Chapter Twenty-Two: Drunk

After leaving the Cui Corporation, Zhou Xiaoqi went straight home, pondering what to eat for dinner, where to eat, and checking her wallet. In the end, she decided to dine at home.

"Seven o'clock tonight, at my place," Zhou Xiaoqi sent the carefully edited message to Cui Hao.

When Cui Hao arrived at Zhou Xiaoqi's house, she gave him a surprise that wasn't really a surprise.

"Ta-da!" Zhou Xiaoqi pointed gleefully at the dishes on the dining table.

"What do you think? Clever, right? I ordered these just for you."

Cui Hao drew closer, immediately catching the unmistakable scent of takeout. There were beers on the side, and the dishes on the table were all light and mild.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I just ordered according to my own taste," Zhou Xiaoqi whispered as she came up beside Cui Hao, noticing his silence and guessing that the food probably wasn't to his liking.

"It's fine. As long as you like it," Cui Hao replied, pulling out a chair and gesturing for Zhou Xiaoqi to sit and start eating.

Cui Hao’s eating posture matched his persona—cultured and refined. This only made Zhou Xiaoqi feel a bit awkward.

"What's wrong?" Cui Hao asked, seeing Zhou Xiaoqi looking uncomfortable.

"Hehe... Uncle, I just wanted to ask, do you always eat like this at home?" Zhou Xiaoqi tried to mimic Cui Hao’s elegant demeanor, but it felt unnatural. She wondered why, when Cui Hao ate, it seemed almost artistic.

"Yes, I always eat like this. Is it making you uncomfortable?" Cui Hao noticed Zhou Xiaoqi's awkwardness.

Afraid that Cui Hao might read too much into her discomfort, Zhou Xiaoqi hurriedly denied it: "Not at all. I’m just not used to having someone eat with me suddenly."

Her simple words left a deep impression on Cui Hao’s heart.

"In the future, when I have time, I’ll keep you company," Cui Hao said, following his heart.

Zhou Xiaoqi, about to pick up some food, was confused by Cui Hao’s words. She didn’t respond, just continued eating.

Picking up her glass, Zhou Xiaoqi said, "I feel like drinking tonight. You do as you please." The contract signed by Xue Ran had given her peace of mind, and she wanted to forget the recent unpleasantness, because every tomorrow was a new beginning.

"Uncle, thank you for letting Xue Ran stay with me again."

Cui Hao watched Zhou Xiaoqi, who seemed a bit tipsy. He knew she was easily satisfied; a simple word or gesture could move her deeply.

"Xiaoqi, you’ve had a bit too much. Let me help you to your room to rest, alright?"

Zhou Xiaoqi blinked drowsily, "Huh? Uncle, why are you in my house?"

She was now rambling incoherently from too much drink. Cui Hao helped her to her room, tucked her in, and was about to leave when Zhou Xiaoqi grabbed his hand, muttering, "Don’t go, don’t go."

"Alright, I won’t go. I’ll stay here with you," Cui Hao gently reassured the deeply unsettled Zhou Xiaoqi, over and over.

Watching Zhou Xiaoqi gradually fall asleep, Cui Hao reached out to touch her cheek. At that moment, he knew he was completely lost, unable to extricate himself. Carefully freeing his hand from her grasp, he left the room, cleaned up the leftover trash from dinner, and only then departed.

Cui Hao drove quickly to his own house, but he didn’t get out. Instead, he sat in the car, smoking one cigarette after another, trying to figure out what his next step should be. Two voices inside him battled constantly.

One said, "Xiaoqi is a good girl. You have a family. You won’t abandon your family for her, so don’t ruin her life."

The other argued, "If you like her, then go for it. At least let her know how you feel. Whether she accepts it or not is her decision."