Chapter 280: Chapter 280

Hua Xiaomo couldn’t help but feel a faint, hidden stirring in her heart.

What was wrong with him? Why did he have that expression?

Wasn’t the scandal with the photos already resolved?

He had gotten what he wanted, deleted the photos from her phone, so why did he still have that expression?

She was somewhat puzzled by him; she felt she didn’t quite understand him anymore.

Qi Longbing watched her approach, a faint smile on his lips. He didn’t speak; he just kept smiling at her.

For some reason, as Hua Xiaomo met his smile, she suddenly felt an indescribable sense of pity.

He had never been before. Qi Longbing... he had always been a very domineering person. When had he ever seemed so fragile and helpless?

No, never? I’ve been by his side for a while, and I’ve never seen him display such a seemingly desperate expression.

Yu Bao stood to the side, frowning deeply. He was unsure whether to speak or not, and in the end, he didn’t utter a single word.

He understood that he was Qi Longbing’s subordinate and had no right to make any decisions for him.

As for that bet, it seemed they would have to wait for Qi Longbing to tell her himself.

Hua Xiaomo looked at Qi Longbing, her amber eyes filled with urgency. "President Qi, you’ve really drunk too much. Yu Bao, you should take President Qi home now!"

The last sentence was clearly directed at Yu Bao.

Yu Bao looked at Hua Xiaomo, hesitated, and then said, "Miss Hua, could you help me take President Qi home?"

He wasn’t sure why he said that, but he felt that at this moment, Qi Longbing probably needed her the most.

"What? You want me to go with you to take him home?" Hua Xiaomo paused. I sneaked out to have fun in the middle of the night! If I take him home, I can’t continue to enjoy my night out. Besides, I’m not alone; Dong Xiaoyou came out with me. Dong Xiaoyou is probably still waiting for me in the hall!

But instinctively, Hua Xiaomo’s gaze fell on Qi Longbing’s face, which was flushed red from the alcohol. He was very drunk, his eyes almost closed.

In his current state, he definitely wouldn’t be able to answer me.

Without much thought, Hua Xiaomo looked at Yu Bao. "How about this: I came here with a friend. Let me go get her, and then we can take President Qi home together. Is that okay?"

"Alright, I’ll wait for you," Yu Bao nodded. Orıginal content can be found at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽

"Then please take good care of him. I’ll be right back." After saying that, Hua Xiaomo quickly left the private room and went down to the first-floor hall to find Dong Xiaoyou.

The main hall on the first floor of the Brilliant Starlight club was still bustling with people.

However, though Hua Xiaomo looked left and right, she didn’t see the familiar figure.

"Huh? Where did she go?" Hua Xiaomo furrowed her brow and quickly made her way outside the club’s main entrance. The outside and inside were two different worlds; one noisy, the other quiet, utterly distinct.

Soon, Hua Xiaomo pulled out her phone and dialed Dong Xiaoyou’s number. The call connected. "Hello, Xiao You, where are you?"

"Xiao Mo, I’m sorry," a female voice came through the phone. "I’m in a taxi right now. I’m feeling a bit unwell, so I’m heading back first. I’m really sorry I can’t keep you company."

"Are you alright? Why does your voice sound so subdued?" Hua Xiaomo asked, concerned.

"I’m fine, don’t worry about me. If you want to have more fun, stay a little longer. Just don’t stay out too late, and don’t drink too much. I’m afraid your mother will worry about you," Dong Xiaoyou said with a forced smile from the other end.

"Okay. I’ll be back soon. If you’re not feeling well, go home and get some sleep," Hua Xiaomo said before hanging up.

Dong Xiaoyou gripped her phone tightly, a wave of exhaustion washing over her. Sitting in the taxi, she replayed the image of the person she had just seen over and over in her mind.

I’m truly afraid to see him again, afraid that the resolve I’ve finally mustered will waver.

"No... I can’t go back to the past," Dong Xiaoyou murmured to herself, a melancholic expression clouding her beautiful face, her thoughts a painful, tangled mess.

It turned out that just moments before in the bar, Dong Xiaoyou had seen a man she now desperately wanted to avoid—Yu Hanxi!

That’s why she had fled in such distress.

Meanwhile, Hua Xiaomo quickly returned to the private room on the second floor. Together with Yu Bao, she took Qi Longbing back to his Banshan Villa at Jinyin Shoal.

When Aunt Wang saw Hua Xiaomo accompanying them, she couldn’t help but smile. "Miss Hua, you’re here too."

"Mm-hm, Aunt Wang," Hua Xiaomo replied with a smile, then watched as Yu Bao escorted Qi Longbing upstairs. However, her own feet remained in the first-floor hall; she didn’t follow.

"You haven’t visited this old woman in so long. Have you almost forgotten about Aunt Wang?" Aunt Wang asked with a smile.

"How could I! I could forget anyone, but I’d never forget you, Aunt Wang! I’ll never forget how delicious your cooking is!" Hua Xiaomo responded with a smile.

"Alright, alright, enough with the flattery. Hurry and take this up to President Qi to wipe him down," Aunt Wang said, handing her a hot towel. "He drank a lot, so he’s sweating profusely."

Hua Xiaomo looked at the towel and couldn’t help but tease with a curious smile, "You’re acting just like his real mother."

"...Listen to you, child. If I had a son as outstanding as President Qi, I’d be smiling even in my sleep," Aunt Wang said. She then took Hua Xiaomo’s hand and spoke earnestly, "Child, President Qi is truly good to you. Don’t be so blessed that you don’t recognize your good fortune. If you let him go, you’ll regret it, you know!"

Hua Xiaomo smiled. "You’re really thinking far ahead, Aunt Wang. Alright, I’m going up." With that, she didn’t wait for Aunt Wang to say more and quickly took the towel towards his room.

She didn’t actually enter his room, instead handing the towel directly to Yu Bao as he came out. "Yu Bao, my part is done. The rest is up to you."

Just as Hua Xiaomo finished speaking and turned to go downstairs,

"Hua Xiaomo, where are you planning to go this late at night?" Yu Bao quickly asked.

Hua Xiaomo turned back awkwardly and looked at him. "It’s so late. Of course, I’m going home!"

Then, without waiting for him to say more, she hurried down the stairs, but just then she bumped into Aunt Wang, who was approaching with a bowl of hangover soup.

Seeing Hua Xiaomo about to leave, Aunt Wang quickly approached her. "Miss Hua, could you do me a favor and taste this hangover soup? Is it salty enough? My sense of taste hasn’t been very good lately."

"Alright," Hua Xiaomo replied, smiling as she took the bowl from Aunt Wang’s hands and drank some.

However, moments later, before she had taken more than a few steps, her head started to spin.

"Aunt Wang, why does your hangover soup... make me feel so dizzy?" Hua Xiaomo finished speaking, then swayed, feeling herself about to fall backward.