Qiao Xia left with Meng Qian, while Li Hui, disheveled, wanted to follow but was tripped up by Qiao Lan and had to give up.
Qiao Xia was dead drunk, and Meng Qian was extremely worried by her side, but also very curious inside. She had never imagined Qiao Xia was Li Hui's fiancée—it was just too explosive. But Qiao Xia must be heartbroken today, Meng Qian had never seen her drink that much before.
"Xiaxia, stop drinking," Meng Qian said. Though curious, she didn't ask any more questions and tried to stop her after drinking together for a while. But Qiao Xia's personality was such that no one could stop her, and in the end, she got drunk. Meng Qian felt utterly helpless, "There's no such thing as a frog with two legs, but there are plenty of men with two legs everywhere. If this one's no good, let's find another."
"Men..." Qiao Xia burped, "Obviously... three-legged."
Meng Qian: "..."
"Okay, enough drinking, I'll take you home," Meng Qian said, supporting Qiao Xia. She had just taken two steps when she stumbled, and inadvertently sent Qiao Xia flying forward.
Qiao Xia was already drunkenly woozy, her stomach feeling wretched. Meng Qian's attempt to soothe her was too late. However, the expected clumsy fall didn't happen, as Qiao Xia crashed right into the arms of a man coming up to meet her.
The man behind him, dressed in black, stepped forward to pull Qiao Xia away, but as she suddenly looked up and gave the man a silly smile, his hand had just touched Qiao Xia when the man grabbed and flung it aside.
"Fourth Young Master?"
The man waved his hand, his gaze falling on Qiao Xia's face. A flash of surprise swept through his deep eyes. Qiao Xia planted a silly kiss on him, "Honey, how about I dance for you?"
"I want to give my husband a strip dance..."
Man: "..."
Meng Qian: "..."
Qiao Xia let go of the man and, swaying her hips, began to dance to the bar's music. While dancing, she began to undress—radiant with allure yet so vulnerable, like a porcelain doll.
Alcohol flushed her cheeks red, tantalizingly inviting. The man in black behind him twitched his eyelid, finding the girl to be quite a character. It was clear from her twisting waist that she was drunk to the bone.
Qiao Xia took off her coat, tossed it with a flourish, then started to fiddle with her buttons. Meng Qian's jaw, which had dropped to the floor, was finally retrieved as she hurried over, wrapping her arms around her, "Xiaxia, don't make a scene..."
"I'm not, I want to dance for my husband," Qiao Xia continued to smile foolishly.
What dance are you trying to pull off, little sister? You're stripping, not dancing.
"Sir, I'm sorry, my friend is drunk, really sorry..." As the drunk Qiao Xia already had her stomach churning, being tugged by Meng Qian made it worse. Just as the man was about to speak, he was suddenly showered by a spew from Qiao Xia like a goddess scattering flowers.
Meng Qian: "..."
Man in black: "..."
After all the commotion, Qiao Xia eventually quieted down, leaning on Meng Qian in a soft and foolish manner, looking innocent. Meng Qian's face turned green, wishing she could hide in a hole, wishing she could abandon Qiao Xia and run away.
"Really sorry, so sorry, sorry..." Without concerning herself with Qiao Xia's coat or the man's gloomy face, Meng Qian dragged Qiao Xia out of the bar and fled.
"Qiao Xia!" The man looked at the disgusting vomit on his clothes, feeling utterly cold.
The man in black pretended as if nothing had happened.
Meng Qian was Qiao Xia's colleague and had no idea where Qiao Xia lived, so she had no choice but to bring her to her own home. After more than an hour of fuss, Qiao Xia finally woke up a bit and Meng Qian gave her a clean set of clothes to freshen up in the bathroom.
Qiao Xia started interning at the company early in the year and was directly hired after graduation. They had been colleagues for a year. In Meng Qian's view, Qiao Xia was a girl who combined both softness and strength, met force with force, and was adaptable; she always carried a bright smile. Aside from her, no one in the office liked Qiao Xia, saying that she was a "green tea bitch," a newcomer who garnered half a year of headlines; indeed, this would cause envy.
Meng Qian suddenly woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of crying.
Qiao Xia, dressed in a thin nightgown, curled up alone on the balcony, with a low and sad sobbing sound drifting continuously from the balcony. The December night was frosty and cold. Meng Qian watched, her heart aching.
She didn't want to disturb Qiao Xia, but on such a cold day, getting sick just wouldn't be worth it. She turned on the light, grabbed a coat, and went out, covering Qiao Xia with it without a word. Qiao Xia's face was blotchy with tears, her eyes swollen, and it was hard to tell how long she had been crying.
"Qianqian, I feel so sad..." Qiao Xia sobbed. Meng Qian forcefully pulled her back inside, unsure of how to comfort her. She understood the pain of emotional betrayal, especially for someone as proud as Qiao Xia; the more indifferent she seemed, the more her heart was riddled with holes.
"It'll pass eventually. It's good to see him for what he is," Meng Qian said. "My friend's boyfriend is an interior designer, earning millions a year, driving a sports car, and he's handsome too. Look how fickle he is; men are all the same."
"We've known each other since we were kids, with over a decade of affection," Qiao Xia said, covering her eyes, afraid she'd break into tears again, "He could have cheated with anyone; why did it have to be my cousin? He knows how much I despise her."
"Alright, no more tears. Xiaxia, you're so pretty and competent, why worry about not finding a man better than him? In the future, show off a better man in front of your cousin—after all, she's picking up your leftovers, treasuring them like a jewel."