FORTY-TWO
The wedding formalities seemed to take an eternity. When Yi escorted her to yet another chamber, Mai swore that if she was forced to drink another cup of tea, she was going to accidentally spill it down her robes so that she could excuse herself to change clothes. If it weren't for Yi at her side, she would have heartily refused to marry at all by the end of the first hour. As it was, she gritted her teeth, kept her eyes lowered and imagined the calm mountain lake beside her family home.
Yi closed the doors behind them. "Would you like some tea?" he offered.
Mai whirled, ready to tell him exactly what she thought of tea, only to discover him grinning with a bottle in his hand.
"Because my family or the servants have only left us this fine bottle of baijiu to drink. No tea
