Chapter 198: Chapter 198

They both seemed quite contemplative as they watched the car disappear into the distance.

"It seems President Qi cares a great deal for Xiao Mo," Ye Xiangxue mused, her voice barely a whisper. "But Xiao Mo... why would she..."

"There’s no ’why’," Wen Yajun sighed.

Suddenly, a handsome and elegant man approached them.

"Hello, may I ask if you’re friends of Hua Xiaomo?" Long Shangxuan asked politely.

Wen Yajun turned his face to look at the newcomer and made an immediate judgment. "You... you’re the person I spoke to on the phone tonight, aren’t you?"

"Yes. Hua Xiaomo... why did she fight in the ring?" Long Shangxuan asked directly.

He already knew her whereabouts. What concerned him now was the reason behind this incident, because only by knowing the reason could he make sound judgments and decisions.

Wen Yajun fell silent for a moment. "I don’t know either. She only said she needed money, that she desperately needed money, so she recklessly undertook that dangerous venture. Sigh, I’m so useless. I couldn’t even stop her."

Could it really be the five million gambling debt she mentioned that night she came to him?

Long Shangxuan was somewhat doubtful whether the gambling debt was the real reason, but he was now quite certain that the five million was not just a prank as she had previously claimed.

Given her personality, she must have been in urgent need of the money; otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken such a risk.

"Alright, I understand. I shall take my leave now," Long Shangxuan said. He had already made up his mind and quickly turned to go.

A voice from behind stopped him. Long Shangxuan turned back and smiled faintly. "My name is Long Shangxuan, Hua Xiaomo’s senior from university."

"Oh, my name is Wen Yajun, a friend of Xiao Mo’s," Wen Yajun said, and after thinking for a moment, he added, "Xiao Mo has been taken away by President Qi. Do you want to... go find her?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥

Long Shangxuan thought for a moment and answered, "I think President Qi will take good care of her, but I’ll go see her later. I’m going now."

Soon, Long Shangxuan bid farewell to Wen Yajun, got into his silver Mercedes, and drove away.

「At the Banshan White House Villa in Jinyin Shoal.」

Time passed; it was unclear how long, or how many days went by.

When Hua Xiaomo awoke again, she saw the IV bottles hanging above and recognized the familiar room.

Besides that, someone was lying asleep beside her. This person had a handsome face, with eyes as beautiful as a crescent moon and long, incredibly beautiful eyelashes. Hua Xiaomo couldn’t help but take an extra glance.

However, a thought quickly made her turn her face away, and though her eyes remained closed, they quivered.

"Xiao Mo... my Xiao Mo..." The man beside her suddenly murmured, his hand instinctively reaching for her. But the next second, he quickly withdrew it, placing it back on his own side, careful not to let himself touch her again.

He performed this action as if in a dream, his eyes never opening.

Hua Xiaomo sighed quietly. She looked at the IV bottle. The needle had been removed, but the bottle itself hadn’t been taken down. She gently got up, put on her shoes, and slowly walked out of the room.

Before she even went downstairs, she saw Yu Bao asleep on the sofa.

Hua Xiaomo glanced out the window. The sky was just beginning to turn a faint blue as dawn quietly arrived.

She tiptoed lightly past Yu Bao and, dragging her exhausted body, walked towards the second-floor balcony. There, she sat down in the wicker chair and calmly watched the distant scenery, her gaze growing dull.

She didn’t even know how long she sat there.

She only snapped out of it when she heard a noisy commotion outside. She glanced indifferently in that direction, then turned back to continue staring into space as if nothing had happened.

Eventually, Qi Longbing had his men search the villa and finally found her on the balcony.

"Why did you get up without a word?" Qi Longbing asked, looking at her. Her complexion was much better than before, but she still looked quite haggard.

"President Qi, I slept for so long I felt dizzy, so I got up," Hua Xiaomo replied with a faint smile, having already composed her emotions and thoughts.

Yes, what was the use of dwelling on it? Fifty million... lost was lost!

She didn’t even know what would become of her now.

It seemed impossible to repay the five million, so Xia Shuangming would definitely take her away.

And besides Xia Shuangming, there was Qi Longbing. Asking him for money was undoubtedly the same as selling herself to him. How was that any different from marrying Xia Shuangming?

Hua Xiaomo laughed bitterly to herself. This tragic life... it really doesn’t let you have things your way.

She had thought she could finally be free and walk a smooth path to happiness, but it all turned out to be nothing more than beautiful, fragile soap bubbles.

Thinking of her current poor health, Qi Longbing held back some of what he truly wanted to say. Instead, he offered, "Xiao Mo, don’t you love Aunt Wang’s cooking the most?"

"That’s why I brought you back, so you can eat to your heart’s content!" Qi Longbing continued, smiling faintly, his eyes full of tenderness as he looked at her.

"Thank you, I’m not hungry," Hua Xiaomo replied listlessly.

"Then eat a little later. How about I keep you company here and we watch the sunrise?" Qi Longbing suggested, forcing a smile. Heaven knew he was trying everything he could think of to cheer her up.

"Whatever," Hua Xiaomo said without looking up. Her body was slumped in the chair; she didn’t want to move or think about anything more.

As the days passed, their interactions remained lukewarm. Yet, it always felt as if both were deliberately suppressing something.

He didn’t want to bring it up again, and she wanted to discuss it even less.

To cheer her up, Qi Longbing even had someone catch two monkeys from the mountains for her to keep as pets.

Another half a month passed. Hua Xiaomo’s mood gradually improved significantly, and her body also recovered steadily.

By then, their one-month agreement had already been over for several days.

Whether Qi Longbing had forgotten or was deliberately avoiding the topic, he hadn’t mentioned it at all. It seemed he simply wanted her to stay by his side.

Every night, Qi Longbing insisted on having her put on an IV drip and stubbornly insisted on sleeping in the same bed, claiming it was to better care for her.

Hua Xiaomo knew further argument would be a waste of breath, so she let him sleep beside her fully clothed, just like that other night. As long as he remained as still as a stone, it would be fine.

Surprisingly, Qi Longbing truly did sleep like a stone for several days.

Hua Xiaomo deliberately showed a rare, radiant smile during dinner. "President Qi, I have something I want to tell you."

"Okay. After dinner, we can talk slowly," Qi Longbing replied, his smile exceptionally graceful. It seems my Xiao Mo has not only recovered physically but her mind has cleared up too!