The girls raised their hands and cheered excitedly, looking particularly thrilled, some even waving their hands and dancing.
However, their actions seemed somewhat dazed, as if they didn't know what they were doing.
Noticing their behavior, the middle-aged man became even more excited. "You've all done wonderfully! It seems you're all very happy and enjoy staying here. That's good. From today onwards, you can all enjoy our Violet Wine, developed by me and a few researchers, for free. We also have high-class accommodation here. Don't be shy, just have fun! All the facilities in the entire estate are open to you!"
"Excellent! Very good!" The girls burst into enthusiastic applause, each looking infatuated, gazing at the two people on stage as if they were their anchors.
The middle-aged man spoke loudly into the microphone. He was a tall man, dressed in a high-end black suit, a blue tie, a white shirt, and polished leather shoes, presenting a refined appearance. However, beneath his cultured face lurked contempt.
The woman beside him wore a wine-red evening gown that trailed to the floor. She was sipping red wine from a glass and, after the man finished speaking, also picked up the microphone. "This time, we've used the latest samples to concoct Violet Flower Wine, which is sure to be even more perfect than before. Please come and taste it one by one!"
As the woman spoke, many young men in suits emerged from behind the stage, carrying trays with bottles of red wine and stemmed glasses.
They descended from the stage one by one, poured glasses of red wine, and handed them to the girls nearby.
Making red wine from violet flowers? I had never heard of such a thing. I wondered what it was all about.
Soon, the young men finished pouring the wine. Liu Yuning and I stood nearby, holding glasses of red wine.
No one drank, however. Seeing that we had all received a glass, the middle-aged man announced, "Let's all drink together. Don't drink too quickly; savor it carefully. You are all young ladies in your prime; you should understand what I mean!"
The girls responded with a chorus of assent, raised their glasses, opened their delicate lips, and took a small sip.
We also raised our stemmed glasses and drank. We wouldn't have known if we hadn't tried it; the aroma of this red wine was indeed special. It was as if the scent of violets and grapes had been mixed together, creating an unprecedented taste.
However, while we were drinking, the middle-aged man grumbled with annoyance, "No! This time it's even worse than before!"
"How can that be? Are you sure, darling?"
The woman in the evening gown asked anxiously. It turned out they were a couple.
"Of course. The girls will react soon enough, but it's fine. We'll stop here for today. Everyone, go back to your rooms!"
As the middle-aged man spoke, the girls dispersed, leaving one by one with the young men in suits who had been standing nearby. They entered tunnels on either side of the foyer. After they were led away, a few young men came to escort us out. They did not give us any special treatment, taking us to rooms in the same manner as the other girls.
We were divided into pairs. Perhaps it was my good luck, but I was paired with Liu Yuning and we were taken to room 192 by a man in a suit.
However, after Liu Yuning and I entered, we had the same reaction as we did in the cave earlier. We felt that all of this was natural and expected. We had to stay here and test the Violet Flower Wine with the middle-aged man.
"That's right! I have to do this! This is the main reason I came here. That's right, it's like this! It's all justified!"
A voice kept repeating this in my mind. I didn't know what Liu Yuning was thinking, but when I looked into her eyes, I found her gaze scattered, her expression vacant, just like mine.
But she said to me, "Let's rest. There's a lot to do tomorrow."
"Oh, okay, I'm tired too!"
A simple, mindless conversation flowed from our lips.
We lay on the bed, stretching our bodies with a sense of weariness. Fortunately, the bed was quite large, allowing us to move around. But at that moment, neither of us had any other thoughts; we just wanted to sleep.
We were groggily awakened the next day by a commotion outside. I initially thought someone was shouting, but upon listening closely, I realized it was a loudspeaker. "Attention all members, it is now time for breakfast. Please proceed to the estate hall."
Breakfast needs to be arranged? I felt like this was some kind of pyramid scheme. But even though I thought of that, it didn't seem to matter. This was how things were supposed to be here.
As we left our rooms, someone was waiting outside, as if to escort us to the hall.
In fact, we hadn't been to the hall before, so theoretically, we shouldn't have known the way.
The person escorting us was also a young man who seemed to be a waiter. This time, I saw other girls coming out of their rooms standing beside us. In front of each of them was a similar young man. As they moved, we, a row of people, followed them in an orderly fashion.
Passing through the foyer where the meeting had been held earlier, we went down a corridor to the side, traversed a forest, and soon arrived in a much larger hall. It was already filled with many tables, each laden with a sumptuous breakfast. It wasn't the usual fried dough sticks and soy milk we ate; it was steak, borscht, and the like. Rich people were indeed different; even breakfast was so extravagant. That thought crossed my mind at the time.
Once everyone was seated, the middle-aged man and the woman came out. They sat at the head of the table, as if they were going to eat with us. At this point, perhaps noticing the newcomers, the man introduced them. "I forgot to tell you all. I am the owner of this estate, Gongsun Jiayi, and this is my wife, Yin Chushuang. Our ancestors have been managing this mountain villa, developing a red wine called Violet here. This wine contains many violets and their stamens, giving it a rich fragrance. How did you find the taste you sampled earlier?"
I was the first to speak. "It's very special, Master. I quite like it. I hope I can continue to taste it for you!"
I didn't know why I blurted out the word "Master." It was as if some strange power within me compelled me to do so. As soon as I finished speaking, the others followed suit, "Master, that's right!"