Wang Qiqi let out a low moan of discomfort. Just as she was about to open her eyes, the glare of the light was so intense that she couldn't manage it. She quickly shielded her eyes, and only after a long moment, once she had adjusted, did she slowly blink them open to find Li Qian sleeping beside her, brow furrowed.

Wang Qiqi felt as if someone were relentlessly pounding a drum inside her head. Although she knew it was late, she simply couldn't bring herself to get up, preferring to lie there, thinking over yesterday's events.

Wang Qiqi had assumed that Li Qiao, having drunk her fill at the restaurant, would have been done for the night. But she never expected that once they returned to the room, Wang Qiqi would truly dread recalling the late-night continuation of drinking. It had been terrifying. Wang Qiqi had initially thought they’d only have about four bottles of wine in the room, but adding in what they’d had earlier, they were up to eight bottles—certainly not a small amount. And yet, with eight bottles sitting there, if Li Qian hadn't held onto Wang Qiqi, Wang Qiqi would have gladly ushered Li Qian into the room and left. It was too much; after downing that much alcohol, Wang Qiqi guessed the blood in both their bodies must have been mostly ethanol.

But abandoning Li Qiao like that was something Wang Qiqi just couldn't bring herself to do. With no other choice, Wang Qiqi and Li Qian started drinking—from the chairs down to the floor. Fortunately, the room was warm; otherwise, Wang Qiqi would have worried about catching a cold the next day.

Perhaps it was the relief of no outsiders being present after returning to the room, or maybe Li Qian was simply too drunk to maintain her composure, but as soon as the serious drinking began, she started crying, muttering incoherently all the while. Wang Qiqi was frantically passing Li Qiao tissues, barely keeping up with wiping away the tears. As for what Li Qian was saying, apologies, it was Martian dialect, but it was undoubtedly something along the lines of how terrible Li Xiangdong had been.

Wang Qiqi had completely lost track of when Li Qian finally stopped drinking. Wang Qiqi had consumed quite a bit herself, but Li Qian had drunk far more. If Wang Qiqi hadn't seen the situation spiraling and taken the opportunity, while Li Qian was thoroughly intoxicated, to hide three bottles of red wine, Wang Qiqi figured the other woman would have kept going. Just when Wang Qiqi thought the wine was finished and the drunkard could finally be put to bed, Li Qian vomited—all over the floor and herself. Although Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to handle it all herself, she too was nearing her limit and lacked the strength to help Li Qian to the bathroom to clean up.

Wang Qiqi felt deeply embarrassed but still called for the service attendant for assistance. The attendant’s expression wasn't exactly pleasant—few people are cheerful when dragged from a warm bed in the dead of night, especially when the room was a mess of vomit. However, when Wang Qiqi presented five hundred yuan, the attendant’s face, though somewhat strained, softened enough to help support Li Qian into the bathroom, clean up the mess scattered across the room, and even help the now-cleaned Li Qian back into bed.

Wang Qiqi reasoned that since Li Qian was so drunk, and had been compliant to the point of meekness while in the bathroom, she would surely behave now. But events unfolded beyond her expectation. Li Qian would intermittently spit out a few sentences. Wang Qiqi wished she would just get all her insults out in one go and then sleep soundly. Instead, she’d curse a few times and then start snoring, only to speak up again just as Wang Qiqi thought she’d finally drifted off. Wang Qiqi eventually succumbed to sleep amidst the other woman's constant tossing, turning, and complaining—and the quality of that sleep was predictable.

After mentally retracing everything that happened yesterday, or rather, in the early hours of the morning, Wang Qiqi slowly climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a bath. Yesterday, she’d been entirely focused on dealing with Li Qian and hadn't had the energy for a soak. Before that, however, Wang Qiqi opened the room's window; the smell was simply unbearable.

After her bath, Wang Qiqi felt refreshed and returned to the room to find Li Qian sitting up groggily, clad only in a bathrobe. The sight sparked a memory: she suddenly wondered if the clothes she’d sent out for dry cleaning in the middle of the night were ready. “Sister Qian, you’re awake. Are you alright?” Seeing Wang Qiqi suddenly appear in an unfamiliar setting, Li Qian took a moment to regain her senses. “Qiqi, where are we?” Li Qian felt like her head was splitting, and she couldn’t recall how she’d fallen asleep last night. Glancing down, she realized she was wearing a bathrobe. She knew that in the state she’d been in yesterday, there was no way she could have managed a shower herself, and Qiqi, having drunk a lot, wouldn't have had the strength to lead her to the bathroom. “What did I do last night…”

“Sister Qian, you don’t mean you forgot about checking into this room yesterday, do you?” Wang Qiqi thought, hoping the alcohol hadn't wiped away all memory of the previous day. She briefly recounted the vomiting incident. “Sister Qiao, I wonder if your clothes are dry-cleaned yet? I’ll go ask.” She hoped the attendant from last night had finished their shift; otherwise, Wang Qiqi didn't know how she could face them—it was too mortifying.

Li Qian looked at Wang Qiqi’s haggard appearance, realizing she hadn’t slept at all yesterday, evidenced by the dark circles under her eyes. She must have been taking care of me the whole time. “Qiqi, you should go back. I need a little more time here to think things over.” Although her head still ached, Li Qian felt considerably lighter emotionally, no longer burdened by the suffocating feeling that had nearly driven her mad recently.

Though Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to rush back and curl up with her man for a proper sleep, she looked at Li Qian’s post-hangover state. “Sister Qian, are you sure you’ll be okay?” She had held out this long; what was a little longer?

Li Qian smiled and waved a hand toward Wang Qiqi. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. You go on. I’ll call you tonight.” After staring at Li Qian for a long moment and confirming her condition seemed stable, Wang Qiqi’s inner voice screamed: Go back, go back, sleep with Han Tao. “Then I’ll be leaving.” As Wang Qiqi reached the door, she suddenly remembered the four bottles of wine they hadn’t finished. What if, as soon as she left, Li Qian saw the remaining alcohol and started drinking again? What if something happened while she wasn't there?

Li Qian looked up, surprised, as Wang Qiqi turned back. Wang Qiqi picked up the four bottles resting on the floor. “Sister Qian, the wine is great, really good. I’ll take it back to drink.”

Li Qiao immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Wang Qiqi wanting to take the bottles. “If you like it, Sister Qian has more at home. Come over for dinner next time.” Of course, she’d likely be reborn by then. “Once I sort everything out, I’ll invite you and Han Tao over to try Sister Qian’s cooking. Qiqi, you’ve never tasted my cooking, have you?”

Li Qian cooks? Wang Qiqi was momentarily stunned. Li Qian, well into her forties, was impeccably maintained; step outside and people would believe she was thirty. Her hands were soft and fair, certainly not the hands of someone who did manual labor. Besides, they had a housekeeper. Even if Li Qian used to cook, after so many years, could her food even be edible? Wang Qiqi was deeply skeptical.

“Don’t worry, Sister Qian’s cooking is excellent. When my husband and I first started out, many clients would come to our home, and I’d cook for them personally.” Thinking back to that time, she’d been full of drive. Although physically exhausted, their hearts were aligned. Since they became wealthy, everything changed. Although living conditions were much better, the house larger, and they had cars, their hearts drifted further apart—so far that his heart was now with another woman. “I’ll practice, I promise I won’t let you two eat slop.”

Since the other woman had insisted, Wang Qiqi naturally believed her, assuming that Li Qiao was likely still under the influence and might not even remember saying it. “Okay, I really look forward to tasting Sister Qian’s cooking…” As Wang Qiqi carried the wine toward the elevator, she paused, then decided to head to the front desk instead. “Hello.” Fortunately, the attendant on duty last night was gone, which relieved Wang Qiqi. “I’m a guest from room [unspecified number]. My friend is still sleeping inside. Could you please check on her around eleven?”

The attendant, hearing she was a room guest, paused, then flipped through the log. “Yes, I will check on her.”

“And while you’re at it, could you ask if my clothes are ready? If they are, please send them up. Thank you.” Wang Qiqi acted as if she hadn't noticed the attendant’s odd look, speaking quite casually. It wasn’t the same person from last night, so there was no need for embarrassment.

“Certainly.”

Wang Qiqi entered the elevator carrying the four bottles of red wine. Everyone inside immediately looked at her, and then a woman pinched her nose. “Ugh, stinks, stinks! A smell of alcohol all over.”

Wang Qiqi knew her clothes reeked of wine, but so what? After the events of the early morning, Wang Qiqi felt her mental fortitude had increased significantly. She calmly exited the elevator and walked through the lobby.

The doorman who opened the door for her stared blankly at the sight of a young girl covered in the smell of alcohol, clutching four bottles of wine. However, his good professional training kicked in quickly. “Welcome back next time.” Next time? Wang Qiqi thought wryly. She wouldn't have the face to step foot in this place for at least three to five years; it was too humiliating. People might even think she was just a high school student. Well, she couldn't help it; she maintained her looks well, appearing young, dressed young, and carrying a backpack.

With that thought, Wang Qiqi realized how foolish she was. Her bag was mostly empty; she could have just stowed the red wine inside the backpack, avoiding this conspicuous parade. Realizing this, Wang Qiqi turned around and walked back into the hotel. In the middle of the lobby lounge, under the scrutiny of many onlookers, she placed the bottles into her backpack, then walked out of the hotel again amidst their startled gazes.

【To be continued】