Xiao Qi's words left Wang Shu standing in shock. Was she really so insignificant that she had no right to concern herself with Xiao Qi?
She laughed bitterly and said, "You're right; I have no right to trouble you. You finish drinking, and I'll go first."
Wang Shu then picked up her bag and stood up. She couldn't stay here any longer; if she did, she feared she might break down.
Just as she took two steps forward, a loud noise came from behind. When she turned around to see what it was, she found Xiao Qi had fallen to the ground.
"Xiao Qi..." She exclaimed in surprise and rushed over to check on him. Upon discovering that he had merely drunk too much alcohol and was just sleeping, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching Xiao Qi's peaceful demeanor, Wang Shu felt a wave of helplessness rise within her. She paid the bill with the waiter's assistance and helped Xiao Qi into the car. Initially, she planned to take him back home, but once he got in, he kept complaining about feeling unwell. Unable to do anything else, she settled for finding a nearby hotel to put him up.
That night was no easy task for Wang Shu; Xiao Qi vomited continuously during the first half of the night, and Wang Shu spent all her time cleaning up after him. After managing to get his body cleaned and clothes washed and dried, she finally had some rest. However, Xiao Qi started complaining again that he felt unwell.
Wang Shu hurriedly prepared some hot water and fed Xiao Qi a few sips.
By the time she finished, it was already 2:30 AM.
She managed to doze off on the couch for a little while before being awakened by an incoming call at around 5:00 AM. It was from an unknown number; when Wang Shu answered, a feeling of unease crept into her heart as she glanced at Xiao Qi. To avoid disturbing him, she quietly moved to the balcony to take the call.
The moment the call connected, a torrent of abuse and foul language flooded through it. The woman used every filthy term she could think of, and after listening for thirty seconds, Wang Shu finally realized that this was her own mother, Li Jinhua.
For two minutes, the elderly lady ranted nonstop, and Wang Shu listened silently without any expression on her face; it seemed like she had long since become accustomed to such scenes.