Shuishui did not fully understand what the police officer said. "Well, didn't you say that it was her first time committing a crime and that she was forced to do it? Then why did she end up with a big problem?"
She was confused and couldn't understand what exactly was going on.
"There is no direct evidence to prove that she was coerced or that she was self-conscious, but she has been saying that she was deceived. The urine test indeed showed small traces of the drugs. She also wrote a statement admitting her mistakes. As long as she pays the bail, she will be able to leave immediately. The bail costs three thousand yuan. You should let your parents come," the officer said. He was skeptical as to how the children in front of him would settle the bail.
Qian Anzhi looked at Qian Shuishui. "Second Sister, where is Eldest Sister?"
Anzhi could only rely on Shuishui. Calling his mother would cause more problems. Although he also hated Momo, he couldn't let her stay at the police station. Shuishui thought for half a minute. "We can directly bail her out," she said.
Jiang Li and Anzhi waited as Shuishui thought of how to settle things.
Shuishui went outside to withdraw cash. She returned to the station and paid the bail. Qian Momo was also released. When she walked out, she saw Qian Anzhi and Qian Shuishui. She was a little embarrassed because of how she looked. She didn't expect to be caught. Next time, she wouldn't go out with that group of friends. She didn't think they were so unreliable. It was indeed a dangerous thing. She didn't smoke too much, so she lied that it was her first time committing a crime. She was relieved that she was released.
Qian Shuishui saw her embarrassment. Momo didn't like Qian Shuishui to begin with. In the future, she felt that Shuishui would mock her for that embarrassing moment. At that moment, she wasn't confident enough to say anything to Shuishui, so she kept quiet.
Shuishui looked at Qian Momo's dusty face. It was indeed different from the high-spirited look she had before. "All right, you're out already. You should be fine now," Shuishui said.
"Yes, I'm fine, but I can't go back now. Anzhi, can I stay at your place for one night? I won't be going back home tonight." Momo couldn't think of what to say to her mother. Although she could find an excuse, it would easy to be exposed. "Anzhi, help me. Send a message to Mom, and tell her that I'll stay at your place tonight," Momo said.
Jiang Li remembered that Sister Qian's house had a guest room on the second floor, which was reserved for Mu Ziyu. There seemed to be a small guest room on the first floor as well.
Qian Anzhi and Qian Shuishui looked at each other. Qian Anzhi knew that if Qian Momo saw their house and knew their address, she would definitely bring about more trouble. However, they couldn't really refuse her request. "How about this, Sister? We'll give you money. You can stay in a hotel for one day. It'll be more convenient if you go home directly tomorrow morning," Anzhi said.
"How would I dare to stay outside now? What should I do if those people come looking for me to seek revenge?" Momo didn't want to stay outside alone. The thought of being alone scared her. She didn't expect to get into trouble that night. She also didn't want to go home. She wanted to go where Qian Shuishui and Qian Anzhi lived. Qian Anzhi once mentioned to her that he and Shuishui lived somewhere else and not with their Uncle Jiang.
Since they didn't live with Uncle Jiang, why would it be inconvenient for them if she stayed with them?
Qian Anzhi was a little annoyed. Knowing his eldest sister, he expected that she would want to stay with them to see their house. However, it wouldn't be safe if they left her alone. "Second Sister, what do you say?" Anzhi asked Shuishui.
Shuishui looked at Qian Momo with a cold expression. There were two reasons why Shuishui decided to go there. First, she thought of her father. Second, Qian Momo was still somehow related to her because they had the same father. Although they were not on good terms, she would not be too cold to her. Qian Momo was a spoiled girl and liked to compete with her, who was so much younger than her. She was very immature, and Shuishui did not want to be associated with her. She still hadn't forgotten what Momo did to their father.
Shuishui hated her own sister, but she could not cut their ties. If they were not related at all, she would not have come to her aid.
"You can stay at our house, but only for the night. You will leave early in the morning. I have visitors tomorrow afternoon," Shuishui said sternly. Auntie Jiang had said she would be visiting Shuishui's house to cook. She had lots of free time and wanted to put it to good use. She also wanted to see if Jiang Li really spent his time there studying, which he often gave as an excuse.
Shuishui yawned. "We should go."
Qian Momo didn't say anything because she knew that she could not interfere in Shuishui's affairs, even though she was her younger sister. After their parents divorced, it became clear that what Shuishui and Anzhi had was theirs, and she could only take whatever her mother had.
Qian Anzhi and Jiang Li walked together. In a low voice, Anzhi said, "I really don't know what my big sister is thinking. She's already an *****, yet she can't think straight. She's so immature. Now she's even taking drugs. It's really scary."
Jiang Li nodded in agreement. "It's an addictive vice, right? Be careful. Don't be tricked by your big sister into taking drugs."
"I'm not that stupid. Didn't we go hear about the Drug Rehabilitation Center before? We know how it ruins lives," Anzhi said. They knew how people would become addicted to drugs. There were some who would go on relapse, even after intensive rehabilitation programs. Jiang Li also knew that if they did get involved in such affairs, they would be beaten up by their parents. Jiang Li was wise enough to avoid such vices. He had been curious before, but when they were shown the videos and photos from patients at the Drug Rehabilitation Center, he was completely convinced that it was a bad way of life.
They hushed and kept quiet when Shuishui hailed a taxi. They didn't want to make everything more tense than it already was.
Shuishui told the driver the address and then rested in the car for a while.
Soon, they arrived at the villa. Qian Momo looked at the place where they lived. "You live here? Did Uncle Jiang arrange it for you?" she asked.
Qian Shuishui and Qian Anzhi didn't answer Qian Momo, so Qian Momo took it as their tacit agreement. She was a little jealous. She lived in a small apartment, but her younger siblings lived in a big house.
After entering the house, Shuishui asked Qian Anzhi to bring Qian Momo to the guest room on the first floor. "Anzhi, you make the arrangements and rest early. You two will study together tomorrow. I'm going to rest first. I'm a little sleepy," Shuishui said.
Qian Anzhi nodded and let Jiang Li go to their room first. "Here. You can rest in the guest room. There's a quilt inside, but you have to make your own bed. Next to it is the bathroom. There are disposable items in the bottom drawer of the bathroom. Take a look. Also, this room is usually quiet. Just don't make too much noise. We should wake up early tomorrow. You should rest early too. You can only wake up in the morning," he said to Momo.
Qian Momo nodded. "I understand. I'll take care of it myself. You go to sleep first."
She entered the guest room and noticed that it was quite clean.
Qian Anzhi went upstairs and turned off the lights in the living room. Then, he turned on the lights in the corridor.
He was also sleepy. They had been out for an hour and it was already early in the morning.
Jiang Li lay on the bed. "I'm going to sleep. I'll take a shower tomorrow morning."
They didn't bother to turn on their computers to play. They were tired, and they slept immediately.
Qian Momo walked to the living room and looked around. It was much better than their old house. Moreover, it was in an exclusive village. She felt that if she stayed there in the future, she could invite her friends over.
She walked around noisily and snooped around. Fortunately, the soundproofing was good, so Shuishui barely heard anything upstairs.
Momo opened the fridge and saw a few bottles of drinks. She took one out to drink. Suddenly, she saw a black shadow. In shock, she cried out, "What's that?"
She ran out and saw two dogs. She took a few steps back and said, "Get lost."
She didn't like dogs, and she was allergic to dog fur. "Why are there dogs here?" she said.
She frowned then walked to the other side. The two dogs didn't know her, so the husky jumped around her. The bulldog barked at her fiercely.
Xiao Dou saw that Qian Momo was frightened, and it roared even more fiercely.
Shuishui woke up in shock and rushed downstairs. She knew that huskies wouldn't just bark for no reason. Bulldogs were fiercer, especially when they saw people they didn't know. They were territorial and more aggressive.
She went downstairs and hugged Xiao Dou. "I forgot to close the door on the second floor. They must have rushed downstairs. Are you okay?"
"No. But why do you have to keep a dog? I'm allergic to dog fur." Qian Momo pinched her nose and felt a little uncomfortable.
Shuishui shrugged. "Because this is Qian Anzhi's and my home. We like dogs, so we got a dog. There's no need for me to explain anything."
Qian Momo could tell what Shuishui meant by her words. She felt that Shuishui only said, "It's none of your business."
Although she didn't feel comfortable listening to Shuishui's words, she didn't say much. "I'm allergic to dog fur. Bring them upstairs," she said to Shuishui.
Shuishui carried Xiao Dou and called Xiao Ha upstairs.
Xiao Dou was very obedient in Shuishui's arms. It wouldn't have been so obedient with Anzhi.
When they reached the second floor, Qian Shuishui put the dogs down. "You guys, stop barking so that the neighbors won't complain." She closed the door so that the dogs wouldn't rush downstairs and start barking again.
Before she closed the door, she patted the heads of the two dogs. She then walked back to her room.
The next morning, when Shuishui woke up, she looked at the time. It was already past nine o'clock. She got up to wash up, then opened the door of the second floor and went downstairs. The two dogs also ran out and followed Qian Shuishui downstairs. They jumped around excitedly.
Shuishui refilled their food and water bowls. The dogs ran over to their bowls to eat. Shuishui went to the kitchen and started to make breakfast. After a while, the dogs started barking again, and she remembered that Qian Momo was in their house. She walked out and saw Xiao Dou looking at Qian Momo with hostility.
"You're still here. Pack up. I'll give you the fare. You can go back on your own," Shuishui said coldly. She felt strange when she saw Qian Momo. After all, Qian Momo was an outsider to her. She didn't like the feeling of having an outsider walking around her own house.
Qian Momo looked at Shuishui as she boiled her breakfast. "You have to let me eat something. I woke up very early today. I'm too hungry."
Shuishui glanced at Qian Momo. "Then you can leave after you finish eating. I'll call a cab for you."
She glanced at the food in the pot and went upstairs to wake the boys up.
The two lazybones didn't respond even after she shouted a few times. It was their alarm that made them slowly get up. "It's time to get up. Wash up and eat breakfast. After breakfast, I will test you, and we will review your lessons," she said as she drew the curtains and pulled their blankets. Then, she turned off the air conditioner. "I'll give you 15 minutes."
"Sis, we'll get up. You go down first." Qian Anzhi felt that he woke up to a very noisy environment. He felt like he woke up in hell.
When Shuishui saw that they had opened their eyes, she went downstairs to continue making breakfast. She cooked a big pot of corn chicken soup and fried eggs and bacon. She took out the frozen buns and steamed them. There were only four left.
Meanwhile, Qian Momo sat in the living room. She was thinking about bringing her mother to the house. She felt that if she and her mother lived there, it would be easier for her to find a boyfriend in the future. She wanted to find a rich man. She liked Mu Ziyu, but she gave up on him already. They had only met each other a few times. That one time when they met again, Ziyu acted as if he didn't know her. He left without looking back. Momo remembered how embarrassed she felt because her friend had witnessed that she was ignored by Mu Ziyu. She even ended up resenting Mu Ziyu. Even Qian Shuishui had ignored her many times.
She noticed that the house was beautifully designed and was elegantly decorated. It was better than their previous home, which was old. The house Shuishui and Anzhi lived in was clearly new.
Shuishui brought out the breakfast, while Qian Momo acted like a missy. She sat down and watched Shuishui bring out the bowls and chopsticks without even offering to help. She reached out for a bowl, but Shuishui took a step back and said, "These are for my own use. You can go inside and get a bowl for yourself."
Shuishui kept her home that way. She would only take out her bowl and chopsticks. Anzhi and Jiang Li knew that during mealtimes, they would have to get their own bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. Shuishui would sometimes eat with a spoon and fork, but Anzhi would always prefer to use chopsticks. Shuishui decided that they could decide what to use every mealtime, so they would have to get their utensils themselves.
Qian Momo looked at Shuishui and felt that she did it on purpose. However, she didn't say anything because she was in Shuishui's territory. She thought she would just let her mother take care of it.
Momo went to the kitchen to get a bowl and chopsticks and sat down to eat.
She had already eaten one bun, but she wanted to get another one. Shuishui stopped her and said, "Leave these two for Jiang Li and Anzhi. We can't just let them eat soup."
"It won't hurt to eat one more." She was dissatisfied. She felt like Shuishui was not giving her anything.
Qian Anzhi and Jiang Li walked down together. By force of habit, they walked to the kitchen to get their bowls and chopsticks. They sat down and started eating. "Big Sister, what did you say just now?" Anzhi asked.
"I said I wanted one more steamed bun. Shuishui won't let me eat one more," she complained.
Shuishui was speechless. "There are only four steamed buns, so there's one for each person. You want to eat two steamed buns and let Jiang Li and Qian Anzhi, two growing children, share one bun?"
Jiang Li blinked. He realized that their relationship as siblings was really not good. He found Momo very strange. She was already an *****, yet she still acted like a child.