Chapter 88 - He Mistook Her (1/2)

The woman looked around, but there were no unoccupied tables. Finally, she just leaned against the counter and observed from there.

Qiang Wei had gone back to Qiu Ling's table and eyed his king warily. Qiu Ling still stood there, prepared to attack once more if Qiang Wei tried to touch him again.

”It was my fault.” Qiang Wei relented and lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. ”Why don't we sit down again and continue drinking?”

Qiu Ling didn't move. The thing Qiang Wei had originally anxiously waited for had happened: He had started getting drunk. An alcohol-induced blush had crept up his cheeks and his eyes were misty and unable to completely focus on Qiang Wei.

Qiang Wei took the cup from the table and offered it to his king. Qiu Ling only stared. Where had the flask of wine gone?

”May I?” Qiang Wei extended his hand. He wanted to take the flask that Qiu Ling was, in fact, still holding in his left hand, but his king's eyes narrowed at the movement.

Damn. This was leading nowhere. He really hated when their king started drinking! He was so hard to please in that condition. Even harder than normal.

Madam Zhong couldn't take the sight anymore. She stepped forward and grabbed Qiu Ling's arm. She was a little afraid he would kick her just like his guest, but nothing of the like happened. Instead, Qiu Ling turned around to her. He furrowed his brow but not in the grim expression she had seen so often on this face. He just started to look pitiful. Even his eyes were getting mistier.

”Mother-in-law …”, Qiu Ling called out pitifully and hugged her.

Murmurs erupted around them. Madam Zhong looked like she was approaching her mid-thirties and Qiu Ling seemed to be around the end of his twenties in this appearance. It wasn't strange for a man to marry a younger woman, but this seemed to be overdoing it a little? In particular, since that guy seemed to be a drunkard. What had the parents thought, marrying their daughter off to somebody like that?

The woman waiting at the counter frowned, too. ”Using your status to bully those weaker than you and even hugging somebody else's wife in broad daylight! So shameless!”

”Mommy …” Hugging Madam Zhong had finally gotten Qiu Ling Jing Yi's attention. Unfortunately, he was already too drunk to notice.

”Mother-in-law, it's all your fault!”, he complained, resting his head on her shoulder. ”You said, I shouldn't interfere and now look! He kissed somebody else. He's going to forget about me.”

Madam Zhong sighed. He was never in love with you in the first place, though? He hasn't even seen your true appearance! What are you expecting? But of course, she didn't utter any of these thoughts. Instead, she patted his back. ”Yes, yes. It's my fault. I shouldn't have done that. Now, how about we get you upstairs into one of the rooms?”

”No!” Qiu Ling gripped her tighter and tried to see the counter. His gaze met with the woman standing there for a moment, but then he just searched further. Where is he?

”Why that? It's a little quieter there. You'll feel better.”

Qiu Ling kept mum and pursed his lips, his gaze still roaming about. ”I want to see him.”

Madam Zhong sighed again. She wouldn't really mind if he was sober, but considering how drunk he was … Who knew what he would do? She couldn't let him have his way.

”What are you even saying? You're drunk. Would you really want him to see you like that?”

Qiu Ling tensed up, his grip tightening a bit further. Madam Zhong winced. His grip was starting to hurt.

She patted his back. ”There, there. Let's go upstairs. You can sober up a bit first, then I'll bring him upstairs to see you, alright?”

Qiu Ling was torn between nodding his head and protesting. He wanted to see Jing He. He wanted to see him so badly. But his mother-in-law was right, too. He would regret if his beloved saw him like this. He always … always only wanted to show him his good side. The ugly things he hid from him … there was no need to know.