An Nuan went back with Ye Jinghuai.
Qin Jiang hitched a ride with them.
Xiao Nanchen and Xia Qiqi took a ride back with the designated driver they had found.
Xia Qiqi was drunk out of her mind.
She felt the world spinning around her.
Then she kept mumbling with her mouth, "Brother, I can still drink. Let's go to another place and keep drinking..."
The "brother" she called out to was naturally referring to Qin Jiang.
It was also Xiao Nanchen's first time witnessing someone get drunk and randomly recognizing relationships.
Other than these two troublemakers Xia Qiqi and Qin Jiang, he reckoned no one else in this world could pull something like this off.
Xia Qiqi made noise nonstop. The car arrived at its destination.
With the designated driver's help, Xiao Nanchen sat in the electric wheelchair.
Then the driver propped up the stumbling drunk Xia Qiqi and let her collapse straight onto Xiao Nanchen.
Xiao Nanchen treasured the moment as Xia Qiqi was vulnerable in her drunken state.
He piggybacked Xia Qiqi and took her home.
When Le Ling saw them, she hurried over, “Mr. Xiao, is Ms. Xia drunk?”
“Yeah. Help her to her room first.”
“Okay.” Le Ling hurried to follow Xiao Nanchen.
When they arrived in Xia Qiqi’s room, just as Le Ling was supporting Xia Qiqi to put her to bed, Xia Qiqi suddenly pushed Le Ling away and rushed into the bathroom, retching loudly.
Xiao Nanchen and Le Ling hurried in to check on her.
Seeing her slumped on the floor, head over the toilet bowl, throwing up agonizingly.
“How much did Ms. Xia drink?” Le Ling worriedly asked.
It was a lot.
But it seemed they didn’t anticipate that Xia Qiqi would be drinking to such an extent either.
Earlier on he had already witnessed Xia Qiqi’s capacity for liquor, she shouldn’t get drunk to such a degree.
“Bleuurghhh...” painfully nauseating retching sounds echoed beside ears nonstop.
“Go help her pour some diluted honey water.” Xiao Nanchen told Le Ling.
“Okay.” Le Ling promptly nodded and went out.
Xiao Nanchen pushed his wheelchair closer to Xia Qiqi again, generously placing his big hand on her back to soothe her, wanting her to feel better.
Xia Qiqi threw up again involuntarily.
After vomiting, she painfully said, “I feel like I’m dying.”
“Are you very uncomfortable? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Xiao Nanchen asked her softly.
He also felt that Xia Qiqi was indeed very severely drunk.
Even her complexion was ghastly pale.
Le Ling came in with a cup of warm diluted honey water, “Ms Xia, drinking some diluted honey water will make you feel better.”
Xia Qiqi opened her eyes and took a look, received the water and drank a couple of gulps.
But just as she swallowed it down, she threw up again.
“How much exactly did she drink?” Le Ling was frantic.
Xiao Nanchen went straight for it, “I’m sending you to the hospital.”
“No need.” Xia Qiqi rejected after vomiting, “I just need to sleep it off.”
She stood up while saying that.
When she got up her whole body shook violently.
Xiao Nanchen and Le Ling hurried to prop her up again.
Xia Qiqi steadied herself, then pushed them aside and walked out of the bathroom, lying straight on the bed.
She closed her eyes and lay motionless.
And so Xiao Nanchen and Le Ling stared at Xia Qiqi.
They watched as she suddenly seemingly fell asleep, not quite reacting to the sight.
“Um... I’ll help Ms Xia wash up simply.” Le Ling recovered herself, promptly saying.
At this, Xiao Nanchen nodded but suddenly said again, “I’ll do it. It’s late, go rest early.”
Originally, Le Ling wanted to say she wasn’t sleepy.
But then she thought the boss might just want more alone time with Ms Xia, so she hurriedly nodded, “Okay, call me if you need anything.”
“Mm.”
So Le Ling walked out of Xia Qiqi’s room.
Xiao Nanchen pushed his wheelchair toward Xia Qiqi’s big bed.
Xia Qiqi slept in a very unladylike manner.
And was completely unlike the sort of precious daughter of a rich family.
Xiao Nanchen went over and helped her to take off her outer coat. She wore relatively formal clothing due to work, under that was a fitted white modified dress shirt. That quality of shirt wouldn't exactly be comfortable if slept in. Xiao Nanchen hesitated, and still decided to take it off for her.
After all, he had already seen it all anyway.
He was just letting Xia Qiqi sleep more comfortably after all.
With that thought, Xiao Nanchen unbuttoned Xia Qiqi’s shirt.
Under the shirt...
Xiao Nanchen’s eyes stirred.
Traces of that night, which had not faded away completely...
Originally he thought only his own body bore those traces.
Unexpectedly... she had some left too.
He forced himself not to let his gaze linger.
Swiftly stripping her clothes and changing her into clean pajamas.
Then using a hot towel to wipe her face and hands and feet.
Finally pulling up the blanket to cover her up.
Xiao Nanchen heaved a sigh of relief.
Obviously holding something back, forcing himself to relax.
Seeing Xia Qiqi truly already fast asleep, he turned to leave.
Then Xia Qiqi suddenly opened her mouth, "Water, I want some water..."
"Diluted honey water or plain water?" Xiao Nanchen asked.
"Water, water..."
Recalling Xia Qiqi earlier throwing up almost immediately after drinking diluted honey water, Xiao Nanchen went and poured her a glass of warm plain water again.
He perched on Xia Qiqi’s bed on the wheelchair and propped Xia Qiqi up.
Xiao Nanchen fed Xia Qiqi as her limp body rested against him.
She was desperately thirsty.
Xia Qiqi finished that entire glass of water.
“Want more? I’ll pour you some.” Xiao Nanchen asked her.
Xia Qiqi shook her head.
Xiao Nanchen placed the glass aside, simultaneously preparing to support Xia Qiqi lying down again.
Xia Qiqi suddenly grabbed his arm, preventing him from moving, mumbling, “Stay with me tonight.”
Xiao Nanchen's whole body tightened up obviously.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down unceasingly.
There was a second, where he even suspected he'd misheard.
Then he heard Xia Qiqi repeat, “I want you to sleep with me tonight.”
And she even used that coquettish tone.
Xiao Nanchen squeezed out a “Yes" from his throat, suppressing to the extreme.
Just fearful of getting too excited, and frightening Xia Qiqi.
Only when Xiao Nanchen gave her the affirmative answer she wanted did Xia Qiqi let go of his hand, and lie on the bed.
Xiao Nanchen slowly lay down beside.
He planned to accompany Xia Qiqi to sleep then go shower, come back again, and then sleep with her together.
And so he looked at Xia Qiqi like this, looking at her defenseless appearance when sleeping.
Looking at her falling asleep, without any hint of rejection of him.
People, often end up always seeking a mile when offered an inch.
Always want to obtain more and more.
Originally he felt sharing a bed with Xia Qiqi was sufficient.
But at this moment, he desired to reach out and caress her fair white cheeks.
By the time he regained awareness, his fingers were already on Xia Qiqi’s face.
For the first time he realized Xia Qiqi was truly so near, within reach.
He suddenly recalled the first time he saw Xia Qiqi.
Back then following his mother to meet Xia Zhenghai, he naturally met Xia Qiqi whom Xia Zhenghai had brought.
With a first glimpse of Xia Qiqi, he had thought she was so cute, face round and apple red, like a little apple.
Back then he had really wanted, really wanted to touch that “little apple”, until so many years later, his wish was finally granted.
