The night was getting late.
An Nuan was also getting a little tired.
Ye Jinghuai actually didn't want to stay at the nightclub either.
If it wasn't for Qin Jiang crying and begging, saying that if Ye Jinghuai didn't accompany him to the nightclub for a bit, Qin Jiang would never be able to escape the sight of Old Master Qin in his life. Recently Qin Jiang had been forced to the point that he was losing his mind, saying that if he wasn't allowed out again soon, the next time Ye Jinghuai saw him would be in a psychiatric hospital.
Ye Jinghuai knew how exaggerated Qin Jiang could be.
But having grown up together, he could also empathize with Qin Jiang's frustration, which was why he had agreed to accompany him to the nightclub.
"Why don't we head back early? If you keep drinking like this, Qiqi is going to throw up," An Nuan said worriedly, looking at the two men.
They clearly couldn't stand each other when sober, but became best friends when drunk!
They really were a couple of fools.
"Okay," Ye Jinghuai nodded.
He was thinking it was about time to head back too.
After all, it had been a long time since he came back, so of course he wanted to spend more time with his wife.
Just as An Nuan was about to get up to call Xia Qiqi,
She saw Xia Qiqi stand up from the couch and rush straight towards the door.
She had probably drank a bit too much.
An Nuan wanted to go over to help support her.
The door had just opened.
Xia Qiqi collided head-on into the chest of a man walking in.
Xiao Nanchen suddenly felt a figure crash into his embrace.
With a lot of force.
The woman who had bumped into him was nearly bounced back from the impact.
Xiao Nanchen reacted quickly to steady her.
But as soon as he grabbed hold of her,
"Blargh!"
She threw up all over Xiao Nanchen.
The scene instantly went quiet.
An Nuan stood not far away, stunned, not knowing how to react or what to say.
Xia Qiqi really felt nauseous.
She had just wanted to rush out to throw up in the bathroom when she bumped into something, and with that collision, the vomit she had been holding back erupted out uncontrollably.
After throwing up she immediately felt much better.
Although her mind was still a little hazy, she sensed something was off about the current situation.
It seemed she had thrown up on someone.
And that person gave her a faint sense of familiarity.
She looked up.
And the first thing she saw was Xiao Nanchen's face.
No smile, no anger, no expression at all.
His fair complexion and striking features still looked good.
At that moment he was just staring at her silently, not saying a word.
Xia Qiqi's mind blanked momentarily.
As she held Xiao Nanchen's gaze directly.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Xiao Nanchen spoke, "Can you move aside now?"
His voice held no emotion.
But it seemed a bit cold.
It was as if she was being scorned by him.
Not just Xiao Nanchen.
She scorned herself too.
She rarely vomited in front of others.
It really was that bastard Qin Jiang who had ruined her tonight.
She rarely drank to compete, but couldn't help getting fired up by the atmosphere.
If she had known she would embarrass herself like this, she would have admitted defeat instead of betting Qin Jiang on drinking.
She shifted her body to make way, and in that moment, couldn't help but blurt out, "I didn't mean it, I'll pay you back..."
"No need," Xiao Nanchen walked past her as he spoke.
He went straight towards the restroom without stopping or slowing.
It was only now Xia Qiqi seemed to react - there were restrooms inside the rooms.
If she had known sooner, she wouldn't have thrown up on Xiao Nanchen.
She felt a little devastated.
An Nuan walked over to her. "Let's go, I'll take you back first."
"Oh," It was as if Xia Qiqi had suddenly sobered up.
She glanced back at An Nuan and couldn't help asking, "Did I just make a huge fool of myself?"
"What do you think?" An Nuan retorted.
Xia Qiqi now felt like crawling into a hole.
She quickly said, "Let's go, let's go."
She didn't want to shame herself here a second longer.
An Nuan and Ye Jinghuai brought Xia Qiqi out first.
The only one left in the room was Qin Jiang.
Qin Jiang was also drunk.
Sprawled limply on the couch, unmoving.
Xiao Nanchen threw his soiled coat away, then the black cashmere sweater underneath, leaving just a thin white shirt.
He used warm water to wipe down his pants, soaking them before coming out.
Everyone knew Xiao Nanchen had OCD.
So of course he couldn't stand being vomited on like that.
When he walked out and saw the others had left with only semi-conscious Qin Jiang remaining on the couch, he bent over to support Qin Jiang up. "Let's go, I'll take you back."
"I don't wanna go back," the inebriated Qin Jiang mumbled.
"Your dad will send people to fetch you."
"......" Qin Jiang quieted obediently.
It really was his father's name that sobered him.
Xiao Nanchen pulled Qin Jiang along to leave the nightclub.
In the afternoon Qin Jiang had called asking him to meet for drinks at the nightclub that night, saying his cousin had returned and Qin Jiang had planned to get off work early to come, but some work matters had suddenly come up that kept him busy until this hour. By the time he came in...
He didn't think too much of it as he supported the stumbling Qin Jiang towards the exit.
At the door, Xia Qiqi was still retching violently.
An Nuan was by her side.
Ye Jinghuai was also waiting nearby.
Hu Feng had already driven the car to their feet.
"Hey Ah Huai, you guys haven't left yet?" the wavering Qin Jiang made to move towards Ye Jinghuai.
Xiao Nanchen swiftly yanked Qin Jiang back.
Ye Jinghuai glanced at Qin Jiang then said to Xiao Nanchen, "Your leg healed?"
He had noticed Xiao Nanchen was walking steadily without a cane now.
"Almost fully recovered," Xiao Nanchen replied.
"Mm," Ye Jinghuai grunted in acknowledgement.
"You're not wearing much, take him back soon," Ye Jinghuai urged.
He could see Xiao Nanchen was only wearing a thin shirt.
Winter had already come to Qing City.
The nighttime temperature was only a few degrees.
Listening to their conversation, An Nuan glanced back at Ye Jinghuai.
She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt Ye Jinghuai was unexpectedly attentive.
Of course she wasn't jealous.
It was just Ye Jinghuai kept subverting her understanding of him.
Having finished a bout of vomiting, Xia Qiqi also lifted her head to look when she heard the exchange between Ye Jinghuai and Xiao Nanchen.
She saw Xiao Nanchen supporting the stumbling Qin Jiang towards a car.
Saw that Xiao Nanchen was only wearing a thin shirt when it was clearly very cold now.
She lightly nibbled her lower lip.
With some effort, she stood up from the ground.
An Nuan helped her into the car.
Ye Jinghuai took the front passenger seat.
Seeing Xia Qiqi's somewhat dejected appearance, An Nuan asked caringly, "Feeling very uncomfortable?"
Xia Qiqi shook her head.
Her stomach actually felt much more comfortable.
She always sobered quickly from drunkenness.
That was why she dared to drink so uninhibitedly.
So she was very clear that the discomfort in her heart right now didn't seem to be from her stomach, but...
She patted her head.
Don't think about anything.
Seeing the way she looked, An Nuan became speechless. "Already not very smart to begin with, now you're minus IQ from the concussion."
Xia Qiqi glared at An Nuan.
"Drink less next time," An Nuan comforted.
She didn't notice anything off about Xia Qiqi's mood.
She assumed it was just a headache from the drinking.
"I'm never going to show up anywhere Xiao Nanchen is from now on, even if I have to die!" Xia Qiqi suddenly gritted angrily.
