself, I felt embarrassed witnessing it.
As I was scrutinizing the mortal women’s dress, the handsome scholar, who had begun sipping his wine, suddenly asked, "You are not an ordinary girl, are you?"
"Ordinary?"
His words made my heart tremble, though I kept my composure. I turned to him and smiled. "Your words are rather curious, young master. I wonder, in your eyes, what defines an ordinary girl? And what defines one who is not?"
He toyed with his wine cup, seeming to reply casually, "You do not belong to this mortal world."
My hand, holding a piece of food, paused at his words—'not of this world.'
I had left the demon realm but half a day ago and met him only a few hours before; I believed I had not betrayed myself in any way. Yet how could he be so certain I was no ordinary woman of this realm?